“The Family Guy: Peter impersonates Mel Gibson”
Created and produced by Seth MacFarlane
Friday, July 31, 2009, Channel 11, 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Television tends to be dominated by white talent, despite the fact that we live in multi-ethnic society, where the public is continually being educated against racism and any type of discrimination or name-calling. Yet, the media continues to portray stereotypes, which are used to often present as a one-sided and negative image of a specific character.
“The Family Guy” portrays a put down of a “foreigner or “alien” wherein an Asian reporter, Tricia Katanawa, is not allowed to enter in the Park Barrington Hotel located in Manhattan. Whether this kind of discrimination exists or not, the audience is made to believe that this kind of practice takes place, and that, an Asian reporter cannot enter the hotel. She is limited and has to stay outside the borders created by the White race, because she is of a different race. When she tried going inside the hotel for the second time, the doorman denied her entry and chased her out. In fleeing, her behavior is stereotyped by the producer as being an image of some people that Asians are passive. People enjoy putting down those who are different or who look different, more so when white is not the color.
Racism and stereotypes have always been portrayed in movies and shows as a means of entertainment. Asians have been oppressed, segregated and ostracized since they first came to America and this episode of “Family Guy” clearly tries to indicate that it still continues, whether it is true or not. It is clear that assimilation is a very long process and may never be successful. Maybe we, as the audience, are made to think that Park Barrington Hotel is to be associated with racism.
The Asian reporter clearly confirms this statement by saying “I’m standing outside the Park Barrington Hotel because they don’t allow Asians inside.” Borders within borders still exist; our society will not let other races integrate within it. No matter how degrading the racist jokes are, the production team gets away with almost anything as long as it is funny, it is called, entertainment television or comedy.
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That's part of the greatness of Family Guy: they do not care and refuse to hide behind a censor's smoke screen of "good intentions". I've had multiple conversations asking the question how do they get away with it? There's another episode, aired last month, where Family Guy does parodies of Steven King books, one of which is Stand By Me. Cleveland, playing one of the kids in the gang, enters their club house and Peter instantly says 'Wait, this is 1950s America you have to act like it'. Cleveland then proceeds to go into the minstrel stereotype. Why do we laugh? - because we know how ludicrous it is. South Park is the best example of "how do they get away with it" television. The bottom line: their lack of overwrought racial, ethnic, gender sensitivity fosters the idealized color blind society. When TV shows try so hard to come off as lacking stereotypes, they are inadvertently validating discrimination by pointing out that yes we are in fact different so anyone who is not straight, male and white has to be specifically handled with kid gloves.
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ReplyDeleteSome people get offended at this kind of humor. but it is entertainment and they shouldnt take it to seriosly. I personally think its hilarious even when they make fun of stereotypes of my own gender and racial background.
ReplyDeleteI guess I'd ask, where do you draw the line? For example, can you read minstrelsy in this way? How/Why is today's racial humor different, if it is? I don't think Family Guy = Minstrelsy, but I do think it deserves further investigation to figure out why it is or isn't harmful.
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