The prevalence of mass media programming like television sitcoms has positioned these brief, half-hour shows as mirrors for the American culture, because regular television viewers tend to regard what they see on screen as a direct representation of reality. When sitcoms willfully, or even subconsciously, instill their message with long-held ethnic stereotypes about the family structure, this seemingly minor event can result in wider societal trends. In a culture that views television programming as an extension of its own reality, the presence of bias or bigotry creates an environment in which these attitudes become permissible. As the American people continue to evolve and distance themselves from the atrocities and inequities of past generations, it is crucial that our most widely consumed media reflect this positive progression. Children and young adults are by far the most avid consumers of sitcom content, and because these age groups are the most impressionable among us, the major networks must actively encourage their writers, directors, and actors to reinforce positive viewpoints through their programming.
Theoretical Perspectives on the Family and Ethnic Groups
When the average viewer consumes media content delivered by major news networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, or their local affiliate stations, there is an unspoken expectation that the content being broadcast is objective and free of prejudice or bias. While the advent of opinionated news debate programs has resulted in an increased rate of editorializing by today's news networks, traditional hard news reporters are still expected to present current events without inserting their personal views. A comprehensive random content analysis of television news programming, conducted by researchers Travis L. Dixon and Daniel Linz in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, revealed that, despite the prevailing notion of impartiality when it comes to the nightly news, "Blacks and Latinos are significantly more likely than Whites to be portrayed as lawbreakers on television news & #8230; [and] are more likely to be portrayed as lawbreakers than defenders" (131). By comparing statistical evidence regarding crime rates for each racial group throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, Dixon and Linz observed that minority groups are vastly overrepresented in terms of their portrayal as criminals, while Whites are significantly underrepresented in relation to the legitimate commission of crimes. The societal implications of this trend bear further examination, in an effort to determine what effect the marginalization of minorities by the news media has on other mass media programming, including situational comedies and other entertainment-based television programming.
The multitude of ethnic groups which comprise the typical American neighborhood provide the basis for our nation's historical reputation as the world's melting pot, or a place where people from every cultural background can become a part of their local community. While a neighborhood with distinctly identifiable ethnic populations, which are typically Black, Latino, Asian, or European in origin, can be the foundation of cross-cultural friendships, the data provided by Dixon and Linz illustrates the level to which appearances can be deceiving. When the seemingly objective news media is capable of embedding racially biased messaging in its nightly news broadcasts, there is great potential for programs with a more creative inclination to skew their plots and storylines with stereotype, prejudice, and bigotry. The fact that many ethnic groups have distinct family structures, traditions, and customs enables writers, directors, and actors, who are largely responsible for the creative contained presented by sitcoms, to develop interesting storylines that can border on the offensive when not handled properly. Additionally, the time constraints imposed by the traditional 30-minute block of television time forces many sitcoms to rely on overly simplistic narratives and plot devices for the sake of brevity. By objectively analyzing episodes of several popular American sitcoms, it is possible to demonstrate the tendency of this relatively new mass media outlet to shape public perception regarding ethnic groups and family structure, while revealing the regrettable reflection on our society that these programs often provide.
One of the most important television shows in terms of race relations was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which aired on NBC, from 1990 to 1996, for six highly successful seasons. Starring a pre-Hollywood Will Smith, the show revolved around the character of "Will," a young African-American man from Philadelphia who is forced to live with rich relatives in California after becoming involved with bullies back home. While The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is widely considered to be a superior sitcom in terms of its fair and accurate portrayal of race relations, the show can still provide many lessons as to the insidious reach of latent bias or bigotry. One of the most prevalent stereotypes associated with Black families in America is that they typically lack a father figure, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reinforces this view by casting the character of Will as a boy raised entirely by his mother Vy, with his father having abandoned the family early in the childhood. In a particularly moving episode broadcast during the show's fourth season, entitled "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse," Will's father Lou returns unannounced and begins trying to reestablish a presence in his now fully grown child's life, showering Will with gifts and affection before ultimately abandoning him once again. Although it is important to recognize that this episode was critically acclaimed, and presented in a though provokingly emotional manner, it is equally important to ponder why the show's creators and writers chose to include this confirmation of a prevalent stereotype of Black families in their widely watched hit sitcom.
With Hispanics and Latinos quickly becoming one of the largest minority ethnic groups in America, there has been a lack of programming on major networks which depicts this demographic. One such sitcom that portrays a marriage of a Mexican man and a Cuban woman, however, is The George Lopez Show, which aired on ABC between 2002 and 2007 for six seasons. As a comedian who employs controversial material in his stand-up routines, George Lopez relies on many stereotypical jokes about his Mexican heritage to garner laughs during a typical episode of his eponymous sitcom. Lopez routinely mentions his childhood in Mexico, stating that he grew up poor and without parental supervision, which reinforces classic stereotypes of ethnic minorities emigrating from so-called "third-world" countries. Another-based view of Latinos found within The George Lopez Show is the striking lack of White or Black characters, as the cast is almost wholly comprised of Latino characters. One of the more widely believed stereotypes associated with immigrants from Mexico or South America is that they stay to themselves, avoiding interaction with members of other races. This belief stems from another negative stereotype, which holds that the majority of Mexican or Latino immigrants have entered the country illegally. By presenting his sitcom version of a typical family from Mexican and Cuban heritage as one unwilling to develop friendships or working relationships with Whites or Blacks, George Lopez has furthered the biased and prejudiced portrayal of his culture by American media.
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