In the judgmental era of the day, the old aphorism still rings true: what you see is what you get. In the age of television and streaming video, this is all the more true. There are many studies on the cognitive effects of media that acknowledge that television characters serve as representatives and oftentimes perpetuators of stereotypes of minority communities.
These stereotypes are more poignant and taken as fact when they are unscripted, as is the case on reality television.
The multi-billion dollar industry of Reality Television spends thousands of hours fabricating well-orchestrated typecasts and stereotypes. It’s only American. Shows such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City all depict Caucasian women in positions of power, respect, and wealth. There are great differences between the depiction of these women and those in reality television such as Rock of Love or The Real World, but society can fall back on the more positive characterizations. However, in the case of black women, there is nowhere else to turn. A problem arises when these typecasts are a network’s primary characterization of a group of individuals.
Many Blacks are appalled by the hyper-sexualized depiction of minority women on the popular VH1 show, Flavor of Love, whose third season is scheduled to begin in February. Others are mildly or even extremely entertained by it and its various spin-offs. Whether you hate it, love it, or are indifferent to it, the fact remains: the portrayal of black women is pigeon-holed, while the portrayal of white women is not.
The degradation of black women on television has been a hot topic as of late, and the problem lies at the root of the issue. Sure, Rock of Love with Brett Michaels depicts promiscuously unashamed white women taking their clothes off, swearing, drinking, and fornicating. The point is that you can still turn to TNT and watch Kyra Sedgwick on The Closer and have a more positive characterization of the morals of white women. There are very few television shows that portray black women in the same manner.
Unfortunately, the majority only see black women on Flavor of Love, in music videos, or in syndicated comedies on Black Entertainment Television. This is not because black women’s talents are limited to shaking their rears or vying for Flavor Flav’s attention, but because networks are rarely willing to take a chance and change the perception of a group of people who are already grossly misunderstood.
The result is that the actions of the white women on Rock of Love are simply seen as “American fun”, while the minority women on Flavor of Love are somehow less acceptable, less respected, and a representation of what black women all over the world “are supposed” to be like. The parallel, however, is inescapable. No race is more promiscuous than the other-- individuals are, but until the media’s audience starts realizing that, black women will continue to be written off as the bitches, hoes, and sluts they are believed to be.
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