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The world according to Eric: media representation of African Americans
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The World According To Eric:
Media Representation of African Americans
Eric Devontae Russell
A Thesis Presented to the
Faculty of the USC Graduate School
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Specialized Journalism
December 2017
Copyright 2017 Eric Devontae Russell
Russell 2
Table Of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………....3
Introduction………………………………………………………………………......4
The Personal Impact of Black Programming……………………………………....4
The Numbers………………………………………………………………………….4
Christine Acham Interview………………………………………………………..…5
Miki Turner Interview……………………………………………………………..…6
Fusion TV Clip………………………………………………………………………...7
They Are A Uniting Factor…………………………………………………………....8
Charle Moore & Tiffani Dupree Interview………………………………………..…8
Angelique Perrin & Stefanie De Leon Tzic Interview……………………………….9
They Provide Us With Role Models……………………………………………….....10
Mary Murphy Interview……………………………………………………………...10
Truth Awards, Red Carpet Interview…………………………………………….....10
They Make Us Think………………………………………………………………....12
“Black-Ish” Scene……………………………………………………………….…….13
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..14
References……………………………………………………………………………..15
Russell 3
Abstract
I struggled for a while to figure out what my thesis would focus on. What would be my golden
ticket out of these USC doors and into one of the greatest alumni pools known to mankind? The
media representation or lack thereof, of my people has always bothered me. I remember so
vividly having a plethora of shows to choose from on network television. I was almost
overwhelmed. Now, I’m severely underwhelmed. African Americans have contributed a great
deal to television and the art of acting. There is no reason why we are only featured on Reality
Television. Through some conversation with my peers as well as Alan Ginsberg and Sasha
Anawalt, I realized that my pressing concern around the lack of Black representation on TV was
indeed, thesis worthy. From that one class discussion, to countless interviews and anxiety-
provoking hours of research, I learned so much about the inner workings of television networks.
My hope is to provide the viewer and the reader with a bit of nostalgia and some clarity as to
where some of our most successful Black shows went. I also hope to encourage the viewer to
question authority. Just because it’s spoon fed, doesn’t make it healthy.
Russell 4
--Introduction—
Eric: “What’s up y’all? It’s been a minute since I’ve done radio, but in the words of Lil’ Kim,
‘I’ve been gone for a minute, now I’m back with the jump off.’ Welcome to The World
According to Eric. Where we will discuss all things entertainment, Black entertainment.”
“Growing up, Black TV was my everything. I remember just running home and watching
the Parkers and hearing the infamous, “Hey Professor Olglvee” (Parker’s theme song plays)
Nicki taught me how to get your man, how to keep him, stop at nothing. Then having Moesha, I
was obsessed with Brandy.”
--The Personal Impact of Black Programming—
The World According to Eric: “Growing up, I remember being glued to my television
set. Whether it was watching the news with my mom. (Brenda Blackmon clip) Or teaching
myself the newest dance moves. (Chicken Noodle Soup Clip) I felt a sense of comfort watching
TV. Especially with networks such as UPN & BET. It made me feel like I could make it on the
big screen too. But then one day… BOOM. It was like they all vanished and were replaced with
rachetness. (Flavor of Love Clips). I didn’t know how to feel. That’s a lie, yes I did.” (Everybody
Hates Chris clip). “The battle for TV representation has been nothing but an uphill one. So, I
decided to take a journey in search of answers. I’ve interviewed students, faculty and
professionals in the entertainment industry.”
--The Numbers—
Eric: “So being a part of a show like A Different World, how does it feel to see a decline in the
number of Black programs on TV?”
Russell 5
Loretta Devine: “Do you think there’s a decline? Oh well you know, I disagree with you
because there are so many stations. This is the first time I think in the history of television, we’ve
had about 7 lead actresses that are carrying shows like The Quad, Scandal, How to Get Away
with Murder. Everything that Shonda Rhimes creates and on all of the different channels.
There’s a whole new flock of young girls that are coming in, that we are meeting for the first
time. Girls that were nominated for the academy thanks to Cheryl Boone Isaacs. So, there’s so
many things that are happening that are positive. We gotta focus on that, and hope they’ll remain
and not go away with this new administration.” *Laughs*
The World According to Eric: “What’s crazy to me is how people can say we’re in
such a good place at the moment. Just because there are Black television shows on TV (sarcastic
WOOO). Let’s crunch some numbers, in 2015 the U.S. Census Bureau said there are almost 47
million Black people in the United States alone.
1
2
Yet there are 7 Black sitcoms on television. In
addition to that, Black people watch 40% more television than the rest of society. So how are we
in a good place? Especially when one of those 7 sitcoms is about a high school genius who finds
out her parents are spies… right. So, I don’t think we’re in a good place and I hope by watching
this documentary, that you see things from my perspective.”
-- Christine Acham Interview—
Christine Acham: “I look at African American Programming as being a sort of an eb
and flow in terms of the amount. So, when we look at the very earliest decade of television like
1
Bureau, U. C. (2015, January 21). Newsroom. Retrieved May 10, 2017,
2
American Community Survey, U. C. (n.d.). 2015 Census Black Population Estimates. Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Russell 6
the 1950’s we just had a few shows. The two primary ones were, Beulah and Amos ‘N’ Andy.”
(Amos ‘N’ Andy clip). The NAACP had long feared a televised version of the very popular radio
program and was in court on the day of its debut seeking an injunction to prevent Amos ‘n’
Andy from airing. (Beulah Clip). The organization especially decried the show’s interpretation of
black females, as leaders claimed that Amos ‘n’ Andy had shown black women ‘as cackling,
screaming shrews, in big-mouth close-ups, using street slang
3
Unsuccessful in court, the NAACP
abandoned its condemnation of Beulah and concentrated its efforts on a nationwide boycott
of Amos ‘n’ Andy. According to the organization, in its portrayal and perpetuation of negative
black stereotypes, the series had slandered an ‘entire race of 15,000,000 Americans.
4
Christine Acham: “But because of protests around those images, Africans were really
sort of pulled off of television for a while. I think networks really didn’t know how to deal with
the African American image and they didn’t really wanna put the effort into trying to make
images that were acceptable to main stream African American audiences.”
--Miki Turner Interview—
Eric: “Do you feel that there is a noticeable shift in entertainment?”
Miki: “Well you know, these things are always cyclical. And I’m old enough to have
been through it many many times. Right now, is kind of a good wave but you never really expect
it to continue. Here’s the thing about Hollywood and race. You know, a lot of people think that
racism is at the core of the discrimination. It’s not, it’s nepotism ok. Nepotism fuels Hollywood
and if you look at a Rob Reiner movie or even a Spielberg movie and you look at the credits in
3
Watkins, M. (1991, July 06). What Was It About 'Amos 'n' Andy'? Retrieved May 10, 2017,
4
Watkins, M. (1991, July 06). What Was It About 'Amos 'n' Andy'? Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Russell 7
the end, you know, not just the top credits but when you start getting down to grips and stuff like
that. You’ll see Spielberg and Reiner again, that’s who they hire, they hire who they know.”
The World According to Eric: “One of the more interesting questions for me is, what is
black TV? Fusion TV did this parody type of conversation about a black TV renaissance for
television. In that was the question of what is Black TV. So, Black TV is a show where the
writers, directors, producers, and actors are predominately African American.” (Fusion Clip)
The World According to Eric: “Alright, wait a minute soul sister. Before you ask that
question. One of the examples that drives me absolutely bonkers is when people say that Scandal
is an example of Black television programming. Now, yes, I see why you’re saying that, because
Kerry Washington is indeed black. But, Shonda Rhimes, the creator of the show, prides herself
on the fact that she colorblind casts. Meaning that if you’re talented enough, then you will get the
role. So, scandal is not a good example of Black programming… carry on.”
--Fusion TV clip—
Fusion: “Who’s employing these Black creators and Black talent? Who is signing their
checks? Who’s running the networks that air these shows? For me, you have to look past the
screens and take in our industry as a whole before you start labeling anything as ‘Black TV’”
The World According to Eric: “Well let’s examine that. If we go back to the 1930s at
the start of these sales of airwaves, who was able to afford them? White males. So, it wasn’t until
the 1970s when the FCC implemented their Minority Ownership Policy. Basically, offering tax
Russell 8
incentives to anyone who wanted to sell networks to African Americans.
5
We didn’t have any
television stations. We had one. So, in the 17-year run of the FCC’s policy, yes, we went from
one station to ten. But that’s still horrible because I have over 500 channels. So, the fact that we
only have 10 networks is crazy, it’s disgraceful. From that point, in 1995 when the Republican
Congress was elected, they brought us down. They brought us down to six percent of
commercial network television. We had six percent of FM stations and 11% of AM stations.
Honestly, the progression was short lived. We’re not doing too good anymore and BET is no
longer Black owned. That was sold in 2003 to a white man. So, when we look at networks, we
need to not only look at who’s running them but why they’re running them. It’s a matter of
historic discrimination. If you start off without the financial means, black people, you can’t
afford networks. Therefore, you cannot afford representation. But white people who are
financially equip, they’re perfectly fine. We got TV Land over there, we got Nick at Nite over
there, we’re doing fine. So, we need to look at the holistic issue here.”
--They are a uniting factor—
--Charle Moore & Tiffani Dupree Interview—
I started this podcast off with a game to test Charle’s and Tiffani’s knowledge of Black sitcoms.
The World According to Eric: (Keenan & Kel Theme song) “It was about to say it.”
Charle Moore: “It’s got to be a west coast show with that type of beat.”
Tiffani Dupree: “I know the show, I’ve heard that before. I can’t remember the name”
Charle Moore: “It’s not Bebe’s Kids, is it?”
Eric: No! it ain’t no Bebe’s Kids. No!”
5
Zook, K. B. (2015, August 17). Blacks own just 10 U.S. television stations. Here’s why. Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Russell 9
Charle Moore: “I don’t know what the freak that was, with that low rider beat.” “Keenan &
Kel?”
Eric: “Yes! There you go. You see, that took too long. I need a buzzer.”
Charle Moore: “Nobody paid attention to Keenan & Kel.”
Eric: “No, we’re not going to shade it just because you didn’t know it.”
Charle Moore: “But Kel is fine.”
Eric: “What?!”
Charle Moore: “Is Kel the one…”
Eric: “Girl, neither one is fine to me, so I really can’t help you”
Tiffani Dupree: “I’m like, I don’t even know which is which but no”
--Angelique Perrin & Stefanie De Leon Tzic Interview—
Angelique Perrin: “Just stop, just stop, ok. There will be no discussions with me about Solange.
Eric: “What?! Hadley Street Dreams?”
Angelique Perrin: “That’s like me and you making music in a basement”
Stefanie De Leon Tzic: “Well, I heard it was received well”
Angelique Perrin: “And that’s the truth.”
Russell 10
--They Provide us with role models—
--Mary Murphy Interview—
Mary Murphy: “Children especially look to television for role models. I was thinking
about the American family on television and how it was always 99% white Americans and white
middle class Americans.” “So, anybody below the poverty level, black or white, could not
identify with what was happening on television.
--Truth Awards, Red Carpet Interview—
Eric: “How important is it to have representation of different social groups on television?”
Angela Robinson: “It’s so important. Imaging is everything. So, when people see themselves,
they become a valuable part of society.” “You can’t have a world where everything looks the
same. It’s important for gay people to see themselves, for black people to see themselves, for
trans-people to see themselves. Then they know, I’m not strange, I exist.”
Jon Chaffin: “I mean, it’s totally important. That’s why I got into acting. Being able to see
images of Denzel, Samuel Jackson, Laurence Fishburne and Sidney Poitier. All of these images
of Black actors that I could relate to because they look like me.
Isis King: “I think it’s important because we live in a day where you don’t know unless you see.
So, if you don’t see, you’re not educated about it. You know? So, it’s important because people
need to see themselves and people need to see the normality of different groups.”
Russell 11
The World According to Eric: “Now in my opinion, one of the best parts of having
Black programs on television, is the way that they address issues that make certain groups of
people uncomfortable. I’m not always necessarily talking about race even though there are
examples of that. Like that All in The Family episode of Archie Bunker, calling George
Jefferson’s mom, Mammy. What? … Like what?” (All in the Family clip).
“I said put it down now! You’ve had enough”- Olivia Jefferson
“I’m a big boy now, I don’t need you to blow my nose for me.”- George Jefferson
“George”- Olivia Jefferson
“Hey there Jefferson, that ain't very nice talking that way to your little mammy here.”
“Who you calling mammy?!”-Olivia Jefferson
The World According to Eric: “Then you have that episode of A Different World, when Tisha
Campbell’s character, Josie Webb, basically announced that she had aids to her whole class.
During a time when aids was such a taboo topic. People didn’t know what aids were. (A
Different World clip) “It was a proud day when she graduated from Hillman with a degree in
English literature in high honors. That was the spring of 1992. By the following spring, Josie
Webb had died of acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The disease we all know as AIDS.”
The World According to Eric: “So that’s what I love about black programming as well. Every
time you watched an episode, you knew you were going to learn something (Fresh Prince of Bel-
Air clip) “Ok, I get it now. We were stopped because we were going too slow. We were breaking
the slowness limit. Oh, ok well you see, I never heard of that law. But I have heard of this other
law. It’s called, if you see a black guy driving anything but a burnt-out pinto, you better stop him
because he stole it law. Yeah, I heard that law. But you see, I thought that was the black guy law,
Russell 12
when in all actuality, it was the slowness limit law. Thank you for sharing that with me Carlton,
good night.”
According to The Guardian’s police killings database, 1,096 people have died at the hands of
police so far, this year. The Washington Post reports that 908 people have been shot and killed
by Cops.
6
(News Report) “He’s walking very slowly, he has his hands up. Even the helicopter
makes the comment that he has his hands up. He’s compliant but, he gets to the car and they taze
him right before she shoots him.” Going by The Guardian's count, Native Americans and Black
People are being killed at the highest rates in the United States. 215 Black Americans have been
killed by police so far, this year, at a rate of 5.38 deaths per million.
7
(News broadcast)
“Firestorm of controversy swirling around the death of 28-year-old. African American woman,
officials say Sandra Bland was found hanging in her Texas jail cell.”
--They make us think—
“On January 16, 1992 NBC aired a special episode of ‘A Different World’ dealing with racial
bias. Over 20 years later, this is still an issue.” (A Different World clip)
A&M guy: “My Grandfather came to this country with nothing, he couldn’t even speak the
language. But he worked hard and he made a place for himself and his family. Now why can’t
your people do the same?”
Dwayne: “My Grandfather built this country man. He fought wars for it. And most places he
went, wouldn’t let him sit down and get a cup of coffee. I can’t even catch a cab in NY. You
6
Swaine, J., Laughland, O., Lartey, J., Davis, K., Harris, R., Popovich, N., . . . Team, G. U. (n.d.). The Counted:
people killed by police in the United States – interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2017,
7
Swaine, J., Laughland, O., Lartey, J., Davis, K., Harris, R., Popovich, N., . . . Team, G. U. (n.d.). The Counted:
people killed by police in the United States – interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Russell 13
know it doesn’t matter how many degrees I get. All you people see is color.” “Your grandfather
was an immigrant, you’re an American. My grandfather was born here Duke and you people still
look at me as just another nigga.”
--“Black-Ish” Scene—
“You don’t think I care about this country? I love this country even though at times, it doesn’t
love me back. For my whole life, my parents, my grandparents, me, for most black people, this
system has never worked. *Strange Fruit plays* But we still play ball. Tried to do our best to live
by the rules even though we knew they would never work in our favor.” “Had to live in
neighborhoods that you wouldn’t drive through. Send our kids to schools with books so beat up,
you couldn’t read them. Worked jobs that you wouldn’t even consider in your nightmares. Black
people wake up every day believing that our lives are going to change. Even though everything
around us says it’s not. Truth be told, you ask most black people and they’ll tell you that no
matter who won this election, they didn’t expect the hood to get better. But they still voted
because that’s what you’re supposed to do. You think I’m not sad that Hillary didn’t win? That
I’m not terrified about what Trump’s about to do.” “I’m used to things not going my way. I’m
sorry that you’re not and it’s blowing your mind. So, excuse me if I get a little offended because
I didn’t see all of this outrage when everything was happening to all of my people. Since we
were stuffed in boats and chains. I love this country just as much if not more than you do and
don’t you ever forget that.”
Russell 14
--Conclusion—
The World According to Eric: “Representation means a lot. Representation is the
difference between life and death for some. A young boy growing up or a young female growing
up feeling like they’re in the wrong body, need shows like Rupaul’s Drag Race and Noah’s Arc.
They need that understanding that they do exist and that their life is valuable. Shows like The
Proud Family. Animated or not, shows like Fat Albert. It shows that we can have wholesome
values. We can have stable families. We can have fun, there’s nothing animalistic about us.
Shows like Moesha, shows like The Parkers, shows like One on One and All of us. It shows that
we can get down and have a good time, but we face issues. We have goals and ambition and if
networks aren’t allowing us to tell our stories, then no one will hear them and that’s a detriment
to our society. So, representation shouldn’t only be taken into account when we’re talking about
commodity. Representation is humanistic trait and we’re all humans and we deserve it. But
Thank you for watching The World According to Eric. I hope you enjoyed.
Russell 15
References
Acham, Christine, Personal Interview, March 9
th
, 2017,
American Community Survey, U. C. (n.d.). 2015 Census Black Population Estimates. Retrieved
May 10, 2017,
Bureau, U. C. (2015, January 21). Newsroom. Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Chaffin, Jon, Red Carpet Interview, February 28
th
, 2017,
Devine, Loretta, Red Carpet Interview, March 11
th
, 2017,
Dupree, Tiffani, Personal Interview, February 24
th
, 2017,
King, Isis, Red Carpet Interview, March 11
th
, 2017,
Moore, Charle, Personal Interview, February 24
th
, 2017,
Murphy, Mary, Personal Interview, March 9
th
, 2017,
Perrin, Angelique, Personal Interview, February 17
th
, 2017
Robinson, Angela, Red Carpet Interview, March 11
th
, 2017,
Swaine, J., Laughland, O., Lartey, J., Davis, K., Harris, R., Popovich, N., . . . Team, G. U. (n.d.).
The Counted: people killed by police in the United States – interactive. Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Turner, Miki, Personal interview, March 22
nd
, 2017,
De Leon Tzic, Stefanie, Personal Interview, February 17
th
, 2017,
Watkins, M. (1991, July 06). What Was It About 'Amos 'n' Andy'? Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Zook, K. B. (2015, August 17). Blacks own just 10 U.S. television stations. Here’s why.
Retrieved May 10, 2017,
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
I struggled for a while to figure out what my thesis would focus on. What would be my golden ticket out of these USC doors and into one of the greatest alumni pools known to mankind? The media representation or lack thereof, of my people has always bothered me. I remember so vividly having a plethora of shows to choose from on network television. I was almost overwhelmed. Now, I’m severely underwhelmed. African Americans have contributed a great deal to television and the art of acting. There is no reason why we are only featured on Reality Television. Through some conversation with my peers as well as Alan Ginsberg and Sasha Anawalt, I realized that my pressing concern around the lack of Black representation on TV was indeed, thesis worthy. From that one class discussion, to countless interviews and anxiety provoking hours of research, I learned so much about the inner workings of television networks. My hope is to provide the viewer and the reader with a bit of nostalgia and some clarity as to where some of our most successful Black shows went. I also hope to encourage the viewer to question authority. Just because it’s spoon fed, doesn’t make it healthy.
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Russell, Eric Devontae
(author)
Core Title
The world according to Eric: media representation of African Americans
School
Annenberg School for Communication
Degree
Master of Arts
Degree Program
Specialized Journalism
Publication Date
10/10/2017
Defense Date
10/09/2017
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
(digital)
Tag
African American,Black,Entertainment,FCC,marginalization,networks,OAI-PMH Harvest,Oppression,representation,Television
Language
English
Contributor
Electronically uploaded by the author
(provenance)
Advisor
Cole, K C (
committee chair
), Hebert, Lisa (
committee member
), Littlejohn, Janice (
committee member
)
Creator Email
edrussel@usc.edu,ericdevontae@gmail.com
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etd-RussellEri-5833.pdf
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443390
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Russell, Eric Devontae
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Tags
FCC
marginalization
networks
representation