Sunday, November 30, 2008

Will The REAL African-American Please Stand Up?

Are "black reality" shows like Flavor of Love, I Love New York, and The Way It Is, casting a biased and negative stereotype of what the AVERAGE black person is like--even in the hood?

Does this represent us?


Does this represent our mothers?

Do the current "black elite" reflect who we are?

Or, are many of the behaviors we see depicted on the television and movie screens simply "ghetto?" - You tell me.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think all of it reflects us.

While it may be good to see a Black family where both mom and dad are home get such a high profile (the Obamas), the sad truth is that one-parented homes are more of the norm in the Black community. This is a reality that the Black elite is not willing to face. That is why they are so consumed with trying to make the sale to Whites that the Obamas are more than the exception of family structure in our community. They know full well that is not the case.

"Ghetto-type" behavior is something that you will find in any ethnic group. Unfortunately it is just the type of behavior that draws the most viewers. Who really wants to see the daily activities of a FUNCTIONAL family where bills are being paid on time, disputes are settled without violence and each member respects each other?

Any person who really thinks that the antics of a few Black folks is a sum-all representation of every Black person out there really needs to go on a media fast and go outside.

Iam Robert said...

Duane - thanks for joining in! You're absolutely right, there are many single parent homes in our community. But aren't many of them a lot more functional than we are seeing in the media?

I also agree that you see "ghetto" behavior in all ethnic groups and that showing these things increase "viewer-ship." I guess I'm worried that some of our young people are glorifying this behavior and actually see it as the norm.

Your thoughts?