I ran across this video over at Women of High Standard. In the clip First Lady Michelle Obama briefly addresses the "angry black woman," image that opponents  have tried to portray her as.

Any image of FLOTUS Michelle Obama that I see, she is always poised and professional. What has she done that could be described as "angry."

I think images are powerful and one reason I had to stop watching the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

 

http://cnettv.cnet.com/av/video/cbsnews/atlantis2/cbsnews_player_embed.swf
 

Why is it in the age of Michelle Obama, the country has seemed to rally around the RHOA breakout start, Nene Leakes?

I think it is unfair to point out Leakes as a representative of all black women but, again, images are powerful.

Nene Leakes' character on the show is the  angry black woman stereotype and to a smaller degree so is Sheree Whitfield's on air persona. I say "on air persona" and "character" because reality tv is not, in fact, real. Who in real life has producers prompting drama and cameras filming their every move?

The women on the RHOA are not articulate, poised, graceful. They curse like sailors, fight, and are obscene in every way. Each season has gotten progressively worse. My favorite RHOA character, Deshawn Snow, was let go for not following this stereotype. She was a faithful wife, philanthropist, and kind person to others. That image was not what producers or the audience wanted.

I sometimes feel like the gains that black women should have gotten in media representation due to the success of FLOTUS Michelle Obama have been usurped by opportunistic reality tv producers and an audience used to dumbed down entertainment.

I blame myself for being one of the loyal viewing audience members since season 1. No longer! I cannot support the degradation any longer.I stopped watching the RHOA weeks ago due to this fact – and I no longer have cable. lol

Your thoughts?