Petition Hits The Net To Boycott “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta”
VH1′s latest reality hit, “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta” got top notch rating when it premiered Monday night- 3.6 million viewers. But, of course, you will always have the naysayers as well as the fans. Just like it happened to “Basketball Wives,” L&HH:Atlanta has an online petition boycotting the show. The petition states,
After we made a ruckus about Basketball Wives, sponsors began to pull ads. Well, it’s that time again, folks!
While we should respect the perceptions and experiences of the men and women featured on “reality” television shows, networks are airing stories that could be very helpful for people to hear, but they’re telling these stories in EXTREMELY dangerous ways.
We all know premium digital crack rock is ‘slanged’ in digital hoods other than VH1. We also know the problem is not just TV–it’s a big, mean, social monster that we’ve gotta shoot down one non-violent bullet at a time. Nevertheless, somebody’s gotta be the face of this lovely movement. And since VH1 has chosen to give us yet another beautifully-blinged jewel of commercial exploitation (Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta), they might as well be the face of change. By the way, shout out to all African Americans who received Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta as their Juneteenth gift! You won and lost at the same time!
As we work toward national- and local-level change, let’s tell VH1 and their sponsors (again) why people from a broad range of backgrounds will NOT stand for the exploitation of the lived experiences of people who may not even know they’re being exploited. This isn’t a “Black or White” thing, this is a HUMAN thing…and we should all understand.
P.S. That “turn of the TV/your kids’ TV if you don’t want to watch” argument doesn’t work here, VH1. A good number of the kids who are most at risk don’t have the luxury of living with parents who can just “turn off the TV”. Why? Because their parents are out working multiple jobs (thanks to this lovely thing called poverty); one or both parents are on drugs, dead, or in jail; or they’re raised by ill grandparents, relatives who aren’t that interested in their future, or foster parents who abuse them and only foster to collect a check.
Look, at the end of the day, if you choose to watch the show, that’s up to you. Reality tv is one of the most popular brands of shows out there right now, and there is no end in sight. That being said, many are entertained by the drama and hoopla these shows bring, so if it’s not for you, maybe just change the channel.
What are your thoughts on this?? Sound off…
by: Kristen
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Let these RealityTV stars make a living! It’s all about choices. You can choose or not choose to watch. It’s as simple as that. There are some predominantly White, Italian, Latino, etc. shows that are distasteful but not being boycotted. Let a predominantly Black cast show make money, you want to boycott. These folks have to make a living. They are trying to eat. Just stop watching if you have a problem. I don’t condone many of the behaviors but I don’t think boycott is the answer. It’s entertainment people!