From Clutch Magazine: Over 1,100 Basketball Wives fans have signed a petition asking fellow viewers to boycott one bullying cast member’s spin-off.
Evelyn Lozada, the former fiancee of basketball player Antoine Walker, is set to marry football player Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and their relationship will be chronicled on the upcoming show Chad and Ev. The petition, created on Change.org by Alexis M., asks fans to contact VH1 directly with their concerns and boycott the show, explaining:
Evelyn Lozada is a bully. The violence on “Basketball Wives” is horrible and disgraceful. Physical assaults, threats, verbal abuse, harassment and VH1 is rewarding this behavior by giving her a show. Do not reward negative behavior…This is not a hate petition against Eveyln Lozada. We simply will not support violence. It hurts to see violence amongst women on television for entertainment purposes. It is not ok for women to hit each other on TV.
I don’t think there’s anyone who’s been following the dramatic ups and downs on VH1′s Basketball Wives over these past few seasons who hasn’t noticed that the show’s content has gone from catty banter to straight up O.K. Corral-style brawling. For those not in the know, the show follows around a turbulent friendship group of well-to-do women with links to basketball players by sending them on trips and out to dinner…that’s basically all and it passes for solid mindless entertainment.
But this season Evelyn has thrown bottles and jumped over tables in pursuit of women who are guilty of offenses as small as simply saying negative things about her (as if there’s a justifiable reason to do those things anyway). People have been physically hurt and threatened. It’s become sick, sad, and ugly to look at…period. But doesn’t it follow that simply turning off the television altogether — from Basketball Wives and Chad and Ev and maybe anything that VH1 airs — would send the message that this behavior is not ok? Is it possible to reject the behavior of some cast members and still watch the show and channel as long you don’t tune in to Evelyn’s spin-off?
What do you think?
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