Sharon's Muse

Sharon's Muse.... Let's chat over coffee while I ponder some things

About Me

My Meez

Mammyism and Angry Black Woman Stereotype Played Out on "Chopped"

This here is going to be a mini rant but i'm led to say it. For those of you who watch the food network channel and specifically follow the show Chopped, you might have caught one particular ep over the weekend. If you're guessing the one I'm referring to, you know that there was some fallout from the actions of a particular contestant - namely a black woman named Lauren who promotes herself as the personal chef of the Williams' sisters. Anyway, unfortunately the woman did not comport herself well; as a matter of fact, she went all "ghetto" On the judges and at least one contestant. Her actions included unsubtle eye rolling at the queries of her white female co-contestant and mean mugging the judges when they found fault with her entrees. She was "chopped" During the second round but not before the host and judges called her out on her facial expressions caught on camera. She tried to say it was "all good" But even her tone belied her words. At her dismissal, she asked for a few words during which she lambasted her co-contestant's dish with cuss words.

Anyway, i was downright embarrassed for her but i understood initially where she was coming from. See, it was a subtle, racial interchange between the black and white woman that most people never really detect but since I've been on the receiving end of that action, i recognized it for what it was. In other words, the white woman got away with some passive sh*t that was masked as trying to be friends. I'm not saying her actions were deliberate but they were "irritating." If you as a black woman have ever been on the receiving end of someone who thinks you are their "Mammy" You know what i'm talking about. I've only recently started watching the show, but this young white woman was all up under Lauren, asking to borrow her stuff, peeking over her shoulders, denying her her space and seemingly searching for validation of some sort. Lauren did cop an attitude but maybe because her concentration was being broken by the constant interruptions.

I have never seen other contestants get into another's space continually, and i know i would have been irritated under those circumstances. It is not another contestant's duty to bolster you because it is after all a competition for $10,000. Your competitor doesn't have to let you borrow her implements (I would've thought each contestant had their own cookware), but Lauren begrudgingly handed over hers, albeit while rolling her eyes for which the host and judges later called her out.

And she called out the judges for being let go for a soggy taco when they had also said the same about her fellow co-contestant. I'm sure she thought there was some bias, even given the racial diversity of the panel. She left with an ugly attitude and unfortunately people are threatening to boycott any episode in which she appears.

So i do understand where she was coming from, at least initially. But in the end, she did herself a disservice by not exiting gracefully. And she will be remembered for that, unfortunately. Still i wish her well in her future endeavors. /end of rant

Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 1/08/2014 07:15:00 AM Permanent Link | | Home

---------------oOo---------------

Layout Design by Hajira

Thanks to:Getty Images • Blogspot • Blogskins •