[Southlander]

Bama Belles : TLC
"
TLC's Bama Belles follows a group of down-home Alabama women as they juggle their careers, home lives and relationships with one another."

Bama Belles premieres December 5 @10/9c.

Seriously, I'm cringing. Just what Alabama needs: more reasons for the entire country to make fun of us.

[doc1]

If it's any consolation CA, NJ, Atlanta and DC had to suffer similar programming.

[Mawoods]

I have never watched any of those "housewife shows" but thought I would look at this one since it was AL. YES! I am cringing. Why can't they find women who speak correct English? Not sure I will watch again.

[Drover]

The first time I read the thread title I thought it said "Bama Bellies" and I thought to myself "what a bizarre and mean-spirited premise for a show "

Meanwhile, they couldn't find one black lady worth putting on the show in one of the blackest states in the country? I'm not a big proponent of conspicuous racial balancing, but the lack of even one black woman seems even more conspicuous.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by doc1

If it's any consolation CA, NJ, Atlanta and DC had to suffer similar programming.

The difference is that the rest of the country considers those women to be the exception, while they'll consider the Bama Belles to be the rule.

[Mawoods]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

The difference is that the rest of the country considers those women to be the exception, while they'll consider the Bama Belles to be the rule.

AMEN!!! Could not have expressed it better myself.

Funny, when we lived in Wisconsin, I knew women just like the women chosen for this show. BUT, the public doesn't associate anyone like that with the upper Midwest - only the South.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by Drover

The first time I read the thread title I thought it said "Bama Bellies" and I thought to myself "what a bizarre and mean-spirited premise for a show "

Meanwhile, they couldn't find one black lady worth putting on the show in one of the blackest states in the country? I'm not a big proponent of conspicuous racial balancing, but the lack of even one black woman seems even more conspicuous.

Mmmmm, pork bellies. Perhaps they couldn't find one black woman gullible enough to sign up for the show? I can hear the heated conversation in my mind, but can't repeat it here because it would sound like stereotyping. Too bad, 'cause it is funny.

What these shows need is a show about putting together one of these shows.

[doc1]

Originally Posted by cpg35223

The difference is that the rest of the country considers those women to be the exception, while they'll consider the Bama Belles to be the rule.

Originally Posted by Mawoods

AMEN!!! Could not have expressed it better myself.

Funny, when we lived in Wisconsin, I knew women just like the women chosen for this show. BUT, the public doesn't associate anyone like that with the upper Midwest - only the South.

Only the dull witted, untraveled and uneducated will consider that.

Who cares what those types think? I don't.

In NJ we've have the whole Sopranos/NJ Housewives/Jersey Shore thing going on. I'm sure many people elsewhere think that culture is more prevalent than it really is.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Perhaps they couldn't find one black woman gullible enough to sign up for the show?

I'll take it further then that. Perhaps they had several sign up but didn't choose any of them - there's probably several white women they turned down too. I haven't seen a preview for this particular show, but I imagine it is just as embarrassing as the rest of them are.

The producers of the show know what they want to portray, they know what gets ratings. They want to put drama, ignorance, stupidity and trashiness on TV because that's what people want to see. So well adjusted people with all their teeth that speak the King's English, whether they be black or white won't be picked.
I'm sure they probably could have found some uneducated, Jerry Springerish black woman to put on the show, but maybe it just didn't fit with the whole "Belles" thing. Honestly, when I hear the word Belle I think of white women, plantations, southern Gentile - old money crowd.

EDIT: Okay, scratch most of that. Just watched a clip of the show of one of the women worried about getting a job. And I see that they are all living in Dothan. They probably could have found at least one professional black woman to put on that show, should at least be 60/30 in my opinion since that is Dothan's white/black population percentage.

[cpg35223]

Originally Posted by doc1

Only the dull witted, untraveled and uneducated will consider that.

Who cares what those types think? I don't.

In NJ we've have the whole Sopranos/NJ Housewives/Jersey Shore thing going on. I'm sure many people elsewhere think that culture is more prevalent than it really is.

I don't know. If you're from Alabama, it's amazing how otherwise educated people from other places can cling to stereotypes. I mean, even on this message board, you'll be astonished at the number of people who post, worried that if they drive through Alabama on the interstates they will be run off the road by good ole boys in pickup trucks or pelted with rocks and garbage at some barbecue pit when they pull off to eat.

An example? My daughter plays violin. No, wait, let me brag. She's a very good violin player. Two summers ago, we took her to a violin camp in North Carolina, one with an exceptional nationwide reputation.

My 14-year-old daughter made friends with this girl from New York City. Now, mind you, my daughter speaks the King's English, is very bright, and dresses nicely. Has all her teeth, too. Anyway, the New York girl's mother, a patrician type, asked my daughter where she was from.

"Alabama," was my daughter's reply.

"Well, how did your parents afford this camp?" the woman asked, somewhat startled. Obviously, the woman had a mental image of the Beverly Hillbillies, trailer parks, and cars up on cinder blocks.

"My father sold a few slaves," was my daughters very quick reply.

A chip off the block, I have to say.