ipl-logo

Analysis: Is Television Too White

801 Words4 Pages

Is Television Too White?

In the United States, the average amount of time spent daily on watching television is around five hours and eleven minutes. Ninety nine percent of households have at least one television, and fifty six percent have some kind of cable (Neilson). Watching television is a staple in the average day of an American, but what exactly do most people see when they turn on their favorite program? Do most people see diverse cultures, or are the programs they watch “white washed”? Critics claim that television programming is white washed because of the lack of major channels that have programs that have minorities as main characters, the fact that the most popular programs in history have casts of predominantly white actors, and that most commercials use white actors instead of minorities.

Some of the most popular channels on television today include Fox, CNN, ESPN, ABC, MTV, and AMC (Salman). These channels are viewed by millions of people each day, and their content is selectively white. Popular programs on ABC include Lost, Grey’s …show more content…

All six of the main characters in Friends are white. In Breaking Bad, the main protagonists, Walter White and Jessie Pinkman are Caucasian. In Grey’s Anatomy, the majority, save for a handful, are also white. These three programs have some of the highest rating in television history, yet include very few minority characters in them. Does this mean that the most favored programs can’t have minorities in them? No, because of the two programs, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Cosby Show, that topped the list of Complex Magazine’s top 25 African American Sitcoms (Kimble). These had some of the highest amount of views of any television programs when they were popular in the 1980s and 1990s. Even today a popular cartoon on Adult Swim called The Boondocks primarily focuses

Show More
Related

  • Essay On Trayvon Martin And George Zimmerman

    1830 Words  | 8 Pages

    Researched Argument Essay Having accurate representation matters. Unfortunately, that is a concept that the media industry has not quite grasped. The portrayal of African Americans in the media, whether it be plays, television, news, movies, or social media has always been negative since the birth of slavery in the United States of America. Playing on the negative stereotypes of African Americans, white Americans have gone on to believe their false impressions of Africans Americans and this has hindered African Americans from gaining social change and respectability.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In The Film Menace II Society

    769 Words  | 4 Pages

    Stereotypes in media have been around since the earliest cartoons were drawn. The media gives supposedly identifying traits with images of the stingy Jewish man, the single Hispanic woman cleaning homes to raise her three children, and the “butch” lesbian falling for the beautiful blonde who just happens to glance at her every day in the hallway. These portrayals make up general knowledge about minorities for a lot of people, but their accuracy is questionable at best. While production companies have been making strides towards the better, insufficient representation in the media tends to portray minorities as their negative stereotypes rather than as people.

    Read More

  • El Simpático Boxer: Underpinning Chicano Masculinity

    642 Words  | 3 Pages

    Whites are often seen more as individuals rather than members of a group, and there is an apparent absence of negative stereotypes against them. This disparity grants White people a unique advantage when it comes to achieving success in society. It is important to note that most White individuals today do not overtly hold racist views. However, many still possess stereotypical views of people of color, which can lead to discrimination in various aspects of life such as employment or housing. This discrimination is further exacerbated by factors such as the profit-centric structure of the broadcast industry and the FCC's passive stance on the issue.

    Read More

  • The Box That Changed America Analysis

    756 Words  | 4 Pages

    Overall, yes having so many TV shows to choose from is making our nation and our families more divided, because it also came along with new technology which gave people a way to watch TV where and whenever they want to. In the Paired texts “The Box That Changed America” and “Television Transformed” by Lauren Tarshis it

    Read More

  • Minorities In The 1950s

    1781 Words  | 8 Pages

    In the sixties, segregation and racism dominated in most social settings. In the seventies, most minorities were trying to deter from old beliefs of prejudicial ideas. In modern times, minorities have equal rights and respect to their white counterparts. Four sitcoms, Amos ’n’ Andy, Julia, Sanford and Son, and The Cosby Show depict how the role of minorities changed throughout different time periods. First of all, in the 1950’s, African Americans had few roles in television sitcoms, but when they were offered parts, it consisted of stereotypical portrayals of characters being lazy, simple, or holding domestic servant roles.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Non-Blacks In Mainstream Media

    291 Words  | 2 Pages

    Second of all, Stacey isn 't telling the truth. A simple Google search will show there are plenty of non-blacks who win BET and Image awards. This is the very reason why organizations catering to minorities like BET awards, NAACP, exist, at least to advance the causes of other minorities that are constantly overlooked by the mainstream media. Otherwise, if we did not have these awards shows, how would the talents of these black actors be recognized in mainstream America or institutions when awards show like the Oscars constantly refuse to acknowledge them.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes And Underrepresentation Of Latinos In The Media

    1374 Words  | 6 Pages

    Introduction Consider how much media the average American consumes. As of 2022, the US average daily time spent with media is 8 hours and 14 minutes (Emarketer). When we delve into the media we consume on a daily basis, there are specific ideas, phrases, and trends that can influence our opinions. The roles of producers and actors within the sphere of representation relate to the treatment of particular groups. In discussions of Latino presentation, one controversial issue has been their misrepresentation and underrepresentation throughout the media.

    Read More

  • Fresh Off The Boat Diversity

    1446 Words  | 6 Pages

    “By 1960, 90 percent of U.S. homes owned one” (Phruksachart, 100). The statistic this quote is referring to this the rise of televisions in America. Recently, television has taken steps in an effort to include more diversity in their shows an example of this is seen in ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat. Following the life of Eddie Huang, a middle schooler who has just moved from Chinatown in DC to a predominantly white neighborhood in Florida, Fresh Off the Boat is a sitcom that that showcases some struggles immigrant families face. The show brings the question, are these inclusive shows being handled correctly?

    Read More

  • Summary Of The Film 'Color Adjustment' By Marlon Riggs

    477 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Marlon Riggs’ 1992 documentary film titled Color Adjustment, Riggs, the Emmy winning producer of Ethnic Notions, continues his studies of prejudice in television. The documentary film looks at the years between 1948 and 1988 to analyze how over a 40 year period, race relations are viewed through the lens of prime time entertainment. The film examined many of television’s stereotypes and mythes and how they changed over the years. The one hour and twenty-two minute documentary is narrated by Ruby Dee, the American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist.

    Read More

  • Bell Hooks On Whiteness Analysis

    1596 Words  | 7 Pages

    White people are always treated disparate than people of colour. People of colour are acknowledged as being rowdy, loud voiced, more physical, rude, etc. Meanwhile white people are recognized in the society as respectful, kind, soft hearted people. I do not think that

    Read More

  • Nature And Causes Of African Americans As An Industry Issue

    960 Words  | 4 Pages

    Typically, these opinions are unfavorable and highlight negative stereotypes associated with African Americans. Sadly, the overrepresentation of white characters in American culture contributes

    Read More

  • Critical Whiteness Studies

    765 Words  | 4 Pages

    Critical Whiteness Studies responds to the invisible and normative nature of whiteness in predominantly white societies, criticizing racial and ethnic attribution of non-white subjects who have to grapple with their deviation from the set norm, and opening the discussion on white privilege that results from being the unmarked norm (Kerner: 278). As Conway and Steyn elaborate, Critical Whiteness Studies aims to “redirect[...] the scholarly gaze from the margins to the centre” (283) and, more specifically, to interrogat[e][...] the centre of power and privilege from which racialization emanates but which operates more or less invisibly as it constructs itself as both the norm and ideal of what it means to be human. (ibid.) Thus, Critical Whiteness

    Read More

  • Violence In Gerbner's 'Killing Screens'

    617 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the modern day, minorities aren 't portrayed too well either. They are either shown having bad things done to them or doing bad things. It is usually doing bad things if you 're looking at the news. Also, when it comes to “white people,” they are usually only shown doing good things. In violent movies, minorities are usually shown as being underlings of a very rich and powerful white man, and usually always get killed.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Diversity In The Media

    1587 Words  | 7 Pages

    Embracing diversity in the media is important because it will shed light on the importance of protecting against racial stereotyping. Racial stereotyping is a well know problem that all minorities have faced. Racial stereotyping is when a person has preconceived notions on a person because they are of a certain race. A great deal of stereotyping stems from the media’s lack of diversity that has casted stereotypes towards minorities.

    Read More

  • Reality Television's Influence On Culture

    1095 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the article "Ghetto Bitches, China Dolls, and Cha Cha Divas” Jennifer Pozner suggested that "…media image functioned as visual propaganda, working to convivence whites that Black people were not quite human."(p. 9). 12. If media decides to do something, then they take every possible chance they can take to achieve it. No matter what it takes? If it takes to insult someone’s’ race to gain ratings for their show.

    Read More

More about Analysis: Is Television Too White

Open Document