Write a (minimum) 2-page paper discussing stereotypes you’ve seen on television.

1. Identify three shows you watched and detail specific examples from these shows.
2. Discuss how each of these stereotypical descriptions have impacted society.
3. Discuss specific examples of how you have been influenced by stereotypes you’ve seen on television (currently or in the past). Do not tell me you have never been influenced! How have these stereotypes affected your perception of others?
4. You should discuss at least three TV shows in your paper.
5. I am really looking for details not generalities.

 

A stereotype is defined as a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. In television shows, stereotypes are fundamental in the sense that they play a critical role in shaping societal expectations about social groups (Bordalo et al., 2016). Stereotypical television shows manipulates audience opinions and attitudes towards certain groups of people.  Stereotypes prevalent in television shows include cheerleader, atheist and homeless. The three stereotypical television shows I have watched are Cheer, The American Gods, and Filthy Rich and Homeless.

Cheer is a Netflix docuseries that strives to redefine the existing stereotypes that cheerleading is not dangerous. The stereotype is illustrated using the character of Morgan Simianer, a cheerleader that sheds light on the struggles and pain cheerleaders undergo. She strives to challenge the commonly held stereotypes that most cheerleaders are dumb blondes. The show accomplishes the milestone of cheerleading stereotypes by giving it the visibility and exposure required to prove its value as a challenging feat. By the end of the show, audiences are made to believe that even if the cheerleaders are competent enough, they are not immune from subsequent replacement and sudden injuries, among other challenges.

The American Gods is a television show grounded on atheist stereotypes. The show describes atheism as the new god. From an atheist’s perspective, it could be a new god but only for the individuals who perceive atheism as religion and those who strongly believe in absolute unquestioning the existence of god—the character in the show that takes this role is New Kid. The character represents an unnamed faith in progress which is a major threat to the rest of the gods.  The atheist god born from this zealotry would be a hypocritical and self-loathing god. The show also reveals that the new god would look down on believers of other gods as deluded idiots while at the same time demanding the same blind devotion from its own followers. Overall, the pattern of gods rising and unseating the old gods stretches back through history and is the shows’ main theme.

Filthy Rich and Homeless is a three-episode television show that explores the hidden realities regarding homelessness in Australia. The show captures a journey of wealthy and high-profile Australians as they experience what life is really like for homeless people. The stereotype illustrated in this show is that homelessness should be declared a state of emergency. The coverage of homeless persons compels Naidoo, one of the show’s characters, to ascertain that there is a need to develop a national social leasing scheme in the quest to address homelessness. Therefore, the show oversimplified the solutions and portrayed homelessness as a problem based on the stereotypes about homeless individuals and the possible causes.

The stereotypical description of the atheists has impacted society in the sense that it leads to rooted distrust and discrimination. For example, the none-believers are presumed to be deviant of the religious norms and are thus discriminated against (Grove et al., 2020). The stereotypical description of cheerleaders as immune to injuries and challenges has shaped society to believe they are more than humans and should be perfect in all endeavors. Lastly, the stereotypical description of homeless has made society believe that homeless persons are lazy and have substance use issues, which means they are homeless by choice. Tsai et al. (2020) assert that the stereotypical depiction of the homeless has limited the interventions needed to address this social problem.

The depiction of male stereotypes in television shows has had a more significant impact on how I perceive men. The Big Bang Theory is a television show that depicts males as aggressive and weird humans. Through the character of Sheldon, the show reveals that males are more competitive, especially in social groups, because they compare their intelligence and status with one another. The other stereotype I have developed from watching television shows is that men are rescuers while women are victims, especially when men are portrayed as heroes. These stereotypical descriptions of men have affected my perception that I believe men are more superior to women due to their masculinity and intellectual capacity.

In conclusion, stereotypes are generalizations assigned to a certain group of people. Television shows have been at the forefront of making these generalizations in both negative and positive ways. For instance, the description of atheism as the new god has raised controversial debates in society, especially from the followers of other religions. In most cases, stereotypes regarding cheerleaders are grounded on the aspect of perfectionism, thereby exposing cheerleaders to critiques whenever audience expectations are not met. Nonetheless, generalizations need to change as individuals are exposed to complex information about a subject.

Outline

Introduction

• A stereotype is defined as a belief about something or events that have existed for a long time.
• Stereotype television shows aids in manipulating people’s opinions and attitudes towards certain groups of people.
• Stereotypes prevalent in television shows include cheerleader, atheist and homeless.

Body Paragraphs

• Cheer is a Netflix docuseries that strives to redefine and challenge the existing stereotypes regarding cheerleading.
• The American Gods is a television show grounded on atheist stereotypes.
• Filthy Rich and Homeless is a three-episode television show that explores the hidden realities regarding homelessness in Australia.
• The portrayal of male stereotypes in television shows has had a more significant impact on how I perceive men.

Conclusion

• Stereotypes are generalizations assigned to a certain group of people.
• Television shows have been at the forefront of making these generalizations in both negative and positive ways.
• Generalizations need to change as individuals are exposed to complex information about a subject.