Amy Lemco, Arts & Life Writer The first week of the semester, this column covered the benefits of comedies on lowering students’ stress levels, encouraging group bonding and making study sessions more effective. Unfortunately, my own stress spiked during the research. Looking over several studies of the funniest shows and movies judged by laughs per minute, a pattern was clear: the shows and movies listed are cast almost entirely with white actors. With a more specific web search, I can find more diverse lists of employee favorites on sites like Indiewire and Complex. I can also find lists targeting specific minority groups, like “10 Highest Rated Black Sitcoms” on Ebony or “10 Binge-Worthy TV Shows That Center US Latino Experiences” on Remezcla. What largely seems to be framed here is an either-or situation, a media segregation of black and white (and near-invisibility of others) that doesn’t reflect the world I live in—certainly not the world I want to live in. As Lucas Brown Eyes, creator of one of the first Native American sitcoms (not yet airing), said, sitcoms are focused on “ … love and bonds [that] are universal.” They are an ideal platform for equal representation and building empathy across communities. How and why are they (and even the studies surrounding them) still so problematic?
Let me not pretend that I have been running around for years, woke and outraged. In 2018, when “Westworld: aired an episode, titled “Kiksuya,” centered on the character-arch of Akcheta (member of the fictional Ghost Nation, based on Plains tribes), and he was empowered, emotionally layered and even the white characters spoke Lakota instead of pandering to English-speaking audiences. I thought, hey, I’ve never seen this before, I hope there is more next season. Yet, it wasn’t until writing the article, looking at the list of so-called funniest shows, when at first I thought, well, obviously these studies are deeply biased and flawed; I can rattle off a list of hilarious shows led by black actors, a handful led by a Latinx cast … hmm, a few less with Asian leads … uh, none with Native Americans. Oh, because there are none. Never were. Zooming out again to include film, only one movie by and about Native Americans, “Smoke Signals” was given national and international distribution. That was 1998. (Modern viewers point to problems, such as pan-Indianism, in the film.) In 2019, Cherokee Wes Studi was the first Indeginous actor to receive an (Honorary) Oscar, for decades of mostly supporting roles, spanning over two dozen Native cultures. We vote by what we view. After some success with the 2012 indie mockumentary, “More Than Frybread,” creator Travis Holt Hamilton tried to develop a spinoff sitcom—which remains undeveloped due to lack of funding; only the pilot can be viewed on Amazon. In 2017, Lucas Brown Eyes developed “Reservations,” a sitcom based on his Oglala Lakota family’s move to Los Angeles. “I’m so passionate,” Brown Eyes said in a 2018 interview, “about my Native family comedy because we’ll be able to show the country that we’re funny, loving and still here.” Fox network bought the script. It seemed hopeful that a show centered on Native people would reach the mainstream, making a huge impact on American mythology that largely treats Native people as if they are extinct—or at best—as reenactors of the past. However, there has been no news release about further development. I really believe art and media can change the way we view the world, can impact the laws we pass or allow to stand and can build a community of interest and inclusion, rather than segregation and fear. Not only is representation an ethical responsibility—something we owe to ourselves and others in a global community—but it equates to real-world jobs, on and behind the scenes. Take it one step further: what if we apply reparations to the concept of media representation? I hope as E&H graduates climb their ladders to positions of relative power, we all further the cause of social justice and keep our critical lenses on—keeping in mind: just as we can vote at a booth, with every dollar spent we vote by what we view.
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