Media Diversity

Diversity in the American Landscape

The show “Everybody Hates Chris” revolves around the teenage years of Chris Rock. Chris considers himself a normal teenager, but thinks that he is surrounded by people who for some unknown reason dislike or even hate him. Chris lives in Brooklyn, New York in the low-income Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, but attends an all white school in the fictional Brooklyn Beach neighborhood where he is the only black student and unknown to his parents, is picked on by students and teachers. His mother sends him to a school two hours away because she feels it is better for him and he will learn more because he is in a white school. Things always seem go from bad to worse for Chris in his eyes. Chris lives with his mother who runs the household by yelling and screaming all the time, his father who is very tight with money and works several jobs, a brother who is younger than he is but appears to be older, and his sister, who is a spoiled pest who makes it her mission to make sure Chris stays in trouble.

The thing that I suppose could represent diversity is the fact that Chris lives in a predominately black neighborhood, and attends a predominately white school and his best friend is white.

You only now mention diversity, and ambiguously. Most of this section was an explanation of the cast and plot, not diversity. It doesn’t sound like you are convinced this show represents diversity in the American landscape.

Media Stereotypes

One of the stereotypes is that most blacks are poor and live at or near the poverty level is exemplified by the teachers at his school. One teacher in particular is always giving him things because he is black, and she thinks he is poor, hungry, and possibly on the verge of being homeless. Another stereotype in the show is the idea that many of the families on the block where Chris lives are single parent homes with the father missing. Chris’ family seems to be the only two parent home....