Violence against women. Ethnic stereotyping. Anti-Italian slurs.

These are just some of the objections advertisers and the viewing public have to MTV's hit new reality show "Jersey Shore." I've yet to see the program, as I don't have cable, but the reports I've heard about it make "Jersey Shore" sound like a hot mess. Critics say the show, which features an all Italian-American cast, insults both the ethnic group and the people of New Jersey, where the show takes place.

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Which race relations stories gripped you most over the past ten years? I recently composed my list of the top race relations stories of the decade. Narrowing it down to ten was no easy feat. I left out some people and trends that undoubtedly left their mark on race relations in the new millennium.

Take the rapper Eminem, for example. The Detroiter's star rose in the early 2000s. Not only did he cut multiple platinum records, he won an Academy Award and starred in the box office hit "8 Mile," a semi-autobiographical portrait of his life. Read more...

"The Princess and the Frog," Disney's first film to feature an African-American princess, made $25 million its opening weekend to top the box office.

Despite that feat, "The Princess and the Frog" didn't gross as much as similar Disney ventures, according to Web site Box Office Mojo. Read more...

Think the election of President Obama ushered in what's been dubbed as "post-racial America?" Think again. The mayoral election in Atlanta indicates that race still plays a crucial role in politics. Candidate Kasim Reed, who is African-American, beat rival Mary Norwood, who is white, in the city's mayoral runoff by 715 votes, a margin of less than 1 percent. Because the margin was so small, Norwood has requested a recount. Whoever's ultimately deemed the winner can thank members of their respective racial groups for voting for them.