Sitcom stereotypes

[Ezekiel]

Now, I watch a decent amount of television, and enjoy watching sitcoms. Lately (well, past 10 years probably) there has been an ongoing trend:

"I'm a husband. I cower in fear from my wife, and she's too good for me. I stand up for myself, and she makes a pissy face, and in the end, I lose. I'm a moron and a coward."

That explains character liek Doug Heffernan from "King of Queens" and Ray Barone from "Everybody Loves Raymond", along with probably 100 others.

Also:

"I'm a white guy in a black sitcom. I can't dance, and I'll make it known. Laugh at how high my pants are worn, and how it doesn't flow when I imporperly say "black" catch phrases. I'm a cracker, word to your mother?"

Watch any "black" sitcom and you will see this. Yet, when a black character is on a predominantly white sitcom "Deacon on King of Queens" he or she is your run of the mill person. They don't sweat and exuse stereotypes.

Am I the only one who is noticing this? And if not, am I the only one bothered by this?

I'm sure we could spark a decent discussion about the general stereotypes found on television today.
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[Amyral]

Most definitely, those stereotypes do exist in the majority of sitcoms.

For the first one, it wasn't always the case. We used to see a mix in it, nowadays, we don't. What this has led to is, in the end, a bunch of homogeneous, boring characters. In the past, we had characters like Lucy, Jeannie and Samantha Stevens who drove the plot. They weren't perfect and neither were their husband. They were both wrong at times and it lead to the characters being memorable. Now, the shows are more about the men making mistakes and, as a result, the women get pushed into the background.

Take a few of the shows, for example, Yes, Dear, According to Jim and Grounded for Life. All those shows are driven on the male's characters. Because they're sitcoms, that makes them buffoons. The wives are rarely wrong. In general, they play on the male stereotypes in their attempts for laughs, so the guys are brash and pigheaded.

For the second one, it's hit or miss. At times, white characters who appear on black shows aren't gigantic tools. White characters on the Cosby Show, for example, were generally not portrayed as buffoons and were often less stereotypical than other ethnic characters. Granted, they didn't have many recurring white characters on the show. For other shows, in general, ethnic driven shows that focus a lot on stereotypes have that.

And, in general, you are correct in that the inverse isn't true, although occasionally white shows do play on stereotypes. One example I can think of is Scrubs, which treats Turk as a stereotype at times, but the fact that he's a surgeon counters that. In addition, Carla and Nurse Roberts also have their stereotypes played upon at moments in the show.

However, that show tends to be the exception, rather than the rule.

[Wataru]

Stereotypes are an easy laugh. Its cheap and you don't have to think. That's why they're used. Take a look at "Step By Step," which I assert is the worst show in the history of television. In addition to repeated jumping of the shark and chronic continuity retcons, the damned thing was a cliche factory. Every character was a stereotype.

Take a look at the weight issue. If a character is overweight, they will only be "normal" positive character (and comments about their weight will not be made by other characters ... at least not as often) if they are a black female. If they are a white female, they will be protrayed as lonely, pathetic and socially inept. If they are male of either race, they will be slovenly, boorish and disgusting. It seems it is more socially exceptable for black women to be overweight than for anyone else (movies like Norbitt nonwithstanding).
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[retrospect.]

fat black men are all nerdy and afraid of their wife finding out they aren't eatting salads at lunch.
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[Ezekiel]

[Wataru]

Overweight black women can also be portayed as attractive also. Something overweight people of other races/sexes will never be.
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[Ezekiel]

[Amyral]

[Ezekiel]

Good point Amyral. it's a common stereotype that all overweight black women can sing with a thunderous and soulful voice.
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[Amyral]

not just overweight black women, overweight women in general, regardless of race. Unless they're old.

[Ezekiel]

[Wataru]

Step by Step had two fat women in it ... for one season. They were Suzanne Sommers' lonely patheic single sister and her loudmouth overbearing mother. They disappeared from the show without explanation after the first season. Kinda like the missing second daughter on Family Matters.
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[Ezekiel]

[Wataru]

She was younger. No glasses. Her name was "Judy," I think. They had her on for a few seasons and then she vanished. At the end of one of the seasons dad sent her to her room as a punishment and she never came back down when they started in the fall! They never talked about her again and removed her chair from the dinner table, but she remained in the opening credits.
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[Ezekiel]