Black Women and "Reality" T.V.

Current Event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB4jC1r5OKQ. 

In 2010 HLN’s Richelle Carey talked to an assistant professor who has written a book on the images of black women in the media. In this news clip they are talking about reality shows such as “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and how they portray black women. While one reporter lies claim to the fact that all reality TV can make women look like fools, the reporter claims that it is overly so with black women and that included is catty violence (the overturning of tables and such). 

I thought this current event was very interesting because it ties in with this week’s subject of the portrayal of women in the media. We watched “Miss Representation” and it discussed women in reality TV. It is very damaging in and of itself because we are taught that women are manipulative and catty through this medium. What wasn’t taken into account was black women specifically. How is sexism and racism tied together? This is the idea of black feminism. This is a slightly different framework. It explained that as women they are already considered catty but there is also a drama and violence to it that wouldn’t be seen with white women. As the author put it, there are all these women fighting over some good for nothing guy and she is sick of seeing it. 

Unfortunately, media in and of itself is a piece of the cycle of oppression. It helps form opinions which feed the mind of the young and easily lead. Even for those of us that are really smart it still is a little bit of a battle. We don’t even know what is being feed to us until we enter a class like this that opens the window a little bit further. It teaches people that black women are catty, overdramatic, and violent which is not true in general. The author was talking about a black organic dairy farmer in Vermont. People like this would never be shown in the media even though it may be a huge part of the black community. It is so unfortunate because media could be used for such much good. It is a great instrument for change (as Catie Couric said). There is so much we could do with it to teach people and entertain them at the same time. There needs to be a major revolution in the media in order for this to happen though. 

Reality T.V. is a huge issue. For one, companies need to stop marketing reality T.V. as “reality” T.V. It is nothing of the sort and by saying that it is we are feeding the cycles of oppression. People need to know that what you see is not necessarily what is happening. A lot of things are staged and many things are controlled. What about post-production too. No one should underestimate the power of a good editor. A good editor could turn a comedy into a horror movie. Why couldn’t he (or she) shape reality T.V. I just wish the companies would be honest with their audience and tell them what is really good. They just don’t want to ruin “television magic.” Or that is what they claim, but really the white middle-aged man just doesn’t want to lose his grip on the power that is already in his hands and the money that comes with it. 

I am not a black woman myself but by watching this video I could see where they are coming from. I think that the cattiness, manipulativeness, and dramatization of women (in general) need to stop. The violence of black women also needs to stop. We are so much more than the cattiness we see on television. Reality T.V. on the whole just relies on these age old systems of prejudice and fear. We need to open up and show something intriguing but smart that will blow the cover off of some of these terrible shows. A revolution needs to happen in the media. Preferably now.