Introduction
Over the time, society, and the United States citizens have blamed the media as portraying black women in a negative light. However, the roles that the black American women play are a result of their willingness, and as such, they are indeed the cause of the negative portrayal that they receive. Apparently, several black American women in the United States are willing to take up any role and undertake in with the intention of earning some dollars and improving their living standards. Readiness to take up roles, which encompass violence, mismanagement of money, poor etiquette, and rowdy behavior, are some of the factors that amplify their negative portrayal by the TV shows and genres such The Real Housewives of Atlanta. By accepting and engaging in the roles, they initiate negative feelings and attitudes of the individuals in the society, who think that the black American women are not well mannered. It is within this backdrop that the paper examines how black American wives contribute to their negative portrayal in the reality TV genre using the show The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Black American women accept the leading roles in the films that are exploitative. By accepting the roles, they contribute to the negative publicity that the media displays. The need for money and low living standards has compelled several African American women to take up roles that demean and compromise their cultures and decent characters. Readiness to take up the roles implies that the directors do not need to look for their white counterparts as the black American women provide a ready workforce for the roles. In as much as they need money, the roles that these women engage in lead to a bad impression and diminish their dignity in the society. According to Collins, some of the ways through which they women can receive blame is through incidents such as violence that they engage in among others (Collins 12-22). Regardless of how much they try to make a good first impression, their companion in most cases usually have a predetermined opinion concerning them. Therefore, they are forced to play the part that everyone expects of them even though their personal interests or standards are compromised in the process.
Violence
Notably, black American women tend to be violent in the various show castings that they undertake. Producers promote and exaggerate episodes that include arguments during their advertisements to get the attention of the audience. The media coverage is usually excessive and weeks before airing the episode, lovers of the episodes make a point of watching the scenes. Movie creators deliberately hire a cast, setting, survey, product settlement, and rewriting in the provision of the contravened narrative that exists merely to trade one item of viciousness with another. From the perspective of Chery, the other races like the whites think that black American women are violent, conflict-oriented, and full of ratchetness (Chery L.1). For instance, in the Real Housewives of Atlanta during their special season premiere reunion, one of the cast members Porsha Williams physically attacked Kenya Moore.
Unfortunately, for Porsha Williams, she had to take real life responsibility after being sued in the court of law. Unlike her, the producers did not take any blame for the consequences of the playwright. They only stated that they were not liable for the actions or play script. The media industry, especially the film and music sectors exploit the coverage they get to spread their malicious interests to the public. Through the shows, producers depict black American women as angry lot waiting to erupt upon provocation just like the active volcanoes. The women can only hope that the executive producers and editors will make a change. In doing so, they hope to achieve to being viewed by the audience as more than just anger obsessed.
Mismanagement of money
In addition, when people watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta, black American women appear as spendthrifts. From the shows, the women cannot handle large sums of money at their disposal. The program displays them as persons, who cannot budget the money they have. For instance, in the films the rate that the black women spend their money on shopping sprees, buying clothes, as well as hosting large parties are tremendous. The show provides a wrong illusion that only a few people of the racial cliché are empowered with the ability to have large sums of cash in their bank accounts. Fundamentally, the Real Housewives show demonstrates a very small population that is economically empowered with financial stability. However, the group’s reputation becomes a subject of wrong imagination portrayed by the shows.
Infidelity
Another aspect that substantiates the contribution of black American women in a negative light is infidelity. Practically, the show depicts black women as individuals, who engage in infidelity. They break other people’s marriage and relationships. The extent to which they go to achieve their goals knows no boundaries. Even if the man in question is their friends’ husband or boyfriend, they will go to great limits to ensure they have him whenever they are interested. Thus, the girl code that a majority would rather uphold is broken, so does the close ties the allies had initially. Furthermore, some even fake having lovers until they become a couple. From the show is evident that the cases of infidelity are rampant among the learned working class women.
The aspect of infidelity and immoral character of black American women is very clear from Porsha, who gets intimate with any man that she meets. Therefore, the show demonstrates black American women as people, who engage in sexual immorality because they have limited time on their plate to build and nurture relationships to become dependable and reliable for them. In addition, the women do not wait to be approached by men. Instead, they make their intentions known to those with whom they have sexual interests. Therefore, they are termed as easy goers since the man does not need to make any effort to attract the attention of such females.
Etiquette
Besides their violent, poor management of money, and infidelity roles that the black American women play, the show also presents the women as individuals, who do not have a good etiquette. Poor dressing code and lucrative lifestyles that the black American women demonstrate in the show lead to a wrong attitude from the society. Their choice of lifestyle is so questionable that they cannot be anyone’s role model but themselves. The show disgraces the black women by encouraging them to dress skimpily and use vulgar language in their speech. For instance, Cynthia even though she has a seventeen-year-old, she still has the audacity to fight with another on a boat. Conversely, Kenya is always seeking some kind of drama to engage in. What is more, they get to live in the high-end estates in the state while their apartments are simply a wonder (Claiborne, Sanchez and Claiborne 1).
Additionally, they are hypocritical in the mannerisms. Phaedra although she was born and raised in a Christian based family, her choice of clothing and behavior does not reflect her background. She is an embarrassment to the Christian generation that holds the doctrine virtues and values in high esteem. Through their behavior, African American women who are religious do not feel proud to associate with them. They can only watch from afar, as the events unfold before their eyes. Regrettably, for them, they get to be judged wrongfully. The dressing choice of Cynthia, as well as the rest of the crew, makes them lack role models for their young adults and toddlers in the mass media as they watch the program whenever the Bravo Productions air it. Luckily, Kim attire is classy and reverent. In addition, she has a courteous family that supports her through her endeavors in life, making viewers wonders if she found herself on the show by mistake.
Conclusion
Violence, poor management of money, infidelity, and poor etiquette are roles that African American women play in TV programs such as The Real Housewives of Atlanta. When black women play these roles, the society thinks that they practice the roles in their real and day-to-day lives, a factor that leads to the negative attitude that the society has towards them. It is important to explain that the women appear as individuals, who have loose principles, and thus, the society looks at them as people, who cannot deliver in other sectors of the state. The wrong impression is a contribution that the women make, as they are always willing and ready to take up the roles irrespective of the consequences that come along with their appearances in the show. Therefore, it should be clear that the black American women are among the players, who contribute to their negative portrayal in programs or genres such as The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Readiness to act in the roles that concern bad and indecent behaviors is an aspect that clarifies the contribution of the women in initiating the negative portrayal.
Works Cited
Chery L., Neely. “You're dead-so what?:Media, Police, and the Invisibility of the Black Women as victims of Homicide.” Michigan State University Press (2015). 23 April 2016. <http://msupress.org/books/book/?id=50-1D0-33D3#.VxvCrvl97IV>.
Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. Second Edition. Routledge, 2000.
JR Feagin, MP Sikes. Living with Racism: The Black Middle-Class Experience . Ed. Reprint edition. Beacon Press, 1994.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Dirs. Terrence Claiborne, et al. 2014.
