Television is main source of our media and also a main source of the perpetuation of stereotypes. Starting as far back "The Cosby Show," the majority of black portrayal on cable series seems to be false and also contributes to the desensitization of our society to racial issues.
"The Cosby Show" was a historical change for how black families were represented in the media, especially on cable television. It has been noted as the first attempt to portray middle class blacks in society, but there was a slight issue to this? Although The Huxtable family will always remain a household favorite the reality of their situation was not realistic of black families in our society. The Cosby Show presented this loving family in lifestyle that was not actually tangible, it was almost even unrealistic of white middle class families. An article by Lesile B.Inniss and Joe R. Feagin states, that the show's "view of Black assimilation fails to take into account the context of the world outside of the four walls of the Huxtable household and because it allows Whites to excuse institutional discrimination and to become desensitized to racial inequality."
A more recent version of black middle class portrayal is "Tyler Perry's House of Payne." In this cable series the black middle class family is presented in a more comedic manner, making it easier for white viewers to laugh "with" racial issues as opposed to take in the reality of its seriousness.
Cartoon shows such as Nickelodeon's "Hey Arnold" also use the common entertainment approach of the having the "token" black character, to avoid any claims of being racially unequal. It is strange that even though Jerald, Arnold's black best friend, plays a dominant role in the show we never learn about his family or much of anything personal to his life. It goes to prove that his black character was added to be just that-a black character.
In more recent television shows such as Disney "That's So Raven," it takes a different approach in representing black middle class families by portraying them as still very unrealistic to society. Raven can not just be a regular high student, instead to make sure the family is not just a "normal" family, Raven has to be enchanted with the magical ability to see into the future.
It seems that cable television will do anything possible to make sure that black families and characters are not realistically represented. It can be seen as an effort to continue to "brush off" discrimination while desensitizing our society.
Click here for YouTube clip that shows racism in children cartoons.
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