Posted on 01/11/2013 6:00:26 AM PST by Kaslin
Television is getting a little unreal. First, the idea that Al Gore would sell out to Al-Jazeera sounded like an April Fools' joke. Then the Oxygen network -- that supposedly uplifting women's channel founded in 2000 by Oprah Winfrey -- announced it was producing a reality show called "All My Baby's Mamas" starring an Atlanta rapper and former drug dealer named "Shawty Lo," alongside his 11 children and their 10 different mothers.
This story didn't originate on a satire site like The Onion. Oxygen promoted this videotaped puddle of stupidity with a YouTube highlight reel featuring the rapper (real name: Carlos Walker) unsuccessfully attempting to name his 11 kids as quiz-show music plays. Rush Limbaugh suggested this sounded like New York Jets football star Antonio Cromartie, who had trouble naming his nine kids by seven women on HBO's "Hard Knocks" documentary series in 2010.
This plot was so objectionable and senseless that the entire political spectrum has united against it. Leftist Boyce Watkins called it "a platform for ignorance." Liberal Clarence Page asked "Lincoln freed us for this?" Upset with the black stereotyping, citizen activist Sabrina Lord posted a petition on Change.org demanding "Shawty-Lo Must Go," and the Parents Television Council and their grass-roots army joined in that effort.
Conservatives smell the decline and fall of Western civilization in this kind of "reality TV" sensationalism.
As the criticism and petition signatures piled up, Oxygen locked down. They sidestepped the show at the winter press tour with TV writers in favor of touting their other new programs, like one called "Fat Girl Revenge." They lamely claimed their YouTube video was "hacked" instead of official, and claimed it was very early in the development process, although it was expected to air this spring. They insisted it was a special, not a series.
But when pressed hard enough, a network publicist didn't back down with Fox News. "Oxygen's one-hour special in development is not meant to be a stereotypical representation of everyday life for any one demographic or cross section of society ... It is a look at one unique family and their complicated, intertwined life. Oxygen Media's diverse team of creative executives will continue developing the show with this point of view."
Critics can't say this familial mess isn't reality in the sense that Walker actually created this twisted trail. The names of the mothers have been changed to make better television -- one is nicknamed "Jealous Baby Mama" and another "Shady Baby Mama." This is odd, because they're can't be anyone "shadier" than our aspiring TV star Shawty-Lo, sneaking around to the point that he dishonorably piled up ten "baby mamas."
Wouldn't you think that somewhere in this chain that Baby Mama Five or Six would have been warned away by the rest of the roster?
Since he has no shame, 36-year-old Shawty-Lo is now dating a 19-year-old. His oldest child is 21.
No one by now expects "reality TV" to offer us role models. Instead, these shows careen recklessly around the culture and celebrate dysfunction. Sadly, for women under age 30, more than half of their babies are born out of wedlock. Among blacks, the rate soars to more than 65 percent. Oxygen isn't making this show as a morality play, some kind of "Scared Straight" documentary. Like almost every other reality show, this network surely will just set a stage for outsized drama and squabbling and yelling and crying.
Early in the controversy, Oxygen Media senior vice president Cori Abraham hoped that the show would provide "over-the-top moments that our young, diverse female audience can tweet and gossip about ... leaving the man of the house to split his affection multiple ways while trying to create order ... but sharing your man with several opinionated women is bound to create issues."
In short, they see this as a black edition of TLC's "Sister Wives," without the actual lobbying for polygamy. For this show and this format to fly, viewers will have to embrace the characters and root for them to succeed -- which means the stars will be celebrated for ruining their children publicly. There's nothing like national humiliation.
This ridiculous concept should be dumped by Oxygen, and Oxygen should be dumped by cable systems. But Oxygen is now owned by the cable giant Comcast, so a very large wave of public shame is the only hope we have that this show gets cancelled. The fact that people are having to write petitions about this train wreck only proves that the TV industry will always "think" its way to an idiotic-sounding new low.
This is the way Oprah thinks.
Lowest common denominator wins out every time, and since our country is now dominated by low-information voters, why should anyone be surprised?
It's all apart of the new improved African American culture ,,, Drugs ,, guns ,, b!+che$ ,, abortion ,, 0bama phones ,, 0bama monies ,, and all the illegitimate children you can produce .
Most of us KNOW this type of repulsive irresponsible behavior is going on, but NOT the under-informed, low information voters. Just like the ‘shock’ when the same folks saw their first 2013 paycheck. How about we encourage this show TO BE aired, then take to the airwaves, newspapers, talk shows etc. to promote our conservative values. Point out that this irresponsibility may, in this guy's case be paid for by the “daddy” how about pointing out that WE the People pay for most of these situations with food stamps, EBT cards, welfare and 20 other entitlement programs from paychecks for those of us who DO work.
Sidebar, to stop this type of “I don't know who the daddy is” mentality and continuous 2nd, 3rd children born out of wedlock, have a mandate that upon the first child being born require she pay for paternity tests to determine exactly WHO is the baby's daddy, then have THEM pay for this child's upbringing, not the taxpayers. Cut off welfare payments after 6 months and then IF a second or third child is born, same thing. NO freebies lined up from the government as there was only one immaculate conception that I'm aware of. Seems harsh, but trust me, it would stop this nonsense, would it not?
America 2013.
Morally bankrupt. A cultural sewer.
But for the evil DemocRAT statists and the craven politicians of the GOP, your plan would work.
God is just sitting out there waiting, waiting for one last straw and then WHAP up aside the head for the whole damn lot of us. Geeez!
About 12 years ago I worked in a small town in Mid state New York. One fine upstanding resident had either 25-27 children with 4 different women. 3 of the the women were sisters. I believe that there were 4 multiple births.
“But for the evil DemocRAT statists and the craven politicians of the GOP, your plan would work.”
Amen to that! Can you believe what the GOP has become? I cannot and have let them know in no uncertain terms. TEA Party is NOT dead, we need to just keep on keeping on. Never give up, never give in.
Amen brother!
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