Interraciality, Part II

I hope everyone is enjoying this Saturday morning of late February. I'm enjoying my ritualistic ceremony of coffee with 2 creams, 2 sugars, 3 stirs, and a napkin. It's going to be a busy morning, but I'm taking pause to continue my thoughts on "Interraciality".

To this day, I believe one of the best interracial couples to grace American television was that of Keith and David on Six Feet Under (2001-2005). David Fisher, portrayed by Michael C. Hall, is a funeral director; Keith Charles, portrayed by Mathew St. Patrick, is a police officer. It was one of the most interesting relationship dynamics that I've ever watched, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


It's amazing that the 21st century is now in full swing, and there is still a painful lack of homosexual, interracial couples gracing our television sets and movie screens -- hell, gay/lesbian couples, period. Not only that, but our community needs representative couples that aren't simply props for flaming comic relief, or mere sidekicks and villains in predominantly heterosexual settings. I yearn for them to be an integral part of the story as three-dimensional characters, like all gays and lesbians are. I truly feel that this will really help provide the audience the sense of understanding that each and every one of us has yet to receive from society at large.

Right off the bat, I knew that Six Feet Under was going to pull the rug off of a myriad of stereotypes... especially toward the Black, gay man. The relationship between David and Keith starts in a church... not a bar, club, or Pride parade. Something that many of us can actually identify with! Refreshing!

Keith attended West Point Military academy and served on a police force for 9 years before going into private security. He definitely has issues with anger management, but the show twists this quality into something that we, the audience, can empathize with -- albeit in a dark, uncanny way. Like, for instance, he ends up violently beating the stuffing out of a guy during a domestic violence call. *grin* (I'm wondering if he can provide services to R&B singer, Rhianna! chris brown needs a good can of Africanized WHOOP ASS!)

Then, you have David Fisher... once a young, Republican. He kept his sexuality in the closet for a time, and was even so confused as to get engaged to a woman. David also took his deceased father's position as a deacon at a church that shunned homosexuality.

Not even Queer as Folk invoked such a clash of three dimensional, believable qualities of character. Keith and David are examples of a deep, critical analysis of the human psyche... not just touching on the umbrella of gay issues like other shows and movies do.

When these two fine-ass men intertwined, you could really feel the clash... the conflict... and your heart really wraps around them. They break up and kiss up several times, but they never really ran away from each other. There was this sense that they knew this was a foundation for something greater, and they worked on it through counseling.

The David-Keith relationship resonated a message that I thought gay/lesbians of the Millenials, Gen-Y, and even Gen-X should really ponder. Too many of us cut and run when the going gets tough because it's so easy. We affect other lives with each and every thing we do, whether we like it or not. In this ever-crazy world of darkness, hatred, war, bigotry, and violence -- when we do come across something good, we shouldn't expect 'perfection on a platter'. The sweetness of perfection is striving for it, not necessarily attaining it... much like a forbidden fruit.

If you haven't seen Six Feet Under, I highly recommend it! If you know of other excellent portrayals of gay, interracial relationships on the tele-waves, let the Black Man Next Door know!