IndexIntroductionStereotypes of African American Women in MediaThe SapphireThe MammyThe JezebelConclusionIntroductionThe Sapphire: A loud mouth, no good, dumb girl with an attitude; The Mother: the rotund, nurturing and silent guardian of the family; The Jezebel: the bad black woman. Each of these terms is a stereotype used to describe African American women dating back to the 1800s. African American women in modern media are still portrayed with the same negative connotations as nearly two hundred years ago. These stereotypes not only encourage the divide between blacks and whites in the United States, but cause institutional racism in pop culture and modern media; such as: the hip hop music industry, television programs and cartoons. Stereotype portrayals of Sapphire, Mammy, and Jezebel in today's society cause girls to believe in these negative connotations of women and also have a direct effect on their attitudes about how they should treat each other and themselves. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Stereotypes of African American Women in the Media Kerry Washington plays the lead role of Olivia Pope in the current television drama Scandal, a television show watched by nearly eight million viewers today. However, Olivia Pope's character fits almost every negative stereotype. Actress Kerry Washington plays a high-ranking official in Washington DC and resembles Mammy as she safeguards and takes care of the careers of rich and powerful white politicians. Washington is also depicted as a Jezebel, meaning she is the lover in a relationship with a white man of power (the president of the United States), which parallels the derivative of Jezebel, the black slave who was commonly raped by her. owners or, in Olivia Pope's case, her boss. Finally, Pope can be related to the Sapphire stereotype through his relentless authority of his company Pope & Associates. Washington faces a difficult issue in today's society; she is an African American woman at the height of media presence who is written into a role that is unethical and not representative of a real African American woman. Kerry Washington, a highly successful actress with a strong fan base and a widely watched show, still cannot escape the negative portrayals of African American women in pop culture. Many might argue that Kerry Washington plays the fierce Olivia Pope, a wealthy and successful black woman who is taking Washington by storm. However, I challenge this and assert that even though Kerry Washington has great power to influence large audiences, she is still subjected to racism between the lines of a script for a black actress. Kerry Washington has a responsibility to her fans to understand the type of message she is sending about African American women and how to correct the misconception of these negative stereotypes. It is important to understand the different stereotypes that pop culture shows women in because it has a great effect on the mindset of black women in the United States. The preface Measure Up: How Advertising Infects Self-Image introduces the idea that advertisements and television programs common in today's society depict women's bodies that are small, pale, and basic. These different stereotypes affect men and women equally in their interactions with each other because they instill an unconscious expectation about what beauty is. However, these depictions of women resemble the appearance of a white, non-African American woman. Thus leading to stereotypes of African American women dating backto the introduction of slavery into the United States. The Sapphire, the Mammy, and the Jezebel are common stereotypes that still have an effect in today's society. In fact, these stereotypes, as they further influence pop culture, become a new form of racism in the United States. Stemming from racism in the 1800s, loud-talker, janitor, and whore stereotypes influence viewers' ideals and can perpetuate the stereotype in a cycle of misrepresentation of women of color. The Sapphire The Sapphire stereotype originated from Andy Minstel's Amos 'n Radio Show. The characteristics of a Sapphire are rude, emasculating, loud-mouthed women who are domineering. Sapphire Stevens was a character on the show who constantly berated her husband for being a failure. Her husband, Kingfish, was the definition of racial prejudice; Kingfish stole because he was too lazy to work (Pilgrim 4). Dr. David Pilgrim, professor of sociology at Ferris State University, argues that Sapphire's depiction of anger is "a social control mechanism used to punish Black women who violate social norms and encourage them to be passive, non-threatening, and invisible. ” (Pilgrim 4). White men tried to portray black women as a Sapphire because women often suppressed their feelings of bitterness and anger. While Sapphire Stevens' character had anger justified by her husband's actions, Sapphires' portrayal now focuses African American women's anger on society. The antagonist Sapphire has evolved to promote savagery, nastiness and attitude. This evolution from a rebellious and loud housewife resonates today in pop culture and the celebrities we come into contact with every day. The Sapphire stereotype has developed into a new type of stereotype where the angry black woman is no longer so self-focused. male counterpart, but, instead, other women. There are several examples of this shift in Sapphire's stereotype, demonstrated through reality television shows. These examples that try to show the Sapphire stereotype include The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Love and Hip Hop. Shows like these typically show women in a confrontational, extremely vocal, sly way, to reinforce acceptance of the angry black woman. The shows' producers aim to do this to draw attention to a woman's hatred towards her opponents. To generate viewership for these shows, the producers perpetrate drama among all the female African-American casts. In fact, when several celebrities refused to take part in the staged attack, they were quickly removed from the show (Reid 68). In addition to promoting aggression among the women on the show, comments from viewers of the show express praise for the portrayal of Sapphire's sassy and argumentative attitude. A specific example comes from comments found on TheYBF (The Young Black and Fabulous is a blog geared towards black television and films) regarding the television show Love and Hip Hop. The commentary regarding the episode “MIAMI THROWDOWN: Chrissy vs. Yandy” expressed violent and aggressive reactions from viewers of the television show. One viewer commented, “Chrissy should have beat that ass;” another states, “If a chic steps outside the lines, she'll check them out” (Reid 63). The comments listed reflect the stereotype of Sapphire in a way that perpetuates the action. Yes, the women are discussing the argumentative nature of women on the TV show, but they are also perpetuating a stereotype of Sapphire in themselves by responding in a bitchy, argumentative, vocal manner. Reality shows have found a way to tap into the viewer's aggression and apply it to aggressionof the spectacle that perpetrates the action. This once again reinstates the thesis that the type of representation we see on screens instills and perpetuates the progression of a negative stereotype in African American women. The main problem with reality television as it stands is the fact that reality television has one of the largest airtime sectors out of other television genres. Andrew Webster of The Verge states that reality shows take up 22% of national airtime in the United States (Webster 2). He also writes that: “reality TV took first place there, with 4,664 instances of product placement accounting for 58% of the prime time slot” (Webster 2). Reality television is gaining more and more hold and influence on viewers of such television shows as The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Love and Hip Hop. To combat some of the negative stereotypes about African American women that are not only depicted on shows but also perpetuated in comments, viewers must first stop supporting advertisers. Without the money that comes from advertising, there is no one to support the production of the show. Instead of continuing to produce the negative stereotype of African American women, viewers need to realize that there is power in numbers. With less support from viewers, advertisers will withdraw their money and producers will be left with nothing to create fake drama that perpetuates false ideas about the way African American women act and behave. The MammyThe Mammy is the maternal, caring and nurturing mother. figure who manages the house, including cooking, cleaning, and is sometimes called "Aunt Jemima" (Weids 3). This stereotype is commonly embraced by African Americans because it represents a positive view of family orientation. However, this acceptance has not always been true. The Mammy dates back to the days of slavery as women were the “silent guardians” of children on the plantation. Women at this time were often depicted as “obedient servants” of whites (Weides 3). Shauna Weides, the writer of “The Stereotypes of the African American Female” notes that “She loves, cares for, and provides for her white family rather than her own and is happy in her subservient place in the social hierarchy” (Weids 3). Whites often used this stereotype to combat some negative connotations of slavery and to promote the use of slaves and servants throughout the home. While this stereotype is not seen as negative in today's society due to the progression of equality for African American women, it is important to understand the progression of how this stereotype has gone from a negative connotation to a positive one. Esther Rolle, played Florida Evans as the protagonist and mother of the show Good Times produced in the 1970s and was at the forefront of black feminist organizing that also began in the early 1970s (Springer 128). Esther Rolle's role as a mother on the television show was the center of attention during the height of the shows' popularity between 1974 and 1979. At the time, this feminist movement focused on breaking the tides of the definition of femininity that was white-centric and unrealistic. Good Times attempted to bring light to the portrayal of black women by providing information about the Evans family, a poor black family living in a Chicago housing project (Springer 127). Good Times showed a family with a strong paternal presence, a mother who had dreams and aspirations of her own, and two sons who had managed to overcome the life of drug dealing and prostitution that surrounded them in their community. This show was the first to depict a black woman fighting for a feminist movement(Springer 128). Due to the popularity of the show, Good Times took a change with the portrayal of Florida Evans. It showed Florida Evans, a mother loyal to her family, explaining the importance of black women organizing for action and the National Black Feminist Organization. This actress was a step forward in the fight for equality with the representation of African American women on television. Many people expected Esther Rolle to convey the right kind of message to black audiences of a woman who works at home but still believes in the black feminism movement(Springer 129). Rolle's portrayal of Florida Evans led to the acceptance of African American women as independent, capable, working-at-home mothers. With this new independence, however, came a new kind of courage and an increase in the sexualization of African American women. The JezebelWith the black feminist movement increasing its popularity across America, the sexualization of black women also increased. This increase in femininity led to the sexualization of women in the 1970s and the introduction of a new stereotype for African American women. The Jezebel can be described as a hypersexualized sexual siren with no morals (Weides 4). Similar to Mammy, white males used this stereotype to justify the act of raping their female slaves during the time of slavery in the United States (Weids 3). The term “Jezebel” comes from the Bible as the wife of King Ahab of Israel who Janet Howe Gaines describes as: “the bad girl of the Bible… denounced as a murderer, a prostitute, and an enemy of God” (Gaines 5). This representation of the African American was once again the exact opposite of the white women of the time. White women were rather described as modest and respected (Weids 3). This contrast between the loving, polite white woman and the angry, furious Black woman has caused polarizing advertising campaigns, racially divided casting in film and television, and prejudices that continue to build across America. The lingering effects of films like Coffy, a film centered on a black whore seeking revenge against the white men who betrayed her family, laid the foundation for the continuation of the Jezebel stereotype. In the 1970s, gangster rappers like Foxy Brown paved the way for pop culture executives to exploit the female body for profit (Pilgrim). Today, the Jezebel stereotype is continually found in hip hop and rap music lyrics and videos. Artists like Rihanna and Nicki Minaj are common examples of female artists who continue this promiscuity of the Jezebel stereotype. Danice Brown, author of “Breaking the Chains,” states, “these images can inform interpersonal interactions within groups…resulting in the perpetuation and acceptance of sexual aggression against African American women” (Brown 527). Dr. Brown cites the issue as centering on the misrepresentation of women in pop culture. With the progression of sexualized images, more and more women find it socially acceptable to act this way because many of their influencers such as actresses, artists, and singers support this behavior. Gone are the days when men insulted women and made derogatory comments, now women themselves objectify themselves. Don't get me wrong, Nikki Minaj and Rihanna have both come out in the press and proclaimed their feminist views on certain issues, however, they are both so caught up in the hip hop industry's idea of ​​what kind of music sells, that they unknowingly perpetuate these stereotypes . By objectifying themselves in their music, the women who produce and listen to it become victims of prejudice against women.