Token Minority: Difference between revisions

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In some casts of animal, alien, or monster characters, [[World of Funny Animals]] or not, there is a majority species and one or more minority species. Often the majority of the animal cast is made up of mammals and there is a token non-mammal. Usually, the token non-mammal is a bird, but reptiles, amphibians, and even invertebrates are certainly not unheard of.
In some casts of animal, alien, or monster characters, [[World of Funny Animals]] or not, there is a majority species and one or more minority species. Often the majority of the animal cast is made up of mammals and there is a token non-mammal. Usually, the token non-mammal is a bird, but reptiles, amphibians, and even invertebrates are certainly not unheard of.


Compare [[Captain Ethnic]], [[Token Non-Human]], [[Token Human]], [[Token Minority Couple]], [[Token White]], [[Twofer Token Minority]], [[Five Token Band]], [[Informed Judaism]], [[Black Vikings]], [[Black Best Friend]], and [[The Smurfette Principle]].
Compare [[Captain Ethnic]], [[Token Non-Human]], [[Token Human]], [[Token Minority Couple]], [[Token White]], [[Twofer Token Minority]], [[Five-Token Band]], [[Informed Judaism]], [[Black Vikings]], [[Black Best Friend]], and [[The Smurfette Principle]].


{{examples}}
{{examples}}
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** [[Samuel L Jackson]] in the prequels may also be a example of this, as his character serves as little more than a background character until Revenge of the Sith (excluding his excellent use in the Clone Wars shorts).
** [[Samuel L Jackson]] in the prequels may also be a example of this, as his character serves as little more than a background character until Revenge of the Sith (excluding his excellent use in the Clone Wars shorts).
** One might argue that casting Temuera Morrison, who is a Maori, as Jango Fett and by retroactive consequence, his clone Boba Fett and ''every single clonetrooper'' reduces all other characters in the series (black, white or green) to token minorities by sheer weight of numbers.
** One might argue that casting Temuera Morrison, who is a Maori, as Jango Fett and by retroactive consequence, his clone Boba Fett and ''every single clonetrooper'' reduces all other characters in the series (black, white or green) to token minorities by sheer weight of numbers.
* While the 2006 historical film ''[[Flyboys]]'' was already heavily criticised for its historical inaccuracies relating to its World War I setting, one of the more amusing ones came from the film's fictional [[Token Minority]], Eugene Skinner, a black boxer who joined the squadron to 'pay back' his adopted homeland. Mainly because the end of the movie showed a picture of the real-life squadron which was composed of exactly zero minorities. A rare moment where a film actually seems proud to reveal when it [[Did Not Do the Research]]. [[The Other Wiki]]'s [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyboys_%28film%29 entry on the film] points out that the film confuses the Lafayette Escadrille with the Lafayette Flying Corps with whom Eugene Bullard (the real person Skinner was based on) actually flew.
* While the 2006 historical film ''[[Flyboys]]'' was already heavily criticised for its historical inaccuracies relating to its World War I setting, one of the more amusing ones came from the film's fictional [[Token Minority]], Eugene Skinner, a black boxer who joined the squadron to 'pay back' his adopted homeland. Mainly because the end of the movie showed a picture of the real-life squadron which was composed of exactly zero minorities. A rare moment where a film actually seems proud to reveal when it [[Did Not Do the Research]]. [[The Other Wiki]]'s [[wikipedia:Flyboys chr(28)filmchr(29)|entry on the film]] points out that the film confuses the Lafayette Escadrille with the Lafayette Flying Corps with whom Eugene Bullard (the real person Skinner was based on) actually flew.
* Harvey Weinstein loved using this trope for his productions back in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Starting with ''[[Scream (Film)|Scream]] 2'', nearly all of his teen-aimed productions had at least one token black character (often played by a rapper) solely to bump up the box office. He seemed to stop this after ''Shall We Dance?'', which had an [[Advertised Extra]] in the form of Ja Rule (who appeared in one concert scene and had no purpose to the plot).
* Harvey Weinstein loved using this trope for his productions back in the late 1990's and early 2000's. Starting with ''[[Scream (Film)|Scream]] 2'', nearly all of his teen-aimed productions had at least one token black character (often played by a rapper) solely to bump up the box office. He seemed to stop this after ''Shall We Dance?'', which had an [[Advertised Extra]] in the form of Ja Rule (who appeared in one concert scene and had no purpose to the plot).


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** The GA staff used racial-blindcasting, when you start auditions without picking the ethnic background of the characters.
** The GA staff used racial-blindcasting, when you start auditions without picking the ethnic background of the characters.
** However as the show continued and a load of new cast members were added, the majority of them were white.
** However as the show continued and a load of new cast members were added, the majority of them were white.
* Subverted on ''[[The Red Green Show]]'', with the character of Edgar K.B. Montrose, played by First Nations actor Graham Greene. Greene himself approached producer Steve Smith, asking to be on the show after enjoying it on TV. The role they gave him was essentially colour-blind - that of an explosives "enthusiast" who can't really call himself an expert, since experts have the proper license and permits, and more training in handling dynamite than just watching a lot of [[Wile E Coyote and The Road Runner (Animation)|Road Runner]] cartoons. Edgar was [[Too Dumb to Live]], but that also described everybody else on the show. The only reference to Greene's ethnicity in his time on the show was a humorous [[Shout Out]] in his first appearance, when Edgar commented about the film ''Dances With Wolves'', and stated that the "Native guy" (Greene himself), should have gotten the Oscar.
* Subverted on ''[[The Red Green Show]]'', with the character of Edgar K.B. Montrose, played by First Nations actor Graham Greene. Greene himself approached producer Steve Smith, asking to be on the show after enjoying it on TV. The role they gave him was essentially colour-blind - that of an explosives "enthusiast" who can't really call himself an expert, since experts have the proper license and permits, and more training in handling dynamite than just watching a lot of [[Wile E Coyote and The Road Runner (Animation)|Road Runner]] cartoons. Edgar was [[Too Dumb to Live]], but that also described everybody else on the show. The only reference to Greene's ethnicity in his time on the show was a humorous [[Shout-Out]] in his first appearance, when Edgar commented about the film ''Dances With Wolves'', and stated that the "Native guy" (Greene himself), should have gotten the Oscar.
* Similarly, the only non-white main character on ''[[Corner Gas (TV)|Corner Gas]]'' is Davis Quinton, the Sergeant of Dog River's two-member police force. He (and the actor who plays him, Lorne Cardinal) is a member of the Cree Nation, hardly a rarity in Rural Saskatchewan. However, this is incidental to his character; it's only brought up once, at the end of the first season, when Karen suggests going to a ticket scalper and he acts offended. Also, both bartenders (Phil and Paul) appear Cree. One of them speaks some Cree, enough to know the original name of Dog River.
* Similarly, the only non-white main character on ''[[Corner Gas (TV)|Corner Gas]]'' is Davis Quinton, the Sergeant of Dog River's two-member police force. He (and the actor who plays him, Lorne Cardinal) is a member of the Cree Nation, hardly a rarity in Rural Saskatchewan. However, this is incidental to his character; it's only brought up once, at the end of the first season, when Karen suggests going to a ticket scalper and he acts offended. Also, both bartenders (Phil and Paul) appear Cree. One of them speaks some Cree, enough to know the original name of Dog River.
* Referenced in ''[[Star Trek Voyager]]'' (itself a very racially diverse show) where Janeway and Chakotay discuss the issues involved in a ship crewed by both Federation members and Maquis separatists. Janeway notes that by making the Maquis Chakotay her second in command she hopes she has already shown that she can be tolerant of them, and Chokatay responds "I have no intention of being your token Maquis."
* Referenced in ''[[Star Trek Voyager]]'' (itself a very racially diverse show) where Janeway and Chakotay discuss the issues involved in a ship crewed by both Federation members and Maquis separatists. Janeway notes that by making the Maquis Chakotay her second in command she hopes she has already shown that she can be tolerant of them, and Chokatay responds "I have no intention of being your token Maquis."
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** [[Deep Space Nine]], with a somewhat varied cast itself, has an odd ''class'' example. Miles O'Brien is heavily played up as a [[Closer to Earth]] blue-collar NCO in a staff of implicitly elite [[Officer and A Gentleman]] types, complete with a labour-movement martyr in his ancestry. (Granted, one can call Captain Sisko upwardly-mobile, as the son of a restaurateur, but this was revealed much later and never emphasised.)
** [[Deep Space Nine]], with a somewhat varied cast itself, has an odd ''class'' example. Miles O'Brien is heavily played up as a [[Closer to Earth]] blue-collar NCO in a staff of implicitly elite [[Officer and A Gentleman]] types, complete with a labour-movement martyr in his ancestry. (Granted, one can call Captain Sisko upwardly-mobile, as the son of a restaurateur, but this was revealed much later and never emphasised.)
* In ''[[The Class (TV)|The Class]]'' Kyle's boyfriend Aaron is introduced as a secondary character to counteract the [[Monochrome Casting]].
* In ''[[The Class (TV)|The Class]]'' Kyle's boyfriend Aaron is introduced as a secondary character to counteract the [[Monochrome Casting]].
* Averted in the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic (TV)|Battlestar Galactica Classic]]'', especially in the episode "Fire In Space" which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Boomer and Tigh's extensive roles.
* Averted in the original ''[[Battlestar Galactica Classic]]'', especially in the episode "Fire In Space" which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Boomer and Tigh's extensive roles.
* Pete Ross from ''[[Smallville]]'' is an especially funny example, as his comic book counterpart is white.
* Pete Ross from ''[[Smallville]]'' is an especially funny example, as his comic book counterpart is white.
* Both radio experts on ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' were token black characters. Which was awkward, as the armed forces were still segregated in WWII.
* Both radio experts on ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' were token black characters. Which was awkward, as the armed forces were still segregated in WWII.
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* The U.S. black music program ''[[Soul Train (TV)|Soul Train]]'' had some token white dancers in the audience.
* The U.S. black music program ''[[Soul Train (TV)|Soul Train]]'' had some token white dancers in the audience.
* The character of Charlie Young was added to ''[[The West Wing]]'' just because the NAACP was criticizing the show for ''not'' having a [[Token Minority]]. Charlie's "token minority" status is particularly interesting in this case, as the only two of the shows main characters are white and Protestant (and that is if one guesses on Sam, whose religion is not mentioned but can be presumed not to be Catholic or Jewish). Two of the main characters are Jewish, four are Catholic, making the show's main cast far more diverse than the actual US population, even without Charlie in the mix.
* The character of Charlie Young was added to ''[[The West Wing]]'' just because the NAACP was criticizing the show for ''not'' having a [[Token Minority]]. Charlie's "token minority" status is particularly interesting in this case, as the only two of the shows main characters are white and Protestant (and that is if one guesses on Sam, whose religion is not mentioned but can be presumed not to be Catholic or Jewish). Two of the main characters are Jewish, four are Catholic, making the show's main cast far more diverse than the actual US population, even without Charlie in the mix.
* ''[[Star Trek Enterprise]]'', unlike the previous shows (which were such aversions of [[Humans Are White]] they were often accused of being [[Five Token Band|Five Token Bands]] by some), has a black guy, a Asian woman, and ''everyone else'' is white. And also note that, in order to make it obvious to the audience he was only on the show so they could say they had a [[Token Minority]], the black guy was a glorified extra...
* ''[[Star Trek Enterprise]]'', unlike the previous shows (which were such aversions of [[Humans Are White]] they were often accused of being [[Five-Token Band|Five Token Bands]] by some), has a black guy, a Asian woman, and ''everyone else'' is white. And also note that, in order to make it obvious to the audience he was only on the show so they could say they had a [[Token Minority]], the black guy was a glorified extra...
* Subverted on ''Sue Thomas F. B. Eye" where the main character is a deaf female FBI agent.
* Subverted on ''Sue Thomas F. B. Eye" where the main character is a deaf female FBI agent.
* ''[[Scrubs]]'' had the great feature of JD and Turk's College Brochure. Turk is photoshopped in twice to make it appear more diverse. [[Lampshaded]] in the episode ''My Long Goodbye'' when Turk struggles to think of other black members of staff. He gets himself and Nurse Roberts (whom he is speaking to), Snoop Dog Attending, and Leonard the Security Guard...
* ''[[Scrubs]]'' had the great feature of JD and Turk's College Brochure. Turk is photoshopped in twice to make it appear more diverse. [[Lampshaded]] in the episode ''My Long Goodbye'' when Turk struggles to think of other black members of staff. He gets himself and Nurse Roberts (whom he is speaking to), Snoop Dog Attending, and Leonard the Security Guard...
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*** There's also Bobby's old partner Rufus Turner, gruff old bastard with a taste for fine scotch.
*** There's also Bobby's old partner Rufus Turner, gruff old bastard with a taste for fine scotch.
** Minorities other than black generally don't even get token appearances, though there were some hot Asian [[Fan Service]] girls, at least one with a small speaking part.
** Minorities other than black generally don't even get token appearances, though there were some hot Asian [[Fan Service]] girls, at least one with a small speaking part.
** This is a show about two white guys, with the addition of up to two other white guys, where a supermajority of women with speaking roles are blondes. Everything but white males appear only as token, although a couple of white women have gotten to the level of supporting cast before dying. (Or, in one recent case, being given [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]] so they wouldn't be traumatized by their kidnapping, or miss Dean after he left them [[Its Not You Its My Enemies|for their own good]].)
** This is a show about two white guys, with the addition of up to two other white guys, where a supermajority of women with speaking roles are blondes. Everything but white males appear only as token, although a couple of white women have gotten to the level of supporting cast before dying. (Or, in one recent case, being given [[Laser-Guided Amnesia]] so they wouldn't be traumatized by their kidnapping, or miss Dean after he left them [[It's Not You, It's My Enemies|for their own good]].)
* Played painfully straight in ''[[The Walking Dead (TV)|The Walking Dead]]'' with T-Dog, who is the only major character in the series not to have any sub-plots and little dialog. Extremely apparent in Season 2 episode "Judge, Jury, Executioner" in which the group deliberates whether or not to {{spoiler|kill Randall}}, the episode focuses on the opinions of every member of the group except T-Dog whose one line of dialog is cut off by Dale.
* Played painfully straight in ''[[The Walking Dead (TV)|The Walking Dead]]'' with T-Dog, who is the only major character in the series not to have any sub-plots and little dialog. Extremely apparent in Season 2 episode "Judge, Jury, Executioner" in which the group deliberates whether or not to {{spoiler|kill Randall}}, the episode focuses on the opinions of every member of the group except T-Dog whose one line of dialog is cut off by Dale.
* ''[[Angel]]'' had Charles Gunn as the only black guy, though Doyle and Lorne might count as token demons.
* ''[[Angel]]'' had Charles Gunn as the only black guy, though Doyle and Lorne might count as token demons.
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** But if you want something unusual, look at a textbook written in the 70s. Always one [[Token Minority]], always black. Apparently Asians, First Nations, and Hispanic people didn't exist before 1990.
** But if you want something unusual, look at a textbook written in the 70s. Always one [[Token Minority]], always black. Apparently Asians, First Nations, and Hispanic people didn't exist before 1990.
* This will show up in college recruitment material, since a lot of colleges like to play up the diversity of their campus.
* This will show up in college recruitment material, since a lot of colleges like to play up the diversity of their campus.
* Invoked with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burger_King_Kids_Club#Kids_Club Burger King Kids Club Gang], who were specifically [[Five Token Band|a stylized group of kids most kids could identify with somehow]]. The [[White Male Lead|white kid]] is still the leader.
* Invoked with the [[wikipedia:Burger King Kids Club#Kids Club|Burger King Kids Club Gang]], who were specifically [[Five-Token Band|a stylized group of kids most kids could identify with somehow]]. The [[White Male Lead|white kid]] is still the leader.
* Take any stock photo image used for marketing software or business applications. A group of racially diverse, smiling corporate types in a meeting, watching a presentation or poring over a report. Infamously led to backlash when Microsoft's Polish division [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/26/microsofts-ad-in-poland-p_n_269366.html whitewashed the black man in the original American ad].
* Take any stock photo image used for marketing software or business applications. A group of racially diverse, smiling corporate types in a meeting, watching a presentation or poring over a report. Infamously led to backlash when Microsoft's Polish division [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/26/microsofts-ad-in-poland-p_n_269366.html whitewashed the black man in the original American ad].


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[[Category:Race Tropes]]
[[Category:Race Tropes]]
[[Category:Token Minority]]
[[Category:Token Minority]]
[[Category:Trope]]
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Token_Minority"