African Americans in Media

For decades, media has been censured for their imaging and representation of African Americans. Since the inception of the United States, African Americans have always been viewed as third-class citizens. Both African American men and women have always been stereotyped and still are today. The media portrays an image of African Americans that is misrepresented and biased. Arguably, they change how society treats and views African men and women in their social endeavors of life. This raises the question: Does the media correctly represent African Americans in our country? Does the media portray an image that is discriminating and skewed? There are various television shows, music entertainment, cinemas, and social media that prove that the representation of African Americans is very much discriminating and racist.

The bias of media has not only negatively affected African Americans’ relationship with the law and judicial system, but also the way that they are viewed in society. This social mechanism is allowing African Americans to struggle in society through socialism, as they are being denied basic human rights and social privileges. It could be argued that there is a pattern between African Americans and criminality, especially in the news where African Americans are not only represented and shown as criminals but also violent and threatening to the social environment. During the 19th century, African Americans in media were stereotyped as “dirty and useless”. However, these stereotypes in the media have gotten inferior in American society. For example, today African Americans in media are seen as violent, drug traffickers, ghetto, poor, uneducated, and thieves.

Evidently, the general public chooses not to view African Americans as who they really are because of what the media has labeled them. Arguably, this emphasizes Durkheim’s Labeling theory. Labeling theory is the act when an individual prejudges another individual based on what they see, hear, and sometimes interpret. Sociologically speaking, this allows many other racial groups in addition to whites to start to draw conclusive observations that are inconclusive about African Americans. “Irish, Hispanics, Italian, Jewish, and Middle Easterners make up 12% of the individuals who stereotype African Americans”. Suggestively, African Americans are constantly discriminated against in America today because they must fit specific criteria in the social environment. Meaning, African Americans are forced to represent themselves under other racial groups’ approval, whether discriminative or non-discriminative. Media represents African Americans in ways that aren’t correct. For example, the hip-hop industry.

African American men are often viewed as thugs or murderers. Likewise, African American women are labeled as “gold diggers” or a “ride or die chick”. These women are frequently portrayed in music videos playing multiple sexual roles. Research has revealed that “African American women are represented in music as voluptuous and disparaging”. Additional studies have shown that because women are treated poorly in music videos, they tend to be more tolerant of sexual abuse and sexism. Unquestionably, this reflects misogyny toward African American women. In music videos featuring multiple African American women, men are “respected” or “commended” for having many women, gaining a reputation as players, while the African American women are deemed promiscuous and desperate. This standardizes sexism towards black women, a practice that is both demoralizing and inhuman. Numerous reality television sitcoms center around African Americans; however, these shows often depict African Americans in a dehumanizing manner. Notably, the reality television program “Love and Hip-Hop” does so.

This reality television show paints African American women as temperamental, violent, and lascivious. According to Sociologist Steven F. Gray, there are four forms of African American stereotypes on television, identified as the “black best friend,” “ghetto thug,” and “arrogant woman.” The latter two are the most common, with the black best friend frequently seen helping a white individual out of a problematic situation and the arrogant woman portrayed as sassy and eye-rolling. A study published in the Dualism and Functionalism journal found that “African American women consider these stereotypes as false representations and misleading depictions which are contributing to the overall societal struggle of women.” This is equally true for African American men. It can be argued that there are an disproportionate number of roles for African American men on television, reinforcing the racial stereotype of African Americans as violent and disrespectful toward the law.

Isn’t it sad that this is what the media feeds the general public? Arguably, this has caused society to develop an interest in these shows that represent discriminating images, and we often fail to realize how damaging and toxic these television sitcoms can be. But it’s what sparks the drama, right? For instance, “Love and Hip-Hop” displays disrespectful acts and conduct of African American men, promoting the perception that African American men’s power is only seen in a sexual context. Looking at the network behind these reality television shows, VH1, it seems to be based on the concept of “high-tempered African American women”. This idea is exemplified in the television show “Bad Girls Club.” Theoretically speaking, the “Bad Girls Club” was merely another way to belittle women. “The majority demographic of the BGC was African American women.” In this television show, the “baddest” girls were always African American. A “bad girl” was portrayed as hyper-sexualized, extremely violent, and loud. What does this portrayal suggest about African American women? Despite being professional actors, African American women in reality television shows are often characterized and demeaned by familiar stereotypes. Historically, African American actresses were represented as jezebels – sexually restrained, high-tempered, and extremely violent women.

The most impactful female stereotype was the Jezebel, a promiscuous woman with a strong sex appeal. The image of the Jezebel, in cinemas, was justified as a sexual object, which in essence amounted to the normalization of rape and sexual abuse of African American females by white males. The degrading, disgusting, and dehumanizing stereotypes enacted by African American women are what have shaped and framed societal views of them in the United States today. The more African American women continue to create films with stereotypical leads, the more discrimination they will face. Society seemingly forgets that women, especially African American women, already have to deal with issues like segregation, wage gaps, and low economic and social status. Tenure in media, which controls what information is delivered to the public, is key. African Americans have consistently been underrepresented in strong and influential roles in the media – especially on news broadcasts. Without proper representation, the media can spoon-feed the public whatever they believe based on their intuition, instead of actual facts. According to American criminologist, William Chambliss, “The media is a vital source of information about African Americans and their social representation.” The images that the media pushes out influence public perception, exacerbating misrepresentations of African Americans.

According to CNN News, “African Americans have the highest crime rates of any other racial group.” This begs the question, does the media correctly represent African Americans in our country? No! Arguably, the media “hand-picks” and chooses what to feed to the audience. There are so many stereotypes and micro-aggressions against African Americans that it results in more of a popularized moral panic. African Americans are misrepresented within the scope of racist entertainment. There needs to be more support for African Americans in media. When the media portrays African American men and women in a discriminatory way, it has implications in reality. These discriminatory actions can lead to African Americans being denied jobs because they are not the “right fit.” African Americans are often treated as suspicious and seen as suspects by police officers on the street. The media creates a portrait of stereotypes that put African Americans into an unnatural and inescapable social dilemma. For example, in the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case, Zimmerman, a white police officer, shot Trayvon Martin, a seventeen-year-old black male. According to Zimmerman’s interview, “Trayvon was alone, making him suspicious and armed, so I shot him because I saw it in a movie once.” Such stereotypes can lead to violent reactions. Arguably, this murder case emphasizes how the power of the media can perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination.

Additionally, there are multiple incidents similar to this one, such as the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Consequently, we need to take the proper steps to address and rectify our mistakes. In doing so, we make life easier for everyone. Everyone, not just the media, must work to eradicate the stereotypes that have been created. By eliminating these stereotypes, we create equal opportunity and promote fair treatment of people of all races, genders, and identities. If the media started portray everyone as equal, not singling out certain demographics for the poor decisions that people of all types make, the world would become a much less hostile place to live. No one would feel as though “the entire world is out to get them.” This, in turn, will culminate in equal treatment and respect for everyone, promoting access to all aspects of life, thereby providing everyone with an equal opportunity to thrive.

References:

“African Americans and Pathological Stereotypes.” Psychology Today. 2015. Accessed December 04, 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culturally-speaking/201112/africanamericans-and-pathological-stereotypes. Aya5472. “Gender, Race, and Media.” SiOWfa15 Science in Our World Certainty and Controversy. 2015. Accessed December 04, 2018. https://sites.psu.edu/adelineartenie/2015/09/. “The Problem of African American Underrepresentation in City Councils.” Demos. Accessed December 04, 2018. https://www.demos.org/publication/problem-african-americanunderrepresentation-city-councils. “Negative Racial Stereotypes and Their Effect on Attitudes Toward African-Americans.” Ferris State University: Michigan College Campuses in Big Rapids MI, Grand Rapids MI, Off Campus Locations Across Michigan. Accessed December 04, 2018. https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/links/essays/vcu.htm. “Black-white Wage Gaps Expand with Rising Wage Inequality.” Economic Policy Institute. Accessed December 04, 2018. https://www.epi.org/publication/black-white-wage-gapsexpand-with-rising-wage-inequality/.

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