Maybe you haven’t heard about the latest reality show that’s about to pollute the airwaves, but it’s a doozy.
“All My Babies’ Mamas” is a glimpse into the life of Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo and his 10 baby mamas who delivered 11 bundles of joy to this father of the year. Hopefully, Shawty is paying child support for his offspring and their mamas and that we’re not.
Shawty has names for his insignificant others, which adds to the fun, Jealous Baby Mama, Baby Mamma from Hell and Shady Baby Mama. What a guy! So what does this make him? Baby Papa Sperm-A-Plenty?
If you tune into this piece of trash, you’ll also get to meet 36-year-old Shawty’s 19-year-old girlfriend, according to an ABC News website. Can’t wait.
Reality TV made a splash years ago with “Survivor,” where contestants, among other things, ate disgusting insects to survive. I never could bring myself to watch that show, and I most certainly will not tune into this dysfunctional take on, dare we say family life?
Anway, the pending show has caused an uproar, which is exactly the kind of publicity a new show craves to stand out among the flood of reality TV shows. Critics are screaming enough is enough already and that shows like this make a mockery of family life and exploit women and their children.
The Parents Television Council has called the planned show, “grotesquely irresponsible,” and vowed that if the Oxygen Network puts it on the air, it will hold accountable its advertisers.
As for Oxygen, the network said its new show provides “an intimate look at unconventional families with larger than life personalities and real emotional stakes.” For crying out loud. Unconventional is the delightfully funny, “Modern Family,” not a show about a black rapper who fathered 11 kids with 10 different women.
And as for ”star” Shawty Lo (Am I the only one who has never heard of him?) he’ll surely skyrocket to instant fame because, sadly, there are enough members of the viewing public who can’t seem to get enough of the Kardashians and other such “larger than life personalities.”
And don’t get me started on Honey Boo Boo, who now fits into that category as well. I must be living in a cave because until she made Barbara Walters’ list of the 10 most fascinating people of 2012, I never heard of Boo Boo, a child beauty pageant contestant who grabs the blubber from her gut for the judges as she struts her stuff.
Little Honey Boo Boo belongs to a bunch of rednecks, whose mama raises the bar on stereotypical stage mothers as she urges her daughter to, “shake your butt, baby.”
Yep, fascinating Honey was right up there with Gen. David Petraeus, Olympic Gold medalist Gabby Douglas and Prince Harry. Oh, Barbara, whatever happened to your standards?
As of Wednesday, 30,000 people signed a petition at Change.org to protest “All My Babies’ Mamas.” The organization, according to abcnews.go.com, calls it “an attack not just on African-American parents and children but all parents and children.”
If Shawty Lo or perhaps Baby Mama from Hell play their cards right, perhaps they’ll make Barbara Walters’ 2013 list of fascinating people.
Or, better yet, if network executives at Oxygen come to their senses, they’ll pull the plug on this hideous reality show. I’m sure that you agree with me that rappers should be seen but not heard. Or in the case of Shawty Lo, they shouldn’t be seen either.
- Betty Roccograndi
So, Malala Yousufzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl who was targeted and nearly killed by the Taliban for supporting education for girls, doesn’t make the list but Honey Boo Boo does?
Honey Boo Boo is more relevant than Victoria Soto,the first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., who was killed after hiding her students into a closet?
Disgusting.
You got that right, Andy, although I believe Barbara Walters’ list came out before the Sandy Hook tragedy.
And to think there are good people waiting to adopt.