*A petition has been launched calling for CBS to pull the new comedy series “Bob Hearts Abishola” due to its “harmful and disparaging view of what is traditionally known as African-American characters and culture.”
We previously reported… acclaimed TV producer Chuck Lorre is hoping Black folks will tune in to his new sitcom about a divorced socks salesman (Billy Gardell) who has a heart attack and falls for his Nigerian nurse (Folake Olowofoyeku). But celebrity blogger SandraRose.com said this in her review of the series: “Abishola’s relatives and friends don’t take kindly to Bob – and they certainly can’t see him married to Abishola.”
The outlet also noted that one friend named Gloria (Vernee Watson) takes offense to the disrespect Africans show American Blacks.
OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Ice-T Defends Wife Coco Austin After Critics Slam Her for Breastfeeding Their 4-Year-Old [VIDEO]
CBS: Demand CBS pull BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA from network television! – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/z47Zb6Da77 via @Change
— FridayJones (@IAMFridayJones) September 25, 2019
The change.org petition cites The Hollywood Reporter review which says the “comedic value” of title character Abishola, “rests on her denigrating commentary on African-American characters and culture that is highly offensive and racist.”
The petition goes on to say:
In the pilot episode, the exchange between Abishola and the African-American mother at school supports the ongoing narrative being proliferated in mainstream media today, that African immigrants are a more desirable class of “blacks” in America than American Descendants Of Slavery (ADOS).
The relationship between African Immigrants and ADOS has not been explored from the perspective of an ADOS created and centered show on any network, and it is particularly harmful to ADOS and indeed America as a whole, to not have the benefit of exploring their perspective concurrently, if not before, a show like Bob Hearts Abishola is presented to a predominantly white American network audience.
This overtly racist narrative is being amplified and supported by the entire entertainment industry, as Hollywood continues to produce and cast an ever growing number of black immigrants in roles meant to represent ADOS for Hollywood’s economic and political benefit, while providing platforms for black immigrants to portray ADOS in a disparaging light, summarily locking ADOS actors, producers, writers out of new content creation opportunities.
One Twitter user said in response to the petition: “I won’t watch anything on @CBS with that show on the air. The episode I’ve seen is extremely offensive and insulting to Black Americans and Black immigrants with its depiction of little black boys as violent and ill-mannered.”
Meanwhile, CBS hopes Black Americans will tune in and support the show anyway. Will you?
Click here if you’d like to support the petition.
We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!
