Summer Re-runs
Well it’s now the dog days of summer and in the entertainment business, that means re-runs until new programs in the fall. In some cases, they’ll put on programming that looks similar to entertainment previously run, but a few details are changed to confer originality.
Erica Thomas is the latest installment of “The Racist Show”, a program which appears to have unlimited longevity. It’s a bit cheeky since the previous episode in this series has not even finished playing. The Jussie Smollet episode is still running through the court system, so Thomas is shamelessly trying to steal his limelight. The plotline is hardly original: A tearful protagonist publicly reveals hurtful actions perpetrated against them by racist antagonists. Fast forward to the actual facts as the story attracts scrutiny and whaddya know, it’s all fabricated. There turns out to be no real attack and in fact, the accuser is the perp.
Just as it’s quizzical to see not one, not two but FOUR remakes of A Star Is Born, the remakes of The Racist Show has played almost non stop for decades. Some may recall one of the first episodes, the Tawana Brawley one which arguably started the franchise. That’s the one where a group of white student lacrosse team members, were accused of assaulting her. Her supporting cast of the likes of Al Sharpton gained stardom from that episode and went on to a successful career in his own spin-off series, The Race Extorter.
The Racist Show has no shortage of episodes and will likely continue to run well into the future. Occasionally, the higher profile ones will make it to the public’s attention, but there are numerous other ones that are less widely known. Campuses are a hotbed for these episodes. Maybe one day, the public will tire of the same melodrama, but I wouldn’t count on it. If Star Trek 9, Rocky 14 or Fast and Furious 7 are any indication, we can expect to see endless episodes of The Racist Show.