[Lyric] Richard Sherman and Erin Andrews: The Perpetuation of Stereotypes (Ty R. Sine)

They see a black man with a white woman
At the top floor they gone come to kill King Kong - Kanye West,Black Skinhead

It is an interesting take on the topic of racial insensitivity and inequality within our society today. The portrayal inspires White America to prevent the "damsel in distress" from being taken by the "horrible dark skinned beast". Go back to the times of stories of Andromeda and you will find preliminary examples of the classic "damsel in distress" tale, race not withstanding. In this portrayal of the woman, the female is either unable or unwilling to protect herself. She needs the man to protect her from harm. Women are unable to make their own decisions, so men must fight their battles for them.

It started off as a pretty typical day for Richard Sherman. I'm sure he went through his normal daily routine and ended up in the locker room to finish up his pre-game responsibilities. On the field he had a spectacular game constantly shading the "mediocre" Michael Crabtree and holding him to only 4 catches for 52 yards. On the final play of the game Sherman made a dynamic defensive play knocking the ball away from Crabtree and tipping it to a teammate. For Sherman it was the end of the game, but it also began the firestorm of controversy that now clouds his play.

Richard Sherman is no stranger to hard work. His father was a public sanitation worker in the city of Compton, Watts to be exact. He is no stranger to the prospect of imminent danger and understands what it takes to come out of an difficult place. In this respect Sherman has become the next "black boy to fly out of Compton", an accomplishment which he seems to be proud of with every aspect of his being. Compton's crime rate tells a whole different story of Richard Sherman's narrative. Although the term "Stanford graduate" has been attributed to Sherman as of late, a term apparently meant to positively contextualize his tirade, another more impressive terminology should be used to contextualize his mindset, "Compton Survivor". Compton's repuation as a haven for illicit activity was sustained by groups like N.W.A. and Compton's Most Wanted who reported the "gangster life" mentality prevalent within their culture. For this reason Richard Sherman wanted to maintain his standing with success, a quality he was able to retain up until the point when he interacted with Erin Andrews.

Erin Andrews has a far different story and upbringing indeed. Andrews was born in Lewiston, Maine, and eventually settled in Tampa, Florida where she obtained her degree in Telecommunications in 2000 from the University of Florida. Andrews is portrayed as a gorgeous blonde-haired reporter and is seen in the eyes of many as just "a pretty face without many discernable stand out reporting qualities." Although she has cultivated quite a career for herself with ESPN and now Fox Sports, she can never seem to
escape the inexorable stereotypes that were just perpetuated in the two biggest scandals she was ever involved in.

The InteractionAndrews: The final play take me through it
Sherman (animated): Well I'm the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree that's the result you get...Don't you ever talk about me
Andrews: Who was talking about you?
Sherman: Crabtree. Don't you open your mouth about the best or I'll shut it for you real quick. L.O.B.At this moment in time everything changed for Richard Sherman. All of the sudden he became a "thug", a "villain", and a "menace". At the moment that Andrews became noticeably nervous and Sherman became "angry" and "animated", the narrative changed. Andrews became the "damsel" and the media was then forced into becoming the "knight in shining armor". Perhaps for reasons that can only be explained by more intelligent minds than myself, Erin Andrews was again placed in a box. A box that she had been in once before in 2009 when a peeping Tom recorded Andrews in her hotel room and leaked her naked images online. A box that Andrews had stashed away somewhere deep in her personal life only to be surprised with it again on national TV. In that moment Andrews again became the victimized woman. She became the naive woman who was unable to control the advances of an aggressive man.

For Andrews, it is another example of her inability to be seen as what she truly is, a strong female figure that is able to speak for herself. In the face of her first scandal Andrews showed great resolve and strength, and spoke up for herself and other women in finding the man guilty of the crime he had committed. The same is true in this instance. Andrews does not need the protection of the media against "the Big Bad Sherman" who disrupted her rhythm. The narrative of a black man and a white woman is one that evokes images of Othello and his wife Desdemona. It is a narrative that has driven the white American male demographic insane for years. For this demographic, the black man represents the "dark brute" who intends on hurting everyone around him, and the white woman represents the "damsel" incapable of freeing herself from the brute's clutches. However, there is a problem with the narrative. Individuality does exist. Richard Sherman is not a brute who intends on hurting Erin Andrews and everyone around him. Erin Andrews is not an unintelligent white woman incapable of making her own decisions. Both are human beings who have been through their struggles and obstacles in trying to improve themselves along the way. It is because of these struggles that individuality exists, and until the day that individuality disappears, these stereotypes will continue to be outdated and lazy in nature.