Mandingo party on Nip/Tuck

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

Did anyone catch Nip/Tuck this week?

I was amused to find that the episode included a faithful reproduction of the “Mandingo party” that was the topic of a much-discussed Details magazine article in April 2007. I swear, they even recreated this exact photo, with two actors who looked exactly like this black man and white woman, and made it a point to show one scene where some revelers get it on in a kid’s room.

The episode even included a cameo by the ultimate Mandingo, Mr. Lexington Steele himself!

Was the episode racially problematic? Well yeah. But for some reason I just can’t take it that seriously – especially since that original article was such a joke. And the show totally played it for laughs.

Also, I was too busy cracking up at the fact that the head Mandingo was played by Boris Kodjoe, who just happens to be the celebrity crush of a certain former New Demographic co-director! *cough*jenchau*cough*