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blackfemalesexuality, gender, jezebel, junglelove, master, power, race, sex, sexuality, slave, slavery
As expected, the second episode of the TV drama the Haves and the Have Nots packs just as much drama into its 40 minute slot as the first episode did. Titled, “Playing in the Deep End”, this episode has scenes which depict overt racism, the revelation that a male character may be gay, and a development in the relationship between employer and servant which contradicts the traditional narrative. However, this blog post will focus on a scene between the black, escort, friend of Amanda’s and daughter of the maid, Candace Young, and white, wealthy, son of Jim Cryer, Wyatt. This scene is a clear portrayal of slavery’s haunting legacy on the stereotyping of black female sexuality.
In the first episode of the show, Wyatt Cryer happens to hear his father, Jim, late at night discussing his paying escort, and friend to his daughter, Candace Young for sex and threatening her if she did not leave and keep it a secret. Wyatt is also a recovering alcoholic and that night he had fallen prey to his demons and drunk two glasses of champagne behind his sober companions (Veronica Harrington’s son Jeffrey’s) back. Needless to say in the second episode of the show, which carries on as if it is the following morning, Wyatt’s attitude and behaviour is derisive, discourteous and uncouth, not just towards Candace because of her affair with his father, but also towards his sponsor and his sister. Whilst to begin with it is easy to forgive Wyatt’s short temper as he battles his inner demons, one scathing remark towards Candace brings to light a disturbing racial, gender and sexual stereotype.
Candace Young in her escort attire
During the groups conversation, Amanda Cryer cooingly observes that she thinks that Candace and Jeffrey would make a good couple and should go out (it does not seem like this is just because they are both black, but it could be the case). Whilst Wyatt initially makes crude comments about Candace liking “older men”, he takes his anger a step too far when he makes the racist and derogatory statement, “You can take him out and give him some of that jungle love” (7:28). Quite rightly so, the rest of the group is taken aback.
Tyler Perry’s inclusion of this racist and derogatory insult is a clear connection to the stereotypes of black female sexuality that have been presented by white society, and particularly white men, since the era of slavery. “Jungle love” refers to the imagery that was created of the black race during the 18th and 19th century by white society to present the enslaved as animalistic, savage and uncivilised. As if an animal from the jungle of Africa. The inclusion of “love” is a reference to the stereotype that black female slaves were highly sexual beings, a stereotype often used to justify the rape of female slaves by their masters. This also brings to light the stereotype of the Jezebel.
“The Jezebel Spirit”
A Jezebel was portrayed as a sexually promiscuous black girl who uses her sexual appeal to seduce and mesmerize white men into her bed, either without a reason or for her own gain (Yarbrough, 2000). Once again, a slave master would use this stereotype to justify his sexual relations with a black female slave, reasoning that she wanted the sexual relationship.
It is therefore clear that Perry’s intention when writing this insult into the script was to address the damaging stereotypes surrounding black female sexuality that were created during the era of slavery and remain present up to today.
The Haves and the Have Nots 