TBS has announced a new black gay male comedy-drama titled “Tony and Dave” which will be produced by Tyler Perry.
The setting is Houston, Texas where Tony (Omari Hardwick) is a very successful Networking Engineer Director and Dave (Mel Jackson) is an Aircraft Mechanic. The two are in a 3 year relationship.
The show will also star Justin (played by Henry Simmons) who is Dave’s straight fraternity brother. Elisa (played by Essence Atkins) who is also friends of Tony and Dave and used to date Justin.
Rounding out the supporting cast will be Tony’s older brother Andre
(played by Rockmond Dunbar) who struggles with his brother’s sexuality.
The writers and producers stated…
“the goal of the show was to display the normality of regular everyday gay men of color and to show the real image of the black gay male vs. the stereotypical images of reality TV and other mediums”.
Are you excited? Well guess what? Don’t be because I just made the whole thing up. Yeah sorry about that. I know I am an asshole for getting you all worked up. But I did this to prove a point. A reason you may have gotten so excited was because currently there are no positive functional homosexual black or minority male couples on television. NONE.
No positive examples to showcase who we really are. No examples to show other black gays of what a secure, functional, stable, happy relationship looks like. No examples for the black gay male youth to strive towards when it comes to what a positive gay long term relationship resembles.
Do you remember the criticism when “The Cosby Show” first hit the airwaves? Black folk said the show (a comedy) was not realistic. How can a black family have both a doctor and a lawyer as parents? The spin off show, “A Different World”, was the first of its kind with a setting at a historically black college or university.
These were some of our first modern examples of blacks on both the big and small screens, being progressive, educated, and successful. Wanting to achieve and striving to better themselves and the community. While “The Cosby Show” rarely had any controversial topics; “A Different World” had shows that dealt with domestic violence, pregnancy and drugs to name a few.
even remember in the early 90’s many rap videos using college campuses as there backdrops.
Wouldn’t it be great to have a television show to inspire and influence gay black men (young and old) to want something better for ourselves?
Before you bombard the feedback section listing all the black gay male characters or relationships that have sprinkled the small screen throughout the years while highlighting “Noah’s Arc” (oh god no); ask yourself what black gay male couple/s that you know of had a starring or reoccurring whole on any particular cable or broadcast network series?
relationship.
Right now there are no alternatives on television to the stereotypes that black gays are just gossiping, partying, promiscuous, HIV infected, vain, materialistic effeminate men who can’t maintain a relationship more than 3 months.I strongly believe if there were more positive representations of homosexual black men in relationships in the media; it could eventually lead to a reduction in the spread of STD’s and lessen promiscuity, even if only by a small percentage. It could lead to more of us thinking highly of ourselves and not viewing our homo or bisexuality as something that is unnatural and can be prayed away.
But I do think there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. On the LA Complex, even though the relationship between the two black male characters is still very dysfunctional; it’s the first time starring roles featuring two black male characters have been seen together in an intimate relationship on any major broadcast television channel.
Who knows what can happen within the next 5 years. Maybe the fictional comedy that I describe in the opening of this post can get the green light and become reality. Who knows? In the words of Jesse Jackson, “Keep Hope Alive”!
@Ocky……I was reading the piece and was saying to myself that imagine this..because its Tyler Perry he has a sitcom and now that he is openly out with his sexuality what perfect timing..and then you dropped the bombshell…its fake. Good piece brother. But seriously points raised are valid- there are none. I believe that presently in 2013 and for maybe the next year or 2 networks will want to stay clear from gay content sitcoms for fear of labeling. Also the public outcry and pressures from the sponsors and advertisers that the network is promoting the ‘gay agenda’ whatever that is,they would remove their advertising dollars. Bottom line- is it economically feasible and profitable to have these sitcoms without raising conservative objections? I believe you will see more openly gay content and discussion and personalities as a part of a discussion /documentary/panel whatever to give another perspective on issues and have a voice that speaks for and on behalf of the ‘gay community’. Otherwise what you wish for will not be completely manifested in this life or the next. I hope I am wrong.
Damn. I’m just seeing this now, thinking it’s legit, and then I learn it’s a fake. If this was real, I’d have a reason to watch TV more. (Instead of writing about the fantasies of realness in this regard) It sucks, but until something’s done about it, we might be stuck…
I Wish that L.A. Complex would start a new Season. Because it was a show that really explained about undercover men perfectly! I loved it! Someone should really consider bring a third season out! You can’t just end it like that!
This would be awesome you should really turn this into a real script and shop it around
I was at first shocked that Tyler Perry would do such a thing. First, he has distanced himself from positive gay black male personalities because he identifies too much. The only gay man I can recall him casting, was opposite Angela Bassett in that movie I forget the name of. Anyway, the guy was supposed to be on the DL and gave Angela’s character the virus. It was at that moment I decided to keep my money in my pocket. I will never spend money to see a Perry production ever again. He’s a closet case of the worse kind. I’m currently writing a book about a gay black couple. The name of it is Me & Madison, none of the stereotypical bullshit of “Homo-Thug” Go to smashwords.com and look for: Take it from an old black homo; it ain’t what it seems by william jervis, it is eye opening.
I think you mean Janet Jackson? Was it the movie Colored Girls? LOL
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf was a play by Ntozake Shange; the play “… has been performed Off-Broadway and on Broadway”, “… adapted as a book, a television film, and a theatrical film.” As Erica Lowdermilk posted, the orchestrated by Tyler Perry theatrical film release—Janet Jackson performed the role of a magazine publisher whose DL husband infected the Jackson portrayed character with HIV.
Pro-social role models can and may eventually be positive reinforcement at sometime in the near future, however, I believe empowerment and pro-social role models must come from within the contemporary black gay world—no group of gay Americans: Black, White, Latino, or any other racial/ethnic group can depend on the popular media to produce films, television shows, plays, or printed materials that provides supportive characters
All persons with disposable assets should know how, when, and where to spend those assets.
I agree 100% with Robert T. Jenkins
(I believe empowerment and pro-social role models must come from within the contemporary black gay world—no group of gay Americans: Black, White, Latino, or any other racial/ethnic group can depend on the popular media to produce films, television shows, plays, or printed materials that provides supportive characters
Read more: http://cypheravenue.com/tyler-perrys-new-black-gay-sitcom-tony-and-dave/#ixzz3wNI3mssb)
We have to ‘do for self ‘ , like so many other groups have done. Stop waiting for others to tell our stories (correctly, in all it’s variety & realness, or at all)!!!