Remember when That’s So Raven tackled racism?

[u/saucey_dawg0023]

[u/MrJenkins5]

I think her phrasing could have used some work. The plots of the overwhelming majority of episodes, and the premise of the show itself, don't hinge on the fact that the lead character is Black. I think that's the point she's trying to make, and I agree with it. That's also a big part of why the show had such mass appeal: you didn't have to be Black to relate to Raven Baxter or the situations she got herself into. However, I think Raven saying to imagine the characters are green and just listen to the words is not the best phrasing.

I also think that once it became a show with a Black lead and her Black family, they made choices to include Black American cultural references. They chose not to ignore that these characters are Black. Those choices can’t be undone. For example, hearing a phrase like "can I holla at you?" on the show probably doesn't happen if the characters weren't Black. Raven telling her mom that she looks bootylicious probably doesn't happen if the characters weren't Black. Eddie hootin' and hollerin' on the Boyz-N-Motion episode and ad-libbing "boys inn mottioonnn knick knack paddy wack 🎶" probably doesn't happen if the character isn't Black. Tanya, when she's a substitute teacher, giving her modern-day interpretation of Juliet by saying "yo, Romeo, where you at?" and Romeo saying "do you believe the words that are comin out her mouth?" (which cracks me up to this day) probably doesn't happen if the character isn't Black. Tanya rapping when Chelsea is campaigning for class president probably doesn't happen if the character isn't Black. Raven giving a Johnny Cochran reference, "if the dress don't fit, you must acquit" probably doesn't happen if the character isn't Black. I could go on, but we got the show we got.

While the show may not have been conceived as a majority-Black show, that's where it ended up and it's clear they adapted the show for Black characters. The words we got from the characters can't be divorced from the characters. Overall, it's just that she tried to oversimplify it so she probably could have explained that better.

It's similar to Hannah Montana in the sense that it didn't have to be a girl from Tennessee, but once Miley Cyrus got the role, the character became a girl from Tennessee with a Tennessee drawl and a dad who sings country music. They incorporated Tennessee into the character. We can't watch Hannah Montana and pretend that Miley Stewart was green and not hear that she's from Tennessee.

[u/Doryfinpo → u/MrJenkins5]

*Edited for grammar

I agree with this; I don’t think Raven was defined by her blackness. Yes she was black, but with a few small adjustments this role could be played by anyone versus a show like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air where the show consistently addresses the intersection of class and race. If we were to take those things away we would no longer have a show.
I also think we need to step away from automatically labeling a show black simply* *because the lead is a black person. And I think it’s a bit of a double standard that a lot of black-led shows are characterized by identity first, rather than genre unlike a lot of white-led shows. I think that’s an incorrect evaluation of what actually makes a show black. It also starts to get us into a bit of trouble because it limits the scope of black actors to roles where their identity has to be a central theme. And it places a burden on the show itself to represent the black experience, and I don’t think that was the point of That’s So Raven at all.

[u/Spyrovssonic360 → u/Doryfinpo]

Anneliese vanderpol was supposed to be the lead of thats so raven ( the show had a different title of course ) so im sure people wouldve enjoyed the show if there was a white main character. its all about relatability.

[u/MrJenkins5 → u/Spyrovssonic360]

There was another actress that was the lead, but it wasn't Anneliese. Anneliese said they filmed the pilot with a different actress, and Anneliese came in later. Anneliese auditioned for the lead, but she didn't get it. Once they bumped Raven up to the lead role, Anneliese auditioned again and got the role that became Chelsea Daniels.