Here’s what ‘inherited’ gets in terms of toxic whiteness

“I’m not asking because I’m not a DJ“It should really be the motto of every Black woman who is hired for her expertise and competence, yet has to deal with co-workers and clients who are trying to sabotage both.

Above the last episode of Heir, the line was transferred by Lisa Arthur — Gloria Allred-esque Prominent black women attorney — in response to Kendall Roy, who withheld her services, only to consistently ignore any legal advice he was paying her to give him. Instead, Kendall made Lisa’s “wish list” directives and requests, like the one that provoked Lisa’s testimony, including immunity from prosecution and disqualification for herself. with Logan’s father.

When Kendall, sensing Lisa’s growing fatigue with him, told her that he “really values[s] all the work” she does, but then quickly replenish the need that she “Try harder,” the smug grin and subtle mocking smile she emitted were familiar to every Black woman who had to grin and endure intolerable whiteness. .

Watching Kendall repeatedly tell Lisa how to do her job – despite having no law degree or background outside of his father’s media empire – is to immediately recognize the mediocrity of men. forgettable white skin and unwarranted confidence in his all-too-familiar (useless) glory.

Heir almost no Black characters. In fact, there are hardly any people of color in the rare world occupied by the Roys, a media dynasty of ruthless billionaires whose sole concern is amassing more power and money, and shamelessness is often proudly displayed. “We don’t feel ashamed,” Shiv, Kendall’s sister and the only woman competing among the four Roy siblings for the throne of Logan’s father, said in a recent episode.

Bright whiteness is as much a part of the Roy brand as their family’s obnoxious wealth; all wrapped up in and inseparable from the reactionary right-wing politics of their ATN News network. Some of the Blacks who moved through the Roys orbit were always in the service of the family, and if they were in public-facing roles, it was because their Blackness was still something else the Roys could exploit.

Lisa, with a strong track record of winning lawsuits for women who have been harmed, is the best attorney the family’s money can keep in the wake of the migrant worker abuse and sexual assault scandal — a product of the cruelty and indifference of wealthy whites towards those outside their sphere – the results came to light. The family warring factions — Kendall on the one hand, Logan and associates on the other — each try to get her to take on their case. It was not stated, but implied, that both groups of Roys not only wanted to benefit from Lisa’s credentials and reputation, but also wanted a black woman attorney to help clean up their image at the time. point when the mishandling of their race and gender issues threatens potential legal liability.

Shiv visits Lisa, a close acquaintance from her days working in Democratic politics, and tries to appeal to her as a fellow sister in the fight against patriarchy, telling her that , “I don’t know what my dad did, and I don’t know what my brother did, and I don’t know what the company did. I’m in a fucking cake, Lisa… I could easily be squashed between these two damned men, and I need to settle things with someone who can give me a legal read. as well as culture and politics. ”

It was an opportunistic display of white radical feminism and self-serving self-serving feminism, and it was immediately clear to Lisa that Kendall had punched her sister, Shiv’s tone turning into something That is callous and disrespectful. “Be careful with whom you hitchhike your car, honey,” Shiv scoffed on the way out the door, “because a lot of wagons are going in the ditch.”

The sudden change will almost certainly leave Lisa, and any Black woman who has witnessed how sisterhood is used and weaponized by white women, wondering about the racial impact. race caused the sudden change.

Kendall actually chose Lisa as his mentor, and it’s clear his plan is to leverage her fortune to serve to rip off his image as a whistleblower and Billionaire. very feminist. (Ironically, he shouted “Damn patriarch“While walking into a gala event.) But he treats her the way he treats other women, and especially women of color, in his life — with the Loganesque implication that he’s always the smartest guy in the room and Man who is actually in charge.

Jess Jordan, Kendall’s longtime personal assistant, probably saw this coming. As the only recurring Black character on the show for the first two seasons, Jess has witnessed Kendall’s oblivion — reacted by his overwhelming ego and misplaced faith in himself. attenuate-come close.

Jess made him laugh with a weak smile as he seriously suggested to a room of his best Yes Bros that he wanted Chuck D. and Zadie Smith for his upcoming 40th birthday. ta. She watched, mostly nonchalantly, as he keep interrupting and talking about Berry Schneider, the PR Asian woman he’s hired to make him look cool — ultimately employing a strategy dictated by him. She listened in silence as he insisted that his babysitter let them feed the rabbits bagels, and then appeared completely unfazed but completely fed up with the sloppy, sloppy bullshit. while eavesdropping he learns that the rabbit is sick. (Seriously, someone please Juliana Canfield an Emmy for conveying the full depth of Jess’s frustration with Kendall in less than two seconds.)

She surreptitiously conceals Kendall and knows his wishes before he does, partly because it’s her job, but also because help is only visible to Roys insofar as they confirm real his lofty opinion.

If Kendall stops to examine Jess’s reaction to his expressed plans, he might wisely reconsider them. But arrogance and brazenness combined obscured his view.

It was that same haze that made him think it was better to watch “The Disrupt with Sophie Iwobi,” the main showrunner played by Ziwe. Kendall couldn’t really hear the black women he encountered so much so that when Iwobi announced that he had Rich Caucasian encephalopathy, he explained it as a playful form of worship and told his gathered guests that she loves me.” (“What happens is that inherited wealth and white skin causes the neural pathways in the brain to constrict and leads the patient to believe that he woke up when he was just a kid. a goddamn bastard,” she continued to her audience.) This is a prime example of oppressed people knowing their oppressor better than they know themselves.

The same can be said of the moment Lisa, after weeks of Kendall acting against her advice, finally lost her temper when Kendall performed a scene in front of Justice Department officials. “Do you think you’re smarter than me?” Lisa asked flamboyantly, knowing the answer was he absolutely could. She went on to tell him that during his demotion, he “acted high-handedly and defensively,” and perhaps most damningly, that he “sometimes undermined [her] status.”

The next time we see Kendall on screen, he’ll announce that Lisa no longer represents him. According to Kendall, Lisa, who had endured Kendall’s arrogance and condescension, rejected her advice, his disrespect for her position, and her insights until she couldn’t bear it. can bear any more, is “a toxic person”.

Stand down and you’re always down, stand up for yourself and you’re mean and angry.

No black woman moves through the corporate space that is not familiar with the impossibility of this binary casting game, and Lisa has certainly suffered from it before. No matter how Kendall pays her, it won’t be enough.