As a Bi-racial woman I have heard all the awkward questions and it can be embarrassing and infuriating when they come about. Recently we saw this happen on a very public platform, and I feel it’s my duty as a host and Multicultural woman to address this.
Let’s address how to approach hosting and race. In light of what recently occurred on the red carpet with Rashida Jones (see video below) it’s time to talk hosting and how to avoid becoming the joke of the carpet.
The most important thing right off the bat, Do your research. It’s really not that hard. First off you will most likely be notified of who is coming to the carpet ahead of time in a press sheet. Or possibly you may get the sheet when you arrive to the carpet. Start your research then. Sometimes a sheet isn’t provided and in this case you will need to rely on the signs on the carpet itself, and or ask the P.R. on site about the person. Do a quick google. Prepare yourself.
Avoid race questions in general. Only ask about a person’s skin tone or race if they are relevant to the person’s platform. In other words, do they run an organization for mixed race, or is the event you are attending an event about a specific nationality, then its relevant to ask about. Otherwise why bring it up?
What’s important is that you have a real human reaction with the person that you are interviewing. The days of the super fake interviewer is dead, and the age of human conversation is here. Maybe if that happened with Ms. Jones it wouldn’t be the biggest joke of awards season.