I wrote short story on MTV’s new documentary “White People” today. Here’s the full story on

http://www.cablefax.com/programming/mtv-white-people-reviews

MTV ’s provocative documentary “White People,” a collaboration with Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas, could very well be one of the most controversial projects the net has done. The trailer on YouTube generated nearly 1.8mln views as of Thurs morning, receiving more than 3 times the amount of “thumbs down” versus “thumbs up.” Some critics slammed the show for racism and shamming white people. The documentary follows 5 white millennials with different backgrounds (e.g. white guy in black-majority college, white girl in Indian Reservation) as they experience and discuss the issue of race and white privilege. Vargas, a creator and host of the show, told us that it’s important to show the stories of young people who are already living what will ultimately become real life: a country in which whites are the minority. Vargas, a former Washington Post reporter who was born in the Philippines and raised in the US from the age of 12, revealed in a NY Times Magazine story in 2011 that he’s an undocumented immigrant. The show is part of MTV’s ongoing “Look Different” campaign, launched last year to illuminate biases on the basis of race, gender and sexual orientation. “When we set out to make the documentary, it was a top priority to make all participants feel safe to honestly share their experiences,” Vargas said. “I was amazed by how forthright young people were not only in opening up, but in challenging the pre-conceived notions they’ve carried for the vast majority of their lives.” Despite the often uncomfortable subject, Vargas wants to make people feel comfortable in openly discussing ways to move the race debate forward. “The Millennial generation believes in fairness and equality more so than any past generation in this country’s history. We hope this will open doors to push the dream of a fair and equal society into a reality.” – Joyce Wang