In the Saturday Night Live skit, “Black Jeopardy With Tom Hanks,” there is an underlying message being conveyed about the unexpected similarities of diverse individuals. This message is revealed through the use of satirical devices of parody, stereotypes, and juxtaposition. This message is vital in the world 's current social (and political) climate and is communicated through a comedic and optimistic perspective in hopes of cultivating the idea of togetherness. The skit is set in the popular television game show, Jeopardy, which showcases three individual contestants competing in a formal intellect competition parodies Jeopardy by having the contestants speak in slang, grammatically incorrect category titles, and questions referring to things usually associated with African-American culture. The skit illustrates elements of satire, such as parody, and therefore creates the foundation of the underlying message as a whole. Saturday Night Live begins to form it’s message through the stereotypes of the contestants on Black Jeopardy. Keeley (portrayed by Sasheer Zamata), Shanice (portrayed by Leslie Jones), and Darnell Hayes (portrayed by Kenan Thompson) embody the "typical" urban people of color while Doug (portrayed by Tom Hanks) embodies the "typical" southern conservative. For example, Keeley, Shanice, and Darnell are uncommon names while Doug ia a traditional white male name. This stereotype stems from the general misconception that all people of color have names that
George Carlin is one of the most renowned comedians of all time, known for his sharp wit, insightful social commentary, and irreverent attitude towards authority. In his stand-up special "Jammin in New York," Carlin delivers a masterful performance that tackles a wide range of topics, from politics and religion to language and culture. Through his incisive humor and provocative insights, Carlin challenges the audience to question their assumptions and think critically about the world around them. One of the key themes of Carlin's performance is his critique of American society and its institutions. He takes aim at politicians, the media, and the education system, arguing that they are all complicit in perpetuating a system of oppression
The television show Saturday Night Live performed a skit titled, “Black Jeopardy” in order to suggest that people, no matter their race or background, are more similar than society portrays. The writers of SNL support their suggestion by creating a fake game show, “Black Jeopardy,” for which the object is to answer the black cultured questions correctly. On the game show, the host, as well as two of the three contestants, are African American; the third contestant, Doug, is a white Trump supporter. During the start of the game, it is assumed for Doug to lose due to his race and assumed lack of knowledge of black culture with remarks such as “Sorry Doug!”
An example of this racism and stereotyping in TV shows made as humor is the ever long lasting show, The Simpsons. A long running joke on this show is the use Hindus only working in grocery stores and giving their owners very stereotypical name for being Hindu. These subtle but racist on going joking, but the public think it is okay to have these racist mindsets. Using stereotypes are also happens frequently in movies.
A way to add sarcastic humor to the racial
Where do we draw the lines between adoration and mockery, influence and appropriation, and individuality and stereotyping? Accordingly, the racial subject has always been a touchy topic to discuss, but with the lasting effects that the black minstrelsy has left in the society, we most definitely need to deal with the racial subject. Only this way can the American society move forward both as a nation and as a species, and through such efforts, only then can we ensure that such history can never repeat
In Kimberly Jones’ speech “How can we win?” , she uses an abhorring tone to highlight the injustice done to black communities especially in america. She uses the pathos way of speaking, analogies, juxtapositions and repetition on the road to finishing her speech. First Jones uses the Monopoly analogy. Jones states “for 400 rounds of playing Monopoly, [...]
In the sixties, segregation and racism dominated in most social settings. In the seventies, most minorities were trying to deter from old beliefs of prejudicial ideas. In modern times, minorities have equal rights and respect to their white counterparts. Four sitcoms, Amos ’n’ Andy, Julia, Sanford and Son, and The Cosby Show depict how the role of minorities changed throughout different time periods. First of all, in the 1950’s, African Americans had few roles in television sitcoms, but when they were offered parts, it consisted of stereotypical portrayals of characters being lazy, simple, or holding domestic servant roles.
Although race relations in the United States between whites and African Americans have significantly improved since the abolishment of Jim Crow laws, director Spike Lee’s socially conscious satire, Bamboozled shows that discrimination has only evolved. Released in 2000, the film sought to edify the African American population about the racist and stereotypical treatments blacks endured during the Jim Crow era when they were used to entertain the white masses. Moreover, it also shows how that culture is still propagated today, with African American film makers just as guilty. From the time the first African set foot in the North American colony of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, race relations have always been whites’ superiority over blacks.
Unfortunately, the context is which the jokes are consumed isn’t always the same. Where the actual problem and racism comes from is when the audience watching laughs because they agree with the characters. They are no longer laughing at Christmas Eve because she personifies stereotypes, but because they believe in those stereotypes. The humor shifts from being humorous because of a character to being humorous because of race. Here is where the problem lies, not in the show itself, but in the way it is
The Swedish documentary, Black Mixtape, traces race relations in the United States from 1967-1975. The captivating documentary includes appearances by popular African American figures like Civil Rights activist Stokely Carmichael, Black Panther Party founders Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The purpose of the documentary is to show America in a different viewpoint than how it is portrayed internationally. Due to the Swedish dialect throughout the film, it is evident that there isn’t a specified audience. Black Americans have struggled to obtain equality and justice in this country for decades.
Satire also allows an argument for both sides and shows that sometimes ‘experts’ can be wrong. In October 2013, for example, Jon Stewart hosted Kathleen Seblius, The US secretary of Health and Human services, and criticized Obamacare for delaying compliance with the bill for big businesses but not individuals. He analyzed the fact that these businesses can lobby for their interests while individuals cannot. Although some coverage of this issue made news sources, Stewart presented it at length with an authentic source and in a comedic and memorable fashion. He caught viewers’ attention
In Marlon Riggs’ 1992 documentary film titled Color Adjustment, Riggs, the Emmy winning producer of Ethnic Notions, continues his studies of prejudice in television. The documentary film looks at the years between 1948 and 1988 to analyze how over a 40 year period, race relations are viewed through the lens of prime time entertainment. The film examined many of television’s stereotypes and mythes and how they changed over the years. The one hour and twenty-two minute documentary is narrated by Ruby Dee, the American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist.
Although many people doubted the success of ‘The Cosby Show’ when it was first broadcasted in 1984, it turned out to be the number one rated show in the next five consecutive seasons. The show depicted a life of a black family, influencing young people positively by getting rid of the prejudice towards African American family and by emphasizing the importance of good family and friend relationships. As it was one of the most popular shows during the time, a lot of people were impacted. Before this show was broadcasted, people had bias against black people being rude and uneducated.
One of the all-time, greatest shows to ever grace my television screen is, none other than, The Office. Michael Scott, played by Steve Carrell, is every embodiment of how one should NOT talk and act in American society. His language and communicative style completely opposes that which is acceptable. Consequently, I thought what better for me to use in this assignment then a scene from The Office that makes me burst out into laughter time and time again – Season 3, episode 1: “Gay Witch Hunt” (17:00 – 19:45).
Many audiences of stand up comedy enjoy hearing their favorite comedian entertain them. But what would one think when a comedian cracks a joke about a sensitive topic, for example, a tragedy that affected hundreds of people. Some may argue that, comedians are not supposed to overstep the boundary of controversial jokes. These controversial jokes are linked with political correctness—which is used to describe language, policies, and measures that are taken to avoid offense to certain groups of people. Comedians are not compelled to restrain from controversial topics due to the topic not being sugar-coated, the higher level of contemplation that the joke can reach, and the job of the comedian—to make the current issue manageable.