Reality TV & Black America

I start this blog off reminding myself that everyone is entitled to their own opinions.  Heck as I write I shall be expressing my own, with that said, yesterday someone I follow on Twitter went on a Twittervent about Love & Hip Hop Atlanta.  He was pretty much upset with the show and felt the advertisers Taco Bell, Payday Loans etc. profit from the coonery displayed on Love & Hip Hop ATL.

My 1st question is why do we in "Black America" continue to speak negatively about our own.  Now I can see those who are saying the people do it to themselves getting on TV for a check and behaving in such a way.  Well I tell you what, what I've seen on LHHATL are real life scenarios that people are going through right now.  Does it make it right or wrong? No but it makes it reality.

Why do we get soooo upset because we aren't always portrayed as dignified people?  On the flip side a lot, A LOT of Black America is upset with Tyler Perry and calls him out for his Madea character.  Yet I tell you what, every, EVERY Tyler Perry movie I've seen has displayed Black America in a positive light.  99% of the cast is always a successful professional.  His characters are doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, or successful business people and they are married!!!!  Why don't many support him? Because Madea wears a dress?  Flip Wilson, Wesley Snipes, Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence, and I am sure there are more have worn dresses or had a feminine character they portrayed.  So again, why the huge issue with Tyler Perry?   Right now he is keeping a huge deal of African American actors employed and on the main screen.  The only true reason why I can find? Many of us still have a slave mentality.  Somewhere everyone has a Madea but again, black America is quick to talk about one another but then doesn't want part of the truth displayed on TV or the big screen I don't get it.

We as Black America allow society to define us and what we do.  Our plays are considered the chitterling circuit because its not Broadway or whatever the reason is and we go along with it.

The problem I have is whether you are poor, working, middle, or upper class in the words of Kanye 'you're still a nigga in a coupe.'  When we as "Black Americans" stop looking to White America or mainstream America for approval, guidance, support, and as the mold of how to be we will be a lot better off.  As mainstreams America's motto excuse my french is to F all those you can to get to the top no matter what.  We should have a more inclusive, each one teach one, collective approach to survival and making it.

We are so removed from our heritage, culture, history that we have accepted being assimilated into theirs.  Nevertheless, that is another blog topic.

We were told go to school, get a good education, and a good job. How many people have a good job? How many people are happy with their "good job." How many desire more out of life? How many wish they would have been taught entreprenuership or been given the choice?

So in my opinion NO Reality TV hasn't ruined Black America.  Reality TV hasn't caused the demise or downfall of Black America.  Black America has never really been on an upswing to begin with.  Reality TV isn't to blame for sitcoms leaving TV, sitcoms have been gone for awhile and we stand buy and let it happen.  Our voice is in our dollars.  If we stopped buying into the system and spending our money with the system the system would then hear our voice.

For me reality TV is ENTERTAINMENT.  TV is for Entertainment.  Well actually TV is a means for companies to advertise to you and convince you to spend your money on things that you don't need.  Again, that would be for an entirely different blog.

My point whether you are shopping in your local inner city neighborhood, or whether you can afford to shop at the mall, or even if you are shopping in Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Prada etc.  You still haven't "arrived" if your mind has not been elevated beyond the status quo.  The black man in the Mercedes Benz in his Ralph Lauren suit  that speaks " proper English" looks down upon the black man in the Ford in his JC Penney suit that speaks "Ebonics".  Classic House vs. Field nigger BS and the white man still wins!

We have to come out of the slave mentality and it begins with self education.