This essay will explain how the American TV show How to Get Away with Murder, HTGAWM, implements the colorblind ideology to some extent idea of ​​a colorblind ideology. It will also examine the series in relation to colorblind ideology through the story's plot and racial changes in society, supporting the use of blind casting while addressing the issues that arise from it. It will conclude with how colorblind ideology influenced the overall production of the series and whether the series successfully implements this ideology. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayHTGAWM, is an American ABC television series that follows Annalize Keating, a criminal defense attorney and professor, and her students who find themselves involved in a murder. . It originally aired over 5 years ago on September 25, 2014. It currently has five seasons and there is talk of a sixth. The series is produced by Shonda Rhime, well known for Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. She is also known for using the technique of colorblind casting, also known as blind casting, in her shows. HTGAWM uses the elements of a non-linear narrative through flash-forwards, flashbacks and time lapses to help drive each season. Racial views within American society have changed over the years, one of the most significant changes would be when the Civil Rights Movement Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed and Jim Crow laws were removed. Jim Crow laws were enforced in the late 1800s and early 1900s and were designed to enforce segregation between blacks and whites. This was visible in places like toilets, school and transport. As a result of these laws, up to 6 million African Americans moved from the South, which is often known as the Great Migration. The abolition of this law as well as the establishment of others were important steps within their society, as they managed to eliminate all barriers in place for the African American community. This meant that any remaining racial inequality was due to a person's choice, not policy. Furthermore, at the heart of colorblind ideology, people believed that racism was no longer part of the American social structure. Yet the era of colorblindness and the rise of post-racial politics is believed to have only truly begun in 2008, with the election of Barack Obama, the first African-American president. With the election, it seemed like a new era for America due to its racial history marked by slavery and Jim Crow laws that provided for heavy segregation. While many people hoped that his presidency would usher in the new era toward a more racially tolerant society, it actually showed a rise in racism in the country. Additionally, Obama himself said, “After I was elected, there was talk of a post-racial America. Such a vision, however well-intentioned, has never been realistic. Race remains a powerful and often divisive force in our society.” This statement alone proves that even though America has cleared a major hurdle in achieving a post-racial society, it can never be one hundred percent free of racism, because racism is and always will be a part of society . By having this ideology that race can be ignored, it also gave rise to colorblind casting. Color blindness is the assertion that race does not matter in societyAmerican. The idea that color doesn't matter has led to the rise of colorblind casting, as briefly mentioned previously. This type of casting is done when characters are created without ethnicity, allowing anyone to be selected for the role as they search for the perfect candidate without considering ethnicity. HTGAWM achieves this successfully because the show has an extremely diverse cast and doesn't use any of their backgrounds to provide them with a label. The cast itself is made up of student interns, employees and love interests of the female lead. In the series, Annalize Keating takes 5 of her students, known as the Keating Five, to work in her law firm with two of her assistants. Both of his assistants are white, with the Keating Five consisting of two white Americans, two African-Americans and a Latino. Additionally, the series features a Filipino-American who is the gay lover of Connor, one of the white Americans. However, by using colorblind casting, the series ignores a chance to fully represent what American society is like. For example, on the show, Annalize Keating is a black lawyer who teaches at a law school where several people of mixed ethnicity attend her seminar. This clearly does not reflect American society as the class would not be as diverse with only 35 percent of lawyers being women and 8.1 percent of lawyers being women of color. Plus, with this figure, it's even rarer for Annalize to be a lawyer, also part of the LGBTQ bracket that falls below 3 percent. In general, critics have a problem with this type of ideology because they feel that it takes away people's identities, ignores racist experiences, and appears racist in itself due to its ignorance of what society really is. American. The ideology is arguably implemented in the series through the character of Annalize Keating, because in the series everyone admires her for her incredible skills as a lawyer. This essentially removes her racial identity within the show, as many people just want to learn from her, the character is also part of a mixed race relationship. For all of this reason, it can be argued that his character is the catalyst for color blindness within the series. His character also makes up the diverse group, the Keating Five, around which the series is centered. However, within HTGAWM, it could be argued that the series attempted to escape its color blindness through the character of Wes. This is because race in the first instance is mentioned or alluded to in the series in the second episode, titled It's All Her Fault, when two characters question Wes' position in the Keating Five. During this conversation, a racial joke is thrown around that Wes and Annalize might be related: "Maybe he's her secret baby and she gave him up for adoption and he doesn't even know it?" This is immediately met with disapproval and makes one of the characters seem slightly racist. This creates a strong connection to what American society is because even though it was meant to be a joke, it came across as racist and racism is still a dominant feature within American society. Another example where race is mentioned is again Wes when he references his racial background, in the first season, where he tells his girlfriend that he was "the only black kid in town". His ethnicity is no longer mentioned or further amplified in his character. However, glossing over the issues by Wes could be seen as disrespectful due to the fact that they don't go into clear details, theysimply mention his background. By doing this, they show an acknowledgment of racial consciousness, but by not exploring it, they miss an opportunity to show the public that the world is not free of "race." Taking all of this into account, you can argue that while the show acknowledges racism, it doesn't use the actors' ethnic backgrounds unless it's necessary for the plot to progress and make sense. In episode six, the first season, race is a central theme of the episode. The episode is called Freakin' Whack-a-Mole. In the episode, Annalize enlists the help of David Allen, who was imprisoned for the murder of his white girlfriend. This episode creates a backstory for Annalise's character, as the case initially opened her eyes "to the fact that the justice system doesn't always reward those who tell the truth, but those who create their own." ''This refers to the injustice within the legal system and how innocent people have suffered from it. An article published in 2014, approximately five months before the series premiered, claimed that approximately four point one percent of those imprisoned were a mistake (Hughes, 2014). With the show including such a controversial topic, it would have shed some light on the justice system and how it handles any case. Returning to what Obama said about race remaining an important part of American society, on the show Annalize states something very similar. "Racism is built into America's DNA and as long as we turn a blind eye to the pain of those who suffer under its oppression, we will never escape its origins... Because of the failure of our justice system, our public defense system in particular, Jim Crow is alive and well.'' This quote is from episode thirteen of season four, titled Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Obama, suggests that although the series attempts to promote this ideal colorblind world, it concretizes what society must change to achieve something similar, while emphasizing that a colorless society is almost impossible if the series chose to. completely ignore the ideology, the character's racial origin would be further amplified and written into their character development Yet, if this were done, all the characters we met in the series would be made to act according to their affiliation. ethnic. For example, one would expect the Latino to speak Spanish for the majority of each season or episode. The African Americans would face direct racism while the two white Americans would live a life of privilege while doing what was expected of them. By having the series completely ignore ideology, the series would branch out into different territories, making it more difficult for the series to maintain its current non-linear narrative structure. Indeed, the structure of the show itself simply wouldn't have the time or space to directly incorporate each character's ethnic issues into the show. For him to add the characters' ethnicities, the overall structure would have to change, which would essentially ruin the series. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay In summary, HTGAWM, depicts race and racial diversity within the series. But it also depicts a post-racial narrative structure that relies on colorblind logic where the characters have been deracialized. The series also helps move society closer to a post-racial era by ignoring the characters' backgrounds and making everyone seem normal. Normalize characters no. 637.