A Tennessee Native recently debuted a propagandist cartoon miniseries for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The episodes depict White people as cluelessly rude, racist, sexist, and even violent.
OWN markets the cartoon, “Sincerely, Camille,” as a non-partisan series under its “OWN YOUR VOTE” movement to “highlight the political issues and concerns Black women face at polls this fall.” The series is set in the current day.
OWN contracted local Tennessean Munirah Safiyah Jones to create the miniseries.
In the first episode, a White male character coughs violently into his hands as the three Black female protagonists watch disapprovingly. The White male character then counts out a tip for a table. One of the females remarks with disgust, “I know he’s f****** lying.” About a minute later, a White, mask-less female character approaches a Black, masked restaurant worker. When the worker points to the sign “Must wear mask to sit inside,” the White female becomes angry and slaps him.
“I don’t have to wear a mask!” the White female character screams, stomping her foot. “I have asthma, and I don’t need to prove it to you.”
When the police appear on screen, the White female is on her back wailing. One of the Black female protagonists takes pictures.
In another episode titled “This Land Was Made for Drew and Leigh,” a White, mask-less female character approaches one of the masked protagonists. The White woman remarks on the protagonist’s haircut, but steps back with embarrassment.
“Oh, I won’t touch it. I respect and fear Solange. Hey, congratulations on Kamala, huh? You all must be so excited,” the White woman remarks. “Listen, I want you to know that I am here for you listening, learning, and I apologize for my Halloween costume last year. Question, is it blackface if the paint’s brown?”
A few seconds later, the protagonist approaches her White male boss about hiring someone. The boss is busy on a conference call, saying that “women can’t math” or do science. He then goes on to speak with the protagonist using stereotypical slang. The protagonist admonishes him lightly for his sexism and stereotyping.
Only one outspoken Republican is presented – the father of one of the Black female protagonists. He’s depicted as a raving, though kind, old man who is calmed down and corrected by the protagonists.
“Our viewers will instantly relate to these characters as they deal with the real-world issues and concerns impacting Black women,” stated OWN President Tina Perry.
The miniseries streams on OWN’s Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube pages. The final episode was uploaded on Tuesday.
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Corinne Murdock is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and the Star News Network. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Sincerely, Camille” by OWN.
Alright, this is how you deal with garbage like this.
Play the vid, then click on the YouTube icon in the lower right. Once you’re at YouTube, click on the three little dots next to the thumbs up/down and then click ‘Report’. Then choose ‘Hateful or abusive content’. Then choose ‘Promotes hate and violence’. Next, type a brief description in the dialog box and click report.
The point is to overwhelm algorithm with reports to where it flags the video and eventually gets taken down.