Caricatures in the Media

In entertainment media and most often in comedy shows, a blatant stereotyping exists that plays on classic caricatures of different ethnic groups as well as genders. While these stereotypes are intended exclusively for comedic value, they effectively perpetuate a long history of harmful and malicious prejudice; additionally, as these shows have wide audiences that often include children, they can lead to a kind of minor brainwashing, teaching younger generations that stereotyping is normal and humorous. The smart Asian girls, poor and unintelligent African American guys, and wealthy white characters are all familiar tropes that contribute to a sense of inequality between different groups of people. Additionally, because of the historical political significance of racial caricatures in the media, these images are even more unacceptable to be shown to wide audiences. So while realistically there are differences in people’s dialects and mannerisms, just as there are differences in social classes, these need not be attributed to their races or sexes.