by Kristen J. Warner
about Kristen J. Warner
Kristen J. Warner is Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media at the University of Alabama. She is the author of The Cultural Politics of Colorblind TV Casting. Warner’s research interests are centered on the media industries, race, representation, and creative labor. Warner’s work can be found in academic journals, a host of anthologies, websites such as the Los Angeles Review of Books and Film Quarterly, and of course Twitter.
Being Mary Jane
Abstract: Through an analysis of the musical soundtrack as well as the narrative and stylistic devices throughout BET’s Being Mary Jane, Kristen J. Warner explores how the series intentionally foregrounded black women’s experiences. Warner illustrates how this act is a type of cultural specificity tied to the series’ mantra “Black on Purpose” and ultimately results in crafting resonance with black audiences.