Fear of certain ethnic groups
By suspenseful
@suspenseful (40192)
Canada
May 8, 2009 11:30am CST
We all know people of different backgrounds and ethnic group and we all know that they are not as portrayed on Television. Back in World War II the Japanese were portrayed as sinister, the Germans as arrogant and boss. In the era of the Godfather movies, the Italians were fill of crime families, and then we had the Japanese as wise and virtuous businessmen, very honorable, etc. Now we have the African=Americans as loving and very religious and family oriented when watching comedy, but police and crime drama is a different matter.
I know what it is like to have someone who is German have to say that they were not the bossy, arrogant person of the Nazi era and go over the way backyard to be more than condescending, so I was wondering what African-Americans feel when they watch a police show and see the black detective be so morally outraged that he tries to beat up the subject, and this happened in two different shows. Then if anyone watched Maury there was this motivator who was black and he scared the pants off of those kids who defied their parents. The message there seemed to be "don't mess with the black guy, or he will beat you up" Not a message that is a good example. I would rather see the African=Americans in those family comedies. They were nice people.
So how do you feel about it, negative stereotypes? Are you upset that you are made to look like someone who iis uncontrollable, think that you were the only one brought up poor, that you were the only one that had to work hard? I mean I would be upset if someone portrayed a person who is Welsh (being part Welsh) always hitting the bottle, or a German bossing people around. In fact, being part German myself, I really hated it when everyone who was racist was always blond (and I did not turn blond until I reached my sixties.)
So I was wondering whether even though the negative stereotypes have gotten people of your ethnic groups roles as bosses, chief CEOs, etc. on Tv shows, if you feel that had they been portrayed normally that it would have been better.
1 person likes this
8 responses
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
8 May 09
ya got to remeber these are just TV show!?
Not real life and really not protraying real life.
This day and age no one should even think of things like this. all I ever told my kids its just a show! and dont happen most of the time in real life.
Oh it can but not as often as you see it on tv.
Hell I am Apache ,Irish, Welch and Enlish what does ythat make me a durnk stubborn scalping person!?
1 person likes this
@juliesclicks (109)
• United States
9 May 09
I love the way you think because TV was meant to be entertaining, not over-thought out. I am not and never have been a person disrespectful or suspicious of anyone regarding race. I think they (tv shows) do a lot these days to promote all kinds of ethnic groups. I also think that when public figures make a public remark about someone's ethnicity that they are held accountable alot more often that in the past. Does anyone out there remember Archie Bunker? No way could he get away with that now.
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@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
9 May 09
julie,
yup I remeber him and watch the reruns when I can
Nope I dont think they could put another archie Bunker on tv now.
So many people are so thin skinned and the political correctness then really is a trrip!
I beleive that I have the freedom of speach but I havent been disrespcetful to any one!
1 person likes this
@ErrollLeVant (4353)
• United States
11 May 09
My ethnicity is not the portrayal that really gets me steamed. The one that bugs me most is that "Dad" is either abusive or a buffoon!
1 person likes this
@wildcat48 (779)
• United States
9 May 09
How would you feel if the shoe was on the other foot?I'm white but i just hate they way people treated the black people and the Indians.how would you feel if we got treated that way? just think before you answer this.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
9 May 09
Well actually if you go back to Ancient Roman times, if you had blond or red hair, tall, blue, gray, or green eyes, you were looked down upon as an ignorant barbarian. And you often did not get a chance to have a large family or make as many children as possible, because there was a good chance you were killed in the Arena.
The point I am making is that the Media has to be careful and not make up for past mistakes by having a certain ethnic group given positions of authority in the Tv dramas all at the same time. I have been following these TV shows for sometime, and in the past, when someone became the head, we knew, whether he was
American Indian, white, etc, or black, we saw him working long hours, studying, etc. Why if you ever watched Mark on Ironsides who became a lawyer, he started as a driver, and then went to night school and he was Black. That is what it was then in the 60s to 90s.
You cannot use retaliation (which is what it is) to overcome wrongs and you cannot give people, that is those who are in their 20s to 30s the idea that the ethnic group or the race matters more then their experience or their abilities.
@HomeFlower (987)
• Canada
9 May 09
Stereotyping is a huge problem. I can't help but think that it stings a little (or a lot) to be part of an ethnic group that's stereotyped as lazy, dishonest, crooks, drunks - or any number of negatives statements used. It's demoralizing and emotionally crippling for the individuals involved.
Imagine trying to rise above the stereotypes -- the odds are so against them sometimes and when I personally watch a program where the story doesn't pin a tag on the people and they aren't portrayed negatively, I am truly happy about it.
It would be nice to live in a society where color, ethnicity, religion, etc.... are irrelevant.
@HomeFlower (987)
• Canada
19 May 09
Thanks, suspenseful
I'm glad it was coherent enough to warrant any attention at all
:)
@joyceshookery (2057)
• United States
8 May 09
There are definite stereotypes connected to different ethnic groups. It's not fair to them or us. It's important that we view people as individuals, not as what they are racially or reputation. I was burglarized by some black men. Once had a peeping tom who happened to be a black man. I've lived in neighborhoods that were racially mixed, over 50% black. Every time I say black I mean African-American. I've met wonderful and not so wonderful people of black, Mexican, Asian and other backgrounds, including whites.
I'm Polish. I've heard the jokes. They used to bug me but they don't really reflect on Polish people in general.
TV shows paint a picture that can't be taken literally. People are people!
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
10 May 09
That is what I feel. I think before when I watched a Tv drama, the person, no matter what his ethnic group, got his position because he worked hard, and there was no "I will not take the job as CEO because that guy of a minority race needs it" and if one was fired, or not given the raise it was because he did not try or was a slacker, not because he was not of the proper elite.
But Tv dramas now do not understand this. And what happens is that for a time, they will make sure that one group is on top, then another, then another. and what happens is that instead of getting rid of racism, it increase it.
I live in a very mixed neighborhood. We have Dutch, English, East Indians,
Blacks (do not know if they were from Africa or the West Indies, French Canadians, Polish, Ukranians, Heinz 57 (from Europe but of varied background), etc. and never have any problems.
@pprchase (77)
• Japan
9 May 09
Well, we have our right to our opinions and sometimes this is true. We can't really blame the media because they are just doing their 'jobs'. For me, I just see a person as he is not because of where he or she came from. And I guess it's better to leave it that way. I won't let my life resenting on those things in the past but I am not saying we should forget about it. I think we should just learn to accept those events and look forward for a better unity.
1 person likes this
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
10 May 09
Up here in Canada, we seem to think of us all as Canadians, so I cannot understand this part about Affirmative Action which started the whole thing. We did have a time when we had these movies, I call "The Woman in Danger" type where there were women bosses, but it was easier to accept because she was usually in danger of being murdered by this other ambitious female, she was the murderer in disguise, or she was visiting her home town to find out that her father was a pyscho killer.
But it seems down there, they decide to do this affirmative action and if someone gets where he is without using this affirmative action, that is if an African American gets what he is by working hard like everyone else, now he has to defend himself by saying "my mother had to scrub floors, and I had to pick up bottles, etc."
It must be hard for someone to justify themselves.
@riyasam (16556)
• India
9 May 09
this has been since time immemorial,the indians are being belittled for every known reason.Racism is treating someone differently or unfairly simply because they belong to a different race or culture.i think accepting that its not due of our may help us to a great extent.
@nv_jenn (207)
• Canada
8 May 09
I completely understand with what you are saying. The media does play a huge roll on how humans see each other. There is alot of racism in the world towards many different ethnic groups and I think alot still happens because we show it on tv. On crime shows the majority of the criminals are blacks and mexiccans and being part black I find it a bit offensive. I don't take it too personal because that doesn't portray who I am but it may make someone think twice before approaching me. Like saying all the Irish are alcholics... that's completely absurd.
I just think the media should think twice about some of the stuff they air.
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