Boston Public
David Frost once said, "Television enables you to be entertained in your home by people you wouldn't have in your home." The reason why we are so entertained by these people on television is because the people on television are demonstrating stereotypes within our society and they are so stereotypical that sometimes we are annoyed with them. In the everyday world, television and advertisements are constantly using stereotypes to attract new and more audiences and consumers. In one specific show, Boston Public, these stereotypes are more of the reinforcing nature instead of the challenging nature and are also extremely relevant. Created by David E. Kelley, Boston Public is set in the fictional Winslow High School, supposedly in Boston. There's no indication as to why Winslow High is as crowded (a 29-to-1 teacher-student ratio) and chaotic as it is - whether it's in the richest or poorest section of Boston, or somewhere in between; we just have to take it on faith that the heroic teachers are operating under siege conditions. And these teachers are: Lauren Davis (Jessalyn Gilsig), a young, idealistic social studies teacher; Harry Senate (Nicky Katt), in trouble for kissing a student and firing a gun in class; Marla Hendricks (
Culturally dominant stereotypes don't allow people to express themselves. If these stereotypes keep being portrayed through television more people are going to start looking and acting like the people on television. The world would be an extremely boring place to live if everyone looked and acted the same. Diversity is what makes a culture unique, the fact that everyone has their own qualities. Television puts standards and expectations within a society. That's why self-expression is essential when it comes to the culture and society we live in. In society, the stereotype of high school kids associated with drugs has risen dramatically. Boston Public reinforces the culturally dominant stereotype that high school kids are associated with drugs. After Sylvie gets sent to the hospital after a sudden anxiety attack, Marla Hendricks talks with Sylvie's parents and the doctor. Marla suggests that Sylvie's attack might have been a result of drugs. Later on, they conclude that Sylvie had an emotional breakdown, which was brought on by stress, caused from Lauren, one of Sylvie's teachers. With just finishing high school I have been subjected to many stereotypes, but one of them that is most relevant has to be that high school kids mean trouble, and trouble is associated with drugs. During school, whenever a student was acting different they were always assumed to be one some sort of drug. Programs like D.A.R.E. are constantly visiting the high schools promoting a "drug free America." The reason why they are visiting high schools so often and not the work place is because teens and high school students are always going to be subjected to the stereotype of being associated with drugs. Boston Public challenges the culturally dominant stereotype that kids that
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Approximate Word count = 1198
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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