Sassy Cows and Magical Juju: Representations of Race and Ethnicity on Three Nicktoons Programs
Open Access
Author:
Lawrence, Nicole Marie
Graduate Program:
Media Studies
Degree:
Master of Arts
Document Type:
Master Thesis
Date of Defense:
October 16, 2012
Committee Members:
Matthew Mc Allister, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Keywords:
Representation of race and ethnicity racial and ethnic roles stereotype animation stereotypes in children's television
Abstract:
This thesis critiques programming on the children’s media channel Nicktoons for patterns of racial representation -- including the presence of stereotyping -- in characters. As research has shown that representation of ethnicity may be especially influential to children viewers, and that there are precedents for problematic racial representations in popular media, including children's media, the continued examination of patterns of racial-ethnic group member representation and stereotyping in character depictions has significant implications. Utilizing textual analysis, three Nicktoons’ programs are examined for racialized constructions of characters, including constructions with hegemonic and ethnocentric implications. The thesis argues that three programs, Back at the Barnyard, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Tak and the Power of JuJu problematically construct analogies of African Americans, Asians, and native peoples, respectively. The constructions in these Nicktoons programs typically “other” these groups when contrasted to dominant white culture -- or at least the animated stand-ins for dominant white culture -- and imply cultural hierarchies in which white culture is superior and/or the norm. The thesis concludes by summarizing its main findings and discussing the implications of such portrayals in an era of expanding programming for children.
