The Concepts of Race Relations as Reflected in the Media - Research Paper Example

Introduction Within American television there is a propensity to create stereotypical portrayals of family life that is referenced through racial and ethnic behaviors that are seen as the ‘norm’. There is a sense that ‘whiteness’ provides a base line from which families of other ethnic backgrounds then provide ethnically based behaviors in which they modify this dynamic. The media tends to have a need to create stereotyped references rather than an understanding of the multicultural influences that create the identity of each individual family relationship. The Cosby Show was highly criticized for having redefined the African American experience in order to portray a black family whose baseline behavior was considered ‘white’. However, the portraits created by The Jeffersons and Good Times had a very different point of view from which the ‘black’ family was defined. Stereotyping to the extent of creating media fueled labels creates a danger to society in which one ethnicity can be singled out in order to create a sense of ‘safety’ for another. One example of this can be seen in the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II as a sign of containing the threat of the Japanese. As well, the new Arizona law that requires all non-citizens to carry identification suggests that in the fight against illegal immigration a racial profile will be used to detain anyone of appearance that might not be a legal citizen. In suggesting that ‘whiteness’ is the norm from which behavior can be identified as typical creates a conflict with the actual behavior that exists in the world as well as a problem for those whose ethnic appearance does not fit into what is expected. The Concept 3 The idea of ‘whiteness’ is considered a defining standard from which the American experience is then typified. According to Cooks and Simpson (2008, p. 273), ‘whiteness’ can be defined as “a process of universalizing, through which white identity is inaugurated as the standard for racializing matrices - all racialized locations are compared to white identity”. The word that most often is associated with this concept is that of privilege. Through the concept of privilege, the ’white’ norm is defined as a luxury of life in which racial constraints have not influenced the success of a family. The benefit of privilege in which the white body experiences freedoms from the constraints of skin color denotes a form of stereotypical point of view that is then reflected within the media. Stereotyping Stereotyping has become so prevalent in society that the concept of labels as infiltrated most aspects of the human condition. Modes of behavior are defined as belonging to a labeled categorization from which other behaviors are then inferred. According to Mooij (2010, p. 51), stereotyping is done in either a functional or dysfunctional mode of understanding. An example that is used is that of describing the German’s as punctual. Mooij (2010, p. 51) claims that this is statistically true where the Spanish people do not hold as much importance to the relevance of time. This concept is functional in that it can inform one ethnicity of a trend within another ethnicity. When the British consider the French to be dirty, oversexed, and obsessed with their own culture, a dysfunctional view of the ethnic differences is marked. This type of labeling has become so mainstream in the way of thinking that in the state of Arizona within the United States a new law has been instituted that requires anyone who is not a U.S. citizen to carry identification at all times of their legal immigration status. The problem with The Concept 4 SB1070 is that the law creates an automatic sense of racial profiling as those of Latin descent will be targeted in order to provide appropriate proof of their legal status (Arizona 2010). Legal citizens of Latin descent do not have to carry identification, however, how does one prove they are legal without proof? Therefore, those of Caucasian or African descent will more than likely not have to provide identification where those of Latin descent will be asked to provide identification. This is in reaction to the number of illegal immigrants that cross the border from Mexico into the United States. The law creates an automatic difference in treatment between those of Latin descent and those of other ethnic backgrounds. The issue of stereotyping sets up defined characteristics that create an automated identity based on visual cues. The media has taken these identifying characteristics as “norms” and television programming reflects them as if they represent those within a particular ethnic group. The concept of ‘whiteness’ is associated with a certain American lifestyle that is represented by easy success and behaviors that are defined within this stereotype. ‘Blackness’ is defined by another set of stereotype behaviors that are represented in programs that are geared toward depicting this ethnic background. Identifying behaviors are associated with ethnicity to the point that there is criticism when a television program appears to come into conflict with those stereotypes. Cosby The ultimate conflict in stereotypical behavior that was criticized for not being authentic in representing a ‘black’ family can be viewed in the Cosby show of the 1980’s. Bill Cosby’s personal ethics were reflected through revealing a show that portrayed an African American family in which the way in which the socio-economic status was positioned and the nature of the The Concept 5 activities within the family provided a portrait of a family who was geared more toward the ‘whiteness’ norms rather than the ‘blackness’ norms. Bill Cosby was known for his raceless humor that was not defined by going after the issue of skin color in order to create laughter (Shaw 1990, p. 141). His intent in creating the show was to provide a balanced view of the American experience showing that the cultural mix of ethnic backgrounds provided each family the opportunity to have an eclectic experience. According to Shaw (1991, p. 141), Bill Cosby said that “I want to share the happiness within our people. I want to show that we have the same kinds of wants and needs as other American families.” Cosby goes on to say that “I’m going to take this show [The Cosby Show] and make it last as long as I can to show black people that they have something to be proud of .” In attempting to portray a typical American family, however, Cosby was criticized for creating a family of ‘black’ racial association that was adhering to a sense of ‘whiteness’ as the standard for successful experience. The problem with this assessment is that it suggests that by economically elevating a minority family it is automatically considered outside of its ethnic stereotypical behaviors and is therefore unrealistically portrayed. According to Orlik (2001, p. 152) “simply elevating minority characters to high status roles can actually intensify oppositional readings of these programs by people who see no possibility of ever achieving those roles themselves”. The way in which The Cosby Show was viewed suggested that to achieve middle class success and live a lifestyle that was defined by privilege wrought from education and hard work was not within the framework of the African American experience. Orlik (2001, p. 152) continues on to say that the program created a dynamic in which the message was that of a seduction to the black and white The Concept 6 communities that suggested that “those who fail to achieve the American Dream have only themselves to blame”. However, the issue of this type of thinking is that the American Dream is one of success in attaining what one wishes. The idea that it is ’whiteness’ to want success that is represented in owning a home, having children, and having the privileges that are associated with these achievements is contradictory to the way in which the consumerist culture has infiltrated society. The concept of ’whiteness’ suggests that success and privilege are only associated with the skin color, rather than with the work that went into creating that success. Bill Cosby specifically worked to defy this imagery by creating a portrait of an African American family that embraced both the ideals of the American dream and the ethnic heritage from which they were born. The Cosby Show proved to the networks that programming that was centered on African American families could be successful. Previous experiences put into question whether it was financially sound to invest in programming that was centered on families of a diverse ethnic background and up to 1980 when The Cosby Show became a success, this type of programming had met with resistance due to monetary issues ( D’Acci 1994, p. 221). However, a few programs that were based on the experience of the African American, mostly produced by Norman Lear, had created portraits of African American families previous to the premier of The Cosby Show. The Jeffersons The television show All in the Family which ran from 1971 to 1979, dealt head on with the issues of race and how prejudice was experienced from both the ‘white’ cultural perspective and the ‘black’ cultural perspective. The character of Archie Bunker was a less than successful man who still felt that his skin color gave him a certain sense of privilege that was not afforded The Concept 7 to people of color. His obvious prejudice was the source of great comedy as well as a running commentary on the conflict that the white American male was experiencing during the period of time that was the pinnacle point between the pre-civil rights movement period and the post-civil rights period. The sense of ‘white’ privilege was being challenged by a world that was changing to embrace the successes and failures of all people despite their ethnic heritage. The Jeffersons was a spin-off program from All in the Family that was based on a character that was considered the ‘black’ male equivalent to Archie Bunker. George Jefferson became synonymous with the angry prejudiced ’black’ male, just as irreverent as Archie. Garner (2004, p. 44) says of Jefferson that “Archie and Jefferson have a lot in common - they’re both bigots, loudly and proudly contemptuous of anyone outside their own respective races”. Through the lens of these prejudicial experiences that were treated with a sense of humor within the program, the message of the ludicrous nature of prejudice was revealed. However, the portrayal of the family, successful through the ownership of a dry cleaning business, was considered revolutionary as it portrayed an upwardly mobile African American family However, where The Cosby Show had portrayals that were based on heritage combined with achievement, The Jeffersons was based on success that was in conflict with social prejudices and achieved in spite of education. George was stingy, petty, and ignorant in the way of social graces and enlightened thinking. However, he was still upwardly mobile with a chain of seven dry-cleaning stores that provided the foundational idea behind the concept as the theme song revealed by lyrics that said “We’re moving on up to the East side - to a deluxe apartment in the sky” (Taylor 1992, p. 80). The character of George is based on the theories of the norms of ’whiteness’ as he resists The Concept 8 becoming influenced by this concept through the examples of his interactions with his neighbors and in essence, the whole world. In the act of moving to a better living situation, George has left a neighborhood that was imagined as more geared to his ethnic background and immersed in a culture that is situated as being ‘white’. When his son becomes involved with a woman who is born of an African American woman and a Caucasian man, George is beside himself in furor as he has to deal with the infiltration of racially mixed marriage into his prejudicial world in which the races should remain separated. Both All in the Family and The Jeffersons were designed with the idea that throwing light on a controversial subject could reveal an aspect of the human experience through the device of humor. Norman Lear created programming that was edgy, controversial, yet poignant to the times and the culture of the American experience of the 1970’s. The irony of the character of George is that his stature in business is that of the typical ’white’ male as he is driven to do whatever he can to encourage the flow of money . According to Taylor (1992, p. 81), “George’s project is to use his economic clout in whatever way necessary to gain his own ends”. In this irony, George is the epitome of the corporately minded male who is ever in search of increasing his financial increase which is usually typified by the concept of ‘whiteness’. In Comparison When the two television programs are compared, the concept of ‘whiteness’ can be revealed as the norm in which the African American is compared in order to find a concept of success and struggle. The unfortunate reality of the stereotyped nature of ethnic heritage is that within the mind-frame of the American audience, white means success and black means oppression. Therefore, the criticism faced by The Cosby Show was based on the idea that an The Concept 9 African American couple where one achieves as a lawyer and the other achieves as a doctor runs in conflict with the stereotypes of the African American experience. On the other hand, The Jeffersons had success that was not explained in terms of the experience of a family within the framework of ‘whiteness’ norms, but ran in line with the darker side of the ‘white’ imagery of the male corporate executive uninterested in anything other than his greed. The experience of working toward integration within the successful ‘white’ world was also highlighted as the family members struggled to find their own state of identity within a world that was outside of their experience. Conclusion Under the terms of the norm of ‘whiteness’, the struggle to find success and make a place within the world is highlighted through the portrayal of African American families in the media. As the 1970’s commenced, a sense that the conflict between the races was a gap that was being closed was the hope that was expressed through shows that both made fun of the unenlightened and promoted the equality through the lens of human struggles that are shared between cultures. The real life problems that were addressed through the conflict that was experienced allowed for a broadened understanding of what it meant to be ‘white’ or ‘black’ as these racial definitions were blurred through the experience of commonly shared issues that were examined. However, the criticism faced by The Cosby Show in the 1980’s put a glaring light on the fact that the lines of racial stereotypes were still not erased. Unfortunately, a television program that revealed an African American family that was successful and firmly within the upper middle-class appeared contradictory to critics who felt that it did not sufficiently reveal the African American experience. The message was clear that in order to fit the racially stereotypical The Concept 10 point of view, The Cosby Show should be represented as more ethnically entrenched and without typically ’white’ reflections of success attained, rather, they should have still been in the struggle. The concepts of race relations as reflected in the media have had a history of criticisms that are also generated by the concept of ‘whiteness’. Therefore, it is difficult to comprehend a way to reveal the truth without coming into conflict with the ideologies that drive racial considerations of oppression and situation without either being condescending or considered unrealistic. Rather, it is the point of view that there is a sense of ‘whiteness’ that must be questioned for the way in which it creates an oppressive point of view of the ‘black’ experience as having no relevance in a world that is deemed successful. It seems prudent for this concept of race to be irrelevant to terms of success based only on ‘whiteness’. However, the world is run on consumerist ideals that are fueled by branding and labeling, thus ethnicity is subject to these concepts, creating a world in which the color of ones skin has relevance to the way in which behavior is interpreted. The Concept 11 References Arizona. 2010. Identification Requirements. State of Arizona. Retrieved on 15 May 2010 from http://www.arizonaguide.com/arizona-travel-info/identification-requirements Cooks, Leda M., and Jennifer S. Simpson. 2008. Whiteness, pedagogy, performance: dis/placing race. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. D'Acci, Julie. 1994. Defining women: television and the case of Cagney & Lacey. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Garner, Joe. 2004. Made you laugh!: the funniest moments in radio, television, stand-up, and movie comedy. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Pub. Mooij, Marieke K. de. 2010. Global marketing and advertising: understanding cultural paradoxes. Los Angeles: SAGE. Orlik, Peter B. 2001. Electronic media criticism: Applied perspectives. New York: Routledge. Shaw, Harry B. 1990. Perspectives of Black popular culture. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. Taylor, Ella. 1992. Prime time families: television culture in post-war America. London: University of California Press. Read More