Everybody Hates Chris

The episode of Everybody Hates Chris that was shown in class is an excellent example of the negative representations of black, lower class people in the media. Specifically, the episode addresses the common black stereotypes of having poor home lives, absent parents, and the overall belief that black people are more violent and aggressive than white people. The episode addresses the everyday stereotyping that comes in a day of the life of a lower-class black, male student at an otherwise all white middle-class school. The episode begins with Chris explaining that he had gotten involved in a fight with the school bully, Caruso, and was beaten up and lost. However, because he is black, all of the faculty and children at the school assumed that Chris did more violent and horrible things to Caruso than actually occurred, such as hurting Caruso’s family, calling him a “cracker”, and stealing his house. Some of the teachers actually go so far as to avoid Chris out of fear of him starting some kind of trouble. Chris is the only black person at his school and is constantly stereotyped by his white schoolmates. In one part of the episode, Chris explains how the children find him fascinating because he is black, treating him more as an exhibit of sorts to be ogled at rather than actual person. The kids ask to touch his hair and ask him racist questions such as "Do you know Gary Coleman?" assuming he does simply because he is black. The assumption that black people have lesser moral values and have a greater inclination towards violence is not new. According to Herman Gray, “Blackness was constructed along a continuum ranging from menace on one end to immortality on the other, with irresponsibility located somewhere in the middle.” (Gray) T... ... middle of paper ... ...nly seen in everyday television. Common beliefs of black families being more aggressive, having lesser moral values, and living less socially acceptable and lawful lives can be clearly seen through the actions of the white characters, and the thoughts that Chris expresses throughout the episode. The show uses satire to exaggerate black stereotypes to the point where it means the opposite of the comedic nature of which it was presented. The treatment and visualization of the lives of the black characters in the episode, through comedy and exaggeration, clearly shows the real-life problem of black stereotyping that is still all too present in American life. Chris’ everyday life as a black student in a white school and struggle to “fit in” is a struggle that non-white students have faced and are still facing today. Works Cited Herman Gray and Wilson, Gutierrez, Chao