Zoey has been a pretty mindless, escapist show, so it's weird how seriously it's gone and taken racism. It's not just that it's grabbed a hot topic - the world is full of "very special episodes" - but that it put real thought into this episode.
I was really impressed by Zoey's disastrous attempt to get a conversation going, which turned into a series of white people explain how not racist they are. It was smart because it very nicely portrays the complexity of the dynamics, in which even sincere attempt to help can be tone deaf.
This episode made some people really mad, and it seems to be in part because of that scene. I don't believe, as naysayers would have it, that the episode is saying white people can do nothing to help. It's saying white people need to listen and learn and absorb information rather then just run all gung-ho to whatever solution they feel in their ignorance is a good one.
I will say that while I any review that goes on about the evils of wokeness is dumb, people who say they just want an escapist show and didn't sign up for this have a point. No one signed up for consciousness raising from Zoey. But that's part of why it's so powerful; it's pushing the message on people who are burying their heads in the sand. So I say, bravo!
Don't be scared to watch this, though. Outside of addressing racism, this is pretty much a typical episode of Zoey. Fun musical numbers and general fluffiness. This show hasn't suddenly turned into Dear White People.
But I am curious to see if, as the writers claim, they are going to stick with this topic and not let it die as a "very special episode." Very curious to see what comes next.
I was really impressed by Zoey's disastrous attempt to get a conversation going, which turned into a series of white people explain how not racist they are. It was smart because it very nicely portrays the complexity of the dynamics, in which even sincere attempt to help can be tone deaf.
This episode made some people really mad, and it seems to be in part because of that scene. I don't believe, as naysayers would have it, that the episode is saying white people can do nothing to help. It's saying white people need to listen and learn and absorb information rather then just run all gung-ho to whatever solution they feel in their ignorance is a good one.
I will say that while I any review that goes on about the evils of wokeness is dumb, people who say they just want an escapist show and didn't sign up for this have a point. No one signed up for consciousness raising from Zoey. But that's part of why it's so powerful; it's pushing the message on people who are burying their heads in the sand. So I say, bravo!
Don't be scared to watch this, though. Outside of addressing racism, this is pretty much a typical episode of Zoey. Fun musical numbers and general fluffiness. This show hasn't suddenly turned into Dear White People.
But I am curious to see if, as the writers claim, they are going to stick with this topic and not let it die as a "very special episode." Very curious to see what comes next.