I was going to write a post about the Oscar Grant verdict, but I read this post over at theinsanityreport.com and decided they said what was in my head so I’ll direct you there for conversation on that issue.On an unrelated note:
I have no problem admitting that Big Brother is my guilty pleasure TV show. I will normally denounce reality television, but I will admit that during the summer I have no problem watching people fights, backstab each other and compete three nights a week. It’s cheap entertainment, but my husband and I eat it up. The premiere of season 12 was yesterday and I felt something was missing in the casting – Black people, and overall “average” looking people. Now, I’ve watched almost all seasons of Big Brother so I never expect more than one Black person to be on the show anyway, but this season there is no Black person. Unless you count Monet, who I’m not sure is Black.
No Black people and every single person is what the nation would see as 9 or 10s on the “pretty” scale. Muscley dudes, big-chested-small-wasted- women. Although I would like for the Big Brother house to be representative of society at large I know it never has, and never will, but this season seems to have the most “perfect” (by societal standards) looking cast of all time. That bothers me for some reason.
average people? nooo! none of them. i see them everyday. tv is for not average people, unless it's a documentary or a comedy show. ;) or daytime tv judge shows. ew.
ReplyDeletei'm sure there some black not-average people available, though. c'mon, CBS.
It does irk me that the television Executives refuse to acknowledge their bigotry. Do they really believe they live in a world where no people of color exist? Or if they do, let's find the pale representation of that culture. In addition to "white washing" the viewers, they also want folks to believe that everyone is a size 2-4 or if they are heavy set they can't mingle in the 'real world' they must be outcast to their own fat shows where they are forced to dance their asses off and battle each other to be celebrity fit. Its not dispelling reality...its asinine. Its disheartening that through these television shows they sit back and try to recreate their Eden, Utopian universe of ignorance, sexism and racism!
ReplyDeleteThanks LaNeshe, nice write up!
~Tamesha
TV executives haven't changed. The way they see it? People of color won't be missed on the airwaves so long as they're seen on ESPN and other sport channels.
ReplyDeleteAnd I too was furious over the Oscar Grant verdict. They screened out all blacks from being in the jury to try his case. 6hrs later, they give the guy "involuntary manslaughter." Laughable. But so unsurprising.
Cheers from the Vegetarian Cannibal!
You remind me of this...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M45ThMTJjHY
oh and yeah :[
@Vegetarian Cannibal - Yea I think the saddest part is that it is unsurprising how the verdict went.
ReplyDelete@Thu - that video was funny, yet sad.
The whiteness of the cast bugs me more the good-lookingness. We prefer to watch people that are at least mildly attractive by most people's standards, for good or bad. But there are plenty of good-looking, interesting people who aren't white! I'm going with the theory that most of the good-looking, interesting people of color are too smart to be on a show like Big Brother (though I'm not willing to let casting off the hook).
ReplyDeleteI think race issues on reality TV are interesting. This season of SYTYCD there was only one black contestant. Though he's clearly one of the weakest performers left at this point, he's getting the votes to stay out of the bottom 3. In his case, his race seems to help him at this stage of the competition.
@Ronnica - I don't think it is race keeping Adechike in the competition, I think it is that beautiful smile of his lol, he's so cute! I almost haven't even noticed the lack of Black contestants in SYTYCD since 3 of the all-stars are Black.
ReplyDeleteUmmm, so Blogger ate my comment twice. Anyway...
ReplyDeleteAdechike does have a cute smile, but it's not as cute as Jose's! I've been laughing this season about the imbalance between the guys and the girls...so obvious that it's women watching/voting (okay, teen and tween girls on that last one)!
@Ronnica - Agreed. I just want to reach through the TV and give Jose a hug lol.
ReplyDeleteNot everybody on the show looks "perfect" IMO. The older, country lady may be blonde, but she's not pretty to me. Then there's Rachel...loud and busted looking! Bredan is WAY too hot for her.
ReplyDeleteI so agree with you! Monet... I don't think so. Where are the Danielle's, Marcellas' and Marvin's? Esp. Marvin!
ReplyDeleteBig Brother is my guilty pleasure toooo! What do you think of John Mayer?
@Keira- John Mayer the singer? I don't really follow him or his music much, but he did grow up near where I grew up in Connecticut.
ReplyDelete