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Tumblr Blog Summary: Working Towards a Better World for All

There was a lot of information I learned in writing these blog posts. For my TV blog post on And Just Like That, I learned the importance of depicting ones’ experiences in an authentic way (which AJLT is NOT doing). For my movie blog post on Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, I learned more about Anti-Asian racism in America and what we can do to combat it. Simu Liu’s essay in Variety was emotionally compelling and I would be interested in reading his book We Were Dreamers, which goes more in-depth about his experiences as an immigrant. For my social media blog post on the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), I learned about pioneering African American figures throughout American history. Given that I am involved in undergraduate research researching the traits of geniuses throughout history, I had a lot of fun going through the Smithsonian archives for my post on the NMAAHC and I feel like I have some ideas for who I could research for my next project (for example, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald were both pioneers in jazz and I would love to dive more in-depth into their lives by reading biographies about them). Through this project, I have learned that while the power in the United States is widely given to a heteronormative, cisgender Caucasian patriarchy, there are people who are breaking barriers and telling stories that give rise to equality. It is important to hear these stories so they do not go untold and so we can become educated on why diversity is so crucial. Deborah Willis’ book Picturing Us and documentary Through a Lens Darkly have further emphasized the importance of showing the history of our nation through the eyes of all different ethnicities, races, and genders. Just like an ecosystem, without diversity, we would not be able to thrive and survive. Through the different mediums I viewed and researched, I realize the importance of advocating for equality and diversity to make the world a better place. 

Some books I am interested in reading after working on this project.

John Edward Hasse, Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington (Cambridge: Da Capo Press, 1995), https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Category-Life-Genius-Ellington/dp/0306806142/ref=sr_1_1?crid=M0LCWIGSWC6H&keywords=duke+ellington+biography&qid=1689789262&sprefix=duke+ellington+biograph%2Caps%2C184&sr=8-1. 

Simu Liu, We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story (New York: William Morrow, 2022), https://www.amazon.com/We-Were-Dreamers-Simu-Liu-ebook/dp/B08728NNKQ. 

Judith Tick, Becoming Ella Fitzgerald: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song (New York: W.W. Norton, 2023), https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Ella-Fitzgerald-Transformed-American/dp/039324105X/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2PXZSZPH1N0CZ&keywords=ella+fitzgerald+book&qid=1689788888&sprefix=ella+fitzgerald+book%2Caps%2C112&sr=8-5. 

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Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture Showcases Black History

For this assignment, I decided to follow the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). The stories they highlight are important to understanding the history of the United States more in depth and spotlight the diversity that has always been present in our nation. 

The NMAAHC publishes Instagram posts highlighting individual Black trailblazers throughout US history. Two examples of people the NMAAHC have posted about include Mary McLeod Bethune and Diahann Carroll, who were pioneers and proponents of diversity in their respective fields. 

Mary McLeod Bethune was a teacher who was appointed Director of Minority Affairs for the National Youth Administration under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She was the first Black woman to head a federal agency and was part of Roosevelt’s “Black cabinet,” the group of FDR’s Black policy advisors which Bethune herself led. This was significant as this was during the Great Depression, a time where segregation still persisted in the US. Bethune also founded the National Council of Negro Women “to empower Black women concerned with social justice and human rights issues.”

Diahann Carroll was an American actress known for movie musicals such as Carmen Jones (1954) and the TV shows Julia (1968-71) and Dynasty (1984-1987). Julia, in which Carroll played a nurse, was significant to television history, as she was the first African-American lead character in a non-stereotypical role. For her role on Dynasty, where she played Dominique Deveraux, “Carroll immortalized Black female power.” 

A picture of Caroll as Julia and Marc Copage as Corey on the TV show Julia.

Bethune and Carroll are important to the history of the United States as they were trailblazers in their respective fields. They were Black female role models at a time when segregation still existed. It is important to have representation of all races and ethnicities in our culture, and Deborah Willis is furthering this with her mission of looking for photographs of Black people throughout US history. As she explains in the documentary Through a Lens Darkly, she was ”amazed and dismayed” there were no Black people in history textbooks, so she made it a goal to show the history of African-Americans through photography with Black people both in front and behind the camera. Her project has lasted over 35 years and is further exemplified in Picturing Us, where she shows pictures of African Americans throughout US history and explains its significance. 

The image Racoon Couple in Car in Picturing Us symbolizes “the celebration of Black life…and cultural achievement.” The photograph also celebrates Harlem as “a source of pride” for African Americans as it was a time of cultural, literary, and musical achievement. Racoon Couple relates to the NMAAHC’s photographic archive, including one of Duke Ellington, who was a prominent musician during the Harlem Renaissance. Many of his compositions, such as “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” have since become jazz standards. In the picture (which can be found in the citation section below), you can see the joy on his face as he plays the piano and the audience’s sheer happiness around him. Both Racoon Couple and the photo of Duke Ellington are a celebration of Black history in the United States. 

Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington perform “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1965. Both were influential figures in jazz. 

People like Deb Willis and institutions like the Smithsonian help expose us to important stories in history that may be otherwise untold. By highlighting important African American figures that have broken barriers and blazed trails, the NMAAHC shows us the celebration of Black pride throughout history. 

Works Cited (Listed Alphabetically)

Family Pictures USA, Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, June 19, 2013, 7:49-8:46, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THZWSexAjgk.

Alice George, “Was the 1968 TV Show ‘Julia’ a Milestone or a Millstone for Diversity?,” Smithsonian Magazine, updated October 4, 2019, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/was-1968-tv-show-julia-milestone-or-millstone-180970198/#:~:text=Squarely%20situated%20at%20an%20intersection,American%20authenticity%20to%20win%20viewers. 

“Mary McLeod Bethune and Roosevelt's ‘Black Cabinet’”, Anacostia Community Museum, Smithsonian, accessed July 19, 2023, https://anacostia.si.edu/exhibitions/mary-mcleod-bethune-and-roosevelts-black-cabinet%3Aevent-exhib-4309. 

National Museum of African American History and Culture (@nmaahc), photograph of Diahann Carroll, photograph by G. Marshall Wilson, Johnson Publishing Company Archive, courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, July 17, 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/CuzDWHWPUbZ/. 

National Museum of African American History and Culture (@nmaahc), “Duke Ellington, 1959,” Instagram, photographed by William Lanier, Johnson Publishing Company Archive, courtesy J. Paul Getty Trust and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, April 29, 2023, https://www.instagram.com/p/Crnoi1dPcBE/. 

National Museum of African American History and Culture (@nmaahc), “Mary McLeod Bethune - Daytona Beach, Florida,” circa 1915, photo by William Ludlow Coursen, courtesy of State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory, July 10, 2023,  https://www.instagram.com/p/CuhByc0MP6D/. 

Deborah Willis, Picturing Us: African American Identity in Photography (New York, The New Press, 1994), 8-9.

Picture/Video Credits

The Ed Sullivan Show, “Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing),"” YouTube, uploaded June 26, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myRc-3oF1d0. 

NBC Television, “Diahann carroll julia 1969,” circa 1969, uploaded August 31, 2011, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diahann_carroll_julia_1969.JPG. 

James Vanderzee, Racoon Couple in Car, 1932, courtesy Donna Vanderzee, from Picturing Us: African American Identity in Photography (New York, The New Press, 1994), 7.

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Shang Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings Shows How Far We’ve Come and the Progress We Still Have to Make

I have a confession to make: I’ve never seen a Marvel movie. I have found the garish overuse of CGI too distracting in the trailers, so I’ve always strayed away and stuck with action movies that emphasize practical effects (e.g., the Mission: Impossible and John Wick franchises). But Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings piqued my interest because of the fantastic cast (Simu Liu! Awkwafina! Michelle Yeoh!), and I knew I wanted to write about it for this class. Although I found the computer-generated special effects distracting, I thought the story, with themes regarding identity and family, was excellently told by a cast that has long broken barriers in Hollywood. 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings follows Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) as he is beckoned back home to China to confront the mysterious Ten Rings organization and wrestle with his family’s complicated dynamics. In the beginning of the movie, there are themes of immigration, with Shang-Chi anglicizing his name to Shaun when moving to the United States. This mirrors Liu’s real-life journey, as he was born in China and immigrated to Canada at five-years-old. In 2021, Liu wrote a guest column in Variety talking about his families’ encounters with racism. This is further reflected in A Different Mirror, where Ronald Takaki explains the history of racism experienced by Asian immigrants in the US. The Chinese Exclusion Act passed in the United States in 1882 further propelled this racism, where then-President Rutherford Hayes explained his reasoning for the act by stating “the present Chinese invasion…[is] pernicious and should be discouraged.” In 1943, this act that had been rooted in racism was finally repealed. 

Liu’s experiences with racism after immigrating to the United States are telling that progress is not yet done. However, Liu himself is helping break barriers, being the lead in the first Marvel movie with a predominantly Asian cast. Other cast members, including Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh, have also broken barriers: Awkwafina was the first actress of Asian-American descent to win a Golden Globe in the Best Musical or Comedy Category (for Lead Actress of The Farewell) while Michelle Yeoh was the first actress of Asian descent to win an Academy Award for Best Actress (for Everything Everywhere All at Once). 

A skit from Simu Liu’s episode hosting SNL where he and cast member Bown Yang compete over being the “First Asian” to do things such as “First Asian Man to Deadpan on Splash Mountain.” 

One particular stand-out scene in Shang-Chi is the bus fight that mirrors the iconic action movie Speed and is similar in style to the films of Jackie Chan, who is one of the most recognizable Asian actors in the world. Furthermore, the bus fight scene is soundtracked by DJ Snake, whose music video for “Turn Down for What” featured a predominantly Asian cast, which was “revolutionary in its day”...which was 2014. Since then, progress in representation has been made.

The bus fight in Shang-Chi, which mirrors action movie Speed (1994), which stars Keanu Reeves, who is of Chinese-Hawaiian descent on his father’s side.

It is clear that Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings was an important stepping stone for representation in both movies and Marvel. Since the release of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, there have been more movies featuring predominantly Asian casts, including Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) and Joy Ride (2023). However, the magic of the movie theater cannot fix everything, and Anti-Asian racism still unfortunately exists in the United States. Liu offers up a solution, explaining “Anti-Asian racism is very real, and it will not be solved with an opulent rom-com or Marvel superhero, but with you — the bystanders — acknowledging the validity of our pain.” Just as Shang-Chi does in the movie, we must acknowledge our painful past, realize our mistakes, and embrace the best version of ourselves in order to move forward and forge a better future for everyone. 

Works Cited (listed alphabetically)

Vanessa Etienne, “Keanu Reeves on His 'Love' for His Asian Background, the 'Respectful' Way 'Matrix' Includes Culture,” People, December 21, 2021, https://people.com/movies/keanu-reeves-talks-love-for-his-asian-identity-admits-mixed-feelings-being-called-person-of-color/.

"Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings Soundtrack," Tunefind, September 3, 2021, https://www.tunefind.com/movie/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-2021.

Simu Liu, “‘Shang-Chi’ Star Simu Liu: ‘Anti-Asian Racism Is Very Real’ (Guest Column),” Variety, March 11, 2021, https://variety.com/2021/film/news/shang-chi-simu-liu-anti-asian-racism-1234928348/. 

Ronald Takaki, A Different Mirror (New York: Back Bay Books, 2008), 189.

Glen Weldon, “Michelle Yeoh is the First Asian woman to win best actress Oscar,” NPR, March 13, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/03/12/1158764789/michelle-yeoh-best-actress-oscar-everything-everywhere-all-at-once#:~:text=Michelle%20Yeoh%20makes%20Oscar%20history%20with%20best%20actress%20win%20The,Everything%20Everywhere%20All%20at%20Once.

Alissa Wilkinson, “Awkwafina made history with her Golden Globes win for The Farewell,” Vox, January 5, 2020, https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/1/5/21051218/awkwafina-golden-globes-2020-first-asian-woman-farewell. 

Aaron Williams, “The Daniels Are Likely To Win A Bunch Of Oscars, But They Might Never Top Their ‘Turn Down For What’ Music Video,” Uproxx, March 9, 2023, https://uproxx.com/music/the-daniels-oscar-win-turn-down-for-what-video/. 

Photo/Video/Film Credits

JoBlo Superheroes, “SHANG-CHI (2021) Full Bus Fight [HD] Marvel IMAX Clip,” YouTube, January 24, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxCtHmPOqtg. 

Saturday Night Live, “Simu & Bowen,” YouTube, November 21, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3e0tszep890. 

Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2021), Disney Plus, https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings/5GyV9sf9Y041. 

Speed, directed by Jan de Bont, (20th Century Fox, 1994), https://www.hulu.com/movie/speed-f841188b-3029-419e-83a4-240c2f5614da. 

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And Just Like That...is Cringeworthy, Not Binge-worthy

I have a new guilty pleasure: no, it’s not Riverdale, nor is it the umpteenth season of The Bachelor. It’s And Just Like That…, the reboot of Sex and the City starring Sarah Jessica Parker and her (mostly intact) group of gal pals as they help her move on from the death of her husband, John James “Mr. Big” Preston (Chris Noth). Where Sex and the City was a fun romp exploring the lives of Carrie Bradshaw (Parker), Samantha Jones (Kim Cattrall), Miranda Hobbs (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) through singlehood and coupledom, And Just Like That is strictly a cringe watch, not a binge watch, as the reboot attempts to correct some errors, including the lack of diversity, of the original show. 

The cast of Sex and the City 

The cast of And Just Like That…

Over the course of the first season, we are introduced to Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte’s new friends, all of whom are a part of the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) community (Kim Cattrall did not reprise her role as Samantha due to an ongoing feud with SJP). There’s Charlotte’s new friend Lisa Todd-Wexley (Nicole Ari Parker), Miranda Hobbs’ hip professor Nya Wallace (Karen Pittman), Carrie’s podcasting partner Che (Sara Ramirez), and her realtor Seema Patel (Sarita Chodbury). All of these actors are wonderful additions to the cast–it’s just too bad the show squanders the opportunity to flesh out the characters beyond what they look like or identify as. 

As Deborah Willis discusses in the documentary Through a Lens Darkly, it’s important to have representation. She explains that “Black people were subjects for the photographers, but none of the photographers were African American.” The original Sex and the City had an overwhelmingly white writers room, and it seems And Just Like That...is making up for it with the introduction of BIPOC women behind the camera in both writing and directing positions. But despite the attempts at increasing diversity off-camera, that doesn’t mean the characters’ escapades at welcoming diversity on camera are any less cringeworthy. 

In the pilot alone, Lisa is referred to by Charlotte’s husband Harry as “Black Charlotte;” later, Charlotte and Harry attempt to befriend more Black people after fearing Lisa and her husband will be the only non-white people at their dinner party.  

Miranda’s attempts to befriend her professor may be more awkward. When Miranda first meets Nya, she spends too much time complimenting her braids, over-explaining that her compliment had “nothing to do with it being a Black hairstyle” and then insinuating she signed up for her class just because Nya is Black.

This whole video is just one giant face palm.

But the worst offender might just be Che Diaz, a Latinx nonbinary comedian who has become the subject of multiple think pieces. What should be an innovative character highlighting the joys of representation becomes the most annoying human imaginable, an unfunny comedian who introduces themselves to Miranda by shotgunning a joint into her mouth at a bar. Miranda’s coming-out story should be a point of pride, mirroring the real-life story of Cynthia Nixon’s own coming-out; instead, Miranda’s plot feels like an insult to her ex, Steve Brady (really the last good character on this show) and an embarrassing attempt at understanding real-life coming out stories in the queer community. 

And that’s the problem with And Just Like That: it doesn’t understand the people they are trying to write about. Sex and the City was largely white and heterosexual: while they did have excellent recurring gay characters in Mario Cantone’s Anthony Marentino and the late Willie Garson’s Stanford Blatch, the core four’s gay panic is unmistakable. In one episode, Carrie dumps a man because he is bisexual; in another, Samantha dates a woman, only to break up with her because they talk too much, which perpetuates stereotypes regarding female relationships.

Which is why And Just Like That…is so disappointing. It had the opportunity to create a new, updated spin on single life in NYC with perspectives that weren’t just white women; instead, it chose to make the white women awkward, Karen-like stereotypes that don’t know how to handle diversity and instead sound like soundbites that could be used on Fox News. What was once a hip show touting the female experience all set to a jazzy theme tune has now turned into a cringeworthy watch that makes you wince every time they even try to tackle a relevant topic. As Ronald Takaki explains in A Different Mirror, authenticity of experience is important, and AJLT does not feel like any of the characters’ lives are being explored in an authentic way. The struggle to “let America be America,” or to depict our multicultural history accurately, has been very real, and it’s only exacerbated more by the gratingly frustrating attempts for AJLT to be diverse without making diversity awkward. I can only hope that AJLT will learn to be more comfortable in depicting diversity as something incredible, not incredibly awkward, but 2 seasons in, I find myself even more let down with every passing episode.

Suffice to say, And Just Like That…I’ve given up on this show ever trying to tackle a relevant topic in a fashionable manner. At least we can all look forward to Samantha’s cameo in the season 2 finale. Maybe she’ll have something good to say. 

Works Cited:

Family Pictures USA, Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People, June 19, 2013, 8:14-8:19, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THZWSexAjgk.

Lesley Goldberg, ‘Sex and the City’: HBO Max Sets Writing Staff for ‘And Just Like That,’ Hollywood Reporter, February 5, 2021, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/sex-and-the-city-hbo-max-sets-writing-staff-for-and-just-like-that-4128564/. 

And Just Like That…, season 1, episode 1, “Hello, It’s Me,” written by Michael Patrick King, Directed by Michael Patrick King, aired December 9, 2021, on Max.

And Just Like That…, season 1, episode 4, “Some of My Best Friends,” written by Keli Goff, Directed by Gillian Robespierre, aired December 23, 2021, on Max. 

Sex and the City, season 3, episode 4, “Boy, Girl, Boy Girl…”, written by Darren Star and Jenny Bicks, directed by Pam Thomas, aired June 25, 2000, on HBO. 

Sex and the City, season 4, episode 5, “Ghost Town,” written by Darren Star and Allan Heinberg, directed by Michael Spiller, aired June 24, 2001, on HBO.

Ajani Bazille-Dutes, “7 "Sex And The City" Samantha Moments That Were Ahead Of Their Time And 6 That Were Not Okay Then (Or Now),” BuzzFeed, June 3, 2023, https://www.buzzfeed.com/ajanibazile/samantha-moments-satc. 

Ronald Takaki, A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (New York: Back Bay Books, 2008), 18. 

Takaki, A Different Mirror, 20.

Picture and video credits:

Sex and the City, HBO, accessed Jul 12, 2023, https://www.hbo.com/sex-and-the-city. 

And Just Like That…, Max, accessed July 12, 2023, https://www.max.com/shows/b9c27771-247a-459d-b751-85460d3fd5a2. 

The Cultured Queen, “Miranda Appears Racist on her First day of Class at Columbia AND JUST LIKE THAT HBO MAX,” December 15, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WriOpZkNFQM.