The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Promoting Black Feminism and Racial Activism or Setting a Bad Example?
von Patrick Juilfs
1. Introduction
Reality TV has become increasingly popular over the last few years and creates an ever-growing abundance of new formats and ideas to entertain the public. Whether it is dating shows or documented reality: People seem fascinated by the concept.
Like any other format reality television, too, can have a more significant influence on the viewership than one might anticipate. It is therefore an important task to analyze what these types of entertainment convey and how they influence parts of the population in their thinking or how they can encourage certain emotions and attitudes among their viewers. It is safe to say that not each viewer of a certain television format will be equally influenced by what he or she “consumes”, however, the general image a series conveys is usually still perceivable by the entire audience. It its needless to say that the vast majority of reality television formats does not have the aim of educating or informing its audience but merely carry an entertainment factor.
The Real Housewives is a franchise that also falls in the reality television concept as it follows its cast members within a certain period of time to capture their ventures, relationships, and lifestyles. The structure of the show will be explained in the first chapter but it is noteworthy to mention at this point, how each of the show’s cast naturally has a specific regional influence. This obviously emerges with the varying location of each of the series. Often times, those regional influences will find their way into the ladies’ behaviors and perhaps even attitudes. In “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” most of the cast members are predominantly of Italian descent and openly celebrate Italian traditions and follow Italian (family) values. In “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” (hereafter referred to as RHOA) each but one of the cast members was Black since the first season. When the original cast member Kim Zolciak-Biermann left the show in 2012 (season 5) (Haskins, 2012) there have been solely Black cast members starring on the show. One could argue that the producers of the show chose this cast to represent the estimated 52.9% of Black people that live in Atlanta, Georgia (US Census Bureau 2011-2015), however, the real intentions behind it may not be revealed. Irregardless of the producer’s motives: By choosing only Black cast members they naturally choose a group of women that most likely experienced racial discrimination or have at least a different understanding of it than, for example, the solely white cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. By selecting this group of women the producers thus brought topics into the show that would otherwise not have appeared. On the other hand, the women that were cast also have a certain power in their hands to influence and create awareness of interesting and important topics for the Black community. How can and how does the series positively or negatively influence Black feminism and racial activism in the US, though?
In this paper, my aim is to work out whether the RHOA encourages racial activism and Black feminism and might even support other Black women in their everyday struggles or whether it can even be seen as counter-productive for the purposes of Black feminism and racial activism.
Firstly, I will create a general overview of the franchise, explaining its structure and the way it functions before moving on to the characteristics of the RHOA specifically. I will then proceed to work through certain key elements and concepts that appear on the show regarding Black feminism and racial activism to point out important “categories” that one could or should consider when watching such a show, and trying to determine its possible impact on the viewership. A certain focus will be put on especially interesting cast members and situations throughout the show concerning these aspects to point out their role in possibly promoting or discouraging Black feminism and racial activism. I will also choose certain clips of the show that are accessible on the media platform Youtube to provide an actual image of the show and to also visually offer certain moments that could be considered either beneficial or counter-productive. The links to the videos can be found at the end of the paper on page 19.
2. The Real Housewives Franchise
To explain the entire structure of The Real Housewives franchise in detail would most certainly exceed the limitations of this paper, however, the aim here is to briefly illustrate the main concept of these successful series.
Each of the US-based programs that is created by and aired on the television channel BravoTV focuses on a certain number of “housewives”. This term is put in quotation marks as some of the women can rather be considered entrepreneurs and have an entire staff that takes care of the household, thereby exceeding the “classical” duties and activities of a full time housewife. They often still supervise and/or manage the household with the help of their staff, while some of the women also do the job themselves and solely focus on the domestic chores, such as keeping the house clean and raising the children.
The women “ (…) circulate among the same circles of upper-class socialites (sometimes their relationships predate the series, sometimes the series brings them into being).” (Lieber 2012, p.120). Often times, the cast members introduce each other to initiate a relationship as they will be filming together, thus making new friends or acquaintances. Each woman receives an approximately equal airing time that focuses on her current endeavors and issues. “The individual shows are structured as a series of scenes, each one introduced by a brief set clip of one of the women (usually wearing a characteristic outfit and posing with her family members smiling, and hardly distinguishable, in the background) in order to indicate whose story line we are currently following.” (Lieber 2012, p.120). Scenes are then often followed by so-called “confessionals”, in which the housewives can comment on what the viewer is currently watching to convey their opinion on what happens or to explain themselves in a certain situation (Lieber 2012, p.120).
Each season usually includes one or several trips which the women, or at least the majority of them, take together. The destinations vary but the fact that they have to spend a large amount of time together often fuels conflicts or fosters new ones. Often times the trips can also serve to resolve issues within the group, though. The trips also convey and enhance the glamorous image of the ladies’ lives, too, as they usually stay at very exclusive resorts and go on expensive shopping sprees together.
The women are also frequently filmed individually in their homes where they interact with their families so that the viewer can learn about their personal lives. Part of the concept is to be integrated into their households to see the everyday life of her family and the way that the family lives. This includes the capturing of the glamorous lifestyle that the majority of the ladies have; whether it is enormous closets with designer brands, handbags, and shoes or sports cars and other status symbols such as jewelry.
“Each season ends with a multi-part live reunion show, in which the women all gather, free of the formal constraints that dictate the rest of the series, and discuss the events of the past several months.” (Lieber 2012, p. 120). The reunion often terminates with rekindled friendships or even bigger fall outs between certain cast members. However, each of the ladies reflects upon her own behavior during these reunions. The reunion thus usually offers the ladies a cathartic experience after the filming of the actual series. What is also characteristic of the reunions is that viewers of the show are able to address the women with their own questions that are asked by the host of the reunion (Andy Cohen for the US franchise).
3. The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The Real Housewives of Atlanta first aired in 2008 on BravoTV and finished its 9th season in mid 2017. It is part of currently 9 US series and is naturally, as the name suggests, set in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. The cast members, like in any other of the series, vary from season to season but many of them have been part of the show for several years. Several series of the franchise have already been cancelled but the RHOA is among the programs with the most seasons. In fact, the RHOA is actually the most popular of the franchise when it comes to ratings (Hawley 2014, p.4).
The focus in this paper will be on the most recent season because movements such as the Black Lives Matter Movement have gained more attention due to the dramatic increase in police violence against unarmed Black citizens in the United States in the past few years. It will be especially interesting to point out in which ways the women thematize this and other issues they may perceive in society.
The cast of season 9 consists of Kenya Moore, Phaedra Parks, Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, and Shereé Whitfield, who returned to the show after having been absent from the series for several seasons.
It is important to mention that, although the show is edited, the ladies are still able to freely express themselves and choose the way in which they wish to portray themselves. This gives them a freedom that is not particularly common for Black women on television, thereby carrying a great opportunity and potential to end certain stereotypes. It can also serve to educate viewers concerning the everyday struggles and issues a Black woman has to face in the US. Therefore, the representation of the women is more authentic than it may be elsewhere on television. The ability to express themselves, share their journeys, and also evolve their character over the course of the program cannot only be cathartic for the cast members themselves but also offer viewers a chance to possibly see themselves in one of the cast members. This can also have a healing or therapeutic effect on people that share similar stories.
4. The RHOA: Promoting Independence?
In the RHOA nearly each of the ladies has their own business or launches a product that receives a certain amount of attention on camera. At first sight this only seems like a minor topic for this paper but it serves an essential cause with regards to feminism and also as an example for people who are disadvantaged due to their race in the US. Seeing these women who mainly come from a rather „simple“ background or even a disadvantaged neighborhood thrive may bring hope and a more positive outlook to viewers. Kenya Moore says in episode 10: “Hello, I’m from Detroit and I grew up poor.” (05:36-05:38). She is not the only cast member that comes from a financially and socially disadvantaged background, which is why it would be interesting to find out whether the background plays a role in how the cast was chosen for this show.
As much as the RHOA all share an often difficult background they also have in common a certain economic success. For some, this success developed only in the course of the show and for others it has been previously existent.
Phaedra Parks, for example, has multiple business ventures and the respective qualifications. She is a successful attorney but also found interest in the work as a mortician throughout the series. She then started to attend classes to pursue a career in that field, as well, and is now a practicing mortician. Her career shows multiple talents and may also inspire women who are in a certain work environment to expand their horizon into another field and explore the numerous options.
Kenya Moore, besides being Miss USA 1993, owns her own independent film company called Moore Vision Entertainment (Hawley 2014, p.4). She also launched a hair care line, which will be discussed again in chapter 6.
Kandi Burruss is probably the most economically successful, as she can look back on a successful career in the music industry. She has performed herself but also received multiple awards as a songwriter. She also owns her own company “The Kandi Factory” and launched a sex toy line called “Bedroom Kandi” (Hawley 2014, p.48). This is naturally also an important point from a feminist perspective, showing a certain confidence and security with her own sexuality.
Cynthia Bailey has a modeling career, her own school for scouting and training aspiring models, and an eyewear line. In addition, she mentions the launch of her bag line in episode 4 of season 9, while calling her eyewear line hugely successful (03:00-03:10).
Shereé Whitfield has been building a house for several years and claims to have financed it herself. After divorcing her ex-husband she had to move from a large house to an apartment as he did not pay child support. She emphasizes in episode 4 of season 9 that she built that house herself without the help of any man (05:51-06:00). Obviously there have been men involved in constructing the home but what is important to her is that she financed it herself and made all the decisions giving her a feeling of independence and accomplishment. The name Chateau Shereé only supports that certain type of pride and freedom.
These examples makes it undeniable that each of the Atlanta housewives brings a certain experience with her own career, whether it is in the entertainment industry or in a “classic” career path. It shows that there are multiple ways to be successful and each of the women appears to have found her personal calling. These businesses certainly find their way into the show for promotional reasons, as well. The intentions are not the primary concern, though, as the women’s success can serve as an example and more importantly as a motivation, especially for Black women to also strive for independence and education. The documented road to success of some of the Atlanta housewives enhances this sense of empowerment and illustrates parts of the process for viewers.
Phaedra Parks says towards the end of episode 10 in season 9 that the competition between the women’s businesses would make them stronger and would enable them to empower the community. This statement makes sense in theory, yet the way that the women degrade each other’s businesses can even be harmful to their profits. Such negative comments can be witnessed in many episodes, for example during the pop up shop fundraiser that will be mentioned in the following chapter. While it also becomes obvious that there is a mutual respect for each woman’s career, respectively her livelihood, the bashing of each other’s businesses creates contradictory impressions in certain situations and conveys an image of envy or hostility, which is certainly counter-productive as the cast members should support each other as successful Black women.
5. Charity and Black Activism in the RHOA
Throughout the latest seasons there have been several situations in which the housewives have promoted charitable causes to benefit disadvantaged Black people in the United States.
Most of the Atlanta housewives are rather wealthy or at least claim to be, which is part of why charity is a big topic amongst them and finds a place in virtually every season. Not each of the charities the ladies promote are racially motivated and yet they often seek to support the Black community. It is quite noticeable how aware the women are of the problems that many Black citizens in the United States face, often times more severely or more likely than the white population.
Phaedra Parks, for example, founded her own charity organization for the Black community, more specifically for young black men, called the Phaedra Foundation. Her goal is to help the people in need with a special focus on young Black kids, and she also has an initiative called “Saving our Sons”. The following examples will provide an overview of the recent charity ventures of the women, mostly through Phaedra Parks’ initiative.
5.1 The Black Lives Matter Movement
The Black Lives Matter Movement has obviously not gone unnoticed by the cast members of the RHOA. They are well aware of the racial injustices that have been and are occurring in the US on a daily basis.
In episode 4 of season 9, Phaedra is on the phone with US representative Frederica Wilson discussing that there was another shooting of an unarmed Black man, both of them clearly upset. Phaedra Parks, upon invitation, decides to travel to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Her goal is to organize a get together with influential politicians to discuss the latest happenings regarding Black people and the police. She emphasizes in her confessional the importance to have the discussion as the number of unarmed Black women and men that are shot by the police is dramatically increasing and to act as though the problem did not exist would lead to no solution. She opens the discussion by saying: “We are obviously very concerned about Black Lives Matter but being an advocate for African American men does not mean that we are anti-police.”(22:45-22:54). This is a very strong opening statement as it shows that Phaedra Parks is eager to find a solution and yet does not want to generalize the police or even criticize them as a whole institution. That is an objective standpoint and a good position to possibly negotiate due to the reasonable attitude. The discussion that is shown offers some solution strategies such as building up trust between the Black population and the police through direct contact, and most importantly banning semi-automatic weapons. They also make strong statements emphasizing the importance of education by wanting to encourage people to “drop their guns and pick up the books” and also spread awareness to the misconception that “violence is all black”. The constructive atmosphere also gives Phaedra Parks the strength and motivation to continue the work with her foundation, as well as continuing to help the children of the Flint Water Crisis, which will be discussed in the next chapter.
In the same episode Shereé also gets together with her son to discuss a recent incident where he was arrested for smoking marihuana and driving under the influence. Shereé also shares her understanding of the current injustices and reminds her son Kairo of the Million Man March they attended the year before, in which moms who lost their sons to police violence shared their stories. She then proceeds to say that “As a black young man you’re not on the same playing field as a lot of people.” (10:42-45). She then says to him that because he is black he has to try harder, mainly expressing her fear that her own son may fall victim to police violence. Her demand is that he make better decisions in the future, emphasizing that many of the innocently shot Black people and their loved ones did not expect the injustice to occur to them, just like her son was surprised by the police arrest. This clearly shows that the Black Lives Matter Movement has a strong effect on Shereé Whitfield and she is fully aware of the dangers, sharing the same fears as many Black mothers.
In one incident as the ladies play LaserTag in episode 4 of season 9 Phaedra Parks jokes that they will have two teams, one being black men and the other the police (21:26-21:29). Although Phaedra Parks is extremely engaged in helping the Black community and fighting the injustices they experience this joke seems rather tasteless, possibly leading to negative reactions among the Black viewers, and especially those that have already experienced or fallen victim to unjust treatment by the police or other authorities. It is nonetheless remarkable that she puts enormous efforts into saving the future of Black children and spreading awareness. This hopefully sets a good example for many people to also become more active in promoting their rights and fighting the injustices by spreading knowledge.
5.2 The Flint Water Crisis
To briefly summarize: The Flint Water Crisis began in April 2014 when the city of Flint, Michigan decided to no longer receive its water supply from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department but instead draw its supplies from the Flint River. This was done while the city awaited a new pipeline that could eventually save an enormous amount of money. “However, when the switch was made to the Flint River, corrosion control chemicals were not added to the water, even though the river is more acidic (has a lower pH) than Lake Huron” (Morckel 2017, p.23). This means that metals and lead were getting into the water system through the old water pipes making the concentration of them much higher. Soon after the switch the population started complaining about the taste and quality of the water, which was largely ignored. Studies soon proved very high lead levels in the children of Flint, and yet the government did not acknowledge the problem until late 2015. This clearly shows a government failure as the population’s health was threatened and the appropriate measures were not taken (Morckel 2017, p.23).
To help the predominantly Black citizens, more specifically the children, two of the series’ characters that have had major disputes joined forces for the good cause. Phaedra Parks planned a summer camp for a week long stay for the children affected by the water crisis with her charity foundation that was mentioned in the last section. To fund some of the necessary items for this camp she organized a “pop up shop fundraiser” where all her fellow cast members were asked to sell some of their products that they offer in their own businesses mentioned in chapter 4. The organization as well as the fundraiser can be viewed in episode 10 of season 9, in which most women decide to make generous donations of the money they have earned at the pop up shop.
The charity was able to provide 150 children from ages 7-17 with a week long stay at the camp with no charges for them. In addition, the money raised at the pop up shop provided them with basic necessities such as clothes and soap. In episode 11 the viewers can witness Phaedra Parks and Kenya Moore as they travel to the campsite to interact with the children and to empower them. Kenya Moore tells the children about her childhood dream of becoming a beauty queen and how she ended up becoming Miss USA. She then moves on to say how important it is to have courage, although some people will stand in the way. Kenya Moore then asks the children at 11:10 minutes if they have ever been told that their skin was too dark, almost each of the children raising their hands. They are encouraged to ignore all comments that aim to harm or discourage them and to pursue their dreams with confidence. The children and teenagers are also filmed at a talent show during the camp, as some of them share their stories that cause very emotional reactions by the ladies. One teenager tells his story growing up without knowing his parents, to which Kenya Moore can relate as she herself has no relationship with her mother (the viewer learns about her family issues throughout the series). Phaedra Parks then says that she knows the government has done little for the people affected by the water crisis and aims to be a voice for those who are not heard.
This shows that the women are concerned with the Black youth, not just in their local community but in the entire nation, and wish to inspire them and to give them confidence. This can also have a positive effect on other people watching the show. It embodies feminism as it reaches very young women and encourages them to follow their dreams, no matter who may stand in their way. The social norms and beauty standards that other people praise should not affect them. The following chapter, though, will show that most of the women have a certain double-standard in that regard.
6. The “Body Issue”
Like in many other programs the RHOA appears to be no different when it comes to body images on television. There are certain ideals that nearly every cast member wants to portray and fulfill and their physical appearance is naturally a key feature in this equation. It seems only logical that the women of the show would like to embody these beauty standards to “please the crowd” and become somewhat of an idol for certain viewers. An increasing number of African Americans undergo plastic surgery to “improve” certain areas of their bodies (Ashley 2017, p.236), showing that beauty ideals are not a “white” phenomenon or possibly affecting the Black community, as well.
6.1 Hair
A topic that is not discussed as much in other locations of The Real Housewives is hair. Whether it is weaves or wigs, the “hair issue” seems to be omnipresent in virtually every season. Why, though, is this topic of such great interest for the women of Atlanta?
Hair can be viewed as an extremely important physical feature but for Black women it comes with a choice. The choice is between chemically altering the hair structure, meaning having it straightened or relaxed, wearing weaves or wigs or leaving the hair in its natural state. The beauty standards have long been set by white western women, meaning that the ideal hair type is straight (King 2013, p.3). In addition, the Black women that are shown in the media usually also come close to these beauty standards, as their skin is lighter and their hair is straight (King 2013, p.3). This even dates back to the times of slavery in which women with more caucasian-looking hair received the less cumbersome chores, usually not having to work in the fields. The more caucasian-looking slaves thus enjoyed more freedom and higher status, which is why even in those times there was a striving to look as “western” as possible. “That helps understand how black people’s need to alter their natural hair came about and still persists in our times.” (King 2013, p.4). Therefore, to “please” the society in general or to at least come somewhat close to the beauty ideals of the general white public, Black women often feel the need to alter their hair in a way that comes close to western beauty standards. It would be an important task of the women of the RHOA to show that natural hair is perfectly acceptable and beautiful, as well. Unfortunately, all the women usually wear hairstyles that resemble those of housewives on the other shows, meaning that there is no uniqueness and no sign that the beauty standards set by white women do not apply to the cast of the RHOA. Setting an example in that regard might encourage more women to feel comfortable with their natural hair and to seek beauty outside of the media-driven criteria.
Kenya Moore has launched a hair care line “that’s really encouraging girls to grow their own natural hair” (Season 9, Episode 10, 35:48-52), she states during the pop up shop for Phaedra Parks’ charity. This natural hair that she promotes can rarely be seen on any of the housewives, though. What is also contradictory is the fact that Kenya Moore, herself, usually wears her hair straight and has it relaxed. In addition, when Cynthia Bailey wears an “afro” in episode 4 and gets complimented on it, Kenya Moore says in her confessional: “I don’t know if Cynthia was in L.A. at a black panther rally?! Yeah girl.” (06:04-06:10). The manner in which she says it, however, sounds rather ironic and dismissive, showing that wearing natural-looking hair easily gets criticized, paradoxically by the woman who claims to encourage natural hair in Black women. It also shows a deep-rooted influence by white beauty standards that go so far that natural hair is mocked or belittled, although it is an inherent part of the body that should be accepted, especially by Black women. Otherwise, if not even they accept and love their hair, change cannot be expected.
6.2 The “Atlanta Booty”
As previously mentioned, beauty ideals often focus on body shapes, having a certain ideal that nearly everybody appears to strive for. While in many shows and magazines the “skinny girl” is promoted, the body ideal for the RHOA differs from that. The goal for nearly each of the Atlanta housewives appears to be one with curves, yet athletic in a way. Especially the buttocks is a constant topic on the show. This trend is also observed by Rokeshia Ashley, who states in her paper “#blackbodiesmatter” that the number of Black people who purchase buttocks implants has increased by 98% within the matter of one year (2013-2014) (Ashley 2017, p.236).
On page 63 of “Black Looks - Race and Representation” Bell Hooks takes the “butt” as a symbolic feature of the Black body. She describes a continuing fascination with the Black (female) buttocks, the primary focus of discussions related to the butt being in song lyrics. “In song lyrics, "the butt" is talked about in ways that attempt to challenge racist assumptions that suggest it is an ugly sign of inferiority, even as it remains a sexualized sign.” (Hooks 1992, p.63). The new ways in which the Black rear is now presented challenges notions degrading the Black body and pronouncing it as inferior or shameful. This “movement” is an interesting part of Black feminism as the women on the RHOA seem equally invested in it. The “ideal” for the women appears to be a well-formed buttocks that is large and round. This is emphasized by two of the cast members even creating their own work out videos for the “ideal butt”. They worked together in the beginning but due to differences and a resulting fight they each made their own video while harshly criticizing each other’s work and motives. A part of this fight between Kenya Moore and Phaedra Parks was Phaedra Parks alleging that Kenya Moore used plastic surgery to enhance the shape of her buttocks and Kenya Moore criticizing the untoned body shape of Phaedra Parks, ridiculing her making a tribute to working out when she allegedly knows nothing about keeping in shape. This is a good example of sharing mutual body goals or ideals and yet body shaming each other for a certain characteristic or choice.
While promoting fitness and health is not bad for the viewers, creating body images that lead to extremes and idolization can be a threat. This, in combination with body shaming can be considered dangerous, especially for the younger generations. If they idolize one of the cast members and see them attack another person for their body shape they may act accordingly towards others. This point will be further examined in the following chapter but it is safe to say at this point that the women on the show potentially promote body images that are not in the sense of feminism, as they firstly show that it is okay to attack another person for their body and secondly because they idolize a certain body type that is not attainable for many and may cause insecurities, especially among the younger viewers.
7. Verbal and Physical Abuse
In the Black community violence, whether it is of verbal or physical nature, is a big topic. It is in no way exclusive to any genre, race or class, however, the issue appears to be bigger for people of color. Bell Hooks states: “Indeed, I suggested many of us were raised in families where we completely accepted the notion that violence was an appropriate response to crisis.” (Hooks 1992, p.41). She suggests that this topic is even commonly accepted and practiced by large parts of the Black community as it was part of the childhood for many. The mutual tone between Black women is thus described as often violent. That is undoubtedly a problem, which has to be tackled in order for the future generations to think of violence in new ways that prevent them from acting violently. The reasons that Hooks analyzes as possible causes for this violence is a highly interesting point: She examines self-hatred among Black women as a causing factor for the violence. On pages 42 and 43 Hooks works with writings of author and activist Audre Lorde, who emphasizes that the self-reflection of a Black woman they perceive in other women can lead to this anger due to their own bitterness and wounds. Hooks views this generalization as problematic, as it is always difficult to apply a certain theory to an entire group of people. Apart from the generalization issue, though, the theory appears rather plausible, and it will be interesting to examine which role verbal and physical violence play in the RHOA to see if perhaps this idea could apply to the women of Atlanta, as well.
Verbal abuse is a term that sounds rather harsh but can really capture the essence of certain arguments and behaviors. To say that verbal abuse can be exclusively found in the RHOA would most certainly be a lie, however, it seems that in the RHOA the women are constantly verbally attacking one another. The abuse can even go so far that it potentially damages the women’s careers. Porsha Williams, for example, invented a story about her co-star Kandi Burruss, alleging that she planned on drugging her to take advantage of her sexually with her husband. That implements a criminal behavior that could have led to criminal charges, showing that the women are willing to go far to hurt each other at certain times.
1. Introduction
Reality TV has become increasingly popular over the last few years and creates an ever-growing abundance of new formats and ideas to entertain the public. Whether it is dating shows or documented reality: People seem fascinated by the concept.
Like any other format reality television, too, can have a more significant influence on the viewership than one might anticipate. It is therefore an important task to analyze what these types of entertainment convey and how they influence parts of the population in their thinking or how they can encourage certain emotions and attitudes among their viewers. It is safe to say that not each viewer of a certain television format will be equally influenced by what he or she “consumes”, however, the general image a series conveys is usually still perceivable by the entire audience. It its needless to say that the vast majority of reality television formats does not have the aim of educating or informing its audience but merely carry an entertainment factor.
The Real Housewives is a franchise that also falls in the reality television concept as it follows its cast members within a certain period of time to capture their ventures, relationships, and lifestyles. The structure of the show will be explained in the first chapter but it is noteworthy to mention at this point, how each of the show’s cast naturally has a specific regional influence. This obviously emerges with the varying location of each of the series. Often times, those regional influences will find their way into the ladies’ behaviors and perhaps even attitudes. In “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” most of the cast members are predominantly of Italian descent and openly celebrate Italian traditions and follow Italian (family) values. In “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” (hereafter referred to as RHOA) each but one of the cast members was Black since the first season. When the original cast member Kim Zolciak-Biermann left the show in 2012 (season 5) (Haskins, 2012) there have been solely Black cast members starring on the show. One could argue that the producers of the show chose this cast to represent the estimated 52.9% of Black people that live in Atlanta, Georgia (US Census Bureau 2011-2015), however, the real intentions behind it may not be revealed. Irregardless of the producer’s motives: By choosing only Black cast members they naturally choose a group of women that most likely experienced racial discrimination or have at least a different understanding of it than, for example, the solely white cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. By selecting this group of women the producers thus brought topics into the show that would otherwise not have appeared. On the other hand, the women that were cast also have a certain power in their hands to influence and create awareness of interesting and important topics for the Black community. How can and how does the series positively or negatively influence Black feminism and racial activism in the US, though?
In this paper, my aim is to work out whether the RHOA encourages racial activism and Black feminism and might even support other Black women in their everyday struggles or whether it can even be seen as counter-productive for the purposes of Black feminism and racial activism.
Firstly, I will create a general overview of the franchise, explaining its structure and the way it functions before moving on to the characteristics of the RHOA specifically. I will then proceed to work through certain key elements and concepts that appear on the show regarding Black feminism and racial activism to point out important “categories” that one could or should consider when watching such a show, and trying to determine its possible impact on the viewership. A certain focus will be put on especially interesting cast members and situations throughout the show concerning these aspects to point out their role in possibly promoting or discouraging Black feminism and racial activism. I will also choose certain clips of the show that are accessible on the media platform Youtube to provide an actual image of the show and to also visually offer certain moments that could be considered either beneficial or counter-productive. The links to the videos can be found at the end of the paper on page 19.
2. The Real Housewives Franchise
To explain the entire structure of The Real Housewives franchise in detail would most certainly exceed the limitations of this paper, however, the aim here is to briefly illustrate the main concept of these successful series.
Each of the US-based programs that is created by and aired on the television channel BravoTV focuses on a certain number of “housewives”. This term is put in quotation marks as some of the women can rather be considered entrepreneurs and have an entire staff that takes care of the household, thereby exceeding the “classical” duties and activities of a full time housewife. They often still supervise and/or manage the household with the help of their staff, while some of the women also do the job themselves and solely focus on the domestic chores, such as keeping the house clean and raising the children.
The women “ (…) circulate among the same circles of upper-class socialites (sometimes their relationships predate the series, sometimes the series brings them into being).” (Lieber 2012, p.120). Often times, the cast members introduce each other to initiate a relationship as they will be filming together, thus making new friends or acquaintances. Each woman receives an approximately equal airing time that focuses on her current endeavors and issues. “The individual shows are structured as a series of scenes, each one introduced by a brief set clip of one of the women (usually wearing a characteristic outfit and posing with her family members smiling, and hardly distinguishable, in the background) in order to indicate whose story line we are currently following.” (Lieber 2012, p.120). Scenes are then often followed by so-called “confessionals”, in which the housewives can comment on what the viewer is currently watching to convey their opinion on what happens or to explain themselves in a certain situation (Lieber 2012, p.120).
Each season usually includes one or several trips which the women, or at least the majority of them, take together. The destinations vary but the fact that they have to spend a large amount of time together often fuels conflicts or fosters new ones. Often times the trips can also serve to resolve issues within the group, though. The trips also convey and enhance the glamorous image of the ladies’ lives, too, as they usually stay at very exclusive resorts and go on expensive shopping sprees together.
The women are also frequently filmed individually in their homes where they interact with their families so that the viewer can learn about their personal lives. Part of the concept is to be integrated into their households to see the everyday life of her family and the way that the family lives. This includes the capturing of the glamorous lifestyle that the majority of the ladies have; whether it is enormous closets with designer brands, handbags, and shoes or sports cars and other status symbols such as jewelry.
“Each season ends with a multi-part live reunion show, in which the women all gather, free of the formal constraints that dictate the rest of the series, and discuss the events of the past several months.” (Lieber 2012, p. 120). The reunion often terminates with rekindled friendships or even bigger fall outs between certain cast members. However, each of the ladies reflects upon her own behavior during these reunions. The reunion thus usually offers the ladies a cathartic experience after the filming of the actual series. What is also characteristic of the reunions is that viewers of the show are able to address the women with their own questions that are asked by the host of the reunion (Andy Cohen for the US franchise).
3. The Real Housewives of Atlanta
The Real Housewives of Atlanta first aired in 2008 on BravoTV and finished its 9th season in mid 2017. It is part of currently 9 US series and is naturally, as the name suggests, set in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. The cast members, like in any other of the series, vary from season to season but many of them have been part of the show for several years. Several series of the franchise have already been cancelled but the RHOA is among the programs with the most seasons. In fact, the RHOA is actually the most popular of the franchise when it comes to ratings (Hawley 2014, p.4).
The focus in this paper will be on the most recent season because movements such as the Black Lives Matter Movement have gained more attention due to the dramatic increase in police violence against unarmed Black citizens in the United States in the past few years. It will be especially interesting to point out in which ways the women thematize this and other issues they may perceive in society.
The cast of season 9 consists of Kenya Moore, Phaedra Parks, Porsha Williams, Cynthia Bailey, Kandi Burruss, and Shereé Whitfield, who returned to the show after having been absent from the series for several seasons.
It is important to mention that, although the show is edited, the ladies are still able to freely express themselves and choose the way in which they wish to portray themselves. This gives them a freedom that is not particularly common for Black women on television, thereby carrying a great opportunity and potential to end certain stereotypes. It can also serve to educate viewers concerning the everyday struggles and issues a Black woman has to face in the US. Therefore, the representation of the women is more authentic than it may be elsewhere on television. The ability to express themselves, share their journeys, and also evolve their character over the course of the program cannot only be cathartic for the cast members themselves but also offer viewers a chance to possibly see themselves in one of the cast members. This can also have a healing or therapeutic effect on people that share similar stories.
4. The RHOA: Promoting Independence?
In the RHOA nearly each of the ladies has their own business or launches a product that receives a certain amount of attention on camera. At first sight this only seems like a minor topic for this paper but it serves an essential cause with regards to feminism and also as an example for people who are disadvantaged due to their race in the US. Seeing these women who mainly come from a rather „simple“ background or even a disadvantaged neighborhood thrive may bring hope and a more positive outlook to viewers. Kenya Moore says in episode 10: “Hello, I’m from Detroit and I grew up poor.” (05:36-05:38). She is not the only cast member that comes from a financially and socially disadvantaged background, which is why it would be interesting to find out whether the background plays a role in how the cast was chosen for this show.
As much as the RHOA all share an often difficult background they also have in common a certain economic success. For some, this success developed only in the course of the show and for others it has been previously existent.
Phaedra Parks, for example, has multiple business ventures and the respective qualifications. She is a successful attorney but also found interest in the work as a mortician throughout the series. She then started to attend classes to pursue a career in that field, as well, and is now a practicing mortician. Her career shows multiple talents and may also inspire women who are in a certain work environment to expand their horizon into another field and explore the numerous options.
Kenya Moore, besides being Miss USA 1993, owns her own independent film company called Moore Vision Entertainment (Hawley 2014, p.4). She also launched a hair care line, which will be discussed again in chapter 6.
Kandi Burruss is probably the most economically successful, as she can look back on a successful career in the music industry. She has performed herself but also received multiple awards as a songwriter. She also owns her own company “The Kandi Factory” and launched a sex toy line called “Bedroom Kandi” (Hawley 2014, p.48). This is naturally also an important point from a feminist perspective, showing a certain confidence and security with her own sexuality.
Cynthia Bailey has a modeling career, her own school for scouting and training aspiring models, and an eyewear line. In addition, she mentions the launch of her bag line in episode 4 of season 9, while calling her eyewear line hugely successful (03:00-03:10).
Shereé Whitfield has been building a house for several years and claims to have financed it herself. After divorcing her ex-husband she had to move from a large house to an apartment as he did not pay child support. She emphasizes in episode 4 of season 9 that she built that house herself without the help of any man (05:51-06:00). Obviously there have been men involved in constructing the home but what is important to her is that she financed it herself and made all the decisions giving her a feeling of independence and accomplishment. The name Chateau Shereé only supports that certain type of pride and freedom.
These examples makes it undeniable that each of the Atlanta housewives brings a certain experience with her own career, whether it is in the entertainment industry or in a “classic” career path. It shows that there are multiple ways to be successful and each of the women appears to have found her personal calling. These businesses certainly find their way into the show for promotional reasons, as well. The intentions are not the primary concern, though, as the women’s success can serve as an example and more importantly as a motivation, especially for Black women to also strive for independence and education. The documented road to success of some of the Atlanta housewives enhances this sense of empowerment and illustrates parts of the process for viewers.
Phaedra Parks says towards the end of episode 10 in season 9 that the competition between the women’s businesses would make them stronger and would enable them to empower the community. This statement makes sense in theory, yet the way that the women degrade each other’s businesses can even be harmful to their profits. Such negative comments can be witnessed in many episodes, for example during the pop up shop fundraiser that will be mentioned in the following chapter. While it also becomes obvious that there is a mutual respect for each woman’s career, respectively her livelihood, the bashing of each other’s businesses creates contradictory impressions in certain situations and conveys an image of envy or hostility, which is certainly counter-productive as the cast members should support each other as successful Black women.
5. Charity and Black Activism in the RHOA
Throughout the latest seasons there have been several situations in which the housewives have promoted charitable causes to benefit disadvantaged Black people in the United States.
Most of the Atlanta housewives are rather wealthy or at least claim to be, which is part of why charity is a big topic amongst them and finds a place in virtually every season. Not each of the charities the ladies promote are racially motivated and yet they often seek to support the Black community. It is quite noticeable how aware the women are of the problems that many Black citizens in the United States face, often times more severely or more likely than the white population.
Phaedra Parks, for example, founded her own charity organization for the Black community, more specifically for young black men, called the Phaedra Foundation. Her goal is to help the people in need with a special focus on young Black kids, and she also has an initiative called “Saving our Sons”. The following examples will provide an overview of the recent charity ventures of the women, mostly through Phaedra Parks’ initiative.
5.1 The Black Lives Matter Movement
The Black Lives Matter Movement has obviously not gone unnoticed by the cast members of the RHOA. They are well aware of the racial injustices that have been and are occurring in the US on a daily basis.
In episode 4 of season 9, Phaedra is on the phone with US representative Frederica Wilson discussing that there was another shooting of an unarmed Black man, both of them clearly upset. Phaedra Parks, upon invitation, decides to travel to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Her goal is to organize a get together with influential politicians to discuss the latest happenings regarding Black people and the police. She emphasizes in her confessional the importance to have the discussion as the number of unarmed Black women and men that are shot by the police is dramatically increasing and to act as though the problem did not exist would lead to no solution. She opens the discussion by saying: “We are obviously very concerned about Black Lives Matter but being an advocate for African American men does not mean that we are anti-police.”(22:45-22:54). This is a very strong opening statement as it shows that Phaedra Parks is eager to find a solution and yet does not want to generalize the police or even criticize them as a whole institution. That is an objective standpoint and a good position to possibly negotiate due to the reasonable attitude. The discussion that is shown offers some solution strategies such as building up trust between the Black population and the police through direct contact, and most importantly banning semi-automatic weapons. They also make strong statements emphasizing the importance of education by wanting to encourage people to “drop their guns and pick up the books” and also spread awareness to the misconception that “violence is all black”. The constructive atmosphere also gives Phaedra Parks the strength and motivation to continue the work with her foundation, as well as continuing to help the children of the Flint Water Crisis, which will be discussed in the next chapter.
In the same episode Shereé also gets together with her son to discuss a recent incident where he was arrested for smoking marihuana and driving under the influence. Shereé also shares her understanding of the current injustices and reminds her son Kairo of the Million Man March they attended the year before, in which moms who lost their sons to police violence shared their stories. She then proceeds to say that “As a black young man you’re not on the same playing field as a lot of people.” (10:42-45). She then says to him that because he is black he has to try harder, mainly expressing her fear that her own son may fall victim to police violence. Her demand is that he make better decisions in the future, emphasizing that many of the innocently shot Black people and their loved ones did not expect the injustice to occur to them, just like her son was surprised by the police arrest. This clearly shows that the Black Lives Matter Movement has a strong effect on Shereé Whitfield and she is fully aware of the dangers, sharing the same fears as many Black mothers.
In one incident as the ladies play LaserTag in episode 4 of season 9 Phaedra Parks jokes that they will have two teams, one being black men and the other the police (21:26-21:29). Although Phaedra Parks is extremely engaged in helping the Black community and fighting the injustices they experience this joke seems rather tasteless, possibly leading to negative reactions among the Black viewers, and especially those that have already experienced or fallen victim to unjust treatment by the police or other authorities. It is nonetheless remarkable that she puts enormous efforts into saving the future of Black children and spreading awareness. This hopefully sets a good example for many people to also become more active in promoting their rights and fighting the injustices by spreading knowledge.
5.2 The Flint Water Crisis
To briefly summarize: The Flint Water Crisis began in April 2014 when the city of Flint, Michigan decided to no longer receive its water supply from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department but instead draw its supplies from the Flint River. This was done while the city awaited a new pipeline that could eventually save an enormous amount of money. “However, when the switch was made to the Flint River, corrosion control chemicals were not added to the water, even though the river is more acidic (has a lower pH) than Lake Huron” (Morckel 2017, p.23). This means that metals and lead were getting into the water system through the old water pipes making the concentration of them much higher. Soon after the switch the population started complaining about the taste and quality of the water, which was largely ignored. Studies soon proved very high lead levels in the children of Flint, and yet the government did not acknowledge the problem until late 2015. This clearly shows a government failure as the population’s health was threatened and the appropriate measures were not taken (Morckel 2017, p.23).
To help the predominantly Black citizens, more specifically the children, two of the series’ characters that have had major disputes joined forces for the good cause. Phaedra Parks planned a summer camp for a week long stay for the children affected by the water crisis with her charity foundation that was mentioned in the last section. To fund some of the necessary items for this camp she organized a “pop up shop fundraiser” where all her fellow cast members were asked to sell some of their products that they offer in their own businesses mentioned in chapter 4. The organization as well as the fundraiser can be viewed in episode 10 of season 9, in which most women decide to make generous donations of the money they have earned at the pop up shop.
The charity was able to provide 150 children from ages 7-17 with a week long stay at the camp with no charges for them. In addition, the money raised at the pop up shop provided them with basic necessities such as clothes and soap. In episode 11 the viewers can witness Phaedra Parks and Kenya Moore as they travel to the campsite to interact with the children and to empower them. Kenya Moore tells the children about her childhood dream of becoming a beauty queen and how she ended up becoming Miss USA. She then moves on to say how important it is to have courage, although some people will stand in the way. Kenya Moore then asks the children at 11:10 minutes if they have ever been told that their skin was too dark, almost each of the children raising their hands. They are encouraged to ignore all comments that aim to harm or discourage them and to pursue their dreams with confidence. The children and teenagers are also filmed at a talent show during the camp, as some of them share their stories that cause very emotional reactions by the ladies. One teenager tells his story growing up without knowing his parents, to which Kenya Moore can relate as she herself has no relationship with her mother (the viewer learns about her family issues throughout the series). Phaedra Parks then says that she knows the government has done little for the people affected by the water crisis and aims to be a voice for those who are not heard.
This shows that the women are concerned with the Black youth, not just in their local community but in the entire nation, and wish to inspire them and to give them confidence. This can also have a positive effect on other people watching the show. It embodies feminism as it reaches very young women and encourages them to follow their dreams, no matter who may stand in their way. The social norms and beauty standards that other people praise should not affect them. The following chapter, though, will show that most of the women have a certain double-standard in that regard.
6. The “Body Issue”
Like in many other programs the RHOA appears to be no different when it comes to body images on television. There are certain ideals that nearly every cast member wants to portray and fulfill and their physical appearance is naturally a key feature in this equation. It seems only logical that the women of the show would like to embody these beauty standards to “please the crowd” and become somewhat of an idol for certain viewers. An increasing number of African Americans undergo plastic surgery to “improve” certain areas of their bodies (Ashley 2017, p.236), showing that beauty ideals are not a “white” phenomenon or possibly affecting the Black community, as well.
6.1 Hair
A topic that is not discussed as much in other locations of The Real Housewives is hair. Whether it is weaves or wigs, the “hair issue” seems to be omnipresent in virtually every season. Why, though, is this topic of such great interest for the women of Atlanta?
Hair can be viewed as an extremely important physical feature but for Black women it comes with a choice. The choice is between chemically altering the hair structure, meaning having it straightened or relaxed, wearing weaves or wigs or leaving the hair in its natural state. The beauty standards have long been set by white western women, meaning that the ideal hair type is straight (King 2013, p.3). In addition, the Black women that are shown in the media usually also come close to these beauty standards, as their skin is lighter and their hair is straight (King 2013, p.3). This even dates back to the times of slavery in which women with more caucasian-looking hair received the less cumbersome chores, usually not having to work in the fields. The more caucasian-looking slaves thus enjoyed more freedom and higher status, which is why even in those times there was a striving to look as “western” as possible. “That helps understand how black people’s need to alter their natural hair came about and still persists in our times.” (King 2013, p.4). Therefore, to “please” the society in general or to at least come somewhat close to the beauty ideals of the general white public, Black women often feel the need to alter their hair in a way that comes close to western beauty standards. It would be an important task of the women of the RHOA to show that natural hair is perfectly acceptable and beautiful, as well. Unfortunately, all the women usually wear hairstyles that resemble those of housewives on the other shows, meaning that there is no uniqueness and no sign that the beauty standards set by white women do not apply to the cast of the RHOA. Setting an example in that regard might encourage more women to feel comfortable with their natural hair and to seek beauty outside of the media-driven criteria.
Kenya Moore has launched a hair care line “that’s really encouraging girls to grow their own natural hair” (Season 9, Episode 10, 35:48-52), she states during the pop up shop for Phaedra Parks’ charity. This natural hair that she promotes can rarely be seen on any of the housewives, though. What is also contradictory is the fact that Kenya Moore, herself, usually wears her hair straight and has it relaxed. In addition, when Cynthia Bailey wears an “afro” in episode 4 and gets complimented on it, Kenya Moore says in her confessional: “I don’t know if Cynthia was in L.A. at a black panther rally?! Yeah girl.” (06:04-06:10). The manner in which she says it, however, sounds rather ironic and dismissive, showing that wearing natural-looking hair easily gets criticized, paradoxically by the woman who claims to encourage natural hair in Black women. It also shows a deep-rooted influence by white beauty standards that go so far that natural hair is mocked or belittled, although it is an inherent part of the body that should be accepted, especially by Black women. Otherwise, if not even they accept and love their hair, change cannot be expected.
6.2 The “Atlanta Booty”
As previously mentioned, beauty ideals often focus on body shapes, having a certain ideal that nearly everybody appears to strive for. While in many shows and magazines the “skinny girl” is promoted, the body ideal for the RHOA differs from that. The goal for nearly each of the Atlanta housewives appears to be one with curves, yet athletic in a way. Especially the buttocks is a constant topic on the show. This trend is also observed by Rokeshia Ashley, who states in her paper “#blackbodiesmatter” that the number of Black people who purchase buttocks implants has increased by 98% within the matter of one year (2013-2014) (Ashley 2017, p.236).
On page 63 of “Black Looks - Race and Representation” Bell Hooks takes the “butt” as a symbolic feature of the Black body. She describes a continuing fascination with the Black (female) buttocks, the primary focus of discussions related to the butt being in song lyrics. “In song lyrics, "the butt" is talked about in ways that attempt to challenge racist assumptions that suggest it is an ugly sign of inferiority, even as it remains a sexualized sign.” (Hooks 1992, p.63). The new ways in which the Black rear is now presented challenges notions degrading the Black body and pronouncing it as inferior or shameful. This “movement” is an interesting part of Black feminism as the women on the RHOA seem equally invested in it. The “ideal” for the women appears to be a well-formed buttocks that is large and round. This is emphasized by two of the cast members even creating their own work out videos for the “ideal butt”. They worked together in the beginning but due to differences and a resulting fight they each made their own video while harshly criticizing each other’s work and motives. A part of this fight between Kenya Moore and Phaedra Parks was Phaedra Parks alleging that Kenya Moore used plastic surgery to enhance the shape of her buttocks and Kenya Moore criticizing the untoned body shape of Phaedra Parks, ridiculing her making a tribute to working out when she allegedly knows nothing about keeping in shape. This is a good example of sharing mutual body goals or ideals and yet body shaming each other for a certain characteristic or choice.
While promoting fitness and health is not bad for the viewers, creating body images that lead to extremes and idolization can be a threat. This, in combination with body shaming can be considered dangerous, especially for the younger generations. If they idolize one of the cast members and see them attack another person for their body shape they may act accordingly towards others. This point will be further examined in the following chapter but it is safe to say at this point that the women on the show potentially promote body images that are not in the sense of feminism, as they firstly show that it is okay to attack another person for their body and secondly because they idolize a certain body type that is not attainable for many and may cause insecurities, especially among the younger viewers.
7. Verbal and Physical Abuse
In the Black community violence, whether it is of verbal or physical nature, is a big topic. It is in no way exclusive to any genre, race or class, however, the issue appears to be bigger for people of color. Bell Hooks states: “Indeed, I suggested many of us were raised in families where we completely accepted the notion that violence was an appropriate response to crisis.” (Hooks 1992, p.41). She suggests that this topic is even commonly accepted and practiced by large parts of the Black community as it was part of the childhood for many. The mutual tone between Black women is thus described as often violent. That is undoubtedly a problem, which has to be tackled in order for the future generations to think of violence in new ways that prevent them from acting violently. The reasons that Hooks analyzes as possible causes for this violence is a highly interesting point: She examines self-hatred among Black women as a causing factor for the violence. On pages 42 and 43 Hooks works with writings of author and activist Audre Lorde, who emphasizes that the self-reflection of a Black woman they perceive in other women can lead to this anger due to their own bitterness and wounds. Hooks views this generalization as problematic, as it is always difficult to apply a certain theory to an entire group of people. Apart from the generalization issue, though, the theory appears rather plausible, and it will be interesting to examine which role verbal and physical violence play in the RHOA to see if perhaps this idea could apply to the women of Atlanta, as well.
Verbal abuse is a term that sounds rather harsh but can really capture the essence of certain arguments and behaviors. To say that verbal abuse can be exclusively found in the RHOA would most certainly be a lie, however, it seems that in the RHOA the women are constantly verbally attacking one another. The abuse can even go so far that it potentially damages the women’s careers. Porsha Williams, for example, invented a story about her co-star Kandi Burruss, alleging that she planned on drugging her to take advantage of her sexually with her husband. That implements a criminal behavior that could have led to criminal charges, showing that the women are willing to go far to hurt each other at certain times.
It is clearly visible that the accusations of Porsha Williams severely aggravate Kandi Burruss, who is so worked up that she uses insults and threats to convey her anger. The motives behind the accusations are too far-reaching to explain at this point but it can be broken down to one emotion: hurt. To openly spread such allegations is an extreme case, though, that even led to Kandi Burruss filing a cease and desist order against Porsha Williams. The slanderous accusations were fueled with insults from both sides but it is questionable whether the source of the fight can truly be seen as self-hatred that is then reflected onto Kandi Burruss, in this case.
On page 13 of his dissertation Alexander Hawley mentions how “(…) there are numerous incidents where the women on the program have gotten into intense verbal arguments.” (Hawley 2014, p.13). He then continues by stating that instead of being controlled by their emotions they choose to step back and discuss the issues after having calmed down, thereby acting like adults and providing a “counter-image” to the “angry black woman” (Hawley 2014, p.13). Having watched the show myself, I have to partially disagree with Hawley and note that this is unfortunately not the case. The scenarios that he describes would indeed be very advantageous for the women to fight prejudices and stereotypes of Black women within society. Unfortunately, however, the fights of the RHOA often escalate, sometimes even into physical violence, which takes me to the next point: physical abuse.
Physical altercations are not extremely common in the Real Housewives franchise but they do occur in extreme cases. In the RHOA this is no exception as there have been several disputes among the women that ended in physical violence, basically every season containing a fight that became physical. It is important to note here, that physical abuse is often times the result of verbal abuse. When one side of the conflict is at an emotional breaking point and cannot defend herself with words anymore, physical violence may seem to be the last resort. To illustrate such a situation within the series of the RHOA I chose a clip from the Reunion of season 6 in which an ongoing fight between Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams escalates into physical violence. The moment, in which verbal abuse turns into physical abuse is clearly visible as Kenya Moore uses a megaphone loudly shouting at Porsha Williams: “You are a dumb whore, shut up!”
On page 13 of his dissertation Alexander Hawley mentions how “(…) there are numerous incidents where the women on the program have gotten into intense verbal arguments.” (Hawley 2014, p.13). He then continues by stating that instead of being controlled by their emotions they choose to step back and discuss the issues after having calmed down, thereby acting like adults and providing a “counter-image” to the “angry black woman” (Hawley 2014, p.13). Having watched the show myself, I have to partially disagree with Hawley and note that this is unfortunately not the case. The scenarios that he describes would indeed be very advantageous for the women to fight prejudices and stereotypes of Black women within society. Unfortunately, however, the fights of the RHOA often escalate, sometimes even into physical violence, which takes me to the next point: physical abuse.
Physical altercations are not extremely common in the Real Housewives franchise but they do occur in extreme cases. In the RHOA this is no exception as there have been several disputes among the women that ended in physical violence, basically every season containing a fight that became physical. It is important to note here, that physical abuse is often times the result of verbal abuse. When one side of the conflict is at an emotional breaking point and cannot defend herself with words anymore, physical violence may seem to be the last resort. To illustrate such a situation within the series of the RHOA I chose a clip from the Reunion of season 6 in which an ongoing fight between Kenya Moore and Porsha Williams escalates into physical violence. The moment, in which verbal abuse turns into physical abuse is clearly visible as Kenya Moore uses a megaphone loudly shouting at Porsha Williams: “You are a dumb whore, shut up!”
Porsha Williams then gets up as she is instantly triggered and proceeds to pull Kenya Moore’s hair and they land on the floor while shouting at each other.
Porsha Williams is involved in several physical altercations throughout her time on the show which is leading to demands by the host and her co-stars to start anger management. It would be interesting to learn where the deep-rooted anger problem stems from. If one revises Lorde’s thoughts on projected self-hatred one might find the source of the problem. That is, however, very difficult to prove so while this theory may actually apply it is only a concept that appears logical from the outside.
One of the cast members, Kenya Moore, experiences an abusive relationship throughout season 9. She finds herself confronted with a man that she has been dating and claims to love but after several altercations his behavior becomes more and more threatening towards her. In episode 10 of season 9 she returns to her house to find several windows smashed by him. She considers filing a restraining order in the same episode in order to prevent future outbursts but ultimately decides against it. Now this, of course, is a difficult situation to judge from an outside perspective: However, it would have been a strong message to file the restraining order as a sign of determination against any type of violence and to not tolerate any type of it without completely ending contact and taking appropriate legal measures.
It is noteworthy that all the ladies react with great compassion to Kenya’s situation and put their differences aside to console her. Even Phaedra Parks reacts with compassion as she herself has experienced abusive behavior in her relationship, which can be seen in a recap in episode 10 around 17:15 minutes. This is also an important message for viewers as the women stand united against patriarchal violence and physical abuse. It is in turn unfortunate to observe that physical altercations among the cast members have occurred quite frequently compared to other shows of the franchise. This can send mixed signals and can even be called hypocritical in a sense that the women praise peaceful relationships but on the other hand do not stand back from laying hands on each other when a verbal argument derails.
However, Kenya Moore is not the only housewife that experiences and talks about patriarchal violence in season 9. An interesting point in that regard is that Bell Hooks suggests to use the term “patriarchal violence” instead of the commonly used term “domestic violence”. Hooks’ explanation for that demand lies in the severity of the abuse, as well as in the abuser. A self-proclaimed dominant figure, often times male, finds it acceptable “(…) to control others through various forms of coercive force.” (Hooks 2000, p. 61). This term functions as a reminder that sexism is a driving force in this type of violence. Most importantly, though, it disillusions that domestic violence is somehow more intimate, “that is private and somehow less threatening, less brutal, than the violence that takes place outside the home.” (Hooks 2000, p.62). As Hooks puts it, the violence that happens at home is the most common and in no way less damaging than violence that can occur outside of the house. She states that more women are beaten and murdered in their own homes than outside of them. Children are often also affected indirectly or directly by the violence (Hooks 2000, p.62).
It turns out that Shereé Whitfield has gone through just that in her relationship with Bob Whitfield. She becomes closer with her ex-husband during season 9 again and relives parts of their relationship. She openly admits that there have been several occasions in which her ex-husband became physical with her and he even mocks his actions during a car ride in Hawaii by saying: “Cuz maybe I didn’t choke you hard enough.”
Porsha Williams is involved in several physical altercations throughout her time on the show which is leading to demands by the host and her co-stars to start anger management. It would be interesting to learn where the deep-rooted anger problem stems from. If one revises Lorde’s thoughts on projected self-hatred one might find the source of the problem. That is, however, very difficult to prove so while this theory may actually apply it is only a concept that appears logical from the outside.
One of the cast members, Kenya Moore, experiences an abusive relationship throughout season 9. She finds herself confronted with a man that she has been dating and claims to love but after several altercations his behavior becomes more and more threatening towards her. In episode 10 of season 9 she returns to her house to find several windows smashed by him. She considers filing a restraining order in the same episode in order to prevent future outbursts but ultimately decides against it. Now this, of course, is a difficult situation to judge from an outside perspective: However, it would have been a strong message to file the restraining order as a sign of determination against any type of violence and to not tolerate any type of it without completely ending contact and taking appropriate legal measures.
It is noteworthy that all the ladies react with great compassion to Kenya’s situation and put their differences aside to console her. Even Phaedra Parks reacts with compassion as she herself has experienced abusive behavior in her relationship, which can be seen in a recap in episode 10 around 17:15 minutes. This is also an important message for viewers as the women stand united against patriarchal violence and physical abuse. It is in turn unfortunate to observe that physical altercations among the cast members have occurred quite frequently compared to other shows of the franchise. This can send mixed signals and can even be called hypocritical in a sense that the women praise peaceful relationships but on the other hand do not stand back from laying hands on each other when a verbal argument derails.
However, Kenya Moore is not the only housewife that experiences and talks about patriarchal violence in season 9. An interesting point in that regard is that Bell Hooks suggests to use the term “patriarchal violence” instead of the commonly used term “domestic violence”. Hooks’ explanation for that demand lies in the severity of the abuse, as well as in the abuser. A self-proclaimed dominant figure, often times male, finds it acceptable “(…) to control others through various forms of coercive force.” (Hooks 2000, p. 61). This term functions as a reminder that sexism is a driving force in this type of violence. Most importantly, though, it disillusions that domestic violence is somehow more intimate, “that is private and somehow less threatening, less brutal, than the violence that takes place outside the home.” (Hooks 2000, p.62). As Hooks puts it, the violence that happens at home is the most common and in no way less damaging than violence that can occur outside of the house. She states that more women are beaten and murdered in their own homes than outside of them. Children are often also affected indirectly or directly by the violence (Hooks 2000, p.62).
It turns out that Shereé Whitfield has gone through just that in her relationship with Bob Whitfield. She becomes closer with her ex-husband during season 9 again and relives parts of their relationship. She openly admits that there have been several occasions in which her ex-husband became physical with her and he even mocks his actions during a car ride in Hawaii by saying: “Cuz maybe I didn’t choke you hard enough.”
Two of the co-stars are witness to this dialogue and are shocked by his statements, immediately supporting Shereé and trying to comfort her. I chose this clip because it is shocking to see as a viewer how Bob Whitfield literally mocks the physical abuse in the relationship and does not seem to take it seriously at all. This is a problem that needs to be addressed intensely to make sure that patriarchal violence is discussed and not accepted by as many women as it still is. The abusive relationship is discussed during the reunion, as well.
This is an important moment for the show, as the abuse is thematized and not ignored possibly encouraging and hopefully motivating many women who suffer from abuse to come forward or take action.
These examples show that the women of the RHOA can somehow all relate to an abusive relationship or patriarchal violence, which is also a topic on other Real Housewives shows but appears especially present on the RHOA. This can have two effects on the viewers of the show: They see that many women suffer from this problem, even in the self-proclaimed „upper class“. It also shows, though, that abusive relationships and patriarchal violence are still a massive issue for Black women in the US. The united front of the cast members on the show sets a good example for other women as it shows that, no matter the differences there may be amongst them, they need to stand strong against any type of violence against women.
8. Conclusion
It is always hard to tell with reality television just how much of the occurrences is actually true or has been pre-scripted or edited in a way that does not tell the entire story. The outbursts and heavy fights between the RHOA poses no exception. Whether the ladies’ intentions are actually genuine does, however, not matter in this case as the goal is to see in which ways their behavior on the show can positively or negatively influence viewers and especially the Black community. It is true that the show, besides the numerous fights between the women, also focuses on “issues that are relatable to Black women, including self- definition, social appearance, romance, professional advancement, and friendship.” (Hawley 2014, p.7). It is safe to say that Black women are underrepresented on television so that in itself is a big step in terms of representation.
The outcome of the analysis is quite ambiguous if one takes a look at the different aspects chosen in this paper. To label this show completely counter-productive for Black feminism would be false, however, the show sends its viewership mixed messages: On the one hand the ladies are largely independent showing that with education and determination it is possible to achieve great success and on the other hand they attack each other on multiple levels. The great potential that lies within the show and that each of the cast members holds is certainly threatened by the pressure to stay „interesting“. Unfortunately, it appears to be more entertaining to watch women fight and attack each other than to see them strive and make a difference. The multiple charities the women support still find a platform and certain aspects of the show can surely empower women of the Black community. Yet, the verbal and even physical abuse that are part of the show destroy and overcast some of the potential. Although the women convey a united front against verbally and physically abusive relationships they undermine their beliefs and virtues by creating verbally and physically abusive situations and fights themselves.
It should be noted that this series can be analyzed according to many more aspects. Hawley, for example, has put a big focus on the individual relationships between the cast members and their understanding of friendship, as well as the representation of love in the show. The resolving process of arguments and fights between the women is also thoroughly analyzed. This signifies that there are many angles when it comes to completely examining a show that appears rather superficial at first sight. Although in this paper I chose a variety of aspects to point out whether the show can be seen as beneficial for Black feminism and racial activism, the assessment of the value can naturally vary for each viewer. The results of this paper nonetheless provide an overview of the beneficial and counter-productive aspects of the show. Ultimately, the show is characterized by a large potential and at the same time also characterized by a lot of contradictions that take the wind out of the sails of many encouraging and beneficial incidents. Considering the underrepresentation of Black women on television, though, it is an important first step towards an increasing thematization of injustices that Black women and men have to face in the US everyday, even if it is through a medium that is not primarily focused on spreading such awareness.
-
These examples show that the women of the RHOA can somehow all relate to an abusive relationship or patriarchal violence, which is also a topic on other Real Housewives shows but appears especially present on the RHOA. This can have two effects on the viewers of the show: They see that many women suffer from this problem, even in the self-proclaimed „upper class“. It also shows, though, that abusive relationships and patriarchal violence are still a massive issue for Black women in the US. The united front of the cast members on the show sets a good example for other women as it shows that, no matter the differences there may be amongst them, they need to stand strong against any type of violence against women.
8. Conclusion
It is always hard to tell with reality television just how much of the occurrences is actually true or has been pre-scripted or edited in a way that does not tell the entire story. The outbursts and heavy fights between the RHOA poses no exception. Whether the ladies’ intentions are actually genuine does, however, not matter in this case as the goal is to see in which ways their behavior on the show can positively or negatively influence viewers and especially the Black community. It is true that the show, besides the numerous fights between the women, also focuses on “issues that are relatable to Black women, including self- definition, social appearance, romance, professional advancement, and friendship.” (Hawley 2014, p.7). It is safe to say that Black women are underrepresented on television so that in itself is a big step in terms of representation.
The outcome of the analysis is quite ambiguous if one takes a look at the different aspects chosen in this paper. To label this show completely counter-productive for Black feminism would be false, however, the show sends its viewership mixed messages: On the one hand the ladies are largely independent showing that with education and determination it is possible to achieve great success and on the other hand they attack each other on multiple levels. The great potential that lies within the show and that each of the cast members holds is certainly threatened by the pressure to stay „interesting“. Unfortunately, it appears to be more entertaining to watch women fight and attack each other than to see them strive and make a difference. The multiple charities the women support still find a platform and certain aspects of the show can surely empower women of the Black community. Yet, the verbal and even physical abuse that are part of the show destroy and overcast some of the potential. Although the women convey a united front against verbally and physically abusive relationships they undermine their beliefs and virtues by creating verbally and physically abusive situations and fights themselves.
It should be noted that this series can be analyzed according to many more aspects. Hawley, for example, has put a big focus on the individual relationships between the cast members and their understanding of friendship, as well as the representation of love in the show. The resolving process of arguments and fights between the women is also thoroughly analyzed. This signifies that there are many angles when it comes to completely examining a show that appears rather superficial at first sight. Although in this paper I chose a variety of aspects to point out whether the show can be seen as beneficial for Black feminism and racial activism, the assessment of the value can naturally vary for each viewer. The results of this paper nonetheless provide an overview of the beneficial and counter-productive aspects of the show. Ultimately, the show is characterized by a large potential and at the same time also characterized by a lot of contradictions that take the wind out of the sails of many encouraging and beneficial incidents. Considering the underrepresentation of Black women on television, though, it is an important first step towards an increasing thematization of injustices that Black women and men have to face in the US everyday, even if it is through a medium that is not primarily focused on spreading such awareness.
-
Works Cited
American FactFinder (2011-2015): “ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates” Atlanta, Georgia. URL: https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_DP05&prodType=table. Last access: 09/15/2017
Ashley, Rokeshia Renné/ Jung, Jaehee (2017): “#BlackBodiesMatter: Cross-Cultural Examination of Black Women’s Motivation to Engage in Body Modification”. Journal of Black Studies. Vol.48(3), pp.235-255.
Hawley, Alexander Cooper (2014): "An image rarely seen: The real housewives of Atlanta and the televisual image of the African American woman." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa. URL: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4639.
Haskins, Julia (2012): “Kim Zolciak Says She Quit Real Housewives of Atlanta, Feuds with NeNe Leakes About Her Exit”. PeopleTVWatch. URL: http://people.com/tv/kim-zolciak-leaving-real-housewives-of-atlanta-nene-leakes-says-she-was-fired/. Last access: 09/15/2017
Hooks, Bell (1992): “Black Looks - Race and Representation”. South End Press, Boston, MA.
Hooks, Bell (2000): “Feminism is for everybody - Passionate Politics”. South End Press, Cambridge, MA.
King, Vanessa/ Niabaly, Dieynaba (2013): “ The Politics of Black Womens' Hair," Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Vol. 13, Article 4.
Lieber, Emma (2013): “Realism’s Housewives”. New England Review -Middlebury Series. Vol 33.4, pp.113-p130.
Morckel, Victoria (2017): “Why the Flint, Michigan, USA water crisis is an urban planning failure”. Cities - The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning. Vol. 62, pp.23-27.
-
Zitiervorschlag: Patrick Juilfs (2017): "The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Promoting Black Feminism and Racial Activism or Setting a Bad Example?", online unter: http://beyonce-seminar.blogspot.de/2017/10/the-real-housewives-of-atlanta.html
American FactFinder (2011-2015): “ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates” Atlanta, Georgia. URL: https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_15_5YR_DP05&prodType=table. Last access: 09/15/2017
Ashley, Rokeshia Renné/ Jung, Jaehee (2017): “#BlackBodiesMatter: Cross-Cultural Examination of Black Women’s Motivation to Engage in Body Modification”. Journal of Black Studies. Vol.48(3), pp.235-255.
Hawley, Alexander Cooper (2014): "An image rarely seen: The real housewives of Atlanta and the televisual image of the African American woman." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa. URL: http://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/4639.
Haskins, Julia (2012): “Kim Zolciak Says She Quit Real Housewives of Atlanta, Feuds with NeNe Leakes About Her Exit”. PeopleTVWatch. URL: http://people.com/tv/kim-zolciak-leaving-real-housewives-of-atlanta-nene-leakes-says-she-was-fired/. Last access: 09/15/2017
Hooks, Bell (1992): “Black Looks - Race and Representation”. South End Press, Boston, MA.
Hooks, Bell (2000): “Feminism is for everybody - Passionate Politics”. South End Press, Cambridge, MA.
King, Vanessa/ Niabaly, Dieynaba (2013): “ The Politics of Black Womens' Hair," Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Vol. 13, Article 4.
Lieber, Emma (2013): “Realism’s Housewives”. New England Review -Middlebury Series. Vol 33.4, pp.113-p130.
Morckel, Victoria (2017): “Why the Flint, Michigan, USA water crisis is an urban planning failure”. Cities - The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning. Vol. 62, pp.23-27.
-
Zitiervorschlag: Patrick Juilfs (2017): "The Real Housewives of Atlanta: Promoting Black Feminism and Racial Activism or Setting a Bad Example?", online unter: http://beyonce-seminar.blogspot.de/2017/10/the-real-housewives-of-atlanta.html
Kommentare
Kommentar veröffentlichen