VH1 and its corporate parent, Viacom Entertainment has aired
4 seasons of their Basketball Wives television franchise. The show was
initially promoted as an avenue for viewers to grow, learn and discuss the successes
and perils of life as a “basketball wife.”
However, the show has proven to be nothing more than a set of glossy
choreographed boxing matches marked by superficiality and monumental levels of
bullying. In the year 2012, where we have a bi-racial president and an African
American first lady, we need not be “tragically colored.” The reality series perpetuates
the most vulgar stereotypes about women of color particularly, Black women.
The show has very few redeeming qualities if any at all. Young people across the nation tune into to the most grotesque illustrations of black femininity. Women well beyond their child-bearing years, cursing, fighting and destroying property. One would have to assume that the show’s wild success presents a complicated problem for thoughtful, scripted and well crafted television. American popular culture has taken on a particular tone similar to that of Ancient Rome. Americans have become a ravenous community obsessed with the “spectacle.” Romans were consumed with their violent gladiators and many Americans are consumed with their tragic reality t.v. “stars.”
These questionable activities occur all in the name of entertainment. Hollywood is a beautiful cultural mosaic made mostly out of broken dreams and broken people. But, we refuse to partake in Black cultural degradation and misappropriation. In the year 2000, we thought that the matrix would hijack us little did we know that we would run towards it with open arms. It is beginning to border on exploitation and we are all finally tapping out on this one. We are people of color and we are talented, determined and cosmically powerful. We embody light and love. We do not want to see these types of representations of Black women on VH1 in the form of Basketball Wives Miami or Los Angeles!
Please click on the following link to sign the petition to cancel VH1's Basketball Wives Reality Series
http://www.change.org/petitions/cancel-vh1-s-basketball-wives-reality-series
The show has very few redeeming qualities if any at all. Young people across the nation tune into to the most grotesque illustrations of black femininity. Women well beyond their child-bearing years, cursing, fighting and destroying property. One would have to assume that the show’s wild success presents a complicated problem for thoughtful, scripted and well crafted television. American popular culture has taken on a particular tone similar to that of Ancient Rome. Americans have become a ravenous community obsessed with the “spectacle.” Romans were consumed with their violent gladiators and many Americans are consumed with their tragic reality t.v. “stars.”
These questionable activities occur all in the name of entertainment. Hollywood is a beautiful cultural mosaic made mostly out of broken dreams and broken people. But, we refuse to partake in Black cultural degradation and misappropriation. In the year 2000, we thought that the matrix would hijack us little did we know that we would run towards it with open arms. It is beginning to border on exploitation and we are all finally tapping out on this one. We are people of color and we are talented, determined and cosmically powerful. We embody light and love. We do not want to see these types of representations of Black women on VH1 in the form of Basketball Wives Miami or Los Angeles!
Please click on the following link to sign the petition to cancel VH1's Basketball Wives Reality Series
http://www.change.org/petitions/cancel-vh1-s-basketball-wives-reality-series
A message I received from Bola (a screenwriter/playwright)
ReplyDeleteI'm so upset
I'm from london and I am a playwright/screenwriter. I often watch reality shows as a form of escapism because as a writer i think a lot about characters, stories ect so by watching the show i am able to escape from my world. however this season has had me in tears because the way these women have been acting is unaceptable and disgraceful. As black women especially in the public eye we have to be role models, whether we like it or not.
I write plays where the protaganist is evil, horrible and often the type of people you love to hate...the difference between the world i create and what is potrayed on basketball wives is that mine is fiction. In real life no woman should have to be subjected to that type of abuse. No woman should be forced into a corner....even as I type I'm starting to get more and more upset.
Anyway thank you for your petition. I will no longer be watching this show and really hope that Shawnie herself takes a hard look at herself and realise the role she is playing in all of this. She had a daughter for her sake and the other horrible women on the show i pray that their children never have to be subjected to the type of abuse their uneducated fame hungry mothers have put others through.
They say you reap what you sow and what comes around goes around....
RE: I'm so upset
ReplyDeleteHello Bola,
Thank you for your support and for your thoughtful message. I grow more and more disturbed by the lack of creativity that I see on television today. Not only is the Basketball Wives Reality Series uncreative, it's also irresponsible entertainment. It promotes wanton violence and agressive bullying. My heart is grieved for the young people who are coming of age during this time and space in history. It's as if down is up and what's wrong is taken for what's right.
I cringe when I hear young girls and women quoting the "catch phrases" from the show or wearing the "stars" vulgar merchandise. I tend to think of it as a sort of cultural atomic bomb with far and wide reaching effects on the African Diaspoaric community. It is a form of cultural annihilation because there are so few African American centered t.v. programs, these cliche's are taken as real characterizations of Black women. T.V. Executives will look at BBW ratings and determine that as a demographic, we are ignorant and not worthy of quality roles, content or multi-dimensional material. This makes me very sad because without the proper avenues our rich stories aren't given the time of day. Many are thrown out in favor of smut t.v.
In order to further the work of this petition, we need a greater level of visibility. I hope that you feel convicted enough to transfer your emotions into tangible action. I would be in great debt to you if you could post the link to the petition on your facebook profile and twitter page. If you are a member of any college or professional associations feel free to share the link with your colleagues as well. Here is the link,
http://www.change.org/members/16468822
Thank you once again for your support. It's important that we work together to build a strong network to support our sister communities. I am very grateful for people like you. Let's make history in a real and meaningful way.
Peace&Blessings,
Isis