The GEM Debate: Does The Angry Black Woman Stereotype Make YOU Angry?
Happy Saturday everyone!
Good Enough Mother is a bit out of sorts today after myself and mini-me had it out yesterday so I’m feeling about as sharp as a bowling ball today.
But check out this piece I happened upon on The Daily Beast today discussing Pepsi Max’s Super Bowl commercial – and its use of that old stereotype, the Angry Black Woman. Here’s the clip below…
The author of the Beast piece, also a black woman, says she thought the commercial was funny and recounts when she used a harsh tongue with her own husband. But here’s where her argument jumps the tracks. She asks why people are getting upset over a cola commercial when you can see all manner of black women behaving badly on Jerry Springer or Maury. On this point, she is correct. But those shows have a fraction of the eyeballs watching. The Jerry Springer show just had its best audience in five years with total viewership of 3.2 million people. The Superbowl had its best viewership as well with 111 million people tuning in. You don’t need me to tell you with numbers like that the demographics are probably vastly different as well.
I have said it before and I will say it again. The reason this is important is because TV shapes the way we see the world. I’m tired of seeing spots like this, tired of people assuming because I come in with my big ‘fro or I don’t have a perpetual smile that I am an Angry Black Woman. And I DON’T want people to think I am in anyway like this villain of reality TV.
So here’s today’s debate…
Did you find the Pepsi Max commercial offensive?
And what are your thoughts on the Angry Black Woman stereotype… does it drive you crazy, or do you think it’s just harmless fun?
Fire away!
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Well, I think it comes from an industry that is populated by white males. Someone story-boarded this, it got signed off on because there was no one in there to say, hey this could be offensive. I also think it’s low hanging fruit, an easy pick, what Madison Avenue and TV have told us most black women are like. It’s why we see so many Omarosa and Nene’ on TV. Sad but true.
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Ok I’m going to take a risk and air my views.I think the angry black woman does exist and lends herself to the stereotype, because of exactly that:;shes black, and she is a woman.
Wait wait!I hear gasps.I am only here in her defense. Firstly, I believe that historically and sadly currently in some cases, the forces have been against the black woman.
Look at the corporate ladder:much harder to climb up if you are a black woman.Secondly, if you do climb up the ladder, as hard as this may be, a lot of sacrifices would have to been made along the way including romance/relationships/friendships.Now if the successful black woman is trying to get serious with a good man, guess what, another hurdle. Many many many men are intimidated by successful women, and might I add black men maybe even more so.So not only has the black woman worked her butt off to succeeded in her career, she (possibly) she may be treated different to her white counterparts in the workplace and probably has to constantly prove herself. Coupled with the inability to find a good man, who is not intimidated by her success, she finds herself unable to succeed personally,This makes her mad.Wait, I forgot something:
Most likely, she grew up in a single parent household, because lets face it, the statistics for absent black fathers are mind boggling.She probably has daddy issues, and will probably make relationship errors based on these daddy issues.This is not her fault.She has tried to do everything right, and it seems she just can’t win.
Now if this were you, wouldnt you just be soo mad? -
@Shasha: Well, of course the Angry Black Woman exists. So does the Angry White Woman, the Angry Asian Woman, The Angry Hispanic Woman. However, I do not see them portrayed with the same frequency as I do the former. And I’m not sure all people who grow up raised by a mother only, have daddy issues. I don’t think that’s fair to the women who work so hard to keep that exact thing from happening. Thanks!
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The Angry Black Woman stereotype is one of the most over blown out there along with the fact that ONLY black women wear weave.
As a black woman I’m tired of the media portraying us so poorly, it’s highly offensive to delegate anger to one specific race and demographic. There are angry women and men in ALL races. Just as I find it funny that weave and wigs were worn by white men first and then “extensions” ,but only known as weave for black women which furthers the negative connotation, by white women before black women also.
I’m an educated, happy, intelligent and strong black woman that doesn’t fit into that stereotype, at all… people always say I’m always smiling… but then again I also get told I sound like a white girl… which would lead me into another topic, just because I sound intelligent does can that not sound black?
So in turn I feel like as a black woman we get left with this picture; Angry, Weave Wearing, Unintelligent whores….
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Hi Rene, I get your comment about the single parent household.However I was coming from the angle that in many cases having an absent father, despite the greatest of mothers , affects them as adults, in no way was I being unfair to the supermoms who do a fantastic job raising them!But truth be told, it does play a major part of who the angry black woman is.
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Coming to think of it, there are angry people everywhere but black women get a raw deal.I’ve been asking myself why; they are passionate, emotional and so in touch with their anger it appears that they are the most angry. Let’s face it, black women are great at expressing themselves ( be it in the right way or not)it comes across as pretty intense.
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While that may in fact be the case, I still think Mad Ave needs to work harder. I do not believe that the majority of black women are angry or at least no more so than any other group. As Rich says, it’s too easy to portray all gays as the swishy hairdresser types, all black women as angry and on and on. It’s really quite lazy on advertiser’s part. The problem comes in when they try to change it and it goes against what is the “accepted” and oft-portray stereotype. It’s exhausting and outdated
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” Black men have also told the world that’s what we’re like, and that’s why they choose white women. Personally I don’t care; 1) I wouldn’t choose any Black man I’ve ever seen with a white woman anyway, and; 2) If folks think I’m angry, they don’t mess with me.
“I wouldn’t choose any Black man I’ve ever seen with a white woman anyway”
Omg why? If he dates white women because he thinks that they are better then hey he is a fool and you shouldn’t give him the time of day, but if he just dated her because she is a woman and he is a man and he liked her then whats the big deal. Are you scared that he will compare you to her and you won’t measure up? I smell an inferiority complex.
If a black guy told me he wouldn’t date me because I’ve dated outside of my race, I’d tell him to take a flying $*I&!
You could be dismissing the love of your life because of silly prejudices. -
Not at all as a black woman, I use my unhappy energy wisely. For example, these stereotypes are so ridiculous it’s not worth my unhappy energy. I watch Kathy Bates in Misery, Glen Close in Fatal Attraction, Kathleen Turner in War of the Roses and tons of Lifetime movies mostly portrayed by white women and not see color but angry women. Have you seen the Real Houseiwves of Beverly Hills , NY, DC, NJ???
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oh, where to begin??
first, i’ll say that i’m not offended by the commercial – but then very few things offend me – but here were my initial thoughts
1. why is this woman allowed to kick and throw things at her husband? if a man did the same thing to his wife, we’d be calling for his head!
2. if the woman was more Hollywood (20s, size 0 and smoking hot) and less regular woman (20s, size 10 and everyday nice looking) would we think of her as “angry”? have you seen the State Farm commercial with Selita Ebanks and Mehcad Brooks? no one is calling Selita angry, when clearly she is!
3. i don’t think it was an accident that a white woman was chosen as the “other woman”i think all of these factors feed into the “Angry Black Woman” stereotype – what i find most irritating about the “Angry Black Woman” stereotype is the black women that are portrayed as angry – it’s usually a darker skinned, shorter haired, thicker or heavier woman – it’s rarely the lighter skinned, long haired, skinny sized 2 woman – and who do we have to blame for that?
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Chiming in here to disagree with GEM. I know, crazy, right? I blogged my feelings about this commercial on my blog last week. Check it to get the extended version: http://smartysworld.com/2011/02/08/advertisers-do-not-care-about-black-people/
First of all, I was amused. The majority of Superbowl commercials are (and always have been) violent and/or so far fetched that it is hilarious. The Pepsi Max commercial happened to be both. The goal of a commercial is to stick out in the minds of consumers so that they will be able to recall the product when they are in the store. Pepsi Max and Doritos did that very well on Super Bowl Sunday.
Secondly, commercials are full of stereotypes and caricatures and black folks are not the only victims. How often do we see people of color in commercials at all? And when we do, how often are they stereotypical caricatures of themselves? How many Asians play monks and ninjas in commercials? A lot. Is it right? No, but they are not the litmus test for tolerance and acceptance nor are commercials supposed to portray the most positive attributes of people.
Commercials are meant to show extremes so they can show people, “Look what our product did for THIS fool!” I mean, it was funny to a lot of folks. The same as the State Farm commercial with the angry black couple. I don’t see any one up in arms about the Geico gecko misrepresenting amphibians.
This whole thing is a lot of smoke and no fire to me. Getting angry about being stereotyped as angry doesn’t really help the cause. Just my $.02, tho.
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WHAT?? You DARE to disagree??? Of course, I’m kidding. I asked the question to hear other’s views. I was not pleased with it and still don’t like it but am sensitive to it because I am a black woman. Of course, Asian folks might not take to kindly to the spot with the guy riding the moped through the office with the stereotypical round glasses and egg-head look. That feeds into your premise that commercials are full of stereotypes. While it’s true, it doesn’t make it right. That’s why I LOVE the All State (or State Farm?) commercials with Dennis Haysbert. Black man, no actin’ a fool, just using his authority, good looks and great voice to sell insurance. Thanks Smarty!
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There’s so much to hate about this commercial. The stereotype of the ABW…the violence/intimidation, and even the man’s overt gawking of the jogger running through at the end.
With regards to what we see on other talk shows (Maury, Springer) those bother me too. Tremendously. We can all joke about them, but I don’t support those shows. They show the worst of our society.
I can’t even stand folks making fools of themselves on American Idol.
Someone should have been in the room to say it’s a bad idea during storyboarding. I contend that if the roles of the man and woman were reversed, we’d be talking about domestic violence, but in this case it’s supposed to be funny. I don’t subscribe to that at all.
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I wasn’t too upset over the commercial because I’m quite aware Madison ave overblows stereotypes to sell products. And thats what a charicature is, an overblown impression of somebody. And if you look at the end, the man is the one who pulls her away and the lady feels terrible and states she’s sorry too, almost showing the angry side is in part an act used between her and her man.
Do you know anyone who would actually act this way? I don’t.
The clip of Amarossa? Now there’s someone being angry for little or no reason. She walked in there with an attitude. it’s just so distatsteful to me. She obviously knows how to smile, but was so “Oh it was ALL about the cahrity”, which I’m not buying at all.
But I don’t think we can compare a commercial to real life. We’re supposed to be amrt enough to know its not real, aren’t we? -
Angry women and angry men and some crazy white women on Jerry Springer too. I Can’t even watch that show. They’re all crazy and angry and teach that it’s somehow normal? That show needs to go.
I thought that commercial was funny and didn’t see black or white. They could have made another commercial with a white couple and a hot, beautiful black woman too. But if they did the opposite where the man threw the can and hit a hot man in the head but his intention was to hit the wife/girlfriend they would have had a field day with abbuse. I didn’t think it was mean spirited as
much as just over the top. It’s like when they portray all women who are top execs as beotches. Stereotypes in general are annoying.Every human is different some are angry and out of control (all races and sexes) and some are passive (all races and sexes) for some reason humans have a need to compartmentalize everything; race, religion, social standing, age, etc. Wish it would end so we could all just be happy (oh wait that’s talking about heaven).
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Does the Angry Black Woman exist? Of course she does. I can’t begin to make excuses for or understand her. That said, I’ve run across more than my fair share of Angry White Women, too. *shrugs shoulders*
All black women do not behave like Nene nor do all white women behave like Kim Zolziack (thank the LAWD on both counts…).
I’m bothered that those of us who are not angry (i.e. trapped between having the personality of Oprah and NeNe) have a hard time being taken seriously by those who COULD make the decision to do things a bit differently in media.
Ratings are king; I think Rene alluded to the same a bit earlier. Therefore, until there is a dramatic change in tides, the SMART BLACK WOMAN continues to wait on the sidelines for her opportunity to jump/fit in. Hers is the plight I’m most concerned about.
*steps down from soapbox*
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Exactly! You know I saw a commercial the other day for Fidelity. There was a beautiful black woman telling the man to “Stay on the green line”. She was wearing a suit, clearly knowledgeable and did not snap her fingers or waver her head. It’s a shame that that is not more of the norm , similar to Dennis Haysbert justing using his pipes and good looks to sell insurance. The only grill he’s talking about is the one that gets dented on your car :/ We smart, black women, who go against type, will get our chance or we’ll make it happen!
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It’s bad enough when the media hurls these clichés at you at 100 miles an hour. However I feel a deeper sense of treachery when many black men continue to prop up these lazy generalizations.
It devalues me as a person and I find it tremendously hurtful and offensive.
They of all people should know what it’s like to be stereotyped, and so when they spew out this vitriolic nonsense about black women being angry, belligerent and all the rest, it makes me respect black men even less. I’m at the point where I simply can’t be bothered with any of them anymore.And for the record, my day doesn’t go like this:
Morning: Wake up angry, shake my fist at the heavens and say “why of God, why?”
Rest of day: Remain angry for no earthly reason.
Bedtime: Keep being angry, until I drift off to sleep.
Regards
Avril Tyrell, happy go lucky black women (not angry) from the UK.
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A great deal has been written and discussed about the ABW stereotype – it devalues us as black women, it’s lazy, myopic, unoriginal, yet somewhat grounded in truth (especially when mimicked by our sisters). How about a few words on another prevalant stereotype? This one’s on the opposite end of the continuum, namely the “Cold Uppity Too Smart” black woman.
The CUTS label is used in an attempt to put women ‘in their proper place’ because goodness knows if a black woman isn’t a mammy, temptress, diva, ‘Madea’, down-trodden, loveless/sexless, servile, best-friend-there-to-teach-life-lessons, or ‘hip’ then she must be some kind of alien species. And we all know what happens to aliens when they land on earth.
It’s impossible, not to mention soul-numbing, to try to live life in fear of being identified as an ABW, CUTS, or any other stereotype envisioned by others. But if we make a practice of voting with our eyeballs and dollars and continuing to speak up in favor of more 3-dimensionality in media, the boardroom, and bedroom, I think we’ll eventually have more of a say in how we’re perceived.
Just my .10 cents (adjusted for inflation).
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- Comment Feed for this Post
Two immediate thoughts my end!
Firstly – I really hate the Pepsi Max commercial – don’t think it’s funny, it’s really mean-spirited and I hate the way the commercial thinks it’s okay to throw a can at a guy’s head as comedy
Second thought concerns the ABW stereotype… where do you think it came from? And do you think there’s any truth to it (which doesn’t excuse the fact that it’s been SO overblown by the media and turned into a way of diminishing black women in a way)
As a gay man I hate the swishy gay hairdresser stereotype – but I also know it exists. Are there real angry black women out there that have created this stereotype… where do you think it comes from? Interested to hear what people think…