It’s amazing to me how many double standards there are when you analyze what’s accepted in the white culture. I was sitting on my love seat watching television when the previews for Mama Mia appeared on my screen. A renowned British musical focusing on the life of a young girl who’s about to marry. But this young girl takes on the mission of searching through her mother’s diary trying to locate her biological father. Her mother, of course, has no idea as to who it is. During her search she discovers that there are three possible men that could be her father. Well, it’s time to call Maury!
What if we were to change the nationality of these innocent characters? Would this hit musical still get the rave reviews it received on Broadway? Would it have even made it to Broadway? Instead of the star character being named Sophie, what if the star character was named Keisha. What if Keisha didn’t know who her father was amongst the three men. What if the mother was named LaShonda instead of the name Donna. Would it be accepted amongst the countless number of nationalities if the entire cast were black? Or would it be shunned because it would be "stereotypical"?
Let’s use Desperate Housewives as another example. It received 15 Emmy nominations this year. A dark satire about suburbia that became an instant hit in its debut season.. Would it be labeled as taboo if the cast of this hit series were black? Would the titled be changed to Desperate Whores?
How about Sex in the City? Would it be accepted if four black women, age ranging from mid-thirties to 40’s slept around for six seasons on HBO? Sex and the City is a multiple Emmy Award, Golden Globe award winning cable television program. Would this same television series be well received if the star cast were black?
For years the Showtime Movie Network provided Adult Movies on the Showtime After-Hours line up. In the early nineties the movie line up began at 10:30 p.m. The female cast in the adult movies were white women with slim frames. On the equally popular station Real Sex aired on HBO airing over 20 episodes. You found the same type of women in their episodes. Slim frames with almost non-existent curves. Full figured voluptuous women with full curves given casting roles in HBO and Showtime cable network adult movies are unacceptable. It has never happened before and probably never will.
From this I have drawn the conclusion that when it’s black, it’s simply taboo.
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