Netflix’s show “dear white people” is based on a film of the same name, directed by Justin Simien. Despite its critical acclaim, the show has opened a conversation about race with humor and nuance. People from all parts of the world have started criticizing the title for its accusatory tone. The creator of the show published an article on Medium, explaining everything about the selection of this title, but all in vain. White people claim that the title accuses them of being bad, suggesting that it would have been better to call it “Dear Black People.” Some critics, who have watched all episodes of the show, believe that fewer people will like “Dear White People” due to its potentially offensive name.
Controversies associated with the show
It would not be wrong to say that plenty of black people are watching “Dear White People” on the streaming giant's platform. The series follows a group of black students who study at a private school, and observe that the teachers pay more attention to white students than the black pupils. They help them get good grades in class and teach them in a friendly atmosphere.
The first teaser trailer for the series attracted some angry responses, with the show being criticized on social media. A 20-second YouTube clip for the show received more dislikes than likes, with RT observing a 10:2 ratio of dislikes to likes as of February 2017.
On Coco and Colorism: @DearWhitePeople, Let's Talk About "Chapter IV" https://t.co/RZw0y4bz9q pic.twitter.com/2oLb9AgWOw
— Paste Magazine (@PasteMagazine) May 11, 2017
Netflix funded the show with the hope that it would attract viewers.
Instead, “Dear White People” has the potential to have the opposite effect, with some users even choosing to boycott the service. According to a Variety reviewer, however, the show gives a voice to black actors. Its director attempted to prove that black artists are just as relevant as white artists.
.@Netflix's ‘Dear White People’ cast shares exclusive details from that gripping scene in episode 5 https://t.co/gPiss12o5b pic.twitter.com/5Td25phh5y
— HuffPost BlackVoices (@blackvoices) May 4, 2017
A famous series
"Dear White People" features Logan Browning as Samantha, Brandon P.
Bell as Fairbanks, Deron Horton as Higgins, Antoinette Robertson as Conners, John Amedori as Mitchell, Marque Richardson as Reggie, Ashley Blaine as Joelle, and Giancarlo Esposito as Fairbanks.
Obba Babatundé, Ally Maki, Caitlin Carver, Wyatt Nash, Brant Daugherty, Nia Long, Jamar Michael, Francia Raisa, and Alex Alcheh play the supporting characters in this series.
In 2007, Simien revealed that he spent over five years writing the script. In 2009, he launched a campaign on Indiegogo to raise $25,000 for production and got an overwhelming response. Luckily, he raised over $40,000 instead of $25,000, and began shooting in 2010. Most of the scenes were filmed in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Saint Paul.