Rescue Me from Political Correctness

Rescue Me is one of the few shows, like South Park, that doesn’t hide behind political correctness. In one of their more famous sketches multiple characters proceed to name each different racial slur pertaining to ethnic groups [watch clip]. Rescue Me is primarily about the lives seven firefighters, most of whom survived the 9/11 attacks. A running theme throughout its five seasons has been the profession’s reaction to the events. This does not stop the show from being a top rated comedy program. While most people won’t admit that there are truths behind stereotypes, Rescue Me accepts and challenges society’s attempts at a “color blind” multiculturalism. For example, one of the recently added characters is referred to as Black Sean brought into the house for only his ability to play basketball. Franco is a young Puerto Rican firefighter who combines the Latin stereotyped machismo and skillful Casanova. Exerting Franco’s machismo, while often assumed to be a Latin stereotype, doesn’t necessarily pertain to an ethnic only characteristic. The show is about men who run into fires, each character exudes heightened masculinity. It does have to be noted that a current plotline is about Franco’s entrance into the firefighter’s boxing league. Like Black Sean’s athletic talent, Franco is used to the same end of positive stereotyping. While it is never mentioned that Franco’s gallant bed hopping is specifically because of his Latin descent, it does shape his character. The Casanova image has been used as a positive stereotype of Latin men for decades, as pointed out by the Bronze Screen. Franco continues the tradition by being the man in the firehouse who not only has the most sexual partners, but also is relied upon to provide advice on picking up women. In an earlier season, he becomes a kept man by a character played by Susan Saradon dictated by his sexual prowess. This further reinforces the long-standing image of the Latin male. Media portrayals of families have become more egalitarian in this respect, but Franco is also a single father as the result of one-night stand. Minority characters are often presented as coming from or creating some sort of broken home, consider The Wire, whereas white characters are subject to dramatic divorcees or widowing thus becoming a single parent.
Does Rescue Me use both positive and negative stereotypes in the creation of characters? Yes, absolutely. Does this undermine the show and prevent it from being an excellent series? No, absolutely not. It does not hold back the reality of how people and society respond to racial tensions by creating a fictitious world where everybody gets along and stereotypes are removed for the sake of political correctness. When media optimistically dramatizes underrepresented stereotypes it works to the disadvantage of their cause – it actually sends the message that sensitivity is required ONLY because we are all so different dictated by ethnicity, race or socioeconomic status.
[Author’s note for those who don’t believe how much Rescue Me deviates from the politically correct norms - Franco is currently dating a woman who the other firemen refer to as a lesbian because of her aggressive and masculine tendencies. Tuesday’s episode focused on her “bull dyke” friends and their schism from the “lipstick lesbians”. In portraying the “bull dyke” friends mullets, trucker hats and man hating fisticuffs were involved.]