Poor UPN. They probably assumed that since the network
airs more "black themed" shows than any other would provide some cover.
About "Pfeiffer," UPN said, "The show is a broad satire that parodies
contemporary politics. Desmond Pfeiffer is smart, irreverent and surrounded
by fools; the show revolves around his wit and wisdom." "Pfeiffer" also
features a black supervising producer, in addition to its black lead
character.
But the hysteria mushroomed. In an act bordering
on censorship, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a motion
condemning the show. Enter the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the
NAACP. (That's right, a NAACP chapter in...Beverly Hills! Hey, how bad
could things be?) And, of course, where black insensitivity exists,
could the ubiquitous Jesse Jackson be far behind? No he couldn't. Jackson,
too, took a whack at the series.
Yet another black critic warned of the damage to
the psyche of black children. "There is not a fig of historic truth
that Lincoln during slavery...socially fraternized with African-Americans,
let alone sought their political advice." Well, duh. Comedy, remember?
You know, farce. Let's not confuse "The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer,"
with the "Diary of Anne Frank," okay?
Besides, if a kid gets his history from sitcoms,
Mom and Dad face bigger problems than jokes about Honest Abe. Indeed,
many blacks lack perspective about the horror of slavery. Human history
shows slavery as the rule, not the exception. Europeans enslaved Europeans,
Asians enslaved Asians, and Africans enslaved Africans. Arab slave traders
sent millions of East Africans to the Middle East. Only America waged
a bloody civil war over slavery's eradication, a war in which hundreds
of thousands of Union soldiers died.
Question, how many of the protesters actually saw
"Pfeiffer"? Its star, Chi McBride, said that he pulled up in a car next
to the group of protesters, and stared directly at them. Nobody recognized
him.
Did Jews march on Washington because of "Hogan's
Heroes," a sitcom that took place in a W.W.II concentration camp? Not
only did Jews apparently get the joke, but even today the show gets
huge ratings in Germany, although the show depicts Germans as boobs
and bumblers.
Apparently the protesters believe that any and all
social ills stem from slavery. Wrong. Take black illegitimacy. In 1965,
New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan wrote The Negro Family: a Case
for National Action. At the time, the black illegitimacy rate stood
at 25%. Today, in an era of less racism, the rate is 70%. Slavery cannot
account for this problem.
Another black critic called "Pfeiffer," "...The
latest and most absurd addition to a long list of TV network assassinations
of the black image." Assassinations?
He probably never saw the Martin Lawrence show,
with jokes about skin color and hair texture. How about the stupid TV
series "Homeboys in Outer Space," or the dumb movie "Booty Call"?
Assassinations? Are you kidding? Researchers Robert
Lichter and Stanley Rothman note that in prime time television, "nine
out of ten murders were committed by whites. Only three in 100 murders
on TV were committed by blacks. Blacks are about 18 times less likely
to commit homicide on TV than in real life."
Are blacks so hypersensitive, fragile, and immature
to require a taste police to dictate what's funny? If viewers find the
show demeaning, distasteful or even worse, un-funny, expect the series
to crash and burn. For those who feel that "Pfeiffer" mocks slavery,
a simple suggestion&emdash;don't watch. But this would suggest self-confidence,
the assumption of personal responsibility and perspective. We certainly
can't have that, can we?
Having successfully
combated drive-by shootings, widespread gang membership, schools without
books, a scandalously high out-of-wedlock teen birth rate, black victicrat
leaders now confront a more menacing task&emdash;protecting us from
the evil, self esteem-sapping effects of a situation comedy. Praise
the Lord, and pass the remote control.