This resulted in a number of shows about blacks, such as A Different World (1987–1993), Fresh Prince of Bel Air (1990–1996), and In Living Color (1990–1994). The latter show purposefully based much of its irreverent humor on African American stereotypes. The Fox television network, which produced Living Single, Martin, and South Central, became the first television network to focus on attracting black viewers. Actor Tim Reid, for one, complained that these shows also perpetuated black stereotypes, particularly those related to hip-hop culture. The fragmentation caused by cable television in the 1980s led to the creation of new networks, such as Black Entertainment Television (BET), which catered specifically to blacks.
71). The “bad-black-girl” is depicted as alluring, sexually arousing and seductive. She fulfills the sex objectification requirement of White womanhood, although she is portrayed as a less naïve, more worldly seductress. The “bad-black girl” image reinforces cultural stereotypes regarding the hyper-sexuality of the African American female, who yearns for sexual encounters. This image has appeared on television as well as in movies.
. In popular culture, black people are creating the media that portrays them, often as commodities. Yet in many ways - rap videos, for instance, that glorify the ghetto and present women as sex objects - they are reinforcing negative images,” (Potier). Many rap videos, lyrics, and TV characters, and the limited amount of diverse images of black women is poison to the African-American female community. These negative elements of the media only create a harder obstacle, creating equality in the mass media, for African-American women to
Films that hurt black America African-Americans have always had a bit of a love-hate relationship with the movies. While black artists in front of and behinds the cameras have created indelible performances, stories and images that audiences of all backgrounds cherish—there has been an ugly side to black representation in Hollywood that is unavoidable and continues to this day. From the very beginning of movies, with D.W. Griffith’s racist propaganda film The Birth of a Nation there have been racist themes and images in mainstream movies. For much of the 20th century black audiences endured blackface, coons and with the exception of a few dignified Sidney Poitier roles in the 50s and 60s — barely any representation at all. When the blaxploitation
The most popular form of theatrical performance in America in the nineteenth century, blackface minstrelsy emerged during the 1820s and reached its peak during the years 1850–70. Minstrel performances presented stereotypical and demeaning caricatures of African Americans, romantic portrayals of life on the slave plantations of the South, and served to enforce the negative stereotypes of African Americans. The career of Thomas Dartmouth
As an African-American woman, I strongly believe rap and hip hop artists help to create and sustain a tarnished image of the general black woman; however, I also know there are ways to combat it, and most importantly, such behavior is only proved more acceptable and valid when tolerated by those in which it degrades. For example, in the lyrics of rap artists The Game and Kanye West's song, Wouldn't Get Far, women are called "bitches" and "hoes," and those referred to as "video vixens" are even more degraded. The song goes on to further to explain that these women will do WHATEVER it takes to get to the top by saying, "She a video vixen, but behind closed doors she do whatever it take to get to the Grammy Awards," which is followed by a faint laugh by The Game himself. Upon hearing these lyrics, I was sure (or rather hopeful) there would be some type of uproar by black women across the nation and a boycott that left the artists in search of "props" for their video, but much to my dismay, the video contained
Famous rappers such as Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, R. Kelly, and ECT… have almost planted these racial slurs into our minds through there “trashy rap”. Imus in morning was not only reprimanded for his comments but later let go, due to the uprising of the black community. Rappers, Movie Stars, Comedians and even Gangsters have been giving black woman and negative name calling them “items, hoes, and even bitches.” This is not even in the privacy of their home it is in public on movies and even cd’s. Earl believes that this is due to the fact that these black celebrities are giving an ok to everyone to degrade woman of their own race. He states that “The same
It’s called Rock ‘n’ Roll and it had parents, teachers, and politicians worried for the youth of America. Rock ‘n’ Roll was the first of its kind in that the vocals were not always the center of discourse, but the body language of the performers and the beat of the music moved the audience a lot of times…Rock and Roll was elemental, savage, dripping with sex; it was just as our parents feared” (8). The reason for the fear: Rock ‘n’ Roll evolved from recordings by African-American artists known
The black man has been stereotyped in society from the ancient time period to present day. The physical attraction and the actions pursued by some black males have been used against the specific population as a form of ridicule and humiliation. How have the black men in society been portrayed over the last decades? The answer is negative. These stereotypes are not set in stone facts but only assumptions throughout society that the media substantiates and worsens the brighter picture.
In the early eighties the hip hop culture exploded on to American culture and ever since the view of African Americans is to achieve the American dream of big houses and nice cars. You have these artis and or sports figures luring young African American and even Caucasians’ into thinking and acting as if they are African American. With the role models of yesterday and today you have idols like Michal Jordan, Tiger Woods’ who show that it is ok to be and African American. Now you have people from all walks of life and cultures and ethnicities who want to be like these individuals. Back in the eighties the only symbol of African American was the negative portrayal of gangs and everyone was ok if they shot and killed each other.