This Should Go Smoothly: Charles Barkley Is Hosting A New Race Centric Show On TNT

AA-  A new show from Charles Barkley has been ordered by TNT and it’s much different than the sportscaster’s current gigs.

TNT announced at the Television Critics Association press tour Barkley will be hosting a six-episode limited-run series titled The Race Card. Variety reports the hour-long show will feature Barkley discussing “hot-button topics” with guests such as cultural leaders with varying viewpoints and perspectives.Barkley said the show will examine race, class, and culture.

“We as Americans never discuss the issue of race in this country and how it impacts everything in our lives until something bad happens,” Barkley told Variety. “I see this project as a way to talk about race, class and cultural differences and challenge everyone’s status quo.”

Here’s how TNT described the show.

“NBA legend and Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley has had enough. The America that he knew has lost its way, becoming mired in partisan politics, social divides and entrenched corporate interests. Now he hopes to get to the root of the problem in the new limited-run series The Race Card. TNT has ordered six hour-long episodes of the show, with plans to launch in early 2017.




If Miss Cleo were still alive I would call her right this second to ask whether or not this gut feeling that this won't be the last time I blog about Charles Barkley's show on race is strong enough to be considered  physic premonition. There's just little to no doubt that the Chuckster fans the flames of the dumpster fire that has become race relations in this country and it's not even his fault. In fact - under the massive assumption that we're dealing with an open minded audience - Charles Barkley is the perfect person to host this show. He pulls no punches and he's not afraid to say exactly what he feels needs to be said regardless of it's politically correctness. In a social environment that is constantly begging us to pick a side, Barkley is one of the few people that is critical of both the African American community and the people that continually marginalize them. Theoretically that means he could help polar opposite viewpoints come to a mutual understanding, but in actuality it means he's going to piss off both ends of the spectrum.

The world is like a broken shower in the sense that it's impossible to find the sweet spot without going too hot or too cold. People have gotten used to that and embraced it instead of admitting that there is a problem with the volatility of the water temperature. Charles Barkley speaks from a place of comfortability and it makes those that are uncomfortable even more uncomfortable, and uncomfortable people usually lash out. There's simply nothing that people hate more than compromising their antiquated, misinformed beliefs about race, and Charles Barkley is likely going to have most questioning every single one of them. Especially considering the one thing he isn't schooled in is softening a blow, and that basically begs those whose insecurities took a hit to strike back in every single mildly moderated comment section they can anonymously voice their socially unacceptable frustrations out in.