Over the last thirteen years, Ice-T has graced primetime television in more than 300 episodes of Law and Order: SVU, as Odafin “Finn” Tutuola. As one of only 3 major recurring characters throughout the lifespan of the show (the other two being Monique Jeffries, played by Michelle Hurd and Melinda Warner played by Tamara Tunie), Finn has been forced to act as the “token black person” in countless settings.
The most important instance of this is illustrated in Season 8, Episode 22, entitled “Screwed,” in which Darius Parker (Ludacris) stands trial for murdering an innocent woman and child. Darius, who is personally related to Finn’s character (Finn’s estranged ex-wife is secretly Ludacris’ mother), uses diabolical wit to undermine the credibility of the Special Victim’s Unit, but most specifically Detective Tutuola. During the trial, Darius attempts to sway the jury into thinking Finn is a “dirty cop” by exposing confidential police information (obtained illegally) about his time as an undercover narcotics officer. Whereas Darius chooses to expose more personal information about Detectives Benson and Stabler, Benson’s fugitive brother and Stabler’s coverup of his daughters DUI, the information used against Det. Tutuola specifically targets his black identity as a means of categorizing him as just another dirty “gang-banger” cop.
This dismantling of Det. Finn’s reputation is so thoroughly executed by Darius, that the jury acquits him of his heinous crimes due to their inability to trust the decorated detective’s testimony.
Why, I wonder, is it necessary for Ice-T to play this “token” black man? In 2013, despite all of the social progress we have made, and the black president sitting in office, is it truly necessary for a mega-million dollar TV franchise to accept these negative stereotypes surrounding African-American men and women and use them as a vehicle for higher viewer ratings? Black male violence, loose sexuality, heavy drug addiction, and disfunctional familial units can’t possibly be the only thing that is interesting about an African-American individual (I hope you can sense my irony, of course it would be ridiculous to suggest otherwise), yet SVU has made millions using the “token” black man and woman to depict the “most heinous crimes” solved by the Specical Victims Unit.
I agree with you that Finn generally serves as the “token black guy” on SVU; he often has one-liners and story arcs that “play up” his blackness. Be it his insider knowledge of the hood, use of urban colloquialisms, or casual dress, Finn seems to reinforce some stereotypes we have about black men. That being said, it is interesting that Finn has chosen to use these stereotypical black character traits as resources in his life as a cop. He embraces the perhaps negative aspects of black stereotypes to help him bring criminals to justice. This is a refreshing example of a black man who has not abandoned his blackness, but rather has decided to live within two historically different realms.
Also important to note is that Munch, Finn’s partner, also battles, embraces, and continues the dialogue on his own background, which is Jewish. It seems that the SVU writers enjoy discussing the dialogue surrounding race and ethnic backgrounds beyond blackness. Still, the case of Finn is an interesting one. Nice post.
As soon as I read this, I immediately ran through the million stereotypes that SVU loves to enforce (it doesn’t help that I’m watching it right now). And I have to admit, Finn being SVU’s token black guy is one that I’m consistently reminded of when watching the show. There are usually 3 types of black men in the show: 1. Finn 2. Rapists and gangsters and 3. Black men who are accused of being rapists and gangsters.
Finn’s character is so interesting and sparks conversation because he subverts and enforces stereotypes at the same time. He uses his knowledge of drugs, the vernacular of street life, and often his skin color to connect to criminals and break cases. Example: “No matter what you say, Captain, you’re not black and you’re not from the hood.” Yet later on, he firmly tells a suspect “Don’t call me bro” when they take comfort in the fact that he’s a black cop. Finn doesn’t want to be black, and then he does. He uses his color and experience to his advantage, yet takes extreme offense when someone else brings it up.
Maybe instead of only being the token black guy, Finn represents the complexities of being an African-American male in the police force…especially when the men he’s often chasing down are also African-American. That’s not to say we don’t need a few more black men in the show, because we do. Even better would be a character at the center of the story, rather than at the sidelines.
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