BET's Cita

[AKAtude]

I received the newest issue of Essence magazine yesterday. While reading through it today, I came across a short article about Cita, the animated-looking host of BET's Jam Zone. My opinion hasn't changed since the first time I saw her. I think the character does a disservice to the African-American community, especially women. I was just curious as to what everyone thought about the veejay.

[Catwoman]

I haven't seen her...but I do get Essence and I will read the story and maybe try to catch her on BET this weekend.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Soror Catwoman =^..^=

[Diva_56]

I think she is an absolute travesty! Who created this pratically animated stereotype?

The first time I saw her I wrote a letter to BET in response to her constant profanity, her "ghetto" talking and the fact that Cita was not the best role model for any young ones watching. People think that she's funny but I feel its total disrespect to all brothers and sisters that have worked hard to take off the chains of ignorant sterotypes. I urge all ladies and guys alike to please put a stop to that charactor. BET should be ashamed that they let Cita even see the airtime.

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In complete darkness we are all the same... It is only our knowledge and wisdom that separates us... Don't let your eyes deceive you

The Diva Truth

[deja]

AKATUDE,

I have a few issues with BET in general. Now I don't want to offend any of my Sorors or SF's, first and foremost.

Why is it that most of BET's VEEjays are lighter skin African-Americans, and the "ghetto" Veejay is a darker-skin sister? I find that message, covert or other-wise, to be offensive. I thought we had moved pass all of that......Now I am not saying if Cita was light-skin it would make a difference....but that fact that she is not...WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?

Help me to understand AKAtude, you know I might be slipping into the realm of "Not up to date", so help a soror out!

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TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN....MUCH IS EXPECTED.

[chAKAlate]

DEJA,

I totally feel you about the light skin/dark skin issue. I have the same issues with BET and with society at large who still seems to think that the lighter you are the more beautiful.

As a dark skinned woman, I am always conscious of such issues. Becase of my history of interactions with fellow African-Americans. The wholeb being called "Black" and "dark' as an insult and being seen as unattractive (elementary-highschool thing).

Here are a couple more scenarios:

On the sitcom Martin: Gina was upscale and classy (light skinned) and why was Pam, the dark skinned friend, ghetto and hoochie.

Player's Club. The star of the movie was light skinned, she was good on the inside despite her side jig stripping and her ghetto cousin from down South "Ebony" was a hoe who slept with her man. The show did have a light-skinned villain so maybe they cancelled each other out.

I am sure there are better examples but these are the first two that came to mind.

I am proud to say that regardless of the stereotypes of our illustrious organization, I am a dark skinned soror, so is my sands and so were two of our big sisters. Several of our founders were dark skinned women as well. So that stereotype is exactly that a stereotype.

I too as Deja don't want to offend anyone but as an African-American community we must acknowledge that some of us still believe that some "skin complexions and hair types" are better than others.

I also want to acknowledge there is a flip side to this issue. That some light skinned African-Americans are teased for being real light as well.

Well, like my mother used to say: "The Blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice."

And that is my .08 cents.


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Aim for the moon,.... if you miss you'll be among the stars.

[This message has been edited by chAKAlate (edited May 12, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by chAKAlate (edited May 12, 2000).]

[Asia2000]

I was just amazed the first time I saw Cita. I've actually stopped watching that show on BET just because of her sheer annoyingness! Aside from that, however, I was blowed at how offensive the character is -- especially coming from BET! Can they do more to perpetuate (did I spell that right?) the ridiculous stereotype of black women?

I saw her read a letter voicing many of your complaints one day -- and she just blew it off. I wonder if it was a man or a woman that had the idea for Cita.

[Serenity]

Greetings Ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Sisterfriends, etc.

The sad thing is, I heard on the "Tom Joyner Show" (I think) that Cita was BET's solution to the many complaints about the lack of darker-skinned VJ's on BET. Since when does pigment decrease brain size and increase vulgarity? UGH! She is sickening. You mean to tell me they had to use a computer generated individual as opposed to a human being to resolve this problem? C'mon!

I have stopped watching BET altogether because if BET is for us then they should reflect that by having sisters and brothers of every shade doing the news, VJ-ing, etc. I know BEAUTIFUL people in all shades. It seems to me that they think the epitome of a black person is someone who is light-skinned. BET needs to open their eyes and stop perpetuating these strerotypes.

Sorry....I got kinda "open".

Anyway, have a great weekend all and a safe Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms! Let yourself be pampered....you deserve it!

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Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity

[This message has been edited by Serenity (edited May 13, 2000).]

[Poplife]

Serenity: I thought I was the only one that was so frustrated by the lack of appreciation for all the shades of beauty that I actually stopped watching BET altogether. The fact that many of the hosts seem to have been bag-tested angers me because one thing that makes the black race so wonderfully unique is that we come in so many shades of beauty. I can really understand Deja who mentioned that she has issues with BET in general. It's supposed to be for us, but I don't feel it truly reflects us.

As for the ghettoness of Cita, well, I won't take up room telling the forum about the things that I think about her. However, I will say that I do think she needs to go. We need more positive blacks females to act as role models and each person that preserves any sort of stereotype, whether she is a cartoon or a real-life person, does not help the situation that so many blacks are now working to resolve.



[This message has been edited by Poplife (edited May 14, 2000).]

[darling1]

I have noticed all of the responses and each one had some really valid points. ChAKAlate I really liked you reference to Martin, I hadn't noticed it until now---can we also say Sha Nay-Nay . For many years I have found BET very insulting. In many years back I thought it was innovative in that their video shows highlighted artists that weren't considered mainstream ie: Brand New Heavies . But now for them the nature of the game is MONEY . The best thing that anyone can do is simply turn off the set and open a book. I hear E Lynn Harris has a new book out. Peace.

[Pink Passion08]

Okay, Sorors and Sisterfriends! I understand the unappealing attitude of this animated ghetto video queen, Cita, but what is this constant connection between her stereotypical character and skin color?

Is it not just as stereotypical to "assume" that by placing "lighter skinned" Blacks on BET and in certain acting roles that they must think that "dark-skinned" Blacks are not good enough? Or what about the saying, "The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice"? Could that statement be "misconstrued" as offensive to those that are of a ligher "hue"? If your answer is no, why not?

I feel that sometimes we tend to try to justify the reasons, in particular to this issue, by saying, "Oh it was because he/she was light skinned. Could we be reading into this a little too much? Could it have been that Tichina Arnold fit the role of Pam as opposed to Tisha Campbell, better if they were both going up for the role, based on their past roles or natural or personal backgrounds?

As far as BET, I remember turning on BET while in college and seeing nothing but darker skinned Black people reporting and anchoring the news. Big Lez used to be a choreographer for many rap/hip hop videos and performances, so wouldn't it seem natural that she would have more background "knowledge" about or a general interest in the rap scene? I don't know if any of you remember a few years ago, Rachel used to be the host of the Caribbean show on BET, probably because she was from the Caribbean and she had more "knowledge" and a general interest in the music. If any of you know anything about broadcasting and programming, there are reasons why a network will put a particular show on at the end of the day (like a rap show). And to be honest, I think that Rachel IS much prettier than Big Lez and it has nothing to do with skin color.

I'm not saying that racism (within our own race) based on skin color does not exist, all I am saying is that skin color is not always the issue!

I am curious to know, where some of you are originally from or currently located. You may think this is a stereotype, but many times, where you were raised and where you live have a lot to do with some of the attitudes, particularly toward skin color, seem to brew.

Just FYI, I have been considered to be "lighter skinned" and I was born and raised in California. By the way, to me, Rachel is not really all that light skinned. Just my opinion but it is something to think about.

[chAKAlate]

PinkPassion08

Soror,

I hear comments like yours all the time. I have decided that I will stop trying to convince people who feel as you do that "dark skinned" woman are paranoid about this issue. I have a light skinned friend up here in the Bay and she feels as you do.

My sensitivity comes from life experience. I was often teased as a child because of my skin color and many children are today. You remember those jokes "yo momma is so black" or "Yo momma's hair is so nappy" Why are those jokes so funny? I've never heard, "Yo momma is so light" or "Yo momma's hair is so wavy" Why not? I remember at one point in my life I wished I was light skinned. No Black child should have to deal with that. And my comment is that popular media does not do much to help. I remember when my son was born, his paternal grandmother told me she was glad he came out light skinned because everybody in her immediate family was. What kind of comment is that?

Perhaps you don't notice it because as you said people classify you as light skinned. You're right everything does not boil down to skin color but often times it does. And a lot of times the way it works is subconsciously.

You say you think Rachel is much prettier than Big Lez but it has nothing to do with skin color. Are you sure? Couldn't it be subconscious? Our standards of beauty in this country are so skewed. We are raised in a society where the epitome of beauty is Caucasian. As far as Rachel being from the Caribbean, most Caribbean women do not look like Rachel, they are dark skinned. Rachel personally is not all that pretty to me, she just looks like another carbon copy of those girls you see in rap videos. Who for the most part are overwhelmingly fair skinned with "good" hair.

It seems like the comment's here pushed a button in you and I'm sorry if I offended you but in one way I'm not because I think when people react that way it hits a chord and makes them think about preconceived notions and ideas.

I was raised in CA and skin color is definitely an issue out here. As far as that Blacker the Berry the sweeter the juice. No, I don't think it is a comment offensive to light skinned women. It is one of those time honored Black sayings that many mothers have told their dark-skinned daughters to help their self-esteem. A self-esteem that is often times damaged by a society who places a higher value on beauty that meets a "eurocentric" standard.


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Aim for the moon,.... if you miss you'll be among the stars.

[This message has been edited by chAKAlate (edited May 14, 2000).]

[Serenity]

PinkPassion08, let me preface my comments by saying I understand what you are saying, but I do not agree with you.

I was born and raised in Spanish Harlem in NYC. I am half black and half Puerto Rican. I am dark-skinned while the majority of my family is light-skinned.

I say this because, I too, like chAKAlate, was teased as a child. I was called every derogatory nickname you can think of for a dark-skinned person minus the "N" word. Maybe this makes me more sensitive to this issue and to BET, but that doesn't mean that this hidden racism doesn't exist.

I moved to the Virgin Islands 5 years ago and boy was I shocked to hear about good color vs. bad color. Or, high color, which is supposed to be "good". Not to mention "good" hair and "bad" hair. Especially from the older women.

My son is light-skinned and last month he told me the only black person he loves is his mommy...something he learned in school from his classmates. He then went on to tell me that he only likes brown girls, not black and he will not play with anyone that is not his color. He's five years old.

This cut me to the very core of my being because I have worked too hard to impress upon him that skin color does not matter. And in a matter of months, his peers have changed that.

I wholeheartedly agree with chAKAlate. Maybe because we have had similar experiences. I, too, once upon a time wished that I was light-skinned. Just so the teasing would stop. No child should have to go through this. It's hard enough just being a child these days.

One last comment, the majority of women here in the VI do not look like Rachel. They are predominantly BEAUTIFUL dark-skinned women!

Anyway, thank you Ladies of AKA for this very stimulating and thought provoking post. I'm sure we can all relate to this issue in one form or another.

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Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity

[ssh1980]

All I have to say is...I agree. I'm dark-skinned and I've been through it. ChAKAlate is right, alot of it IS subliminal, and there is no denying or getting around it.


[This message has been edited by ssh1980 (edited May 13, 2000).]

[Taykimson]

Serenity,

I hear you about the issue with your child learning something on the playground. Read my response to my Soror Deja's post on Dark/Light Skin Color.

[Serenity]

Taykimson,

Wow! What is going on? Are parents and grandparents teaching these children this? We all know that kids only repeat what they hear around them. My fear is that one day my son will tell me he doesn't like black women at all. I think I will just flip out.

I'm trying not to make a HUGE deal out of it because he is five and you know five year olds change their minds like they change their underwear. I bring it up every so often, but I don't want to create a bigger issue where he is constantly thinking about it.

Taykimson, I'm with you girl. The thing about being a parent is that even when you think you're doing everything right, there are people out there that will teach your child wrong. It is soooooo hard, but well worth it!

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Sincerity, Loyalty, Unity

[This message has been edited by Serenity (edited May 14, 2000).]