You Will Only Date Within Your Race

You don’t normally choose the person you’ll fall in love with but ask ABC family and Disney channel and you’ll only be in relationship of your own race.

Let’s be honest , how many interracial relationship have you seen on Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon or ABC family? This has been my longer term observation. From 1997 – 2004,  I noticed…

·         Mickey Mouse dates Mickey Mouse; another Mouse

·         Cinderella and her Prince; both white.

·         Aladdin and Jasmine , both Arabian

·         Mulan & Shang – Asian Decent

·         Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Harvey

Same race couples on television continue currently…

·         Ally and Austin

·         Baily and Cody

·         Jeremy and Candice

·         Teddy Duncan and Spencer Walsh

·         Mellissa and Joey

Where are the interracial couples? The lack of interracial couples reflects Production companies’ bias. They are stuck on specific portrayals of relationships being within a race. Why doesn’t Mickey Mouse like Daffy Ducks family members? Why did Sabrina have a crush on the popular white jockey? Don’t you think kids are developing some kind of idea that “I should only like people who look like me”? Maybe that is what producers what, they want to keep the social norm of same race couples.

 Then when there are interracial couples, they are perceived differently. While the same race couples follow the cliché story plot, of a meeting at a similar place, a date, kiss, and steady relationship interracial couples meet because one likes the other and the other doesn’t even notice their existence. They awkwardly meet and try to overcome the awkward talks and interactions and both fall in love for each other’s flaws.  Is including interracial couples in shows step towards a real representation of real love stories/ relationships ? More people can say that they met their partners from a incidentally run in rather then they caught eye contact at the local Starbucks and continued to come every day to see each other. You’ll also notice "While white women in interracial relationships came across as either morally corrupt or socially inept or as victims of physical or sexual abuse, women of color who become involved with white men were often presented as erotic, exotic and possessing exceptional talents." (B****Magazine)

To think of it, the TV and Media market is about getting the most popularity and best rating. If the number one show is Scandal, featuring the most interesting couple of a black woman and white man, wouldn’t you think that someone other producers would be taking thought?