Popular Conceptualization of African-Americans in Sitcoms Essay

Popular Conceptualization of African-Americans in Sitcoms - Essay Example Series’ like this one show that change has to come from within the African American community before it can occur elsewhere because the community is actually damaging itself with shows like this one. This sitcom was based on Jamie King, who was a musician from Texas who moved to Los Angeles to follow his dream of becoming a musician. This basic premise was actually pretty good, as it could have been used to present King as a hardworking individual who wanted to follow his dreams. In addition, the fact that he went to work at his aunt and uncle’s hotel is a positive statement, since it shows African American business owners succeeding in life. That is where the positive interactions stop, however, as King’s interactions with Fancy are very stereotypical in a negative sense. King comes off as a womanizer who believes that treating a woman like an object is acceptable, although he does begin to realize the error of his ways as the seasons progress. Another negative stereotype that is shown in this series is the Braxton P. Hartnabrig character, who is constantly chastised for the way he acts in relation to Jamie. This is a problem because it portrays acting as a womanizing clown as being cool, while acting in a more serious manner and taking an interest in moving forward in life is seen as being uncool. Also, the fact that Jamie is attempting to break into the music industry, rather than something that calls for a higher intellect, is disturbing because it portrays the stereotype that African Americans can only be successful through music or athletics. This series also featured countless black related jokes that are meant to achieve cheap laughs while furthering certain stereotypes, which definitely could have been changed into something more positive. â€Å"The Parkers† is another show that exploits certain stereotypes in the African American community through its characters. For starters, Nikki Parker is a single mother, which perpetuates the absentee father