The Whitewashing Of Racism In Classic And Modern TV

Journalist and author Steven Thrasher breaks down how the entertainment industry is confronting racism in television.

By Meha Ahmad
The Golden Girls: Betty White as Rose Nylund, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux. Much of the memorabilia that McClanahan left behind — from the show and the rest of her career is on display at Rue La Rue Cafe in Manhattan.
The Golden Girls: Betty White as Rose Nylund, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux. Much of the memorabilia that McClanahan left behind — from the show and the rest of her career is on display at Rue La Rue Cafe in Manhattan.
The Golden Girls: Betty White as Rose Nylund, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux. Much of the memorabilia that McClanahan left behind — from the show and the rest of her career is on display at Rue La Rue Cafe in Manhattan.
The Golden Girls: Betty White as Rose Nylund, Bea Arthur as Dorothy Petrillo Zbornak, and Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux. Much of the memorabilia that McClanahan left behind — from the show and the rest of her career is on display at Rue La Rue Cafe in Manhattan.

The Whitewashing Of Racism In Classic And Modern TV

Journalist and author Steven Thrasher breaks down how the entertainment industry is confronting racism in television.

By Meha Ahmad
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Last week, Chicago-based MeTV said it would flag episodes of shows from “another era.” Think Happy Days, The Beverly Hillbillies, even The Flintstones. Now Netflix and Hulu are pulling episodes of modern shows that feature blackface. How should outlets and viewers confront racism in television?

GUEST: Steven Thrasher, author and assistant professor at Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism