Mixed Couples on American TV

[lupinesque]

> > Naama wrote:
> 
> > > it's not an expression of racism 

I wrote:
 
> > I would say it is.  What else should we call a discomfort with 
> > interracial relationships if not racist?

Haggridd wrote:
 
> I think you are overly quick to label an economic decision as 
racist.

Maybe so.  Let me clarify:  the writers/producers/etc. who decide to 
portray only single-race couples may themselves be uncomfortable with 
interracial relationships (which I would say is racist--inflammatory 
term it may be, but it is not a slur; it is a word defined in the 
dictionary and that definition certainly encompasses this attitude), 
OR, it's true, they may just be bowing to economics.  In that case 
they aren't exactly being admirably courageous, but they might well 
not harbor any racist ideas themselves.

By "discomfort with interracial relationships," however, I didn't mean 
the writers'/producers'/etc's discomfort only, but also the viewers' 
discomfort (which creates the economic issue, since viewers who don't 
like watching interracial couples won't give economic rewards to shows 
that portray them).  Naama was asking why there are so few interracial 
couples and I was saying "because people are racist."  Are we on the 
same page as far as that goes?

Amy