I was originally going to write this in a way that attacked 30 Rock, a sitcom about running an NBC tv show, for it's offensive and stereotypical portrayal of African Americans. After all, Tracy Morgan, one of the leads of the sitcom, plays a wild, not intelligent, rude tv actor (Check out some of
his crazy history). He's low class and crude. But, as I reconsidered the show, I realized that his character takes black stereotypes that have existed for decades and blows them so out of proportion that he demands that we realize the stereotypes. His character is a satire of black stereotypes. His utter lack of intelligence, and carefree and goofy nature mock the Sambo stereotype. He does ridiculous things, like running through the streets in his underwear and striving to make headlines for doing such things, but underneath all the stereotypes, there's the real person. The real Tracy Jordan that sometimes comes out loves and cares about his family and friends and just wants to be famous.
The variety of black characters portrayed on this show add to the satire. While Tracy Jordan is off doing something crazy and pointless, we see Toofer, a stark opposite of Tracy. He's a Harvard graduate and the most proper and pristine person on the team. And Dot Com, Tracy Jordan's body gaurd, in nearly every episode shows off his extensive knowledge and in depth understanding of American history, contrasting with Tracy's utter lack of academic knowledge (
Check it out!).
So, if one were to watch the show and only observe Tracy Jordan one might think, as I thought, that the show portrays a one sided and negative image of African American people. But after looking at the other African American characters on the show and considering the statement of Tracy Jordan's character might be making, one can argue, as I've tried to here, that the show attempts to fight black stereotypes.
I agree that there are comments on race here, but I think the root of Tracy's goofiness is not supposed to be his race, so much as his celebrity identity. The other actor, Jenna, is equally as goofy/crazy, but she is a white woman. I think the other characters are down to earth because they're not celebrities, but the show definitely does address race in several episodes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. It's like Huck Finn-- satire on how society thinks. Where it gets tricky, however, is when people forget to think about it that way.
ReplyDeleteI think this is really important to realize. I personally haven't watched much 30 Rock, but from what you say/the few things I do know, I think with things like this, the stereotype isn't taboo to use, as long as it isn't the ONLY thing being used. If all you see on television are the reckless Tracy Jordan's of the world, we have a problem. But if a show is filled with representation (which is the key thing!) then that's great.
ReplyDeleteI think that a lot of content in our popular culture today is actually attempting to fight stereotypes of race. But, it is seldom recognized because, like this show it often comes with an exaggerated portrayal of the stereotype. People chose to focus on this, so we do not often hear praise of breaking the stereotypes and promoting a good image of race.
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