Shoutout to bell hooks!
*I’m disappointed in Black women! Yeah, I said it! Now before you stop reading, hear me out. I’m not disappointed because of the “Nightline” special or the subsequent responses around the ‘net.
I actually applaud the response, because most blogs, essays, articles, I’ve read dealt with the exploitive nature this topic is taking on. What I am upset with is the response, or lack thereof, to the expanding empire of exploitative Reality TV shows.
Each week there’s an announcement of a new show that continues to push the envelope of tackiness towards the abyss and with each premiere I see legions of fans flock to some of the most disturbing images of Black women since BET’s “Uncut” was taken off the air. But I know what you’re saying, “That’s not me on that TV.” That’s where you’re wrong, that is you showing your ass every week on VH1 or BET, because there’s people around the country that have limited interactions with Black women, so all they have to go on is what they see on TV.
Much like I’m forced to wear the stereotype of a potential criminal, the angry Black guy, a shiftless, non-committal baby father or if I’m thought to be just plain ol’ ignant thanks to the Mayweathers on HBO’s “24/7”, you’re fighting media representations that showcase you in a less than flattering light.
Dr. Dorothy Height helped to prove that Black women could fight a war for equality on two fronts, but her work was all in vain if a blind eye is turned to the irresponsible use of the Black female image. For every Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey or Claire Huxtable, there’s a Nene Leakes, Tiffany “New York” Pollard, Royce Reed, a houseful of chicks vying for Flavor Flav, Real, Chance or Ray J, plus Frankie and Neffie! And if you haven’t noticed, these characters are hatched weekly. Less than a week after “Basketball Wives” premiered on VH1, it was announced that “Football Wives” was being developed to air later this year and just a few days ago plans for a new show named “Diary of a Hip Hop Girlfriend” was revealed. Notice the trend; we’ve gone from wives to girlfriends, what’s next, “Drug Dealer’s Baby Mamas”?
In thousands of households last night there was someone watching the behavior of the basketball wives that saw the Nightline special and thought to themselves, “I see why Black women can’t get married.” It is painfully obvious watching the show that money doesn’t buy class and those dollars don’t amount to common sense. That is, unless you’re Shaunie O’Neal aka the Puppet Master, executive producer behind the show who’s conveniently absent as the rest of the cast plunges from the surreal to the ridiculous. Seriously, Evelyn and Jennifer couldn’t be happy that Gloria and her fiancé (Matt Barnes of the Orlando Magic) are happy and building a great family, instead they have to project their experiences on her relationship.
We saw the warning signs a few years ago when Karrine Steffans’ tell-all book and subsequent promotional tour landed her on numerous bestsellers’ lists and Oprah’s couch, but we ignored it and deemed it as an isolated incident. Then came New York and her multiple shots at love (and stardom), Keyshia Cole introduced us to her dysfunctional family, Bravo’s “Real Housewives” franchise moved to Atlanta, Fantasia got real and the beat went on and on and on and now Teairra Mari is singing about her “Sponsor” while loose lips sink the sailboats of the Black family structure in the background.
Even the guy you’ve entrusted to project on-screen images of you (Tyler Perry), shoots the most one-dimensional, stereotypical views of Black women, but you continue to laugh and he chuckles all the way to the bank. It seems like Essence magazine would be the perfect vehicle to approach this problem, but they seem preoccupied with the ‘Single Black Woman’ problem and provide a platform for this new wave of entertainment and we all know Oprah’s just too busy to worry herself (or show) with what Black women actually go through daily.
Ok maybe I’m taking this too serious, maybe it isn’t my fight, and maybe years of double standards within our community has rewritten the definition of a Black woman and I haven’t updated my copy of Webster’s. That’s all hypothetical, but what is for sure, is there’s a large population of women watching this madness week after week as Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” has been rewritten by Nicki Minaj, Teairra Mari and the folks at Viacom.
About the writer
Between rhetoric and reality is where you’ll find The World According to Teef. Plainfield, NJ native Al-Lateef Farmer is a self-styled social documentarian that tackles everything from politics to pop culture, Reality TV to relationships with a brand of social commentary rooted in independent thought that is unfiltered, uncensored, unforgiving, but never unreal! Take a trip to his world at http://worldaccording2teef.blogspot.com/
I agree wholeheartedly and wonder how low some of these women will go for a few minutes of airtime on tv and 30 pieces of silver – ESPECIALLY when they already have kids, nieces, nephews; these women are daughters, sisters and may someday be someone’s mother if they aren’t already.
Cosign to Ms Farmer and to you jazzfan. I particularly like what you said about TV airtime and 30 pieces of silver. We have men and mostly women selling their souls so to speak all for their ” 15 minutes”
And it’s safe to assume that the women who are largely responsible for these shows’ success are the same cast of characters who rant and rave about what hip-hop does.
Go figure
I just forwarded this article to a female friend of mind and her quick response was “so what – I’m disappointed in black men” and I fell to the floor in laughter because I got what she was saying and that’s WE ALL GOT OUR STUFF! As a male, I do agree with some of what the writer is saying, but I also take issue with him not acknowledging how much the media and white America in general plays apart in the imagines that are portrayed regarding black women. At the end of the day every black women is NOT going to be a Claire Huxtable or Michelle Obama clone – that’s unrealistic. I think it also unrealistic and possibly damaging to try and portray black women in just that light. Black women come in an array of colors, economic backgrounds, education, orientations and so forth. If any other race of people choose to accept Nene Leakes or Frankie from the Keyshia Cole show as the prototype for black women then they’re idiots! That said, we do have to do better. Basketball Wife is da pits and so is ATL Housewives.
I agree with all of ya…I don’t watch these kinds of shows, they sound and act too ignorant, ghetto and niggerish. I know I shouldn’t have written that but, these shows are an embarrassment. When I hear my co-workers talk about them, I just shake my head.
I agree with everyone as well and do not watch those shows or support certain artists. I have grown extremely extremely selective about those I will “ever” spend money on or support in any way.
The problem is Blacks forget everything we do is highly racialized…whereas the low antics of Anna Nicole, The Osborns etc are easily glossed over. I’ve never watched one episode of Flava’s old show but you can bet whites lapped it up. I used to hear them discuss I Love New York’s show and the Wire as well because they feel these are the “real” bonafide Blacks and it validates what is already in their minds.
WOW!!!! My sentiments exactly!!!!!!
These shows are ridiculously insane and have no integrity!
The women behavior is atrocious, outrageous and embarrassing!
And no excuse for some of the networks too…the women should be made shame for allowing themselves to be portrayed in that manner…surely theres a lot of great women doing great things that would make any brother want to be apart of their lives!
But when all you see or witness is this type of behavior or mindset, its no wonder our little girls are growing up thinking and living beneath their dignity!
Would somebody please! have some integrity and class to show what’s a real women like?…
Great Article Teef!!!!!!
I’m boycotting all those sitting on that stage.