One of the greatest examples of the issue at hand is the beloved movie, Clueless. If you've never seen the movie before it is a great watch but the point I have in bringing this movie up is not related to its plot.

Instead it relates to the relationship between characters and its ability to perpetuate the trope that behind every popular white lead is a black best friend ... otherwise known as the side character. Often times this character is one of the very few people of color (POC) in the film, which tends to mean that they are meant to be a portray of all POC at that time.

Personally as a black person myself, it can be discouraging to find that in a movie with so many different types of white people that there is only one type of POC present and they only exist to cater to the white lead.

Unfortunate to say this is not an isolated occurance and isnt simply a issue of the past but rather an issue that is still present today in many movies and shows. If you would like to learn more about why this issue can be damaging to so many POC, check out the following article...