Since 2013, Brooklyn Nine-Nine has been captivating the heart of audiences everywhere. It's balance between the perfect one-liner and actually using film-making and media, and thus a large platform, to have proper representation. Now more than ever, television makers attention to detail and the importance of incorporating minorities in the industry in a thoughtful and progressive way are vitally important to the direction of media in the future.
LGBTQ+ Representation that would make Jonathan Van Ness cry
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The show very directly addresses that the esteemed Captain Holt, played by the hilarious Andre Braughter, is openly gay and married to his husband, Kevin. They also have Holt address his sexuality without ever using it as a punchline and his struggles as starting his journey to captain as an openly gay and African American cop. Often times Holt is shown in his office with rainbow colored binders behind his head or around the office with an LGBTQ+ flag in the corner. He is also not portrayed as flamboyant the way most homosexual characters are stereotyped in media. His sexuality does not define him as a person, either, but rather his devotion to his team. Also, not to give any spoilers away, but a second character on the show reveals they are bi-sexual which is super progressive in the LGBTQ+ world.
Can I Get a Strong Female Lead(s)?
http://www.kissmywonderwoman.com/2014/01/strong-female-character-friday-rosa.html
Let me just say- I am a sucker for strong female portrayal. Brooklyn Nine-Nine hits the jackpot with not one, not two, but three incredibly strong female leads. Rosa Diaz is an unapologetic, bad ass cop. Stephanie Beatriz plays a character that is typically portrayed as a male role and avoids any dainty female stereotypes. She's tough as nails sans the tragic backstory, has a heart of gold, and doesn't give a damn about what others think about her. Amy Santiago, played by Melissa Fumero, is strong as hell too and despite her devotion to pleasing authority. She works hard on every case and has her quirky personality to fuel the squad. Lastly, Chelsey Peretti's character Gina is absolutely the funniest character on the show and has a personality that is unapologetically true to herself. She may just be a civilian working in a police station, but she is just as much a part of the nine-nine as anyone.
POC are well represented (AND avoid stereotypes)
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Four out of the seven main characters are people of color. That makes the minority the majority! What a time to be alive, am I right! Both Amy and Rosa are hispanic females, the most underrepresented demographic on television today. Terry Holt, played by Terry Crews, breaks barriers and "angry black man" stereotypes by being the softest, most kind-natured father there is. He used the lessons he bestows on his daughters to steer the nine-nine straight when they need it and is a father figure to the whole crew. Representation in television and film has been on the rise because of shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, but there is a LOT of room for improvement!
Male Feminism (!!!)
https://georgiasfavouritethings.wordpress.com/2018/03/15/man-up-sexist-brooklyn99-week-day-4-social-issues/
While I adore Andy Sanberg, I was a bit worried that having a straight, white male lead would bring down the group average. However, Jake Peralta lived up to my expectations and more. He never fails to make you laugh out loud but also treats his female coworkers as equals. Any competitions that take place (and trust me they do) are never based on gender or some sort of superiority complex. Every character is described in a complete and complex way and are never pitted against one another. The idea of male feminism is often overlooked, especially on television, but is important to be educated on and understood.
Have I Mentioned it Breaks Stereotypes??
http://www.brooklyn99insider.com/2014/04/christmas-recap-brooklyn-nine-nine-s1e11.html
My absolute favorite part about season one is Boyle's hopeless obsession with Rosa. Not necessarily Joe LeTrugo's strongly humorous obsession, but rather how the writers chose to play this scenario out. They completely crush the 'nice guy gets the girl' stereotype by having Rosa speak up against her partners advances like a total badass. Time and time again the writer behind Brooklyn nine-nine smash boundaries and continue to prove that they are one of the most progressive shows of our time.
This list just scratches the surface on the progressive nature of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Dan Goor and Michael Schur never EVER disappoint (I mean everyones at least seen The Office)! Check out Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Hulu today!
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