Cultural Diversity and Television

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the quality of the television programming content currently geared towards younger audiences while focusing on the lack of cultural diversity in both film and television. This paper discusses the stereotypical manner in which minorities are often portrayed in film and television and its negative impact on young viewers. This paper examines the author's contention that professional educators must be more involved in the type of content being shown on television. The writer contends and explains why it is imperative for teachers to discuss with their students what they are seeing on television as well as how they perceive what they are seeing.

From the Paper:

"Cortes is a consultant with the people who make the Dora cartoon on television. He says the producers are trying very hard to show Dora's life correctly. Even though she is a cartoon, it has looks and sounds like Latin America. The show has a panel of people from Latin America who look at the cartoons. They are from countries like Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica and Argentina. "The idea is to put across messages of understanding, of building cross-cultural, bilingual bridges," Cortes says.
He also likes NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street," because it shows that a multi-ethnic television show can be liked by a diverse audience. He also likes that the 1997 TV musical, "Cinderella," by Whitney Houston, had an African-American Cinderella with a Filipino-American Prince Charming. "I loved the way it included every combination of interracial couple in the ballroom scene," he says."

More papers on Cultural Diversity and Television:

• Persuasive Essay # 98192 : "Cultural Diversity"
• Essay # 116925 : "Portrayal of Diversity in the Media"
• Analytical Essay # 118744 : "American Idol and Mass Media"

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