Black men and reality TV: Should the men of 'Love & Hip Hop' be held accountable for their actions?
OPINION - It is black men who have been the least likely to stand up and speak out against these unflattering caricatures of their collective image...
Need for change must include men
A change in television’s landscape, including demands for quality, non-exploitative, entertainment that rejects the violent and hyper-sexualized images of black women, are all reasonable demands.
However, to only speak to the image of black women, only addresses half the problem. The absence of a real critique of the often violent, abusive and sexual irresponsible black male reality stars seems to be the result of a dangerous mix of misogyny and respectability politics. This places the onus of earning respect on the backs of woman while deflecting, and in many instances dismissing, any real criticism of male behavior as the reality of boys just being boys.
Without the same level of public scrutiny, black male reality stars have been free to engage in some of the most destructive of behaviors without taking responsibility for their actions. In some respects, they are rewarded.
For example, when Evelyn Lozada jumped over a table in an attempt to attack her nemesis, we saw a series of efforts waged by viewers to get Basketball Wives pulled from the airwaves. Yet when Lil’ Scrappy and Stevie J of Love & Hip Hop Atlanta had it out physically in a parking lot, the biggest response we saw from viewers was the celebration of the cutesy catchphrase, “Put them paws on ’em,” which was uttered by Lil’ Scrappy during the altercation.
Men get away with being naughty
It would seem that our tolerance for debased actions and debauchery has its gender exceptions. And yet there is danger in the lack of public scrutiny of the black male reality television star.
For one, it perpetuates the idea that how men behave has little impact on society and the welfare of women and children – even though displaying a sense of entitlement without taking responsibility for others is one of the major warning characteristics of an abuser of women and children.
Secondly, these male images socialize women to accept this overall jerkiness as a fact of life and love with men. In reality there are men in this world capable of loving women and their children without being abusive, violent womanizers.
Therefore, to take a stand against these misrepresentations of black masculinity is to take a stand against domestic abuse, rape and the overall mistreatment of women and children.
Holding black male reality stars accountable
It is high time that black male reality television stars be held accountable for their actions.
Like their female counterparts, they need to be dragged to the carpet and made to answer critically for how their personal dysfunctions contribute to the negative stereotypes of black boys and men. This is not fair to all the upstanding black men doing their best to be responsible in this world.
If that doesn’t work, their negative portrayals should be shamed and publicly denounced. But to continue to ignore the negative image of these black male reality television stars means to co-sign these behaviors as normal and acceptable. As a society and community we can no longer afford to perpetuate this flawed and potentially quite dangerous logic.
Charing Ball is the author of the blog People, Places & Things.
