Annual Readers Poll … hottest stars of '91 and surprising views on sex, rap music and the war - Persian Gulf conflict

Ebony, April, 1991

ANNUAL READERS POLL

MOST EBONY readers are concerned about the war and disappointed by recent civil rights developments. They think sexually explicit and profane music should be banned or at least restricted and believe Whoopi Goldberg and Denzel Washington are two of the hottest names of 1991.

Those are some of the eye-opening revelations of the annual EBONY Readers Poll.

One of the biggest surprises of the poll, which received thousands of responses and was completed by January 20, is that an overwhelming majority of the respondents (66.9 percent) had serious reservations about the government's Persian Gulf policy and the deployment of U.S. troops.

Furthermore, most of the respondents (83.7 percent) rank President Bush's performance on issues important to African-Americans, such as the Civil Rights Bill and domestic programs, as either poor (44.1 percent) or very poor (39.6 percent). The president ranked higher on previous polls, but his poor performance this year probably reflects Black disenchantment with his veto of Civil Rights legislation and the flap over minority-only scholarships for college.

In the entertainment field, actor Denzel Washington is the readers' choice (39.5 percent) as the man with whom they would like to spend an evening. Washington is also considered by the readers as the best male movie star (33.4 percent), a departure from last year when Eddie Murphy was box-office king.

As for females with whom readers would prefer to spend an evening, Grammy Award winner Whitney Houston (17.6 percent) nudged Oprah Winfrey (15.3 percent) out of the top spot. And actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost and A Long Walk Home), is the popular choice for female star of TV and film.

For the first time, A Different World, the Black college-based comedy, edged out longtime favorite The Cosby Show for the most popular TV series spot. But the show's producer and leading father, Bill Cosby, remains the most popular male on TV in EBONY readers' opinion, with James Earl "Gabriel's Fire" Jones in second place.

There are some major surprises in the artistic categories. Newcomer Michel'le beat Pebbles for the most popular new female artist. Entertainer M.C. Hammer topped the best new male artist group, with singer Johnny Gill a close second. Perennial favorites Anita Baker and Luther Vandross stayed ahead of the pack in the best female (28.3 percent) and the male vocalists (44.9 percent) categories.

Results from the survey on these and other issues presented in the Readers Poll were tabulated by the well-respected Market Facts, Inc. marketing firm. A more detailed accounting of poll results follows.

1) What was the best Black or Black-oriented movei of the past year?

Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues is the readers' choice (35.9 percent). In second place is the Hudlin brothers' House Party (21 percent), followed by Danny Glover's To Sleep With Anger (7.5 percent) and Quincy Jones' Listen Up (3.4 percent).

2) Who is the Black male you would most like to spend an evening with?

Denzel Washington is the No. 1 pick of nearly 40 percent of the respondents. Washington beat out fellow stars Bill Cosby (17.5 percent), Arsenio Hall (11.2 percent) and Blair Underwood (10.6 percent).

3) Who is the Black female you would most like to spend an evening with?

Whitney Houston (17.6 percent) edges out last year's favorite, talk show host Oprah Winfrey (15.3 percent) and fellow Grammy Award-winner, Anita Baker (13.8 percent).

4) Who is your favorite male movie star?

Denzel Washington (33.4 percent) occupies the top spot among Hollywood stars, coming in ahead of longtime favorite Eddie Murphy (21.4 percent) and Danny (Lethal Weapon) Glover (16.9 percent).

5) Who is your favorite female movie star?

Whoopi Goldberg, star of the box-office hit Ghost, is by far the most popular female film star (53.2 percent).

6) What is your favorite TV show?

A Different World (23.7 percent), the Black college-based sitcom, nudges from the top spot its parent program, The Cosby Show (20.9 percent). In third place is newcomer In Living Color (14.5 percent), followed by The Oprah Winfrey Show (9.2 percent).

7) Who is your favorite male TV star?

TV's top dad, Bill Cosby (34.5 percent), is still the most popular, with actor James Earl Jones of Gabriel's Fire next (22.1 percent), followed by rapper-turned-actor Will (Fresh Prince) Smith (9.5 percent).

8) Who is your favorite female TV star?

Though her sitcom was canceled, actress-comedian Whoopi Goldberg (Bagdad Cafe) is this year's pick (23.7 percent). The next favorite is A Different World's Dawnn Lewis (18.4 percent), with In the Heat of the Night's Anne Marie Johnson (11.2 percent) in thir place.

9) Who is your favorite female singer?

With tough competition, Anita Baker remains No. 1 (28.3 percent), followed by Patti LaBelle (21.8 percent), Janet Jackson (13.2 percent), Whitney Houston (11.1 percent) and Regina Belle (5.6 percent).

10) Who is your favorite male singer?

Luther Vandross (44.9 percent) outdistances newcomer Johnny Gill (11.5 percent), Michael Jackson (7.5 percent) and M.C. Hammer (7 percent).