I am all for supporting African American programming. I tuned in every Wednesday night to catch The Cosby show when it came on. I did the same for Family Matters, Girlfriends, A Different World and even today I enjoy reruns of Sanford & Son. Somewhere along the line programs changed up on me and I was not on board. I may be the only African American female not hooked on Scandal. I didn't watch the show when it premiered and based on what folks have told me, its hard to catch up now. That is hilarious! Not since Dallas have I been addicted to a program. And we know how long ago that ended! So, let me see if I get this right - because I didn't see the first episode, I will never be able to understand what is going on with Fritz, the President and Olivia? That is nuts! Not one to believe the hype, I turned to Scandal one night recently and tried to see what all the hoopla is about. Olivia and her father were arguing about her staying, no get on the plane, no staying, no get on the plane. In the end she made her own decision and...folks were right I didn't get it. I had missed too much of the show to know what was going on. That was it for me.
Now we have Being Mary Jane or is it Being Pauletta? She is called both - I am going to go out on a limb and say that Pauletta is the name her parents gave her. I don't know because I missed the first episode! My first episode was Mary Jane doing a segment of the news where there is a very bad storm brewing and an elderly couple refuses to leave their home. Her producer is a little bull dog and forces Mary Jane to do an interview with the couple, whose lives are in danger. She doesn't want to do it because she feels the network is exploiting the couple. Suddenly the electricity goes off and they lose contact with the couple and it is assumed that perhaps they are now injured or dead. In the next episode we learn they are still very much alive.
Fast forward to Mary Jane and Andre, the married man she is sleeping with. They met at the gym and they also have sex at the gym. Andre is fine as wine, but he is someone else's husband! Not just a husband, but he also has children. And that is where I have a problem. I turned the first night because it hit me in the pit of my stomach that here goes yet another show where an intelligent, successful (as far as her career is concerned) African American woman has settled into the role of being someones mistress. Well, actually she hasn't really settled...we see her all of the time grappling with the issue of it, i.e. "I can't do this! I wasn't raised this way! I'm a good girl!" This is said right before she pulls him in and undresses him.
The wife confronts Mary Jane about sleeping with her husband. Mary Jane's attitude is at first a little arrogant, to me. When the wife asks her if she has met his family, his friends, have they gone out in public together...well, her attitude changes because they just have sex and argue about just having sex. I am so done with this show.
I was married once to a man that had an affair with another woman. I can feel for Andre's wife, keeping the house clean, taking care of the children, helping them with homework, sports events, class plays, bake sales, and doing it all alone. I am the wife in the closet crying her heart out because her husband is not faithful. It is just a show, you may say, however, for me it reaches too close to home and I don't find anything entertaining about watching an adulterous relationship played out, no matter how sexy the writer and director makes the scene. On another site I voiced my opinion and a woman suggested I was viewing it from a Christian stand point and I should give the show a chance because each week it peels back a layer of Mary Jane and it will eventually help us to understand why she is in that relationship.
My answer to that is: I am not viewing it from a Christian stand point. I am viewing it as what I see each week. A woman who is having an affair with a married man and it causes his wife hurt and pain. I have no desire to watch the layers peeled back each week to get to the core of Mary Jane. Everything is not for everyone. If you enjoy the show and find it exciting, interesting and all of that - don't let me stop you. By all means, watch it. But as for me and my household...well, at least me - I will watch reruns.
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