I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person that has noticed a growing trend among African American people being portrayed in negative ways on television, which is why I decided to shed light on the touchy subject. I watch television, movies, videos, and cartoons every once in a while and I always seem to notice that African American people are constantly defamed. It doesn't matter what show it is, there's always a racist joke, a stereotypical African American person playing the role of the "nasty person" with a attitude (usually female) and the gay guy that's overly flamboyant, etc (usually in reality t.v), and I'm sick and tired of it.
Why are black people in America depicted in such degrading ways on television? Why has this been an ongoing trend for so many years? I understand that there are a lot of African Americans that may fit some of the characteristics of the stereotypical black male or female being portrayed, but it still isn't right for people to automatically assume that, that's how all black people are. That's how and why stigmas are born and kept in the African American society. Nobody complains about the people on t.v trying to “mimic” how African Americans act. I don't not use the “N” word, I do not own or have ever used a gun, nor have I ever been incarcerated and use colloquialism but that's how African American people are being portrayed on television. Why is it that minorities always seem to be at the lowest end on the totem pole? When will things change? Because from what I’ve been noticing change is a long, far away foreign word, that may never see the light of day in television for African American people.
Although I have noticed a lot of different ethnic groups incessantly contributing to the on going “dilemma”, I cant help but notice that African Americans take on these roles, and that sometimes they incriminate themselves and even contribute to the stigma. BET, a popular television channel for African American people of all ages called black entertainment television has been incessantly contributing to the dehumanization of black people for years now, and making billions in the process. There’s always something negative being shown on there, from the overly risqué videos, the overly usage of the “N” word, and the plethora of different movies being shown on the channel that encourages and shows violence, guns, sex, and everything and anything bad a person can think of! How are African Americans supposed to erase a stigma that seems to be a way of life in even, sadly, black television? Many people watch BET and are very keen of the channel, but they do not know of the detrimental issues that it causes. Its simply an channel that needs to be erased from television because its contributing to the “destruction” of African American people all over the United states. People watch this channel and they want to live out the life they see on t.v, closely relating to the situation or person in the show, because they feel a sense of ease, and they miss the subliminal message of External and internal Hate that the channel creates. They miss the message of ultimate destruction. Too often have I read about lives being taken from the young, old, and poor because of violence, sex, and guns. Too many times have I seen people at the end of the spectrum fall victim as the wannabe rappers trying to fit in, because they think its cool, and they are very malleable. Television allows it, and BET shows it.
The stigma in television for African Americans may never be fully eluded, may never really change, but there is hope, because I know that there are people out in modern society that doesn't contribute to the defamation of African Americans. I know that there are people that do not support shows that seek to defame and strip African Americans of their human nature, I know that there are people out there who, too, just like me, seek change in television. The change I, just like many others want so badly to come will not take a day, will not take a year or years to come, but merely a lifetime, and even though I will not be alive to witness the day when African Americans get treated the same as other ethic groups in television, the hope in me lives strong, and the faith that I have in the children of today and tomorrow has not left me.
