I remember seeing previews for Dope around this time last year, and thinking it looked like a good movie. I said I would go see it in theaters, but I didn’t. I don’t know why, but as of now I’ll hand it to divine intervention.
I am SO relieved I didn’t pay nearly 20 dollars to see it in theaters. ($10 for a movie ticket, plus $10 for my necessary nachos and drink combo. It’s hard sneaking nachos into the theater. Trust me.)
Dope was recently released on Netflix and I was eager to watch it. I’d heard many positive reviews about it. As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but notice something: the obvious absence of darker skinned female actresses. It came to a point where I caught myself actively searching for one anywhere in the movie. If I wanted to prove my point further, I’d go back and re-watch Dope just to count the lack of darker women in the film but I can’t make myself watch it again. For those that are unaware, colorism is defined as, “the prejudice or discrimination against individuals with a dark skin tone, typically among people of the same ethnic or racial group.” I know somebody’s going to say, “Well aren’t lighter skinned black people still black? What’s the problem?” Of course they are. The problem is LACK OF REPRSENTATION.
The major actresses in this film (Zoe Kravitz, Chanel Iman, and Kiersey Clemons) while all beautiful, were all lighter skinned women. Iman and Kravitz played love interests for the main characters Malcolm (played by Shameik Moore) and Dom (played by A$AP Rocky). Malcolm and Dom were the darker skinned men of the film, and Dope played right along with the stereotypical dark skinned male main character with the light skinned love interest. This is something typically seen in black pop culture. Dope further enforced the stereotype that lighter skin is associated with being feminine, and darker skin is associated with being masculine.
In regard to colorism, the only props I can give to Dope is not having Kravitz and Iman have the usual stereotypical loud, bitter, dark-skinned sidekick best friend to follow them around during the movie. Uh…good job?
From the colorism, to supporting the idea that “getting good grades” is some “white people shit,” to allowing your non-black friends to spout the n-word like they’d die if they weren’t allowed to say it: Dope truly disappointed me. I can’t support a “black” film that fails to represent the black community in a positive light, or in ALL the shades and sizes that we come in.