ster·e·o·type | ˈsterēəˌtīp | noun
1. a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.
Let’s talk about stereotypes.
So, every now and again my brain starts picking at things. Recently, the portrayal of poor people in film/tv entered my mind – specifically in reference to the race of the characters. Keep in mind, as I criticize the use of generalizations, I’m going to be generalizing….
When there is a poor, Black character they are usually surrounded by crime and violence. They also tend to be miserable and frustrated with the lack of opportunity and/or trying to escape their situation. They live in public housing and their means of transportation is usually public as well. In the more extreme cases there is a tinge of dehumanization.
On the other hand, there is a sense of nobility that surrounds poor, White characters. Their situation tends to be less dire. They usually have an old truck or car. They live in a house or a trailer but still content with where they are, which is usually some supportive community in a steel/farming town. They’re the salt of the earth.
The one-season-wonder ’East New York’ is set in the predominately poor, Black and Latino neighborhoods of East NYC- specifically a public housing unit where one of the principal cast members reside. At first, they were hostile and angry but over the course of the season this White beat cop won them over and they became more congenial.
The inference for White America is “if you’re poor and Black in the ‘inner city’ you must live in the projects, terrorized by gangs”. This is the stereotype being peddled across big and small screens alike. For the record, I don’t know what public housing is really like but I do know this: not all poor Black folks live in public housing and certainly not all of us who happen to live in the city are poor. There are Black families living paycheck to paycheck, living in the house they grew up in, taking the EL(elevated train) or subway to work.
Now, let’s look at the ‘B’ side.
In a show like ‘Roseanne’ or a film like ‘Prisoner’s Daughter’, no matter how much they proclaim to be poor, their situation doesn’t reflect those protestations. They live in a relatively nice house, in a nice, quiet neighborhood with an older but drivable car. Again, this is another stereotype. No matter how poor you are, when you’re White it’s not that bad and even if you are poor it’s because of your bad choices. Rest assured, there are plenty of White folks who live in crime-ridden neighborhoods barely making it not because of bad choices but lack of education, opportunities, etc. – similar to African-Americans.
It’s been said that we shouldn’t rely on films and tv to teach us about history. In the same way, we absolutely should not regard this medium as a sociological or anthropological presentation. Sure, you can become emotionally invested in the characters and talk about their exploits as if they were a family member. But make no mistake, they were cooked up in some production room somewhere, derived from the limited experiences of a handful of folk. It’s entertainment. Don’t assume what you saw on Netflix last night is how people really live.
Just sayin’.
