Examines the media’s role in perpetuating racial and gender stereotypes.
This paper focuses on the prevalence of racial and gender stereotypes in television. Through these examples, this paper argues that these stereotypes serve to maintain the interests of the status quo by suppressing the interests and needs of marginalized groups such as racial minorities, women, and gays and lesbians.
Television is a prime example of a medium’s capacity to present a skewed stereotypes regarding race. In a study of the top-rated shows on network television, Hellmich (2001) found that most of the leading roles on prime-time programs are filled by white actors. Even urban-based programs like Friends have no black leads, even though the show takes place in the ethnically diverse setting of New York City.