Stereotypes+used+on+iCarly+-+Alexis+Berry

A stereotype is a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group or multiple people. The television show iCarly airs on Nickelodeon and attracts a wide range of viewers from children in elementary school, teenagers of both sexes, and even some adults. While the show is made popular by its modern use of technology and its comic relief, the common use of stereotypes ignites the question; is the shows use of stereotypes of other cultures which is done in a negative light sending the wrong messages to American children about those culturally different from us? Through-out Season 1 and Season 2 of iCarly, eight episodes have referenced cultural stereotypes and all were done in an unfavorable way. In Season 1, the episodes iWant More Viewers, iNevel, iWant to Date Freddie, iAm your Biggest Fan, iDont want to Fight, and iPromote Tech-Foots featured comments making fun of the French, portraying Asian’s as “geeky”, turning the common use of “eh” from the Canadian culture into a laughable matter, and the show even went as far as alluding to the fact that anyone who was from a country besides the United States was dumb. While the portrayal of other cultures in a negative light seemed to be suffice in Season 1, Season 2 not only picked up where Season 1 left off with their “cultural comedy,” but it also seemed to up the ante. In Season 2 British, Asians, Mexicans, as well as homosexuals were all targets of stereotyping on the show. Although whether children watching the show actually pick up on the stereotypes of other cultures is still debatable, the presence of stereotypes in a negative light throughout the show is undeniable. Children watching this show for entertainment should be able to enjoy a laugh but not at the expense of someone else’s culture.

Wow-- you've detected a pattern, indeed. It will be important to explore some aspect of "ethnic humor" and children in the literature on children and media in order to establish that this is an unusual feature of children's television. I would suggest you look at the book by Carlos Cortes, entitled, The Children are Watching, to learn more about stereotypes and their role in children's lives. GRADE: B-