The writer watched the first season of the television show Ruthless produced by Tyler Perry and aired on BET. They express disappointment in Tyler Perry for portraying black men and women in such a negative and degrading way. Specific scenes shown involved a man smelling another man's private parts, a woman being assaulted by seven men, and the implication that black women are incapable and welcoming of brutal abuse. The writer argues such portrayals damage the dignity of the black community and questions why children were present during filming of such inappropriate scenes. They ask Tyler Perry not to let money control his programming at the expense of black people's image.

1. ​RUTHLESS
I have just watched the first season of Ruthless. A television show
produced by Tyler Perry and featured on BET. ​​I must say Mr. Perry,
all the respect and admiration I had for you, is no longer. How can a
man of your caliber present this show to the world. A show that has
degraded, humiliated and embarrassed all black men and black
women, especially black women. This show has taken away our
dignity and presents us in such a negative way.​​The black men are
portrayed as animals and rapists. You have them bowing down to
other men, like it’s their second nature. The part that depicted a man
smelling another man’s private part and a woman be explored by 7
men, was most deplorable. The black women are portrayed as slaves.
In this day and age television cannot portray black women in a
positive manner. We are either showing our ass on a strip pole; or we
are fighting one another and acting a fool. Now you got us acting
incapable with no mind of our own. Allowing ourselves to be gang
rape and welcoming butal beatings. You paint a picture to society
that Jim Jones' cult had nothing on us. We can be much more
disturbing. The most disgraceful part about this show is that you have
young children on set when most of these scenes are being played
out. Where are you going with this. Don’t tell me it’s just make
believe. Don’t tell me that if I don’t like it, then don’t watch it. This is
not going to be your excuse for continuing to be so reckless with
your programming of this show. If you are wondering why I don’t
comment on the white community that produces such shows; as I
said in the beginning of this letter, I had respect and admiration for
you. Mr. Perry, please don’t let that dollar control you at the expense
of black women, men and children.
Ms. Johnson