Episode 4: These Aren’t Your Mother’s Controlling Images
This episode highlights examples of how television has portrayed Black girls and women through controlling images, which limits their ability to fully express their identities beyond restrictive stereotypes both on-screen and in real life.
Keywords: Mike, controlling images: the mammy, the matriarch, the welfare queen, the jezebel, All American, All American: Homecoming, respectability politics, The Chi
Recommended Readings
Collins, Patricia Hill. (1990) 2000. Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge.
Discussion Questions
How can we begin to dismantle controlling images of Black girls and women, such as the mammy, matriarch, welfare queen, and jezebel, when these stereotypes are deeply embedded in society and upheld by systems of white supremacy?
Why do Black girl characters on television often face harsher outcomes for their struggles (like Coop’s sexuality, Olivia’s sobriety, and Simone’s pregnancy) than their Black male counterparts? Why do Black male characters tend to be framed as fixers or saviors? How do these portrayals impact the ways in which Black girls are perceived in media and society?
As discussed in the episode, Black girls who engage in sexual activity are often met with detrimental consequences, while their male counterparts face little to none. How can society work to dismantle the double standards and stigma that shame Black girls for expressing their sexuality?
Lost Credits 