Tina Fey has found herself in hot water more than once for mild racism, and her latest projects aren't exactly here to save her. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot comes from the people behind 30 Rock and Kimmy Schmidt, and in classic Tina Fey style, is ever so slightly... forgive me... problematic. The film, based on journalist Kim Barker's memoir The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan, follows Fey's Barker as a war correspondent reporting from Afghanistan and Pakistan. That premise alone should make you nervous, coming from Fey, who has a history of questionably racist moments.
Though all we have so far is a trailer that dropped today, there are already several red flags, the first of which is Caucasian actors playing Afghan characters (Christopher Abbott, Alfred Molina). It's reminiscent of the offensive Jane Krakowski as a Native American storyline in Kimmy Schmidt. It also happens far too often in Hollywood that it's exhausting to even get mad about anymore. I don't think Tina Fey is racist, but I do think that she can be colorblind at a time when racial diversity is more in demand. And being a white comedian, Fey has a responsibility to be more sensitive when making racial commentary, or even creating characters of color.
We'll see how the rest of the film is. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, is out March 4, 2016.
