The Huffington Post posed the question “Is The Bachelor/Bachelorette racist?” The more relevant question is “Is American television and media, as a whole, racist?” to which, the answer is emphatically, “YES!”  As a TV Producer, the racism and crazy things that have come out of my producing colleagues and various TV execs’ mouths never ceases to amaze me!  In addition, the rampant racism in hiring practices is a lawsuit just waiting to happen.  Most TV and movie sets are still lily-white, particularly, reality shows.  Save for Shondra Rhimes of “Grey’s Anatomy“, there are still virtually no African-American, Asian, or Hispanic producers, network executives, or for that matter, even low level crew members!  Thus, it should come as no surprise that, with no people of color in executive decision-making and greenlighting positions, most TV shows and movies are racist or stereotypical in their casting and their writing.

A prime example is that on “The Bachelor” all the contestants are reasonably upscale and attractive, professionals coming from decent backgrounds, and vie for a truly desirable man.  But when it came time to think of a dating show for people of color, the best that producers and network  executives could come up with was “Flav of Love” wherein trifling ghetto hoochies vied for the affections of the buffonish and fugly, Flava Flav. While their white counterparts went  on romantic outings these ghetto messes even launched into fist fights with each other!  While Flav laughed all the way to the bank, he set African-Americans all the way back to the days of Amos and Andy!

Is “The Bachelor” racist? Damn skippy! But it is merely an outward  reflection of the inner racism that permeates the back offices of the TV production companies and networks that create these shows.

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost