Sardoodledom
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BONUS CONTENT:
Quote from Deante Kyle, “It’s a lot of them are effects of y’all won’t stop fucking with us. It would be hard to see what our baseline human flaws are because yal won’t leave us the fuck alone. So it’s very easy to design us as criminals when that’s the only thing for a long period of time that you would hire us for in film and media. It’s to be a criminal, to be a slave, to be a drug pusher, to be a pimp, to be a whore, to to to to be a junkie, you know, to be a fucking coon. A lot of times, that is the roles that, you know, the, the people who control Hollywood saw fit for us to fill. And anytime that we were in roles of empowerment and especially in films where we were predominant, there was always push back for that. That’s the pushback for Sinners, that’s the push back for that Eddie Murphy film. What’s the name of that Eddie Murphy film? Oh yea, BOOMERANG. You know what I’m saying? And they was doing really well, they was upper class people, and they were doing really well. They was living well. That was the backlash for the Cosby’s. Anytime Black people are showing pride in themselves, and and showing themselves operating well with money and family structure and community, those things get called into question. But every time yal leave us alone those are our defaults.” -Deante Kyle Grits and Eggs Podcast episode 132, 40:00-42:30
Coined by 19th-century playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw, Sardoodledom refers to a play or dramatic work full of stereotyped or unrealistic characterization s that are often one-dimensional and lack depth, serving primarily to advance the mechanically contrived plot. These roles are predictable, safe, and disposable.
This chapter reclaims the term as a metaphor for today’s hollow diversity performances—where representation is staged but not empowered.
Through sharp critique and historic examples, the chapter offers readers a vocabulary for spotting when representation becomes a tool of oppression instead of liberation.
“Sardoodledom” becomes not just a word, but a lens: to name the empty applause, to question the roles we’re handed, and to demand something real.