Dominique in 2023?

[Jimmy Todd]

Would Dynasty have gotten away with Dominique today as she was written in the 1980s or would her depiction be considered offensive? She was hailed as the first "Black b****" on the supersoaps, but she did almost nothing except try to get a rich, white family to accept and approve of her. Her race wasn't even mentioned until season 9, when she was long gone. Carroll was a very talented actress, but it seemed she was more there for the publicity of "Look how progressive we are! We hired a Black woman!" Yet, she was treated as
just a beautiful object. By today's lens, would that itself be deemed "white supremacy" and "cultural appropriation"?

 

[tommie]

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

A valid point, of course.

Carroll herself went on record stating that she wanted to be "the first black b***h on television," but then she countered that by telling Esther Shapiro that she didn't want Dominique's race mentioned at all and to just write her the same way they'd write a powerful white male.

Her reasoning made sense, but then that constrained the narrative for her... Why was Blake so slow to accept to accept Dominique into the family, even when adequate proof was presented, and even when she did her very best to buy her way in? It was because she was black!

But they couldn't say it.

Diahann admitted that after a while, "the creators of Dominique Deveraux weren't very interested in Dominique anymore." But to be fair-ish, the writers didn't develop the other characters very well either.

 

[rayray]

A valid point, of course.

Carroll herself went on record stating that she wanted to be "the first black b***h on television," but then she countered that by telling Esther Shapiro that she didn't want Dominique's race mentioned at all and to just write her the same way they'd write a powerful white male.

Her reasoning made sense, but then that constrained the narrative for her... Why was Blake so slow to accept to accept Dominique into the family, even when adequate proof was presented, and even when she did her very best to buy her way in? It was because she was black!

But they couldn't say it.

Diahann admitted that after a while, "the creators of Dominique Deveraux weren't very interested in Dominique anymore." But to be fair-ish, the writers didn't develop the other characters very well either.

Dominique's race was clearly The Whole Entire Reason for everyone being threatened by her very presence, and the reticence to name that was profoundly noticeable even then. We were all waiting for someone to actually say what white people would say amongst themselves in any scene, and no one ever did, for fear of being accused of (gasp) racism on the Whitest Show on TV since the Brady Bunch.

Today, there would be other characters of color on the show discussing her quest with her and what it would mean for her to achieve her goal of being recognised as a Carrington family member. We had glimmers of that in scenes between Dominique and Brady, but after Billy Dee Williams left the show, no one ever sat down and had "behindclosed doors" honest conversations with Dominique any more, leaving her character an empty cypher. As Snarky says, this was true of nearly every character on the show eventually, even for those who started out strong.

Gosh, writing about this is so much more interesting than work today! Hee hee.

 

[Artur]

In the 90’s there was a progress in soaps though. The black female character had to use a turkey baster and inseminate her rival with a sperm stolen from a bank to be called a b*tch.

 

[DF414]

In the 90’s there was a progress in soaps though. The black female character had to use a turkey baster and inseminate her rival with a sperm stolen from a bank to be called a b*tch.

I loved her character, but I agree by season 7 they had no idea what to do with her. I thought something would split her against Blake, but the writers wouldn't go there.

They should have created another Alexis v. Dominique story, if they wouldn't go there, but if they did that JC would have gotten even more screen time.
I also don't understand why she didn't have an affair with Dex. That could have been the spring board for her v. Alexis in 7B and done something with that dreadful part of the show.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Diahann supposedly resented the entry of Kate O'Mara because Caress was encroaching on Dominique's "the other bitch" territory.

They should have done something with this, and given a European backstory between the two women, mutual contempt from their run-ins at Continental hotspots they'd frequented in the '60s and '70s. Leading to Caress attempting to burn down Dominique's chic little clubs in Antibes and Nice. Allegedly.

 

[Monzo]

Was Dominique Dynasty's answer to Dallas' Dora Mae?

When Dora Mae appeared in 1983, viewers were smitten with her. Didn't some viewers hope that she would be seen more often and that she might hook up with one of the main cast? Maybe Dynasty felt that curiosity about a black beautiful woman, so in 1984 Dominique made her big entrance.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Was Dominique Dynasty's answer to Dallas' Dora Mae?

When Dora Mae appeared in 1983, viewers were smitten with her. Didn't some viewers hope that she would be seen more often and that she might hook up with one of the main cast? Maybe Dynasty felt that curiosity about a black beautiful woman, so in 1984 Dominique made her big entrance.

When Diahann Carroll was shopping herself around to the primetime soaps in 1984, she said the producer of one show (she didn't say which one, so we'll just have to guess) told her that "there will never be a black person on our show." Presumably, that producer meant no prominent characters.

Dora Mae was never going to get more screen time. Unless Peter Dunne was going to give it to her during the dream season. And then he would have had Donna & Ray adopt her.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

Diahann supposedly resented the entry of Kate O'Mara because Caress was encroaching on Dominique's "the other bitch" territory.

They should have done something with this, and given a European backstory between the two women, mutual contempt from their run-ins at Continental hotspots they'd frequented in the '60s and '70s. Leading to Caress attempting to burn down Dominique's chic little clubs in Antibes and Nice. Allegedly.

Dominique could have total contempt for Alexis based on things she had seen and heard about her in Dominique's chic clubs. She could even throw little innuendos at Alexis similar to the one Joseph said in season 2 about the yacht and that "wretchedly unhappy woman." For example, Dominique could imply Alexis was one of the two women JFK had to the White House for skinny dipping sessions to whom the secret service gave code names.
Dominique: "So Alexis, which one were you, Fiddle or Faddle?"

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Dominique could have total contempt for Alexis based on things she had seen and heard in her chic clubs involving Alexis. She could even throw little innuendos at Alexis similar to the one Joseph said in season 2 about the yacht and that "wretchedly unhappy woman." For example, Dominique could imply Alexis was one of the two women JFK had to the White House for skinny dipping sessions to whom the secret service gave code names.
Dominique: "So Alexis, which one were you, Fiddle or Faddle?"

"Forgive my candor, Mr. President, but your new girlfriend, Caress, is a slut... Jackie knows and she's hired a hit man... For which one of you. I frankly can't say."

 

[Lankershim Blasdel 1]

The CW didn’t really bring up Dominique’s race either.the only Carrington that was a racist was the father, it made no sense that he had an affair with a woman of color, he treated Celia like the help. That version was more of a swindler when she arrived, the story was changed i think from season 1 where her mother confessed to her daughter about who her father was to season 3 where she was receiving hush money payments for years.OG was introduced as a mysterious bitch but who was she.Alexis finally figured it out when she heard that amazing voice over at La Mirage Lounge, it brought her back to her hedonistic days hanging out in the various disco clubs owned by the infamous Dominique Deveraux, hostess and singer. She didn’t know who she was when she invited a total stranger over to her exclusive penthouse for a bitch fest, Apparently that was the way in, start asking questions to hotel staff that will get back to her and there’s your invite.
She could sell out an arena in Europe but could only perform in a hotel lounge over here.
pointless character that they didn’t know what to do with, the other possibilities were just as pointless , Cecil Colby’s ex or Kirby’s birth mother, and they picked the absolute worst option making her a Carrington. And if you were Beyoncé married to Jay Z ( Dominique and Brady) what would it matter wanting to throw everything away to be accepted by a wealthy white family who took your money and that was about it. Blake came from poverty remember.
Her race should have been mentioned whoever they chose to make her, a wealthy woman that was tired of being a bastard and was willing to throw her career, husband, former life, home etc to get it and live in a hotel. They threw her a bone with giving her a dull pointless lisping daughter and her fat white bore of a dad and I think a night club in Los Angeles creatively named Dominique’s.

 

[Jimmy Todd]

They could have had Dominique make references to running into Alexis at Studio 54 and use real gossip and apply it Alexis: "Really, Alexis, riding in on horse. Was that the first time you weren't the one being ridden? And that blond doorman was young enough to be your son."

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

They could have had Dominique make references to running into Alexis at Studio 54 and use real gossip and apply it Alexis: "Really, Alexis, riding in on horse. Was that the first time you weren't the one being ridden? And that blond doorman was young enough to be your son."