Review of Dear White People (2014) by Sarah J — 02 Nov 2014

While not what I expected based on the marketing, "Dear White People" certainly did something to its audience. Among the audience at the theater where I saw the film, there was awkward silence, gregarious laughter, snickering, embarrassed laughter, gasps, awkward silences and did I say awkward silences! I was expecting a biting satire on racism in "post-racial America" with caricatures instead of real people.

While characters and situations were definitely exaggerated for effect, both upsetting a comic, the indignity and pain that many character endured was ever so real. The racial politics at work were such a clear reflection of reality, that what I assumed would be a parody of race in America today suckerpunched me with its brutal honesty.

Hence all those awkward silences. While there were certainly elements of the film I took issue with (a TA/student sexual relationship with NO discussion of the ethics of power dynamics of grader/graded) the film was overall very successful.

"Dear White People" asked us to engage with racism in America today, rather than let it pass us by unmarked.