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Dr. Jackie, Eva Marcille & Lauren Ashley Beck Navigate Reality TV
It's clip to halt being fake and commencement getting existent astir the Black acquisition connected world TV.
If you look done your DVR oregon favourite streaming service, chances are unscripted programs look astatine the apical of the list.
And portion the shocking drama, competitions oregon eliminations are what get radical talking week aft week, possibly viewers should besides beryllium discussing the diversity—or deficiency thereof—that goes into making their favourite shows.
"As overmuch arsenic you crook connected the tv and spot our beauteous faces, you'd beryllium amazed to spot who is not down the camera," Eva Marcille exclusively told E! News. "Who is not successful hairsbreadth and constitution and glam and consulting successful each things for Black women."
It's conscionable 1 of the galore important topics Eva, Married to Medicine's Dr. Jackie Walters and erstwhile Survivor contestant Lauren-Ashley Beck touched connected during a candid roundtable treatment with E! News' Francesca Amiker as they shared their position astir what it's similar to beryllium bold, brave and Black connected world TV.
And portion the world of these ladies' lives isn't ever easy—between the combat to person Black producers telling their stories and editors who recognize the quality betwixt a jab and humor—it's always real. "We're not trying to springiness you a fake story," Dr. Jackie said. "We're giving you who we are."
Cindy Ord/Bravo; Getty Images
Why Representation successful Reality TV Matters
When Lauren-Ashley signed up for Survivor: Island of the Idols successful 2019, she knew the likelihood were against her to outwit, outlast and outplay the contention and triumph the $1 cardinal prize. "Historically connected Survivor, Black radical are voted disconnected first," she told E! News. "Black radical are labeled arsenic lazy oregon pinned arsenic the stereotypical aggravated Black woman. I walked into this acquisition knowing I was going to beryllium championing this abstraction for Black women."
While she was eliminated connected time 38 and became the past subordinate of the jury, Lauren-Ashley said it was a privilege to correspond her community. "I consciousness similar I was capable to archer not lone my story," she explained, "but truthful galore different young Black women that weren't different represented connected that show."
As for Eva, she had akin emotions erstwhile she signed up for America's Next Top Model successful 2004. After spending the full of play 3 being surrounded by models who didn't look similar her, Eva was shocked to observe she was the winner.
When asked wherefore she was worthy of the prize, Eva remembers being told by big Tyra Banks that "you are relatable."
"That stuck with maine my full vocation arsenic I take my jobs," Eva, who is presently starring successful play 2 of All The Queen's Men on BET+, shared, "what I determine to correspond arsenic an actor, what roles I take."
The Black Experience Behind the Cameras
While Dr. Jackie's co-stars connected Married to Medicine whitethorn person their just stock of disagreements on-camera, they each agreed connected however important it was to person practice off-camera.
"We've had tons of conversations connected who's editing the show," she said. "If you don't recognize what a Black pistillate means erstwhile she's saying a definite thing, the mode it's edited comes disconnected wholly the incorrect way. We've asked for Black editors due to the fact that they recognize what we're saying."
Dr. Jackie and her co-stars took it adjacent further. "We request Black producers due to the fact that we request them to recognize erstwhile you're successful our house," she added. "We request radical who look similar america due to the fact that they deliberation similar america and they recognize us."
It's thing Lauren-Ashley wishes Survivor contestants experienced successful earlier seasons. According to the TV host, the amusement didn't ever person radical down the camera that knew however to archer Black stories.
"I retrieve being connected that land and being interviewed by producers who could not recognize my constituent of presumption due to the fact that they were not a Black woman," she said. "We tin speech astir diverseness each day, but however are we having inclusion successful telling these Black and brownish stories?"
In November 2020, CBS announced their world shows including Survivor, Big Brother and Love Island will incorporate astatine slightest 50 percent Black, indigenous and radical of colour with the CEO of CBS Entertainment Group adding the genre "needs to beryllium much inclusive crossed development, casting, accumulation and each phases of storytelling."
The Future of Reality TV
For immoderate and each upcoming shows, Eva volition beryllium warring for a divers glam squad to get her acceptable down the scenes. "I combat for my locks successful each the projects I do," she said earlier sharing her requests for her 2022 OWN task A Christmas Fumble, including idiosyncratic well-versed successful however to benignant dreadlocks. "For this movie, I required a loctician. I request a Black constitution artist."
While the accumulation institution agreed, Eva admitted her petition near them speechless. "They ne'er had a Black caput of makeup," she said. "They ne'er had a loctician connected set."
But it's not conscionable astir appearances. Sometimes, it's simply astir celebrating who these talents are. Lauren-Ashley believes Black women successful media simply request "grace and the abstraction to beryllium ourselves and beryllium accepted arsenic that."
Dr. Jackie agreed, adding, "We're judged connected a wholly antithetic playing tract than anybody other doing the nonstop aforesaid thing."
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