You know them. You watch them. You may even enjoy them. They are popular sitcoms with the token “black guy,”?or other minority figure. You know the one that appears to be thrown into the mix solely to provide some diversity, but who has no real role in the show.?
These characters typically tend to be everyday working class types, such as the waiter, teacher, store clerk, etc. But do you ever find yourself thinking ” Was the only reason the show cast that person is so there could be a black (or other minority) character in the show? It is such a negative way of thinking, but is there any truth to that?
I have noticed that of all minorities, blacks are more represented in television.?However, the way in which we are represented is what creates the problem.?Countless negative stereotypes show up in these programs.?This needs to change.
Although, you can sometimes find minorities in more powerful positions, such as judges or doctors, you may still get the feeling that he or she is just placed into the show to make the cast appear more diverse.?
Also, shows that have a black character as one of the main cast members often tend to be portrayed in a certain way.? They are often shown as “thugs” or “smart mouths.” This is not a fair portrayal of blacks.??
We are not all “ghetto loudmouths” who like to get in your face. So why must we continue to be shown this way? Rarely are we depicted as intelligent or successful characters.? Every black female does not say “Oh, no you didn’t!” and the only interests of black males are not money, cars and women.
Predominantly white shows like ABC’s Will & Grace, a comedy about a straight woman and a homosexual may who live together, very rarely have minority characters, other than the ever-present Hispanic maid Rosario.
Of course there are always a few exceptions to anything.?Some shows do depict blacks in a positive light.?FOX’s House, a show about the daily goings on at a hospital, has a black doctor played by Omar Epps.?The same can be said for ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy which has a similar theme. It has three blacks and one asian in its cast.
Television executives need to include more positive images of blacks in their sitcoms.? Until this occurs, the stereotypes will continue to prevail over the truth.