Uncle Tom Archetype Analysis

The Uncle Tom archetype was very prominent in television shows in the Jim Crow Era. Since then the stereotype has transformed into the Token Black Friend. This stereotype is most commonly seen in predominately white television shows. In Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Corey Gamble represents the token Black person; in the show, he is currently dating executive producer and matriarch to the family, Kris Jenner. In many episodes, he exhibits traits of the Uncle Tom archetype, he is "submissive, stoic, generous, and selfless" (Bogle 6) because he puts Kris's needs before his, and is always willing and ready to help. In Season 13, episode 3 after being told his help was not needed, Corey is persistent in trying to help Kris with security issues

However, when you dissect the characters even further shows like Black-ish, which is about an upper-middle class Black family. The mother, Rainbow (Tracy Ellis Ross) is a doctor and the father, Andre (Anthony Anderson) is an advertising executive. They have 4 children and they live in a white suburban neighborhood. On the surface this show is very progressive, it shows that Black families can be just as successful as a white family. However, even in a such a progressive show there are times when negative stereotypes about Black people still appear; in season 3, episode 17, Rainbow was portrayed as an Angry Black Woman, she went to a doll store looking for a Black doll and finding that the only two dolls that were available were related to slavery she became upset and began screaming and to white viewers watching she would be labeled as an Angry Black Woman (Black-ish- Season 3). This is just one example, other shows like Black-ish that seem progressive on the surface but if you dissect the show there are subliminal stereotypes of Black people which continue to perpetuate and affirm the perceptions that white people