Herman Gray. Watching Race: Television and the Struggle for Blackness. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1995. $27.00, paper, ISBN 978-0-8166-2251-1.

Reviewed by Ron Briley

Published on H-Film (March, 1998)

In Watching Race, sociologist Herman Gray initiative encouraged by the welfare state. The in‐ investigates Black representations in American stitution of a market system would abolish this culture--especially television--during the decade dependency. Nor was this conservative discourse of the 1980's and fnds this period "rich with ostensibly racist, as its proponents could always struggles, debates, and transformations in race re‐ point to the standards of individual Black achieve‐ lations, electronic media, cultural politics and eco‐ ment exemplifed in television's The Cosby Show. nomic life" (p. 2). It is his contention that cultural Nevertheless, Gray argues that the cultural media politics are about power and cannot be studied battleground was also an arena in which African- apart from issues of inequality in American soci‐ American voices articulated a rejoinder to the ety. While some readers and historians may be Reagan construct. The dialogue within this com‐ put of by the introduction's turgid academic munity incorporated a diverse spectrum of opin‐ prose, those who make it to the second chapter ion, taking into account issues of gender, class, are provided with an astute commentary on the and sexuality. The opportunity for Blacks to devel‐ complexities of African-American representation op this counter hegemonic response was a prod‐ in the media. uct of structural transformations within the tele‐ Gray begins his discussion with an examina‐ vision industry. tion of how the Reagan administration's conserva‐ With the rise of cable competition and the Fox tive policy makers used the association of Blacks network, the three major television networks with welfare queens, drug dealers, criminals, were experiencing a decline in viewership. In school dropouts, teenage pregnancy, and single- search of new markets, the channels turned to mother households to justify an assault upon the African-Americans, who--according to studies cit‐ liberal welfare establishment. This discourse ed by Gray--watch television at rates higher than maintained that the underclass' immorality and the rest of the population. The cultural represen‐ irresponsibility were due to a lack of individual tation of Blacks on network television has result‐ H-Net Reviews ed--in what Gray identifes--as three major cate‐ hair styles, and dance, engage in a daily discourse gories. He describes older shows such as Julia, with the commercial forces of America. Speaking and Room 222 as assimilationist programs in of youth's eforts at cultural representation in the which individual Black characters are integrated marketplace, Gray concludes, "That the dominant into a White world. Titles such as Family Matters, apparatus of representation (and circulation) has Amen, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, What's Happenin', responded with attempts at incorporation, sur‐ and Sanford & Son are classifed as pluralist or veillance, marginalization and control tell us separate-but-equal discourses. In these programs, something about the power and potency of these predominantly Black casts demonstrate that expressions" (p. 161). African-American families have the same basic Gray's prose is not always accessible, but the problems as Whites. While critical of its failure to reader willing to spend some time with this short address issues of economic inequality, Gray per‐ volume will fnd the experience rewarding. Cine‐ ceives The Cosby Show as a transitional program ma historians may legitimately bemoan the lack to themes of diversity with "the show's use of of discussion on Black flm representation before Blackness and African American culture as a kind the 1980s, but for any reader concerned with con‐ of emblematic code of diference" (p. 89). temporary cultural constructs of race and Black‐ To support his argument--that diverse themes, ness, Herman Gray's Watching Race will provide analyzing and celebrating the Black community's controversial and insightful material for contem‐ social and cultural traditions are more apparent plation. on network television--Gray devotes detailed This review is copyrighted by Film & History: treatment to A Diferent World (a spin-of from An Interdisciplinary Journal of Film and Televi‐ The Cosby Show focusing on Black college life), sion Studies and the Historians Film Committee, Frank's Place (a professor inherits a restaurant in http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~flmhis/. It may be re‐ New Orleans), Roc (a working-class family deals produced electronically for educational or schol‐ with challenges like drug dealers), and In Living arly use. The Film & History reserves print rights Color (the popular Fox parody of inner-city life). and permissions. (Contact: P.C.Rollins at the fol‐ However, the limitations on cultural representa‐ lowing electronic address: [email protected]). tions are evident in the network cancellations of Frank's Place and Roc. And Gray has reservations regarding whether the satire of In Living Color tends to reinforce White stereotypes and trivialize issues of poverty. Gray writes, "In Living Color's sketches about the Black poor more often than not seem simply to chump out, leaving the Black poor exposed and positioned as television objects of middle-class amusement and fascination" (p. 144). Yet, Gray refuses to leave his readers and the African-American community with a pessimistic conclusion. He acknowledges that the hegemonies political order seeks to celebrate individuality and incorporate notions of Blackness without disturb‐ ing the existing system. But Gray holds out hope for young Blacks, who, through fashion, music,

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Citation: Ron Briley. Review of Gray, Herman. Watching Race: Television and the Struggle for Blackness. H-Film, H-Net Reviews. March, 1998.

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