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Bob D'Amico / ABC

Cavemen: Nick (Kroll) looks spiffy in his tennis whites, but still sticks out at the club

TELEVISION

Snide and Prejudice

Two new sitcoms use such a tired comedic device they're positively prehistoric—and offensive.

By Joshua Alston | NEWSWEEK

 

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The characters of ABC's "Cavemen" are saddled with all sorts of stereotypes, though not the hairy-back, drooling-mouth ones you'd expect. They are revered for their athleticism. Also for their dancing ability and sexual prowess. One caveman throws around the phrase "Cro-Magger" in a conversation with another, and when he's chided for using what is apparently a slur, he says it's OK when cavemen use the term with each other. In case you haven't caught on, these cavemen assume stereotypes commonly associated with African-Americans. Well, at least they did. That episode, which was supposed to be the show's pilot, was dumped—or "reshot," as they say in Hollywood. The show's producers say they weren't responding to earlier criticism of the show's premise. They deny the charge that the show is racial in any particular way. "I think it's really a show about fitting in more than anything," producer Joe Lawson has said, "and that's something that everybody deals with, doesn't matter whether you are a minority or not."

"Cavemen" is one of two new sitcoms—the other is the CW's "Aliens in America"— that employ racial and cultural differences as a means of exploring what it means to be an outsider. But the execution of both shows demonstrates that their creators don't understand how it feels to be excluded because of your race. And while neither show is racist—at least not hateful—both pull onto the road paved with good intentions and floor the gas pedal.

Where "Cavemen" trades on stereotypes of African-Americans, the plot of "Aliens" is couched in post-9/11 fear of outsiders. Justin Tolchuck is a 16-year-old student at the bottom rung of his Wisconsin high school's social ladder. His starched mother, Franny, requests a foreign-exchange student so Justin can make a friend, but she's got motives of her own. She expects a golden-haired Scandinavian hunk who will give her some eye candy in exchange for the room and board. Instead, the Tolchucks get Raja, a Pakistani Muslim. Panic. Franny suggests sending Raja home. "If I ordered a coffeemaker and I got a toaster, I'd return that," she says. Naturally, Raja is an outcast at school when he shows up wearing his traditional Muslim garb. A teacher turns his religion and ethnicity into a class discussion, in which one girl innocently says, "I feel angry because his people blew up the towers in New York." Cue the laugh track.

The show's most central relationship is its most problematic. Justin and Raja are bonded through their shared exclusion. They are the aliens in the show's title—Raja because he's a visitor from a distant world, Justin because, well, he's a geek. But treating Raja's exclusion with Justin's ignores the psychological stress that comes from racial discrimination. It's similar to the person who hears that his friend's parent has passed away and thinks he's sympathizing when he says, "I know how you feel. I was a complete wreck when my goldfish died." That isn't to say social exclusion doesn't hurt, too, but as we've seen time and again through then-and-now photos of glamorous Hollywood stars, geek washes off, but Pakistani doesn't.

"Cavemen" and "Aliens" don't work because the subtlety required to explore racial dynamics doesn't mix well with the broad strokes required of a network sitcom. The result is two shows about intolerance that feel intolerant in their worst moments, and emotionally disconnected from the subject matter at best. You can see that disconnect in the way the show depicts prejudice. After the girl in "Aliens" says she's angry about the towers, the teacher asks if anyone else feels the same way. The entire class raises their hands. In the real world, racism isn't usually expressed so overtly. For every incident like the hanging of a noose in Jena, Louisiana, there are countless other less overt occurrences such as clutched purses and suspicious glances. Actions like those, however, don't make for good comedy. As the "Aliens" theme song asks, "What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?" The answer: nothing at all. But these shows demonstrate that intolerance isn't that funny, either.

Answer the following multiple choice questions.

1. Who published this article?

a. Bob D’Amico

b. ABC

c. Joshua Alston

d. NEWSWEEK

2. The word “chided” (underlined in the first paragraph) most nearly means:

a. praised

b. yelled at

c. arrested

d. called racist names

3. The word “overtly” (underlined in the last paragraph) most nearly means:

a. ugly

b. hidden

c. open

d. frustrating

4. What is the primary purpose of this passage?

a. To inform people that racism still exists against African Americans and Pakistanis

b. To demonstrate how difficult it is to be an outsider in America

c. To point out how both shows are racist toward African Americans and Pakistanis

d. To reveal that both shows are not very funny

5. This article least likely written by

a. the producers of “Cavemen”

b. a journalist who wants to fight prejudice

c. a television viewer who loves both shows

d. a volunteer of the NAACP

6. Which of the following is not mentioned as a stereotype of African Americans in the article

a. Exceptional athletic ability

b. Use of racist terms to refer to one another

c. Ability to dance well

d. Eating fried chicken and water melon frequently

7. Which of the following forms of propaganda does this article fall under

a. Card Stacking

b. Bandwagon

c. Glittering Generalities

d. Plain Folks

8. Which of the following can be inferred about the date this article was written?

a. The article was written after both shows got canceled

b. The article was written after September 11

c. The article was written before the pilot of “Cavemen” was dumped

d. The article was written after Barack Obama was elected president

Answer the following questions in at least half a page.

9. The article states that a certain Caveman refers to himself as a “Cro-Magger”, a term that is offensive to his fellow cavemen. He defends his statement by saying that “it's OK when cavemen use the term with each other”. Do you think it is alright for people who identify with the same racial groups to use derogatory language around “each other”? (Example: Blacks using the N- word with one another).

10. What example of prejudice do you see in the media? Think about a television show, movie or other form of media that you have encountered that seem prejudice toward certain groups of people. Provide a summary of a particularly prejudice scene from the television show or movie and reflect on the effect that the scene may have on people who identify with that group.

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