Mixed Reviews: Master of None and the Portrayal of Interracial Romance in Modern Media By Miguel Luis Calayan University of Amsterdam College of Humanities For the degree of Master of Arts in Media Studies: Television and Cross-Media Culture Under the Supervision of Dr. Sudeep Dasgupta With Jaap Kooijman as the Second Reader May 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER TWO: THE RISE OF RACE 5 LAWS AND LABELS 5 MEDIA MINORITIES 7 CHAPTER THREE: THE INTERRACIAL ISSUE 12 POLICIES AND PERCEPTIONS 12 INTERRACIAL INVISIBILITY 12 EQUAL BUT NOT OBLIVIOUS 13 ANTICIPATED REACTIONS 14 NOVELTY GIVES WAY TO NUANCE 17 CHAPTER FOUR: INTIMATE MATTERS 21 AFFECTION AVOIDED 21 NEW SCRIPTS, SAME STORY 23 DEV THE DISRUPTOR 26 SEX WITH SUBSTANCE 29 INTIMACY, ITALIAN STYLE 33 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION 40 MOVING ON 40 FURTHER DISCUSSIONS 42 FINAL THOUGHTS 43 BIBLIOGRAPHY 45 CHAPTER ONE: AN INTRODUCTION In 2016, when Alan Yang stepped on stage to accept the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Writing for his show Master of None (2015- ), he started with a fairly standard speech. He thanked his collaborators, the cast, and the crew. He then deviated from the formula and made this quip: “Thank you to all the straight white guys who dominated movies and TV so hard and for so long that stories about anyone else seem kind of fresh and original now.” Laughter and applause erupted in the Microsoft Theater. The joke succeeded with the audience because they knew it had a grain of truth – that despite the ever-changing American demographic, film and television have still been predominantly white (Smith, 2014). Particularly with romantic films, producers are more inclined to put out love stories between a white man and white woman (Weaver, 2011). Then comes Master of None, a romantic comedy series featuring an Asian Indian-American man dating a white woman. Not only was it able to launch on an established network and gain a vast viewership, but it also received critical acclaim (Goodman, 2017; Poniewozik, 2015; Travers, 2015). With a media landscape that has historically resembled a mound of snow with a few speckles of color, this is nothing short of a major milestone. Decades ago, such a triumph would have been inconceivable. If this show had broadcast in the United States in the early 20th century, it would have been scandalous, to say the least. Witnessing the main character Dev kissing Rachel, his white love interest, would have been described as immoral, devious, (Angel, 2007) and until 1967 while anti-miscegenation laws were still upheld, criminal (Loving v. Virginia). Back then, it was not just interracial marriage that was punishable by law, but any form of interracial intimacy could result in a prison sentence. The most severe consequences mostly fell on black males who have been caught having sexual relations with white females, but Asians did not so fare so well either. As detailed in Rachel Moran’s book Interracial Intimacy, on top of the all-encompassing law that prohibited marriages between whites and non-whites, Asians (which according to legislation, included those of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and Asian Indian descent.) were denied any means of citizenship, thereby stripping them of the ability to own property. With that, Asian males were then seen as less desirable than their more privileged, white counterparts. Had Master of None been set in 1950’s America, the first season would likely end with Dev locked up behind bars. While in 1967 the Supreme Court deemed marriage between whites and non-whites to be legally acceptable, it did not instantly make the union socially acceptable. In the year following the decision, the approval rate was only at 20% (Gallup, 2013). These attitudes were reflected in the media. For instance, the film Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (1967) centered on a black man and white woman seeking approval from their parents. The 1 main conflict is in their racial differences. All throughout the introduction, the people who witness the couple have all sorts of reactions ranging from perplexed to full-on repulsed. Even in the following years, films such as Come See The Paradise (1990), Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993), Far From Heaven (2002), or Guess Who (2005), the racial and cultural differences serve as main plot points in the narrative. Interracial desire, in these cases, is portrayed as a crisis – and is often the very catalyst of the story. Thus, the fact that a white person and colored person are put together turns these dramas and comedies into “issue films.” By contrast, in Master of None, Dev’s Indian heritage is acknowledged and referred to, but is never seen as an obstacle. Even with these films portraying the kind of love that crosses racial boundaries, there is a certain hesitation in how the creators depict their romance. Specifically, they pull back when it comes to physical affection. Despite its then-revolutionary stand, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner still proceeded with caution; only one kiss between the couple survived the final edit (Beltrán & Fojas, 2008). Even in films that came out decades later – Made In America (1993) and Bringing Down The House (2003), for instance – the physical affection is minimal, characters keep their clothes on, and while sex is implied, it is not overtly shown on camera (Charlery, 2011). In 1968, it was considered a cultural landmark when Star Trek aired the first interracial kiss, even when the people involved, Kirk and Uhura were technically of different species. The network then was also hesitant to broadcast that moment, even insisting that they film a version in which the two did not kiss. (Higgins, 2016) It is then quite a statement considering Master of None shows graphic sex, with its accompanying sounds and movements, in the very first frame of the very first episode. To introduce the series with such a brazen display of physical intimacy is especially significant due to Aziz Ansari’s Asian Indian heritage. As he and Yang wrote the series, they knew that they were going against the weight of decades-long Indian stereotypes. One such overt example is in the character of Raj from The Big Bang Theory (2007– ) who is mostly seen as inept around women, nonthreatening, and asexual. (Gupta, 2016) By showing Dev as having success in his romantic pursuits and at one point, even sleeping with a white man’s wife, the show subverts the idea of Asian Indians simply being a model minority (Inman et al., 2011). For once, the Indian character is not just a comedic foil whose main traits are mathematical abilities and a peculiar accent. This time, the Indian is shown as a fully formed character with desires, agency, and actual formidability in the dating realm. With its approach to racial difference, displays of intimacy, and stereotypes, there is so much to study, and that is precisely what this paper aims to do. Through a review of past discourse and a critical analysis of the show (its writing, editing, cinematography, and casting choices), it seeks to answer the question: In comparison to past depictions of interracial romance in film and television, how has Master of None handled the underlying issue politics, 2 representation of intimacy, and racial stereotypes for Asian and Indian characters? As the question involves multiple facets, each will be explored in their respective chapters. Before anything, there must be a discussion of the history of race in America. The first section will focus on the categorization of race, the policies targeting specific racial groups, the formation and absolution of anti-miscegenation laws, and the shifting perceptions following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case. This is a necessary starting point, as it provides the proper context for how film and television first approached the issue of interracial romance. With the formation of race and its labels came the accompanying perceptions. There cannot be a discussion of race without a foray into racial stereotypes. How does Dev compare to previous stereotypical portrayals of Indians on television? In the next chapter goes from the media’s portrayal of interracial romance, starting with Master of None’s issue politics. In the two seasons, Dev has been involved with women from different races, including two main arcs involving white women. How does Dev’s “Indian-ness” play a part in his romantic pursuits? Compared to past films and shows that have shown couples of two different races, how much does the racial difference drive the story? Is it still presented as a source of conflict? Does the show approach the topic in a way that is more color-conscious or colorblind (Smith, 2013; Stewart, 2013; Moran, 2001)? In the following chapter, I will then look at the show’s representation of intimacy. Compared to past depictions of interracial intimacy and to contemporary depictions of same-sex intimacy, how does Master of None handle the physical side of Dev’s romantic relationships? Does the show overtly present interracial sex or does it choose to tiptoe around it? Of course, this is not the only facet of romance that is worth analyzing. Echoing Myra Washington’s lamenting of television’s interracial couples having only either sexless love or loveless sex (2012), I must also assess how the show addresses the emotional aspect of Dev’s relationships. Throughout the paper, the critical analysis will rely heavily on comparison. References will be made to scenes from the films mentioned above. These are necessarily for establishing a baseline before analyzing segments from Master of None. By describing and dissecting dialogue from past titles and directly comparing that to those from the show, the changes in attitude and portrayal become much more pronounced.