Actor Brian White recently sat for an interview where he ranted about racial sterotypes on reality shows, then he shockingly (even though his statement had truth to it) revealed that he thinks many Black women do act like NeNe Leakes. So people claiming black women get "stereotyped" isn't necessarily the case. Get the deets inside.....
It must have gotten under Brian White's skin when folks talked trash about his interracial marraige. He popped off then, and now he's stating something that's comes off just a bit attacking--despite the truth in it. During a recent interview, the traveling production What My Husband Doesn't Know star went on a long rant about racial sterotypes on reality televison. He also said he believes many Black women in fact do act like NeNe Leakes. So people getting upset by racial sterotypes should actually be getting upset at the "reality" itself. And also, what is being glorified and shown as the "reality" of black women (I do agree with him on that part). Read the highlights....
What is your insight on the Spike Lee vs. Tyler Perry beef? Why do you think people hate Tyler Perry so much?
Because Tyler holds a mirror up to people. Stereotypes are not stereotypes today. The most popular character [in Why Did I Get Married?], and it’s not the one that Tyler picked as the most popular, is Tasha! You have Janet Jackson and Jill Scott; my point is Jill Scott and Janet are huge music stars with huge fan bases, Tasha became the most popular because her character is portrayed the most like “Love & Hip Hop” the most like, “Desperate Housewives of Atlanta,” [we think he means "Housewives Of Atlanta] you might as well switch it around and pop in Nene [Leaks]. [Tasha Smith] is brilliant, she’s nothing like the character, she’s just portraying what she sees in society, magnified.[sic]People get mad and say that’s not us. Yes it is.
Turn on “Love & Hip Hop” and turn on “Desperate Housewives Of Atlanta” those are “reality shows.” You can’t call something reality then get mad when it shows up in the movies as reality but that’s what we’re doing. That’s where the cycle continues. They don’t do that in Africa, they don’t do that in France; they don’t connect with that message.
Do you think Tyler Perry only depicts black people in a negative light? There are a lot of black people who fit into the stereotype but there are a lot of black people who don’t.
You can’t call it a stereotype if it’s the majority. The most prevalent image in “urban society” right now is women like Nene [Leaks]. If there’s a fight that breaks out on “Love & Hip Hop” those people are one every blog, the cover of every magazine the next week. It’s not Taraji or Gabrielle, it’s whoever just got into a fist fight. Tyler’s not stereotyping, he’s holding up a mirror and people are mad at him because people don’t want to look at that image in that way.Do you believe that the stereotypes we see on TV are prevalent in the race or just portrayed on TV? Is it really the majority of black women that act like Nene?
I have five sisters and two moms, none of them are like that! To me, I can say I’m offended if they want to represent that and don’t want to represent my mom, but my mom represents Phylicia Rashād and has been represented on TV all my life. I can’t say that. I don’t watch “Real Housewives,” I’ve never seen an episode of “Love & Hop Hop” I’m not supporting it, I’m not giving it ratings. I’m not making the stereotype exist on TV. You’ve watched it, you’ve added to why it’s on TV.
But wait........
After the interview was published, Brian had some words for the writer tweeting,
@K_Ova Shocked at how positive our convo was on phone and to read her chopped up slanted version of it = Truly disghusted. [sic]
So.....maybe these aren't his true feelings and his words were taken out of context? Your thoughts?
BONUS: Speaking of "ATL Housewives," here's a clip from Sunday's upcoming episode of the ladies visiting an orphanage during their trip to South Africa:
