Actor Tracee Ellis Ross Criticizes Jay Leno Over Old TV Show Snub
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Actor Tracee Ellis Ross, an Emmy nominee, has criticized late-night host Jay Leno over an old TV snub.
Ross starred in the show "Girlfriends," which followed a group of Black women. The show earned strong ratings during its run.
Despite its popularity, "Girlfriends" was reportedly never featured on Leno's late-night talk show, a common stop for popular TV series at the time.
Ross has now publicly blasted Leno over this apparent oversight, calling it "shocking" that the show was overlooked.
She has raised a pointed question: was the show snubbed because of racism? Ross suggested that the show's focus on Black characters may explain why it was ignored.
The comments add to a larger, ongoing conversation in Hollywood about how shows featuring Black casts have historically been treated compared to similar shows with white casts.
"Girlfriends," which aired for several seasons, remains a beloved show among many fans and has often been mentioned as an underappreciated classic.
Ross's remarks have drawn attention because they raise questions about fairness and representation in the entertainment industry, particularly regarding which shows receive major media exposure.
As of now, Jay Leno has not publicly responded to Ross's comments.
Vocabulary7 words
- Emmy
- a very important award given for TV shows
- ratings
- numbers showing how many people watched a show
- late-night
- a type of TV show that airs at night, often with celebrity guests
- blasted
- criticized someone very strongly
- snubbed
- ignored on purpose, often unfairly
- racism
- unfair treatment of people because of their race
- representation
- showing different kinds of people fairly in media
Quiz
Answer key
1. Girlfriends 2. Despite strong ratings, the show was never featured on Leno's show 3. True
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Actor Tracee Ellis Ross, an _____ nominee, has criticized late-night host Jay Leno over an old TV snub.
Ross starred in the show "Girlfriends," which followed a group of Black women. The show earned strong _____ during its run.
Despite its popularity, "Girlfriends" was reportedly never featured on Leno's _____ talk show.
Ross has now publicly _____ Leno over this apparent oversight, calling it "shocking" that the show was overlooked.
She has raised a pointed question: was the show _____ because of _____?
The comments add to a larger conversation in Hollywood about how shows featuring Black casts have historically been treated.
Ross's remarks have drawn attention because they raise questions about fairness and _____ in the entertainment industry.
As of now, Jay Leno has not publicly responded to Ross's comments.
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