This weekend was mother’s day. As is the tradition everyone tries to get mom out of the kitchen. Of course, not by doing the work themselves, but by taking her out to eat. Frankly, I’d rather cook for my mom, but I was outvoted. So we went to a local buffet phenomenon where for one incredibly low price, you can eat a variety of delicious and nutritious food until you are certain that a piece of cheesecake is lodged in your left lung for one ridiculously low price. On the way, we heard at least 3 advertisements for the 50 million pound challenge. This is a good intention, but as they say the road to hades is paved with such. A few years ago, there was a study that analyzed the idea of nutrition and ‘African American’ television. Comparisons were made between the plot content, the character style, and the advertisements of traditionally ‘White’ (Seinfeld, Friends) sitcoms and traditionally ‘Black’ (The Parkers, Girlfriends) sitcoms. Studies showed that the ‘Black’ shows had 89% more overweight characters than the white shows.
Additionally, advertisements for sodas and junk food outnumbered such advertisements on white shows by 5 to 1. Conversely, advertisements for alcohol, and excessively thin characters dominated the ‘White’ sitcoms. What does this say? TV is bad for you no matter what you color. But beyond that, African Americans are being dubbed as overweight and unhealthy. These stereotypes are sure to play a big part in the politics of healthcare as insurance companies are trying to reduce coverage for smokers and fat people. This will be played as fried chicken eating old black people are the ones who need health care coverage.
But what I saw in the restaurant was indicative of a far different trend. This is not exactly scientific, but draw your own conclusions and challenge your own perceptions to look around your own environment and see if this rings true. Of the 150 people in the restaurant at the time I was there, about 60 were white people. About 40 were women. Of those 40 there were 8 thin ones. Of the 90 Black people in the restaurant, about 65 were women. Of those there were 9 fat ones. Yep, forget big mama’s house. Forget the Klumps. Forget Norbit. Forget every image of the elderly motherly buxom black woman in a housecoat and slippers or a church suit with a hat large enough to land airplanes with 18 kids and a soft round face. These women, in their 50s and more were FINE. I’m talking sizes 8 and 10. With their grey hair pulled up in fly French rolls. None of this is meant to underestimate the obesity problem in this country, but hey, focus should be on fat, not black.
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