This article analyzes the social construction of the African American family on primetime broadcast television. A comparative content analysis was conducted on two scripted television shows, “The Cosby Show” and “Blackish.” The analysis reveals similarities among both shows which include well-rounded, educated family members that are representative of suburban, affluent minorities in America. The differences, however, include each broadcast shows’ willingness to address racial inequality, stereotyping, racial tension in the workplace, and racial disparity in a multitude of situations. By examining select episodes of each show, research reveals how the African American family is depicted in primetime network television and how these examples have evolved over time. In addition to these comparisons, the portrayal of minorities in the current television landscape is compared to the characters of the late 1980s and early 90s and noticeably how the freedom to address race and equality (or lack thereof) honestly in situation comedies has evolved greatly throughout the past three decades.
About the presenterDavid Leon Stamps
David Stamps studies the intersections of race and media as an MA student in Mass Communications at California State University Northridge where he is a Pearl S. Simmons scholar, Dean’s Award recipient and recent Graduate Studies Fellow. He has presented his research at the Broadcast Education Association and CSUN Research and Creative Works Symposium.