So, I was having my cousin, who comes from Texas over for the weekend, and we were talking about what we liked to watch and she told me she had started to follow “Young and Hungry” on Netflix. For those who don’t know. “Young and Hungry” is the story of Gabby Diamond, a chef for a famous program developer in San Francisco, who eventually falls in love with her boss. As we were binge watching this show, it came to me that what appears like a light-hearted innocuous comedy show revealed to be one of the parameters which can explain deep-rooted racism in the US.
It is hard not to think about the incessant racism that is maintained through structures of our society. Since the beginning of the summer there were countable examples of police brutality against colored people, and men in particular, the #SayHerName movement for Korryn Gaines, and even as the Olympics started there is a clear feeling on social media that people tend to support some athletes out of more than a sympathy for the sport.
This issue made me pay closer attention to what kind of subtle, yet powerful, images participated in the segregation process of the US. The answer is: mass media and racial stereotypes. In particular, through comedies or funny TV shows which don’t leave a lot of place for depth. Have you ever think about why characters like Yolanda made you laugh? Is it funny because it’s true?
In fact, media bombards us with, what sociologist Golash-Boza calls: controlling images. They are racial, gendered, classed depictions in the media that shape people's ideas of what African Americans aren’t. They work hand in hand with media messages which define stereotype and reinforce what whites are not. Controlling images perpetuate racial inequality by supporting a certain ideal of the time which benefits a white-washed legal system. If we look back in time, a compelling example of that was, the stereotypes of the "happy Sambo", "Zipcoon", and the "mammie" used in TV shows like Andy’n’and movies during the pre-civil war period in order for people to have a humorous or positive view of slavery. They needed images of inoffensive, docile, happy-go-lucky Black workers in hopes of counterbalancing the reality of slavery in the South. The attitude shifted during the Reconstruction era where Black Americans took on the role of the hyper-sexual savage or "beast". Since then, stereotypes of African Americans have often portrayed backward, poor, uneducated people, or just not “as smart”.
The main complaint about stereotypes or group portrayals in media, is that colored characters are put in boxes and are often one dimensional whereas white characters are multi-layered and complex characters. It is obvious that white and black races get more say in how their groups are portrayed due to their presence in powerful positions in media corporations. For example, a white run company such as Fox will be more inclined to show TV series which perpetuate white supremacy through the “Mindy Project”.
Media has a role of propagation of culture and normalcy. It is a tool which shares to the world what is normal and what should be feared. That is especially true in the news and contributes to racial profiling. Indeed, as Chimamanda Adichie mentioned, the danger of the single story is the spread of a universal (one-sided) understanding of one's culture. People get a false sense of "African authenticity" and become conditioned in thinking of a culture in a close-minded way. In fact, people fall into the belief that humorous stereotypes which were originally made to make people laugh, are a legitimate reality. Stereotypes "robes people from their dignity" and enhances differences as stated Adichie. Stereotypes abase people and sets obstacles to job employment, social integration, respect, and legal rights. Those controlling images are dangerous because it justifies an ideology which people unconsciously buy into.
So here’s my question to you: Can we make people laugh without using stereotypes? If not, what to do about it?
