Your Black Power: CNN’s New Hughley Show Reinforces Black Stereotypes
CNN’s new Hughley show reinforces black stereotypes
By: Christopher J. Metzler
In just eight days, America may well elect its first black president. Throughout the long campaign, race has been an omnipresent issue with many asking whether whites and some blacks would reject Senator Obama because of his race.
Most news outlets and commentators have discussed race in a vacuous way for fear of being called racists. In fact, if this election taught us anything about the media and race, it is that most journalists — including white liberals — simply lack the vocabulary to discuss and analyze race, choosing instead to engage in a cacophonous politically correct gab fest.
As the election draws to a close, one major cable news network decided to discuss race in a mephitic way, reminiscent of Amos and Andy, a situation comedy based on reinforcing stereotypes about blacks and widely popular in the United States from the 1920s through the 1950s.
The show’s anchor warned that the election of a President Obama would lead to a health plan with grills for all. Grills are shining metal caps worn on the teeth of blacks while they drink malt liquor from a paper bag. His guest, “Freddie Mack,” attired in the traditional pimp attire complete with hat and bling, described Obama’s fund raising prowess as “Big pimping.” In fact, Freddie Mack went on to say, “Politicians are pimps and the electorate are their hoes.” Thus, he reasoned, “bitch better have my money.” In a response dripping with racism and misogyny, he reminded Americans that the financial crisis was about his sister Fannie May or Fannie may not again, utilizing the hoe moniker for black women [...]
Full Article At Your Black Power
I seriously associate the performance of D. L Hughley’s “comedy” to BET videos showing half naked “hoes” in the name of free enterprise – capitalism. It is one thing to to laugh at oneself but another to degrade yourself. The latter is what this actor has perfected. As evidenced with BET, one can entirely ride a crest of success at the expense of a people stereotyping, furthering the negative outlook for the kids that are exposed to all this nonsense.
His career is not exactly at infancy that he cannot look at the flip side of what he is doing. Just as some actors turn down the roles they deem degrading or humiliating, black America actors should vehemently refuse to play along roles that seek to turn all the gains made on racism around. It has been hard enough as it is with all the barriers without having to reverse even the psychological advances made thus far. For example, if Barack Obama was a white democrat running against John McCain the polls right now(1 week before elections) would be reading something like 60/40 or better for the democrats. The truth is, it has been an uphill battle for Obama to gain especially white rural vote. Just as he has gained this turn around, which we all should applaud, black stereotyping rears it’s ugly head from one of it’s own. This is exactly what we have seen with the use of the word nigger. If those among the black successful comedians would seriously quit using it as well as discourage their audiences, it would be soon than later be off the vocabulary.
When you are in a privileged position like Mr. Hughley you should always strive to do what is right, not necessarily what is popular. After all you can achieve success without stooping too low.
I seriously associate the performance of D. L Hughley’s “comedy” to BET videos showing half naked “hoes” in the name of free enterprise – capitalism. It is one thing to to laugh at oneself but another to degrade yourself. The latter is what this actor has perfected. As evidenced with BET, one can entirely ride a crest of success at the expense of a people stereotyping, furthering the negative outlook for the kids that are exposed to all this nonsense.
His career is not exactly at infancy that he cannot look at the flip side of what he is doing. Just as some actors turn down the roles they deem degrading or humiliating, black America actors should vehemently refuse to play along roles that seek to turn all the gains made on racism around. It has been hard enough as it is with all the barriers without having to reverse even the psychological advances made thus far. For example, if Barack Obama was a white democrat running against John McCain the polls right now would be reading something like 60/40 or better for the democrats. The truth is, it has been an uphill battle for Obama to gain especially white rural vote. Just as he has gained this turn around, which we all should applaud, black stereotyping rears it’s ugly head from one of it’s own. This is exactly what we have seen with the use of the word nigger. If those among the black successful comedians would seriously quit using it as well as discourage their audiences, it would be soon than later be off the vocabulary.
When you are in a privileged position like Mr. Hughley you should always strive to do what is right, not necessarily what is popular. After all you can achieve success without stooping too low.