Monday, November 26, 2007

Protesters march against negative TV stereotypes

Protesters march against negative TV stereotypes -- chicagotribune.com: "Wearing white T-shirts with red stop signs and chanting, 'BET does not reflect me, MTV does not reflect me,' protesters have been gathering every Saturday outside the homes of Viacom executives in Washington and New York. The orderly, mostly black crowds are protesting music videos they say degrade women and black and Latino men."

Among other things, the protesters want media companies such as Viacom to develop "universal creative standards" for video and music, including prohibitions on some language and images. Video vixens and foul-mouthed pimps and thugs are now so widespread, the protesters maintain, that they infect perceptions of ordinary nonwhite people.

"A lot of rap isn't rap anymore; it's just people selling their souls," Marc Newman, a 28-year-old car salesman from New Rochelle, N.Y., said. He was among about 20 men, women and children from area Baptist churches marching outside the Upper East Side residence of Philippe Dauman, the president and chief executive of Viacom Inc.

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