"Hot Ghetto Mess" is About to Become Water Cooler Chatter!
Coming soon, the water cooler conversation on your job might be about the show “Hot Ghetto Mess,” which will air on BET. Hot Ghetto Mess is a show hosted by comedian Charlie Murphy and is based on a web site of the same name, which displays photos and web videos of Black people in all manner of portraying “real” stereotypes. Images of pimps, people dressed like pimps (and hos), children with liquor, “ghetto” fashion, “ghetto” weddings, “ghetto” beach wear, etc. are all on heavy display.
The BET show will air the photos and clips from the web site. Supposedly the point of the web site and the show is to spark dialogue and debate in the Black community and to encourage Blacks to stop behaving in a “ghetto” fashion.
Bullsh*t!!
The point of the site and the show is to exploit Blacks for monetary gain, to perpetuate stereotypical images of Blacks to the global community, and to poke fun at those perceived by many to be on the lower echelon of the American totem pole.
I don’t care if the web site was created by someone Black. I don’t care if there’s a Black host. You can find a Black person who’s willing to exploiting coonish behavior just as quickly as you can find someone White seeking to exploit it! Point blank! But, Viacom, owner of BET, thinks it’s okay to air the show because they have a Black web site creator and a Black host involved. I don’t think so!
Home Depot and Statefarm Insurance have already pulled their ads from the show, after hearing of the controversy and reviewing a copy of the as-yet-to-air program.
There’s an online petition to stop “Hot Ghetto Mess” before it airs on BET. The link is included at the end of this post. I encourage you to sign the petition and to contact BET.
It is 2007, people. We need to stop disseminating such negative, offensive, and disgusting images of Blacks, the so-called universal Black lifestyle, and Black culture. We are all painted with the same brush as those in the photos and videos. It’s not a laughing matter. Are you a cartoon or a person? Do you mind that Viacom is putting out this show? Do you see how shows like this create problems for all Blacks?
Don’t wait for one of your White coworkers to see this show and ask you an offensive question about something they saw before you decide the show needs to be taken off the air.
If you would like to sign the online petition, you can go to the following link to sign and post a comment.
www.petitiononline.com/stpghtto
Please pass the link on to your friends and family. What do you think about the web site and the show, “Hot Ghetto Mess”? Post a comment!
The BET show will air the photos and clips from the web site. Supposedly the point of the web site and the show is to spark dialogue and debate in the Black community and to encourage Blacks to stop behaving in a “ghetto” fashion.
Bullsh*t!!
The point of the site and the show is to exploit Blacks for monetary gain, to perpetuate stereotypical images of Blacks to the global community, and to poke fun at those perceived by many to be on the lower echelon of the American totem pole.
I don’t care if the web site was created by someone Black. I don’t care if there’s a Black host. You can find a Black person who’s willing to exploiting coonish behavior just as quickly as you can find someone White seeking to exploit it! Point blank! But, Viacom, owner of BET, thinks it’s okay to air the show because they have a Black web site creator and a Black host involved. I don’t think so!
Home Depot and Statefarm Insurance have already pulled their ads from the show, after hearing of the controversy and reviewing a copy of the as-yet-to-air program.
There’s an online petition to stop “Hot Ghetto Mess” before it airs on BET. The link is included at the end of this post. I encourage you to sign the petition and to contact BET.
It is 2007, people. We need to stop disseminating such negative, offensive, and disgusting images of Blacks, the so-called universal Black lifestyle, and Black culture. We are all painted with the same brush as those in the photos and videos. It’s not a laughing matter. Are you a cartoon or a person? Do you mind that Viacom is putting out this show? Do you see how shows like this create problems for all Blacks?
Don’t wait for one of your White coworkers to see this show and ask you an offensive question about something they saw before you decide the show needs to be taken off the air.
If you would like to sign the online petition, you can go to the following link to sign and post a comment.
www.petitiononline.com/stpghtto
Please pass the link on to your friends and family. What do you think about the web site and the show, “Hot Ghetto Mess”? Post a comment!
Labels: racial ignorance, racist perceptions, stereotypes
posted by S. Mary Wills at 12:23 PM
12 Comments:
I've visited the website. Shameful! I'm sorry that the folks who created the site had nothing better to do buy to create the site, instead of trying to make the world a better place. If this is their means to that end, they need to stop the madness. It's not intelligent, as Malcolm X would saty.
Hello,
Thank you for taking the time to shining the light on what I choose to categorize as damaging, deplorable, and dehumanizing material that only breeds self-hatred. It's time to stop the madness before we lose yet another generation of innocent children.
Content Black Woman has also published an excellent post about "Hot Ghetto Mess." It is well worth taking the time to read and share. You can view it at http://whyblackwomenareangry.blogspot.com
/2007/07/stench-of-hot-ghetto-mess-its-time-to.html
As Marvin Gaye would say, "What's Going On?"
Manchild
While I agree with you in theory, and really hate to see more of this "Flava Flav, I Love NY" ghetto mash; the true fact is that these photos and videos have been circulating on the web for years.
I've received more than my share of "you've got to see this!" trash in my email box and I know you have too. The young lawyer from DC that created the site puts it out there that this is disgraceful - to some of us. Her point is to satirize and and ridicule the actors and perhaps they will see that they are being laughed at and not 'with'.
Obviously to those who proudly dyed their hair a shade unknown to man, gave Colt 45 to a 2 year old, or made a cut out prom dress for a pregnant belly, this is just who they are. I don't approve and neither do they, but will making believe they don't exist make them go away?
What are YOUR ideas to educate these masses?
Sorry - that should have read:
While I agree with you in theory, and really hate to see more of this "Flava Flav, I Love NY" ghetto mash; the true fact is that these photos and videos have been circulating on the web for years.
I've received more than my share of "you've got to see this!" trash in my email box and I know you have too. The young lawyer from DC that created the site puts it out there that this is disgraceful - to some of us. Her point is to satirize and to ridicule the actors and perhaps they will see that they are being laughed at and not 'with'.
Obviously to those who proudly dyed their hair a shade unknown to man, gave Colt 45 to a 2 year old, or made a cut out prom dress for a pregnant belly, this is just who they are. I don't approve and neither do you, but will making believe they don't exist make them go away?
What are YOUR ideas to educate these masses?
How far we have fallen! It's bad enough to seeing these culturally deprived ignorant people walking the streets, but to put it on display where it will give white people fodder to continue to berate us is an atrocity. Don't blame "the white man" for holding us back -- we do it to ourselves. I have yet to see someone born with blue or orange hair. Clowns belong on the stage or in the circus... Don't get it twisted, there are some shameful white folk walking this earth too, but do you see them creating a show about them? I gave up on BET years ago.
I haven't seen it myself. I am mixed on the issue. The thing is, these aren't actors...they are real people whom believe in orange hair weave and prom dresses with rhinestones around their bellies...and they are proud of it. Some of us, embrace and love doing their "thang" while others of us disapprove and want deny that some of us...really are like that.
African-American's come in all shades, levels of intelligence, different taste of classic, concept of respect, motivation, shame, and thought of our roles in all of it....within our community and to the "others".
I don't watch TV. I have given it up. I will check out the website. All in all, BET brings me much more shame....more than Flavor Flav, Karrine, and I Love New York ever did.
Oh my, my, my! Why have we not learned to not exploit US. Why couldn't this show be about more positive and uplifting themes that shape our culture. Our country is in the midst of a presidential election and it's a black man who is making waves and has been making waves.We need to promote our young and feed them with the positivity of being who they are. We have for so long starved ourselves and allowed other races to build themselves all upon our backs and with our blood , sweat and tears! We have some some the greatest scholars, educator, entertainers and atheletes and we still refuse to acknowledge them. Again, if we don't learn to resolve our history we are destined to repeat it. Here we go again.
Hi anonymous,
I do what I to "educate the masses" by writing this blog about workplace racism. It may not be global earth-shattering stuff, but each time some finds a nugget of useful information on this site or a link to information they didn't have, it goes a long way to empowering someone to do something about the active racism afflicting them at work.
No, causing Hot Ghetto Mess to disappear or never appear on cable doesn't change any of the ignorant behavior you describe. Bu, I truly believe these images are Weapons of Mass Destruction to Black people. That's the point of stopping the show from airing. Images are powerful.
We don't have to sit by and have yet another program air. I don't watch any of those Flavor of Love, etc. programs. As a matter of fact, I haven't even looked at those shows out of curiosity. I'm not even curious. When I have received Hot Ghetto Mess emails over the years, I delete them without opening them. Again, I am not even curious.
It doesn't matter if the site has been operating for years, the show hasn't and the show will reach even more people--especially those that haven't gotten any of those emails. A whole new crowd will be exposed to Blacks behaving foolishly--YET AGAIN!!
What can be done to educate the masses? That's gonna take a long time because it requires changing the mindset of many people. You're talking about socioeconomic conditions, education, etc., when looking at this behavior.
I don't believe the site is satirical nor do I believe it is being viewed as satire by those sending and viewing the photos, etc. We've got people sending links to folks that look just like someone said, like "clowns." These people are being laughed at and not a single message is being received about reform or change or a sense of embarassment.
Black people are colorful folks. We've often adorned ourselves in flashly ways. It's part of the culture. But, there's something called going to far. And, this show continues the pattern of the media images going too far and too negative in the portrayal of Black folks. I think we need to speak out against Hot Ghetto Mess and all the other shows of the same ilk.
Thank you for creating this site addressing the long overdue matter of interpersonal and institutionalized racism in the workplace. An educated black person, I have been greeted by white co-workers with "What it is" and "What it be like" and in the same breath they'll greet a white co-worker with "good morning". Then when you call them on this racism, they become the new "black" authority and culture police actually twisting the term Uncle Tom around to fit their racist purposes by inferring you are not really black because you will not be the office minstral show. This must stop. Your dialogue here is a start. Thank you!
hmmm... let's see... isn't there still something called freedom of speech? and if ya'll don't like it, why don't you petition ya brothaz and sistaz to stop dressing and acting like fools. do u not think there's something like this with white people on it too? try peopleofwalmart.com
last i checked, my ancestors were freed from opression like this.
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