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Critics say sitcoms reviving racial stereotypes
July 25, 1997
Web posted at: 2:01 p.m. EDT (1801 GMT)From Correspondent Michael Okwu
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Will Smith is just one of many actors who have parlayed a successful TV sitcom career into a shot at the big screen -- and one of a growing number of African-American actors who are getting that type of opportunity. Sitcom roles for African-American actors have increased substantially in recent years.
But a few critics, including celebrities and civil rights leaders, say they fear the shows are becoming prime-time platforms to showcase negative stereotypes. "I'm not going to lie and say it is all quality entertainment," said actor Robert Townsend, who stars in the WB sitcom "The Parent'Hood."
Renowned director Spike Lee cites a resurgence of stereotypical mannerisms. "You can be funny without being buffoonish," he said. "You can be funny without scratching your head, rolling your eyes, and bucking your teeth."
And Billie Green, who works at the Hollywood/Beverly Hills branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said, "It seems we are continuing the step 'n' fetch type of images, and I think it's time for us to move on."
Supporters of sitcoms showcasing African-American actors say that through such programs, particularly those on the WB and UPN networks, television now offers more roles for comedic black actors than at any other time in the past.
Stereotypes lifted over generations of programming
One of the very few places to see blacks in television's early days was on "Amos 'n' Andy," a sitcom portraying a conniving, grammatically impaired group of African-Americans living in Harlem. The civil rights era produced trend-bucking characters like Diahann Carroll in "Julia" and Bill Cosby, who parlayed his success in the drama "I Spy" into the first of his own comedy series in the late '60s.
In the 1970s, "Good Times" and "The Jeffersons" paved the way toward Cosby's most successful incarnation.
So how, and why, is there a fuss today? After all, say those who support the latest generation of African-American sitcoms, the folks on "Seinfeld" are always acting the buffoon.
The response: "White Americans have a choice. They can change the channel. We don't have a choice," Green said.
In addition, critics say, even if the cast is black, 75 percent of the writers for their shows are white.
Still, audiences do see more diverse dramatic roles, at least for blacks. And how does one explain the popularity of shows like "Martin" among African-Americans? Observers around the country agree that as blacks assume more roles in popular culture, they are more comfortable laughing at themselves. They know better.
But until there is a significant change in the overall perception of blacks in society, they are not very comfortable with whites laughing at them. And that is part of the problem.
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