Recently I read a comment from an online author I frequent, proclaiming that she was angry at a L&O:SVU's portrayal of lesbians as "drug addicts in... obsessive dysfunctional relationship[s]". Yes, I agree this is a gross misrepresentation. But then I began to think, At least her demographic, a White lesbian, is being represented. How often are people of colour portrayed on L&O, much less queers of colour....?
And so I have to contest her remark with: is it better to be portrayed in a slanted light, or simply not mentioned at all? Would inaccuracies be better than silence? Initially, I chose the former, because at least then, a conversation can be started.
And then I thought about all the episodes I've watched (over 150 and counting) and also about all the people of colour in antagonistic roles.... There is a very racist trend going on in this show, even among the characters of colour.
Tamara Tunie's (Medical Examiner Warner) and Ice-T's (Fin Tutuola) characters are of African descent, but they are very light-skinned and are more readily accepted by Whites. Along with BD Wong, (SVU psychiatrist), and sometimes Joel de la Fuente, they are the only recurring characters of colour on the show. However, they do not have consistently active roles in the series.
The villains are often portrayed by light-skinned and, possibly, mixed race actors, increasing their acceptance by the white target audience and alienating those with darker skin tones. Very few queer characters are present, and when they are it usually is not in the most progressive light. The fact that the producers have been dangling Detective Olivia Benson's sexuality over everyone's heads for the past decade does not help.
I've been trying my best to keep my lens of SVU superficial, but I think the bubble has burst. My relationship with the show is coming to a close. I think I'm going to give NBC a piece of my
mind before I depart though.... Those mindless conglomerates like to hear what their viewers have to say right?
p[s
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