Sitcom Stereotypes

One of my favorite sitcoms (and guilty pleasures) is "The King of Queens." Kevin James plays a working class delivery driver named Doug Heffernan who lives in Queens, NY. Doug leads a relatively simple life, enjoying sports, food, and the company of his wife and friends.

Doug's best friend is Deacon Palmer, an African American delivery driver and married father. The episodes often poke fun at Doug's attempts to secure his friendship with Deacon by acting "black." I've mentioned this dilemma before--the quagmire of defining what is meant by acting "white" or "black" or any other race.

This topic arose in a specific episode when Doug deals with an employee at a Chinese restaurant. The employee has a British accent, and Doug is noticeably taken aback. The employee is receptive to Doug's pause, and he becomes sarcastic with Doug, suggesting that maybe he should use an "Asian" accent in order to authenticate the situation. Doug becomes embarrassed but still seems surprised.

When we deal constantly in stereotypes, we react in ways similar to the way Doug did. Of course, there are British Asians, French Africans, and Australian Greeks, just as there Irish Americans and African Americans. We cannot forget about the beautifully rich and complex cultures that comprise the rest of the world, not just our own American land.

Oprah can't escape the news.

I saw a headline today about Oprah Winfrey's weight. I immediately chose not to purse the article. Yes, Oprah did choose to reveal to the public her new weight, so her privacy was not invaded. Moreover, she seems embarrassed by it and possibly want sot use the issue as a means to informing the public about proper diet and exercise, but I still fail to see how this revelation is newsworthy. The media is using Oprah's weight gain as a means to "educating" the public of the dangers of obesity. However, the media exploits Oprah by doing so. This is utilitarian journalism at its worst!

I wonder how the media would treat a male celebrity's admission of weight gain. Would such a male be ridiculed, pitied, or used as an educational example? Of course, by not reading the article about Oprah, I did not learn how her issue was handled. The headline was enough for me to direct my attention elsewhere.

A cool link

Here is a link to a site that has provided the basis of my final paper:

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/default_archive.asp?fpArchive=110508

It shows the front pages of all the major national newspapers from November 5, 2008.

Thinking more about American Indians in the Media

I'm currently watching "Roberta" with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The opening scene includes a joke about American Indians. Fred Astaire plays a member of the "Indianians" of Wabash, a traveling music troupe. The troupe's name causes confusion for a Parisian man who is looking for a group of American Indian performers he has booked for a show. The man asks Fred Astaire's character if he is one of the Indians. Mr. Astaire's character jokes that his is but that he only wears his "feathers in warm weather."

This comment about feathers is, of course, a stereotype of American Indian culture. Anthropologists who study tribes have proven that feathered garb depends on status and occasion in order to be worn. Granted, I should consider the time in which this movie was made, the 1930s, in order to excuse the stereotype. However, living in the 21st century, I have a hard time hearing such ignorant statements. It disappoints me, especially since I enjoy Fred Astaire movies!

Full Circle

In my Media Ethics class last Tuesday, a student made an interesting point about the Native American presence in the United States today. She said that many Americans abide by the ethic that handouts are unacceptable and indicate laziness and lack of integrity. A lot of Americans subscribe to this mentality because of the history of the nation itself. Colonial Americans worked tirelessly, in terms of both manual labor and politics, to establish their identity as revolutionaries, settlers, and Americans.

The question remains, Where do Native Americans belong in this capacity? Hundreds of tribes flourished for centuries before the colonists arrived. We do not need to be reminded of the atrocities suffered as white colonists pillaged the land of the established tribes. After being forced to live on reservations, tribal members struggled to reorient themselves in society. This included taking work in urban, industrial settings which were virtually unknown to them.

The work ethic of many Native Americans differs from that of white Americans. Historical evidence of tribal structure shows different emphases on time and cooperative work effort from the emphases white workers exemplify in industrial settings. Stereotypes abound of Native Americans being lazy and tardy in the workplace. These stereotypes emerged simply from ignorant interpretation of tribal culture. Moreover, being thrust into the white design of the workplace proved problematic not only for cultural reasons but also for personal issues of pride. Why should Native Americans be forced into jobs just to alleviate the guilt of whites who disrupted the tribal work ethic? This urban job landscape provided financial gain for tribal members, but at what cost? The Native workers took jobs to support themselves but may not have liked the type of work they did. They are accepting handouts, in a sense, from whites who intruded upon their culture centuries before.

Are the handouts justified, or are they just another oversimplification of penance for the mistreatment of America's first people?

Stereotypes

A few weeks ago, I discovered a blog called stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. I found it quite funny because I didn't get offended by the contents of the list. However, when I showed it the guy I'm dating, he laughed because he says the portrayal is true and that I fit many of the categories. He is Mexican-American. I don't look at him that way, though. He is just Armando to me.

What gave me pause is the fact that I tease Armano constantly about "being white." I call him "white" because he is a graduate of Texas A&M University, drives an SUV, shops at Hollister, and watches "The Office." Of course, I'm being ridiculous in my stereotypes. People of any race or ethnic background can do any of these things. I realized that I buy into stereotypes of "whiteness" by labeling the above behaviors as those demonstrated by whites. I tease Armando about being "whiter" than I am because, despite our appearances, he exemplifies the traits of white people more than I do. Of course, I'm only joking in this assessment. People should be able to act as they please and not be labeled accordingly.

What is it to "act black" or "act white"? Why do we need to stereotype behavior? I suppose that in certain instances, it saves time, but it often incorrectly characterizes people.

Ageism?

Cloris Leachman is the latest contestant to be eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars." I'm sure that a lot of viewers anticipated this. Something that bothers me is the way the hosts and the judges draw attention to her age every week. Yes, it is admirable of Ms. Leachman to attempt ballroom dancing at age 82. However, her resume demands more than just acknowledgement of her years. She is an Emmy-winning actress and pageant winner (Miss Chicago) whose talents outweigh the hindrance of her age.

Susan Lucci, I believe, is the next oldest contestant. This week, she was the runner-up with fewest votes. Ms. Lucci may be the next eliminated. Do viewers hold her age against her as well? Or, do they truly take into account the contestants' dancing skills? Above all things, the show remains a popularity contest.

I did not see the season of "Dancing with the Stars" on which George Hamilton competed. I wonder how his age was addressed by the hosts and the judges. Certainly, he was the oldest competitor at the time. Did viewers hold this against him, or was he simply not a strong enough dancer? Does age become a joke at this point? This makes me wonder why Western society does not esteem age, the way other cultures do, and instead makes a joke of it.