Ok. So after seeing many Facebook status messages touting the fact that people I know are actually choosing to watch 'Black In America' because they think it's going to be groundbreaking and important, I posted the following status message: "Shani is annoyed at everyone who is watching 'Black in America' unironically." I immediately got two postings on my wall. One from a soror who was giving me props for the status, and one from a cat who wanted to know why I was annoyed. After a brief consultation with the Wife, I came up with five reasons. Here they are. 1. It's on CNN, a network incapable of looking at anything with nuance, simply by virtue of it being a cable news channel. 2. Why do blacks in America need to watch a special on being black in America? Is it to verify that we are, indeed, both black and in America? 3. Considering the fact that all black people aren't from the same background -- slavery, namely -- it's ridiculous to suggest we all have the same vision and experience in the US. 4. If there was 'Hispanic In America' or 'Asian in America' folk would be in an uproar. Mexicans vs. Puerto Ricans, Koreans vs. Vietnamese. 5. I can already tell you what it's gonna cover: it sucks to be a black woman, because sistas are forced to do it for themselves. Also, black men are an endangered species due to institutional inequity and a propensity for commiting violent crime. But blacks have hope for the future. The end. And here's a bonus: it's a ratings ploy! Come ON people!
7.23.2008
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5 new thought(s):
you already know why I didn't watch it. it's so cut and dry what the plot was going to be. and based on what i'm reading on blogs and notes, I didn't miss a thing. i bet tonight's show will be worse.
yeah. that's pretty much how it went down.
I only watched for the .1% chance it might be worth something...
I keep forgetting CNN = propoganda on parade. Waste of two hours of my life.
Somebody on fb believes watching such shenanigans is akin to a football player preparing for a playoff by watching tapes of past games...
I don't know about that...I rolled my eyes so much there was a high chance they actually may have gotten stuck in the back of my head...
I think that the reason behind #2 is #3. I will issue the disclaimer that I have not watched either part in its entirety- YET- just bits and pieces. They are waiting my day off DVR. However, my question is this: what would "Black in America" have to include in order to be hard hitting enough to please some and positive enough to please others? I just feel like we (and others) should take from it what's new to us and keep it moving on the rest. Everything doesn't have to change our lives.
@ adei: lol. Yeah, I'm hearing the same thing.
@ Tiffany: thanks for the confirmation. I mean, it's CNN, so some things are just a given.
@ Kanisa: Jesus be a fence for that facebook status, lol. I knew if I watched it I would just get soooooo annoyed, I couldn't bestir myself to do so.
@ Mo: You're right about everything not having to change our lives. I would never expect that. I just don't think there's any way CNN could have done this 'special' to make it strong enough to be worth watching, at least not for me. From what I'm hearing, it was basically just a reality show about some different black folks. I read a comment on another blog where a dude was like, CNN is filming selected black experiences and making them into The Black Experience. That's what I find offensive. If they had decided to focus on a single issue -- like how black men out of prison reintegrate with society, or disparities in criminal sentencing, etc -- it could have been worthwhile. But to tell a bunch of stories and call it something broader than what it is is ridiculous.
Moreover, a lot of issues within the black community are not just black issues. They're class issues. They're issues of poverty. Why not a special on being poor in America? THAT I would watch.
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