Bravo has again received record ratings with yet another reality show. Its newest addition: Married to Medicine. Married to Medicine, set in Atlanta, follows the lives of two female black doctors and four wives of doctors. Although a reported 1.9 million viewers tuned into to watch the lives of the women, filled with luxury as the balance out the everyday tasks of being wives, mothers, and even businesswomen, some viewers aren’t impressed. Specifically, students at Howard University with the help of petition site change.org, created a petition that demands the immediate cancellation and removal of the show. The petition’s organizer believes that the show portray black women in the medical field in a negative light and could have adverse effects on them in real life. The organizer believes the “cattiness” and materialism portrayed through the show, will further hinder black women who make up less than 5 percent of professionals in the field. The petitions can be found here. Most of the reactions to the petition, which has over 2,000 supporters, agree that the show should be canceled. One supporter said:
The cast members of so called reality shows such as this should be ashamed of themselves for assisting TV/media outlets in the wholesale promotion of stereotypes that are detrimental to the progress minorities have made in this country since Jim Crow. Doctors are revered in every society for their vast knowledge, educational experience, and the important role they play in their communities.
—Alexis Holliday
