Open Thread: Stereo-type-casting on Reality TV Shows at Racialicious

Open Thread: Stereo-type-casting on Reality TV Shows

by Latoya Peterson

Commenter EvilAngelFish wrote in to Racialicious, describing something she had seen on TV that was mildly disturbing:

I know it’s been covered on the site before but I wonder if you might consider an open thread on the perpetuation of minority stereotypes in reality programming (and the internalization of said stereotypes). I tend to avoid reality programming but because of the strike, I ended up getting hooked on a few Bravo offerings (namely, Make Me A Supermodel, which ended last night) and I’m sure that there are others, who under normal circumstances wouldn’t watch the stuff, that got sucked in as well.

Anyway, last night I caught the premier of Step It Up and Dance, a Bravo dance competition (it was on right after MMAS) and there was one bit that made me want to scream. At the end of the program, three dancers were singled out by the judges (among whom was Mel. B a.k.a. Scary Spice) for possible elimination. One of the dancers, Tovah, a classically trained ballerina, was criticized for not standing out more in the choreographed piece. Tovah offered the excuse that hip hop wasn’t really her thing and Mel B. exclaimed “But you’re BLACK!” and there were general murmurs of assent all around. Did the judges actually AGREE with that statement!? The issue of versatility of a dancer aside, why does everyone still think being able to dance in hip hop style is some kind of black birthright? And why is this stereotype still being fed to us? Yes, some of us can tear it up but I was appalled that the judges chose to call Tovah’s skill into question because she wasn’t shaking it like some girl in a BET video.

I’m kind of shocked at Mel. B here - a classically trained ballerina moves, thinks, and performs differently than a professional hip-hop dancer. The two styles are completely different, so I am not at all surprised to hear that someone accustomed to moving quietly and gracefully across the stage would have trouble channeling the necessary energy, attitude and aggression that makes a hip-hop sequence work. So why did Tovah’s racial background trump a lifetime of training?

So, three main questions here:

1. Why do you think reality show producers (this also counts hosts and judges) encourage minority cast members to play to stereotypes?
2. What are some other examples of reality shows that have people playing to a type? (I know, all of them - try to think about some of the most egregious examples you have seen recently.)
3. Are there any reality shows that offer a break from rampant stereotyping?

Trackbacks & Pings

that crappy dancing show « Molecular Shyness on 18 Apr 2008 at 6:07 pm

[…] just find it kind of awful how this show thrives on stereotypes. - Two weeks ago, Scary Spice told Tovah (the only black girl on the show) that she should know hip hop because she […]

Comments

Jenn wrote:

Mel B needs to sit down, she is 1/2 black and she can’t sing

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 8:40 am ¶
Penni Brown wrote:

Bad Girls Club - Tanisha. They even have a video montage of her acting a fool. When they can get one minority to play to stereotype, it allows mainstream america to sit back and say, ’see, it’s true!’

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 8:55 am ¶
jmn wrote:

How about how the producers at MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew probably eliminated Kabba Modern so the finale wasn’t two Asian American groups battling it out in the final?

ABDC showed that Asian Americans can get down and bust a move (thus defying stereotype).

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 9:21 am ¶
Meena wrote:

Americas Next Top Model

Tyra does a lot of forcing the conestants of color into these roles i.e. telling Jaslene to “embrace” her culture and then calling her “Cha-Cha”

she does it all the time on that show.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 9:36 am ¶
china blue wrote:

I don’t watch reality TV enough to answer any of the first 2 questions, but from what I have seen of the Apprentice (UK version, at least), there seems to be a relative break from the racial stereotyping, if nothing else.

I say relative because, on the one hand, every one of the candidates is presented as an equal, and they all come from varied backgrounds. The favourite to win is judged on personality rather than race or gender.

However, the teams are split by gender, and then you have the good old class divisions and reverse snobbery coming into play. You’ve got the working-class Northern/Cockney boys, the posh boys, the former checkout girl, the proto-Thatcher ball-breaker.

On the other hand, I think blatant racial stereotyping is minimal, but I’ve noted that certain contestants are picked: you have the ‘nice black guy’, and the ‘Asian guy with more mouth than sense’. (By Asian I mean of Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Indian background. )

To my mind, that show is the best of a bad bunch! And I’ve seen A Shot At Love and I Love NY. I know what bad is

As for Mel B’s remark - where to begin? Personally, I would assume ANY ballet dancer, black or white, to not be fully conversant with hip-hop style (my elder brother was a principal dancer for the Scottish Royal ballet, and had to learn street and jazz style after years of classical dance) until they showed otherwise. And vice versa. It’s also a crazy notion Mel, but not all us black people have rhythm, either. Shocking!

Jenn - I don’t see what Mel B’s being 1/2 black has to do with it. I’ll agree, though, that she cannot sing worth a damn and does need to sit down

Penni Brown - I think you hit the nail on the head there.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 9:57 am ¶
islandgirl550 wrote:

MTV’s The Real World has got to be the worst on so many levels. There’s always the “angry black man”, “the gay roomie”, “the i’ve never been around blacks before roomie”, and maybe a few others sprinkled in. The producers of the show have done that from the very beginning starting with the fight Heather B had.

@Penni Brown - I know the video you are speaking of. The one where Tanisha is banging pots and pans around because she wasn’t allowed to sleep was a complete mess! I just shook my head.

@ Meena - Tyra Banks is the worst when it comes to the contestants of color on her show. From making Danielle (now Dani) close up her gapped teeth and telling her to “talk better” to acting all “sista girl” on the show. It’s just so annoying.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 9:58 am ¶
Kenya wrote:

I saw that episode of Step It Up and I thought the same exact thing when Mel B said it. I was quite sure that it was meant as a joke, but I can’t say i did as much as a chuckle when it was said.

As for shows that I think are playing the absolute worse stereotypes right now, hands down has to be Flavor of Love and Rock of Love. The way that they portray women in these shows are absolutely disgusting to say the least.

And another show that I find highly disturbing these days is I Know My Kids A Star. There’s the “wacky rockstar” mom, the “angry Black mom”, the “emotional” mom, and everything in between. To make matters worse, they are contaminating innocent children with this nonsense just for entertainment purposes. It is truly saddening.

Kenya
VB

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 10:32 am ¶
cosmicsistren wrote:

@islandgirl - Why is it that the producers for MTV always find the black men that don’t date black women? I have been watching the shows for years. Time and time again I never see it. There are two for this season and they both are seen kissing white women and it appears arguing over one too.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 10:54 am ¶
islandgirl550 wrote:

@cosmicsistren - I think it has something to do with those stats they like to throw at us from time to time. 45% of black women don’t marry, men in jail, down low, blah blah blah.

Or it could be that MTV or in this case the producers Bunim/Murry feel black couples don’t really exist anymore. Or… could it be that the media has historically had issues with ‘black love’ on screen? (Latoya - that might be an excellent post for you!)

I honestly choked when I saw Jamie Foxx’s love scene in Miami Vice with that black British actress (sorry don’t remember her name). I’d liken it to the reaction of seeing blacks on TV as a child or on the runway today.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 11:30 am ¶
Chris wrote:

@jmn - there is, however, a stereotype that Asians (Filipinos especially) are more into breakdancing than other races. Same as there are stereotypes in sneaker collecting circles that Asians are “hypebeasts” (ie, tries to get every single limited edition sneaker Nike produces) who will camp out for days on end just to get a pair of the latest limited edition Dunk. It’s not necessarily that there’s the “geeky Asian guy” stereotype that’s prevalent anymore, but there are still stereotypes being perpetuated and reenforced that run contrary to the traditional “geeky Asian guy” sterotype.

@cosmicsistren - my guess is to further perpetuate the white beauty norm and the “black men love white women” stereotype?

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 11:37 am ¶
Kimberly wrote:

“Texas Ranch House” on PBS offered a rare break from stereotyping. And it seems that the break was the choice of the participants, not the editors. A white family from California played the ranch owners among a group of hired “cowboys” and a Mexican “servant girl.” The owner’s wife chose to be fair by freeing the servant and letting her pick whatever occupation she wanted. But she and her husband treated the cowboys almost like slaves — working them extra hard, lying, isolating them, trying to cheat them out of wages. The cowboys were white, so color didn’t play the determining factor here. It seemed to be about class. Since the owner’s family was told they were above the cowboys, they immediately acted like it. But, to them, mistreating the servant seemed too obviously wrong.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 11:38 am ¶
Arturo wrote:

I figured that, in going for the Lowest Common Denominator fanbase, the producers of these shows had to present people willing to show the worst of themselves.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 11:43 am ¶
Outcrazyophelia wrote:

Reality shows are still just tv shows, and the people they chose always fit into some character type, minorities are never exempt. They don’t believe the minority will be interesting unless they act like a well accepted stereotype, otherwise it’s not entertaining enough I suppose. I used to watch big brother and unless you were a gender, racial, or sexual stereotype, you likely didn’t make it onto the show or didn’t make it very long.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 11:45 am ¶
Blue Steel wrote:

@cosmicsistren - I don’t think that is necessarily true. The two black dudes in Real World Denver both dated black girls (Tyree and Stephen). Alton, from RW Las Vegas, dated one of his black roommates. Usually they rarely bother to show any romance storylines involving the black roommates.

From what I’ve seen from this stereotype-riddled show is that they rarely show black males involved with anyone other than women of color, at least recently. Who are you thinking of?

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 11:51 am ¶
Sulyp wrote:

What’s ironic is when the judges were grilling the ballerina and Mel B. makes her snide remark, I can remember thinking:

But isn’t Mel B up for elimination too? I’ve watched some Spice Girl concerts back in the day, and some clips of this current show… she’s not that spectacular of a dancer. It’s the pot and the kettle…

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 12:04 pm ¶
Arturo wrote:

No need to post this, just wondering for my own curiosity’s sake:

Is this is an appropriate time to ask if you got my link on deli.ci.ous re: “Viva Hollywood”?

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 12:19 pm ¶
A. wrote:

Because Viacom is not in the business of selling the idea that black women can be beautiful! They’re too busy making us look as if we lack culture, and education, and any bit of deportment.

And god forbid they have a beautiful black woman on that isn’t Beyonce or Halle that can command more attention than a tanned white blonde.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 12:21 pm ¶
Ali wrote:

@cosmicsistren - I have noticed this too! I became suspicious that it might be part of a larger pattern/plot when I noticed them completely gloss over the one black on black relationship that did happen on The Gauntlet III. On the episode where Nehemiah finally got tired of Beth chasing him and told her off he later stated in his confessional that she wasn’t his type. During that episode (and previous episodes before she was voted off) there were several quick shots of him “canoodling” and hanging out with Angel, who we can assume was his type. Normally they play up ANY romance that happens on the show but this relationship was completely glossed over. Meanwhile they focus the bulk of an episode on the non-mutual attraction between Nehemiah and Beth. Thought that was weird…

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 12:49 pm ¶
deleahrium wrote:

I went on and I’m actually watching this episode of Step It Up - as for the first question - YES.

Besides the “but you’re black” comment, which I haven’t gotten to yet, I just got to the part where the judges tell two of the girls on the winning team to “be careful not to dance like an angry man” and immediately afterward, another judge tells Miguel to “butch it up a little bit.”

GAG!

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 1:12 pm ¶
Versai wrote:

Cassandra from Big Brother didn’t fit the loud, tacky black woman stereotype–but i also remember that people complained about how boring she was.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 1:28 pm ¶
cosmicsistren wrote:

@blue steel - I was thinking of Cyrus (Real World Boston), Michael (Real World Seattle), and Tek (Real World Hawaii). The others that I remembered that dated black women (VERY fair complexion) was Alton(Real World Las Vegas), and Mohammed(Real World San Francisco).

What is even more disturbing to me is why do I remember these names??

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 1:30 pm ¶
Ali wrote:

Just realized I should maybe have mentioned that Beth is a white blonde woman and Angel is a non Halle or Beyonce type black woman. To clarify for any non-avid Gaunlet III watchers.

Also, @islandgirl550 - I believe the latest unmarried black women statistic is up to 71%.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 1:35 pm ¶
EvilAngelfish wrote:

Thanks for opening this topic for discussion, Latoya!

Your questions really made me think about why the puppetmasters (producers, hosts et. al.) encourage the sort of stereotypes we see. One thought that occurred to me is that on reality programs that aren’t centered on some sort of sport, competition or other prize-winning challenge, there is a need to create conflict and the easiest way to do that is by choosing participants with extreme personalities. It’s an easy (and lazy) way to create entertainment.

The worst examples I’ve seen of stereotype-peddling are on VH1 programs (I Love NY, Flavor of Love). Although at times I could barely stomach it, I watched the whole first season of I Love NY and cringed through every episode thinking, ‘People actually act this way?!?’

I used to watch The Real World and one of the characters I thought was most interesting was Jacquese, the token black guy from RW San Diego. He wasn’t angry, homophobic or confrontational – unlike every other black guy they’d cast in the past.

@ Penni Brown
That is precisely why I (usually) can’t stand reality TV. In scripted shows, one can blame any egregious stereotypes on the writers but on reality shows, people don’t necessarily realize that everything from the casting to the editing lends to the presentation of real people as certain “character types”. It reinforces the idea that certain people are supposed to act a certain way and because it’s ostensibly “real”, viewers can affirm whatever stereotypes they already have. The perpetuation of gender and class stereotypes is equally disturbing but because reality programs are often the only programs on which there is regularly a diverse cast (there’s always at least one cast member who’s black, asian, latino, etc.), the racial stereotypes are especially troublesome.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 2:59 pm ¶
cosmicsistren wrote:

@Ali - Where did you get that statistic?

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 3:05 pm ¶
Ali wrote:

@cosmicsistren - I first heard that stat referenced during an April ‘07 episode of the Oprah show. It is also mentioned on Black America Web’s four part series, State of Black America. I work for an ad agency and most recently heard the statistic as part of a presentation Essence Magazine did for our agency on marketing to black women. I realize these may seem like somewhat dubious sources but it seems the root of this statistic comes from ‘07 US Census Data on marriage. I was shocked by the number as well. The national average for unmarried women is around 51%. I’m not sure if the high percentage for black women is inflating that number or not. Also, I have not been able to find any insight into who all is being included in this group. Are the stats higher for Af. Am. women than Nigerian-American or Haitain-American women? I also would like some insight on how closely this stat is realted to socioeconomic levels. I approached the Pres. of Essence Mag after the presentation to ask if they had done any further research into this startling statistic. I was told they hadn’t (surprise, surprise). That was disappointing to hear, but served as yet another reminder of why I don’t read Essence.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 3:31 pm ¶
whatever15 wrote:

@ Versai, exactly! I’ve noticed that when a POC doesn’t act like their suppose to they are considered boring by the public. Another example is Stacy-Ann. Even with her quirky personality, because she’s not a typical black bitch, I’ve read a lot of comments about how boring she is.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 3:54 pm ¶
whatever15 wrote:

Stacy-Ann of America’s Next Top Model

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 3:55 pm ¶
Joan Flores wrote:

During the last season of Top Chef, the judges complained about Hung not showing his “soul” by not cooking Vietnamese food, though he had been trained to cook in French Institutes.

During the last episode, he did use Vietnamese ingredients and techniques, and he rocked it but there was no reason to belittle his previous efforts for not meeting their expectations.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 5:59 pm ¶
Keke wrote:

I was watching another reality show a long time ago, it was about interns in the fashion industry. One of the girls competing was African American. When she said she didn’t eat fried chicken the other girls (all white) acted shocked and confused. I was kind of angry as I watched it. Here I was thinking that she didn’t eat fried chicken because it was her own personal choice and they were acting like she was going against instinct and genetics or something. Assumptions and beliefs like these is why racism and ignorance persists.

Even in my own personal life I’ve seen how uncomfortable people are if someone doesn’t fit a stereotype. I remember I had a friend in college who was Asian American. Her family was from China and she had been born here. She and I were apart of a study group and when everyone wanted to stop and get something to eat someone turned to her and said “You eat chinese food don’t you, I mean after all you’re chinese! Don’t you speak Chinese too?”

I knew for a fact, that she didn’t eat take-out as she was vegan and prepared her own meals, she didn’t speak any of the mandarin dialects (Chinese is an entire language? WTH?! ) and I could tell she was very, very offended. Just as I opened my mouth she very graciously diffused the situation while letting the girl know why her assumption was inappropriate.

I guess the bottom line is that when we assume things about people, we may miss out on an opportunity to find individuals that can contribute greatly to our experiences. By having only a set expectation in mind, many people, especially in the t.v., fashion and movie industry, miss out on lots of talent.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 6:34 pm ¶
Lena wrote:

So there’s an argument (which I don’t find satisfying, but am willing to concede has a some merit) that if that’s what will get more minorities in big roles on TV, then in the end its a positive because someone who fills a stereotyped role still has a personality and individuality that will show here and there, and the more of those keep popping up, the more mainstream America might have experiences of non-essentialized minorities to draw upon. What do you all think about that argument?

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 7:21 pm ¶
Ree wrote:

I love America’s Next Top Model, but really, that show is the worst in the sterotype area. Virtually every season, there’s been a “black bitch” (or 2) and a black girl that “acts white”. Even after Tyra told Eva in season 3 she was reluctant to cast another “bb”, there’s been Ebony and Cmaille and Eva and Monique and Marvita and Fatima, all cast as the bb.

Don’t get me wrong, the white girls all fit a type,too. They just don’t seem to be based on race. And Tyra constantly berates sisters who act “ghetto”, but very often falls into that neck rolling sterotype herself. God forbid Tyra lets a black girl just be herself, take great pictures and tear up the runway.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 7:53 pm ¶
Asha wrote:

Another point to consider, is that a lot of the people you see on reality tv shows are actually actors. Casting calls are posted on acting boards, and while they say they’re looking for “real” people, they’re also casting people whose job it is to become a character that the producer/director wants.

Speaking of America’s Next Top Model, I went back and watched the first season and was astounded to see how much it’s changed. The casting of the first couple seasons was pretty low key, and each contestant got the critique of their photo without any of the other contestants there. Now it’s a whole big production. They must have figured people wouldn’t get the ratings if they didn’t make the show more and more dramatic.

Posted 08 Apr 2008 at 9:56 pm ¶
Persia wrote:

Joan Flores, I remember Hung got told he lacked ’soul’ too, tying into the stereotypical Asian-robot idea.

This season of Top Chef had an African-American Muslim woman who wanted to be a good Muslim and a top chef– unfortunately, as I thought she was pretty interesting, she was the first woman out. But before then, the lesbian couple on the show outed themselves, and the camera did these long, long takes on the Muslim woman’s face. Like ‘hey, let’s see if she flips out!’ It was…uncomfortable.

Posted 09 Apr 2008 at 9:28 am ¶
Kynn wrote:

America’s Next Top Model is pretty damn awful with the racism — and nearly all of it coming from Tyra Banks, who horribly mistreats any black woman on the show.

Seriously. She’s terribly bigoted, and applies all sorts of double-standards against the black women that she wouldn’t think of using on the white contestants.

Also, they pay asinine lip service these days to “plus size models” by having one or two enter, keeping them around until the middle or so of the competition, and then dropping them. It’s so obvious they don’t want many black women or realistically sized women in the show — even though Tyra is both black and (these days) “plus size” herself.

Posted 09 Apr 2008 at 11:11 am ¶
michael wrote:

You have asked some strong questions…I was tangential some areas of my response.

Question 1

Yes and no. To start off, one is first is dealing with one’s bias. “How should a black person or Asian person should act? For years, many African-American actors have been typecast in into roles and these images are archetypes, as well as stereotypes of culture.

I am sure that a director wanting to raise ratings may want someone to act “more ghetto” sometimes synonymous to acting “more black.” And what is acting more black? This becomes some kind of media miscegenation.

I am sure they hunt down contestants who fit into this role. This is obvious on “Flavor of Love” (what I call the Anti-Bachelor). It would be interesting for someone to flip the script on director by acting “ghetto” in the auditions and then be a completely different character as the show unfolds. I am sure for some who get on these shows that is the case. They play up the act of “ghetto” just to stay on the show much same as some rappers to do to sell records…

It begs a question, do white people believe in most of these stereotypes and I say yes. I am a teacher and I teach in a predominately white, rural school. Many students come from broken families and tough situations.

Some of things that I have been approached with is amazing. Mind you these are middle school kids…”Hey, what’s up fool?” ” Have you ever thought about growing a big Afro?” “Mr. So and So, you’re different?” “Did you have any gold chains back in the day?”

And another thing that’s been happening in the school lately is a “name version of black face.” Some of my best female students who are white who want to be called Shaniqua, Shanaynay, and so on. Where is this coming from? It’s always been around and furthered by black and white comedians and tv shows. I think it is furthered by society’s general stereotypes.

I see this as a good and bad thing. The good. In some places, these names are becoming more acceptable by everyone. These days you might meet a Tanisha or an Eboni who is white.

The bad, being an African-American, I can’t stand some of these names. I love my people but sometimes we can get just a little too creative. If you have ever subbed…and look at names that have apostrophes riddled in the prefixes and the suffixes of these names…it would make you go crazy! …Te’Quan, Ray-Kwon, and so—-please don’t do it. I met one girl and she and her siblings were named after Joe Montana…so everyone in the family had “tana” attached to their names…back on subject.

Question 2

I think many reality shows have people act to a type. Everyone is under the microscope. Some people are going tobe who they are and some “something” like they are depending on the show.

Most of the shows present and are themed “young, beautiful and white” or “young, beautiful and amazing.” Look at shows like “Beauty and the Geek” that have been turning that image onto it’s head.

“Flavor of Love” does this a bit too. ” No woman in her right mind will marry Flavor Flav unless it’s for money. How far is reality from the “Bachelor?” The show has this exciting rich white guy who has dropped out of heaven and can do no wrong and all of these women want him. Of course, he normally has more money than the average white guy, i.e. “The Prince Charming effect.” “Come and save me from this cruel harsh world! ”

Both shows play up and exploit women who act pathetic when a handsome man crosses their way and show how some women act when competing for the attentions of a man. This is their selling point. So, have some women been asked to act more pathetic than others? Like you are going to be the drunk and slutty girl?

I am still waiting on a black man to be on the Bachelor or any race other than the obvious to be on that show. I think the network fears having a handsome black man or any other person of color kissing on white women. Flavor Flav can do it because he fits a stereotype: a gold teeth wearing black buffoon—a hip hop version of Step N Fetch it.

Only way I can see being acceptable is if they choose a famous black athlete who fall under Jackie Robinson or OJ rules. The black athlete becomes so popular that most people don’t look at his race. I used these two athletes because they were the first to be accepted by the white mainstream to sell products even though at first Jackie was hated and that later OJ was hated for obvious reasons.

Question 3

Amazing Race seems to be honest than other shows. The show presents all of kinds of couples from gay, to straight, black, white, Latino and Asian.

College Hill has done pretty good job. I have watched a wide range of black folks on there from the model type, to Caribbean, middle class, city, poor and rich.

Posted 09 Apr 2008 at 1:02 pm ¶
Daniel wrote:

Really? We are still concerned about this issue? It’s TV made to entertain and get attention. If all the characters on TV were PC we would not watch.
But to say that stereotypical people do not exist would not be true. If you take time to look around you will see that some people don’t need a camera to show themselves at their worst.
Art does reflect life, sometimes in uglier colors.

Posted 01 May 2008 at 12:20 pm ¶
DivergentDana wrote:

Really? We are still concerned about this issue? It’s TV made to entertain and get attention. If all the characters on TV were PC we would not watch.

Raises hand.. I would! And frankly, it sounds as if you were NEVER “concerned about this issue”, so cut the crap.

Posted 01 May 2008 at 12:46 pm ¶