There is no doubt that drama-filled, reality television makes for good television. If it wasn’t all about making money, then maybe show producers would start making reality TV to be of some substance. But it seems as if the only intention of creating reality shows, nowadays, is to exploit certain demographics- specifically, the black female population. There are many shows out there that make black women, or women in general, look bad, but nothing takes the cake more than VH1’s Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta.
Of course, cable paying viewers would not want to watch a reality television show where all they did was value marriage, family, friendships, and actually talk out their problems instead of ‘snatching a bitch weave out’ every now and then. But the question is, why not? Why has exploiting and demeaning black women become the norm as a form of televised entertainment? Better yet, why has this become the influence for the growing generation of black females? It’s as though the female cast of Love and Hip Hop hasn’t realized that every time their life is broadcasted, that they are representing their mothers, children, families, and most importantly, their communities in a negative light.
It’s bad enough that black women carry a social stigma because of the racial stereotypes placed on them, but this show doesn’t make it any better.
As I tune in week after week- not because I actually enjoy it, but because I have hope that the cast will do something that will not have me in complete disgust- I see the morality of African-American women going even more downhill.
But before I start getting bombarded with the criticism and negative feedback from black females saying “Well I’m not like that,” I want you to really dig deep into your life and ask yourself, “Have I done or reacted to a situation in a way that a cast member from Love and Hip Hop hasn’t?” And since black women love getting defensive…really think about the question before you respond.
Now, after reading my preceding paragraph, I bet most of you want to call me a “bitch”. But that is exactly the problem. These reality shows depict women taking pride in being called a bitch–whether it’s a ‘bad bitch,’ ‘number one bitch,’ or just a plain ol’ bitch. It’s literally gotten to the point where black women are competing to be the ‘top notch bitch,’ and the more of a bitch you are, the better. Of course, since these women are labeling themselves as bitches, men also think it’s okay to call them a bitch, and therefore, their children would think that this word is okay. See the cycle?
But wait, in order to be the ‘baddest bitch,’ you have to have the ‘look’ to go with it, which brings me to my next example of black women degradation.
Ever noticed while watching Love and Hip Hop that the camera is always finding its way to the biggest ass, breasts, or some body part that makes it seem like that’s all that defines the black female? Well, yeah! It’s because we have been brainwashed into believing so. As I look on social media, all I see are black women ‘showing off’ their bodies in a way that proves that they have no respect for themselves. Nowadays, every female is a “model,” and is getting paid to make appearances because they have a fat ass, but not because of what they can bring to the table mentally. A photo of a woman posing nude gets 1,898,738 likes, meanwhile, she posts a picture of her college diploma and gets 89 likes. But black women can’t have that. The less likes they get, the less important they are and that is what reality tv has forced them to believe. Now, when other races look at us, all they can see is a black, juicy-lipped, fat ass, big-breasted, selfie-taking female, that can probably give good oral sex, but is dumb as hell. But, you black women still want to look up to the cast of Love and Hop Hop, right?
And lastly, Love and Hip Hop has completely destroyed the sanctity of marriage. Now, it is okay for a man to be married but have his other woman on the side. Because of this show, black women are becoming okay with having polygamous marriages, as long as they are the ‘main bitch.’ It’s gotten to the point where the females are creating bonds and friendships with the ‘side chick.’
It is obvious that nobody wants to take blame for this type of behavior and that black women are in denial that reality television hasn’t impacted their life in any way. But before we start playing the blame game, we need to look around and not just think of it as ‘their’ problem, but the ‘black woman’ problem.
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