Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Outcomes
Last night was a busy one on my couch. I was hopping back and forth between MSNBC and regular NBC. From the sublime to the ridiculous and it was hard to tell which was which.
One station was reporting on the election in Georgia. All of my favorite talking heads were on, analyzing the votes as the lead swung back and forth between two men who couldn’t be more different. Although Senator Warnock won, I am disturbed by the fact that 1.5 million Georgians voted for Herschel Walker. At one point, Joy Reid spoke her truth as she said that Walker is an embarrassment to African Americans. His lies, his indiscretions, his obvious pandering to 45 and 45’s base were no obstacle to Republicans who wanted someone who could be manipulated to advance the MAGA agenda. I did flip to CNN in time to hear a Republican panel member say that 45 has ruined her party. Indeed.
On NBC we were watching the semi-finalist singers advance to the finals next week. Every year I watch The Voice and get solidly behind the singers that represent the best to me. Every year I am disappointed with the results. Every year I swear not to watch the show again, yet there I was last night talking to the TV. As I loudly expressed my opinion something finally crawled into my consciousness: In the 22 seasons that the show has been aired, only two people of color have won.
I judge myself to be a good listener and a good appreciator of musical talent. I obviously am out of touch with the voters who consistently put through a pretty white person to win it all. People of color who have outstanding voices, both men and women, are passed over time after time. Last night it occurred to me that The Voice show and its audience are composed largely of racist people. That is a glittering generality, I know, but the proof is undeniable.
As I was agonizing through the political vote changes on MSNBC, I googled The Voice and that’s where I confirmed that only two people of color have ever won. I came across an article that said that a person of color has not won since Chris Blue in Season 12. We are now in Season 22. Part of the problem is that the show does not employ many coaches of color. If it were more representative of the music business, more coaches of color would be on the show and perhaps more viewers of color would tune in and vote.
I am crystal clear that the votes on The Voice are nowhere near as important as what was happening in Georgia. Senator Warnock’s victory means a great deal to the Democratic party that now has a clear majority in the Senate. I am grateful to the people of Georgia who, once again, helped turn this Southern state purple. My only regret is that Stacy Abrams did not win the governorship after all her efforts to fight voter suppression. However, Senator Warnock will continue the good fight for the rights of all citizens to cast a ballot. And Stacy Abrams is not going away any time soon.
So, last night was a victory for people of color in this close political contest. I can’t say the same for the singing competition.