Alright VH1, this isn’t funny anymore.
Watching women argue over the greatest “hype-man” in history was entertaining…for a little while. But now, it’s hard to watch “Flavor of Love 2” without a twinge of embarrassment.
Some people might ask why this show is so offensive. Who doesn’t want to watch a dozen young women scratch, claw and curse their way into the heart of a middle-aged man they probably wouldn’t look at twice if not for the show?
Yes, many of us watch the show through the creases of my fingers as we attempt to shield our eyes from this televised debauchery.
But even through this small window of vision, you still see Flavor Flav gobbling fried chicken mid-sentence and howling semi-literate phrases. With each minute of the show, Flavor Flav manages to empower those stereotypes that we as a people have been running from for so long.
In the ’80s and ’90s Flavor Flav’s voice wasn’t just that of a “hype-man’s,” but an exclamation point on the politically-charged decrees of Public Enemy. This is why his current career exploits are so confusing.
This season we had the opportunity to watch a young Caucasian woman blatantly mock our culture, and a handful of other women of color degrade themselves under Flav’s command. And to put a cap on their humiliation, each of these women are given a name that is based on an attribute or an act. Kind of reminds you of a pimp naming his employees.
So think about it. Is all this really funny? Can we really laugh at broadcast ignorance? If you think so…you probably need to try a new flavor.
Akeem Anderson for the editorial board