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Blacks In Soaps or How To Be On a Daytime Drama For Years and Never Have a Real Storyline

DRW50
in Discuss The Soaps: Archive (2010 - 2014)

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  • Member

When something is made outside of that realm it's often done as cheaply as possible.

+1.

And they do EVERYTHING they can to undercut it's success.

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  • Member

And unfortunately a lot of "mainstream" shows that featured Minorities were canceled recently (Law & Order, The Unit, Ugly Betty, 24, Prison Break) with only The Game being brought back (which doesn't provide much balance).

The problem is, the networks are playing it safer than ever as ratings continue to dwindle--and to them safe seems to mean basically as cliched (which often means white/straight) as possible. The irony there is cable ratings continue to grow and as you said, it's often because they have shows that appeal to these distinct audiences, and don't play it as safe. But the networks don't seem to get that...

(I am so not a fan of procedurals so didn't realize Law and Order had finally been canceled, but they are having Law and Order LA which has a relatively racially diverse cast... well by current network standards)

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  • Member

Wendie Jo Sperber :(

I loved the first few years of FOX. Tracey Ullmann, Roc, In Living Color, then Living Single. Aside from a few reality shows I never have been interested since they used X Files as their opportunity to become so bland. Even their attempts at being "edgy", like that porn drama Skin, were so cliched and generic, people saw right through them.

Even a lot of cable falls into becoming increasingly predictable and forgettable (FX, Comedy Central, Soapcentral, E, among others). TV in general doesn't seem to have that much which takes a chance...perhaps it's just when you're younger something surprises you but when you're older it doesn't have an impact. Either way, I still enjoy how willing FOX was back then to air different types of programs.

  • Member

But the networks don't seem to get that...

Because they believe as you said that straight/white/male is the default & that viewers Cable appeals to are "niche" audiences which they aren't.

(I am so not a fan of procedurals so didn't realize Law and Order had finally been canceled, but they are having Law and Order LA which has a relatively racially diverse cast... well by current network standards)

I don't much care for procedurals either (except Homicide).

It's sad when Children's television is more diverse than adults.

  • Member

It's sad when Children's television is more diverse than adults.

Well... it always has been:

I wonder what kids today get as their impression of minorities from images on TV. AS a child in the 70's, I didn't have any clue as to gay people except John Ritter on Three's company, so I certainly never saw MYSELF... and since I was too young to watch any negative stereotypes that some blaxploitation films had, my impression of black people from TV was that of being cool, hip, and stylish... since I had no exposure in real life (Until I was an adult).

  • Member

LOL...I'm practically falling over myself laughing at the extremes some of you are going to in regards to TV today, especially those who say that TV is a straight white man's world. Let's see a show of hands of those who think this year is 1980. A major problem with television today, especially in advertising, is how white men are portrayed. Either they are c(o)ckblocked and/or cuckolded by their female counterparts or some black counterpart is making him out to be a fool. I bet none of you think about that one.

  • Member

LOL...I'm practically falling over myself laughing at the extremes some of you are going to in regards to TV today, especially those who say that TV is a straight white man's world. Let's see a show of hands of those who think this year is 1980. A major problem with television today, especially in advertising, is how white men are portrayed. Either they are c(o)ckblocked and/or cuckolded by their female counterparts or some black counterpart is making him out to be a fool. I bet none of you think about that one.

Entourage

Two and Half Men

House

How I Met Your Mother

The Office

Supernatural

Law and Order: SVU

NCIS

CSI

Castle

The Big Bang Theory

Human Target

The Good Guys

Psych

Burn Notice

White Collar

Breaking Bad

Mad Men

And on and on and on.

  • Member

Entourage

Two and Half Men

House

How I Met Your Mother

The Office

Supernatural

Law and Order: SVU

NCIS

CSI

Castle

The Big Bang Theory

Human Target

The Good Guys

Psych

Burn Notice

White Collar

Breaking Bad

Mad Men

And on and on and on.

Care to name all of the other ones? And I bet the countless sleepless nights mind-wringing over the lack of non-Caucasians and wimmins outnumbered the number of shows on TV today...

  • Member

Care to name all of the other ones? And I bet the countless sleepless nights mind-wringing over the lack of non-Caucasians and wimmins outnumbered the number of shows on TV today...

All I needed to give you was one, but I gave you 18, and against my better judgment, here are 25 more.

Undercover Boss

CSI Miami

The Apprentice

Rules of Engagement

Chuck

Hell's Kitchen

Lie to Me

The Mentalist

Fringe

Bones

Community

CSI New York

Smallville

Rescue Me

Sons of Anarchy

Justified

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

The League

Archer

Louie

Royal Pains

Leverage

Dark Blue

Memphis Beat

Rubicon

  • Member

It's not as if the white characters are being portrayed as realistic, fleshed out, relatable, human characters... while the blacks are shuckin' and jivin' in the watermelon patch.

LMAO!

  • Member

Victim Blaming.

Classy.

Deflecting.

Pathetic.

Learn the meaning of the word victim, first. You'll see that you can't be someone's victim if you allow them to treat you that way. No one is keeping you watching daytime television, or shows that you feel are misrepresenting your people. You're not suffering. You're not being subjected to it. It's your choice. Either [!@#$%^&*] or get off the pot. Don't think you're doing black folks a favor by screaming TOKENS and MISREPRESENTATION while you continue to support the very thing you're bitching about. You may think you're sharing your limited knowledge with the poor, uninformed masses, but all you're doing is being a straight up hypocrite. "I'll keep watching... Although I hate what I see, feel incredibly disrespected and offended, and will cry racism/discrimination every chance I get... but I'll keep on watching."

  • Member

Thread closing warning: ON.

Fasten your seatbelts. But before - enjoy the ride!

  • Member

Fox originated the formula (which was followed by The WB, UPN, MTV & The CW) for building a network on minorities then tossing them aside in desperate bids for "mainstream" acceptance.

UPN really? They still had a fair number of minority shows by the time it went off the air.

Though I much preferred there sitcoms from the 90's, save for Homeboys in Outer Space. (ughh :rolleyes: ) lol.

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