Running head: Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 1

Cultivating Passive Agressive Outlooks:

Cultivation Teory and Te Simpsons

Rylan Strachan

UCID: 30032150

Coms 201

Dr. Dawn Johnston

Natasha Karim

University Of Calgary

November 27th, 2016

Word Count: 1595 Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 2

Humans are subjugated to an onslaught of stimuli, which allows them to form experiences and opinions of the surrounding world. Television is a source of stimulus and inducement, offering positive experiences to the consumer (ie. education, entertainment, escapism), but can also negatively shape a viewers ideology. One example of detrimental television infuence is the astounding success of Te Simpsons, the animated narrative, following the lives of an “average” American family in the town of Springfeld. Te Simpsons, since it’s fruition in 1989, has offered audiences weekly, witty satirical critiques of the world, typically revolving around North American living. Scholars have recognized the show’s complex social commentary and demonstrated that, beyond its humorous façade, it has stimulated scholarly interest (Dobson, 2006, pg. 46). In contrast to it’s critical acclaim for social critique, Te Simpsons have been accused of relying on discriminatory stereotypes for comedic appeal and perpetuating racist outlooks. A prominent example of Simpson backlash occurred when the Brazilian Government threatened the show with legal action after a questionably insensitive depiction of the Brazilian lifestyle in 2002 (Dobson, 2006, pg.46). Te Simpsons, while able to amuse and offer satirical critiques of the world, creates a platform that can cause the media illiterate to fabricate passive aggressive discriminatory thought patterns. Characters in the show, such as Apu, Lou, and Cletus, collectively rely on predictive generalized stereotypes that develop notions of immigration, workplace, and socio-economic discrimination.

Methodology

In order to assess the infuence Te Simpsons emits on its audience in formulating passive aggressive racism (racism that is not confrontational or even outspoken, but instead an ideological thought process), I will be utilizing Cultivation Teory developed by George Gerber. Julia Wood, gives a comprehensive overview of the theory in her text Communication Teories in Action claiming,

“television cultivates, or promotes, a view of social reality that is inaccurate but viewers nonetheless assume refects real life” (Wood, 2004, pg.244). Simplifed television molds our perspectives and experiences of the world, regardless of truth. Two key aspects of television, according to this theory, Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 3 are mainstreaming and resonance. Mainstreaming, is tv’s ability to consolidate and emphasize views to the audience. For instance, if violence is portrayed consistently in daily programming, the audience believes the world to be excessively violent (Wood, 2004, pg. 248). Resonance is the correlation between tv portrayals and viewer experiences: if the observer has real life experience similar to the message, it is then reinforced (Wood, 2004, pg. 249). Tere are several key assumptions of Cultivation Teory vital to understanding the scope of this essay: television is a unique medium which is more persuasive than others, television offers a cultural mainstream and generalized view that can perpetuate misunderstandings, effects of cultivation are passive aggressive, slowly infuencing thought patterns and ideologies as a result of continuous messaging, and particular cultural norms are promoted and molded persuasively for the audience (Wood, 2004, pg.

249-252).

Keywords: Passive Aggressive Racism, Cultivation Teory, Mainstreaming, Resonance

Apu, the loveable owner of the Kwik-E-Mart has been the symbol of “Indian-ness” for the

American people for over two decades (Gottschlich, 2011). In that time Apu has been the punch- line to stereotypical ethnic jokes in regards to Bollywood, population problems in India, arranged marriage and the Hindu religion (Dobson, 2006, pg. 47). Te portrayal of Apu as a Indian, impresses a intrinsic relationship between Apu and the whole ethnic population he resides from.

Gottschlich argues that cliches and stereotypes are employed to streamline complexity in a expansive environment, helping us understand the unfamiliar (2011). In the episode “

XVI”, characters from Springfeld are being hunted by Mr. Burns for sport. In the opening moments of the hunt, Mr. Burns remarks at the overwhelming stench of fear and curry and shoots Apu hiding in the bushes. As a result Apu instantly turns into an rabbit exclaiming “You can’t kill a Hindu!” followed by getting caught in a bear trap and crying to Jesus for help (Wilmore & Silverman, 2005).

Te oversimplifcation of the Hindu religion, bastardizes the concept of reincarnation and the commitment of its followers. According to Gottschlich and Cultivation Teory, this episode would Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 4 mainstream a very simplifed ridiculous version of the Hindu religion. In addition, Apu, being the most prominent Indian character, would create a, “pre-fabricated image [being] applied to all members of this community who are easily identifable through a particular outer marker such as colour of skin, clothing, language, or religion” (Gottschlich, 2011). Te Episode “Much Apu About

Nothing” also pushes the two most dominant stereotypes of immigrants. Apu regales Homer of coming to American to complete his doctorate after graduating at the top of his over populated university, and then overstaying his visa and remaining in the country as an illegal alien (Cohen,

Greaney & Dietter, 1996). Tis case study mainstreams only two statuses of a immigrant: either they are overqualifed and potentially threaten native worker employment, or are residing in a country as illegal aliens. Individuals may logically conclude the fallacies in this oversimplifcation, but the prolonged exposure to these stereotypes will potentially lead to misconceptions and wrong decisions on their behalf (Gottschlich, 2011). Despite the comic relief provided by ,

Cultivation Teory shows that this type of humour can lead to passive aggressive racism by placing all Indian immigrants into narrow categories.

Te character of Lou (the African American cop) on Te Simpsons is a example of the subtle but consistent maintaining of questionable cultural norms. Lou is often shown questioning the decisions and actions of (the white incompetent police chief), then being silenced or comically reprehended by the Chief. One example can be seen in Te Simpsons Movie in which the police squad fnds the mafa about to dump a body in the lake. Chief Wiggum accepts the excuse provided by the mafa (yard clippings) and permits them to leave. Lou instantly expresses concern that the “yard clippings” were most likely a body, only to be silenced and ridiculed by the Chief for

“not listening” (Groening & Silverman, 2007). Te exploitation of Lou can be seen throughout the series, in episodes such as“Brother From Another Series”(season 8), and “Sky Police”(season 26)

(Groening, 1989). A consistent image of a white incompetent leader criticizing, ignoring and exploiting a black competent employee, communicates that the oppression of black people in the Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 5 workplace is funny and acceptable. Ramasubramanian illustrates the fundamental problem that can is illustrated, “media portrayals of whiteness as normative and superior are as important as negative stereotypical portrayals of racial/ethnic outgroups as different and inferior in shaping White viewers’ racial attitudes” (Ramasubramanian, 2010, pg. 105). In summary, the unequal power distribution between the ethnically different cops threatens the ideology of white viewers in-regards to seeing this representation as no big deal, or “the way things are”. Repetition of Lou and Wiggum’s antics could also reinforce to non-African American viewers, the notion that black people lack the right attributes to lead in a workplace. One study suggests that heavy television viewers (of entertainment programs) have increased views of African Americans being less extraverted, agreeable and more uncooperative

(Birchard, Carlson, Irey, Lee and Walt, 2009). It is also suggested, “chronic accessibility of racial stereotypes, even subtle racial cues in the media are sufficient to activate racial attitudes that infuence decision making without requiring conscious effort” (Ramasubramania, 2010, pg. 106).

Lou and Chief Wiggum encapsulate repetitive subtle stimulation of the acceptance of minority oppression in the work place, causing the viewer to glaze over this issue.

In accordance with Cultivation Teory, Te Simpsons is not guilty of just perpetuating racist opinions of ethnic minorities, but also of socio-economic minorities. Cletus Spuckler, is a reoccurring character on Te Simpsons and is depicted as a low-income, dimwitted, insensitive, white rural citizen. Cletus, an image of a red-neck hillbilly perpetuates this mould of all low-income rural peoples through mainstreaming. In the episode “22 Short Films About Springfeld”, the show turns

Cletus into a offensive blue grass musical number, that emphasizes negative connotations of his class standing (Appel, Cohen, Collier, Crittenden, Daniels, et al. & Reardon, 1996). Torres, suggest that these depictions create a separation between the majority (urban, fnancially stable citizens) “and validates the notion of the other” (Torres, 2015, pg. 285). Separation of the socio-economic majority from minority, creates a perception that people lower in the class system are similar in some degree to

Cletus. Continuous stereotyping of Cletus, inadvertently ostracizes his class standing, and according Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 6 to Ramasubramania, “actively creates or reinforces audiences’ mental models of members of racial/ ethnic outgroups in real life” (Ramasubramania, 2010, pg. 106). Te brash, culturally insensitive character of Cletus, in contrast to the rest of the characters, mimics the real-world separation of majority and minority classes. Tis mimicry, according to cultivation theory, would resonate with the audience, reenforcing the stereotype presented and further presenting a dehumanizing & ostracizing ideology within the class system.

Cultivation Teory states that humans and television have a interactive relationship that results in the construction of a synthetic world through the infuence of subtle messages.Te Simpsons employs minority stereotypes as comedic relief for the viewer. Some argue these stereotypes are simply used because they are funnier than authentic representations of minority individuals, but they simultaneously “[make] people too comfortable when they shouldn’t be comfortable”(O’Rourke,

2016, pg.290). Despite the desire for easy access humour, the depictions of stereotypical minority characters as seen in , subtly infuence and shape the viewers attitudes and beliefs of reality, clumping minority fgures together, generating passive aggressive discriminatory ideology. Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 7

References

Appel, R., Cohen, D., Collier, J., Crittenden, J., Daniels, G., et al. (Writers), & Reardon, J. (Director). (1996). 22 Short Films About Springfeld [S7, Ep21]. In M. Groening (Creator & Executive Producer), Te Simpsons. Los Angeles: Fox.

Bichard, S.L., Carlson, A.J., Irey, M.S., Lee, M.J., & Walt, H.M. (2009). Television Viewing and Ethnic Stereotypes: Do College Students Form Stereotypical Perceptions of Ethnic Groups as a Result of Heavy Television Consumption?. Howard Journal of Communications, 20, 95-110. doi: 10.1080/10646170802665281

Cohen, D., Greaney, D. (Writers), & Dietter, S. (Director). (1996). Much Apu About Nothing [S7, Ep23]. In M. Broening (Creator & Executive Producer), Te Simpsons. Los Angeles: Fox.

Dobson, H. (2006). Mister Sparkle Meets the Yakuza: Depictions of Japan in Te Simpsons. Te Journal of Popular Culture, 39, 44-68. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5931.2006.00203.x

Gottschlich, P. (2011). Apu, Nella, and Amita: Stereotypes of Indian Americans in Mainstream TV Shows in the United States. Internationales Asienforum. International Quarterly for Asian Studies, 42, 279-298, 424. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/login?url=http:// search.proquest.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/docview/1013487807?accountid=9838

Groening, M. (Creator & Executive Producer), (1989). Te Simpsons [Television series]. Los Angeles: Fox.

Groening, M. (Creator & Executive Producer), & Silverman, D. (Director). (2007). Te Simpsons. United States of America: 20th Century Fox.

O’Rourke, J. (2016). Te Guilty Pleasures of Bigotry: Ethnic Stereotypes in Trevor Nunn’s Merchant of Venice and Dave Chappelle’s Pixie Sketches. Shakespeare, 12, 287-299. doi: 10.1080/17450918.2016.1141230

Ramasubramanian, S. (2010). Television Viewing, Racial Attitudes, and Policy Preferences: Exploring the Role of Social Identity and Intergroup Emotions in Infuencing Support for Affirmative Action. Communication Monographs, 77, 102-120. doi: 10.1080/03637750903514300

Torres, I.G. (2015). Audience’s Perception of Cultural/Ethnic Stereotypes in TV Shows. European Scientifc Journal, 1, 285. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/ps/ i.do?p=AONE&u=ucalgary&id=GALE| A424568332&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&userGroup=ucalgary

Wilmore, M. (Writer), & Silverman, D. (Director). (2005). Treehouse of Horror XVI [S17, Ep4]. In M. Groening (Creator & Executive Producer), Te Simpsons. Los Angeles: Fox. Cultivating Passive Aggressive Outlooks Strachan 8

Wood, J.T. (2004). Teories of Mass Communication. In A. Wells-Hayes (Ed.), Communication Teories in Action (3rd ed.), (pp. 236-258). Toronto, ON: Nelson.