'BoJack Horseman' creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg apologises for 'Racist' portrayal of Diane

BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg, in a recent thread of tweets, admitted to have made unforced 'racist' errors while writing the much-loved character of Diane Nguyen for the popular animated web series. 

Amid renewed conversation around representation, the BoJack Horseman creator admitted to have made a mistake in portraying the Vietnamese-American character as 'fully American' with her race barely playing a factor in her personality. Bob-Waksberg, in a guilt-ridden tweet, said that it was "a very ignorant way to talk about a WOC [Woman of Colour], real or fictional".

In season 5 of the show, Diane takes a trip to Vietnam and the episode spurred more conversation around the casting, Raphael Bob-Waksberg confessed. The BoJack Horseman creator, in hindsight, said in a tweet that he should have roped in Vietnamese actor and writer for the show or changed the character to match with Alison Brie who voiced Diane Nguyen.   

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Take a look at the tweets here: 

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'Wanted to move away from stereotypes'

Raphael Bob-Waksberg, while explaining his lapse in judgment, said that he wanted to move the character away from stereotypes such that Diane Nguyen wasn't solely defined by her Vietnamese-American heritage but admitted that he went too far away in the other direction, completely overlooking the race profile.

He added that for the episode in question, Vietnamese actor Vyvy Nguyen was hired in a consulting capacity but the BoJack Horseman creator emphasised that hiring is a consultant for one episode is not true representation.        

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About BoJack Horseman

Netflix original animated web series BoJack Horseman concluded it's last season in January 2020. The sixth and final season of the satirical comic show ended in an unexpected manner after Netflix decided to end it's run on the streaming platform. 

Raphael Bon-Waksberg managed to create a unique storyline with memorable characters that grew to cult popularity over the course of the show. The show BoJack Horseman was first aired in 2014 and follows the existential struggles of a humanoid horse. With BoJack at the centre of pivotal action, other characters on the show appear as his friends and family; however, Raphael Bon-Waksberg gives each supporting character its own storyline, creating a range of relatable characters just as much popular as the eponymous horse. 

(Image Credits: Instagram/@dianenguyennnn)

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