“ Africa is special because there is little common understanding between Africans and Americans to provide context for interpretation” (Hawk 1992:4)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826tpNNrCF0

What are the first things that come to mind when you think of Ethiopia? Poverty?  Famine? African children with bloated tummies from lack of food?  Ethiopia and other regions of Africa are usually viewed in only a negative perspective. This is because mainstream media tend to hide the beauty and elegance of Africa by focusing on stereotypes. I believe these stereotypes were created out of lack of knowledge.

Mainstream media has a huge impact on the way we view the world.  They feed us false facts about Africa, thereby blinding us from the truth.  Common misconceptions include visions of a land completely covered with forests and exotic animals; African people as “tribal”, poor, and uneducated; and Africa is shown as HIV-ridden, corrupt, violent, and unsafe.  Calling Africa a country is also false; it is a continent.

As if sharing false information wasn’t enough, media sources seldom show the existence of the upper class regions of Africa, the regions with beautiful, prospering cities.  Rarely do we hear or see stories or images of Addis Ababa, the beautiful capital of Ethiopia.  There is even less talk about how Africa and its culture have inspired the world.

The video above shows Africa’s artistic, architectural enriched cities and gorgeous landscapes.  These are things that are rarely seen on TV, if ever.

Missie Hahn is a freelance journalist, photographer, and regular contributor to As NOT Seen on TV.

Following are eight false visions about black people that are shown on TV.

1. Almost all shows starring black people are comedies. We are serious people with serious lives.
2. There are few successfully married black couples.  There are interracial couples with black men with white women. You even see white men with black women coupling.  As for successful black couples, outside of the Obamas – nothing.
3. All black women are not video hoes. All black men are not athletes. All black women are not struggling single mothers and all black children are not in gangs.
4. Thin is not in.  Most sistas I know are knocking on the door of size 14.  I’ll admit, some of them need to push away from the table.  Even if they do, they will never look like the hungry women on TV.  Size zero is not our birthright.
5. Have you ever noticed that there are lots of beautiful and talented black actresses that get very little time on TV or in the movies?  What this means is that there is little hope for young black women who want to be actresses.
6. Note: Denzel, Will Smith and Samuel Jackson are not the only good black actors in the world.
7. There are a lot of mixed-race people in advertisements and commercials to represent black people.  Newsflash!  Black people come in a beautiful array of hues from white to beige to brown to jet black.
8. Oprah, Jordan and Magic are NOT the only successful black entrepreneurs.  Check out Black Enterprise to learn about more.

This list is not all inclusive.  I wonder what would happen if such stereotypes were created about white people and they somehow turned into “truth.”  Hmmmm…. Something to think about.

I am not hating on these beautiful women at all, but no adult I know personally is this skinny.  This is an unhealthy type of skinny.  As my friend, Demond, would say, “They need a buffet.”

According to an article in Netscape Home & Living,

“The fashion industry assumes these standard measurements for a woman: 35-inch bust, a 27-inch waist, and 37.5-inch hip. In the real world, women ages 36 to 45 actually average:

White: 41-34-43

Black: 43-37-46

Hispanic: 42.5-36-44

Asian: 41-35-43”

Even though this article mentions women ages 36 – 45, I’ve seen teenagers exceed the standards mentioned above.  I digressed.

Getting back to the original topic.  The skinny women in this ad do not accurately reflect the women in society.  And, healthy, shapely women may not be seen on TV because they may be viewed as fat by media and fashion industry representatives .

To my readers, please know that thin is not in, but healthy lifestyles are.

At the Tracing the Civil Right Movement 1848 – 1968 exhibit at The DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago, there is a photo of a black male slave performing for white soldiers.  Essentially, he was their entertainment; probably not by choice.

As I saw this exhibit, I had to wonder: is this how media conglomerates and white audiences view black people today? Not as real people with real problems and feelings; but as entertainment and amusement?

I ask this because when I do watch television, there are very few black people on my screen. (I feel that all minorities are under-represented by the media, but I’m not of those races and ethnicities, and therefore cannot speak for them).  However, when African Americans are shown, they are in the most stereotypical and horrible roles.

Contrary to what is seen on TV, we are real people with real problems and feelings.  Almost all shows starring African Americans are comedies, even when story lines contain serious issues.  WTF?  Do they not think we are capable of good dramas that do not include stereotypical messages and portrayals?  Can black people live “normal” (whatever that means) lives on TV and in movies?  Can there not be hip hop music and booty shaking in the background to make people think that we are all musically inclined?  And, we are all not “ghetto”;  we are all not poor; and we do have morals and values.

Another interesting observation about media practices is that when they attempts to show African Americans in a positive light, underlying messages are almost always negative or stereotypical.  I don’t have any examples right now, but I’ll be sure to share when I see them.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my wonderment on how media conglomerates and white audiences view black people today.  Do they see us as real people with real problems and feelings or as entertainment and amusement?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWTXhHABj_A

According to the above video, 42% of Black women are not married; there is very little hope of them marrying a Black Man; and over 70% of professional Black women with letters  behind their names do not have M.R.S. in front of their names.

Check out what Demetria Lucas of Essence Magazine shared in her commentary, The Black Men Shortage.

“You know what else I wondered? Where are the news stories about White girls and Latinas and Asian ladies who can’t find a good man? Don’t they have issues too? Cause the ones I know are in my single boat, rowing around the Hudson River with me and looking for love too. There’s this entire fictional franchise called “Sex and the City” (maybe you’ve heard of it?) dedicated to White women’s search for love in Manhattan that women of all colors flock to in droves because its relatable. You know why it’s relatable?  Because 51% of American women are living without a husband, i.e: they are single.  This is the first time in American history that more women are single than married. Fifty-one percent of Latina woman are unmarried, so are 45% of non-Hispanic White women, and 41% of Asian women.”

I have two thoughts on this issue.  First, I would like to thank Demetria Lucas for sharing this information.  She made my work so much easier.

Second, to mainstream media sources, it would be great if you would share stories about all races and nationalities, not just Black people.  If Black women looked to media sources to define themselves, theywould be sorely outta luck.

Outside of news personalities, there are very few positive images on television shows. You see the same few great Black actresses on the big screen. And, we can count the number of Black people in commercials on two hands.

Also, contrary to what you see on TV, Black women are not video vixens; they do have executive level positions and own their own businesses; and reality TV shows are not truly their reality.

I said all of that to say, in spite of new reports about single Black women that are seen on TV, please know that Black women are not the only single ladies.