Black TV

Christine Acham’s article on “Prime time television and the struggle for Black Power” was very interesting. It was interesting first of all to hear that after all the misrepresentations or poor integration of blacks and whites on TV during the years of The Jefferson’s and Polly among a few, The Cosby’s was still criticized. It’s true, it did show a family that seemed pretty content as if it were a perfect world for them, but perhaps that was a first step in helping the black populations realize their potential. For years black had been “put in their place,” with stereotypes that didn’t quite represent black life or didn’t have much integration and it was time for a more positive view of blacks.

Another interesting thing in the article was the fact that many TV stations on cable refused black sitcoms and dramas. I didn’t really realize the extent of this. Looking at today, what is it like now?

I found this article online from the Washington Post with the same topics Christine Acham was talking about in her article. It comments on how black shows are being pulled from prime-time television…even in 2009. The article features people who have observed and worked in black TV with different views. One believes that in black shows, one doesn’t see the suburban black but my more of the urban. It’s an interesting article and fits into what we’re talking about today.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/06/tv-casts-diversify-as-black-shows-dwindle/