Dear White People2017

DWP does want to be provocative, just not too provocative. Mostly it just wants to keep an open mind and open heart. Mostly, it succeeds.

Truly awful. Even if this weren't laced with a sledgehammer and an overtly sanctimonious approach towards racism, it's just poorly done. Every single character feels one-dimensional if not a full-blown caricature, and the dialogue is utterly cringe. It reminds me of a less talented Aaron Sorkin (whom I can't stand), writing argument after argument to win against themselves. All the while, snarkily gloating about being able to defeat their own straw men. And regarding the black-face party that is the rather convoluted seedling for the plot... Not to suggest black face doesn't happen, it still does. But it's frankly overrepresented. I have been to countless Halloween/Frat/Costume parties over the years. Not once, ever, has a even a single person donned blackface in my experience. Let alone a whole coordinated and themed event take place. "It's a thing white people do. Google it", the show tells us. I don't want to go down the rabbit hole of explaining how stupid college students ignorantly engaging in (literally) surface-level racism is so not an equivalent as to when, say, lynchings were normality, but I will say such occurrences are still atypical. Speaking of convolution, the classical/operatic score only compounded the pretentiousness and sanctimoniousness of the entire experience. Hearing Carmen while being spoon-fed wokeness is just a laughable approach. Kubrick you are not. Lastly, the showrunner who just resigned due to Dave Chapelle is a WHITE trans-woman! Why is that particular racial demographic ok instead of someone of color? I hate when alleged moralisms have no logical consistency.

The series maintains a perfect balance between joy and trauma that exemplifies the duality of the black experience; its writing is sharp and contemporary. Even the moments of parody feel relatable as opposed to over-the-top.