By Cheryl Mattox Berry
Viewers are finally fed up with violence on reality TV and have decided to do something about it. A petition has been started at achange.org to protest Ev and Chad, a spinoff of Basketball Wives with Evelyn Lozada and her fiancé Chad Ochocinco. The petition is in response to Lozada’s outbursts and violence toward Jennifer Williams, her former BFF on the show.
The organizer of the petition says it hurts to see violence directed at women and passed off as entertainment. I never thought Lozada’s punches, slaps and bottle throwing were amusing. Lozada is a thug dressed in thick makeup, big earrings and designer duds. She’s a perfect candidate for an episode of Dr. Phil.
It worried me that girls were watching her antics and thinking that they could act like that and get away with it. In reality, Lozada’s attacks on other women could result in assault charges, which have been filed twice in connection with unprovoked attacks on Basketball Wives.
So far, more than 1,000 people have signed the petition. I hope this is just the tip of the iceberg, and fans will boycott other shows that are demeaning to women. It’s time real women speak out against the angry-woman-of-color stereotype, and girls voice their disgust with how grown women are portrayed on TV.
As children, we’re taught that we must control our temper and show empathy toward others. Sometimes, those lessons are forgotten in the heat of the moment. The next time a friend starts acting like a character on reality TV, remind her that stuff isn’t real, and there may be serious consequences.
Meanwhile, let’s work to get reality shows that portray women badly off the air. If this protest draws enough signatures, advertisers will pull their ads. Without ads, the shows make no money. No money means no shows. Goodbye reality TV. We deserve better.