New Lifetime Show 'Girlfriend Intervention' Promises to Bring Out the “Strong Black Woman” in Every White Girl
On the new reality series "Girlfriend Intervention" on Lifetime channel is upfront about its goal. The show centers around four black women giving a makeover to one white woman each episode in hopes of releasing the "strong black woman ready to bust out" of every "white girl."
The not-so-subtle approach to revamping ladies' looks caused some eyebrows to rise, but Lifetime is not shying away from implied attributes given to the women hosting and featured on the interventions.
The four behind the makeovers are Tracy Balan in charge of beauty, Nikki Chu on "home and sanctuary," Tiffiny Dixon of fashion and the reality-TV princess Tanisha Thomas, formerly of Oxygen's "Bad Girls Club," as the "soul coach."
In the first episode, Thomas articulates the difference in philosophy between black and white women. According to her, black women are taught that "as long as you look fabulous, that's all that matters." While "with Caucasian women, you get married, you marry the man of your dreams, you have his children, and now it's time to stop taking care of you? Girl, I missed that memo."
As Linda Holmes from NPR wrote of the "Girlfriend Intervention," "Are you a black woman? You might find this offensive. Are you a white woman? You might find this offensive. Are you neither? You might be thinking at this point that you're lucky to be left out of the entire thing."
The racial politics don't there either; critics of the show also claim that black women are described as truly confident, stylish and better at pleasing their men. In the premiere episode, Joanie, the subject of the makeover, has a black husband which leads the hosts to critique her frumpy attire harshly.
"A black woman would never let herself go with a man like that," Thomas yells. During her fashion update, Joanie's fashion consultant, Balan, plainly says, "No self-respecting black woman would ever hide herself in this if she wants to keep her black card," and therefore she shouldn't either.
"Girlfriend Intervention" airs on Lifetime 10/9c.
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