Popular television shows often reproduce and have a connection to real life gender, class, relationships, political ideas, religious identities among other issues (Dines & Humez, 2003). One needs to be attentive to television shows for a better understanding of how they portray these issues. This paper is going to focus on the television show Strangers with Candy which is a Comedy Central comedy series, and how it encodes real life issues such as the ones above. Strangers with Candy boldly covers difficult subjects ranging from alcoholism to mentally retarded persons having an affinity of baked deserts. The three main issues that the paper is going to discuss in relation to the television show are race, class and cultural standards concerning female beauty.
Among the problems that the contemporary American society faces is the issue of racism (Collins, 2004). The issue mainly affects African-American people. Episode six of the television series has the title Let Freedom Ring. As the title suggests, it seems that a portion of the population is still under the chains of discrimination due to their race and hence being denied their freedom. In the episode, a culprit has painted a racial alias – which ends with the letters I-G-G-ER – in Flatpoint hallway (‘Colbert, Dirello, Rouse & Lauer’, 1999b). There is only one witness to this heinous crime, a harmless student whose name is Paul Cotton. He goes on to tell the principal about the incident. While insisting that he had nothing to do with the incident, the principal decides to mark him as a prime suspect instantly (‘Colbert et al.’, 1999b).
Another student, Jerri, becomes sensitive to the injustice that Cotton has received and decides to offer him a sympathetic ear and a cigarette to show her empathy (‘Colbert et al.’, 1999b). Just like Mr. Cotton, Jerri knows what it feels like to report a case innocently and end up suffering when there is no one who believes you. However, unlike Cotton, she does not know how an innocent person feels. In actual sense, her real motive is not protecting Mr. Cotton’s reputation, rather, she is trying to get him to suffer the consequences of another person’s undoing (‘Colbert et al.’, 1999b). Eventually in the episode, there is revelation that Jerri was, in fact, the person who committed the vandalism (‘Colbert et al.’, 1999b). She is not sure why she performed such an act, and she fumbles around trying to find a convincing explanation. She claims the spray-painting was a parable, a riddle or maybe a pun (Jerri, 1999b). In the end, after groping around, she shrugs and says that she does not like black people (Jerri, 199b). She is being honest and sees it as having made a huge step in the right direction. There are also two other episodes of the show that address the n-word much the same as Let Freedom Ring. These episodes are Curb your Enthusiasm and South Park.
Similar cases as evident in the episode also happen in real life. Racism in schools undermines the self-esteem of students and therefore interfering with the educational process (Barton & Walker, 2011). Schools, therefore, have a major role to play to combat racism. They can train their students to form an atmosphere of antiracist peer pressure as well as employ new curricula that promote racial awareness and therefore turning the diversity of the students into opportunities (Barton & Walker, 2011). Apart from this, there are various other strategies that educators can employ to prevent racism in their schools. Some of these measures include articulation of a clear statement of what the schools expect regarding racism, establishing a series of consequences for those who violate the expectations and responding to incidents of racism fairly and quickly through the gathering of adequate evidence (Barton & Walker, 2011).
Another issue of concern is the issue of class. Social class can make people do all sorts of stuff to fit into a particular group (Bertaux & Thompson, 2006). In the show Strangers with Candy, this is mainly evident in episode twenty. The title of the episode is A Price Too High for Riches. In the episode, the characters of the show operate while relating to a central forum of class (‘Colbert, Dirello, Rouse & Lauer’, 2000c). One of the characters, Jerri, arrives at school at almost the same time as another student, Melissa, who is a rich girl. She has an expensive convertible car. When other classmates see her pulling over to park her car, they all run to greet her with a lot of excitement (‘Colbert et al.’, 2000c). Most of them see that she can throw an exciting and expensive party due to the expensive car she owns. Several of her classmates become jealous of her as some of them across the streets point out Melissa’s expensive shoes (‘Colbert et al.’, 2000c). All this while, all the activities centered towards Melissa have made Jerri contemplate on her position in relation to other “rich people.” Jerri then experiences a social dilemma when she realizes that her socioeconomic status is not at par with that of her classmates (‘Colbert et al.’, 2000c).
The attention that people give to her financially privileged classmates makes Jerri realize that wealth is the main key to being socially acceptable and that it is her ticket that would enable her to join the elite class (‘Colbert et al.’, 2000c). The shoes that Melissa possesses also indicate one’s class. At this point, Jerri learns that if she gets a chance to possess such shoes, then Melissa will be able to invite her to her party. The scenario manifests itself in a scene when Jerri approaches Melissa and asks her if she can come to her party (‘Colbert et al.’, 2000c). Melissa then replies by saying that Jerri has to afford a pair of “flairs” so that she can attend the party (Melissa, 2000c). Once Melissa is out of the scene, Orlando, Jerri’s friend, offers her an invitation to his party. Since Jerri wants to be in the “elite” class, she declines the offers and calls him” Poorlando.” She says to Orlando’s face that she is better off attending Melissa’s party because she is not poor (Jerri, 2000c). Orlando then tries to tell her that she does not know what richness is, but Jerri responds rudely that she knows what it is not and that she is looking at it.
The branding of people as being rich or poor is creating class systems in the society (Turner & Hill, 2014). In addition to these systems, creating subordinate and dominant social relations, they also emphasize the magnitude by which people can go in shaping oppressive social experiences (Turner & Hill, 2014). In the episode, it is evident that Jerri values Melissa more than her friend Orlando on the basis of who has more financial privilege and hence a higher class identity. Throughout most parts of the episode, there is a comparison of the social position of Jerri with that of Melisa and other schoolmates who own Flairs. Therefore, they deem Jerri as subordinate. The high-classed people overly oppress her through dialogue as she interacts with them and they overly scrutinize her for her inability to win a pair of Flairs. The constant scrutiny makes Jerri measure her worthiness with the relative position she finds herself in the socioeconomic hierarchy. She resorts to using all means possible to find money that would enable her to own a pair of the classy shoes.
Apart from Jerri’s scenario, the episode has other scenes that express class identities. For instance, Mr. Noblet in his history class mentions that they will continue their lesson on the poor and the dangers they are in the society after the bell rings (Noblet, 2000c). Secondly, there is a television commercial that Jerri watches where the advertiser says that one is a loser if they cannot afford a pair of Flairs. Ultimately, when the episode is about to end, Jerri decides to steal a pair of Flairs by breaking into a shoe store. All this she does with the aim of being able to party with rich people (‘Colbert et al.’, 2000c).
The episode makes the viewer realize that these class identities are indeed oppressive. A critical view of the episode also results to critique on whether class identities have a link with social identities. All of the people in the episode who belong to the “elite” class are white-skinned. On the other hand, people of color in the episode are on the lower side of the social class. Ultimately, the episode portrays that there is a racial connection between economic and racial identities.
Grouping people into social classes has far reaching consequences than people realize. The position of a person in the hierarchy based on social class can have an effect on their education, family, health, morals among other things (Archer, Hutchings & Ross, 2005). While social class in the contemporary world may be a thing that most people ignore, those who are higher in the hierarchy have tangible advantages than others. They receive better services, respect, and are more influential to the society than people who are in the middle or low class (Archer et al., 2005). On the other hand, there is a higher chance of oppression of people who are in the lower class as people may see them as not being able to offer anything in the society. As a result of their state, people in the lower class who envy the high-class level may resort to cunning means of getting in the socioeconomic position that would allow them to jump to that level (Archer et al., 2005). As seen in the episode of the television show, Jerri resorted to stealing a pair of shoes just to fit in the “elite” class. Others may do even worse just to get this privilege.
The last episode that this paper is going to analyze is Feather in the Storm. The episode mainly focuses on the society’s cultural standards concerning female beauty. The way the representation of beauty is in this episode shows how much the society makes women objects of male desire. The central character is Jerri. The beginning of the episode finds Jerri learning about a tryout debate series that involves the whole school. The judge and team recruiter of the debate is Mr. Knoblett. Jerri approaches him while he is in class so as to find out if she can participate in the tryouts (‘Colbert, Dirello, Rouse & Lauer’, 1999a). As Jerri tries to tell Mr. Knoblett about her intentions to participate in the debate tryouts, he tells her that she does not have a “debater’s body” (Knoblett, 1999a). He further goes on to say that ladies who have slim hips have slim arguments (Knoblett, 1999a). Mr. Knoblett gives other reasons why Jerri cannot be able to join the debate team, and all his reasons stem out from the fact that Jerri does not have the physical appearance to join the team.
At the early stage of the episode, it becomes quite clear that standards of beauty, body image and what the society considers feminine beauty influence the society’s cultural standards of beauty. The arbitrary decision of Mr. Knoblett to feminine standards and debating skills makes it clear how pervasive the gender binary is in some cultures. Further, the episode goes on to show how societies portray dominant ideas of femininity and masculinity. While Jerri is at her locker obtaining what she requires in her next class, her classmate appears, and they immediately start throwing remarks at each other with regards to their weights (‘Colbert et al.’ 1999a). Her classmate is male, and it is evident that he weighs more than her. He dares Jerri for a race and whoever losses is “a big fat slob.” They start racing and eventually, her classmate wins the race. He immediately starts calling Jerri a big fat slob. Everyone who is present in the hall begins to laugh at her. She stands motionless and looks overwhelmed. Even though her classmate has more weight than her, she eventually loses the race (‘Colbert et al.’ 1999a). The race is a double standard of defining feminine beauty in comparison to male beauty. Everyone present does not scrutinize the male classmate for being overweight, but they constantly keep reminding Jerri that she is not slim and therefore beautiful enough as her other classmates (‘Colbert et al.’ 1999a).
As the episode enters another scene, Jerri is at the podium during the debate tryouts. She clearly has cut a lot of weight in a short period, and her health condition is not that pleasing. Once she is through with her argument, she faints in front of everyone. In the final moments of the episode, Jerri admits that what she has done was for her to get some attention: that this is what she has ever wanted in her life (Jerri, 1999a). The episode portrays males as regulators and to a large extent controllers of female’s bodies for their selfish gains. As a result, women may become unhealthy with the aim of pleasing the men.
The social status between the two genders in the society is easy to understand. Men are dominant in various aspects of the modern life, and these regulating and controlling the activities of women whom they encounter. A lot of work is needed for the society to bridge the gap between men and women. However, since the relationship between the dominant and subordinated group is dynamic, both parties need to participate actively to ensure that the results are long lasting (Andersen, 2005). It is important for men to self-assess themselves so as to address the issue of subordination and oppression of women. Women should also chip in by showing their maximum capabilities to the highest degrees without regard to the cultural obstacles (Andersen, 2005). Also, they call out incidences of oppression so as to receive support from other people.
Conclusion
Though Strangers with Candy is a comedy, in some episodes, it portrays dominant representations of race, class, sexual identities and gender by placing its characters in challenging relationships that have a basis of the identities. As the characters of the show do whatever they can to maintain the identities, they undermine these constructs by the use of satire, parody, and irony. The choice for the show to use this satire, parody, and irony as well as other figures of speech, allows viewers to be able to analyze critically and interpret the various discourses present in the show. The show could have offered a representation of these identities in ways that are less oppressive and offensive. Rather, it offers a lot of exaggeration on these identities may be to allow viewers to do a proper investigation of these issues.
References
Andersen, M. L. (2005). Thinking about women a quarter century’s view. Gender & Society, 19(4), 437-455.
Archer, L., Hutchings, M., & Ross, A. (2005). Higher education and social class: Issues of exclusion and inclusion. Routledge.
Barton, L., & Walker, S. A. (2011). Race, class and education (Vol. 162). Routledge.
Bertaux, D., & Thompson, P. R. (2006). Pathways to social class: A qualitative approach to social mobility. Transaction Publishers.
Collins, P. H. (2004). Black sexual politics: African Americans, Gender, and the new racism. Routledge.
Dines, G., & Humez, J. M. (2003). Gender, race, and class in media: A text-reader. Sage.
Turner, B. S., Abercrombie, N., & Hill, S. (2014). Dominant Ideologies (RLE Social Theory).
Central
Media References
Colbert, S. (Writer), Dirello, P. (Writer), Rouse, M. (Writer), & Lauer, P. (Director). (1999a). Feather in the Storm [Television series episode]. Strangers with Candy, New York. Comedy Central.
Colbert, S. (Writer), Dirello, P. (Writer), Rouse, M. (Writer), & Lauer, P. (Director). (1999b). Let Freedom Ring [Television series episode]. Strangers with Candy, New York. Comedy Central.
Colbert, S. (Writer), Dirello, P. (Writer), Rouse, M. (Writer), & Lauer, P. (Director). (2000c). A Price Too High for Riches [Television series episode]. Strangers with Candy, New York. Comedy Central.
