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AALBC.com's Thumper's Corner Discussion Board » Culture, Race & Economy - Archive 2006 » Desperate Housewives Racism « Previous Next »

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Stephgirl
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Username: Stephgirl

Post Number: 57
Registered: 09-2005

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 12:42 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Racism in "Desperate Housewives"

As I watched the finale of the popular TV show, Desperate Housewives, I found a lot of things that were disturbing to me. One of them, was the flashback when one of Alfie Woodard's sons accidentally killed a young woman during a scuffle. During the entire episode, the show depicted a disfunctional Black family. Then they show an Asian housekeeper who was undocumented and were used by both White and Latino families for their purposes.

Here's a couple of articles documenting the not-so-subtle racism in the popular series:

E!'s commentary on the DH's finale:

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1061589_3||1031778_0_,00.html

The Chicago Sun-Times article exposing the racial/class stereotypes in the show:

http://www.suntimes.com/output/elfman/cst-ftr-elf22.html

Here's a list of the top ten stereotypes from the DH series compiled by Poplicks:

TOP 10 STEREOTYPES I LEARNED FROM DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES


Please don't deport me!



After watching Sunday night's season finale, I prepared this Top 10 list of stereotypes I learned from watching this season's Desperate Housewives:

If Chinese women are deported back to China, they will become slaves.

"Retarded" black men cannot resist white nubile girls.

Mexican men and their Mexican gardeners love pregnant Asian housekeepers.

White mothers like to breastfeed as long as possible to lose weight.

Pharmacists and nuns are psychotic.

Gay sons must be abandoned or they will screw their mother's boyfriend.

Non-Chinese people pronounce the name "Xiao Mei" as "Chow Mein."

Recovering alcoholics also tend to be recovering sex addicts.

Pregnant strippers cannot be trusted to honor promises to sell their attractive babies.

Black families should never be allowed into white suburban neighborhoods.


With such vicious stereotypes, I won't be watching the third season episode this coming Fall


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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden

Post Number: 2240
Registered: 03-2004

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 02:13 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

No wonder the ratings are so good. It's All American!
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Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri

Post Number: 575
Registered: 01-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 03:20 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I never watched it, not even once. It took you two whole seasons to figure out it's a bunch of BS???
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Cynique
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Username: Cynique

Post Number: 4488
Registered: 01-2004

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 04:30 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

This simple-minded show is a good anti-dote to the enigmatic foolishness of "Lost," that other prime-time farce.
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Serenasailor
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Serenasailor

Post Number: 463
Registered: 01-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 04:40 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Your right Cynique! OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I SAID THAT!!!!! I don't watch those shows either. Those shows only appeal to sex-starve, middle age, Mid-Western, bored soccer moms. These are the same women who think that Tom Cruise is straight, and that Katie Holmes is actually pregnant with his baby.
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Chrishayden
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Username: Chrishayden

Post Number: 2242
Registered: 03-2004

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 04:48 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Serena:

Will you please tell that (about Cruise--Cruise. Isn't that name just loaded with homoerotic implications?) to Abm?

He doesn't believe it.
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Brownbeauty123
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Brownbeauty123

Post Number: 270
Registered: 03-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 05:48 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I never got the appeal of Desperate Housewives. So I don't watch it.

But I HATE Eva Longoria and her sad sad pity story of being an ugly dark young girl that nobody thought would grow up to be so beautiful.
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Stephgirl
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Username: Stephgirl

Post Number: 58
Registered: 09-2005

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 08:16 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Brownbeauty,

I agree. Eva Longoria face is being plastered all over America, from magazine covers to ample airtime on TV and radio, to her basketball star fiance.

Shoot! She's being named Maxim magazine's #1 hottie of the year. That's two times in a row.
That's more than what any black woman would have, ever. Eva L. should just thank herself instead of putting herself down. The same goes to Halle Berry.

Stephanie B.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique

Post Number: 4493
Registered: 01-2004

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 08:18 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I am no huge Tom Cruise fan, but what has he done to be stuck with the label of being gay? He did, in fact, win a libel suit against a magazine who accused him of this. He and his manical grin can be annyoing but where is the proof that these unfounded rumors about him being gay are true.
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Renata
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Renata

Post Number: 1079
Registered: 08-2005

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 09:12 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

People really watch those crappy shows?
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Fortified
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Fortified

Post Number: 93
Registered: 04-2006

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Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 10:14 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I admit, it's one of my guilty pleasures *hangs head in shame*. I sometimes get a kick out of watching women who are more messed up than myself.

I honestly wish there were more roles out there for Alfre. She is sooooooo underrated.
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Stephgirl
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Username: Stephgirl

Post Number: 59
Registered: 09-2005

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Posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 12:52 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

To Renata,

It's a guilty secret of mine. I know that I need to concentrate more on my artwork than to watch TV or even internet surfing. But I cannot refrain from commenting on the show. I only watch it to see how the Black family, headed by Alfie Woodard fared in it. To be honest, they purposely didn't developed it. Alfie Woodard's character has no love interest whatsoever and that her sons are portrayed in the worst possible manner. I could go on and on.

Thanks, Renata, for asking.

Regards,

Stephanie B.
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Serenasailor
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Serenasailor

Post Number: 478
Registered: 01-2006

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Posted on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 - 07:56 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

Cynique, Baby I live here in Hollywood and believe me alot of actors/actresses are gay!! Tom Cruise is just one of the hundreds. One or two rumors may not be true, but these stories about him have been ciculating for years.
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Femrenoir
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Username: Femrenoir

Post Number: 20
Registered: 05-2006

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Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2006 - 11:39 pm:   Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Ban Poster IP (Moderator/Admin only)

I got DVR this year, so I taped it and watched it quite a few times - I wanted to see Alfre (I missed Oprah) and to see what all the hype was about. It is really a stupid show. It is not funny or enlightening or even raunchy. It is just silly. As far as I can see, they used Alfre to pull us in and insult us. She played her part well - So I guess they also used her to have some 'acting' on the show. The rest of them are like cartoon characters.

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