*By Alyssa Caverley*
The best way to start a conversation about uncomfortable topics may be to showcase young, smart, attractive people in a TV series having erudite and funny conversations about uncomfortable topics.
That's part of the conceit of the Netflix show "Dear White People," a series that follows a group of college students at a fictional Ivy League university contending with issues of race, social justice, and cultural bias.
"You see the trials and tribulations we go through being black in a predominantly white space," said DeRon Horton, one of the stars of series. "A lot of people have waited to see the show, so they see it isn't what they presumed and they find that it's really sexy, funny, and conversational, and who doesn't like to have a conversation about what is actually current in life."
The second season of "Dear White People" is now available on Netflix.
The series, created by Justin Simien, is based on his 2014 film, which had its premier at Sundance. The show touches on some pretty serious issues, but Horton said it approaches controversy with a sense of humor.
"Laughter doesn't have a race or a gender, so it's the same thing as love and that's what we're trying to spread in the series too," Horton said in an interview Tuesday with Cheddar.
Horton plays Lionel Lionel Higgins, a Winchester University student journalist turned activist who came out as gay in the first season. In the new season, Lionel learns new things about himself as he encounters racial and social barriers on campus.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/dear-white-people-star-deron-horton-on-larger-acceptance-of-show-for-season-2).
Gabrielle Stone invented a fake tiktok trend to share some important news with her husband. Essentially, she challenges him to guess words that she spells out at a rapid-fire pace. She started with "I love you" before moving on to her big announcement.
After testing out some Icelandic cuisine, Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier gets a sneak preview of Taste of Iceland -- a cultural festival running between May 10-13 across New York City.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier gets a taste of Icelandic cuisine at Blue Lagoon Iceland in New York City.
Cheddar News reporter Ashley Mastronardi tracks the rise of the "mom-fluencer" or working mothers who have left their jobs to become full-time content creators. While not a new phenomenon, experts say the trend has gained momentum since the start of the pandemic.
Tens of thousands of fans descended upon the Swedish capital of Stockholm to celebrate the opening show of Beyoncé’s new world tour on Wednesday.
Peru’s government will allow the extradition to the United States of the prime suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway on the Dutch Caribbean Island of Aruba, bringing her family hope there will be justice in the case.
With summer coming up, Cheddar News breaks down some artists that you can check out as music festivals approach for the coming season.
The top entertainment headlines for May 10, 2023.
Be Well: Shopping for the Perfect Pair of Sunglasses
MTV, a division of Paramount, is planning to shut down its news division and lay off 25 percent of its workforce. The company cited "broader economic headwinds" as the reason for the shuttering. The decision comes as Paramount makes cuts to better compete with rival entertainment giants.
