1. Does the show or movie you've chosen reflect racial and gender diversity? Why or why not? Explain why this kind of diversity is important in media.
The television show I have picked to write about is Breaking Bad, an American crime drama television series created by Vince Gilligan. Breaking Bad is my all time favorite show. The show tells the story of a middle-aged chemistry teacher, Walter White, who is recently diagnosed with lung cancer. With little time left to live and a family to support, Walter makes the decision to work with his former student, Jesse Pinkman, and turns to a life of crime. Walter and Jesse produce and distribute the powerful drug known as crystal meth. The show is a great example of gender diversity. There are many characters of various genders present throughout the show. In regards to racial diversity the show is a little lacking in its variety of races. Majority of the characters in this show are caucasian. However, the show makes up for it by having deep and complex character stories. Having a wide range of racial diversity is especially important in today's media because of the multiple ethnic/gender groups that have access to these media channels. With the advancement of technology people of all ethnic/gender groups have access to view these TV shows. If TV shows restrict themselves to only having one race or gender present in the show then certain groups can be offended. Offending certain people and creating controversy might lead to higher viewers, but the morally right thing to do is to have a diverse cast of characters.
2. Are there any racial or gender stereotypes present in the show or movie you've chose? 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.
There are multiple cases of racial and gender stereotypes present in Breaking Bad. First off, the villain of the show, Gustavo Fring, is one of the few characters in this show who are of Mexican descent. This type of characterization reinforces the stereotype that Mexicans deal with drugs. Normally I would disagree with this type of stereotype, but if you've watched the entire show you realize that the directors purposely did this to improve the story.
The leading female actor of this show, Skyler White, is a great example of a female character not being a gender stereotype. The gender stereotype for women in television shows is usually that of a weak damsel in distress, who needs to be rescued by the main male character. Skyler White is the exact opposite of that. She is a strong independent woman who takes care of her family without the assistance from her husband Walter. This type of female characterization challenges the stereotype of the damsel in distress.
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