Twitter Is Cringing at the ‘I Take Responsibility’ Campaign Featuring White Celebs Calling Out Racism
UPDATE: June 12, 2020— The &aposI Take Responsibility&apos campaign was met with question marks on Twitter, but one reaction may have made the entire thing worth it. On Friday, Dear White People, the Netflix series following a group of Black students at a predominantly white university, put out its own video entitled #DearUsPeople.
"The white students of Winchester also want to take responsibility," the series account tweeted. "We tried to stop them. #DearUsPeople"
This is an absolute spot-on parody of yesterday&aposs celebrity-filled PSA, especially if you&aposre familiar with the show. The series&apos white characters Muffy (Caitlin Carver), Kurt (Wyatt Nash), Clifton (Erich Lane), Abigail (Sheridan Pierce), and Gabe (John Patrick Amedori) all share the problematic or racist moments that they&aposre just now holding themselves accountable for.
"I take responsibility for not posting the black square soon enough but leaving it up far too long," popular student Muffy says at one point in the video, while other students apologize for always bringing up Insecure with their Black friends...and for referring to them as their "Black friends."
However, the most on-point moment comes from the well-meaning, on-again-off-again boyfriend of the series lead Samantha White (Logan Browning). "I take responsibility for making a documentary that centered myself in a conversation about race," he says at the end, before thinking about what he&aposs currently recording. "Shit, I&aposm doing it again."
Stream Dear White People on Netflix
ORIGINAL STORY: June 11, 2020— A new campaign in partnership with the NAACP and several white celebrities called “I Take Responsibility” launched today, June 11.
“I Take Responsibility” challenges white people to call out racism when they see it and to commit to supporting Black lives. The campaign includes a PSA starring Kristen Bell, Kesha, Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sarah Paulson, Stanley Tucci, and a slate of other A-list celebrities—and according to a press release, the stars involved have committed to “supporting organizations dedicated to fighting for the rights of oppressed communities.”
Watch the PSA for yourself, below:
While the PSA has good intentions, it’s not exactly going over well on Twitter. The video is in black and white and features the aforementioned celebs staring dramatically at the camera and saying correct but vague things like, “We are no longer bystanders. We will not be idle. Enough is enough,” and, “I will no longer allow an unchecked moment. I will no longer allow racist, hurtful words, jokes, stereotypes—no matter how big or small—to be uttered in my presence.”
People were quick to compare #ITakeResponsibility to the “Imagine” debacle from earlier this year, in which celebs covered the popular John Lennon song in an attempt to lift people’s spirits at the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. If you blocked that from your memory, here’s a reminder:
“Regret to inform you the celebs are at it again,” tweeted someone in reference to the #ITakeResponsibility PSA. Many of the responses echo this sentiment. “What are they auditioning for,” one person wrote, to which someone responded, “Ending Racism: The Musical.”
See more responses to the PSA here:
Of course, these celebrities meant no harm with this PSA—which some pointed out in defense of it—but it perhaps would’ve been more effective had they spoken less monologue-y. That being said, the crux of the campaign is true: White people do need to start educating themselves on systemic racism and taking responsibility for their part in it. You can learn more about the #ITakeResponsibility campaign here.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
