I have watched the last four episodes of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta, while taking notes, fractured wrist and all, because I knew that culturally this show represented a kind of shift in Black women on reality television.
Furthermore, I knew that I needed to commit to watching the show. I was at a dinner party and a friend who works in television told me that the wages that women earn in reality television are stratified by race, meaning White women tend to earn more than Black women. My jaw dropped. This is particularly relevant to Love and Hip Hop Atlanta because of the popularity of the show with a crowd that has historically been tech savvy, consumption hungry yet lacking broad representation in mainstream media; middle class and affluent Black women.
According to an article in Newsday VH1 has recently realized ow much of an untapped audience African Americans are,
“All of a sudden, the network is starting to look like how the world looks,” said VH1 president Tom Calderone, who views the network’s airing of “Hip Hop Honors” in 2004 as the “watershed” moment in realizing there was an untapped audience. Series such as “Love & Hip Hop” are a reflection, he added, of what networks need to do to remain relevant: “We’re creating new celebrities. ‘Mob Wives’ are new celebrities. ‘Basketball Wives’ are new celebrities. I think our role is to put a mirror on pop culture and influence pop culture — that’s important.”
So this post will be about three things. First, why is the show popular and what does it’s popularity mean. Second, what are the differences between what Black women and White women earn in reality television spaces. Third, I will connect the Carol’s Daughter “transition kits” to my ideas around LHHA.
Several other folks have written about Love and Hip Hop Atlanta. Bianca Laureno wrote, “Abortion, Reality TV and Women of Color”, Jamilah Aisha Brown wrote “Love and Hip Hop and Transphobia” and Akiba Solmon has written “Love and Hip Hop Atlanta Shouldn’t Embarrass Brown and Black Women”. #readthem.
As I watched the shows over the last few weeks, I saw image after image of Black women in pain, which is legitimate because many of us are in pain. However, what became clear to me after seeing two weeks straight of grown women confronting each other (Joseline and Mimi; K.Michelle and Karlie Redd) I thought, why are public displays of Black women in pain so attractive and lucrative?
Given how lucrative Black women’s pain is in this context, how does this show impact how people interact with us on a day to day basis? Black girl pain is real and legitimate.
We also have to consider that Atlanta and it’s geographical context. DMV and Atlanta contain the two largest concentrations of high income earning African Americans in this country.
Which brings me to the money. According to a post on Radar Online, for White women working on the Real Housewives of Orange County,
Vicki Gunvalson is the top earner, bringing in a cool $450,000 a season. Hot on her heels is Tamra Barney who commands $350,000, followed by Gretchen Rossi with $300,000, Alexis Bellino is paid $200,000 and at bottom of the list is newcomer, Heather Dubrow at a paltry $30,000.
Now keep in mind I know that this is a small selection of earnings from one show, however it is important to note what some White women earn for a hugely popular show. Here is a list of the highest earning reality tv stars, with the highest being Kim Kardashian at an estimated $6M. However this number includes not only her show earnings but her earnings from endorsements as well.
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Furthermore, according to the Radar Online article, Nene Leakes earned $750,000 per season on Real Housewives of Atlanta. At nearly a million dollars a season, the racial, cultural and financial significance of these shows must be considered.
I am not certain how much the women on Love and Hip Hop Atlanta earn, however a blog titled Love and Hip Hop Atlanta which doesn’t have any supportive links, states that Stevie J earns $30,000 per episode and it is set to rise to $95,000 per episode. This is interesting. I wonder how much Mimi and Joseline earn. I wonder also how much the advertisers pay Viacom to advertise on the show.
Nearly two weeks ago when I started thinking about writing this post I had just learned that Carol’s Daughter started selling $40 transitioning kits. Like reality television, Black women’s hair care is a lucrative industry, as it was valued in 2008 at 1.8B.
I guess what is bizarre to me is that the kit represents how Black women’s natural hair has been commodified on a whole other level. By commodified, I mean something that we see everyday that is now packaged and sold for a profit. I am of two minds about this transitioning kit. On one hand, if you don’t know how to do your natural hair, then having a kit may be useful. Reading the product review comments is a testament to this fact. On the other hand it speaks to me as a lack of imagination and creativity and a willingness to explore.
Think about it, part of me believes that a huge part of going and being nappy is about a path of self discovery and a willingness to experiment, mixing and matching, making concoctions at home, trying out styles that you have seen in a magazine or a blog. What makes a corporation the authority on what grows out of our heads?
Both the existence of these transition kits and the popularity of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta reminds me that Black women can make corporations a lot of money (I also understand that there are Black women earning substantial wages from reality tv and from the hair cure industry.)
However, given the fact that Black women have been rendered property, I find the show and the kit illuminating and peculiar.
So, I have three questions:
What do we have to believe about Black women in order for this show to make sense to us?
And if it doesn’t make sense to you, what do you think that other people have to believe about Black women in order for it to make sense to them?
Is the transition kit weird to you too? Did you use one? What did you think?
1. I remind myself that this is still a somewhat specific group of black women the show is focusing on and in my view, not entirely representative of all black women. I’m not entirely hot on the show ‘cos I get the “love” portion, I don’t see the “hiphop” portion but I get that that’s how the commerce works in order to sell it. Just like basketball wives where none of the women are “wives” to the athletes they’re affiliated with in the technical sense of the word.
2. I’d suggest what I wrote above, to watch the show within its context. Even in ATL there are other kinds of black women there.
3. I’m with you on both. What’s really struck me is in the past 4-5 years the growing use of black women with natural hair for commercials. Always though it somewhat strange that every black woman represented always has curly/nappy fros and such.
I’m not a fan of LAHH Atlanta. I regularly watched the original version, but the women on the Atlanta segment just seem somehow beaten down to me (Joseline & Mimi in particular). Wathing women go through abortions and put up with men who have treated them poorly for the past 15 years isn’t entertaining, it crosses the line into voyeuristic and exploitative to me. The women on the original version of LAHH were by no means perfect. There was drama and catfights. Still, they seemed to have some sense of independence. They struggled with their relationships, but at the end of the day seemed to realize that they actually deserved a man who would take care of them not just financially, but emotionally. That is lacking on the Atlanta version.
I’m from the Atlanta metro area, so I won’t argue that this is a false representation. We have a huge cross section of Blackness, and the women represented on the show are not some strange anomaly. However, they are dealing with such deeply personal issues that I think the entire cast would be better served by seeking counseling than opening their lives up to a critical television audience.
On the transition kits–I am skeptical about Carol’s Daughter. As a brown skinned black woman, it didn’t sit right with me that everyone endorsing the product was light skinned and mixed–as if a regular brown/dark skinned, African-American woman wasn’t good enough. Since the company is the brainchild of a black woman, I expected better. The transition kits just seemed like another strategic marketing move. It’s clear to me is more vested in profits than any genuine celebration of Black beauty.
@Brownbelle,
“The women on the original version of LAHH were by no means perfect. There was drama and catfights. Still, they seemed to have some sense of independence. They struggled with their relationships, but at the end of the day seemed to realize that they actually deserved a man who would take care of them not just financially, but emotionally. That is lacking on the Atlanta version.”
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Are you about to make me go back and look at this show to compare.
This in particular sounds interesting:
As a brown skinned black woman, it didn’t sit right with me that everyone endorsing the product was light skinned and mixed–as if a regular brown/dark skinned, African-American woman wasn’t good enough. Since the company is the brainchild of a black woman, I expected better.
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!!!
You hit the nail on the head here. First let me say that I am working on a book of essays about natural hair. First I am going to talk about Michelle Obama and that “natural picture” but I also am going to talk about how conversations about Black women and natural hair are in fact conversations about Black women navigating whiteness.
I have had conversations with LaToya about Curly Nikki and all of those “natural curl products” that seem to promise us “Freddie” from A Different World curls when the reality is that for many of us, Black women’s natural hair is dynamic, diverse and fragile.
And this is why I thought of the show and the kit together.
There is no shade thrown on Black women in Atlanta. I honestly think that the glamorous ones deserve the right to eat, hustle and live like all of us, for me the question is at what cost.
In fact I see these women as an extension of the video vixens. Women who are Black and Latina, who are essential to the plot line, BUT are paid low wages, in comparison to their peers.
My question for you, is what is at risk when “we expect better from a Black woman”? Why should we? Isn’t it the politics that matter, meaning what is between your ears, not what is on your skin or between your legs?
I think a loss of empathy is at risk. Reality tv isn’t the best platform for anyone to work out their issues on. And I don’t think these women’s stories are being told in a way that emphasizes their humanity.
For example, in the NYC version Chrissy wanted Jim to propose to her so that she could be acknowledged as his partner. However, she had a stake in his career and there were multiple scenes where Jim consulted her about business ideas. They also had many discussions about their relationship because Chrissy and his mother didn’t get along. Jim listened to Chrissy and stood up for her to his mother. It was a really great portrayal of a modern day, long term relationship. It was especially compelling to me because Chrissy doesn’t fit the “baby mama” script–she has no children, and they were clearly together out of love, not obligation. It also dealt with the reality of conflict between non-spouse significant others and family members.
LAHH NYC just didn’t feel exploitative to me, because none of the women were shown submitting themselves to abusive relationships. I think there’s a line that LAHH ATL crosses in showing a woman get an abortion because her lover threatens to put her back on the pole. If this was a documentary with an educational element, then fine. But putting vulnerable people on display to get laughed at and picked apart bothers me. The reality is that some of these women are in a position where they can’t afford to have politics–they are trying to survive. And the media is leeching off of their pain. I don’t know enough about their salaries to comment on whether the show is a viable escape route for them.
Ohhhhhhhhhhh.
I see what you are saying. Goldy and I became Tiny + TI fans…watching their show is some interesting 21st century Black public parenting.
And I do recall seeing the episode where Jim proposed…so yeah, watching that public negotiation is real.
The reality is that some of these women are in a position where they can’t afford to have politics–they are trying to survive.
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I don’t know about that spongebob. I have women in my family who left their husbands after the husband tried to kill them. This also meant leaving the kids and trying to come back to get them. Now, by no means am I one of those “you need to leave” feminists, I acknowledge that it is more complex than that. But I do think that we can AND do leave all the time, and that there are consequences.
I don’t know enough about their salaries to comment on whether the show is a viable escape route for them.
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You hit on something that I hadn’t thought about. Which is it worth the risk. I mean is it worth it for Black girls to go there if the financial compensation is low? Or is it like a Hattie Mc Daniels “I would rather play a maid than be one” situation?
I don’t know. You have me thinking….
Loving this dialogue. I want to throw my 2 cents in.
I haven’t watched Love & Hip Hop Atlanta. But I did enjoy me some LAHH NYC, especially Jim Jones & Chrissy.
Brownbelle wrote that, “LAHH NYC just didn’t feel exploitative to me, because none of the women were shown submitting themselves to abusive relationships.”
My question to her is what about Emily & Fab and Kimbella & Juelz? I felt like Emily was in an emotionally abusive relationship where she would do anything to have Fab, her man, acknowledge her in public. I do think its fair to say that Emily used the LAHH NYC as a platform to increase her celebrity and that seems to have gotten Fab’s attention.
Kimbella’s relationship to Juelz was a hot mess. It was nice to see that Kimbella had an awareness that some of her romantic relationship issues where bound up in the relationship she watched her parents engage in, and it was nice that they showed her talking to her mother about it. But watching Kimbella trying to keep Juelz engaged in their relationship or watching her learn of his recent stint in jail while she struggled with parenting her kids seem to be overwhelming.
There may not be physical abuse or a threat of abuse but many times reality tv shows with a Black casts is filled with emotional abuse which can be just as dangerous as physical abuse.
Ms. Renina- I love this point that you made in your followup comment posts — “how conversations about Black women and natural hair are in fact conversations about Black women navigating whiteness” — BOO-YA!! That’s so real and true which is one reason why some Black people, react so strongly against doing it (going natural). It’s like you are giving up trying to navigate whiteness which actually means you have given up trying to meet society’s beauty standards. I remember reading on Racialicious, I think, something about a Black male telling a Black female friend, that a Black girl who has natural hair and is fat (or big) has basically given up on trying to be pretty. That really hit me partially because I’m fat and have natural hair. It also brought home the idea of whose prettiness are we trying to achieve?
I want to make an important change to this sentence for clarity — “I remember reading on Racialicious, I think, something about a Black male telling a Black female friend, that a Black girl who has natural hair and is fat (or big) has basically given up on trying to be pretty.”
It’s actually meant a Black girl with a teeny whiny afro and is fat- that’s supposedly someone who may be preceived of having given up trying to be pretty.
“The women on the original version of LAHH were by no means perfect. There was drama and catfights. Still, they seemed to have some sense of independence. They struggled with their relationships, but at the end of the day seemed to realize that they actually deserved a man who would take care of them not just financially, but emotionally. That is lacking on the Atlanta version.”
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I haven’t seen the Atlanta version and probably never will, but I did get caught up in the original LAHH for this very reason.
@Ms.World!!!
That really hit me partially because I’m fat and have natural hair. It also brought home the idea of whose prettiness are we trying to achieve?
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Well Girl, you hit it with this one. When I see chocolate complexioned Black women, who are fat or heavy set AND have natural hair I be like you better get it, because if you leave it up to mainstream ideals AND many negro folks they will have you thinking that you ain’t shit and Yo momma ain’t shit.
I kid you not.
I cut off all my hair two weeks ago. My broken wrist killed my ability to do my hair. Going to the beauty shop for cornrow up do’s got expensive.
So I cut it off, all of it.
All of it, Baldilocks short and I am amazed at how women interact with me in public now. I am a warm spirit, I talk to everyone one and I smile at babies and the guard that is up now with some women is bugged out. I think I appear masculine in ways that make some Black women feel uncomfortable and that is really unfortunate. Talk about saying fuck you to other people’s beauty standards.
Renina- I’m quite sure you look very stunning with your bald hairdo (hope that makes sense)! But I love the boldness of Black women and I always say a silent cheer when I see bald sistahs, including white bald women.
There are a few reasons that I can think of that some Black women may feel uncomfortable around you: they see you as desiring to be manly or mannish, you scare the shit out of them because of your boldness or rejection of society’s deeply entrenched Eurocentric beauty standards.
Honestly, some Black women especially the ones who believe the only acceptable way to beauty for a Black woman is to try to be as close to whiteness as possible, can’t deal with Black women with natural hair– so a Black women who has the gall to be bald is a big F*CK to the whole beauty establish .
For some cultures, a women’s hair is a huge part of their beauty. I spent a few months traveling in India and me my short, natural hair got interesting reactions. I’ve just now realized how much hair is seen as part of a Black’s woman’s beauty but it is in a different way, in my opinion. “Good hair,” “Long hair,” or “pretty hair” is viewed as an additional beauty asset that can put you over the top. You can be cute or pretty but if you have the type of hair that’s similar to white people- you are considered to have hit the jackpot, and be allowed entrance into the “beautiful” column. I also think for Black Americans if you got that “long good hair” then whatever your body or face looks like may not even matter because the hair fixation is major.
Never been a Carol’s Daughter fan, but I got a glimpse of a transition kit as I passed by their shop in Atlantic Terminal, and immediately thought it was gross to capitalize off that process. But like I said, ain’t never been a fan.
On baldness, I miss being bald and at the end of summer, I think that’s where I’m going to go. Plus, it would feel REALLY good to shed everything due to my current emotional state. But yeah, folks don’t seem to appreciate it. I resigned to this acceptance that when it comes to my hair I will never win. I’ll get some love here and there, but for the most part, if I don’t have long extensions or a silky straight weave-in, long locs, an Esperanza Spalding fro, or natural corkscrew curls that blow in the wind, people are gonna stay perplexed and say nasty shit and snicker across from me on the 4 train and point and do all that other dumb shit. I might post a pic on tumblr and folks will reblog and think it’s cool, but won’t say a positive word to me in public.
Because of that, I took a cue from my mother and said “Fuck ’em.” I’ve started to get very bold with all my hair choices. Ridiculously huge afros, partly shaved head with a sculpted weave. Thick-thin box braids. Folks seem to lose their goddamn minds and their colors show real quick. Black women are by and large the most openly critical audience.
I do a LOUD cheer when I see a black girl do anything that would be considered marginal in regards to her hair because I’m pretty sure she ain’t getting much love from people that look like her.
You can be cute or pretty but if you have the type of hair that’s similar to white people- you are considered to have hit the jackpot, and be allowed entrance into the “beautiful” column. I also think for Black Americans if you got that “long good hair” then whatever your body or face looks like may not even matter because the hair fixation is major.
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I also think this takes on a particular kind of importance in Black middle class spaces. Or maybe that is my perception of some DC circles. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame Black women. We did not create a system that ranks people by skin color, hair texture etc…But many of us have internalized it, some of us benefit from it, and many of us keep this set of ideas going by teaching it to young people.
But let me tell you. As a Black woman, who taught a novel last semester to a mixed race class of students. Both the White students and the students of color were fascinated to learn about how Haitian women in the novel, Haitian women who worked as maids organized each other socially by race. In some ways I could tell them that race is a social system all day, but for them to see in Garcia Girls, how the light skinned Haitian women maids pretty much shitted on the dark skin Haitian woman who was also a maid, their understanding of race got a little bit more nuanced that day.
@Bianca
Yeah. Baldilocks is certainly brand new. Apparently, with my faux pearls I am less of a…whats to word???? Person who stands out/person who is invisible.
I do experience less street harassment with this hair, which is interesting. 🙂
or natural corkscrew curls that blow in the wind,
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So. Good. I want to use this.
I do a LOUD cheer when I see a black girl do anything that would be considered marginal in regards to her hair because I’m pretty sure she ain’t getting much love from people that look like her.
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Between me and you, I turned nappy in high school, which is more than 10 years ago. And let me tell you, my white peers were more nice about it than my Black family members. o.0
I admire these girls who looks so classy and independent..They deserve to be on productions. We must really choose a good image people who can be a good influence towards their viewers..Thanks for the post!