The issue of race is frequently discussed in the series SEINFELD, taking both an ambiguous and biased stance throughout the series' run. At times the race issue is made obvious such as in "The Wizard" (Feb. 26, 1998) where Elaine is somewhat obsessed at discovering the race of her boyfriend, going at any length to unveil the true color of his skin. Here, it is made clear that race is a very important issue, despite Elaine taking a "not like there's anything wrong with that" attitude on the topic. Overall, African Americans are rarely seen in the series, or if so are given minor roles such as the family George (Jason Alexander) bombards in "The Couch" (Oct. 27, 1994). Perhaps the main African American seen in SEINFELD is Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris) who plays a parody of the famous O.J. Simpson lawyer Johnie Cochran. Writers gave Chiles a biased approach, most likely since the current murder trial was filled with controversy at the time. Chiles, who is Kramer's lawyer, is somewhat of a crazy professional, exaggerating Cochran's actions and quotes while providing a comedic experience for the viewers. Personally, Chiles is a representative for all African Americans featured on the show. Although he is not a main character, he does provide support for the four friends and adds to the comedic experience.
Friday, April 4, 2008
#11 Race Matters
The issue of race is frequently discussed in the series SEINFELD, taking both an ambiguous and biased stance throughout the series' run. At times the race issue is made obvious such as in "The Wizard" (Feb. 26, 1998) where Elaine is somewhat obsessed at discovering the race of her boyfriend, going at any length to unveil the true color of his skin. Here, it is made clear that race is a very important issue, despite Elaine taking a "not like there's anything wrong with that" attitude on the topic. Overall, African Americans are rarely seen in the series, or if so are given minor roles such as the family George (Jason Alexander) bombards in "The Couch" (Oct. 27, 1994). Perhaps the main African American seen in SEINFELD is Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris) who plays a parody of the famous O.J. Simpson lawyer Johnie Cochran. Writers gave Chiles a biased approach, most likely since the current murder trial was filled with controversy at the time. Chiles, who is Kramer's lawyer, is somewhat of a crazy professional, exaggerating Cochran's actions and quotes while providing a comedic experience for the viewers. Personally, Chiles is a representative for all African Americans featured on the show. Although he is not a main character, he does provide support for the four friends and adds to the comedic experience.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Thanks, Shana. And so what do we learn from Jackie Chiles's character about SEINFELD's handling of race?
Post a Comment