Stereotypes in TV shows

Recently I was watching some of my favorite shows on TBS. Two of the shows I was watching had certain stereotypes I pointed out. As we discussed in class, there are many stereotypes involved with certain races, gender, etc. I was watching one of my favorite shows, The King of Queens, and in the show it is based on a married couple named Doug and Carrie who live in Queens New York. The episode I watched was about discovering Carrie had a thick New York accent. I have heard from others the people from New York tend to have thick New York accents. I guess you could say the same thing about people who live in Chicago. During the episode Carrie says, "What do you have a problem with the way I talk?" But the way she said it sounded like tawlk. During the episode her friend was trying to get to her pronounce certain words like talk and coffee properly. To me this was a good example of a stereotype of New Yorkers.

Another stereotype that is a little more broad are other shows on TV that stereotype the modern Italian American. Shows such as Jersey Shore, The Sopranos, Real Housewives of New Jersey all portray "Real Italian people." Jersey Shore represents these Guidos and Guidette Italian Americans. Many Italians have made comments that this is actually insulting to the Italian heritage. In the show these "Italians" are tanning, getting there nails done, going out and drinking, fist pumping, and having classic Italian meals. Is this just what we think of Italians because it is portrayed on TV? The Sopranos is about a big family who's associated with the mob. In general do we think all Italians are in the mob? I have a friend who is Italian and her dad is a tall, dark, Italian man. Everyone of my friends would make side jokes like, "Oh he's so scary he has to be in the mob." TV does a great job of representing certain stereotypes that we still today associate with certain gender, races, heritage, etc.