—__
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nu-wave
      TV
      feeds
      off
      radiation
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      PRASAD
      BIDAYA
      (Excalibur)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      American
      networks
      have
      taken
      a
     
     
      _
      sudden
      interest
      in
      black-oriented
     
     
      programming.
      Who’s
      the
      Boss?,
      Grow-
     
     
      ing
      Pains
      and
      Cosby
      were
      dumped
      for
      a
     
     
      new
      breed
      of
      African-American
      comedy.
     
     
      Coincidentally,
      when
      those
      cancellations
     
     
      were
      made
      last
      spring,
      L.A.
      was
      burning
     
     
      and
      African-Americans
      in
      general
      had
     
     
      very
      little
      to
      laugh
      about.
      But
      as
      shows
     
     
      like
      Martin!,
      Here
      and
      Now,
      Out
      All
      Night
     
     
      and
      Hanging
      With
      Cooper
      garner
      high
     
     
      ratings
      and
      overwhelming
      applause,
      the
     
     
      question
      remains
      whether
      black
      viewers
     
     
      should
      welcome
      this.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      F
      or
      the
      first
      time
      since
      the
      1970’s,
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Should
      black
      viewers
      welcome
      recent
      TV
     
     
      programs
      which
      present
      a
      new
      black
     
     
      stereotype?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      accurate
      portrayal
      of
      gay
      and
      lesbian
      is
     
     
      sues.
      ‘“White’’
      television
      ignores
      then
     
     
      and
      will
      probably
      continue
      to
      do
      SO,
      by
     
     
      this
      can’t
      excuse
      the
      producers
      of
      Afr
     
     
      can-American
      shows.
      As
      representatiy,
     
     
      ofa
      large
      underclass,
      they
      should
      knoy
     
     
      not
      to
      support
      the
      ignorance
      of
      aNnothe
     
     
      group.
      Ironically,
      contemporary
      Media
     
     
      long
      a
      bastion
      of
      avoiding
      NON-White
     
     
      non-straight
      issues,
      won’t
      let
      them
      gel
     
     
      away
      with
      it.
      African-Americans/Canadj.
     
     
      ans
      are
      getting
      tagged
      as
      being
     
     
      homophobic.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      community
      must
      address
      these
      is.
     
     
      sues.
      The
      task
      is
      even
      more
      difficult
      when
     
     
      the
      media
      focuses
      on
      the
      overpublicized
     
     
      "spokesmen"
      like
      Public
      Enemy
      or
      Rey.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Obviously,
      this
      addition
      to
      network
      formats
     
     
      is
      long
      overdue.
      Television
      in
      the
      1980’s
     
     
      was
      Conservative,
      hegemonic
      and
      an
      insult
     
     
      to
      the
      mentality
      of
      the
      non-white
      viewer.
      For
     
     
      a
      B-boy
      or
      fly-girl,
      what
      entertainment,
      let
     
     
      alone
      educational
      value,
      could
      Michael
      Ue
     
     
      Fox
      pressing
      his
      pro-Nixon
      politics
      or
      suave
     
     
      Don
      Johnson
      picking
      off
      every
      criminal
      in
     
     
      MTV
      fashion
      provide?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      From
      the
      Arsenio
      Hall
      Show
      to
      In
      Living
     
     
      Colour
      to
      Martin!,
      television
      has
      finally
     
     
      acknowledged
      the
      vitality
      of
      contemporary
     
     
      African-American
      culture,
      as
      well
      as
      its
      ne-
     
     
      cessity
      to
      be
      broadcast
      in
      every
      American
     
     
      home.
      And
      rightfully
      so
      --
      watching
      the
     
     
      premier
      of
      Fox’s
      politically
      incorrect
      rookie
     
     
      Martin!,1
      can’t
      remember
      laughing
      so
      hard
     
     
      in
      months!
      Though
      the
      same
      cannot
      be
      said
     
     
      of
      Here
      and
      Now,
      Out
      All
      Night
      or
      Hanging
     
     
      With
      Cooper,
      they
      are
      equally
      important.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      the
      first
      time
      ever
      in
      the
      history
      of
     
     
      American
      television,
      one
      finds
      programs
     
     
      that
      challenge
      the
      dirty,
      violent
      and
      obscene
     
     
      stereotype
      of
      the
      African-American
      male.
     
     
      Both
      Mark
      Cooper
      of
      Hanging
      With...
      and
     
     
      Malcolm
      Jamal-Warner
      of
      Here
      and
      Now
     
     
      play
      teachers;
      responsible,
      kind
      and
      even
     
     
      symbolic
      of
      the
      need
      for
      educators
      in
      the
     
     
      African-American
      community.
      Similarly
      is
     
     
      Out
      All
      Night’s
      Morris
      Chestnut;
      a
      well-
     
     
      groomed
      and
      successful
      gentleman
      who
      lacks
     
     
      more
      aggression
      than
      he
      does
      sensitivity.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Of
      course,
      none
      of
      these
      shows
      are
      devoid
      of
     
     
      sex-driven,
      manly
      characters.
      Unlike
      most
     
     
      “‘white’’
      programs,
      this
      ‘‘Nu
      Wave’
      oftel-
     
     
      evision
      is
      socially
      deconstructive
      and
     
     
      presents
      a
      variety
      of
      personalities,
      likeable
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      not,
      within
      the
      community.
      The
      best
     
     
      example
      being
      Martin/,
      in
      which
      the
      star
      is
     
     
      both
      macho
      and
      self-conscious,
      but
      always
     
     
      sweet
      and
      passionate
      to
      his
      girlfriend
      Gina.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      the
      wake-up
      call
      is
      hardly
      worth
      a
      parade
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "...
      the
      question
     
     
      remains
      whether
     
     
      black
      viewers
      should
     
     
      welcome
      this."
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      the
      full
      context
      of
      the
      movement
      for
      bet-
     
     
      terment
      of
      African-(North)
      American
      peo-
     
     
      ples.
      Hollywood
      has
      recognized
      the
      differ-
     
     
      ences
      between
      African-American
      men,
      but
     
     
      has
      perpetuated
      its
      ignorance
      towards
      the
     
     
      other
      members
      of
      the
      community.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Without
      exception,
      all
      of
      the
      women
      in
      the
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nu
      Wave
      are
      cast
      in
      supporting
      roles.
      And
     
     
      but
      for
      Dawn
      Lewis
      (Hangin’
      With...
      ),
      they
     
     
      are
      all
      light-skinned,
      extraordinarily
      thin
     
     
      and
      fashionably
      dressed
      in
      as
      little
      clothing
     
     
      as
      possible.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ina
      recent
      episode
      of
      Hangin’
      With...,
      one
     
     
      actress
      was
      portrayed
      sympathizing
      with
     
     
      Mark’s
      sensitivity
      and
      was
      impressed
     
     
      enough
      to
      bend
      over
      and
      reveal
      the
      fleshi-
     
     
      ness
      of
      her
      breasts
      for
      the
      camera’s
      focus.
     
     
      Surprisingly,
      her
      role
      in
      this
      episode
      wasa
     
     
      successful
      career-woman/feminist!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Another
      concern
      is
      the
      homophobic
      content
     
     
      in
      the
      shows.
      Television
      has
      yet
      to
      give
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      erend
      Louis
      Farrakhan.
      This
      stereotype
      isa
     
     
      stigma
      in
      the
      movement
      for
      black
      unity
      and
     
     
      equality.
      Langston
      Hughes,
      the
      renowned
     
     
      poet
      of
      the
      Harlem
      Renaissance
      and
      an
      inno.
     
     
      vator
      for
      all
      artists
      of
      African
      descent,
      was
     
     
      gay.
      Can
      today’s
      contemporaries
      ridicule
     
     
      his
      lifestyle
      when
      if
      it
      were
      not
      for
      him
      they
     
     
      would
      probably
      still
      be
      on
      BETV
      (Black
     
     
      Entertainment
      Television)?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Television
      content
      changes
      slightly
      for
      every
     
     
      generation.
      It’s
      sad
      to
      let
      the
      tube
      set
      the
     
     
      agenda
      for
      a
      social
      movement.
      For
      those
      of
     
     
      us
      not
      of
      African
      descent,
      Nu
      Wave
      could
     
     
      help
      quell
      some
      racial
      concerns
      in
      our
      com-
     
     
      munities
      today.
      For
      those
      of
      us
      who
      are,
     
     
      shows
      like
      Martin!
      and
      Here
      and
      Now
      will
     
     
      entertain
      us
      this
      season
      and
      bore
      us
      for
      the
     
     
      test
      of
      the
      decade.
      Even
      worse,
      it
      might
     
     
      simply
      keep
      the
      otherwise
      talented
      minds
     
     
      locked
      in
      the
      ‘suckle
      of
      the
      cathode
      ray
     
     
      nipple’
      when
      they
      could
      be
      reading
      Belle
     
     
      Hooks,
      Audre
      Lorde
      or
      other
      educational
     
     
      and
      creative
      artists.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Black
      actors
      could
      be
      more
      visible,
      but
      only
     
     
      time
      will
      tell
      ifthey
      have
      more
      power.
      His-
     
     
      tory
      has
      shown
      us
      they
      have
      access
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
      Inainstream
      when
      it
      benefits
      whites.
      If
      this
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      case,
      by
      1999
      the
      Nu
      Wave
      phenomena
     
     
      will
      simply
      be
      another
      name
      for
     
     
      blaxploitation.
      The
      substance
      of
      this
      work
     
     
      will
      indicate
      the
      power
      of
      its
      creators.
      Unless
     
     
      substantial
      change
      is
      soonto
      follow,
      expect
     
     
      media
      and
      politics
      to
      return
      to
      conservative/
     
     
      fascist
      values.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Enjoy
      your
      entertainment,
      but
      don’t
      expect
     
     
      too
      much.
      Remember
      the
      revolution
      will
     
     
      never
      be
      televised!
      IJ