Let me take a second and voice what has taken me several years to realize. VH1, Shed Media, Mona Scott (and all of the programming executives at Vh1) all hate black women. I know people will sit and say, “but Mona Scott (one of the creators) is a black woman! How can she hate us?” I don’t know how but I am confident that she (along with all of the other producers, directors,etc) all feel like black women are disposable assets in this thing called reality television. Tonight, I had the (dis)pleasure of watching the premiere episode of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta and all I could do was stare at this train wreck of a show. I had promised myself that I would not watch it but all of my Twitter buddies were blogging about it so I figured I’d glance at it for a second-which turned into 60 minutes of my life that I can never get back.
When I finished, I noticed I had a stomach ache that hurt to the depths of my stomach. It wasn’t the ache you get because you’ve eaten something bad but the ache when you know something just isn’t right. As I read (reread tweets) from the cast members on the show and my Twitter friends, I realized what the ache was coming from. I realized that VH1 not only hates black women but they despise us and daily (through their programming) leads a campaign of hate towards us. It’s not the traditional hate where if you see that person(s) in the street you would fight them but it’s the secret type of hate–the kind that’s most dangerous. This type of hate is subtle and undetected by most but the aggressor usually displays it in their actions towards you.
Two years ago I saw that VH1 was trying to reach an audience of black women after the tomfoolery of the Flavor of Love, and began to cast shows like Basketball Wives and Brandy and Ray J. I was hopeful that the new images I would see would be educated women telling stories that I (as an educated woman) could relate to ;however, I was wrong. I just knew that Vh1 had learned their lesson and was going to show the diverse paradigm of black women who were attorneys, musicians, doctors, and mothers but instead they opted to do the opposite. Instead they decided to bring to the “small screen” self centered, violent, pitiful women who let men “run all over them” for the sake of a new handbag or that new sports car.
Every night for the past couple of years VH1 has presented these images to our children like these are women to be admired. Think about it. You have Evelyn, a sassy girl from the Bronx, who instead of being admired about her business ventures is shown hurling wine bottles in fine establishments and cursing like a sailor. Instead of dismissing her from the show due to her violent ways they (reportedly) axed three cast members (Jennifer Williams, Royce Reed and Keisha Nichols) who are actually presentable. Then you have Mimi & Emily (Love and Hip Hop Atlanta and Love and Hip Hop New York) who allow their men to cheat and disrespect them but still stay because they love the glitz and glam of the hip hop lifestyle.
Instead of highlighting Emily’s work as an established stylist, VH1 depicted her as a wallflower, desperate for attention from her boyfriend/rapper, Fabulous. Then you have the new reality show “pushover” who allows her “man” to blatantly disrespect her after 15 years in a relationship. To add more salt to the wound to the black women’s image, tonight on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta, you have a mistress, Jocelyn, who instead of trying to show little girls that despite having a hard life they can still be successful we see her as the irate mistress to mega producer, Stevie J.
It doesn’t even matter if VH1 has black women as producers on their shows–their campaign of hatred for black women is far reaching. Look at Shaunie O’Neal and her role as producer on Basketball Wives. Apparently her role is minimal because she couldn’t stop the violent actions and storylines VH1 displayed for the world to see–and she’s a black woman herself. There simply are no positive role models for any woman of color on VH1.
Where are the doctors, attorneys, teachers, singers–heck where are the women of substance on Vh1? Non existent. I’m convinced that when new programming is introduced, Vh1 producers go out and seek the most dysfunctional women of color and then try to twist it like they are doing us a favor because a woman of color is on the small screen. Instead of doing us a favor they’re basically putting us back in time when the only women of color you’d see would be maids, nannies. Yes, Vh1 is that bad.
Today is my last day of watching any more programming on Vh1. If I want to get comedic relief, I’ll read my Tweeps and hear about all the ratchetness that is occurring on Vh1. Thank you but no thank you..I can do better and so should YOU Vh1!
BMWK, does VH1 hate black women? If your answer is yes then why do black women continue to watch these shows?
You can follow Franchesca Warren on Facebook and on Twitter.
I think that VH1 is indifferent to black women but they love money. They know that this kind of programming is guaranteed ratings. I am sure there are some quality programs out there waiting to be greenlighted, but as long as our people keep watching this crap, they will keep cranking it out. I do not know how any people of color who work on these shows can sleep at night though. Shaunie Oneal has no conscience. I cannot fathom how she wants basketball wives to be the legacy she leaves for her children.
The sad part is, with the ratings as they are I am not sure who the majority of people are that are watching these shows. My fear is that majority America is watching this show and believing that even women and (people for that matter) of color who have attained a certain economic status act ignorant.
I agree with you Francesca, but I also want to add that the other driving factor is GREED! These shows bring in incessant amounts of money from advertising….Why? The world is watching this foolery to the tune of millions. To cancel these types of shows we have to stop watching! That’s the only voice networks will listen to.
While i get your stance… VH1 isnt holding a gun to ANY of these women and making them be on the show. They all make a conscious decision to be on the show KNOWING how they will potentially be portrayed and still are ok with it. The only people I give a pass to are those in the initial seasons of each show. But once you sign up for another season, you are no longer the victim you are the problem. When will people begin to value themselves over a couple thousand dollars here and there.
There were plenty of other women that VH-1 contacted for the Atlanta show and they declined because they knew what would come from the show. But as you can see, from the issues being presented on the show, are in need of attention and dont mind being portrayed as a fool to get it. A lot of these women would be acting this way with or without the camera, so they figure why not get paid to be the fool I already am…
But i pose this question to you the author as well as those who will comment behind me. Why is there only a singular focus on the portrayal of black women on networks, being a woman regardless of race ethnicity or creed, you should be enraged with how all women are portrayed. If you are going to fuss about Love and Hip Hop you must also rally in favor of the piss poor portrayal of women in Mob Wives and similar shows.
If you havent noticed there is a trickle down effect with reality shows. They start off as white focused and eventually transition to a women of colored based cased, and if you raised enough hell with the bad white cast shows maybe they would never produce the messy black ones.
and point blank, they wont stop making them because people watch them and ratings is what makes the tv world go around
-just a thought @yo_q_crush
agreed. when people complained about the portrayal of iranians in that new reality show Shahs of Sunset Boulevard…i thought…did those same people complain about love & hip hop? or basketball wives? why do we only wait to complain when the representation is about your own group? You shouldn’t just protest Love & Hip Hop. you should protest jersey shore for its stereotypes. Protest that show The Wire on HBO, protest Shahs of Sunset Boulevard. etc
My answer to your question is pretty simple. The reason we complain about black women being portayed in this way is because 1) We need to clean up our own house before cleaning anyone else’s and we should start in the “dirtiest room”. So yes we’re all women but out of all women, black women are the ones that seem to be judged as a collective. Mob Wives and Real House Wives of (any place but Atlanta) can act in this way with the comfort of knowing that there are plenty of positive representations of women who look like them on TV. Meanwhile our representation on TV is less frequent and when it is, it’s usually messier….so this is why we’re focusing on us.. Clean the dirtiest room first.
2) If we don’t focus on us, who will? As mentioned in a previous comment, when Iranian women were being represented in a certain way, women of all ethnicities and races took issue with it. who other than Intelligent Black women took issue with shows like “Love & Hiphop”? See? Just us.
So even though I know you mean well ( it’s seems to be embedded in most of our DNA to take care of everybody else first – the thing is that we need to take care of ourselves first. Otherwise how can we expect others to respect us when we clearly don’t think enough about our image to demand better representation ourselves?
As an intelligent white woman who detests reality television bc of its promotion of violent ignorant stereotypical representation of AMERICANS, I find your answer to be irresponsible and biased. I find the represent of black women on VH1 to be incredibly sad and only bc I have respect for humanity. I don’t only defend my race and I think you will find that u only defending yours makes you no better than what u are against. VH1 does not hate black women, they love ratings. The same applies for Bravo and MTV. The exploitation of all races by reality tv is a result of indifference due to greed. E Ploribus Unim. Our home is America and everyone needs to be uplifted in order to heal.
I don’t know if anyone could have explained it any better than you did.
I viewed the show last night and was thoroughly disgusted. I will not view further episodes. My best friends are black women; they are women of substance, utterly decent and I will not trade my friendships with these ladies for anything or anyone in the world. To all Black ladies, do not measure yourselves by the standards of the protagonists on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta; this show is all about garnering top ratings through highly toxic behaviour. It is not about being a doctor, lawyer or business executive; ordinary decent folk doing ordinary everyday jobs but with exemplary behaviour is good for me. Please don’t even ask how Black tv executives could promote such a degrading show – its all about the money.
I don’t watch the show mentioned (nor VH1, really), but I want to say that VH1 can’t be blamed for these women’s foolery. As someone else stated, no one is forcing these ladies to portray themselves as lowlife black women. They do it for what they think is good exposure and a good way to make a few thousands. It is sad, really. But, black people, especially women, have to learn to value and respect themselves. Because if you allow someone to treat you as trash and expose your trash of a life, then that is totally up to you. All I will say is, I have no complaints, merely because I won’t be watching the foolishness. Many are quick to judge, but their eyes are glued to the tv. If no one was interested, it would not be on tv. The complaints of two or three won’t change that. People as a whole have to say enough is enough.
then why not get white classless,unruly women to act these parts, are you saying they are none of those around?
I encourage you to view Spike Lee’s film Bamboozled and notice the similarities between the film and current day reality TV. This is the new aged minstrel show run by black execs and producers nonetheless who would sell out their mother’s soul for a cool million dollars.
Agree with Lamar…it’s all about the money! VH1 is doing what brings it in…the sad part is that these women are willing to have themselves ‘pimped’ in another way…it’s a shame to see it.
VH1 preys on black womens’ self-hatred and insecure need to see other black women act a fool to make themselves feel better about their own lives. So many of the viewers of these shows ARE black women. When we start loving ourselves and both demanding and commanding respect these shows will lose their audience and go away.
You are absolutely right. I sat around and watched as my friends tweeted away about the show last night and was absolutely outraged. I refuse to watch our black women to be portrayed in such a horrible light. Now, I do have to say that Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada is “supposed” to be working on changing her ways according to recent news (we don’t know how long that is going to last) but I’ll at least give her credit .. for now. Vh1 has done nothing but make a mockery of black women for years now and it’s only going to get worse because not that many people are speaking out against it. Most are even sitting back, enjoying and encouraging it. The fact that I saw some of my associates speak of the women on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta “real women”? I just shook my head. I’m only 19 years old but I know when something needs a change, and this is definitely one of those things. It’s a shame that Mona Lee, a fellow black woman, is allowing these negative stereotypes to be made.
Once again, no one is forcing you to watch this show. I am going to venture to assume that you are a well-educated women. Now before I began, let me say I am attorney. I assume that you are educated b/c it always educated black people that are the most offended when they feel like other blacks are “making them look bad.” In my opinion, that is the core of these types of feelings about reality tv. Because whether you want to admit it or not ,we are still in the minority and a lot of people DO behave like the characters you see on tv. I was born and raised on the south side of chicago and attest to that fact. What is most annoying to me is that “educated blacks” are quick to judge and silence those that have ‘self hatred’ or make them with all of there education and degrees look bad. This is the same group of people that hates Tyler Perry for the same reason. To that I say, get over it! There are ratchet people in the world. Trust, even with all of my degrees, I love me some ratchetness on tv. Instead, I don’t think for one moment that when I walk into a room anyone compares me to Evelyn Lozoya or other women the see on tv. Who am I to silence that part of society simply b/c they have not made the same decisions I have made in life. It certainly arrogant nor would I make the statement that VH1 hates Black women. Whether they are on display or not these women would still make the same decisions so how is VH1 to blame for that?
the reason that this segment needs to be silenced is because there now are young girls (who dont have proper guidance) who watch shows like this and think its ok to be ratchet, or aspire to be a video chick or a rappers sidepiece. There has to be a stop to it not for us educated ones who know the difference between real reality and dramatized reality but for those who, for whatever reason, believe that this is a legitimate way of life.
and how do you know people are quietly wondering if you are just as ghetto fabulous as those they see on tv? It may not come out in direct questions but there are plenty inuendos that can be made towards you that indicate that they at one point questioned the type of black person you were… (the “oh you speak so well”, comments) Sadly degrees/good jobs/membership in certain organizations used to distinguish you from a seperate black demographic but now even the black person with a masters degree or a good corporate job has the possibility of being hood/uncouth
Totally Agree. We Educated people can something else.
I agree…I was taught that u don’t judge the many by the few! I never watch these shows and think that everyone from a particular group acts like “that”. I like to see.how people from different walks of life interact with each other.
2)These shows are NOT meant for children and anyone who allows their children to watch are crazy. Lord, knows I send my child out of the room during these shows. Parents are responsible for raising their children, teaching them values, AND blocking certain networks. VH1 should not be raising anyone’s child. As for me and my grown tail, I can watch whatever I desire and will continue to. : – ) Even if you boycott, these shows are not going aware b/c some just view them as simple entertainment. In a recession, I can knock anybody’s hustle. If you need to stir up drama to keep your show on VHI, so be it.
Huh? That didn’t make sense. These shows get paid by advertisers. Advertisers will only pay them if they have a certain amount of viewers. If Black women weren’t so enchanted with watching the downfal and negativity of other black woman (which is the only reason they watch it but have the nerve to call it “entertainment”) then there wouldn’t be any viewers. No viewers make the advertisers pull out, which means the producers can’t continue with the show and will have to come up with something that will bring in more viewers.
So I’m not sure where you’re getting the idea that boycotting won’t help. It won’t help if only the intelligent black women stop or don’t watch but if the plantation sistas (yes this is what I call the lost sistas who still haven’t figured out that we are better than this) stopped or refused to watch it too then they would be force to change direction. Trust me. But as you’ve shown us, you’recstill willing to sipport itbthus why we’re disrespected!
This is why other shows either weren’t submitted as a show or were quickly removed. For instance, do you think a show starring Jewish women called,”Stingy Wives of Crown Heights” would even see the light of day? Of course not! Because the Jewish people would collectively complain, shame the hell out of those women wherever they went and refuse to watch it. We need to do the same thing.
AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!!! to every one who commented here, GREEDY, SELF LOATHING, ATTENTION SEEKING WOMEN/PRODUCERS/EXECUTIVES (NO MATTER THE ETHNICITY) NEED TO STOP THE MADNESS!!!! I have blocked/banned VH1 and any station or so-called reality show that portrays women and girls as GOLD DIGGING, FORNICATING, GREEDY, SELF INDULGENT , JUDGMENTAL, SHRILLED/LOUD MOUTHED, CLASSLESS, and DESPERATE TO BE IN JUST ANY KINDA OF RELATIONSHIP, SETTLING FOR LESS THAN GOD INTENDED FOR THEM. BLOCK IT, BAN IT FROM YOU HOMES, AND CONTINUE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST IT!!!!!
I have to say we need to start accentuating the positive more. It doesn’t help that we ALL tune in…and even on some extent spread the news about about this stuff when we should just ignore it and CHOOSE to support/promote positive images more, because we Do have a choice.
I admire the author for speaking her mind, but mere fact that WE are talking about it right now, is indirectly contributing to the madness (Myself included for typing this).
The only way the powers at be will notice is if we simply “change the channel” In every sense of the term.
I agree whole-heartedly with the writer and want to add it’s not just VH1!!! It’s TV, it’s radio, all medias. I have proudly NEVER watched Basketball wives or any of the housewives shows as the commercials are enough to make me not want to tune in to that nonsense. Have you seen the Braxton’s craziness and I guess they are better then these other shows. This is an epidemic and we have to do something different!
Is this, really a surprise?? ( Is it- E.T.C/ Life)??????
My friend convinced me to watch Love and Hip Hop Atlanta last night, and I regret every minute of it. I don’t know if I was more disgusted by the behavior of the Little Scrappy’s mother or the total disrespect Stevie J. showed the mother of his daughter. It’s actually sad, because he’s obviously having a fling with Joseline (Rihanna wannabe) and Karlie is just sitting by taking it. How much disrespect can you accept (especially when he left with Joseline) or when he tried to move her and her daughter far out of the city, alone? Anyhow, I read these women’s bios and on paper, they seem like they have a lot going on for them. But by looking at last night’s episode, you would never guess it.
I am so over women in the real world (and reality show world) who get cheated on repeatedly and then repeatedly lament about it. For 15 years you’ve allowed the same behavior, so why in the world are you still crying about it? Honestly by now you should be numb to it. He’s not disrespecting her, SHE’s disrespecting herself! He’s never going to change, because he has no incentive to, so either A.) leave or B.) shut-up. I have zero sympathy for Mi-Mi or the Mi’Mi’s of the world. I have sympathy for young girls who may be experienceing it for the first time and trying to navigate through it, but you who are in your 30’s and 40’s and been in the game long enough (and frequently with that same cheating cat!) to know better need to stop it….
I enjoyed reading this blog post, but don’t we feel this way about just about all programming involving black nowadays. Substance seems to be the exception, and far from the rule. The more we support it and tweet about it, the more they keep ’em coming!
While I agree that women are be portrayed in an ugly light no one is forcing them to do it. These women and men chose to do these shows, they chose to display themselves as ratchet females, these are all choices that they made. While we try to blame VH1 for whats being showed on their network, when will we blame the people that allow their selves to be seen like that? These people don’t care if you don’t like how they’re portraying their selves, all the care about it that green they getting. Only color that all these people see is green.
Why does VH1 do this? The money. Why do the women keep going on this mess? The fame plus the money. The women know they can turn reality show notoriety into a show of their own, promotions, show biz connections, etc. Prior to Real Housewives of Atlanta who had even heard f NeNe Leaks? But now she makes guest apearances, has built in promotion or a fashion line, and is gettinga show. It’s viewed as a fast pass into greater income opportunities and achance to build wealth rapidly. Think about it: how many people now know who Snooki is, a woman famous for getting drunk, fighting, and screwing anyone who catches her drunk eye?
They don’t care black ,white or other as long as they get viewers they are OK. ex. mob wives, they fight all day and are so ignorant and they are all white. I’ll tell you what VH1 does like… they Like DRAMA! and for us who don’t have any of that in our lives we flock to it, its like watching the Wendy Williams show, you know its horrible but you cant stop watching! 🙂
Let’s be real, vh1 is not known for classy programming. I don’t think they have it out for any demographic, it’s all about what brings in the ratings. It’s our fault for watching ANY of these shows.
I have a choice and I have power..that is why I refuse to watch even the clips of these shows. I didn’t need to watch HHAtl to see what happened because I know. I know the stereotypes that are being portrayed and put on full frontal for everyone to view. We know hardly any other culture gets demonized by the actions of a few greater than the Black culture. No I don’t need to see it or expose my sons and daughter to the shows. I choose to talk to my kids about education, watch and listen to something better and tell them they and I are of great people not goons, and whores that have no regard for the respect of themselves or their community. There is a lack of connection if you allow yourself (no matter your culture) to be portrayed as a foul mouth whore for money…and as for Mona Scott even the African tribesman sold Africans as slaves..but like I said I have a choice there is power in me and others could join and these shows and their assimilation into our society to a point where that’s what our children are aspiring to be could be nullified.
People make up your mind. If VH1 had no representation of black people on the air, many of you would be up in arms about that. I think its very interesting that there is such an uproar about the shows on VH1 that are allowing people to earn a living and take care of their children and families. And instead of giving people like Mona Scott Young and Shaunie O’Neal credit for keeping large numbers of people employed, you want to put the responsibility solely on them to save every would be ratchet girl, video vixen, athlete or hip hop baby momma. Yes there might be impressionable girls out there watching, but reality shows is no different than any other type of programming that should be monitored in households with young kids. Parental controls still work. I guess my question is to all the “utterly decent, educated, role model type women” out there who are now dogging the women on these shoes and the people who produce them: How many of you are reaching out to the young black girls in your communities who need guidance from women such as yourself? Why are you not making a difference where you can, one on one, touching lives that might be led down the road to ratchetry? Waiting until a show airs and blaming it for ills black women suffer is really too little too late.
Standing ovation on this article! It’s time to speak the truth…The truth may not be entertaining but it is liberating!!!!!!
For the most part, I do agree that media outlets have portrayed black women in a very negative light. Shows, like Love & Hip Hop (which, by the way, also degrades lovers of real hip hop) But the fact remains that these shows remain on the air because people are watching them. I’d love to see a study of who watches shows like these, and, if it turns out that it’s mostly watched by Blacks, than we have no one to blame but ourselves. However, I’m pretty confident the people watching these shows are a majority white. That’s how they love to see us act. That’s how many whites see black people. Not all, but damn sure enough to keep these shows on the air.
Your article sounds just like this article I read the other day
https://raprehab.com/2012/05/vh1-and-bravo-arent-to-blame-you-are/. I applaud both of you ladies for speaking out on this garbage that VH1 calls entertainment!
I know I’m late but here is my opinion I have to agree with you both on the subject of reality TV. Money, money, money! As far as the article, it did what the shows do, throw out outrageous statements, images and innuendo that flash something controversial and grab our attentions. When I saw the heading I was trembling with something um oh my goodness curiosity. What did VH1 do and why do they hate black women? LOL! I had to see what the author had to say. This is the exact same recipe the shows use to draw people in. The same exact medicine spoon fed to us from sitcoms, TV series, documentaries and talk shows. Now your moral stand on the shows are just that, YOUR moral stand. Entertainment is just that entertainment. Whether it be sports, reality TV or even the news, scandal sells. Just look at Lebron and the Heat. I don’t like the Heat or the Cavs but I had to see that first game between the two after the scandal!! Now do I personally want to see what I saw this season, no I was highly dissapointed however do I think it was aired because VH1 hates me absolutely not!
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