1. Does the movie or show you've chosen reflect racial and gender diversity? Why or why not? Explain why this kind of diversity is important in the media.
I think the show New Girl reflects racial and gender diversity in some ways but still is not totally equal in terms of a full range of diversity. The main characters consist of 4-5 guys and only 2-3 girls. While the show is technically centered around one main female character (hence the title of the show), a lot of the plot is based around the male characters. It is close to being equal regarding gender because there isn't a huge disparity in screen time between the male and female characters though. The show does reflect racial diversity in that all of the main characters are of different races. There is one token white guy, a jew, 2 african-americans, an indian, etc.
I would argue that gender-wise the show is LESS diverse than regarding race. While there are 2 female main characters, they usually are engaging in the males style of living, for example they are rarely shown doing common female activities and are mostly shown in context to what the males are doing. Also the main female character is Caucasian looking, fair-skinned etc.
This diversity is important because tv and movie media reach and influence a huge number of people including children. If inequality is put on repeat throughout this media then just by pure repetition, the idea that inequality is ok can be deemed normal and acceptable by all who view this media.
2. Are there any racial or gender stereotypes present in the show or movie you've chosen? If so, identify them and describe how they are stereotypical. If not, describe what elements would prevent the portrayal of a female or ethnic minority characters from being stereotypical.
The show New Girl does present some racial and gender stereotypes. The show presents the Jewish character as a metro, fashion-aware man with a good sense of finance. This presents the stereotype that Jewish people are thrifty with their finances, and metro-sexual - they dress nice and can come off as homosexual sometimes. The Caucasian character is portrayed as lazy, grungy, and generally careless. This is a stereotypical view of Americans. The African-American character is athletic, tall, and is a PE coach at a school. His name is actually "Coach". This is stereotypical in that African-Americans are generally viewed as great at athletic sports and less so at academics. This character plays a teacher, but it is as an athletic teacher versus an academic subject teacher.
Gender stereotypes are actually blurred because the female characters often break stereotypes by engaging with the men in typically male activities like watching sports. The females also are quite independent and self-reliant so the show does a good job of avoiding the housewife stereotype.
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