There is no doubt that television has found its way into the lives of the everyday, average American. Television has become our go-to. It’s our stress relief after a long day of work; it fills voids that our actual lives cannot; and it has become the framework of the world we know today. A popular, if not the most popular, type of television that has filled the hearts of its viewers would have to be Situation Comedy- or Sitcom. Sitcoms tend to involve lovable actors, playing even more lovable characters, with an idealized family, friend group or social set-up.
With the role we allow television to play in our lives, our ideals, maybe without notice, are influenced. Sitcoms such as That 70’s Show, Parks and Recreation and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air all use race for the purposes of characterization and even comical relief. These are all shows that I have loved and followed throughout my life, however this is truly the first time I have analyzed, or in all honesty, thought about, the use of race in these programs.
In this paper, I intend on analyzing the use of race in three of my favorite programs, and establishing the role it plays as a minority. The blindness towards the role of race in these programs may tie into the social construction theory. This theory states that the way we view social issues, such as race, is not based on scientific facts, but is just a man made perspective that has been constructed over time. That 70’s Show, Parks and Recreation and The Fresh Prince have all participated in this construction, whether knowingly or not.
These three Sitcoms were created for comical purposes, two of which were performed in front of live studio audiences. Two out of three of these programs coincide to the textbook’s theory that “nearly all minority actors in recent years played supporting roles for white lead characters” (Croteau, Hoynes 2014). Although when analyzing race in these programs, it may seem extremely disrespectful to minorities; however I believe that the portrayal of these characters is unintentional and falls under the idea of social construction and televisions purpose to serve its viewers.
That 70’s Show show bases its humor off of making jokes about each character- they are always kidding and it’s all in good fun, I mean, who doesn’t poke fun of their best friend, although the content can be a little dicey for some audiences. Every character gets their turn to be laughed at; the only character that is purely the joke and never the jokester would be Fez, the foreigner. Although it is suggested that he is from Latin America, we, as an audience, are never told exactly where Fez is from, which is a joke that carries on throughout the entire series.
Wilmer Valdderama, who has dark skin, plays Fez and his character attributes an accent, a limited vocabulary and a lisp. Although every character in this show has a very unique personality, Fez stands out the most, primarily as an inferior. The role he plays in the group is sort of like a puppet. The guys in the group are always trying to teach him the American way, and by doing this they end up messing with him (Levan). In nearly every episode aired, you could probably find an example of this.
In season four, Kelso, played by Ashton Kutcher, and Hyde, played by Danny Masterson, decide that they want to take Fez out to the Piggly Wiggly to watch him try to hit on older women. The boys, including Fez, bet that his chances of getting shot down are “very high”, this makes them all even more excited to go. Fez’s agreement with this experiment proves that this is not a rare occurrence, and he has accepted his role as the jester of the group. The series is built off of jokes that teeter with his intelligence, which demeanors him as a person.
I found that Latinos, because their portrayal on prime time television is sparse, they can be characterized into several different stereotypes, all of which are presented with little knowledge of American culture (Heintz-Knowles 2000). This lack of know how allows white characters to step in and dominate the situation. The next program that I choose to analyze approaches race differently . The gist of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is about both Will and his new guardians learning to adapt to their new way of life.
As Will is a rapper from the poor streets of West Philadelphia, his family is wealthy and polished, the humor of the show comes from Will’s lack of manners and competence of this higher society. Many scenes throughout the series depict embarrassment by the Banks family from his unrestrained actions. In the Pilot episode of The Fresh Prince, Will is having dinner with his family and company. While everyone is dressed black tie appropriate, Will is wearing a neon snapback and has a napkin tucked into his shirt. He is making music with the fine glasses.
The guests’ stare in horror, his family looks around in embarrassment. The show works in a give and take manner, as Will’s family works to shape him up, he also begins to rub off his street side on them- this is depicted especially in his easily impressionable, younger cousin Ashley. When it comes to race, this program overturns some stereotypes, as his family is taking over the role that typically whites would be playing. This program suggests that because Will has a poorer background than that of the Banks, he is less educated and mannerly and often uses black voice.
Because the target audience of The Fresh Prince is young adult, African Americans, Will’s background in hip-hop and street-credit offers a sense of hood. In fact, Will’s character is seen as a form of “contemporary minstrelsy” through his wild and deviant behavior and his social background (Coleman 1998). I have found that The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air uses racial stereotypes of both blacks and whites to create a sitcom unlike any other before its time.
Parks and Recreation is a sitcom renowned for its cast and characterization; if there’s one thing the show does well, it’s to have the characters stay true to themselves throughout the entire series. Within the main cast, the producers use the race of the minority characters and give them the opposite stereotypes, all for comedic effect. April Ludgate is the youngest of the employees; she’s gothic with a morbid personality and makes sarcastic jokes about her vivacious Puerto Rican personality.
Tom Haverford is a small, narcissistic Indian from South Carolina who embodies the character of a teenaged girl. Just as Parks and Rec has a stellar, easily lovable cast, they also have a pool of guest stars that make large and cameo appearances on countless episodes. (Sometimes these guest stars play roles that are actually funnier than the main cast! ) Throughout her local government work, Leslie Knope encounters problems involving the Native American tribe that was there before Pawnee’s settlement. She has become well acquainted with the Wamapoke tribe leader, Ken Hotate.
Because of all the destruction the Pawnee settlers have done to the Wamapoke tribe, Ken Hotate messes with Leslie’s head when they are working on their projects together. He jokingly uses the race card at any given opportunity, shaming the racist white men, and then saying, “just kidding”. However at other times, he truly embodies a stereotypical Native American persona. In an episode when Leslie is working on creating a festival that will be held on a Wamapoke burial ground, Ken sets a curse on the festival because she won’t move it.
Hotate says if there’s one thing he knows about “white people” its that they are “terrified of curses”. And he uses an unknown Native language to condemn things upon Leslie and the Pawneeians. Because there is a realm of unknown or unsaid history behind this fictional Native tribe, the creators of this show teeter with the exploitation of the American Indian by making them both the victim and dictator of different aspects of the show (McLaurin 2012). Television serves its purpose as a relief from the real world.
Sitcoms, especially, draw their viewers in by providing an extremely idealized version of this real world, so it’s relatable, but better than the life that we know for ourselves. What I have concluded from analyzing these programs is that roles, specifically minority roles, are given stereotypical characteristics that will allow for both comedy and relation for its viewers. That 70’s Show allows Fez to be the dummy of the friend group, by out casting him due to his lack of knowledge in American culture and his physical build.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is targeted more to an African American audience; therefore race is portrayed differently than any other show on television. Parks and Recreation, being that it is the most recent show discussed in this paper, decides to spin things around with race, as the viewers idea on race has developed since the airing of my other two programs. If, as a viewer, you are not careful about the portrayal of these television characters, you can allow it to skew your beliefs. It is important to be aware of the social construct theory- that our ideas about certain topics are just man made.