I know that several entries ago I stated that I would tone down on media commentaries but I'm afraid that an analysis is necessary. Blame it on Oprah and Ice Cube's latest effort, Black White. As I will remind the reader countless times through out this site's existence, the Afronerd mantra is to debunk stereotypes most often attributed to people of color. Unfortunately, based on what I witnessed on TV yesterday, this mantra is definitely not being followed by others. Wednesday's topic on Oprah was interracial dating as experienced by Black Women. The show also served as a vehicle to promote Sanaa Lathan's latest celluloid effort, Something New, which also deals with the White male/Black female commingling issue. Let me first state that perhaps I live in my own head....my own universe. I define Pro-Blackness differently than I suspect many of my contemporaries. In my world, if you are truly comfortable with your ethnicity, one does not have to preface everything with statements such as..."Speaking as a proud Black woman" or "As an African-American male." And I'm not one for promoting the concept that superficial phenotypical distinctions make human beings so different. So having said that, why was it necessary for Oprah to give the impression that many Black women must tell White men that they have to take a hands off approach to their hair. The first ten minutes of the show dealt with what appeared to be madness and insecurity about hair. This so-called insecurity gave the impression that in order for White males (truth be told all males)to approach a Black woman, they must read an instruction manual. Not every Black female is an enigma. I don't think that any person regardless of gender should go through a maze to connect with someone. Thanks to Oprah, with discussions centered on penis coloring, lip size and kissing ability multi-racial interaction reached a new low. Many African-Americans, due to willing (and unwilling)historical miscegenation possess a variety of physical characteristics within the race making the aforementioned distinctions moot. For the 400 plus years that interracial liasons have existed in the US, Blacks and Whites kissing each other appears to have been figured out, Oprah! I think the brothers have had little difficulty in this regard. Are we really in a new millennium folks?.....maybe I didn't get the memo. Now along the same theme..Black White, is a new six-part reality series produced by rapper/actor Ice Cube that posits what would happen when you put two families together of different races (hence the Black and White element) and have them switch identities through the magic of Hollywood make-up artistry. I must say that the make-up on both sets of families is truly amazing. Gone are the days of F-troop Indians or Amos and Andy style minstrel shoe polish. The White female teenager (now a "sister" for 6 shows) looked the most authentic and downright attractive. How effective doctored situations can convey Blackness to White folks and vice versa remains to be seen. How Blacks and Whites allegedly walk, talk, and react through each others eyes is difficult to watch. Both families appear to act like the other race based on perceptions with very little reality....which is odd..because isn't this a reality show? Perhaps life really isn't as simple as Black and White. More commentary to follow by yours truly as the show progresses.
No comments:
Post a Comment