Week
of
7/25/97:		 With the high number of network (non-cable) television shows featuring or starring African American actors, how do you explain the total absence of any Black show or actor being nominated for an Emmy this year?



Name: Kofi Inkabi
Email: ksinkabi@ucdavis.edu
Response: The emmy's are all politics. Why hasn't respected actors such as Denzel Washington won a award. It is because he can't ACT that's why!! He cannot act like the white man in America wants him to act like. A FOOL!!! And thats why they gave us that boy from Jerry Maguire "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!" Now that is a slap in the face my brothers. Open your eyes. See that we are being exploited. A man jumping up and down like a "fool" is what they wanted to show America. A person who cannot even say thankyou on a stage without jumping up and down screaming. Are we that far from the 60's??? NO!!!! Think about it Sydney Porte did not win a emmy until he gave into the white man and started ACTING....like a fool.


Name: Kevin Izard
Email: kizard@post.its.mcw.edu
Response: Nominated for Emmy??? ARE YOU KIDDING?!! As a whole, I am appalled by what is laughingly passing as "black entertainment" these days. With rare exception, most of these shows do not even merit being ON television, much less rewarding what they have done! Brothers and Sisters, we need to open our eyes to what is happening in the name of entertainment. It is the age old story of minstrels and gladiators. BUT, before we go poining our fingers at "THE MAN", and the "racist network executives", and even overly eager black actors, we need to examine the crux of the problem. The networks exist not primarily to entertain us, but to make money. If every African American television was tuned to, say, Tony Brown's Journal instead of Martin, it would not matter what white America watched. There would be enough white entrepreneurs out there who would not care as long as the show attracted high paying commercial sponsors! But this is not the case. The sad fact is that WE watch these silly demeaning shows. Hollywood will continue to make "Boody Call"s and "Menace II Society"s just as long as we continue to pay to watch them. The converse is also true. If we do not support the "Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored"s, Hollywood will NOT continue to invest in them. Its a simple matter of GREEN. I've already gone on long enough...


Name: K. Leonard
Email: k8wra1@juno.com
Response: Maybe the nominating committee didn't find any shows with African-American actors that it considered good enough to be nominated for an Emmy. But who cares, the Emmy ceremony is just a big self-serving party where the actors pat each other on the back and tell each other how great they are; with no regard for the viewing public who pays their salaries. As long as African-Americans are getting the jobs (which they didn't a short time ago), just let them keep on keeping on. They will get there.


Name: Christina Abram-Davis
Email: Blkcat411@aol.com
Response: The simple answer would be cultural bias which is alot more subtle than overt racism, but it achieves the same end. Ask yourself who are the persons who decide what show has merit enough to justify an Emmy? Once you have the answer on who the judges are, you find a preponderance of older white males. That being established, the judges will recommend those shows with which they personally relate to and are comfortable with. This kind of bias can only be answered by there being more people of different cultures in the drivers seat. If we want more of a piece of the pie, not just in Hollywood, but in society in general, then we had better start owning the ingredients and the reciepes to making our own pies(opportunity & power), instead of wondering why we always end up with the dry crust of someone else's....Can you feel me? Peace & Love Christina Abram-Davis


Name: Nnamdi Nzingha
Email:
Response: DISCRIMINATION!!! What else. Our contributions are usually discounted or considered substandard, or marginal. Off the top of my head, every acting award we've won we are in a subservient position. We should support our awards, and go on to more important battles. P.S. Samuel L. Jackson should get an oscar for his performance in "A time to Die" ( the movie his daughter was raped), because that was one of the strongest performances I've ever seen on film.


Name: Amatul Hannan
Email: ahannan@mit.edu
Response: Justice would be if ROC had run longer than Archie Bunker, I'll fly away as long as DR Quinn medicine woman, and a Different world as long as The facts of life, Babe watch, even FAME, or that darn 90210 thang... As long as we settle for 1/2 stepping junk we will be looked on as 1/2wits, 1/4 of a human being and so on. TV bends childrens brains. Little black and latino Kids in Boston play COPS and sing the theme song "Bad boys bad boys,whatch gonna do-whatcha gonna do when they come forYOU.." Some "adult" people watch America's most wanted or COPS and laugh- its just a good joke to them, they figure its all bad actors, paid off crack heads and made up s**t... but then they dont want to hear a serious breakdown of disproportionate cocaine sentencing, police brutality, or brothers suffering from jail rape ("Its too scary and exaggerated!") I say: God bless hardworking Black folks making mad money with their talents and intellect but God damn those who ghetto us all out in minstral shows for bloodstained gold Who recorded that daggon "Bad Boys" song anyway? some white pseudo rasta jerk...or who? Who takes the money to run around like a gun toting monkey on the crime shows? Who wears the string thong Hocakes outfit and gets cast as the girl who answers to b***h skeezer hos and honeez? Or the nasty mouth kitchen mamma with the fat a**? "We got to keep OURSELVES in check" Chuck D said backin the day and he wasn't whistling DIXIE then


Name: Monica G. Wood
Email: monicaw@afroam.org
Response: I really don't know why with all the shows targeted to the African-American audience why they are not being recognized for their performances on their various shows. I disagree with the various comments about how there are not any good shows out there. Yes, there are many shows maninly on FOX/UPN that need to be removed, but overall I believe that we are moving in the right direction as it relates to good black programming. I will site some examples: 'Living Single', 'Cosby', 'New York Undercover' and'Moesha'. These shows appeal to everyone from the youth/hip hop generation to the black professional to the middle-aged adult. And, out of these shows the Emmy committee could take their pick of who to nominate for the best actor/actress categories. I know for a fact Bill cosby's show,'Cosby' is being nominated for best comedy. So although we have along way to go, there are some good shows out there. I have a problem with the networks thinking that all blacks no how to do is act like fools. The more important question should be, "Why are the networks taking off the few good African-American targeted shows, that have the high ratings and replacing them with the clown acts?" Next season, 'Living Single' will only be taping 13 episodes to air in mid-season as fill-ins. This is ridiculous! A sister like myself has a problem supporting the black shows that have my brothers acting like fools in space,clowns as lawyers and 21 year old nerds with highwater pants. We have more intelligents than they are giving us credit for, but if we don't make or voices heard through petitioning, calling and just not watching these shows they are not going to stop giving it to us. So, to really anser the question, I believe they just don't want to acknowledge African-American actors for their talent, period. We are out there in all arenas and we need to speak up or it will never change. Peace and Blessings.


Name: Serious in Chicago
Email:
Response: It is obvious. Just look at the quality of shows on the air. I thought Step-and-Fetch-It was a thing of the past. They may as well put J.J. from Good Times back on the air (he's in re-runs here in Chicago...can you believe it?!) I bet they just sit back and laugh, because it appears that we will take any kind of role to make a dollar. People like Cicily Tyson and Afrea Woodard are rare. These are true actors, not former rappers and stand-up comics turned actor. This is one of the major problems surrounding t.v. Comics want to make people laugh - I'm not sure what rappers want- so the substance and quality is not there. Acting is about telling stories and portraying people/images/ideals in a light in which the receiver can understand, process, ponder and react in some manner. Though this is not the entire reason, I'm quite sure it is part of it. All of the silly antics and buffoonery we see on t.v. is not acting - not to mention absolutely embarrasing. I'm sure they know this and also know they look like idiots (especially that Wayans sister). But as I mentioned earlier, the dollar wins everytime. In the words of Eddie Murphy, "Give a nigger a rope...and he wants to be a cowboy." We as community have much to address, and this kind of crap we just don't need. Everything is not funny. I, like others, watched Martin, and sometimes I laughed the loudest. So I'm not saying we shouldn't have enjoyment. We do have our own style of comedy, but we must be careful how we portray ourselves in the public arena. Let's wait and see what FOX Broadcasting will put on this fall. I believe they have cancelled New York Undercover and Living Single(the only two shows I could tolerate). Let us pray we don't have to be embarrased another year, AND LET'S START WRITING THESE NETWORKS!!!!!


Name: Debbie Johnson
Email:
Response: I agree with Steven, a lot of these shows are pretty bad. What fascinates me is when shows which portray positive images like "Roc" and "A Different World" get cancelled, and shows like "Homeboys From Outer Space" stay on. Didn't I read that "Family Matters" is the longest running black television show. Give me a break. And every sitcom black or white inevitably has a story line where some woman, black or white, is concerned and embarassed because her behind is too big! This was recently even on Moesha. I don't know about these writers but where I'm from a woman with a big behind gets all the guys! I view it as a blatant attempt to put black women down and continue to push this image that a blonde white women is the only thing that is beautiful. We need to write letters, and stop watching shows, and purchasing products that don't portray us in a positive light.


Name: stephen moore
Email: snake@istar.ca
Response: They don't get nominated because the majority of these show are no good. these writers are unbelievable, they act as if we don't have the same kind of problems as other ethnic groups.


Name: Lillie M. Thompson
Email: Lillie.Thompson@BGE.com
Response: 7/28/97 My reaction is that, we as a black race will and aways experience the exclusion of any acknowledgement that will say "We are a great people and we are definitely sitting the the superior seat. Some issues are just plain obvious that we are extremely phenominal in all that we do. But if decisions are left up to them, we wlll all take a back seat. This is just another way they (whites) or (powers to be) of keeping us down or in some type of boundage.


Name: Ryan Calloway
Email: Callowr@GPB.ORG
Response: It is quite simple. We are not viewed in the same light as whites. I was once asked by a white co-worker why blacks needed black magazines or award shows. I told him that if we didn't have these things we would never hear or view things from a black perspective. In the case of your question, black actors won't be acknowledged for a job well done. It took almost an hour to get this person to somewhat understand this. Unfortunately, there are too many whites who do not think we can never do anything to equal or surpass their achievements. Another unfortunate side of this is that whites have money and they are in positions to control what they want to see and promote. Please my brothers and sisters lets support each other in all aspects of life. If we don't, who will????


Name: Solomon Landers
Email: Numberup@worldnet.att.net
Response: Beyond the OBVIOUS answer, it must be considered that too many of the African American shows are comedies which do not allow actors to portray a variety of roles. Then there is the matter of who are the quality controllers, i.e., producers and script-writers. Is America really ready to see Black life expressed in all its complexity, and the Black struggle heroically portrayed? Are they ready to identify with it?


Name: gregg
Email:
Response: We have to realize that the system is not going to shower us with accolades. What is important is perhaps that we ourselves choose a significant African American actor who reflects our ideas and image. We don't have to be dependent upon the majority's approval of our brother's or sister's talent.


Name: Brother Akindele of MAD Writer Productions
Email: akinyemi@online.emich.edu
Response: Raahubaat usra. First, let me point out to our nation that this is not done by coincindence. The Illuminati runs ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, WB, and UPN. Second, we all should know by now that the pale man and his Jewish buddies will not give credit where credit is due. He will give Nubian-Americans who act like they have never been in public before an award (or should I say a "nomination") but you will never see in this lifetime a "sweep" daytime or nighttime Emmys. That is not possible in their society. However, we should support award shows like the Essence and the NAACP Image Awards. BAM..there you have it.. the Nubian Oscars and Emmy Awards sponsored by Nubians. Wadu.