Subscribe
Hellobeautiful Featured Video
CLOSE

Bravo’s new reality show “Married To The Medicine” is a ridiculous showcase of wealth and desperation for fame. This is, of course, what Bravo does best–with sky-high ratings to boot. (Last night’s premiere of ‘Married To The Medicine’ was the networks highest premiere since ‘Bethanny’.)

As Mariah canvases her “modest home,” with her flamboyant event planner in tow, she peers out onto the lake that resides in her backyard. She is preparing for her “Doctors On The Docks” party. “People can’t wear heels on the lawn, honey, she’s sinking six feet down. It’s too much honey,” she proudly exclaims with regal Atlanta poise, extending her hand for support as if she is about to tumble over. On the other side of town, Toya, is “devising a scheme” to get her husband to move. She tells her significant other, they’ve outgrown their house. But, tells cameras, “In this great area I found, It screams money. I love it.”

There’s a hierarchy in the world of medicine, not between the doctors, but between the women who are at home– waiting on their fine couches, in their million dollar mansions, for their doctor husbands to come home. “Married To The Medicine” begins just like any other reality TV show, except that, unlike “Basketball Wives,” you’re expecting there to be a higher display of class from the ladies whom call themselves “doctors wives”–because apparently, that’s a thing. The episode opens and we are greeted by Mariah–the self-proclaimed Queen B–screaming over bar music. “We’re doctors and doctor’s wives, we drink wine, we don’t throw the bottle,” she says. Moments later, a glass shatters on the ground, foreshadowing a fight, perhaps.

MUST READ: Howard Students Petition To Shut Down New Reality Show ‘Married To Medicine’

Not more than 15 minutes into the obnoxious show, the only white character Kari, insults Quad– who is new to the group of ladies and clearly the “ghetto” one– by calling her husband a psychologist versus a psychiatrist. Shady, right? “You don’t act like that as a doctor’s wife,” says Kari. Well clearly Kari, neither do you. Exactly how is a doctor’s wife supposed to act? The small time, I had been watching, it seems I’ve only been showed how not to act like a doctor’s wife.

As if Quad wasn’t an outsider enough, because she is new to the crew, an incident prior to her wedding makes her the target for ridicule. “I can see ghetto from a mile away,” Toya blasts in her confessional. “She probably dated a drug dealer at some point and she lucked up on a doctor dude at the grocery store.” When did it become very classy to demean others, talk behind their backs and poke fun at their flaws? “There is a huge stigma attached to psychiatry,” Quad explained.

“Everyone thinks that being married to a doctor is nothing but fabulous,” claims a voice in the background as the opening credits wine down. Lies. No one thinks about doctor’s wives except doctor’s wives. Prior to watching the premiere episode, I never ever thought about my doctor’s wife. Not that I don’t think doctors have lives outside of their practice, I just don’t really care. It’s not my business. For some reason, the doctor’s wives on Bravo– who on one hand like to be placed on a pedestal–are parading around like basketball wives for attention.

This is all a s**t show. Howard University student Olabola Awosika started a petition on Change.org, calling for the show to be cancelled.

Black female physicians only compose 1% of the American workforce of physicians. Due to our small numbers, the depiction of Black female doctors in media, on any scale, highly affects the public’s view on the character of all future and current African-American female doctors. Bravo’s “Married to Medicine” not only exploits the 6 lives of its Black female cast members, but, through its advertisements and commercials, heavily associates Black females in medicine with materialism, “cat fights”, and unprofessionalism.

2,030 people agree with Olabola and myself who think “Married To The Medicine” does nothing for the image of black women, let alone, for blacks in the medical field. What the show does do, however, is highlight how the bickering between black women and the need feel at the top of an invisible pyramid. So often, it is thrown around that black people have a “crab in a barrel” mentality, but it should not be taken with a grain of salt. It’s a problem in the black community. Why else would Quad feel the need to say things like “But, my husband he didn’t just go to no rinky-dink honey, mm mm, you better catch University of Chicago. you do know our President Barack Obama, he attended there. How many people do you know that’s graduated from the University of Chicago and Duke?”

“Married To The Medicine” isn’t about medicine at all, it’s about showing off assets and having a camera to capture the shine from their pricey bracelets. Being a doctor’s wife, isn’t a thing. It was made into a thing, by women, who just want to be seen.

Watch the ladies discuss the petition, here:

Tweet me your thoughts on the controversy @HB_Shamika

MUST READ: Comedienne, Kym Whitley Lands Reality Show On OWN (VIDEO)

MUST READ: AM BUZZ: LaToya Jackson Reality Show [Sneak Peek]

Like HelloBeautiful on Facebook to stay on top of your favorite black celebrities:

Hottest Celeb Pics Of The Week 3-13-13
0 photos

For 2024’s iteration of MadameNoire and HelloBeautiful’s annual series Women to Know, we knew we wanted to celebrate the people who help make the joys of film and television possible. To create art is to create magic. This year, we spotlight Hollywood Executive’s changing the face of cinema.