Matthew D. O’Connor
Black TV Drama/The Wire
Timothy Havens/Matthew Houdek
9 September 2016
The Wire and Omar The long used recycling of negative stereotypical characters on television has affected multiple generations views on racism. The constant application of negatively represented african americans on television can be seen through multiple decades of television. African americans are often marginalized, degraded, or under-valued on television. One show that tries to flip the stereotypical cast on its head is called The Wire. Written by David Simon, The Wire utilizes both sides of the black and white characters to defy stereotypes and push the boundaries of new refreshing character types. While some believe the wire can only exist through …show more content…
Some attributes that contribute to this stereotype include being crude, violent, dominant, and lecherous of white women. Modern examples of the black buck can be seen as gangsters or criminals, which are very commonly found on television. Omar is originally introduced on the show as a violent gangster. In his first appearance, Omar robs the barksdale crew. Without hesitation he knowingly shoots one of the drug dealers in the leg in what seems to be a thoughtless action. This is the first major scene Omar is shown to the audience. This leaves the viewer to perceive Omar as a violent black gangster. The makings of a black buck are introduced and are set up for the audience to place the stereotype upon Omar. A little later within the show Omar is sitting on a porch with his crew. It is here where we see the first defiance of the black buck stereotype. Omar discusses how everyone in the town knows his name as he is a well known, violent, gangster. As the conversation continues he begins to kiss his crew mate who is also male. This is the first instance in which we see Omar being defined as a homosexual on the show. This goes against the original ideology that the black buck is lustful for white women. It is here that the breaking down of the stereotype begins. Omar rejects the dominant image associated with the black buck and in turn represents a new kind of homosexual character. Omar becomes this rare example of a character that is able to present the idea that black men can be gay, and masculine, and masculine without being purely sexually
Black TV Drama/The Wire
Timothy Havens/Matthew Houdek
9 September 2016
The Wire and Omar The long used recycling of negative stereotypical characters on television has affected multiple generations views on racism. The constant application of negatively represented african americans on television can be seen through multiple decades of television. African americans are often marginalized, degraded, or under-valued on television. One show that tries to flip the stereotypical cast on its head is called The Wire. Written by David Simon, The Wire utilizes both sides of the black and white characters to defy stereotypes and push the boundaries of new refreshing character types. While some believe the wire can only exist through …show more content…
Some attributes that contribute to this stereotype include being crude, violent, dominant, and lecherous of white women. Modern examples of the black buck can be seen as gangsters or criminals, which are very commonly found on television. Omar is originally introduced on the show as a violent gangster. In his first appearance, Omar robs the barksdale crew. Without hesitation he knowingly shoots one of the drug dealers in the leg in what seems to be a thoughtless action. This is the first major scene Omar is shown to the audience. This leaves the viewer to perceive Omar as a violent black gangster. The makings of a black buck are introduced and are set up for the audience to place the stereotype upon Omar. A little later within the show Omar is sitting on a porch with his crew. It is here where we see the first defiance of the black buck stereotype. Omar discusses how everyone in the town knows his name as he is a well known, violent, gangster. As the conversation continues he begins to kiss his crew mate who is also male. This is the first instance in which we see Omar being defined as a homosexual on the show. This goes against the original ideology that the black buck is lustful for white women. It is here that the breaking down of the stereotype begins. Omar rejects the dominant image associated with the black buck and in turn represents a new kind of homosexual character. Omar becomes this rare example of a character that is able to present the idea that black men can be gay, and masculine, and masculine without being purely sexually