This was our first week without a new episode of The Walking Dead this season, and we know it can be hard to get through Sunday’s doldrums without it. So let’s use this break to consider the bizarre racial politics of a show that continuously draws millions more viewers each season. Utilizing Slate’s Lorraine Berry’s premise that the series is a “white patriarchy” as a jumping off point, what interests me is putting the popularity of the show in conversation with its problematic aspects. I don’t have any statistics about the demographics of The Walking Dead’s audience, but I do know that when I discuss the show with friends and acquaintances who are also people of color, I find that we are engaging in a particular way with a show that we both love and hate. … Read More