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A Critique of How Television Represents Race Through Humor

The racial identity of an ethnic minority character is often portrayed through their reinforcement of stereotypes, or frequently expressed/mentioned with humor as an aid. The humor driven characterizing of minority characters is in stark contrast to characters who tend to have a more accurate and full range of character identity building/expression that is not limited to what humor can convey. This led me to analyze the history of race in television as well as the tactics of more recent shows with the hope of determining how using humor as a crutch consistently impacts the perpetuation of stereotypes, the development of diverse characters, and the representation of authentic racial experiences.