Lightening of Skin

I thought it was interesting that black sitcoms such as The Cosby Show have been a way to overcome racial discrimination and bridge the gap. Through comedy this occurs but it has also been prevalent that many of the black actresses and actors in this show were depicted as having lighter skin than they actually have. “In these comedies, Black children are rescued from their dysfunctional families or communities by whites” (83). This issue with race and the fact that white is usually perceived as “better” in some way made me think of another prominent star who too changed his skin, conforming more to whiter audiences. Obviously Michael Jackson’s changing and lightening of his skin has been attributed to an illness but however it does beg to question if his race was an internal issue for him throughout his career. It makes me wonder the affect the media has on what is perceived as “better” and if these influences had an effect on the lightening of his skin.

You Could Call it an Extension: Women's Hair Color

http://www.color-chart.org/loreal-clairol-wella-hair.php

I too wondered about this chocolate-caramel distinction with Liz F in her post. But additionally, I wonder if this glamorized and sensual depiction of African American skin through its comparison to food could also be applied to women’s hair color. As can be seen by the hair color chart that I posted above, hair color is also compared to food (like chocolate, strawberry blonde, caramel, honey, etc.) I guess, answering my own question, that the answer is that mostly yes, it can be compared provisionally. This can be seen in many stereotypical American pop-culture movies like Sixteen Candles (1984), where the main character not only envies the attention given to soon-to-be-wed, very blonde sister, but also her very popular, blonde classmate for which she envies for the attention she receives from the boys at her school. The wealthy, popular, and desirable women are often depicted as blonde.

From Chocolate to Caramel

While reading "Black Sitcom Portrayals" by Robin R. Means Coleman, I thought the section on lighter-skinned African Americans vs. darker-skinned African Americans was really interesting. "...Hollywood's preference for lighter skinned African-Americans... [is] a new twist on 'White is Right'..." (Coleman, 84) Immediately I thought of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, when Daphne Maxwell-Reid, a lighter-skinned (referred to as caramel) African American woman was brought in to replace the mother character of Vivan Banks, who was previously played by Janet Hubert-Whitten after three seasons (1990-1993), a darker skinned (referred to as chocolate) African American. I think this replacement definetly is proof of Hollywood's preference for lighter-skinned African Americans and further generates the idea that 'white is right'. As the image shows, Janet Hubert-Witten is on the left and is clearly much darker than Daphne Maxwell-Reid, who was her replacement.

Cosby Shows

The article about the popularity of the Cosby Show examined the reasons behind the international success and analyzed the relations this type of show had to race and culture. The article discussed how the show was widely successful in many international countries. What the article got me thinking about was the comparison of the Cosby Show to today’s sitcoms. As I think about it, I can already recognize several modern day shows that are presently on TV that resemble the structure of the Cosby Show. I feel that these shows are common enough now a days that I feel most people are used to these shows and don’t even note the racial aspect unless it is directly mentioned in the show. Some other shows that mirror the Cosby setup are Everybody Hates Chris, Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Smart Guy, Sister,Sister, and My Wife and Kids. I personally see the show My Wife and Kids as something that is strikingly similar to the Cosby Show. They share a similar middle class black family setup. The images I have found illustrate the “family portraits” that represent some of these shows.

House of Payne

Although stereotypes of blacks in tv sitcoms are played out everyday, there is an upside. As Tyler Perry says in the interview, they are tools. When you think about a lot of his movies and about the sitcoms this article talked about, they tackled very large social issues. Racial identity, religion, parental relations, abuse, and many other tough subjects are brought to the for front in an Oprah show-esq way. At the end of the article Coleman mentioned that black women feel like they are strengthened by their portrayal on tv. These stereotypes may and probably are false in many ways. However if thought of as a tool, like faith, to get through tough times with advise from trusted friends have they served their purpose? It may be bad for society to see these stereotypes played out, but if the shows are speaking to their audience and delivering an effective message, could it be a good thing?