Multiculturalism - Quiz 8 Outline and Essay Questions

MASS MEDIA

- According to Warshaw, what is the source of the gangster’s appeal?

- Why did Francis Ford Coppola see the Mafia as a metaphor for America?

- What does Kelley see as the similarities between the views of the characters in gangsta rap and

fictional Mafia characters?

- According to Kelley, what is the appeal of gangsta rap to 1) African-Americans and 2) middle-class

White males?

-What are the reasons for the decline of “ethnicoms” and variety shows in the mid 1950s?

- According to a CBS executive, what were the four things that American viewers would not tolerate

in 1970?

- What are the key conventions of early/mid 1970s “ethnicoms”, particularly Black situation comedies?

- According to Jhally and Lewis, what is the appeal of the The Cosby Show to both Black and White viewers?

- According to Jhally and Lewis, what were the negative aspects of The Cosby Show’s popularity?

- According to Butsch, what are the reasons why there are so few working-class characters on network television?

- Since the early 1990s, what have been the trends with respect to Black situation comedies?

- According to Sun and Espiritu, what are the prominent stereotypes of Asians in American popular culture?

- What is the purpose of satire?

- How does the producer (Jay Roach) of the movie defend the satirical comedy in Borat?

- What are Schulman and Omi’s key assertions about racially based satire like In Living Color?

Quiz 8 Essay Questions

1. Why does Francis Ford Coppola consider the Mafia a metaphor for America? As described by Kelley, what are the similarities between the protagonists (i.e. the “character” the singer adopts) in gangsta rap songs and the Mafia in the Godfather films? According to Warshaw, what are the reasons why Americans enjoy the gangster figure? Are Warshaw’s assertions still accurate? Defend your answer

2. What are Schulman and Omi’s main assertions about racially based satire? How does Borat’s producer, Jay Roach, defend the particular brand of comedy in the movie? Discuss Feeney’s key arguments about Dave Chappelle and The Chappelle Show. In particular, what does Feeney say about The Chappelle Show’s “Real World” sketch”? Do you believe that Chappelle’s “Real World” sketch perpetuates stereotypes about African-Americans? Likewise, does Leguizamo’s “Crossover King” sketch perpetuate stereotypes against Latinos? In your opinion, does Langston Hughes’ claim in 1951 that “certain aspects of the humor of minority groups are often so inbred that they are not palatable for outside consumption”, still apply to American culture? Similarly, do you think audiences “get” the satire in Borat? Elaborate.

3. According to Jhally and Lewis, what was the source of The Cosby Show’s appeal to Black and White viewers? What did Jhally and Lewis regard as the negative consequences of The Cosby Show’s popularity? Describe the key trends with respect to Black sitcoms over the last 15 years? Do you think it is possible to have a working-class Black (or Latino or Asian) situation comedy that is popular with viewers of all races on a major network without resorting to excessive stereotyping? Explain.

Responsible for: Kromkowski: Reading 29, 45

Sun (pps. 656-664); Butsch: (pp. 403-412); Feeney: (pps. 1-2);