The American View of the World Through the Eyes of Television

Americans are often criticized for their lack of knowledge about foreign cultures and places. One tool that could help people learn more about foreign places is television, since we often learn about our world through entertainment programming as well as news. But what does television really teach us about different ways of living, different people, or different places than what we are used to in the US?

Choose one major television network and tune in for its prime time programming (try 8-10pm) for three nights. Answer the following questions.

• I chose the CW network.
  

How many foreign people were depicted in the hours you watched? Where were they?

• Throughout the three nights, the only foreign people I saw was a single asian girl and an elderly indian man. These were on two seperate nights and it was a split second of screen time for each of them.
• One star was of Middle Eastern descent.
  

Were any foreign languages spoken? What were they?

• There were no foreign languages spoken. The best that came up in the three nights was a somewhat thick indian accent.
  

Were people shown speaking English with a foreign accent?

• Yes
  

Which foreign countries, if any, were represented?

• No foreign countries were represented.
  

How were foreign people represented? Were they good or bad characters? Heroes or villains? Comedic figures or serious characters? Men or women? Adults or children? Were only foreign places represented? Describe.

• The Asian girl that I saw was a part of a clique of mean girls and the Indian man was just a minor character who hated his job and complained alot. Although the man added a sort of comedic relief through his complaints he could have been treated better.
• The Middle Eastern star got much screentime on the night that his show was on but was depicted as a white washed American teenager.
  

If you saw NO foreignness, does this finding surprise you? Why? Why do you think this network did not choose to include depictions of foreignness in its programming?

• I saw no instances of foreignness in the the commercials. Everything took place in America. The rare times that an actor with a different ethnicity is on a commerical, he or she will be speaking with a perfect American accent.
  

Explain why you feel you saw what you did. Draw on some concepts you have learned about media industry to support your answer.

• I think if I tried harder, I would have noticed more foreign things in the commercials. As a teenager growing up in America and raised here, I am more accustomed to American traditions.