Prime Time for a Show of Diversity

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Thurgood Stubbs is at war. The superintendent of the Hilton-Jacobs inner-city housing project is being terrorized by a gun-toting street gang.

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Darryl Hughley is battling his neighbor and good pal, Dave Allen. A successful black businessman living in a predominantly white L.A. suburb, Darryl wonders whether Dave is a closet racist.

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Rene Jackson has fallen out with her best friend, who is white. Jackson, a successful black attorney, has refused to defend a group of white firemen who wore blackface during a local parade.

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Russell “Linc” Lincoln, the unapologetically Republican black owner of a Washington, D.C., bar, is trying to reason with CeCe, his waitress, who’s been called “a poster girl for the failure of the public school system.” Angered, CeCe eventually stalks off, saying, “Y’all can kiss my ignant’ ass.”

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It’s 1999, and television has got its groove back--for better and for worse.

There has never been a comfort zone when it comes to the way television portrays the black experience. Even “The Cosby Show,” with a middle-class African American family at its center, much-loved comedian Bill Cosby as its star and a huge percentage of Americans of all races tuning in to watch each week, had its critics.

Still, this season’s arrival of Fox’s “The PJs,” ABC’s “The Hughleys,” Lifetime’s “Any Day Now” and Showtime’s “Linc’s” has ignited a heated debate about how Hollywood portrays African Americans and whether those images are positive, realistic or offensive.

The tone and the potential impact of the debate are changing as well. Black performers, writers, directors and producers have become more influential, and virtually every dramatic series now features African Americans in co-starring roles. But the consensus among this growing creative cadre remains that the Hollywood power structure--those executives with the power to green-light a project, to cast or not cast a certain actor, to cancel or renew a television show--hasn’t changed enough. Whether through intentional exclusion, indifference or ignorance, television continues to fall short in providing enough dignified and diverse portrayals of blacks, argue these increasingly persistent creative voices.

Fueling the debate is the fiercely mixed reaction to two of this season’s new prime-time comedies--”The PJs,” an animated satire on Fox co-created by actor-comedian Eddie Murphy that shows a crack addict, men guzzling 40-ounce beer bottles and residents living in squalor; and “The Hughleys,” on ABC, about a black businessman who moves with his family from the city to an affluent white suburb. At the same time, both shows are drawing racially diverse audiences, with “The PJs,” in particular, a clear ratings success.

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That is the emotional backdrop for the 30th annual NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium this evening, where sentiments about the series--and black images in general--are likely to dominate the night. The gala ceremony will air March 4 as a special on Fox, the home of “The PJs,” and honors the year’s best in black entertainment in film, music, literature and, especially, television. “The Hughleys,” “Linc’s” and “Any Day Now” have all received nominations (“The PJs,” which premiered in January, will not be eligible for consideration until next year.)

The occasion will celebrate a much increased presence on television of the black experience. Shows that are almost universally deemed to have positive images reflect a wide range of creative styles. There is the hip-hop sensibility of the youth-oriented “Moesha” and the more mellow shenanigans of “Sister, Sister,” while the bawdy comedy of “The Jamie Foxx Show” is 180 degrees from the sophisticated yuppie fare of “For Your Love.” And almost all the dramas on network television have prominent black characters.

There is also hope for a new era of more sophisticated fare, triggered by the debut this season of Showtime’s politically flavored comedy-drama “Linc’s,” and Lifetime’s “Any Day Now,” about a female black attorney who moves back home to Birmingham, Ala., and finds herself grappling with many of the racial tensions she encountered during childhood.

Director Anita Addison, who was head of drama development for CBS, observes: “The good news is that there is absolutely more of an opportunity for diversity, all the way from BET [Black Entertainment Television] to the WB and UPN. There is more of a recognition of the value of the African American experience.”

D.L. Hughley, co-creator and star of “The Hughleys,” which has earned respectable ratings since its premiere in September, said: “This is a better time for black people in society, so that is being reflected in the shows that are coming on now. And there is an honesty about what we’re doing.”

Despite the upbeat atmosphere surrounding the Image Awards and advances in African American images and opportunities, frustration is growing over the decreasing number of shows with predominantly black casts.

“In the words of Charles Dickens, these are really the best of times and the worst of times when it comes to black images,” said Susan Fales-Hill, who, with actor-director Tim Reid, created “Linc’s.”

“We’ve made tremendous strides in soap operas and in dramas,” said Fales-Hill, a former executive producer of “A Different World,” about a black university. “There are major story lines about blacks in ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ and ‘Ally McBeal.’ But in comedies, we’ve gone backward. And there are far too many shows where we don’t exist, where we’re not even the maid.”

Added Yvette Lee Bowser, creator of the WB’s black yuppie comedy “For Your Love”: “There is just not the same passion and dedication at the major networks that there is in maintaining the status quo. And from what I hear about what’s being developed, I’m not convinced that this upcoming season will change anything.”

Darryl Hughley (D.L. Hughley) was concerned. His young son was cracking jokes in class. But for Hughley, it was no laughing matter.

“For many of your friends, you’re the first one of us they’ve ever gotten to know,” said Hughley to the boy. “You know they don’t get BET out here. . . . You’ve got a great opportunity and you have to take advantage of it.”

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L. Kenneth Richardson can barely contain his fury.

“When there are few stories and few characters on television now that can rival or match ‘Raisin in the Sun,’ which was written 40 years ago--the kinds of characters who were complicated--I say, ‘What’s the problem?’ ” said Richardson, who runs Blacksmyths, the Mark Taper Forum’s project for aspiring black playwrights.

“I’m appalled at what I see on TV,” Richardson added. “Fifty years ago, the NAACP did its best to take ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ off the air. When you look at that show today, you see that it was very funny. The comic writing today doesn’t come close to that. The writing is flat . . . , and the actors are flat.”

Richardson called “The Hughleys” a prime example of what is lacking in black-oriented shows: “There’s nothing sophisticated there. The actor at the center is interesting, but that’s it.”

But Hughley believes the criticisms are themselves one dimensional--reducing him to merely a black comic, not seeing him as a man who is putting his life experiences into a series that anyone, black or white, can identify with.

“I don’t understand why if you’re black, you always have to be making a political statement or saying something important,” Hughley said. “ ‘Seinfeld’ was a show about nothing. Kramer falls down, and he’s a comic genius. A black man falls down, and he’s a buffoon.”

However, Bowser, who was also the creator of “Living Single,” about four professional African American females, voiced other concerns.

“There are far too many producers who are too preoccupied with pushing the envelope of taste rather than pushing images that are filled with dignity,” she said. “Now we have shows like ‘The PJs’ that asks the question, ‘How far can we go? How many people can we offend in the name of humor?’ ”

Just who decides what is acceptable humor, and what is not, continues to be one of the thorniest issues within the black creative community--as well as special interest groups and viewers at large. “The PJs” and its setting in the projects has emerged as this season’s hottest button.

Larry Wilmore, one of the executive producers of “The PJs,” characterized the backlash as a telling illustration of the continuing sensitivity by blacks to black images.

“I thought by now we would have gotten to the point where we can make fun of ourselves, but people say the images are so offensive they don’t even want to hear the point you’re trying to make,” Wilmore said.

He cited one example in “The PJs” in which a sign in front of the local Housing and Urban Development branch reads: “Keeping you in the projects since 1965.”

“We’re making a satirical comment,” Wilmore said. “But many people refuse to get the joke. I mean, ‘The PJs’ is just a comedy show! Do white people get together and discuss ‘Unhappily Ever After?’ ”

Actress Lorraine Toussaint, who stars in “Any Day Now,” suggests that the comedic images on “The PJs” make some blacks uncomfortable because they hit too close to home.

“Eddie dares to say what’s real, and on one level, he’s outing us,” says Toussaint, who is black. “I watched it when I was alone, and it’s funny and real.”

Some blacks have also praised “The Hughleys” for its cultural realism, while others have called the show an awkwardly updated version of “The Jeffersons,” complete with a cocky, outspoken black character, tolerant white neighbors and negative stereotypes.

In one episode, Darryl’s wife, Yvonne (Elise Neal), was engaged in a battle in the kitchen with Darryl’s mom and several other older black women who thought she did not have what it took to make a decent soul food-accented Thanksgiving dinner.

Yvonne wins the women over to her side when she starts talking like them. At one point, she declares in a slow, colloquial drawl, “Chile, I been up since 4 a.m. and I’m so tired I got these grocery bags under my eyes, my knees are calling me names y’all don’t wanna hear and I think I just done popped an earbone or something from sneezing up all this paprika!”

Hughley is not bothered by the anti-”Hughleys” barbs: “We’re obviously hitting some sort of chord. I just want to keep talking about my experience and keeping it honest. I feel blessed that people seem to be getting us.”

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It’s not the first time that the Image Awards have taken place in a storm of frustration and debate over black images.

Just before the 1997 ceremony, the Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter of the NAACP, along with leaders from the Brotherhood Crusade and the Mothers in Action community group, lashed out at eight comedies that they charged portrayed blacks in a buffoonish light. The shows included “Martin,” “The Wayans Bros.,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Malcolm and Eddie” and “In the House.” The protest was especially emotional because “Martin” was an Image Award nominee for best comedy series that year.

The protest did not have the blessing of NAACP President Kweisi Mfume and the community leaders soon silenced their opposition. Some of the targeted shows, such as “The Wayans Bros.” and “The Jamie Foxx Show,” have survived with little vocal opposition.

Whether or not the protest spurred any change, the presence of blacks on television and opportunities behind the camera have improved in the two years since. Eriq LaSalle and Gloria Reuben of “ER,” Andre Braugher of “Homicide: Life on the Street,” Steve Harris of “The Practice,” Robert Guillaume of “Sports Night” and others have earned critical acclaim--from diverse organizations--for their portrayals of complex, hard-working professionals. NBC’s “The Temptations” miniseries about the legendary Motown group and CBS’ “Mama Flora’s Family” captivated large audiences of all races and illustrated how blacks are making greater inroads in appearing in made-for-television network movies. HBO and Showtime have produced several films dealing with black history and contemporary figures, as well as fictional stories. And this month’s television landscape is packed with drama, comedy and documentary projects tied to Black History Month.

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But still, a flurry of problems remains, said the NAACP’s Mfume, not the least of which is the tendency of broadcasters to load the bulk of black-themed programming into a single month.

“There is a legitimate disenchantment among a number of artists and others who have grown up around Hollywood and have witnessed very little change,” Mfume said. “There may be an onrush of an attempt to do some semblance of cultural programming during Black History Month, but the real roles in dramas and sitcoms are only for a select few.”

He added, “It’s one thing to cry wolf, but it’s another thing to look at the facts, which suggest there really is a problem in Hollywood.”

Since last season, 13 dramas and comedies featuring predominantly black casts on the networks were canceled or put on hiatus. Of the six black-themed comedies that have premiered this season, two already have been canceled (UPN’s “The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer” and “Guys Like Us”). There are still no dramas built around a single black actor or actress, and the absence of a network drama built around African Americans or a black family haunts several performers, writers and producers.

If anything, the failure of black-oriented dramas to attract a large enough audience to survive cancellation--most notably CBS’ “Under One Roof,” “413 Hope St.” and the gritty comedy-drama “South Central,” both on Fox--has given the networks little impetus to develop or produce other black-oriented dramatic fare. Former network executive Addison also speculates that the major broadcasters are reluctant to program such dramas because of uncertainty over how they would be received by a mainstream audience.

“There is this notion that Americans do not want to see African Americans in a power position,” Addison said. “That’s a perception that makes white America uncomfortable. The networks also don’t feel that white America could identify with a black family.”

The stories of entertainers and producers butting heads with network honchos over race have changed little over the years. Just last July, actor-comedian Dave Chappelle pulled out of a sitcom based on his life in New York, saying Fox, where the show was to air, urged him to add more white characters.

The experience has soured Chappelle on pursuing other TV projects.

“They said they needed a show with more universal appeal,” Chappelle said. “They never gave me an ultimatum, but it just ruined everything. I could have done what they wanted, but it would have been contrived.”

Fox Entertainment’s then-President Peter Roth said of Chappelle’s charges that he wanted to attract the widest possible audience for Fox programs and was merely trying to achieve that goal.

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Delores Robinson, a co-executive producer of “Between Brothers,” a comedy about four black professionals that jumped to UPN last this month after being canceled last season by Fox, said she encountered the same problems with executives.

“We kept getting notes from the network and the studio asking us to clown it up more,” Robinson said. “We felt it wasn’t appropriate for our characters.”

When it comes to dramatic black images, the networks don’t get it yet, says Nancy Miller, an executive producer for “Any Day Now.”

“Cable is much more progressive than the networks,” Miller says. “Lifetime wasn’t afraid of dealing with the civil rights angle. In fact, they embraced it.”

In the drama, Mary Elizabeth O’Brien (Annie Potts) and Rene Jackson (Toussaint) renew their friendship. The series jumps back and forth between their childhood, which took place during the civil rights movement, and their current relationship, which is often affected by the still-simmering racial tensions around town.

For Toussaint, the series fulfills a wish: “I don’t watch prime-time television because I don’t see myself. I don’t see multidimensional black women who are complex and not afraid to be wrong sometimes.”

“Linc’s,” the Showtime series developed by veteran actor-director Reid and Fales-Hill, would never have flown at the networks, Reid said, even though it’s similar in style to the hit comedy “Cheers.”

Showtime Entertainment President Jerry Offsay believes that being on cable--the premium channel is not supported by advertisers, thus a show’s survival is not so directly linked to ratings--has given him the luxury to program a series such as “Linc’s.” Under his mandate, Showtime is looking to expand racial diversity with other series, such as a drama revolving around a Latino family. Also possible is a franchise built around “Love Songs,” a trio of dramatic short films featuring A-list talent. Written by Charles Fuller, who received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay of “A Soldier’s Story,” “Love Songs” will air in April and features installments starring and directed by Robert Townsend, Louis Gossett Jr. and Andre Braugher.

Fales-Hill hopes the broadening of projects for blacks in cable will eventually reach network programmers with the message that it is possible to expand beyond traditional black images: “I’m encouraged by what I see in the cable world. I just hope everyone else notices.”

The consistent theme that is emerging from the current debate is that the central issue may be diversity and dignity, but the aim is inclusion. As Reid says of his hopes for “Linc’s”: “I wanted to break the myopic view of people of color. There are even some characters here that may be stereotypical at first glance, but we get to see what they’re all about. I don’t know whether whites will tune in, but it really is a peek behind the door to a place where you have never been before.”*