Alexis Hampton English 002-50 Dr. Dennis Winston December 5, 2013 Blac Women !

isrepresente" in #op-$%lt%re &ince A'rican-American (omen (ere 'irst allo(e" on screen, the) ha*e gaine" stat%s as talente", attracti*e, an" pop%lar (hile their character roles ha*e shi'te" 'rom the simple s%pporting t)pe (ith *er) 'e( lines to the main character star o' the sho( t)pe o'ten seen to"a) in ma+or 'ilms b%t not on tele*ision. &ince 1,-., there ha*e onl) been t(o 1-ho%r long "ramas (ith an A'rican-American (oman in a starring role/ 0Ha(tho12e3 starring 4a"a #in ett &mith an" 05he 2o. 1 6a"ies7 Detecti*e Agenc)3 starring 4ill &cott. Both o' (hich ha*e been cancelle" since "%e to lac o' pop%larit). 5he top grossing non-realit) tele*ision sho(s "o not ha*e a blac (oman in an) role an" those sho(s incl%"e/ 2$8&, 5(o an" a Hal' !en, !o"ern 9amil), 5he !entalist, an" so on. 5his is "iscom'orting to the gro(ing A'rican-American pop%lation o' (omen here in the :nite" &tates (ho 'eel the) are misrepresente" as (ell as %n"errepresente" not onl) on tele*ision b%t also in go*ernment an" e*en 'ashion. Altho%gh there are a 'ar greater n%mber o' s%ccess'%l A'rican-American (omen in societ) to"a), ranging 'rom ;prah to !ichelle ;bama, the me"ia, especiall) the tele*ision in"%str), contin%es to portra) the A'ricanAmerican (oman as the bab)-mama "rama, ratchet girl attit%"e, an" %n"ere"%cate" 'emale that other races loo "o(n %pon. Blac (omen in general ha*e e*ol*e" o*er the past cent%r) more "rasticall) than an) other gen"er<race combination. 5he) ha*e gone 'rom being sla*es an" s%b+ect to sex%al assa%lt an" mistreatment b) masters to nannies 'or (hite chil"ren to seamstresses to ho%secleaners to

(riters to secretaries to "octors an" be)on". 5he) (ere not allo(e" to "o man) things incl%"ing go to college 'or a long perio" o' histor). ;nce that "oor opene" an" the 'irst A'rican American actress appeare" in a 'ilm, there has been a constant rise in stat%s 'or blac (omen in all 'iel"s. 5he) (ere accepte" as teachers an" la()ers an" singers an" "ancers. 5he arts (ere a po(er'%l o%tlet 'or blac (omen to express their concerns an" goals an" "reams. &ince the beginning, there has been n%mero%s 'ilms, "oc%mentaries, an" tele*ision series that ha*e A'rican-American (omen characters b%t not man) (ith A'rican-American lea" roles. 5here is still a lac o' acceptance b) m%ch o' the me"ia in"%str) to allo( A'rican-American (omen to lea" a sitcom or non-realit) an" highl) pop%lar tele*ision program. 5he reason behin" this co%l" be the lac o' 'aith that it (ill be s%ccess'%l or the simple re+ection o' the concept. 5he t)pical sho(s that (ere pop%lar "%ring the =0s an" ,0s an" that starre" A'ricanAmerican (omen promote" 'amil) an" moral *al%es, monogam), an" the p%rs%it o' no(le"ge in the 'orm o' a college "egree. &ome o' the sho(s that represente" s%ch i"eals incl%"e/ 05he $osb) &ho(3 an" 0A Di''erent Worl"3. 5hese sho(s starre" not onl) A'rican American (omen, b%t A'rican American men as (ell. 5he) (ere top-rate" an" top-grossing 'or long perio"s o' time (hile on air. 5heir seasons (ere contin%e" 'or a long time an" re-r%ns are still pla)e" on "i''erent net(or s to"a). 5hese sho(s inspire" A'rican-Americans to stri*e 'or a better li'e an" p%rs%e the American "ream. ;nce these tele*ision programs gre( less pop%lar there (as a s%""en "rop in the n%mber o' programs that (ere pop%lar that ha" A'rican-American stars at all. 5his le" to the rein*ention or ne( interpretation o' the A'rican-American (oman an" ho( she is presente" to the a%"ience. 8n the 2000s (e sa( the s%rge o' realit) sho(s an" then the s%rge o' realit) sho(s that consiste" o' mainl) blac actors. An" no( (e (ill "isc%ss sai" realit) sho(s that are commonl) aire" to"a).

5he t)pical sho(s that ha*e A'rican-American (omen in lea" roles are the realit) tele*ision sho(s that o''er mone) or some other incenti*e as the pri>e to ma e it to the *er) en" or ca%se ha*oc. A 'e( examples o' these t)pes o' sho(s incl%"e/ 01eal Ho%se(i*es o' Atlanta,3 05he Ba" ?irls $l%b,3 0Bas etball Wi*es3 an" 0#rett) ?irls 1oc .3 5his is a small list o' sho(s, b%t there are a 'ar greater n%mber o' sho(s that are c%rrentl) on air or that ha*e been cancelle" (ithin the past 'i*e )ears. ;ne shoc ing contra"iction to the t)pical sho(s o' to"a) is the ne( "rama entitle" 0&can"al3 starring @err) Washington. Altho%gh the sho( is not compose" o' a large n%mber o' A'rican-American actors, @err) Washington hol"s the lea" role. !an) blac (omen "o not entirel) see this as a step in the right "irection beca%se in the sho(, @err) is ha*ing an a''air (ith the #resi"ent, she 'ixes problems 'or high-ran ing o''icials o'ten illegall), an" man) people belie*e she got her position thro%gh her acA%aintances not her har"-(or . !an) "o, ho(e*er, belie*e this is a step in the right "irection 'or representation o' the s%ccess'%l A'rican-American (oman an" the increase in lea" roles catere" to A'rican-American (omen. $hange m%st come in both the me"ia comm%nit) as (ell as (ithin the A'rican-American pop%lation. Altho%gh there is a "isli e 'or the ratchet girl representation, man) blac (omen 'it this stereot)pical character an" act accor"ingl). 5h%s, the) lo*e to (atch sho(s s%ch as 0Ba" ?irls $l%b3 beca%se it is '%n, "angero%s, an" 'ille" (ith "rama. 8' me"ia presents this role as negati*e an" ba", 'e(er actresses (o%l" (ant to 'ill it. 5hat is not tr%e, ho(e*er, in all cases "%e to the monetar) pri>e an" the simple goal o' becoming 'amo%s at (hate*er costs necessar). While it is becoming more pop%lar to gain college "egrees an" p%rs%e a career, man) A'ricanAmerican (omen 'in" it rather "i''ic%lt to "o so an" there'ore p%rs%e becoming 'amo%s. 5he) (ant to get rich A%ic an" be no(n 'ar an" (i"e. 8' the me"ia in"%str) (ere to completel) ri" tele*ision programming o' realit) sho(s, there (o%l" be no nee" 'or the ratchet girl persona. 5he

i"eal thing to "o (o%l" be to eliminate realit) sho(s, b%t that (o%l" "ramaticall) "ecrease re*en%e an" there'ore (o%l" ne*er happen or at least not in the near '%t%re. Altho%gh there are a 'ar greater n%mber o' s%ccess'%l A'rican-American (omen in societ) to"a), ranging 'rom ;prah to !ichelle ;bama, the me"ia, especiall) the tele*ision in"%str), contin%es to portra) the A'rican-American (oman as the bab)-mama "rama, ratchet girl attit%"e, an" %n"ere"%cate" 'emale that other races loo "o(n %pon. A large percentage o' the pop%lation, incl%"ing people o' other races not +%st blac , belie*es something nee"s to be "one to halt this stereot)pical ass%mption o' blac (omen that is 'ar 'rom the tr%th. 5here are more blac (omen to"a) than e*er be'ore that ha*e college "egrees, permanent +obs in the career 'iel"s o' their choice, an" e*en high ran ing positions s%ch as $E; 'or companies across the nation. 5he) 'eel that the) are misrepresente" b) the me"ia an" hope that the me"ia pro"%ces (ill contin%e to a"+%st an" change their programs to better represent A'rican-American (omen. 5he tele*ision sho(s o' the B,0s s%ch as 5he $osb) &ho( an" A Di''erent Worl" promote" college e"%cation, respecting 'amil) *al%es an" morals, an" being presentable an" har"-(or ing (hile the tele*ision sho(s o' to"a) simpl) sho(case gree" 'or po(er an" control, "isrespect 'or 'amilies as (ell as themsel*es, an" no real commitment to monogam). 5he generation o' to"a) accepts this as the stat%s A%o an" caters their actions to (hat the) see on the tele*ision screen. 5he me"ia m%st ma e changes soon to ri" the co%ntr) o' this %n'air an" inacc%rate *ie( o' A'rican-American (omen.

Bibliograph) 5hompson, @rissah. CBlac Women &till #oorl) Depicte" in !e"ia.C Washington Post. Washington #ost, 10 ;ct. 2013. Web.