African Americans in Contemporary Media Landscape - Article Example

?Depiction of African Americans in Contemporary Media Landscape Introduction Visual media, according to Ramasubramanian , are important sourcesof information that help society understand itself. Such media define what is normal or acceptable and what is not acceptable. They also reveal to members of society what is admirable and what deserves ridicule. Furthermore, they provide information about what higher status and lower status mean and who falls within these statuses. Above all, the media inform members of society the reason power and status differences take root in society (Ramasubramanian, 2010). In a special way, messages passed to members of society by the media legitimize the status quo by assigning causal clarifications for the reasons subordinating groups are rightly positioned where they are. Television steadily presents to viewers a steady stream of stereotypes that establish or reinforce viewers perceptions about certain groups according to Ramasubramanian (2010). In the United States of America, Black Americans are normally marginalized, demeaned and under-represented in media. African American women, for example, have been presented in mainstream media as being big, loud, unreliable and mean mammies (Ramasubramanian, 2010). This archetype came about from the fact that during the 1700s and 1800s, black female slaves who were overweight were assigned the task of nursing white children. The mammies exercised authority over white children although the relationship they had with the children was tempered with fear. In many television adverts, the mammy archetype has featured prominently. For example, Aunty Jemima, the t fictional black woman that features in breakfast foods line is a stereotypical Mammy. Given that television programs are punctuated with content that motivate empathy and counter-empathy, they have the capacity to induce strong feelings toward minority groups. With respect to African Americans, the programs more often than note evoke among the majority groups negative emotions such as hatred, fear and dislike. In programs that feature cops, African Americans and other people of color are always over-represented as hostile criminals Ramasubramanian (2010). This paper will discuss how social power and ideology has helped shape African Americans as presented on contemporary TV programs. Social Status and Stereotypes of African Americans African Americans are residents or citizens of the U.S. who can totally or partially trace their ancestry to any of Sub-Saharan Africa’s native populations. Currently, the African Americans form the second largest minority group, based on race and ethnicity, in the U.S. (United States Census Bureau, 2013). Most African Americans living in the U.S. are descended from enslaved blacks who originated from Central and West Africa. Over the years, many people who immigrated to America from various countries and continents in pursuit of various goals are also considered to be African Americans. African Americans are often associated with black skin and Africa. For a long time in the history of America, African Americans were considered to be inferior to their white counterparts and, therefore, suffered the consequences of racial segregation. Furthermore, the Black Americans, as they are sometimes referred to, have greatly been associated with poverty, drugs, violence, ghettos and crime. African Americans have been subject to a lot of stereotypes since the days of slavery. As a minority group in the U.S., they have mostly been associated with negative aspects, behavior or lifestyles even as their white counterparts are often associated with a lot of good. In many television programs, African Americans always take minor roles or play second fiddle to the main actors. Also, in terms of representation, they are always fewer in number in the television programs in which they are featured. Stereotypes may be positive, neutral or negative. In many cases, the African American is always depicted as being servile, simpleminded, slow witted, primitive, drug addicts, poor, aggressive, criminal, overweight (for females), lazy, athletic, gifted to make music, and religious as noted by the M3 Foundation (n.d.). This list of stereotypes is all negative except for athletic and musical gift stereotypes. In some cases, African Americans are also depicted as having no jobs in spite of their education which leads them to remain poor. These depictions of the African American in television shows and films generally serve to reinforce the negative attitudes that whites have towards the Black Americans. African American Stereotypes as Presented on Contemporary TV Programs In Bravo's Top Chef, one stereotype that is assigned to the African American is aggression. In the second season of the show, one of the characters in the TV program is an African American male called Cliff. All the while, Cliff is depicted as a very talented chef. In many instances, Cliff is shown to behave impatiently as he goes about business in the kitchen. Covering about three episodes, five of the contestants in the show engage in a drinking spree and get drunk. Two of the contestants decide and shave their heads and later suggest shaving Marcel’s head in a manner of joking (Marcel being one of the five contestants). In the course of time Cliff ends up taking Marcel to the floor, in what is seen to be aggressive behavior. In the end, Cliff is asked to leave the show for his act of aggression against Marcel. While it is beyond debate that Cliff acted aggressively toward Marcel, the producers of the show focus on the act in a manner of emphasizing that African Americans are aggressive. In several occasions, the clip showing Cliff in action against Marcel is shown in slow motion and without sound. It is arguable that if a white chef (male or female) had done what Cliff did, the editing sequence would have been different. Perhaps, the clip would have been repeated less times and without the application of slow motion. The stereotype about African Americans being aggressive is also evident in the reality show The Real World Seattle when Stephen slaps Irene on the face for asking about his sexuality. The clip was repeated several times in a manner that reinforces the notion that African Americans are generally aggressive. In one season of The Real World featured in MTV, one African American character called David is shown to act in aggression when he pulls Tami’s bed covers from off his bed. In the reality show Survivor: Nicaragua, three episodes down the line, it is evident that the stereotyping of African American woman is at play (Examiner, n.d.). NaOnka is an African American who at one point accuses her team mates (all of whom are from minority groups) of stealing her socks. She later steals socks belonging to another player. In another occasion, NaOnka wrestles an elderly woman to the ground in a bid to secure a clue toward finding the immunity idol. In several occasions, NaOnka is presented as a person who lacks charm, is bitter, and yet far from brilliant - she is simple-minded and primitive. The Survivor show featured one African American woman in a team of 20 contestants. This being the case, it is easy for the producers to emphasize certain things about her behavior that serve to reinforce certain attitudes that people have about black women. African American stereotypes are evident in Laurel Avenue – a television program which was aired on HBO. The mini series features an extended African American family. The plot generally features drug abuse and inter-racial relations. One scene features a black woman holding her adolescent son in her arms in a dark living room at night. She stills his son as she takes away the gun he is holding. The woman is an unwed mother who is notably a drug addict struggling to recover from her addiction. The woman is jobless and is doing what she can to keep her son off the streets. The boy on his part sells crack and is pursuing her mother’s ex-boyfriend who deals in drugs. The boy seeks to avenge his mother was beaten by her ex-boyfriend. Laurel Avenue reinforces the stereotype that African Americans are criminals, drug addicts, and violent people. Furthermore, the program presents African Americans as poor people who cannot afford to live in places other than ghettos for their low social status. Amos ‘n Andy is a television program that was aired in the 1950s. The program featured many characters, the main characters being Andy (Andrew Hogg Brown) and Amos Jones. Other characters in the television program include George Stevens, and Lou. The show is set in Manhattan where most of the residents are African American. In Amos ‘n Andy, stereotypes of African Americans feature prominently. Andy is presented as a person who is slow witted in addition to being unemployed. Being so naive and servile, Andy always falls victim to Lou’s schemes. Generally, African Americans are often represented on media frequently as items or objects of scorn and ridicule. They mostly are under-represented in TV shows and are often relied on to emphasize certain stereotypes – negative ones in most occasions (Rhines, 1996). The African Americans are perhaps under-represented because of racial biases by the producers of television shows or programs who are mainly whites. Yet another reason for their representation is to maintain the status quo with respect to social power. References M3 Foundation (n.d.). African American Stereotypes. Retrieved July, 27, 2013, from http://www.m3boys.org/African-American-Stereotypes.htm United States Census Bureau (2013). United States – QT-P4. Race, Combinations of Two Races, and Not Hispanic or Latino: 2000. Retrieved July, 27, 2013, from www.factfinder.census.gov. Survivor: Nicaragua. Retrieved July, 27, 2013, from www.examiner.com/video/watch-naonka-on-survivor-nicaragua Examiner (n.d.) 'Survivor: Nicaragua': Is NaOnka a black stereotype? Retrieved July, 27, 2013, from http://www.examiner.com/article/survivor-nicaragua-is-naonka-a-black-stereotype Rhines, J. (1996). Black Film White Monev New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. Ramasubramanian, S.  (April 2010) Television Stereotypes and Affirmative Action, 5(2), Retrieved July, 27, 2013, from http://www.natcom.org/CommCurrentsArticle.aspx?id=972 Read More