Here’s the statement from Lisa Fager of Industry Ears.

Viacom’s MTV continues to justify the exploitation of African American women by hiding behind words like “satire” and “parody”.  The animated portrayal of two African American women scurrying on all fours with leashes around their necks, defecating on a pet shop floor goes far beyond the pale of acceptability.  It is not art; it is an assault.  The justification given by stating that one of the animated dogs points out his disgust by saying, “I find this a bit degrading and I’m a dog” does not eliminate the harm.Actually, the point is countered by the other dog who states, “Are you joking?  What’s cooler than a two-legger who treats other two-leggers like four-leggers?”  This statement emphasizes and reinforces – as tolerable behavior – the treatment of black women as dogs.

The fact that Viacom’s MTV chose to air this program on Saturday afternoons just in time for children to tune in after their morning dose of cartoons, demonstrates their complete disregard for the impact these images have on furthering both racist and misogynistic attitudes.  “Where My Dogs At?” is symptomatic of what appears to be a programming strategy that is aimed at attracting an audience by portraying African American women and communities in the most degrading, confrontational manner imaginable. These images are harmful in our society and promote the racist stereotypes of black women as nothing better than dogs.  The impact on children and young people is even more relevant because internalization of these images can inhibit the development of a healthy self-concept.  It is indeed our right and our duty to teach our children that such negative depictions are not acceptable. There is no place in our society for images that repeatedly and continually cast African Americans in images that are reminiscent of the darkest hours of this nation’s past.

We call on responsible corporate citizens to condemn the airing of this program and any program that propagates harmful, racist stereotypes and misogynistic images.  We think this is wrong and we respectfully ask the President of MTV, Christina Norman, as well as other Viacom executives to
rethink the manner in which they depict African Americans and women.  We urge all concerned individuals and organizations to email Christina Norman ( Christina.Norman@mtv.com ) and their local cable providers to demand the removal of “Where My Dogs At?” and any other program that exploits African Americans and women. 

About Industry Ears

Established in 2004, Industry Ears (IE) is a new generation think-tank focused on media’s impact on children and communities of color. IE is dedicated to addressing and finding solutions to negative and harmful content through media education, research, advocacy, public policy and continuous dialogue with industry stakeholders.