24: Maybe I'm The Racist

Brothers... In Charge

At the last few minutes of 24 last night, I flipped out again. It looks like Wayne Palmer isn't dead, but he is effectively neutralized... allowing the Vice President to take over for at least a few episodes, if not the whole season. This also gives credence to the urban legend that the FBI or Secret Service called Joel Surnow (exec producer of 24) and warned him against actually killing a sitting president on the show. Either way, they took my boy out.

I don't know about you, but I hated the way Tom Lennox and the other white conspirators talked about him. "Oh, he isn't right for the country," or "we are saving our nation," or "why won't that dumb n-word listen to reason..." The last part I made up, but it didn't feel out of context when I imagined it. I am sure Surnow and Sutherland are trying to have a very colorblind show - at least when it comes to black/white relations... its still ok to hate Arabs on 24 - but there are certain realities in America that need to be taken into account.

For one, the mixed race ticket is a recipe for disaster. If you have a white POTUS, and a black veep - every gangbanger on the Eastern seaboard will be gunning for the top guy. With the reverse, you will have every klansmen and skinhead with more guns then sense trying to restore the white order by taking out the black top man. Race issues have dominated the American psyche for 90% of our history... don't tell me that you don't read race into these issues too.

Secondly, there is the tokenism. The one black guy is the president with conspiring white guys out to get him. The one Arab chick is a high ranking analyst at CTU, trapped by xenophobic policies. All the Arab men are terrorists. Where is the anonymous Asian analyst with no race specific backstory? Or the Hispanic field agent? Or the Indian guy who is not playing an Arab terrorist? Or anyone who is a non-white actor playing a role that could be covered by any given race? Too often I think Hollywood subscribes to the notion that white people are generic, and ethnic minorities need to bring their own experience into the role. Sure, there is benefit to that - but not in every single show. 24 doesn't have to be Roots every season, or El Cid.

As an aside, I thought it was awesome when Chloe went searching for Morris, and freaked out when the guy was just trying to take a shit. I guess someone does stop to actually use the facilities, after all.