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Our stereotypical wedding

Reality show perpetuates negative images of blacks.

Reality show perpetuates negative images of blacks.

I LOVE reality TV, and maybe that makes me part of the problem. It is entertaining and packed with drama.

But the critic in me, who is interested in race, popular culture and representations of blackness, can't let any disregard of black people slide.

Our Sunday nights have been taken over by the hilarious Our Perfect Wedding.

It has us glued to our TV screens and phones, discussing, analysing and mocking the not-so-perfect wedding - watching the flips, flops and fails of the average bride and groom.

In the show, produced by Tswelopele Productions, which is also responsible for Top Billing and owned by Basetsana Kumalo, a couple want to pull off the perfect wedding, but the odds aren't in their favour. Will their day be the stuff of dreams?

For the longest time, TV failed to depict the humanity of black people, instead portraying stereotypes.

But now, there is finally a programme that shows black people in a complete manner.

Is this what we have been waiting for, the reality of black lives on screen?

 

Not really. The show merely highlights all the bad aspects of a black wedding, the foolish behaviour and everything that could go wrong.

But then again, what would a reality show be without drama? Some people will say: "Oh come on, things go wrong at weddings and they are showing the reality."

But reality shows are never about reality. They are about the filmmakers' choices .

Making a TV show is a process of framing. And through that, the producers tell us how to depict and view people and things.

So, yes, it is a "reality", but it is an organised reality, aimed to promote certain views and interpretations.

Drama-concocting producers edit shows in a way that will boost ratings. They only tell a fraction of the real story.

What about the couples?

They want to be on TV and are vying for their 10 minutes of fame. But they are merely actors. The real storyteller is the producer.

Are there no perfect weddings in reality?

 

The same production company produces "perfect weddings" for Top Billing . Can' t it do the same for this show?

Why are the negative associations exaggerated in the production of black weddings?

My worry is that the images depicted become how black people view themselves, and are treated in their lives.

Here's where the problem lies. It is inevitable that with multiple reality shows portraying black people as oversexed, with pathological and dysfunctional social traits, audiences will walk away believing this to be a true representation of blackness.

The show ignores many important dimensions of black people's lives, such as historical experiences and black economic disadvantage.

"But it's just funny and nothing to take seriously."

Well, the disclaimer that one is "just joking" allows people to continue without question or accountability.

Laughter and humour are always used to dismiss.

And this innocent laughter and mocking is problematic and offensive - just ask the couples featured. These factors also have dire consequences on the collective image of blacks.

Reality TV makes us laugh and serves as a mirror of reflection of our ideas, but it also raises the question: Are these images of black people we want other races and ethnicities to see?

It's important to look at the powerful effects of reality TV humour.

By being co-conspirators in anti-black sentiments, we perpetuate negative stereotypes that create false perceptions of black people for the nation to consume.

Refiloe Lepere is a journalist, director, storyteller and playwright.

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