There isn’t much to say about Living Single.
There’s nothing more frustrating than a group of Black men sitting around belittling Black women’s appearances. Yet that’s precisely what happened in a recent podcast clip that has gone viral across Black social media.
“No one watched ‘Living Single’ and said they were attractive,” one man declared. Another tried to soften the remark, saying they weren’t calling the cast ugly. The women simply weren’t “Girlfriends.”
Excuse us?
The segment – if you can even call it that – began loud and wrong as a debate about studs, lesbians and tomboys. The group went back and forth about the terms, what each group supposedly wore and how people identified them. Queen Latifah eventually came up, first as Cleo in “Set It Off” and later as Khadijah James on “Living Single.”
Somehow, the conversation turned into rating the attractiveness of the women on the beloved 1990s sitcom.
No ‘Living Single’ Slander Allowed: Social Media Was Not Having It
The clips quickly circulated on social media, where people defended Queen Latifah, Kim Fields, Kim Coles and Erika Alexander.
And rightfully so.
One Reddit commenter described the cast on the beloved sitcom as “real everyday people,” adding that their relatability was likely part of the show’s appeal. Others immediately started naming their favorites, with Maxine, Regine and Khadijah getting love throughout the discussion.
The criticism also came with an obvious question: Who asked these men to publicly grade these women in the first place?
Social media personality Shamar addressed that point directly in a response video. “There should be some kind of application that you have to fill out,” he joked about people starting podcasts.
He also turned the conversation back toward the men making the comments.
“Imagine just talking about someone’s looks publicly,” he said, before reminding them of one hilarious detail: “People can see y’all. Where people can see your face.”
Whew.
KevOnStage also joined the online conversation, while Dominique Morgan was among the people who weighed in on the backlash.
The Full Conversation Makes The Viral Take Even More Ridiculous
Here is where the entire thing gets even messier.
During the longer conversation, the podcasters acknowledged that Kim Fields, who played Regine Hunter, was attractive. Max was described as fine. Khadijah apparently “could get it,” too. (Yes, I listened to more of the podcast so you don’t have to.)
So what exactly are we discussing?
That contradiction alone makes the viral clip less of an “actual” opinion and more like the latest example of clickbait. Yet again, people are buying podcast microphones, reserving studio time, adding a plant and editing footage to try to get others arguing online solely for the few clicks that may come from it.
There is no reason for us to send more clicks their way.
Especially when Erika and Kim Coles host “ReLiving Single,” a podcast where the cast and creator Yvette Lee Bowser have been sharing their own behind-the-scenes stories and experiences from the show. If we are going to revisit “Living Single,” let’s hear from the people who were actually there.
The cast of “Living Single” gave us Black women with different complexions, bodies, hairstyles and features. They looked like Black women we knew. They also played women with careers, dating lives, sex lives, strong friendships and their own individual styles.
There are several thought pieces on the inspiration they gave us in the 1990s, including ideas on ways to rock our hair, pull outfits together and give the girls looks. If that is not the definition of “attractive,” I’m not sure what is.
Another layer to the broader conversation is the pressure cast members have shared about being on the show. Queen Latifah and Kim Coles have both spoken publicly about being pressured to lose weight while appearing on “Living Single.” The women were already dealing with scrutiny about their bodies while helping create one of the most beloved Black sitcoms of the 1990s.
Some of it is discussed in a new podcast called “ReLiving Single” with Kim and Erika.
And Sis, You Had A Mic Too
There is one part of the viral clip that bothered me just as much as the comments themselves – a Black woman was sitting at the table.
While the men discussed the looks of a predominantly Black female cast, she mostly stayed out of it beyond a few ad-libs. There was no real pushback. No defense of the women being discussed in the clip.
We have watched Black women’s bodies, skin tones, hair and facial features become public debate material time and time again. Black women don’t have to agree on every issue, but watching men casually tear into other Black women while you have a platform and a microphone is disappointing.
In a follow-up segment discussing the backlash to the original clip, she had more to say – about her cast members. She called social comments “body shaming” and said they were “very anti-Black.”
That same energy would have been useful throughout the original conversation. Thankfully, Black social media had no problem filling the silence.
