I can’t say I’m surprised nor can I say that I agree with the trends that are becoming common in African American television and film-making today.
CNN correspondent Roland Martin brings up a spare of the moment conversation that turned into a full fledged debate between other African Americans in the media. The discussion was caught on tape. In it Martin says that he can’t believe that reality show Basketball Wives 2 ranked fifth in viewers the night the 42nd Annual NAACP Image Awards aired. The Award show honoring the achievement of African Americans in the areas of TV, Film, Radio and literature placed twelfth in viewers that day. Number one was The Game which airs on BET.
The video goes on to debate what this means about African Americans as a culture. Are the Basketball Wives really more important than a prestigious 42 year old event ran by an organization influential in assuring black freedom? Or are we saying as a culture that race issues and achievements no longer are factors in todays society? Are we willing to invest time in other peoples lives more than enriching our own? Or was the NAACP Awards just poorly promoted. These are just some of the question I pondered while writing, but wherever the disconnect is watch Roland Martin’s discussion and let me know your own thoughts.
