4
The News Argus
Oct. 30, 2006
Opinions and Editorials
Blacks portrayed in reality TV perpetuate stereotypes
The Hilltop Editorial Board
Black College News Wire
As drama queen New York told fellow
contestant Bootz on "Flavor of Love"
Season Two, "You're clicking . . . but you're
clicking down." That's the state of reality
television shows featuring blacks.
Just in the past year, cameras have fol
lowed the lives of Lil' Kim heading to jail,
DMX being his usual angry self and
Keyshia Cole visiting her former crack-
addicted mother in jail. We've had two sea
sons of Flavor Flav looking for love (or just
company for the night) and a new show set
to feature Three 6 Mafia's move to
Hollywood.
Though we are not judging the lives of
these entertainers, there is no reason tiiey
should be glorified.
The reality is, reality television is the per
fect product for network officials. The
shows are cheap to make and keep viewers
glued. And people love them.
Therein lies the problem. Stations would
n't keep cranking out these shows if there
weren't an audience waiting to devour
them. Lil' Kim's "Countdown to
Lockdown" set rating records for BET.
These shows are byproducts of society's
increasingly overwhelming obsession with
celebrities.
We in the black community must pay
closer attention to our television image.
We don't have many opportunities on tel
evision to combat the image of a knife-flail
ing New York or grill-shining Crunchy
Black, so these reality shows may seem like
just entertainment. But their impact can be
devastating.
Most of us know reality television isn't
really real, but many of those who watch,
including the youth, do not.
We are witnessing the McDonald's-iza-
tion of television with this newest wave of
black reality shows, as one Hilltopper
pointed out.
These shows are cheap, gobbled down
and very successful, and you aren't sure
what you ate until it is digested. Just as the
effects of McDonald's are seen in the obesi
ty of children, will these reality shows that
are not real at all show their impact 20
years from now?
Big networks are making big money off
the ignorance of our people (Ashton
Kutcher is executive producer of Three 6
Mafia's show), and that should never be
OK.
Preparing to go to jail should not be ele
vated, and using the restroom on yourself is
not television-worthy. Only when we as
consumers turn off the television will these
caricatures of blacks begin to fade. Many of
Black College Wire photo
Flavor Flav, an ‘80s icon, reemerged to
portray an image that has sparked con
troversy in the black community in his hit
television show.
today's black reality shows appeal to our
lowest level of intelligence and civilization.
So let's all upgrade our taste.
You want reality? Read a book.
From the Editor:
First glance determines first chance
Erin C. Perkins
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
PERKINS
"Hi, my name is ... and I am a ... majoring in ... I would
like to ... with your company." No matter how redundant
the cliche, first impressions mean everything. Selling oneself
can be a difficult challenge, especially if students walk into
an employment or intem.ship possibility unprepared
because the first few minutes of any con
versation are crucial to a first impression.
Sometimes those words are the only way
to truly ".sell" a student's personality,
goals and skills to potential employers.
Second chances in life are rare and few
in between, so it is very important to
make the most of every first impression
because it may be the only chance one gets
to leave your footprints on the minds of
those who you seek to gain employment
opportunities.
Self-confidence is key to presenting a positive self-image.
It has a unique way of rubbing off on others and leaving
them remembering you, which is actually what a student
should most want: to be remembered.
After attending the Howard University Job Fair in
Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18 and 19,1 had the opportunity
to converse with several high-profile professionals and
recent graduates who shared valuable insight to help deliver
a class-act first impression.
"I only remember students who introduced themselves to
me. 1 cannot recommend anyone [for an internship or
employment] that 1 did not meet," Aliya S. King, profession
al freelancer (Vibe, Upscale, The Source, Vixen and King)
shared.
It is very important to make one's presence known when
attending professional events where students may encounter
an individual from a field that they wish to enter. Go up and
introduce yourself to that person. Even if you do not have a
question, you can still make an effort to make your name
known. For example. King suggested that a student should
say "I enjoy what you shared and discussed today, I would
like to introduce myself." Networking is essential because
one never knows when they may want a contact or reference
for future opportunities.
"Dress to impress" is an old montage, but it still applies.
Students should wear clothes that are flattering, yet remain
appropriate, which means clothes that fit, but are not too
tight or too loose and cause you to constantly play tug-of-
war with ill-fitting clothes.
Keep it simple, wear your clothes, do not let them wear
you.
Eye contact and firm handshakes are a must because they
will make or break you. Look whoever you are speaking to
directly in the eyes throughout the conversation to show
confidence, to express interest and to give respect.
The number one rule is to be true to your best self and
express a welcoming confidence including your abilities,
strengths and ambition.
'Minority
Stereo-types'
not so minor
Tamika Green
NEWS EDITOR
You know them. You
watch them. You may even
enjoy them. They are popu
lar sitcoms with the token
"black guy," or other
minority figure. You know
the one that appears to be
thrown into the mix solely
to provide some diversity,
but who has no real role in
the show.
These characters typically
tend to be everyday work
ing class types, such as the
waiter, teacher, store clerk,
etc. But do you ever find
yourself thinking " Was the
only reason the show cast
that person is so there could
be a black (or other minori
ty) charac
ter in the
show? It is
such a
negative
way of
thinking,
but is there
any truth
to that?
I have
noticed
that of all
minorities, blacks are more
represented in television.
However, the way in which
we are represented is what
creates the problem.
Countless negative stereo
types show up in these pro
grams. This needs to
change.
Although, you can some
times find minorities in
GREEN
more powerful positions,
such as judges or doctors,
you may still get the feeling
that he or she is just placed
into the show to make the
cast appear more diverse.
Also, shows that have a
black character as one of the
main cast members often
tend to be portrayed in a
certain way. They are often
shown as "thugs" or "smart
mouths." This is not a fair
portrayal of blacks.
We are not all "ghetto
loudmouths" who like to
get in your face. So why
must we continue to be
shown this way? Rarely are
we depicted as intelligent or
successful characters.
Every black female does not
say "Oh, no you didn't!"
and the only interests of
black males are not money,
cars and women.
Predominantly white
shows like ABC's Will &
Grace, a comedy about a
straight woman and a
homosexual may who live
together, very rarely have
minority characters, other
than the ever-present
Hispanic maid Rosario.
Of course there are always
a few exceptions to any
thing. Some shows do
depict blacks in a positive
light. FOX's House, a show
about the daily goings on at
a hospital, has a black doc
tor played by Omar Epps.
The same can be said for
ABC's Grey's Anatomy which
has a similar theme. It has
three blacks and one Asian
in its cast.
Television executives need
to include more positive
images of blacks in their sit
coms. Until this occurs, the
stereotypes will continue to
prevail over the truth.
Ask La'Chelle
Q: I am very serious
about my academics. I
work very hard and I earn
good grades, but I feel
like my pockets are
becoming very empty. I
want to get a job to earn
more money, but I don't
want this
to inter
fere with
my
school-
work. I
really
want
both a
job and
good
grades,
but I just
don't know how I can bal
ance the two.
A: Academics are very
important; matter of fact,
they should come before
anything. I understand the
wants and needs of the
average students and
sometimes the money that
family and other relatives
send is just not enough.
LA’CHELLE
You will just need to search
for a job that can accom
modate your class sched
ule. Most employers
understand that you are a
college student and that
you can only work certain
days, so they are willing to
accommodate your sched
ule. The most important
thing to remember when
having a job and going to
school is knowing how to
manage time; setting time
out to work and time out
to study is very important.
You shouldn't get caught
up in working so much
that you slack off in your
academics.
Q: Being an out-of- state
student from Maryland
can be very hard at times;
I don't get to go home
much; I don't know many
people from where I am
from. Sometimes I feel
like an outcast. I want to
make new friends but I
am shy. Do you have any
suggestions?
A: Being a college stu
dent, period, can be hard.
There are thousands of stu
dents from various loca
tions who attended
Winston-Salem State
University. Meeting new
people, especially those
who you want to become
your friends, can also be a
challenge, as well as being
lonely. WSSU has some
clubs and organization
particularly for those stu
dents who live in the
northern states. Maybe you
should try to look into
these organizations to see
how they can help benefit
you. I am sure that these
organizations have several
people with whom you can
share common interests. In
making new friends, being
yourself is the key factor in
creating long-term friend
ships.
Q: I am failing my biol
ogy class; but I can't drop
it because I need it to
graduate. How can I get
help?
A. If you need this class
to graduate and are not
able to drop it you should
try to find a tutor. When
your professor passed out
the syllabus, he or she
probably provided the
class with his/her office
hours and contact informa
tion. Take advantage of
these office hours and con
tact information. Continue
to go to class, take notes
and study hard. You
should ask questions when
you do not understand
something, continue to
visit your professors dur
ing office hours, call, and
e-mail. Do whatever you
can to show the professor
that you are trying; show
him/her that even though
you are failing that you are
taking some type of initia
tive to get the work done.
If the professor feels that
he/she cannot help you,
ask him/her to put you in
contact with someone who
can.
Cartoon courtesy of MCT Wire Service
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