Good morning & welcome to Quiet Part Loud.

Im Sasha and I can bet you know what IM about to do.

So let's talk about Netflix Bridgerton & why ppl have probs and it hasn't even dropped yet.

As with many things in Romancelandia there's layers to this shit cake.

A few years back the author of the source material was asked about diversity & the fact that bks are devoid of anyone who is not the Bland Basic (white, cis, het norm, christian). This happened at a con

Her answer was that she didnt write about the marginalized because she was writing HEA and not suffering. She said this on a panel with others who DO write HEA for characters who are not the Bland Basic

So lack of imagination & inadvertently shading those who do what she cant

One day we really need to have the conversation about white ppl lacking the imagination but never lacking the audacity

Anyway she very publicly said no HEA for marginalized ppl & then acted like yes, Im glad we all agree next question

That's the 1st layer of shit.

The next was ppl - even AOC - who were like she doesn't MEAN anything negative by it. I know her she's not like that

And others who were like fuck that author 5ever (thats 1x more than forever)

And ofc no apology & publishing didnt blink

Now the whisper network say she was really upset by this, that she reached out, that she wanted to do better, that she learned and grew

BUT

She did all of this in private. Her fuck up was very public but the work & the amends? All done in the dark in a corner in the basement

This was part of the panel we did this year. That ppl fuck up publicly & try to fix things privately & then they'r upset when ppl are still judging & treating them based on their past behavior

You basically said only straight white Christians deserve & HEA & then *crickets*

Fast forward to finally someone is going to throw money at a romance series, someone is going to give it the lush production it so readily deserves!

And it goes Fuck Marginalized People Francine? Uh ok.

So AOC grit our teeth & then casting was announced & well FUCK

Cuz here's another level of the shit cake. Netflix has a prob with casting actors of color & actually giving them speaking roles

Make no mistake, the actor is still light skinned -- gotta pass that paper bag test (if you dont know this google it) so this is just insult to injury

When Black authors are told that the bks we write, featuring black characters wont sell, that we cant put Black ppl on the color or stores wont pick it up, it wont be optioned

And Lil Miss It Aint Right If It Aint White gets a gorgeous Black lead & praised for it?

And this is the shitty part of all - some ppl are excited about this & there's always the "if you dont support it, they wont make anymore" see ANYTHING else that involves the marginalized

Cuz yes romance (not being mocked, being well produced) is a marginalized commodity

But again, it's like when publishing decided oh we can put pretty Black ppl on the cover....for our white authors.

It just feels shitty.

Especially when there's actual historical w canonical Black characters that is being over looked for another story from RomWhiteLandia

Romancelandia again is like yay rejoice this is gonna be great, and maybe it will be for some of you, but several of us arent ready to forget and forgive.

And I get it, she didnt say anything about the groups YOU belong to so you can care less but some of us aint built like that

People are allowed to like problematic things - yall know I do - but you should acknowledge it's problematic

Ready to have the discussion abt how a win for RomWhiteLandia isn't the same as a win for Romancelandia whenever yall ready to go

The rising tides lifts all boats is the trickle down economy of publishing. IT'S FLIMSY LIES

A rising tide only lifts all boats IF we all have access to boats & seaworthy ones at that. If our boat is leaky or we are just out in the water?

that same rising tide drowns us.

Anyway I'm Sasha and I just said the Quiet Part Loud.

If you've got the funds, go buy a book by a marginalized author today.

And if you feel the need to argue with me? Dont. Go moisturize instead of being ashy in my mentions