Media Targets-
A Black teenage girl doesn't wake up thinking, 'I'm a Ho and today I think I'll go for the 5 dollar hooker look;' like many young woman, her visible thong, bare skin and runway strut are media inspired choices. By blindly following such self-destructive trends, she is not simply giving in to today's Black woman stereotypes; she is fulfilling her assigned role as a living media target. She is becoming a willing victim of 24/7 BET video offerings , VH1 reality shows and Hip Hop lyrics that dress up bad behavior, poor grammar, violence and sexuality and pawn them off as Black culture.
From The Cradle to the Grave-
It begins with young children when a mother may not intend to park her baby girl in front of an X rated video; but that's what happens anyway. A child's mind absorbs those negative stereotypes like nursery school lessons, grasping colorful movements and unedited X-Rated lyrics. When a toddler's eyes are drawn to the rump-shaking rhythm on the small screen, her mind is being molded for a future a mother might not have anticipated.
Whether intended or not, what a young child sees and hears will stick with her, reminding her to move this way and that when the music plays and to act like the hip-shaking ladies do on TV. When she performs the moves she's learned, her parents will certainly laugh and say, 'how cute,' positive feedback that makes their daughter want to do it even better next time.
Buying the Thong-
Inspired by a constant stream of media hype, a young Black Girl will become a teenager with a part-time job and cash to spend. By then she will take for granted the violence, sexuality and caustic lyrics seen many times over during her lifetime. They will be a part of her, an influence on auto-pilot by then, visible in the way she moves, speaks and interacts and how she chooses to live her life.
She will buy the sexiest thong, allow it peek-a-boo above her low rise jeans. She will walk the streets with her girlfriends, showing off for the guys in the neighborhood. Or perhaps she will slip into a skin tight skirt, revealing more skin than is appropriate as she dances the night away. She might be drawn to the outfit that says '5 dollar hooker,' the one with flash and sparkle that bares most of her skin but seems normal because she saw something like it on MTV and they sell it at her local shopping mall.
Unless someone convinces her otherwise, a Black teenage girl will rely on personal tastes set by a lifetime of female role models. For many that will be someone like New York, who didn't marry Flavor Flav on his reality show; but her style was so daring, so bodacious, she got a reality show of her own. New York's experience with fame and fortune suggests to teen girls that bold, flashy behavior comes with benefits. Young girls growing into their sense of reason may never realize the role model they strive to emulate, the fashion they crave and the choices they make are based on stereotypes handed down and updated to keep a women like her their place.
Sexy, Lewd, Lascivious and Easy-
Black women stereotypes were created by Western men who invaded African homelands and discovered women who dressed for comfort in hot, tropical climates. These explorers saw revealing outfits and rhythmic dance as exotic and seductive. Compared to wives left behind whom they considered ladylike and modest, they judged African women as sexy, lewd and lascivious, false interpretations which became long held stereotypes.
The Flavor of Love-
Today, the stereotype of Black women as sexy temptresses, seductive and willing, loose and easy, argumentative and angry, is an enduring theme that encourages bosses, coworkers and even husbands and boyfriends to see Black women as less valuable and to treat them accordingly. Reality shows like "The Flavor of Love" play to these myths, setting up young, beautiful Black women in a "Bachelor"-style competition that promotes cursing, fighting, name calling and bad behavior to prove they alone are the perfect mate.
Gangsta-
It used to be the high school jock that got the girl, but a steady diet of Gangsta Hip Hop has changed the campus dynamic. Videos glorify criminal activity, painting thief and killer as viable career options, lifting up the man who calls his woman a Bitch and has a girl or two on the side. The news media is there on one hand posting scary pictures of dark skinned delinquents, and on the other pushing the Gangsta stereotype as entertainment, a standard to strive for. Black teenage girls believe it and many set their standards accordingly.
It's the Benjamins-
Of course it's about money. Teenagers don't make a lot of money, but they spend what they have on shoes, designer clothing and jewelry tailored to their tastes. Not surprising at all is that teenage tastes are reflective of the culture dominated by videos, reality shows and movies; and of course many media moguls have separate companies to create the merchandise inspired by their media offerings. It's all about getting paid.
Take a Stand-
So what's a Black Teenage girl to do?
-It's a cliche' but education is the answer. It may be too late to erase the effects of media bombardment over a teenage lifetime; but teens can read the available information on how media offerings can influence a young mind. What they learn might help change the course of their lives for the better and that might make things better for the children they will have some day.
-Know that Reality Television' is not reality at all. It is scripted entertainment that calls on negative stereotypes to paint Black women in an angry unflattering light.
-Find genuine role models to influence your reality, a mother, teacher or an older sister.
-Check out Democratandchronicle.com type 'Unplug Gangsta Rap' into the site search; then read and sign the brief declaration to DJs, record company executives and record sellers. Tell them you want a change.