Stereotypes often arise when a group of people is portrayed in a certain way in the media, most often in TV shows. TV shows make assumptions about groups of people all the time; as consumers of television we are drawn into these assumptions of a certain group, which helps us inaccurately define that group. The television comedy/drama that I chose is called “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, which is about an urban teenager (Will Smith) from Philadelphia, who is sent to live with his rich uncle so that he can avoid the problems at home and get a good education. I chose Will as the character that belongs to a group who is underrepresented because his character is very loud and outspoken, which is negative stereotype on African Americans, in which we see a lot of in many comedies today, even though Will is the backbone of the show with his humor.
Will’s actions seem to be defined by his gender. The character he portrays seems to always be confident when approaching a female, which sort of fits the stereotype that all men are players and that the only thing that men want is sex. I also believe that Will’s character’s personality is defined by his race because he always comes up with clever jokes that relate to his race and background.
I believe that Will’s character reinforces as well as ignores common stereotypes in American media today. The portrayal of Will’s use of slang and his actions tend to reinforce common stereotypes of African Americans today. However, his character’s laid back personality and his ability to make jokes about common stereotypes, shows us that, stereotypes can be ignored and used as positive humor because when a person is able to stereotypically make fun of one’s self or one’s own race/ethnicity, it just proves that stereotypes are not always bad.
(P.S. Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is my favorite show. Will is my favorite character and I love his clever jokes.)
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I was a huge fan of the show when it was on. Even though Will was loud and used slang and was a "ladies man", he was at least portrayed as more than just the affable sidekick. He was clearly the star of the show, and he had emotional scenes that gave him some depth. He wasn't just the Eddie Murphy comic relief to Nick Nolte in 48 Hours. He was a teenager you could empathize with and instead of be afraid of ("Boys N the Hood" style), anyone would want to have as a friend.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up, i too was extremely fond of this TV show. The concept was genius and the acting was priceless. I agree with your statement about "Will's" character reinforcing the common present day stereotypes in American media. The show's humor, to my understanding, was pretty comical although i could see why some may take it more to heart.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on the plot of this show is, for an urban child that can relate to "Will's" life prior to moving in with his affluent relatives in an upscale neighborhood gives hope to those who are under-privileged. Every body creates their own luck and opportunities.