More and more, audiences at home are flocking to popular television shows with interracial couples at the forefront of the screenplay.
Classic shows like “I Love Lucy” and “The Jeffersons” paved the way for social equality. Now, primetime programs such as “Scandal,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Hart of Dixie,” “Parenthood” and “Modern Family” all portray individuals coming together from different ethnic backgrounds, and they are dominating the market.
Here are questions that normally surround a TV series of this qualification: Is the love they portray too unbelievable? What about the cultural differences? How accurate can this show really be?
I think the real question here is: Why do we view mixed couples like they’re some kind of phenomenon?
Aren’t we as a society past this? Why do we even notice when people of two opposite races portray a couple in love on the television screen?
The days of segregation and solely dating/marrying within one’s own race are long behind us. You may find examples of these relationships in your regular social gatherings, even in your own homes. Perhaps it is ourselves who allow our minds to remain stuck in the past and we let the society of that past dictate that very same mindset.
Despite these setbacks, the fact that we can see examples of colorful and diverse people being broadcasted on such a prominent platform is a true testament to positive development within the United States.
The signs of progress take their shape within our artistic representations. Television, being merely one of those avenues, is a popular way for us to connect with one another. These topics spark conversations around the water cooler, in book clubs, and in everyday social interactions.
Through our storytelling and our common desire for laughter, drama, and the pure joy of being entertained, we spark social transformation.
The lives of interracial couples illustrated on television are more prevalent now in real life than they ever were in American history.
So maybe what we’re seeing on TV isn’t so rare after all; maybe we’re just seeing a reflection of our actuality.