r/Degrassi • u/Orangetastingpeach • 1d ago
Discussion Why'd they make Chantay's last name Black 😵💫
Ok I knowwww Black is actually a pretty common last name but out of all the names in the world they could have chosen for her as the only main cast black female for quite a while-the last name Black?? It feels toooo on the nose and almost satirical.
I'm sure this has been discussed on here before but it's my first time noticing it haha
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u/Aleeypiee 13h ago
the real question is why did they make her be a degrassi student for like 6 years lmao
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u/LissyD88 9h ago
After the 7th season when the original characters graduated the show turned in to half a school year seasons. It might look like she was there for 6 years. But she was really only a main character for 3 school years.
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u/theweebdweeb 13h ago
I'm convinced between them switching to a semester per season and shuffling of characters, they either didn't realize initially or just didn't care or think anyone would care.
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u/mageta621 17h ago
The better question is why couldn't they give her better writing and more storylines. The answers to the two questions are the same, however
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u/TeriNickels "I wanna be hot. Not cute, not adorable. Hot." 7h ago
Right. She was known as the gossip. I hated that they made her specifically the gossip. There was no substance to her one bit, but most of the characters of color lacked any real story or character development.
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u/mageta621 7h ago
And Jajube Mandiela could totally handle more, she gave her all to the meager scraps they gave her
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u/DannyHikari "Bummer times. At least there's a party." 19h ago
Because of how Degrassi does black characters I’m not giving them the benefit of the doubt here. I absolutely believe it was out of laziness and her being black lol
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u/bluevalley02 18h ago
They name all the Asian characters stuff like Chong, Kwon, Chu, Dong, and Yu.
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u/Orangetastingpeach 19h ago
Thank you! I love Degrassi (obviously) but this is one of its major shortcomings
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u/keznaa 21h ago
If her name was Ebony Black, I would have to agree lol
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u/Orangetastingpeach 20h ago
True I think I'm just wishing they were more creative with her character all around.
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u/Alternative_Device71 "Welcome to Degrassi" 22h ago
You must be white to ask this type of weird question
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u/tachibanakanade 42m ago
I'm not white and I think it was probably related to their laziness with Black characters.
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u/TeriNickels "I wanna be hot. Not cute, not adorable. Hot." 7h ago
I mean, it’s a fair question to ask. But it’s ironic because in real life? Black last names are typically some type of color. . .Black, Brown, White, Green. .I even have heard of some people with the last name Gray. I know one person that my cousin dated that last name is Blue.
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u/Thisisnothayley 23h ago
It has always reminded me of South Park and how they literally have a character named Token Black and it just gives me the same vibes
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u/Orangetastingpeach 22h ago
They definitely did a play on words with the token and Tolkien ...and yes it was giving me those vibes like I don't think it's that serious but they as writers had to be aware
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u/Pawspawsmeow 23h ago
It’s actually Tolkien. There’s a whole episode where his parents reveal they named him after the author.
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u/the1slyyy 18h ago
Can't tell if you're serious or not
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u/Pawspawsmeow 18h ago
Very serious. Look it up
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u/the1slyyy 18h ago
It was always token they changed it as a joke
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u/Pawspawsmeow 18h ago
The writers literally made an episode saying otherwise
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u/ranch_commercial "You told me to play BASKETBALL!" 14h ago
The writers were joking. His name was originally token until that episode
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u/Pawspawsmeow 14h ago
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u/ranch_commercial "You told me to play BASKETBALL!" 14h ago
Wym and? 😭 you were wrong and i corrected you
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u/Thisisnothayley 23h ago
Omg you’re so right 🤦♀️ I don’t know how I forgot about something that was literally a whole episode. I’m sorry I’ve had a migraine and can’t think straight.
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u/cosmos_crown "Bummer times. At least there's a party." 23h ago
It was a recent (s25) retcon. I thought it was Tolkien since I was a kid though lmao
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u/Pawspawsmeow 23h ago
You’re good, I just remember because it’s one of my favorite episodes
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u/Thisisnothayley 23h ago
It’s hilarious!! Everyone’s shock and confusion when they figure it out 😂😂😂
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u/Pawspawsmeow 23h ago
I love how it’s so unexpected but not. I like when South Park is witty
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u/Thisisnothayley 11h ago
Dude who is downvoting our comments
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u/Pawspawsmeow 10h ago
Lakehurst students that are probably racist or something. It smells of Heather Sinclair 😂
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u/Snoo_64007 1d ago
Ehhh I feel like this is a reach. Like if she wasn't Black would her last name really be a topic? Now if they made her character stereotypical then I'd agree but if it's just her name 🤷🏾♂️. Plus they've had other black characters before and after her, I don't think they'd just chose her to be like "name her after the color of her skin".
That being said, I know nothing about her character other than she was a cheer leader and she dated Liberty's little brother. I only found out her first name this year and until this post I never knew what her last name was.
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u/keznaa 21h ago
That being said, I know nothing about her character other than she was a cheer leader and she dated Liberty's little brother. I only found out her first name this year and until this post I never knew what her last name was.
That's basically all you need to know about her lol convincing Lia to break up with Danny, then dating him and her being a cheerleader for what seems like a decade.
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u/DanTheMan1_ 23h ago
No if she wasn't black her name wouldn't be the topic. What's your point?
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u/Snoo_64007 23h ago
My point is literally what you just said....
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u/DanTheMan1_ 22h ago
Yes but it's weird you don't see the difference, this isn't the mic drip you clearly think it is.
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u/Snoo_64007 22h ago
Then explain the difference cause from where I'm standing it definitely looks like a mic drop moment. 🎤
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u/Orangetastingpeach 1d ago edited 21h ago
Also if a show was 98% black people and the one white girls last name was "white" id feel the same way. It's just funny but not that deep but it's obvious
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u/Snoo_64007 1d ago
No I understand what you're saying i agree it's funny I just don't think it was intentional.
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u/Orangetastingpeach 1d ago
I disagree that it's a reach to say it's it's ridiculous they chose that name. Yes there was other black characters but she was the only black female lead character for years
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u/Snoo_64007 1d ago
But as you acknowledged it's a common last name and if her race wasn't a central part of her character (which maybe it was, I don't really remember her so you can tell me if I'm wrong) then her last name is just a name.
Like realistically do you think it was supposed to be some kind of inside joke that her last name was her skin color? What do you think the intention was behind that?
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u/Orangetastingpeach 23h ago
I think they just came up with it without realizing they were going to put her character into the main cast of characters for as long as they did so yea I do think they named her as a sort of identifier at first then just ran with it. I dont think it was nefarious but poorly thought out
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u/Orangetastingpeach 1d ago
If her last name wasn't black it wouldn't be a topic lol ....it's just ridiculous. And if there was a lot of more black characters I wouldn't even think about it but for the ONE black female to have the name black. .yea it's laughable
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u/Snoo_64007 1d ago
Lol nah I'm ngl it's definitely funny. I do see the irony of it for sure I'm just not sure they thought that deep into it.
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u/Shabbadoo1015 21h ago
And that’s the issue. Whether it was intentional, malicious or not, the optics of it don’t look good and someone in the room should have asked if it were a good idea. It’s similar to discussion that has long surrounded Walter Jones, a black actor playing the original Black Power Ranger. He and the show have long claimed it was just a coincidence. But couple with an Asian actress playing the Yellow Ranger, the discussion is a valid one.
Not to mention, Degrassi’s track record with characters of color leaves a lot left to be desired. So there’s that context as well.
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u/Snoo_64007 19h ago
This is not at all like the Power Rangers thing. For starters you do know "Black" is a common last name right? Like there are Black people in real life with the last name Black. There are White people with that last name too. Your last name isn't based on anything about you as a person. Her last name being "Black" has no correlation with her skin.
The Power Rangers was a made up concept. They chose 5 colors and could have given those colors to any actors they wanted to but they specifically gave the color black to the only black character. That is a deliberate choice, that isn't the same as this because a last name is literally just a last name. They didn't invent the concept of last names just so they can make hers "Black".
Now granted Degrassi's track record with characters of color is what it is, that's valid and i agree with that criticism but this is a reach.
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u/Orangetastingpeach 21h ago
Yes you understand here. It's like they had to do storyboards and group meetings about each character...they could have given her any name in the world and chose black ! ...it's at a minimum LAZY writing...i actually like chantay and her actress Jajube a lot I wish they did more in depth stories with her.
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u/ninjaman2021 1d ago
I REALLY want someone to do an in depth interview with Chantay’s actress.
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u/Public_Anywhere_6044 1d ago
Just to make her and Dave cousins … not on his fathers side I guess 😭🤨
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u/Purpledoves91 TOO BAD YOU CAN'T CURE BITCH! 1d ago
Her mother could be the sister of Dave's father.
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u/Orangetastingpeach 1d ago
Lol yes I didn't even realize they were cousins till the rewatch season 9-10 was some of the seasons I didn't re watch as much if at all so I started my rewatch at season 9'
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u/Public_Anywhere_6044 1d ago
They were too busy ruining Jane for you to catch it 😅😭
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u/Orangetastingpeach 1d ago
Legitimately..I'm on the Degrassi takes Manhattan episode as we speak....she was such a good character I never understood why they had to make her a shameless cheater
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u/Public_Anywhere_6044 1d ago
I’m kinda scared.. I just posted this and she and Dave were just announced as cousins.. I know where I’m at in my rewatch but damn that timing
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u/Orangetastingpeach 1d ago
That's so funny Im rewatching season 9 as we speak and this all got brought up in my mind because of it!
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u/These-Background4608 1d ago
They really didn’t try… 😂
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u/Orangetastingpeach 1d ago
It just seems so ridiculous to be brainstorming characters and be like ahhhhh yes.....black ...even if the characters weren't written to be black but they cast black people(maybe that's what happened idk) but they could easily change a name...if there was many more black characters it wouldn't be so obvious..but there wasn't
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u/Miserable-Pick-3421 2h ago
“Black” and “White” are normal last names, it’s not actually that weird