This week we looked into how minorities are displayed in the media, specifically TV. We took a look at a chapter from "White Responses - The Emergence of 'Enlightened' Racism," which basically talked about the idea of 'enlightened' racism, which can be defined as racism that is not based on skin color, but is based more on cultural behaviors and stereotypes, and being more quiet (or subtle).
Jhally tries to explain in the chapter how shows like the Cosby Show separates the audiences into the viewers who see the show as "unrealistic" because the family wasn't "normal" and the viewers who didn't see the race of the family in the Cosby Show, because they may have been "acting normal (or 'white')." One question that can be asked here is how and why the word 'normal' can be used in a racist way.
I disagree with the idea that was showed in the reading that mentioned that the Cosby Show was not a accurate representation of "black life," and I think that in shows like that, people need to be able to see the color that the people are, as well as being able to say that they are "normal" in order for us to be able to move forward as a society.
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