United States Mass Media Examples That Include The Name "Jerome" & May Have Contributed To The Perception That "Jerome" Is A "Black Name"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision- August 30, 2023

This is Part III of a five part pancocojams series on the male name "Jerome".

Part III presents some United States mass media examples that include the name "Jerome" that may have contributed to "Jerome" being considered a Black name.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-origin-meaning-of-name-jerome.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. Part I provides information about the origin and meaning of the name "Jerome". 

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-perception-of-jerome-as-black-name.html for Part II provides information and comments about the perception of "Jerome" as a "Black name" in the USA even though there are more White people named "Jerome" in the USA than there are Black people with that name.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/bo-diddleys-song-bring-it-to-jerome.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. Part IV showcases the 1955 Bo Diddley song "Bring It To Jerome".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2020/01/will-lizzos-2019-song-jerome-add-to.html for Part V of this pancocojams post. Part V showcased the 2019 Pop/R&B Lizzo song "Jerome".

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The content of this post is presented for cultural and onomastic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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UNITED STATES MASS MEDIA EXAMPLES OF THE NAME "JEROME"

These excerpts are given in no particular order.

Excerpt #1: Popular Songs That Include The Name Jerome In Their Title
From https://ohbabynames.com/all-baby-names/jerome/
"Me and Jerome"
a song by Sarah Slean


It's a Perfect Day Jerome"
a song by Plankeye

"Bring It To Jerome"
a song by Bo Diddley”
-snip-
Information about the song given as #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Slean
"Sarah Hope Slean (born June 21, 1977) is a [White] Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, visual artist and occasional actress."...

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From https://www.discogs.com/Sarah-Slean-Universe/release/1061782
"Me & Jerome -
1998
Genre: Pop
[track 4 on that album]"

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Information About the song given as #2
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iOOOm4Xdok and from Google Search
"Artist: Plankeye [a Christian alternative rock band]
Album: The Spark
Released: 1995
Genre: Rock"

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Information about the song given as #3
"Pretty Thing" was recorded by Bo Diddley on July 14, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois – the same day as "Bring It to Jerome". Producing the session were the Chess brothers – Leonard and Phil – and Bo Diddley. The performers on the song were Bo Diddley (vocals, guitar), Jerome Green (maracas), Lester Davenport (harmonica), and Clifton James (drums).[2]
-snip-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo_Diddley_(1958_album)indicates that Jerome Green was also the co-lead (with Bo Diddley) on the song "Bring It To Jerome".

"Bring It To Jerome" is the only song in this list which was recorded by an African American. I believe that this song and musician/singer Jerome Green's association with well known African American singer Bo Diddley greatly contributed to the perception in the United States of "Jerome" as a "Black name". Click Part IV for a pancocojams post about musician/singer Jerome Green and the song "Bring It To Jerome".

Musician/singer Jerome Green's name is also included in the UK Rock band Animal's record "Bo Diddley" https://genius.com/The-animals-story-of-bo-diddley-lyrics. An excerpt of that song's lyrics is also included in Part IV of this pancocojams series.

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Excerpt #2: The Name "Jerome" In Television/Movie Quotes
From https://bestnicknametees.com/boys-names/letter-j-boys/jerome/ Best Nicknames
“My uncle thought he was Saint Jerome.”
Ghost Busters (1984)
-snip-

“Jerome! Coffee and a Monte Cristo! Now!”
Shrek 2 (2004)

“Jerome, you really are an animal”
Columbo: Now You See Him (1976)"...

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Excerpt #3: The Name "Jerome" As The Title Of A 2019 Song
Lizzo- "Jerome" (R&B/Pop/ Recorded on Apr 20, 2019
-snip=
This song, which was recorded by African American singer Lizzo, is showcased in Part IV of this pancocojams series.

Some commenters in the YouTube discussion thread for the Erykah Badu's now iconic song "Tyrone" compared that song with Lizzo's song "Jerome". There's no doubt that-among African Americans if not other Americans- the song "Tyrone" contributed to that name being negatively perceived. It'll be interesting to see if Lizzo's song "Jerome" has a similar effect on the name "Jerome". The fact that the name "Jerome" is a near rhyme with the name "Tyrone" may already be a reason why some African Americans may have negative connotations for the name "Jerome".

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Excerpt #4: [Added February 6, 2020]
Jerome on the television series Martin

Regarding the male name "Jerome" being considered a "Black name", when I first published this post, I had forgotten about this famous fictitious African American named "Jerome". Here's information about the television series Martin and information about the fictitious character "Jerome" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_(TV_series)
"Martin is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on Fox from August 27, 1992, to May 1, 1997. It starred Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne, Tisha Campbell as his girlfriend and eventual wife Gina, Thomas Mikal Ford as Tommy, Carl Anthony Payne II as Cole, and Tichina Arnold as Pam. Lawrence also played several other characters.

Reflecting the rising popularity of the Fox network throughout the 1990s, Martin was one of the network's highest-rated shows during the sitcom's run.

[...]

Other roles played by Lawrence
One of the trademark running gags of Martin, especially early in its run, was Lawrence playing multiple characters, utilizing various costumes and prosthetic appliances. This was often done as a plot device or comic relief....

Jerome: A loudmouthed, aging, somehow well-funded, once-flashy but now-faded Detroit pimp. He runs an illicit casino, sports a family-heirloom gold tooth ("gold toof-es") in his mouth, was once voted Detroit's "Player of the Year", and has his sights set on Pam, as when he occasionally calls her "Junk in the Trunk". He often speaks in rhyming sentences. Usually Jerome appears on the scene with his signature spiel, "Oooh, oooh, oo-oo-ooh, I say Jerome's in the house, I say Jerome's in the ah-um-ah-um...watch yo' mouth!" Jerome's final appearance on the show is in the episode "Uptown Friday Night" (which parodies Uptown Saturday Night), in which his final line is "And that's the eeeend!" Jerome does not appear in the fifth and final season."...

My position is that the character named "Jerome" in the Martin television series strongly contributed to the perception in the United States that "Jerome" is a "Black name".

Here's an example from social media of "Jerome" being considered a "Black name" from
https://twitter.com/chasencashe/status/907213445111730177?lang=en
CHASE.
@ChaseNCashe

When your real name is Jared but you put Jerome on the paper so you could sneak in cuz you always wanted to dance on the Soul Train line.
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[a GIF is embedded of a White man dancing in the Soul Train line.]

8:05 AM · Sep 11, 2017

-snip-
That twitter thread has a second GIF of another White man dancing in another Soul Train line. Another poster in that GIF nicknamed that White man "Duane" (which by its usage implies that "Duane" is a "White name".

That same twitter thread includes a GIF of Jerome from Martin saying "Jerome's in the house". This tweet was posted in response to that GIF:

Shift The Rose Bowl Right Parade
@drewzou02
·
Sep 12, 2017
Replying to
@ChaseNCashe
and
@cdotharrison
"Jerome is in the house. I said Jerome....is in the house. I miss Martin."
-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1gBshhgx-A for a compilation of Jerome scenes from Martin "Best of Jerome"

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KANYE REFERENCING MARTIN'S CHARACTER "JEROME" IN TWO OF HIS RECORDS [Added August 30, 2023]
From https://genius.com/annotations/1870962/standalone_embed
"Bound 2 by Kanye West

I mean damn, what would Jeromey Romey Romey Rome think?

Genius Annotation

Here, Kanye refers to the character Jerome from the highly popular ‘90s sitcom Martin. Jerome was known for his pick-up lines and player instincts. Romey Rome, or so he was sometimes called, also had GOAT pickup lines. Jerome also wore mink coats...

Yeezy also references Jerome on his song "Illest Motherf--ker* Alive"

-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment. 
-snip-
"Romey" is a nickname for "Jerome". I've seen that nickname used for the fictional character "Jerome" from the Martin sitcom and there's at least one comedian (Glenn Fox)who portrays 'Romey Rome" based on that Martin character. I'm not adding any links because of the profanity that is used in those skits. .   
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Excerpt #5
Famous African Americans With The name "Jerome"
https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-people-named-jerome/reference

[Pancocojams Editor's Note: These names are excerpted from that page which also includes photographs]
"Jerome Bettis is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list Famous People Named Jerome
Jerome Bettis

Athlete, Football Analyst, Presenter
Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972), nicknamed The Bus, is a former American football halfback who played for the Los Angeles Rams/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers"...

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"Jerome Brown
American football player
Willie Jerome Brown III (February 4, 1965 – June 25, 1992) was an American football defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL)"...

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"Jerome Kersey
Basketball player
Jerome Kersey (June 26, 1962 – February 18, 2015) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played for the Portland Trail Blazer"...

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"Jerome Harrison
American football player
Jerome Harrison (born February 26, 1983) is a former American football running back who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Washington State ...".

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Jerome Woods
American football player
Jerome Harlan Woods (born March 17, 1973) is a retired American football safety who played his entire ten-year career with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL).With ..."

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Jerome Barkum is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list Famous People Named Jerome
Jerome Barkum
American football player
Jerome Barkum (born July 18, 1950) is a former wide receiver and tight end in the National Football League. He played 12 years with New York Jets. He was drafted by the Jets out of Jackson State "...

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URBAN DICTIONARY'S POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS GIVEN TO THE NAME "JEROME" AS A LOVER MAN
As of January 28, 2020, the name "Jerome" has three entries on https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Jerome

All of those entries convey similarly positive associations for the name "Jerome". Here's the "top definition" on that page:
"Jerome
A MAN who knows how to treat a lady. Don't judge this book by its cover or its past. He may appear to be someone you try and avoid but once he starts talking to you, your mind is changed completely. A man like this will never leave your mind because you know he is perfect. A man you might just marry. He is kind and gentle but can sometimes come off too strong of go down the wrong path. But, all in all, he always finds his way back.
Girl 1: "Don't talk to him, he looks like a thug."
Girl 2: "No, that's Jerome. He's not what you think he is."
Girl 1: "Is he single?"
Girl 2: "NO HE'S MINE!"
#perfect#kind#loving#passionate#desire
by DomoBrownie December 15, 2013
-snip-
The other urban dictionary.com entries of the name "Jerome" are similar to this entry in that they focus on the males named Jerome being good romantic partners.

I wonder if the 1955 Bo Diddley song "Bring It To Jerome" influenced the positive connotation of Jerome as a lover man.

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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.

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