Any time television shows like Real House Wives of Atlanta, Scandal or Being Mary Jane are mentioned, you get uprisings in the black community. People stand up to demand an end to the bed winch (as I’ve heard it said), desperate, sleeping with married men, and drama filled black women. While others try to talk them off the ledge explaining how shows like “Being Mary Jane” portray accurate insight into the various of black women.  There are women doing well for themselves, don’t have a man, and have a few issues in their lives. This is art imitating life.

Despite all the fussing, cursing and arguing I’ve heard regarding the Mary Jane’ing of black, feminine culture, there is only one reason Mary Jane is now the mold for black women in the media and not Claire Huxtable.

Because Claire Isn’t What You Want.

You want to SAY that is what you want. The truth is you want to complain about the depiction or just secretly enjoy the show. But you don’t want Claire Huxtable.

Claire is a middle aged, housewife with a respectable profession, 5 kids, a husband and in-laws. She does it with style, grace, and class. In short, Claire is a lame.

There are no cat fights with Claire. She doesn’t engage in gossip or talking behind people’s backs. She doesn’t appear half dressed. She isn’t what you want to see on television.

You want drama, action, intrigue….rachetness.

You can’t fool me. I’ve done this too long and am willing to say it.

I know the truth. You want ratchet shit. You just don’t want to own up to it.

Here is how I know. Because you are watching these shows. If a vast number of you were not watching this material, it wouldn’t be on television. Period. The media is a zero sum game. If it don’t make dollars, it don’t make sense. Great program without making a profit is going to get dropped. If it makes a profit, it stays on the air.

Understanding this, these shows must represent what you want to see. They get the viewership. They got the demographic with expendable income and are profitable. You are watching these shows. Period.

You can’t lie to me. I have been behind the scenes at UI for years. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt y’all love to say you want one thing, but then give attention to the next. And truthfully, only our FB Admins or someone who has ever had access to FB Insights, Google Analytics to analyzes, study, and learn. The data tells a complete different story. In our case, the words we speak don’t match up to our actions in the Black Community.

And I’m only telling you like it is because I love you…..but you want ratchet material. Foul depictions of black women, men and children is what you desire.

It is my assumption it makes you feel better in your lives. You get to find out there are people out there in worse situations than you or they are going through something similar. You can relate to them.

That’s my best stab at it, but I do know it is clearly what you want.

You are watching these shows. And as you continue to watch these shows like Being Mary Jane, Basketball Wives, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Love and Hip Hop, you will continue to get more and more just like them. Mary Jane is taking over as the dominant, acceptable mold for black women in the media, not Claire Huxtable.