Netflix’s Raising Dion is the latest edition to the ever-growing genre of superhero media. Unfortunately, it’s also the latest edition to the ever-growing genre of liberal propaganda. After all, only a progressive mind could believe that claiming the world is out to get African-Americans is a good thing. 
Based on the comic book with the same name, The series which premiered October 4 follows Nicole Warren (Alisha Wainwright) who struggles to raise her seven-year-old son Dion (Ja'Siah Young) after the death of her husband Mark (Michael B. Jordan). The situation becomes more dramatic when Dion starts developing supernatural abilities which begin to attract malevolent forces. Over the course of the show, the two must learn where Dion’s powers came from, how to harness them properly, and who may be after them.
Overall, it’s a great premise, but it quickly gets bogged down by the victim hood mentality. In the third episode "ISSUE #103: Watch Man," Dion is caught in a fight when a white student takes his late father’s watch. Using his powers, Dion flings the boy against the wall, leading a white teacher named Mr. Campbell to come in and stop them. He sees the other boy on the ground in pain and immediately suspends Dion, accusing him of being violent. Dion protests, "I didn't touch him!" which is technically true.
Nicole and another sympathetic African-American teacher manage to ease the punishment to a detention, but Dion still finds it unfair that he was punished while his classmate was not. "Why didn't Mr. Campbell believe me?," the boy cries. Nicole tells him, "He assumed you were a bad kid."
Considering the teacher who punished him was white, this quickly leads to the age-old racism argument. Mostly, it comes with the idea that the only reason black students are suspended at a higher rate are not because they act out more but because white racists are out to get them. In fact, Nicole’s sister Kat (Jazmyn Simon) insists that Nicole tell her son that the world is racist. "He needs to know what he’s up against. You think you’re protecting him? You’re throwing him to the wolves," she says. Nicole responds, "He’s seven years old. He’s at a new school, he’s, he’s got no friends, and he just lost his dad. I’m supposed to tell him that the world’s gonna slap him down every chance it gets?"
Sure enough, that night Nicole tells Dion that people are “going to be afraid” of him for the color of his skin and how the world’s not fair to them.
Nicole: I want to talk to you about what happened at school today with Mr. Campbell.
Dion: Am I in trouble?
Nicole: No. No, I just wanted to see how you were feeling.
Dion: I don't know. He doesn't like me. He thinks I'm a bad kid.
Nicole: But you're not, right?
Dion: No.
Nicole: So, why do you think he thinks that?
Dion: I don't know.
Nicole: I do. You see You're such a special kid. You know? You're charming, smart, very handsome.
Dion: Mom.
Nicole: Sorry. But you're incredible. But sometimes other people, they're going to be afraid of you.
Dion: Because I have powers?
Nicole: No, this isn't about powers. This is about people treating you differently because of the color of your skin.
Dion: I thought Dr. King fixed that.
Nicole: He fixed some of it. Mr. Campbell has some bad ideas in his head, and they are telling him to treat you differently, and that's just wrong.
Dion: How come he gets to act like that?
Nicole: That's a great question. The world's not fair.
Dion: If my dad were here, he'd knock boom!
Nicole: Maybe, you know? You know, actually, I wish he was here. Because he'd be able to give you some really good advice. But I'm gonna tell you mine, okay? You have to be more careful than other kids, okay? You can't give any reason for people like Mr. Campbell to try and hurt you. Hey. It's not your fault, okay? It's Mr. Campbell's fault. And it's his parents' fault, for not teaching him right.
It’s fine to teach kids that the world’s not always fair and that racism does exist, but hammering in that everyone’s out to get you is no way for anyone to grow up, even in science fiction stories. That’s not going bring anyone together and it lets Dion off the hook for hurting a boy because an adult is presumed to be racist.
**SPOILER ALERT**
In addition to lousy racial issues, the show also attempts to tackle “toxic masculinity.” You see, Dion’s godfather Pat (Jason Ritter) helps Nicole and Dion try to understand Dion’s abilities as a pseudo-father figure to his late best friend’s son. However, this leads to him developing feelings for Nicole, but she eventually rejects his advances. This causes Pat to spiral until it’s revealed that he was the one who killed Dion’s father as well as other superpowered beings. Therefore, the villain of the story is literally the entitled white male.
Sadly, we know that this is on purpose. In an interview with TVGuide, Ritter describes his role saying, “A lot of toxic masculinity or male entitlement is inherited or absorbed and people aren't even aware they're taking part in it.” Apparently, every man has the potential to be a murderous monster simply because they have “male entitlement.” I’d like to see him to tell the victims of over 90 percent of work fatalities and over 75 percent of all suicide attempts that they’re entitled.
Raising Dion had the potential to be an entertaining series with sympathetic characters. However, these writers chose to undermine it for the sake of a political argument. It wouldn’t be the first time this has happened, and, sadly, I doubt it’ll be the last.
