Fox TV's New Minstrel Show

[Im The Truth]

Fox TV's New Minstrel Show

New America Media, Commentary, Jasmyne A. Cannick, Posted: Sep 28, 2009 Review it on NewsTrust

It could be because for the first time America has a black president and the First Lady is a sista, and together with their two beautiful black daughters overnight improved the international image of black people, let alone Americans. But leave it to the diabolical minds at Fox Networks to pick up where BET left off with the debut of their newest show “The Cleveland Show,” where in just 22 minutes they managed to portray black mothers as unmarried promiscuous sexual objects, black teenage girls as headed down the same path as their mothers, young black boys as sexual deviants, and black people period as being unable to speak anything other than Ebonics — all in the name of comedy.

Just like with the character Shirley Q. Liquor, a black unmarried welfare mother who guzzles malt liquor, drives a Caddy, and has 19 “chirrun” some of whom are named Cheeto, Orangello, Chlamydia, and Kmartina, who is routinely performed by a white man in blackface, there’s nothing funny about an animated television series that seeks to legitimize and reinforce every negative stereotype about black people during primetime to the delight of white audiences from coast to coast.

When President Barack Obama was sworn into office, it signaled a new beginning for American politics and the end of mainstream media news reporting as we knew it because every day for the next four years, at least, a black man was going to be the lead story on the evening newscast, and not for committing a crime, dunking a ball, or singing a song. In return, the news media sought to find balance by quietly, yet intentionally, removing black anchors and reporters from newscasts around the country. I guess they figured one Negro making news on a daily basis was enough without having to hear about from one as well.

All black or majority-black casts on television are a rare commodity. Blacks almost all but disappeared from broadcast television years ago, putting black actors and actresses on the endangered species list with their news media counterparts.

Even in today’s economy and with the status of blacks on television, be it entertainment or news, Fox is willing to capitalize off the continued objectification of black women by using animation to over-sexualize their physical characteristics. (At least if the show weren’t animated, a black woman would be getting paid cash money for being objectified on screen, and a lot more than she would for just doing a voiceover, if you know what I’m saying.)

Just like BET knew they were pushing the envelope when they tried to go there with “We Can Do Better,” Fox knows it’s pushing something with “The Cleveland Show,” and it isn’t an envelope. Fox is making an attempt to capitalize off of the negative stereotypes of blacks and laughing all the way to the bank.

Don’t think so? How much do you think companies paid to advertise during a show that featured an overweight, recently divorced black man and his overweight, developmentally challenged black son, who go down south where the father hooks up with his black, overly voluptuous yet promiscuous high school crush only to play father to her delinquent black children—all while speaking whites people’s version of black Ebonics? I’m just saying.

It never ceases to amaze me what’s not off limits when it comes to black people. I say that because I know that had “The Cleveland Show” been pitched as the “The Weismans” or “The Hernandezes” — with the same characters — we’d probably have been watching re-runs of something else Sunday night.

I wonder about the black people who did bother to tune into “The Cleveland Show” debut. Were we so busy laughing that we failed to realize the joke was on us? It’s happened before. Just look at the misogynistic lyrics in rap music recited by black men, financed by white, and bought by both races that continue to portray black women as nothing more than sexual objects to the point where some of us are so confused that we’ve gladly taken on the role.

After the election of a president who is black, but neither divorced nor overweight, and a First Lady who is black but married and raising her two children — children who aren’t having sex prematurely or showing signs of early criminal activity — Fox’s debut of the “The Cleveland Show” is nothing more than a desperate and stealth attempt to work against the improved international image of black people. Fox says it’s animation domination but it’s more like animation demonization—of black people.

And before you ask, “What about ‘The Family Guy?’” – consider this. While “The Family Guy’s” father, son, and daughter may be on the chubby side, remember that the parents are married, the kids attend school regularly, and they all speak pretty good English.

The author of Ebony Magazine’s July 2008 cover story on Serena Williams, unexpected and unapologetic, at Jasmyne Cannick, 31, is a critic and commentator based in Los Angeles who writes about the worlds of pop culture, race, class, sexuality, and politics as it relates to the African-American community. She can be reached at JasmyneCannick.com.

[Black7Sun]

Im The Truth, I just thought I'd bring it to the forefront so Brothers and Sister can get an idea what's it's all about for themselves.


Hulu - The Cleveland Show: Pilot - Watch the full episode now.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kha-w2bnH4I















But if you think that's something, check this out.






Do y'all remember this b***s***?

[G.O.D.F.A.T.H.A.]

The Cleveland Show is too coonish for me.

[Pragmatic]

DL Hughley Breaking the News
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhfjMGlgv34

DL Hughley ATTACKS Rutgers Women on Jay Leno Show

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIqD1GCvedw&feature=player_embedded#





Jun 19 2007
8:21 am
DL Hughley Faces Protest From Black Ministers For Telling Rutgers Jokes

This past Saturday DL Hughley faced protests from black ministers and community activists outside of a show in Dallas, Fort Worth. They were up late one night and caught DL Hughley’s recent appearance on The Jay Leno Show. It’s there that DL proceeded to unleash a couple of jabs to the girl’s chins.

He basically said the Rutgers girls were some of the ugliest women he’s seen in his whole life.


DL Hughley Faces Protest From Black Ministers For Telling Rutgers Jokes







DL Hughley’s Def (and Dumb) Comedy Jam on CNN

	D.L. Hughley as the new Step-in-Fetch-it

DL Hughley?s Def (and Dumb) Comedy Jam on CNN

	D.L. Hughley as the new Step-in-Fetch-it

DL Hughley Breaks the News: Dr Boyce Watkins Dislikes It




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjbBWMy0Mq4&NR=1






[Election 2008]



I continue to be irritated by Fox News, which is why I don’t watch it. We know clear racism when we see it, and it should not be legitimized by our viewership.

However, I’ve always given CNN a pass. I’ve overlooked the fact that nearly every financial analyst on the network is a White male, since that tends to be the norm in almost every academic department in America. I could almost overlook the atrocious spectacle called “Black in America”, which presented African Americans to the world as pathetic lab rats to be studied and pitied. When it came to CNN, I presumed that they are simply victims of the same institutionalized racism which plagues nearly every other corporation, university and media outlet in our country. I don’t get mad at every racist I see, since I truly, and perhaps naively, believe that most Americans strive to be good people.

But the new CNN show, “DL Hughley Breaks the News” was something I simply cannot forgive.

In Hughley’s new show, he attempts to add a comedic spin to the presidential election with “commentary” by characters such as “Freddie Mac”, a pimp who apparently caused the financial crisis. In the interview with Freddie Mac, the pimp makes typical pimp-like comments such as “bitch betta have my money”, and “pimps up, hoes down” in reference to the 2008 Presidential election. There are also segments which explain that President Obama’s healthcare plan would include “gold grills for everyone”, along with other equally tasteless jokes that have no place on an allegedly “mainstream” news network just a few days before one of the most significant elections in American history.

Nearly every joke on Hughley’s show came back to some generalized stereotype, reminding us that African Americans are seen as relatively trifling “social critters” and not much of anything else. My good friend Roland Martin at CNN has never received the same respect as political caricatures like Nancy Grace and Glenn Beck. So, the most degrading thing CNN can do is to finally give an African American a show after he agrees to turn the stellar Obama presidential campaign into a minstrel show. I am not sure if Flavor Flav or Juan Williams (the educated version of Flavor Flav) could have done a better job.

I have to say that DL Hughley lost my respect 2 years ago during the Don Imus debacle. After working hard on the phone with Rev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton to construct a plan to challenge Imus’ corporate sponsors, I was saddened to watch DL use this situation as an opportunity to say things that no self-respecting Black public figure would say. On the Jay Leno show, I dropped my face to the floor when I heard Hughley say, “Yes, those women really WERE a pack of nappy headed hoes!” I could not understand why Hughley could not simply make the appearance as a comedian citing the quality of his work, rather than a Black man agreeing to engage in the degradation of Black women for the enjoyment of a predominantly white audience.

At that point, I decided that when DL Hughley is on a show, I will not watch him. I can understand the grit and grind of getting ahead, but getting ahead at all costs makes you a professional garden tool. Perhaps the show’s resident pimp, Freddie Mac could use DL as one of his employees. The idea that this seasoned comedian would leverage his Blackness in such a degrading way simply makes me wonder why he never developed greater range as a performer. His laughs always go back to the same old unintelligent place, like the little kid on the school bus who memorizes 800 “ya mama” jokes and recites them one by one to keep the other kids laughing. Just when Obama taught us all to step outside the box, CNN and DL Hughley have reminded us to stay inside the socio-political ghetto.

The audience members are not laughing WITH you DL, they are laugh AT YOU.

I make these comments as a Black man, which I’ve been for quite a while now. I am a loyal fan of Katt Williams, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Richard Pryor, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Murphy and other cutting edge and incredibly talented comedians. I don’t wear my “Black Panther Hat” everywhere I go, and I have as many guilty pleasures as anyone when it comes to laughing about things that might be considered offensive. I also say this as a moderate fan of Def Comedy Jam, most forms of hip hop and nearly everything else that reflects the beauty and diversity of being Black in our great nation. But the truth of the matter is that there must be a point where the line is drawn, like realizing that you don’t put a porn shop inside a church or bring a gun to a baby shower.

It is amazing that CNN would sign off on this show right before such an historic and politically sacred event, sending a clear message to African Americans that the only way to get their attention is to “be really black and make us laugh”. This once again underscores the necessity for more black-owned media outlets. Perhaps if there were a greater diversity of Black-owned media in America, we would not have to sell each other out for our moment in the sun. Until that time, I’ll be getting most of my news from the Internet.

Congratulations DL, it appears that your show will be a smash hit. You’ve become America’s favorite nappy headed hoe. I really hope it was worth it.


Dr. Boyce Watkins - Black Speaker of the Year

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of "What if George Bush were a Black Man?" For more information, please visit Dr. Boyce Watkins - Black Speaker of the Year.

Peace be upon you

[SoularFlarez]

i wonder who their SPONSORS are..... what commercials come on during those shows....???

[Pragmatic]

Originally Posted by SoularFlarez

i wonder who their SPONSORS are..... what commercials come on during those shows....???

That's funny...~

On the real side though, good question.

Peace be upon you

[Black7Sun]

can someone please tell me . . . what the f*** is this sh*t really all about?!!





Main | Frankie & Neffe | OnTV | BET.com

I never watched it (or hardly anything on BET for that matter) but I've seen it advertised. Other than seeing that it has to do with a relationship between a mother and daughter, I haven't the faintest idea what it's all about . . . and that's even after I watched the video up top. I guess what I really mean is (for us, as Black-people) what's the purpose of this sh*t?!!

Please enlighten me.

[SoularFlarez]

Originally Posted by Black7Sun

can someone please tell me . . . what the f*** is this sh*t really all about?!!





Main | Frankie & Neffe | OnTV | BET.com

I never watched it (or hardly anything on BET for that matter) but I've seen it advertised. Other than seeing that it has to do with a relationship between a mother and daughter, I haven't the faintest idea what it's all about . . . and that's even after I watched the video up top. I guess what I really mean is (for us, as Black-people) what's the purpose of this sh*t?!!

Please enlighten me.

nothing against them 2 personally......

but i think its to slow down the awakening of the Queen-Mother-Goddesses......

on TV we've got....
Oprah
Tyra
Wendy Williams (not sure if thats a tranny sometimes though?)
the Flavor of Love, Real Chance of Love girls........etc you get the picture.......

but this is a time when we supose to be waking up and elevating.......all this Maury/Jerry Springer DRAMA bullshit is slowing things down.......


what we Eat,
what we See
what we Hear.........all fucking with our subconscious.......PROGRAMMING US !!!

tellevision shows, movies, music....... its like digital voodoo......

it can be used BOTH for positive or negative but most of it is negative..........i dont doubt theres SOME good in it......far as gettin bak the mother-daughter bond, the mother realizing her running wild meant passing on alot of BS to the next generation.........her tryin to get clean n better herself etc.........THAT part is kool........

[Jalili]

What should we expect when we don't control what is put out into the media?

[Black7Sun]

Originally Posted by SoularFlarez

tellevision shows, movies, music....... its like digital voodoo......

LOL I like that, "digital voodoo". That's phrase hits the nail right on the head.

You're right, the digital hocus-pocus conditioning process done on the public (the Black-masses in particular) has been really amped-up these two decades. You have the shows already in focus in this thread, those stupid-ass afternoon court-shows dumbing-down people into thinking that's what real court-procedure is like and, now that there's hundreds of channels to choose from since damn-near everybody's got cable and/or satellite, countless other mind-numbing sh*t for people to get hypnotized by.

Jalili, what you said is on point too. Damn-near all my life I've been hearing Black-people runnin' that same sh*t, "we gotta get our own . . . when are we gonna get our own", over and over 'til I'm almost getting tired of hearing it. I can give a whole list of reasons why not only is it not coming about but how we're slowly losing many of the ones that exist. However, I think it stems from one primary factor, we have a deep-seeded contempt for ourselves that we try so hard to masquerade.

What I'm getting at is this, since we're on the topic concerning media. I'm sure y'all have noticed the explosion of (what is dubbed) alternative-media taking place via the internet (I'm speaking-on the ones that strictly deals with news and events). A, by its popularity with the masses, continuously growing media that has the establishment so shook that they wanna shut it down. I'm sure y'all also noticed how the majority of these media-outlets are owned and run by Whites (the english speaking ones that is). Now within the past couple of decades where this whole "net" thing really started taking off, why the hell didn't we get a bigger chunk than what we already got? And the half, if not most, of the internet radio-stations does an incredibly half-ass job at that. Case in point, if you listen many internet radio-stations that focuses on Black-issues, all they do is play the same recorded sh*t over and over. It gets to the point of being pathetic.

[Jalili]

I'll add to what your saying Blacksun by putting it like this...........WE ARE EITHER TOO SLOW TO JUMP ON AN IDEA OR WE ARE JUST SO READY TO LET SOME ONE DO IT FOR US AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT'S ABOUT AS LIKE AS THERE'S A BLACK FACE OR TWO.

We could have had a large chunk of the internet revolution, but we seem like we are just jumping into the business. We can even jump into it now, we just have to put our heads together and make something happen.

.........If anyone wants to do something LETS GET IT GOING shit., We can do a web cam comedy show, news channel, WHATEVER we just have to put our heads together and get it moving.