Cutler offered a reason as to why he brought in Cube to be the producer of the show. "I felt it was important to partner up with somebody who had a different perspective and was coming from a different point of view," he said. "He is one of the most powerful and articulate observers of the African American experience."

Since when did Ice Cube become the most powerful and articulate observer of the African American experience? Did I miss something? No dis to Cube, I mean after all, he was a part of NWA, but this is the same man who produced movies like Barbershop and Are We There Yet?.

Are we to assume Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Patricia Hill Collins, or Tricia Rose, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz—just to name a few—were not available?

The characters, which consist of two males, two females and their children, are housed under one roof so that they can gain the most from their experiences. According to the producers of the show, they wanted the families to live together "because a lot of discussion would be generated in each family coaching the other family on what it is to be white or to be black, and to pass or behave or act as white or black."

Truth be told, being black or white is a lot more complex because it is not solely a learned identity. You simply cannot put on make-up, change your walk, dress, or speech in order to become another race.

Although the show facilitates discussion about race, it not only presents a false reality, but it perpetuates stereotypes of both black and white people by placing the families in stereotypical situations that provide the most entertainment, which reinforces the very thing the show is attempting to break-down.

For example, the show chronicles Brian, the black dad character as he shops for shoes at an "all-white" golf shop, and gets a job at a bar which serves white bigots. Nick, Brian's son, takes etiquette classes to learn to be more polite and eat his soup properly.

Whereas Rose, the daughter of the white family, is made up to look black by changing her hair color and outfitting her in door-knocker earrings and joins an "all-black" poetry slam class which she does not fit into.

In these types of forced situations, the white family, in particular, comes across as completely ignorant. Take for example Bruno, the white male who is altered to look black, appears to be excited about finally being able to use the "N" word, as if makeup somehow gave him the right to use the word. He was even surprised when he went out into the black community and was not met by someone who addressed him as "nigga."

Bruno, who uses the word over 5 times, is a prime representation of the naivety of many other white males who believe that the use of the "N" word is acceptable, despite its negative roots and meaning. Although the "N" word is used throughout the Black community, often deemed as a term of endearment, the word has been used freely by various races and ethnicities, rolling as easily off the tongue as "Good Morning," without thinking or understanding the ramifications and history behind the word.

Another example of white naivety that is just plain ridiculous is Carmen, the white female is who is transformed into a black woman with an afro and hoop earrings, who prides herself on coming from a liberal background ("my parents were active in the Civil Rights Movement") buys an African-print dashiki to wear to her first visit to a black church. I mean, is this a Dave Chappelle sketch gone wrong? Carmen's ignorance of black people even goes as far as addressing Renee as "Yo Bitch" jokingly.

Although "Black White" brings issues of race to living rooms across America, trading races on prime-time television is destructive in that it assumes that you can somehow become black or white after three hours of make-up application. I mean, let's "keep it real," for a minute. If Cube really wanted to challenge America and "examine where we stand in terms of race in this country," then why isn't this show on PBS? Oh I know why, because this is a business and a lot of money is involved. Besides, the show might be "too serious" and less entertaining!

Unlike Race: The Power of an Illusion, which is a good documentary that appeared on PBS about race in society, science, and history, "Black White" can be misinterpreted as not only showing the "reality" of race issues in America but as a means of overcoming racism. However, this "reality experiment," completely disregards the historical aspects of African Americans, such as discrimination, segregation, and institutionalized racism, not to mention slavery and its' post-traumatic, pschological ramifications. Not only this, but the show makes a mockery of the white family and does not show how white privilege functions in America.

When it comes down to it, race issues in America will not be solved simply by talking or even going as far as putting on make-up that will transform you into another race so that you can experience what it's like. Not only does it take education, knowledge, and acknowledgement of racism in society and culture, but it takes tearing down the institutions that perpetuate it: Institutions such as our failing educational system, our criminal justice system, drug laws, and housing inequities—just to name a few.

It also takes whites recognizing the fact that they do have privilege and take into account the power they are given simply by being white in America. Unlike Bruno who says Blacks are looking for racism, Bruno and the many whites who think like him, need to open their eyes to it and realize racism, though perhaps not as overt, still exists.

Offering a six series television show on what it means to be white or black does not engage in a truly progressive dialogue about the racism that is ever-present in our society. Besides, as Cube raps in the title song of the show, "Don't believe the hype. Everything in the world ain't black and white." This costume party of a show is a parody which must not be taken seriously where the only thing proven is that stupidity transcends race.

Maya J. is a staff writer at whatchusay.com and graduating senior at the University of California, Santa Cruz.


BlogOn: What real purpose do provocative, race-themed television shows serve? Can they do more than titillate or entertain? How do we really get to the ROOT of race relations in America? Whatchusay?