AsThe Flashstar Candice Patton reminds fans, there seems to be an unfortunate trend lately of racist and otherwise bigoted fan backlash against actors and actresses who exist outside of a particular alabaster expectation. Whether it’s a woman taking a lead role in a popular sci-fi franchise, a Black person doing the same, or anything else that strays from straight white dudes headlining everything, one can always expect some kind of toxic reaction these days.
Thing is, this isn’t some new phenomenon. It’s been going on pretty much as long as mainstream entertainment has existed. One slightly less recent instance involves Patton, who has been playing Iris West on The CW’sThe Flashfor its entire 8-season run. While many will justifiably argue that Iris hasn’t really beengiven her due onThe Flash, others have a much more petty complaint about the character, and it started all the way back when the show started in 2014.
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Inthe DC comics that inspiredThe Flash, Iris was generally depicted as a white woman. Still, since that whiteness isn’t exactly central to the character, one would think that there’s no big deal casting Patton, as a Black actress, in the role. However, back when the show began, the toxicity was rampant, and according to Patton, The CW didn’t do much of anything to combat it. “In 2014, there were no support systems,” she revealed in an interview onThe Open Up Podcast, “no one was looking out for that. It was just free range to get abused every single day.”
Being one of the first Black actresses with a lead role inThe CW’s Arrowverse of DC shows, Patton faced a lot of harassment that, apparently, the network either didn’t anticipate or didn’t feel was an issue at the time. “It’s a dangerous place to be in when you’re one of the first, and you’re facing backlash for it and there’s no help,” Patton continued. “Now, people understand a little better and they understand how fans can be racist, especially in genre, and misogynistic. But at the time it was kind of like: ‘Yeah that’s how fans are, but whatever.'”
It’s heartbreaking to hear how little effort The CW put into protecting its actors against such attacks, especially knowing that it still happens to this day. Though at least now, companies and fellow actors are more willing to come out in support of those on the receiving end likeMoses Ingram onObi-Wan Kenobi. However, at the time, things got so bad for Patton that it could have spelled the end of her time on the show. “I wanted to leave the show as early as season two,” she revealed. “I remember being like: ‘I can’t do this, I’m not gonna make it through, I’m severely unhappy.'”
Thankfully, Patton did stick around, creating a truly memorable take on the character of Iris West. However, it shouldn’t have been such a difficult decision for her in the first place. Racism has been around forever, but the people perpetuating it have become emboldened in recent years. So networks, production companies, and others all have a duty to back up their actors in cases like this. Here’s hoping things get better.
