Black viewers want sitcoms and have no interest in the current glut of reality programming. BBDO just did a study that found reality shows like ‘American Idol’ and ‘Joe Millionaire’ do not resonate with with African Americans. The study indicates that none of the reality shows fall in the top 20 most watched shows in black homes.
“There’s not a whole lot going on in terms of diversity in those [reality] shows, particularly in ‘Joe Millionaire,’ ” said Doug Alligood of BBD&O.
“Even if minorities are involved, the whole positioning of those shows – they’ve got somewhat of a demeaning element to them. Blacks are very sensitive to people being embarrassed – they’ve had enough of that themselves.”
