When we sit down after a long day and turn on the T.V., we immerse ourselves in the lives of other people. Most often, these characters withhold attributes that we, the viewer, admire and strive towards. In many ways, what we see on the screens and in papers changes our views on the types of people and the topics we see. Children grow up believing what they have been taught from the media they are introduced to, whether that be stereotypes or the portrayal of different cultures. Mainstream media's negative portrayal of different minority groups, specifically people of African American and Latino descent, creates false negative stereotypes that permeate society’s perception of these groups.
Our world is very diverse, yet this doesn’t …show more content…
Overall, empirical evidence indicates that the viewing of such negative depictions among audiences promotes false and harmful viewpoints about African Americans in society. In particular, research indicates that exposure to negative characterizations of African Americans in the media promotes pessimistic attitudes and beliefs relating to intelligence, work ethic, socioeconomic status, criminality, and overall values. The authors of the article “Portrayal of Minorities in the Film, Media and Entertainment Industries” states, “One study found, for instance, that two years of viewing Sesame Street by European-American preschoolers was associated with more positive attitudes toward African and Latino Americans. Another study found that white children exposed to a negative television portrayal of African-Americans had a negative change in attitude toward blacks” (Diversity in film and television: MediaScope). In addition to this Mastro states “In an early study examining the implications of television use on the self-esteem of Black adults, a study found that exposure to entertainment television had a negative influence on self-esteem (controlling for age, education, and viewing other forms of content). During this time period (i.e., the 1970s), portrayals of Blacks on television were infrequent and largely stereotypical; often Blacks were depicted as lazy and …show more content…
Latinos make up one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the United States, yet such characters are rarely seen on television. In the 1980s, for example, Latinos comprised only 1% of television characters (Mastro 2017) but comprised 8% of the population in the United States (New York Times, 1988, September). As the Latino population has grown throughout the decades, their representation has remained the same. The roles given to them often stay within the stereotypes having to do with a lack of intelligence, inferior status, and being disheveled. Mastro also states “Regrettably, research indicates that only rarely are Latinos portrayed as having high-status jobs. In fact, compared with other racial/ethnic groups on television, Latinos are most likely to be portrayed in service positions (Children Now, 2000)”. One of the few shows that starred a Latino lead role was Luis in 2003. The show was cancelled after five episodes and TV Guide wrote of the series: "As tasteless as week-old crullers, Luis is a melting pot of cringe-inducing Ethnic cliches. Additionally, the show The Ortegas, which had a predominantly Latino cast was canceled within its first
Our world is very diverse, yet this doesn’t …show more content…
Overall, empirical evidence indicates that the viewing of such negative depictions among audiences promotes false and harmful viewpoints about African Americans in society. In particular, research indicates that exposure to negative characterizations of African Americans in the media promotes pessimistic attitudes and beliefs relating to intelligence, work ethic, socioeconomic status, criminality, and overall values. The authors of the article “Portrayal of Minorities in the Film, Media and Entertainment Industries” states, “One study found, for instance, that two years of viewing Sesame Street by European-American preschoolers was associated with more positive attitudes toward African and Latino Americans. Another study found that white children exposed to a negative television portrayal of African-Americans had a negative change in attitude toward blacks” (Diversity in film and television: MediaScope). In addition to this Mastro states “In an early study examining the implications of television use on the self-esteem of Black adults, a study found that exposure to entertainment television had a negative influence on self-esteem (controlling for age, education, and viewing other forms of content). During this time period (i.e., the 1970s), portrayals of Blacks on television were infrequent and largely stereotypical; often Blacks were depicted as lazy and …show more content…
Latinos make up one of the largest ethnic minority groups in the United States, yet such characters are rarely seen on television. In the 1980s, for example, Latinos comprised only 1% of television characters (Mastro 2017) but comprised 8% of the population in the United States (New York Times, 1988, September). As the Latino population has grown throughout the decades, their representation has remained the same. The roles given to them often stay within the stereotypes having to do with a lack of intelligence, inferior status, and being disheveled. Mastro also states “Regrettably, research indicates that only rarely are Latinos portrayed as having high-status jobs. In fact, compared with other racial/ethnic groups on television, Latinos are most likely to be portrayed in service positions (Children Now, 2000)”. One of the few shows that starred a Latino lead role was Luis in 2003. The show was cancelled after five episodes and TV Guide wrote of the series: "As tasteless as week-old crullers, Luis is a melting pot of cringe-inducing Ethnic cliches. Additionally, the show The Ortegas, which had a predominantly Latino cast was canceled within its first