The Arising of Stereotype in the Media Construct: Detrimental and Effectual Practice

Brian L. Ott and Robert L. Mack suggest that the illustration of figures in the media’s projection who hold positions of the myriad of races perceivable in our multi-cultural world can be explained utilizing the conception of the stereotype (140). The author’s explanation of what a stereotype is extends to an encapsulation of a given collection of people whose common denominator is race, while the major hallmarks of the concept are illustrated in their failure to betray any semblance to the realistic form of the group and leaving no room for complexity of representation but instead offering a demographic connection with the minutest attributes (Ott and Mack 140). After a brief description, the authors tackle the conception of ramifications, explaining that the engagement with stereotypes delivers a configuration of the group finding stereotypical representation from the media’s hand, putting forth significant qualifications about the people encapsulated, such as whether they are allotted an advantageous or disadvantageous aura (ibid 140). The consumer, however, also appears as a significant stake-holder in this equation because visiting stereotypical dimensions of groups can be the directing agent in the engagement we experience with similar peoples, the suggestion being that our eyes viewing entertainment with stereotype permeating it will consequently allow the detrimental mode of perception to paint the picture of our reality (ibid 140).

Everybody Loves Raymond Season 8 DVD
Source: HMV.ca

            My favorite television show has always been Everybody Loves Raymond, and though I would not suggest it is tremendously significant to the program’s backdrop, when the nationalistic atmosphere is conveyed, its extends to the Italian demographic ("Roberts Date" Everybody Loves Raymond). When I read this section from Ott and Mack, I thought about an episode where Raymond’s (Ray Romano) brother Robert (Brad Garrett) acknowledges that something is “whack,” a term which holds a position in the lexicon of slang, the word meaning ludicrous and similar synonyms (ibid). Upon Raymond’s acknowledgment of the enunciation of this term, as well as a perception of his brother’s form of use, he makes the stereotypical comment that due to the Italian aspect of their lives, the connotation of “whack” bears no relation to outrageousness, while Raymond’s implied connection pertains to mafia language (ibid). I am interested in the comedic dynamic this creates. If a character in a television show forwards a humorous comment with the conception of stereotype permeating it, I am not sure if the audience comprehends that a reality-based suggestion has been aimed at them. If my perception is true, there is no ambiguity that a stereotype continues to be a disadvantageous conception but at the same time, perhaps it can fail to permeate thought processes.

                                                                      Works Cited

Everybody Loves Raymond Season 8 DVD. Warner Home Video. HMV.ca. Web. 13 Oct. 2013

Ott, Brian L., and Robert L. Mack. "Cultural Analysis." Critical Media Studies: an Introduction.

     Malden: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010. 123-150. Print.

"Robert's Date." Everybody Loves Raymond. CBS. 1 Feb. 1999. Television.