Flare Sci-Fi Forums: Diversity on Network Television

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Posted by Diane (Member # 53) on :

I found an article on the LA Times about a study conducted on the treatment of minority characters on primetime network television. It showed that minority characters are more likely to be show as flat or stereotypical characters. And while white characters are shown in both home and work environments, minority characters tended to be shown either at work, school, or home. About 3/4 of black characters were never shown at home. Then it goes on to say how some minorities appear more in sitcoms and other more in dramas, and very few shows depict interracial romantic relationships.

These are some of the shows that had the better examples of diversity: "ER", "For Your Love", "The Hughleys", "Judging Amy", "Law & Order", "Spin City", "Star Trek: Voyager", "The Practice", "Felicity", and "That '70s Show". This sample totaled 406 characters: 271 whites, 95 African Americans, 16 Latinos, 14 Asian Pacific Americans, one Native American (CHAKOTAY!), and nine "other" minorities.

Some shows are singled out here for:

-Having interracial couples--"City of Angels" and "Star Trek: Voyager"

-dealing explicitly with race and racial matters--"ER", "Star Trek: Voyager", "City of Angels"

I'm just happy when Star Trek gets a little attention once in a while.

Er, so, to make this a more productive thread, do you think there's enough diversity on television or no?

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"One more day before the storm
At the barricades of freedom!
When our ranks begin to form
Will you take your place with me?"
--Enjolras, "One Day More," Les Miserables

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

"Asian Pacific Americans"? What is an Asian Pacific American?

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"I just measured him. He's about 21"."
-Chris Martin, 14-Jul-2000

Posted by Shik (Member # 343) on :

Probably like a Melanesian, Hawaiian, Samoan, etc.

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Posted by The_Tom (Member # 38) on :

Actually, I'd imagine it's an umbrella-term for non-Caucasian/non-Afro Americans. Or think of it as Asian-Americans with all the Pacific people who we still can't really classify thrown in for completeness sake. Either way, it's sets a new high for PC-ness, that's for sure.

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Posted by Curry Monster (Member # 12) on :

Sounds like utter BS. Asian-whatever's. Kinda a huge generalisation. Asia stretches from far eastern Russia to Turkey. You can't exactly lump all those cultures into one block and call them 'asian'.

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Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

I dunno. Friends is about a bunch of white guys, but then that's realistic. If you find a bunch of people who are friends, they usually havne't got a token black man in just in case the PC police turn up in their local pub.

You know, the lead of red Dwarf is black? And since most seasons only have 4 characters (Rimmer, Cat, Kryten and Lister), half the cast is black. And he fancied a white woman. And no-one ever commented on it. Because no-one found anything weird about it. Hell, it wasn't until I had watched red Dwarf for 4 years and was 14 that I "noticed" that Lister was black.

It tel's very telling that in all instances of someone wanting to remake red Dwarf for the US audience, Lister gets cast as a white guy. Who fancies awhite guy. And has sex a lot too (whereas our Lister hasn't had sex in 4 million and some years. Ignoring Rimmer's mum.)

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- Polly & Speedy; Samurai Pizza Cats

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Hm... Lister/Kochanski is an interracial relationship, isn't it? Whaddaya know...

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"I just measured him. He's about 21"."
-Chris Martin, 14-Jul-2000

Posted by Fructose (Member # 309) on :

You know, I love all this diversity awareness. "Let's try to treat everyone equally by pointing out everyone's differences." Is that twisted logic or what? But all of this is why I watch so little TV. It's almost all stereotypes that are rather boring.

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It doesn't matter if you don't know what you're doing as long as you look good doing it.

Posted by Aethelwer (Member # 36) on :

"Let's try to treat everyone equally by pointing out everyone's differences."

Exactly. Another social problem of today...

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Posted by Diane (Member # 53) on :

Could you take a moment to define how not to point out "everyone's differences"? Aren't we just saying a few posts ago that not even all Asians are the same?

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"One more day before the storm
At the barricades of freedom!
When our ranks begin to form
Will you take your place with me?"
--Enjolras, "One Day More," Les Miserables

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Right. But, when you're making a TV show, you shouldn't go out of your way to constantly show that not all Asians are the same.

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"I just measured him. He's about 21"."
-Chris Martin, 14-Jul-2000

Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

Which is what Red Dwarf did well. No-one watched the show back in 1987 and said "look! It's got a black man for the lead! How daring". No-one ever thought that Lister was typical of black people anyway. And no-one thought that the cat was a stereotypical "cool" black person. One was a scummy Liverpuddlian slob, and the other was a cat. Simple.

Posted by Xentrick (Member # 64) on :

which is the difference between entertainment and self-righteous, self-congratulatory preachy crap.

Posted by Sol System (Member # 30) on :

M2 and VH1, yes?

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Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :

quote:

Hell, it wasn't until I had watched red Dwarf for 4 years and was 14 that I "noticed" that Lister was black.

I hadn't noticed. Probley never would have without reading this.

Cat is one of the coolest characters on TV.

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Fool of a Took, throw yourself in next time!!
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Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :

See...It wasn't slammed down your throat in a "Look! We've got a black Starfleet captain! How modern!" kinda way.

And the Cat is cool. How many other characters get away with spraying their own piss all around the place?

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

Well, he kinda stopped doing that after the first season or two... :-)

Speaking of which, is there going to be a Red Dwarf IX? If so, anyone know when they'll be sending it over to the States?

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Beta: "Excellent, captain. I require only one more Thunderstone to evolve my Pikachu to level 47."
-from the Sev Trek movie trailer

Posted by Kosh (Member # 167) on :

quote:

...and this is mine(spray), and this is mine(spray), and this is mine(spray), but that's not mine(point), I don't want that!!

Cat

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Fool of a Took, throw yourself in next time!!
Gandalf

Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :

"How'm I looking? *pulls out a mirror* I'm looking good!"

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Pickhard: "What is our progress, Beta?"
Beta: "Excellent, captain. I require only one more Thunderstone to evolve my Pikachu to level 47."
-from the Sev Trek movie trailer