COPS: A suspect is apprehended on the Sept. 10 episode on Fox.
*A civil rights group wants to see “Cops” on permanent lockdown.
ColorOfChange has asked Fox not to renew the unscripted law-enforcement show and is calling upon advertisers to withdraw support, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.
This morning, the group is sending supporters an email in which it asks them to sign a petition to that effect.
“Although marketed as unbiased, ‘Cops’ actually offers a highly filtered version of crime and the criminal justice system — a ‘reality’ where the police are always competent, crime-solving heroes and where the bad boys always get caught,” the email reads in part.
It goes on to charge “Cops” and shows like it with over-representing whites as police officers and under-representing minorities as authority figures. According to ColorOfChange, “Cops” glosses over issues such as police misconduct and broadcasts “dehumanizing portrayals” of suspects.
“We’re sending the message to Fox and to advertisers that Cops is not worth saving,” says Rashad Robinson, executive director of ColorOfChange.
A Fox rep tells THR the network has not made a decision on “Cops” and said it would not comment on the petition.
“Cops,” now in its 25th season, has long delivered strong ratings for the network at a relatively low cost. However, Fox cut back its order for “Cops” from 22 episodes last season to 16 this season in favor of beefing up its sports programming on Saturday nights, which is when “Cops” airs.
In its criticism of “Cops,” ColorOfChange points to research it says media representations such as those on Cops can lead to stigmatization of black men.
“Against the real-world backdrop of an American culture that views young men like Trayvon Martin and Jordan Russell Davis with suspicion,” the email continues, “the stakes couldn’t be higher.”
In January, ColorOfChange launched a similar campaign against “All My Babies’ Mamas,” a reality special in development at Oxygen, which centered on rapper Shawty Lo, who has 11 children with 10 different women. Its petition attracted more than 40,000 signatures and Oxygen eventually shelved the project.
“Cops’” one-hour season finale airs May 4 at 8 p.m. on Fox.
Want to boycott something? How about Basketball Wives? Love and Hip Hop anyone? I have an idea, how about a black america movement to boycott television-and use that time to pursue purpose, bond with our families, READ A BOOK, or a bunch of other things that are way more positive and constructive?
yes COPS need to be banned! They have legalized the Violation of our Civil Rights called ”excessive force” by those white racist police! They need to be locked up in Colorado prison !
That mess called Reality Tv Basketball wives should be banned! It’s a sad commentary on our people. I wouldn’t want the world to know I was acting like that behind closed doors! They are very immature spiritually bankrupted folks with money!
Why cancel real reality? At least it can be used as a tool to teach youth the consequences of crime. I can think of a half dozen other reality shows that GLAMOURIZE drama which obviously influences many people of all ages to act stupid…….
Oh my god…really? Because yeah, mostly white cops may have been true of the earlier seasons of Cops, in the past few years, I have seen quite a few non white cops featured on the show. While we’re at it, why don’t we cancel ‘The First 48′ because a majority of the murder suspects are black. But then again, so are most of the detectives. Here’s an idea, maybe they should focus their attention and energy on the inner city youth and directing them away from the thuggish, gangbanger behavior so many are so fond of emulating that lands them on shows like ‘Cops’. But I suppose that would require these groups to recognize the actual problem and not blame the scapegoats. Good luck on that one.
Guess what…the jig is up…even if you ban a show…we all know that its mostly blacks committing the crimes and and causing trouble…we went to school with you….well at least until half way through high school till you dropped out.
Oh please! if they took the time to watch the show they would know that this is BULL! I have seen every episode and this is a lie, I see more white people being arrested than black or hispanic. Wake up and look to ban something that really degrades other human beings like Keeping up with the Kardashians or something. Grow up people.
If whites managed to cancel highly rated shows like “To Catch a Predator” and “Moment of Truth” for their own sake then why not ban “Cops”.