In an article about America's Next Top Model, a blogger from wordpress.com criticized the show's lead host, Tyra Banks, for 'hating black women and gay, black men' by using her show as a stage to further marginalize either minority groups by showing gay men as the comedic relief and by being overly critical of the black models on the show. You can find his article here: http://orvillelloyddouglas.wordpress.com/2007/12/05/americas-next-top-model-conforms-to-homophobic-racist-and-sexist-stereotypes/ .
However, I completely disagreed and this is what I had to say:
Warning: the comment is a LOOONG one.
May 24, 2008 @ 12.45pm:
To: orvillelloyddouglas.wordpress.com
From: Erica D.
You know I only came here because I saw that gorgeous picture of Tyra and I was watching America's Next Top Model at the time and was interested in finding pics of the famed woman, and then I read your article... I notice that you're not responding to any of the other comments that people have made about your article, but that's okay because I'm going to throw my own two cents in because I felt the need to comment. I understand where you're coming from when it comes to the negative stereotyping that the media makes of Black Women and the GAY community in general (because it's not entirely about the BLACK GAY MAN at all, but the GAY community with blacks being a segment within it). However, you quoted W.E.B Du Bois and spout off his wisdom in reference to the public and private way that blacks act around open society and behind closed doors around their peers and it seems that you are contradicting yourself by accusing Tyra of hating Black people because she doesn't act or look a specific way in mainstream. But let's remember shall we: MAINSTREAM is the public sphere, the public arena, and if what you say of Mr Du Bois is correct then she is acting in the way that is most befitting of the MAINSTREAM. Now, when she's at home amongst friends, then she will act accodring to the private sphere of her home.
Let us all just realize one particular aspect about the United States' culture (because you are obviously NOT from the US, but are American as one Canadian friend pointed out to me becaue you live on the American continent), only a few decades ago segregation was LAW in this country and only a few short centuries ago slavery was also LAW. The people who remember those times, while dying off, are still around and some are still in power and some teach their child a type of closeted bigotry, we as a race CANNOT expect change to just suddenly fall into our laps as if the past never existed at all. There are still kinks to work out and the majority that still has sway and power in the US is white America. So, until we are able to get a few Black presidents under out belts or create a brainwashing device to change everyone's minds, change is going to happen slowly and Tyra Banks and any other Black Woman in power in the media is going to have to conform in some way. I personally feel that the modelling industry is FAKE and contains more drama than choosing the queen at a high school prom, but that's the fashion industry and Black Woman have to be more cut throat about it than their white counterparts. So, if they must conform, then they must. At least they are out there, showing that there ARE black faces even if they aren't the ones that black people want to see or represent the culture. I, myself, as a black woman growing up took great joy in even seeing Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks and Gabrielle Union (while not a model) in the media and other black faces as well. It gave me hope that if I ever wanted to pursue these careers, while it would be hard work and alot of pain, I could at least make it somewhere. So, while you may not like the 'Eurocentric' look Tyra has, at least she's OUT there and providing a different stereotype for the media to play off on instead of the angry, overly sexualized ghetto stereotype of 'I Love New York' or 'the Flavor of Love' girls. Tell me how those women are helping the media percieve ME as an average WOMAN instead of some loud-mouthed, obnoxious, rude person.
As for the gay men: as one of the previous posters commented, isn't it better that the gay culture is getting some exposure. While it may not be the best exposure, you are forgetting that this is the FASHION industry and most of the men in the FASHION industry, if they are not the designers and even those are dubious in sexuality, are GAY and usually effeminate. And Jay Manuel doesn't seem to act like the comedic relief at ALL. Now, Miss Jay....yes, he acts...a bit comedic, but I have friends who are gay and lesbian of all races and act worse. He's tame in comparison to what I've personally experienced (trust me, when you go to a party with lesbian lolitas in various types of lolita culture and styles...whew!). Now, Mr Jay may make YOU think he's the stereotypical gay man, but I don't see any of the more 'malefic' acting gay men pushing for themselves into the media and if they do, they don't tell any one about it because they don't want to be boxed in and forced to play specific roles. The acting world and fashion world are cut throat businesses where backstabbing is the norm and if someone finds out a specific aspect about your rpivate life, it WILL be used aginst you so that some else can get ahead and if you're BLACK or an other minority, you're doubly screwed.
So, before you bag on Tyra or, even, Oprah, you need to understand the sphere that you are taling about. I do because as a child I wanted to break into that industry and learned how hard it could be for a minority of color. I have always been told that I sound white, act white and even dress that way too. I was told by an aunt that one of her great aunt's would have loved me merely because I was of a lighter skin color than my own mother. My younger brother has yellow skin and green eyes, does that make him any less black? Because I want him to pronounce words with out the vernacular that is associated with and plagues the black culture, does that make either one of us less black? Danielle, one of the ANTM's models and the one who WON, had to learn to conform to an juggernaut of an industry and quite frankly, being black listening to her talk was painful to my ears too.
Well, I've spoken my piece. Thank you for reading if you do.
It's just so annoying how bass ackward and PC this country is, and how other people portray or think of the United States and then how the United States is a total contradiction of itself. I was just reading another article about how ANTM has come under fire for some of their 'racy' fashion shoots and other photoshoots, and it irritates me that parents get angry because of the photoshoots, but the words 'ass' and 'bitch' and other words that I know I would have gotten popped for or disciplined as a child for saying and then put on punishment for a month are uttered as easily as 'hey, would you like some water?' So, I think the people who run those organizations shouldn't just come down hard on ANTM or other shows like it, but on ALL shows if they're going to be such bitches about it (yea, I said it ^_^). I see some shows on Cartoon Network that make me go, WTF?! and made me ban my little brother from even watching the channel at specific times because of the questionable material I see, and I broke out some tapes and VHSes of old television shows that I used to watch as a child that were 'kid-friendly'. So, please organizations like MAAD are just as fucking pathetic and hypocritical as the rest of this country.
Honestly! And then the hype about specific books altering children's minds so that they do bad things? That's just bad parenting. Like my little brother's mother....she's so uber-christian that she gives power to an object that doesn't have any power what so ever.
Last year I bought my little brother a book about dragons because he likes dinosaurs and dragons look a helluvalot like dinosaurs in his mind. He was only nine at the time and really didn't care because they were gigantic lizards. You should've seen how excited the munchkin got over the book and he read it immediately that day. I let him take it home when his mother came and got him so that he could enjoy it over there, but then I get a call the next day that she's going to 'mail' the book back and wants me to take the damned book back because she felt that it was 'satanic' and 'evil' and would say Isaiah to the 'dark side'. OMFG! This is not Star Wars, you dumb twit! It's a book that I clearly explained to him before I even let him have it. I quizzed him on dragons, talked to him about them being 'fictional', told him that if he had any questions for me to 'ASK' me, had him relay it back to me all the info I gave him and then asked him to tell me what it meant in his own words, and I did it all in a joking manner so that he wouldn't feel uncomfortable or like he was in trouble. And HEY, he's not Darth Vader reincarnated.
So I took the book back, but he'd already done some of the acitivities so I couldn't exchange it and I told her that so she reimbursed me the cash. The book actually cost some 12 bucks and some change, but I rattled off 13.oo because she was going to write me a check and honestly a whole number, right? She acts like she's vindicated because the number it cost was 13. She's a dumb twit, really. So I kept the book, got the cash and I am secretly, covertly undermining everything that her stupid, bigoted christian brain cooks up for my little brother to learn. I take him outside and let him know that nature exists and is alive and that whoever the creator(s) of the universe are/is, they/he/she/it don't want you cooped up in some stuffy building with other backstabbers and not learning from the true divinity which is nature itself. And no I'm not pagan or wiccan or a witch (and yes, I sperate wiccan and witch because wiccans are too flowery for their own good), but I study everything because I'm curious about all paths or if there is even a path to follow.
*wiggles fingers*
Because I'm the bad element in society. I'm that weirdo girl with the confuckeded-colorful hair that prances around school with dragonfly wings and hangs out with all the outcasts and fags, who's not afraid to see things for what they are and dig deeper for answers to the questions of life that I have, who isn't afraid to piss you off with the observations I make and the subversive character I have.
Yes, yes. Fear me.
*loud, cackling laughter as the scary music plays to its final finish*
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment