If ABC’s supposed spoof of its hit show “Desperate Housewives” was so raunchy and unfit for prime time television, then the message was not given to its subsidiary, ESPN, Monday night.
The network has continuously shown the 90-second skit starring Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens and “Housewives” star Nicollette Sheridan during repeats of SportsCenter and NFL Live.
If Disney, ABC’s parent company, really regretted its distasteful display Monday it should have ordered all of its television subsidiaries to not air the skit during prime time, which is between 6 and 10 p.m.
USA Today reported Thursday that Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy described Monday’s skit to the Chicago media as “stereotypical in looking at the player, and on the heels of the Kobe Bryant incident.”
While Dungy’s comments might be blowing the issue out of proportion, the fact is the NFL cannot continue to promote being family oriented one week and allowing players to comment on how they are going to kill the head of a quarterback the next.
Such hypocrisy between the NFL and the networks that televise its games can be traced to one thing, the almighty dollar.
If viewers were really ready for football, racy scenes starring the league’s most controversial player would not be needed to attract viewers.
Until fans of the real game, not the advertising one, spend their time watching other things from the NFL, the television networks will continue to produce such tactless travesties.
Blacks willingly
portray stereotypes through actions
“That’s why our people don’t have anything, because we don’t know how to go in places and act properly.”
The words from Jay-Z’s “22 2’s” from his classic debut album “Reasonable Doubt” rang out like a buckshot after Monday’s unfortunate stabbing incident at the taping of the second annual Vibe Awards in Los Angeles.
At an awards event put on by the popular magazine designed to honor blacks in the entertainment industry, we once again showed out by perpetuating a widely believed stereotype with yet another showing of senseless and unwarranted act of violence.
As Vibe founder Quincy Jones and west coast emcee Snoop Dogg stood on stage ready to present hip-hop legend and super producer Dr. Dre with a lifetime achievement award, a man, now thought to be Jimmy James Johnson, acted as if he wanted Dre’s autograph before sucker punching him.
Soon after, a melee ensued involving both thrown punches and chairs.
Approximately 1,000 members of the crowd ran for the exits.
This is a serious blow for hip hop, but a bigger blow for blacks as a whole.
As we strive to takeover mainstream media and garner the respect that we feel we deserve.
We continue to disrespect, not only ourselves, but also the legacy of artists who suffered through the racism and scrutiny of the minstrel show period.
Except now, instead of being forced to dress up in black face, we willingly portray and act out the preconceived notions of our oppressors in the most public of settings.