Conclusion

          The main problem with having these depictions of African Americans in the United States appear repeatedly throughout reality television shows is the idea that every event that occurs is unscripted and authentic. This assumption is not always true and can cause problems for African Americans in the United States. The article African American Stereotypes in Reality Television claimed that “Television audiences still tend to believe what they watch is a true representation of their culture and the people within it, especially if these individuals “have no other frame of reference or experience in their own lives with which to compare or conflict with what they have seen” (Martin, 2008, p. 338).” (Tyree).

The first problem that can occur due to the perpetuation of stereotypes in these reality shows because some audience members are from other races and use these shows to people watch. The idea behind people watching is that the watcher can learn about society around them by observing the behaviors they see. For those not exposed to diversity throughout their lifetime, these negative portrayals of African Americans may never be challenged and it becomes the expected behavior for this group.

The second problem that can occur related to the stereotyped group is stereotype threat. The idea of this is that the stereotyped group learns about the stereotypes about their race and gender from the culture and media in the United States and begins to fear that they will prove them true through their own actions. The portrayals of African Americans on reality shows, such as Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta, can create this fear in the stereotyped viewers and lead to lower self-esteem.

This can be a real problem to the idea of feminism. Bell Hooks’ defined feminism as a “movement to end sexist exploitation and oppression”. For there to be an end to exploitation and oppression based on sex, false stereotypes must be eliminated based on sex and race as well. The article African American Stereotypes in Reality Television said, “Stereotypes are problematic, because they essentialize differences within individuals and groups, reinforce imbalances of power, and help maintain both the social and symbolic order (Hall, 1997, p. 258).” (Tyree). The problems brought about by the representations of African Americans on reality shows prove this because they show a negative effect for the stereotyped group and other groups. For the goals of feminism to be accomplished, people of every race and gender need to be treated equally.

        Tyree, Tia. “African American Stereotypes in Reality Television.” Howard Journal of Communications 22.4 (2011): 394-413. Web. 28 March 2013