Belligerent Stereotypes

On the Reality Show "Cops" and its Use of Stereotypes

                I love any form of art, whether it be drawn, spoken, sung, written, or acted. But if there is a kind of television series I cannot stand, it is reality television. Soap operas can annoy me, but at least they are written to be over the edge and they all follow a classic feeling that is common amongst their kind. But reality shows rub me the wrong way. The script is either all staged or cut apart from a vast amount of footage in order to obtain a desired effect or situation, yet is projected as truth. 

                Some reality shows depict the worst of society again and again, fueling a mean world syndrome that falsifies the truth. One such reality show is the television series “Cops.” “Cops” shows the worst behaved, most uneducated individuals it can find to entertain the public. The types of cases and the people involved tend to repeat, creating negative stereotypes. A few of these include the beer slamming frat boy, the alcoholic and/drug induced redneck, and the uneducated, thieving Black man from the ghetto. These characters, especially the latter two, reoccur so often in “Cops” that they have become staple characters. It is impossible to watch an episode without seeing a giant handful of these stereotypes. 

                These depictions create false stigmas that pigeonhole groups of people, like country folk and Black people. I know these archetypes are untrue based on personal experience. For instants, not every “redneck” I have met is uneducated or a drunkard. It is also true that not every Black person I have met steals and acts a thug. In reality, any person can succeed or fail at life. One of my good friends is Black and makes fifty thousand a year as an IT technician. She also does not do anything illegal and speaks clearly, two things you would never see on “Cops.” So why the stereotypes? The answer lies is in the nature of the show. “Cops” is fueled by illegitimate stereotypes because it requires people of bad taste to commit crimes that are noteworthy enough in intensity and/or behavior to be aired. Once these are selected, “Cops” chooses instances that reflect social stigmas so that the general population can relate through their exposure to such stereotypes. I do not believe this is ethical because it exploits the criminals shown and reinforces false portrayals by making racial/social examples of dysfunctional people.