Commentary
TV still stereotyping black women
Look at Jerry Springer, 'Supernanny' or 'Grey's Anatomy' for characters with no balance at all.
By Orville Lloyd Douglas
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Chances are you've watched her, the dark-skinned black woman with the weave and the polished clothes. She may have a couple of master's degrees or a doctorate. It doesn't matter because when you see her on TV your immediate perception is to hate her. She's the woman that people laugh about in private, the one they call the "angry black bitch."
Are all black women really like this? Of course not. Yet television networks, which control the images presented to the public, perpetuate these stereotypes.
Look at the Jerry Springer or Maury Povich shows. Young black women are presented as sluts, whores, welfare cheats and bad single mothers who don't know who their children's fathers are.
Contrast that with the ABC-TV show Supernanny, where Jo Frost visits the homes of white women who are invariably good mothers. They bake cookies, cook, clean, love their husbands and children, and live in big, beautiful, spacious houses. These white women live the perfect "American" dream. Has Frost ever visited a black middle-class family with children in suburbia?
Another stereotype is the sassy, overweight black woman.
On ABC-TV's The View, it was Star Jones Reynolds' job to be the Aunt Jemima of American television. However, once Reynolds got married and lost the weight, mainstream America hated her. She was fired, apparently because she no longer wanted to be the punch line.
Of course, the stereotype goes beyond live television or reality TV shows. On the ABC drama Grey's Anatomy, Chandra Wilson plays Dr. Miranda Bailey, who is known as the "Nazi." Bailey is overweight, confrontational, unattractive and a loudmouth. She's also the only black female doctor on the show. By contrast, the star, Ellen Pompeo, is white, young, feminine, fit and attractive.
On the CBS show Close to Home, Kimberly Elise's character Maureen Scofield is the "black widow." She's a lawyer who is single, bossy and aggressive. By contrast, Jennifer Finnigan plays Annabeth Chase, who is loving, vulnerable and feminine. She illustrates the difficulty of balancing a career and a happy marriage.
Some see talk-show host Oprah Winfrey as a positive image, yet she is just another stereotype: the faithful black "mammy." She's the "nurturer" who ignores the friction between black and white women in order not to upset her white female audience.
The few positive images of black women on television are relegated to the fringes. On the UPN show Girlfriends, Joan, Toni, Lynn and Maya are intelligent, attractive, educated black women with successful careers. The show is one of the few devoted to the young black woman's experience. The only other one that comes close, Half and Half - also on UPN - may not return.
Black feminist Audre Lorde wrote in her 1984 book Sister Outsider that white women falsely assume they share a "global sisterhood" with black women. You wouldn't know that from watching television. White women are consistently presented in a more favorable light. There is no balance. Too often, black women are depicted as devils and witches while white women are saints.
It is disingenuous of television to ignore diversity and present such a biased view. There are rich stories and experiences about black women that need to be told. Directors, producers, writers and network executives need to reflect reality. As I read this piece, I am somehow delighted that someone has decided to step up and convey this message to the general public. Bottom line is, we can blog all we want about certain things but until those with higher power do something, it’s as if we’re wasting our time. But I totally agree with this article. Black women are the heartbeat of a family yet they’re constantly being attacked or stereotyped for the mistakes of a few. I find a lot of black women to be very intellectual, logical and level headed.
At the end of the day, these white executives are always going to put crap like that on television. Those that control the airwaves are interested in what's best for their needs rather than a defined and diverse cross section of opinions and information. BET has been going through a big change lately and I expect that it will continuously improve in trying to remedy what they used to do a few years ago. I understand that there’s a higher demand for negativity yet these bad images are corrupting the minds of our young ones.
So far I think TV One has the right formula and hopefully they will continue to be a role model in the black community. The majority of their shows are about positive things that will empower young women to better themselves. A lot of execs are totally against this because they to fill our young one’s mind with their own vision of the ghetto woman shaking her butt to a song calling her nothing but a bunch of B's and H's. I for one thing it’s time for Black America to wake up and start making better decisions as to what they watch on television. Nowadays I feel ashamed at times to even go to the mall where all these young girls, barely in puberty, walking around in outfits that makes them look like they belong on the street corners. They want to act mature and have these so called boyfriends, do grown-up acts and end up on drugs, get pregnant, or get involved in an abusive relationship. This is what they see on television and believe it is normal. It is not what our black leaders fought and died for. It isn’t. Time to wake up folks!!!!
Your thoughts?
I agree with you, black families need to make a decision about what they watch on tv, it needs to start with them because as long as you watch those shows, they going to produce them.You cant leave it up to the execs to make a change because if you are watching what they're feeding your head with, the message is that you enjoy it.As for what these young girls are wearing, it's a disgrace, but i dont blame them. their minds are young, they think what they see is normal, they want to be portrayed as being cool; like the women on videos and stuff.The songs that belittle them, call them all sort of names are the ones they buy.Again, the change have to start with them- stop buying!!!To be honest it all comes down to having respect, if you have respect for yourself and others,you wont buy and watch these garbage.
ReplyDeleteInteresting piece!
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing about these African-American women in these videos or shows is that they are too greedy or blind to reject these roles. These rappers want to sell their videos since sex, violence, drugs and profanity sell they have to focus on that. It does not matter that they are polluting the minds of these young kids and give African American even a worst image.
As for these kids, I think it's time that the parents focus on raising these kids right instead of working 2-3 jobs providing them with unnecessary stuff. I know the media has a lot to do with what kids view as cool but parents, teachers, communities, and society should play a vital role. For instance growing up, my parents raise my sibligs and I to be individuals not to be a photocopy of everyone else. These kids need to learn to be themselves and not making fitting in into a click their priority.
It saddens me to see where these kids are heading. It is scary that it's getting worst. Just recently at the hospital where I work at, this 12-year old girl came in the ed where she was stucked by a broom that went through her vagina out of her rectum. She was practicing poll dancing with the broom. Her outfit was inappropriate for her age, she had a thong on and was completely shaved.
Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.Who brought her the outfits, the thong and her parents should have known of some of these behaviors.
Very sad...I think we have to keep praying and do the best we can do.
Anj
Interesting....I have never paid much attention to these issues becuase I've always had my own agenda. My parents raised me to never use the influences of TV, other children, and even my own brothers and sister to determine how I should carry myself in this world . Yes, I've watch these shows, and yes I even watch them with my children....mainly to show them how not to be, and how people will exploit them if they are like this. I have also told them that people will do anything for money...they may not actually be these people the TV is showing, but may be getting paid to act like that. There are many different blacks, and many different whites. I believe if we were able to show the whites as they show us....it would be even steven.....is that really the right thing to do? We need, as black people to take the bull by the horn. It all starts at home...teach your children at home, don't expect the TV or the teachers in the schools to teach your child morals......its our job. Limit the number of hours your child watches tv...5 hours per week I suggest.....promot reading. We will never be able to change what is portraited on tv, but as black people we can have shows that depict the positive....we have a lot of work to do people!!!!!
ReplyDelete