Comments on: Lost in “Lincoln Heights”: Why ABC Family Needs To Get Real

By: Just Another Person

Just Another Person — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:35:36 +0000

I like Lincoln Heights too. Yeah that post was untrue. When read that I was like "What?" Although it is true about the couples thing a little bit. She has some points but I still like the show. Too bad it's canceled, which isn't really a surprise.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 07:58:40 +0000

Lincoln Heights is a unrealistic show about this city. First off the majority of the people are illegal immigrants from central america and mexico,throw in some chinese and mexican american families. Another thing the police are non existant if you call them maybe they show up within 4 hours…lol..also where are the street taco stands and corn vedors..lol… this show should be set in south central la then it would be realistic. i have seen maybe 3 blacks here in about 25 years…so abc get with the program when you do your research

By: Diva (in Demand)

Diva (in Demand) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:45:51 +0000

As an avid fan of Lincoln Heights…..I actually take issue with the fact that your summary of the show is incorrect. I feel that if you’re going to give highlights of why something is unrealistic then your reasons should be accurate.

You stated that “They have a quickie wedding at the courthouse— which her father tries to stop because the family wants to be there to witness this amazing event.. Oh yeah, one more thing the Black parents allow the 18 year old newlyweds to move in with them, they all hug have a reception in the living room and live Happily Ever After!”

That leads me to believe that you didn’t actually watch the episode, because they didn’t get married at the courthouse. When Cassie’s family arrived she told them that they couldn’t get married without family there. The celebration at the house was just for the sake of celebrating. Also…at no point did they “let the newlyweds” move in with them. You completely made that up. The very end of the episode showed the parents congratulating themselves for the couple NOT getting married but instead choosing to go to college and WAIT.

Again….I really hope you focus on accuracy in your future articles.

By: Huh?

Huh? — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:30:15 +0000

As someone who has watched almost all the episodes of Lincoln Heights, I must disgree wholeheartedly with your review on the show. It is primarily about a family that is attempting to navigate the issues that surround raising adoloscent children in a “bad” neighbourhood and dealing with the struggles that arise. It was never intended to be entirely about inter racial dating per se. Furthermore, accusing their protrayal of the dynamics of the relationship between Cassie and Charles who happen to be of different heues as unrealitic, pre-supposes that there is solely one realistic view of the dynamics that are supposed to exist in such a relatioship. Cassie and Charle are teenagers first and foremost and so go through the typical (or not so typical) things that come along with that. You seem to think that not enough emphasis is being placed on the fact that they are of so-called different “races” – I think it’s laudable. You say that it is unrealistic that a father’s main concern is the character of the person his daughter goes out with and not the colour of his skin…I say that’s damn shame if in your reality the colour of a person’s skin is the be-all and end-all. In my opinion Eddie has more legitimate reasons to object to Charles, the least of which is the colour of his skin (which is a non-issue to the parents).

I also really must object to your saying that Cassie is portrayed as “dumb”. Unless if by “dumb” you mean consistenly being shown to be ambitious, goal orientated, conscientious and talented, well then yeah…she is indeed the dumbest character on the show.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:43:22 +0000

Amber, you have done it again. You have once again managed to attempt to tarnish the reputation of Brookstone High School with your bs about how you were the only black girl in your class. I guess my issue with the whole situation was even though you felt “oppressed by the white man”, you stayed at the school anyway..and to make matters worse you werent being oppressed,and you were not the only black girl or black person for that matter in the school. None of the other black people there had a problem so if you put two and two together, it obviously shows that you were the problem, not the “white man”. And to be quite honest, that is one of the most antiquated excuses you could have thought of…for God’s sakes its 2009, and its about time you recognize that and leave that Black oppression bs back in the 60’s where it came from.

By: Astounded

Astounded — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 03:01:27 +0000

I also went to school with you and can agree with the other poster from Brookstone. Also, your typos, misspellings, and wrong capitalization devalue your opinion to the point where even if I were truly unbiased, which I am not after years of your irrational ranting via Facebook statuses, I wouldn’t hold it highly. I also read the other comments, particularly that of Dale A. Williams, and am astounded that the English language can be butchered so brutally. Grammatically, phonetically, and punctually, the sentences pained me to read. Your focusing on the “problems” existing within interracial relationships (notice the spelling, Mr. Dale A. Williams) only further slows the bridging of racial divides that this country has been working towards since the those times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and even back to slavery. While we have a long way to go, your continuing to do this serves the same purpose a speedbump does in a parking lot. I wish you the best in this world because you are going to need it.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:28:09 +0000

Well written, I think the portrayals leave a little more to be desired by the audience. And one point that rubs me wrong: is the celebration of marriage at 18. Freedom of choice is powerful in dating, decision making and life. Thanks for causing us to ‘Think” about the unrealistic views that are continuously displayed on TV.

By: King Zay

King Zay — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:30:23 +0000

The article was excellent. I totally agree about the interracial dating in this society. I’ve never watched Lincoln Heights before but I did watch New York Undercover, Flava Flave and The Game. It’s a shame to see those programs disappear of the networks when they are still playing other TV shows that really doesn’t matter like reality shows that be coming on MTV and other broadcasting channels. Maybe one day our society and broadcasting networks will change.

By: Desmond Smith

Desmond Smith — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:07:10 +0000

As a regular viewer and a young black male, I agree with Ambers observation in this article. Lincoln Heights started with original, thought-provoking episodes but has steadily cascaded into corny, un-realisitc circumstances. That of which is shared by other ABC Family shows such as “The Secret Life of the American Teenageer” but that a whole different topic. I have nothing against inter-racial relationships, but i think ABC family could have chosen a different way to portray the relationship of the two Sutton sisters. Out of all the young men in their community, church, and school, these two sisters find the white male, and the latino teenager. As if there are no suitable young black men in the entire area. And the lack of discipline enforced by the parents when the Sutton kids disobey the house makes me laugh. No parents whether black, white, hispanic shows such light hearted standards of discipline that the Sutton parents show. If the Suttons were my parents I would have ran off and got married at 18 as well. In order for ABC family to turn this around and attract more viewers they should consider taking a more realistic approach parenting, as well as settling these young girls down. And some body give Tay a girfriend. ABC family has fallen into typical black stereotypes thinking that it will help the show last, but in actuality it is losing its faithful viewers (myself). it wouldn’t hurt if the youngest Sutton child Taye, could be good at something other than dancing and singing. I guess next season taye is going to join the j.v. basketball team. All in all, the show is ok, just needs a new, more authentic approach for next season. If it makes it that far.

Great article Amber!! i see you!! LOL

By: Lendon Alexander

Lendon Alexander — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:33:18 +0000

Amber, I can genuinely appreciate the thoroughness in your article, I actually tend to agree with most of what you said. Having read your article, and a few responses, I tend to agree with your stance on the unrealistic nature of the show. I have only watched one episode thoroughly and I can say that I felt as if there was a genuine attempt to show some tension, although it was certainly watered down. The mainstream media can never show a true depiction of anything though, so its my opinion that this should not surprise you, me or anyone else, because everyone knows the media distorts it all. This same media which you speak of tells every girls they must be skinny and fit, white girls need to be blonde, black girls light skinned- black males, atheletes; white males, models. Honestly, although it is unfortunate, it is nothing new in the eyes of the media to be unrealistic, so my thought is that it’s best to just let it go and pray for another season.