EURweb |
PAUL PORTER'S INDUSTRY EARS RESPONSE TO VIACOM: It is not art, it is an assault.
The animated portrayal of two African American women scurrying on all fours with leashes around their necks, defecating on a pet shop floor goes far beyond the pail of acceptability.
It is not art, it is an assault. The justification given by stating one of the animated dogs points out his disgust by saying, “I find this a bit degrading and I’m a dog” does not eliminate the harm. Actually the point is countered by the other dog who states, “Are you joking? What’s cooler than a two-legger who treats other two-leggers like four-leggers?” Emphasizing and reinforcing the treatment of black women as dogs as tolerable behavior.
The fact that they chose to air this program on Saturday afternoons just in time for children to tune in from their morning dose of cartoons, demonstrates their complete disregard for the impact these images have on furthering racist and misogynistic attitudes.
"Where My Dogs At?" is symptomatic of what appears to be a programming strategy that is aimed at attracting an audience by portraying African American women and communities in the most degrading, confrontational manner imaginable. These images are harmful in our society and continue the racist stereotypes of black women as nothing better than dogs. The impact on children and young people is even more damaging where images will be internalized shattering an already fragile self-esteem.
It is indeed our right and our duty, to let these young girls and women know that these images are not acceptable. There is no place in our society for images that repeatedly and continually cast African Americans in images reminiscent of the darkest hours of this nation's past.
We call on responsible corporate citizens to condemn the airing of this program and any program that propagates harmful racist stereotypes and misogynistic images. We think this is wrong and we respectfully ask the President of MTV, Christina Norman and other Viacom executives to rethink the manner in which they depict African Americans and women. We urge all parties concerned to email Christina Norman (Christina.Norman@mtv.com ) and their local cable providers and demand the removal of “Where My Dogs At?” and any other programs that exploit African Americans and women.
Here's an episode of “Where My Dogs At?”
About Industry Ears
Established in 2004, Industry Ears (IE) is a new generation think tank focused on media's impact on children and communities of color. IE is dedicated to addressing and finding solutions to negative and harmful content through media education, research, advocacy, public policy and continuous dialogue with industry stakeholders.
source:
Paul Porter, Paul@IndustryEars.com
Lisa Fager, Lisa@IndustryEars.com
