Essay about Racism in Family Guy Supports Stereotypes

In today’s society, a minstrel show would unquestionably be pointed out as a racist act. However, if stereotypes were used in comedic TV shows it becomes more uncertain as to whether or not it is appropriate. With the popular use of satire in the current pop culture, the line between racism and harmless satire is harder to define. Shows like Family Guy play on a lot of racial stereotypes but do not always receive attention on those jokes. The show is often written off as just a raunchy animated show, so people expect the outrageous humor and take the jokes less seriously. Racist jokes has been muddled with satire by putting it in a comical context and in a different medium such as animation. There needs to be a more defined line between†¦show more content†¦Ahsan Haque of IGN criticized that the episode was not an â€Å"instant classic† but still praised it for its moments of â€Å"creative genius† (Haque). The episode received multiple reviews similar t o this one. This demonstrates how the offensive humor is often brushed aside. There were no comments made about the portrayal of the Native Americans because of the fact that Family Guy is presented as a comedic animated show; its irreverence is what attracts audiences. The episode was not making a comment on a social issue. The satirization of Native Americans served no other purpose than for being the punch line of every joke. This sort of humor is not as upfront as something like blackface so it is not recognized immediately that it is offensive. Due to the fact that it is a comedic animated show it is not taken as seriously. For a show with millions of viewers making these sort of jokes makes it seem like it is acceptable to make fun of other races. In doing so these stereotypes are going to persist in society. The racist jokes that are often made in Family Guy obviously does not bother its viewers. Family Guy has garnered such a huge fan base that when the character Brian was killed off it caused a huge uproar on social media. An article written by Danielle Cox asked if the fans’ â€Å"attachment to a cartoon character any different from other TV show characters?† (Cox). This deals with a death of a character not anything controversial, but it isShow MoreRelatedSexism : Gender And The Oppression Of Women1376 Words   |  6 Pagesbut many things have stayed the same. Just as racism still exists in various ways today, sexism, ageism, and many other forms of discrimination and injustices persist around us. All of the issues mentioned are found throughout many aspects of society, and they are still reflected in the media and television. Television shows such as â€Å"Family Guy† are a prime example of this with its crude satirical humor that more often than not, portrays gender stereotypes and women in a bad light. 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