So I was recently introduced to one of those disturbing-but-supposed-to-funny YouTube videos of a black woman sitting on the toilet, singing (literally) "Sittin' on the Toilet", while pursing her lips. I won't link to it, but you don't have to look hard to find it.
Then I started to think about all of the other YouTube videos I had watched like Sittin' on the Toilet or Scarlet Takes a Tumble or Leprechaun in the Hood or heck even the Bed Intruder video, and I wondered-- is this really what American boys and girls, sitting in their homes, surfing the internet think of the Black community?Is this what they think of Black women?
So I went to YouTube and poked around a little- hoping that this was just my assumption and that there was some chance I was wrong.
Here are the most common adjectives I came across after some simple searches I did for "Black Woman":
- Big Black Woman
- Large Black Woman
- Fat Black Woman
- Crazy Black Woman
- Loud Black Woman
- and the ever-so-popular Black Women Gets Arrested
and "Black Girl" :
- Ghetto Black Girl
- Crazy Black Girl
- Big Black Girl
- Hood Black Girl
- Poppin' It Like a Black Girl
The results were, to say the least, disheartening.
To be fair in my informal research I searched for White Girl and White Woman, and came across the random plethora of results typical to any YouTube search and nothing at all like what I had found in my previous search. This is not meant to pin Black against White or vice verse. But it would be interesting to discover why this disparity exists in the online video community...
Why is it funnier to watch a "big" or "crazy" or "loud" Black girl as opposed to a just a girl?
Or maybe the real problem lies in the tagging of these videos? Why not just call her a girl?
Films and TV shows have already accepted and embraced many of these stereotypes, and those people in our own communities that help reinforce those stereotypes to other races don't help our argument. But now the online world has become completely saturated with these negative classifications of an entire community.
The only thing we can do to stop this disparity, is the same thing we can do in our everyday lives. Put yourselves and your hearts out there and don't be afraid to start a discussion with people. If you get a post like any of the above mentioned, even if you think its a little funny, don't share it. Don't repost it. Because by sharing the personification of false stereotypes you are, in many ways, saying that it is OK or worse- that it is true.
This is messed up when will things change.
ReplyDeleteIt's stupid, but don't forget that there are tons of people who think of black women completely differently. Adjectives I would use to describe black women are: smart, beautiful, confident, strong and mature.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this is something that we have to deal with within our own community. Yes, there are respectable adjectives for black women but the problem comes from if "WE" are willing to not only change the image of ourselves but to encourage our sisters to change as well. When I say this I mean women that thinks this is acceptable.
ReplyDeleteStarting a dialogue would be awesome but what would be more beneficial is if more sisters would make YouTube videos on how beautiful, smart and powerful they are. Women like yourself should lead the way and show the other side of African American women.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous: Things will only change when people who care take a stand against it. In the online community racism and prejudice spreads faster than ever so we have to work even harder to reject false stereotypes.
ReplyDeleteTo AdoringBlackWomen: Thank you for spreading the love and sharing all those great descriptions for black women. I agree!
To LovableTika: I completely agree. It is up to us to make the change. Love u :)
To Craig B: OK, let's get some videos out there of "Black Girl Makes a Stand in Community" or "Black Girl Educates.." "Black Woman Singing..". There a plenty of positive things I think we can get out there. Love you!
Thank you guys for sharing.
ReplyDelete