What does black marriage look like for 2011? Like the saying goes, you don’t know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been. Let’s take a look at the top stories of 2010:
“You Saved Me” Becomes Second Documentary Hit For The Tylers
Lamar and Ronnie Tyler keep the positive images of black marriage flowing, this time with “the greatest love stories ever told.”
Real couples spoke candidly about the challenges they’ve endured and why staying marriage ended up being the best thing they ever did. The Tylers criss-crossed the country in 2010, screening “You Saved Me” to audiences nationwide and they’re gearing up to do it again in this year with a new movie.
Haven’t checked out their first movie, Happily Ever After or You Saved Me? Shame on you. Head over to Amazon.com and pick up a copy today and share the love.
Black Marriage in Primetime
It had all the makings of a hit.
Attractive (married!) spies, trotting the globe and saving the world with enough energy left for sexytime. Undercovers had all that and more. But alas, the show failed to nab viewers, getting the ax during its first season. Critics said the show was too boring and lacked any chemistry between the leads. We beg to differ on that last point, but maybe another producer will take a shot at putting a positive spin on black marriage on during primetime. Were you an Undercovers fan?
Tyler Perry’s Sequel Shines A Light On Black Marriage
The follow-up to Perry’s 2007 movie on matrimony, the sequel picks up where the last movie left off. New couples have solidified, others are just barely hanging on. Not the most positive portrayal of marriage, but hey, everything can’t be rainbows and butterflies, huh?
As expected, Perry’s faithful came out to support this film, grossing more than $60 million during its run in theaters.
Steve Harvey Launches Second Career As A Relationship Guru
Remember when your most prominent memory of Steve Harvey was his WB sitcom, The Steve Harvey Show?
Nowadays he’s all over the map – fielding relationship calls on his morning show, writing not one, but two, best-selling books, penning a monthly relationship column in Essence – who knows what’s next?
Expect to see more of Harvey in 2011, as he continues to dish up more insight on how men think and what women need to know.Do you think Harvey is a credible relationship expert? Or, like Harvey, do you think he’s simply giving his views on manhood?
Reality Shows Get A Boost Of Color With Family Crews
Terry Crews, best known as playing Chris Rock’s TV dad on Everybody Hates Chris, had a great year in 2010. His reality show, The Family Crews, showcased his biggest role: Daddy. It was nice to see a loving, caring husband and father on TV (even if he did show up to spy on his daughter on her first date. That’s what dads are supposed to do, right?)
No Wedding, No Womb Ignites Controversy
70% of children born in the black community are born to single mothers.
It’s a problem.
In September, bloggers all over the country pledged to wake (and shake) the public’s consciousness about this issue. No Wedding, No Womb (the brainchild of Christelyn Karazin, pictured here) gave birth to a host of online debate, arguments, and in some cases outright animosity among its detractors. In continuing the discussion into 2011, we don’t want to place blame – we want solutions. Check out the posts by BWMK writers on the topic of out-of-wedlock births in the black community.
Facebook Implants Itself In Marriages Everywhere
It’s hard to imagine life without Facebook.
As we adapt to life online, we have to figure out how it impacts our daily lives, including our marriages. Countless articles (and even a book!) have been written about how to keep your marriage intact while using the social networking site. (Including a few on this site.)
All we can say is this: It’s probably not a good idea to friend your ex. Just sayin’.
Beyonce and Jay-Z Continue Their Global Reign
2010 was a great year for the Carters.
Jay-Z was featured on the cover of Forbes’ Richest Americans issue (even if he didn’t quite make the cut), and he released his first book, Decoded, with made it to number one on the New York Times Bestsellers List.
Beyonce released her I Am…World Tour DVD, her Heat fragrance is selling through the roof, and the Carters combined income for 2009 topped $100 million. Yeah, we’d all like a piece of that. They make marriage look GOOD.
The Wives That Weren’t
Who know what the reality show creatives were thinking when they named these shows? The Real Housewives of Atlanta (and iterations in other cities) and Basketball Wives, to name a few, showcase the outrageous behavior of women who are, in most cases, not wives.
Bitter exes, naive girlfriends, baby mamas? Yes. But actual wives? Um, not so much. As the ratings for these shows continue to hit the roof, all we want to know is, will the REAL wives please stand up in 2011?
BMWK family, what highlights did we miss? Leave your favorite pop culture moments from 2010 in the comments!
If they would stop showing fair skinned black women only on these Black shows maybe it can grab more viewers. Why mainstream thinks that is the only image for a Black woman? It’s sad.
This will sound crazy but now days the channels and movies seem to be promoting interracial dating and marriage for blacks–as they figured out it that it effectively separates black male and females, and quite honestly takes out some of the trash of their own…… Examples of bf/wm and bm/wf in both Hellcats–the black guy is dating a white cheerleader, and his ex black gf is jealous and dating a white man for revenge lol–and Parenthood–where Joy Bryant is playing a baby mama to a loser who didn’t claim her son and a thirsty white teen girl chasing after the black man at food bank. There are plenty of other shows and movies 90210 and pretty much any other show where a black man is near a white girl.
No Wedding, No Womb
The stupid idea I’ve heard in a while. I’m sorry but most black men aren’t knocking up black women on purpose–it is just for sex–but I don’t think most black women would be willing to give sex up, thus explaining the high out of wed-lock birth rate.
I was a fan of Undercovers… I thought the show was pretty good…a TV show that had Two Black leading actors on a Primetime channel. I was sad to hear it was over.
Um, people can have sex without producing a child.
Like my mom told my sister and I growing up, if you are having sex without taking the responsibility of using birth control, then you got pregnant on purpose. There are too many measures out there to prevent an unwanted pregnancy ( and no, I don’t condone abortion). Too many women are too happy to settle for just being a baby’s mother.
I’m a dad of 5 ranging from 3 to 21 years old in the same house, sometimes I watch tv withe the 3 older children and sometimes I watch with the 2 younger kids, and they all like the few black family shows that are presented on tv. The thing that I notice is that the children always have questions about the shows. Me, a black man 21 years of marrige is happy to shed some lite on these programs with respect of any situation that accures. I think that what ever these producers of these tv/movies try to portry black family as, we as black family members should be the ones to recognize and provide guidance to the ones that are being (brain washes). Only my opinion.
steve harvey SHOULD NOT be giving relationship advice. He is doing it just for $ and any1 who listens to him is stupid. He is on his what 3rd/4th marriage? he didnt marry his 1st gf but has twins with her. He has treated Mary Harvey HORRIBLY. And his current wife ‘s drug running past is unsavory.