Such a bad idea, I don't know where to begin

This story just took my breath away:

A new MTV cartoon depicting black women squatting on all fours tethered to leashes and defecating on the floor is drawing fire from several prominent African Americans who call the episode degrading.

Critics say MTV, a popular music video channel on cable television, showed especially poor judgment because the weekly animated program "Where My Dogs At?" appeals to young teens and airs at an hour, 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays, when many children are watching television.

Hey, it's all in the service of social satire, or so says Viacom president Christina Norman. Viacom owns MTV. Norman is black, incidentally, which doesn't seem to cut much ice with such critics of the program as professional grouch Stanley Crouch. Oddly, even Crouch's remarks in the NY Daily Post seem somewhat muted, as if he can't quite believe what he's faced with.

What I'm having trouble with is the idea that of all the people involved in the production and scheduling of this show, and this particular episode, that there wasn't one person who said, "Uh...I'm not so sure that this is a good idea."

As for me: I'm hatin' the playas and the game.

More at Feministing.

(Cross-posted.)


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