Verónica Bayetti Flores from feministing.com wrote a post calling “Royals” racist. CNN recapped the minor controversy – anything for a post. Dave Schilling, in a column for Vice apparently on racism, is having none of that talk, asking contentedly: “Why would anyone assign their own cultural baggage to someone who isn't even old enough to buy cigarettes in America? Also, are "Jet planes, islands, [and] tigers on a gold leash" or "Blood stains, ball gowns, [and] trashin’ the hotel room" black things?” Well, of course they aren’t, what a ridiculous suggestion! Ah ha! It would appear Flores overplayed her hand!
Ideology rears its head as common sense. It speaks soothingly, calms tensions. “Royals” doesn’t have to be totally racist or not at all; they are not mutually exclusive. If the inevitable response to critique is “Well, have you even looked at [this other thing]? What about [this part]?” then we might be in some trouble. All or nothing, right or wrong, before or after, racist or not, lends itself to an ideology of absolute difference, one that prefers to speak out of both sides of its mouth.