Reality show franchise, Love & Hip-Hop has consistently been chastised for it’s content. While many people love to watch its shows, others feel it portrays people of color negatively. Recently, things came to a head when cast member, Erica Mena, called another cast member, Spice, out of her name. Mena called her a “blue monkey” and many viewers took it as a racial slur.
The backlash online prompted the show’s executives to remove Mena from the cast. The official show’s Instagram page posted a statement confirming the news.
“The ‘Love & Hip Hop’ franchise has never shied away from hard conversations in our community. Working hand-in-hand with our partners, viewers will see the impact of Erica Mena’s remarks play out in the final three episodes of the season,” the post said. “Effective immediately, she will not appear in the next season of ‘Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.’”
The franchise took the conversation further and announced that it would air a special titled, “Love & Hip Hop: Racism, Colorism, and the Uncomfortable Truth,” after the finale of its most recent season. The roundtable discussion included cast members from the show, including Spice.
The special came weeks after the initial controversial episode aired, leading many to question whether the roundtable was too late?
Love & Hip Hop Roundtable
One of the most questionable aspects of this special is its tardiness. Typically, pre-recorded shows are taped months in advance. This means that the show’s executives approved the initial episode air without finding an issue in what was said. Many fans believe Love & Hip Hop only found issue when the episode sparked public outrage.
Mena has since discussed the show’s tactics and her stance on the matter. In a comment under the franchise’s post announcing the roundtable, she explained herself:
“I was indeed filming nonstop for seven months after the actual incident between me and that other individual happened,” she explained. The network chose to still film with me nonstop which is why I was used as the base storyline for the whole second half of this actual season. They had this footage for months. They chose to edit it how they wanted and aired it. It’s only now they are desperate trying to save face and using me to do so.”
She went on to say that she felt the network didn’t genuinely care about the alleged slur because she was in a similar situation with another cast member in 2015. Mena shared that Yandy called her a slur that went undetected.
“The Sad [sic] truth in all of this—this Franchize [sic] has always depicted us as zoo animals anyway,” she concluded.
The Love & Hip Hop franchise is under the microscope of fans wondering how they will handle their next move. This roundtable may have been poorly timed, but moving forward they have a chance to make things right.