Television has proved to be an important factor in representing the identities of a vast and diverse America. As a powerful medium, television functioned as a way to observe people of different color, race, and ethnicity. The impact of the medium in representing a certain race has had a powerful influence on one’s attitude towards another person based on these depictions as seen on TV. More often than not, TV’s portrayals of the subordinate group in the United States had not been ideal compared to the dominant white race. Generally, scholars believed that the representation of the minority groups differs from the socially dominant position of the white, heterosexual male (Mittell 306). African-Americans, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, and Native
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Nonetheless, the development of the ‘minorities’ and the increased diversity on television has changed the complexion of television in the 21st century. Minorities have landed bigger roles on primetime television programs as seen from recent trends and statistics. Shows like Empire, Fresh of the Boat, Master of None and more have added variety to the small screen. The achievements made by these individuals from the subordinate groups were long overdue since the early days of television when prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination hindered the growth of the minorities in succeeding on television. The development of racial identity on television can be best understood by observing the historical representation of African-Americans on television, the influence of diversifying television shows and through an analysis of an episode of the television show, Master of …show more content…
The show’s intelligent use of comedy to address racial issues in a light manner has been lauded by critics. Some of the themes of the show revolved around the minority experience in America. As an Indian-American, Aziz Ansari used his comedic prowess to tell his experiences adapting to American culture coming from a southern Indian background. The main protagonist in the show, Dev reflected Aziz Ansari’s experiences as an Indian-American actor working in an environment that catered more towards the dominant race. In the fourth episode of the show called Indians on TV, the showrunners successfully attempted to attack the casual racism faced in the entertainment industry. Dev played by Aziz Ansari auditioned for the role of a cab driver in a crime drama. During the audition, he was asked to do an Indian accent to which he refused. Consequently, he did not receive a callback. As he was leaving the audition, he met his friend and fellow actor, Ravi who auditioned for the same role. They met for coffee afterwards, where Ravi revealed that he got the part. In the coffee scene, the dialogue that unfolded felt new and refreshing for television shows. Dev and Ravi were having an open conversation about people of their race and the moral and pragmatic issues concerning Indian-Americans trying to succeed in the entertainment
Nonetheless, the development of the ‘minorities’ and the increased diversity on television has changed the complexion of television in the 21st century. Minorities have landed bigger roles on primetime television programs as seen from recent trends and statistics. Shows like Empire, Fresh of the Boat, Master of None and more have added variety to the small screen. The achievements made by these individuals from the subordinate groups were long overdue since the early days of television when prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination hindered the growth of the minorities in succeeding on television. The development of racial identity on television can be best understood by observing the historical representation of African-Americans on television, the influence of diversifying television shows and through an analysis of an episode of the television show, Master of …show more content…
The show’s intelligent use of comedy to address racial issues in a light manner has been lauded by critics. Some of the themes of the show revolved around the minority experience in America. As an Indian-American, Aziz Ansari used his comedic prowess to tell his experiences adapting to American culture coming from a southern Indian background. The main protagonist in the show, Dev reflected Aziz Ansari’s experiences as an Indian-American actor working in an environment that catered more towards the dominant race. In the fourth episode of the show called Indians on TV, the showrunners successfully attempted to attack the casual racism faced in the entertainment industry. Dev played by Aziz Ansari auditioned for the role of a cab driver in a crime drama. During the audition, he was asked to do an Indian accent to which he refused. Consequently, he did not receive a callback. As he was leaving the audition, he met his friend and fellow actor, Ravi who auditioned for the same role. They met for coffee afterwards, where Ravi revealed that he got the part. In the coffee scene, the dialogue that unfolded felt new and refreshing for television shows. Dev and Ravi were having an open conversation about people of their race and the moral and pragmatic issues concerning Indian-Americans trying to succeed in the entertainment