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Being Mary Jane
Being Mary Jane is a popular television series that aired on Netflix and BET+ for four seasons between July 2013 and April of 2019. It was created by Mara Brock Akil and starred Gabrielle Union as the main character. The series revolves around Mary Jane, a black woman, her family, and her search for love. ‘Being Mary Jane’ is an accurate description of the lives of many black families in the United States. The series is centered on black culture, and how this culture influences how characters view themselves and those around them. Culture is an important aspect of self-definition, and many times people find themselves defined by and controlled by the culture they are born into. This rings true for many of the characters in ‘Being Mary Jane’ as they struggle to embrace the positive aspects of black culture while at the same time fighting against the negatives.
Culture can be defined as the norms, customs, ideas, and other social behaviors that characterize a particular group of people. Culture is an important part of ho individuals view themselves and others around them because culture defines every aspect of life. People judge themselves and others based on culture. For example, culture defines what is right and wrong, and when a person is caught doing something frowned upon, they are defined by their actions. Culture is an integral part of humanity. It defines how we treat each other in society. Some aspects common to all cultures include respect for others, and this is important in maintaining the humanity and dignity of people in society.
Racial profiling is a common part of life, and these profiles are typically based on negative stereotypes. People also tend to judge others based on gender, and this could not be less true in ‘Being Mary Jane.’ The TV series tackles some of the problematic profiles and gender biases with regard to both black men and women. Some of the negatives profiles and stereotypes associated with black men in the United States include criminal activities, alcohol and drug addiction, neglect of families, infidelity, and suicide, among others (Rossie 27). ‘Being Mary Jane’ has different male characters, some of whom conform to these stereotypes and others who challenge them. An example of the men challenging the racial profiling and stereotypes of black men include Mary Jane’s father, Paul Patterson. He is a retired COO of a popular airline, as well as a responsible father and husband. Some of the male characters who conform to negative stereotypes include Patrick Patterson, Mary Jane’s older brother, a drug addict who cannot take care of his children, and lives with his parents in his forties. The series adopts the same, mostly-negative portrayal of black men. Most of the male characters in the story are irresponsible, addicted to drugs, have multiple children with multiple women, drop out of school, among others.
Mary Jane is the central black female character in the story, and she too faces some racial profiling and stereotypes. She, along with other black women, are objectified and mishandled in the series ‘Being Mary Jane.’ The misogynistic and racist attitudes towards black women on the show are quite prevalent in the media. For example, Mary Jane is presented as an angry black woman just because she dares to hold on to high standards in what she expects from people, especially the men in her life. She is also portrayed as being unfulfilled in life because she is childless and unmarried (Smith 1). Her whole premise on the show is the search for love, to a level of desperation. Her own mother keeps pressuring her to marry, showing that this is something considered essential. Niecy is another example of the negative portrayal of black women. In her late teens, she has two children by different men, she dropped out of school, and she is rude and shows no signs of working towards a better future for herself and her children. This view of black women is different from that of the concept of Imago Dei, which is that all people are created in the image of God. Everyone is beautiful and enough as they are, but the black women on the show are portrayed as less than (Harris 2).
Revelation can be defined as the act of communicating a new and unexpected idea or truth. The Black experience in American culture is related to revelation because it involves the communication of something new. Most of the time, the country associates the black culture with negatives. However, there are some positive aspects of black culture which the media rarely chooses to reveal or focus upon. An example of the positives of black culture is the idea of family who stick by each other through thick and thin. ‘Being Mary Jane’ shows some perfect examples of this when Mary Jane bails out her family members from various problems, the Patterson’s stick together to support Patrick and Niecy, among others.
In conclusion, culture is an essential part of our humanity. Every individual is molded by their culture because it is the foundation for their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. The TV series ‘Being Mary Jane’ is an example of a media portrayal of black culture,, which includes racial profiling, stereotypes, misogyny, and racism. Media is an integral part of perpetuating negative portrayals of black people, and the series attempts to reveal some other positive aspects of black culture. Rather than glorify negative issues, the media should be responsible enough to present an accurate and unbiased view of black culture.
Works Cited
Harris, Chevonne. “In Defense of Being Mary Jane and Flawed Fictional Black Women.” The Huffington Post (2014).
Rossie, Amanda. “Being Mary Jane and Postfeminism’s Problem with Race.” Emergent Feminisms. Routledge, 2018. 25-41.
Smith, Jada F. “With ‘Being Mary Jane,’Mara Brock Akil Specializes in Portraits of Black Women.” New York Times (2015).
