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Anjali Maya Mahesh Patel April 2nd, 2018 Streaming the Sitcom: The Minority Experience in Netflix’s Dear White People, Master of None and Chewing Gum by Anjali Maya Mahesh Patel Dr. Michele Schreiber Adviser Department of Film and Media Studies Dr. Michele Schreiber Adviser Dr. Beretta Smith-Shomade Committee Member Dr. Cynthia Willett Committee Member 2018 Streaming the Sitcom: The Minority Experience in Netflix’s Dear White People, Master of None and Chewing Gum By Anjali Maya Mahesh Patel Dr. Michele Schreiber Adviser An abstract of a thesis submitted to the Faculty of Emory College of Arts and Sciences of Emory University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honors Department of Film and Media Studies 2018 Abstract Streaming the Sitcom: The Minority Experience in Netflix’s Dear White People, Master of None and Chewing Gum By Anjali Maya Mahesh Patel Since its founding in 1997, Netflix has been the pioneer of streaming television, creating interesting, successful shows using data analytics. This thesis examines Netflix shows Dear White People (2017), Master of None (2015), and Chewing Gum (2016), which are part of a new wave of television, created by and starring people of color. These programs fit with Netflix’s increasingly global brand by telling diverse stories and giving marginalized artists a platform and voice. They have been immensely popular among critics and audiences for their relatability, humor, and ability to integrate a wide range of social issues, such as gun violence, racism, and homophobia, with as much ease and tact as dating and family life. These shows demonstrate the capability of the situation comedy as a format for social change, by weaving in themes of race and representation to every episode, rather than a few per season. In this project, I explore the ways in which these shows depict race and life as a minority by examining specific episodes, and the role that humor plays in their format and reception. Through this analysis, I hope to reveal how these shows uncover a deeper level of the minority experience, and how this shift in situation comedies has been made possible and easily accessible by Netflix as a medium. Streaming the Sitcom: The Minority Experience in Netflix’s Dear White People, Master of None and Chewing Gum By Anjali Maya Mahesh Patel Dr. Michele Schreiber Adviser A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Emory College of Arts and Sciences of Emory University in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Arts Honors Department of Film and Media Studies 2018 Acknowledgements Thank you to my adviser, Michele Schreiber, for her unwavering support throughout this process and for going with the flow as my topic evolved. Thank you to Cynthia Willett, for her inspirational class on the philosophy of comedy and for allowing me to draw from her book, On Humor: Or, How Feminists, Animals and Other Social Misfits Use Belly Laughs to Talk Truth to Power, for this project. Thank you to Beretta Smith-Shomade, for challenging me to think critically about race and Othering in her graduate seminar, Theorizing the Other from Within. Additionally, I would like to thank Tanine Allison for encouraging me to pursue a thesis and her warmth throughout my Emory career. Lastly, I could not have accomplished this project without endless love and encouragement from my parents, friends, and family, thank you all so much. Table of Contents Introduction....................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1 - A Brief History of American Television..................................................................5 The Beginning of Television...............................................................................................5 The Rise of Situation Comedies..........................................................................................6 Race & Representation in Sitcoms......................................................................................9 The Digital Era & Television Today.................................................................................13 Chapter 2 - Dear White People: Wokeness & Satire in College...............................................17 “Chapter IV” .....................................................................................................................20 “Chapter V” ......................................................................................................................25 “Chapter VI” .....................................................................................................................34 Chapter 3 - Master of None: New York’s Untold Stories.........................................................42 “Parents” ...........................................................................................................................46 “Indians on TV” ................................................................................................................52 “Thanksgiving” .................................................................................................................56 Chapter 4 - Chewing Gum: Netflix’s British Gem....................................................................62 “Possession” ......................................................................................................................67 “Replacements” .................................................................................................................71 “Just Need Some Company” .............................................................................................77 Conclusion....................................................................................................................................83 Bibliography.................................................................................................................................85 1 Introduction In this project, I examine a new wave of TV, created by and starring minorities, that has surfaced on streaming platforms. By examining Justin Simien’s Dear White People (2017), Aziz Anzari’s Master of None (2015), and Michaela Cole’s Chewing Gum (2016) through the lenses of critical race theory, Othering, and the philosophy of humor, I argue that these shows explore a deeper level of the minority experience, through the unique medium of Netflix and by using humor as a means for widespread appeal. The way we currently watch television, presented with a plethora of options through computers and without having to read a TV guide, is incredible. Streaming services have changed the way consumers interact with television, and the trajectory of customizable and data- driven programming seems to be accelerating. In 1997, Netflix was founded as an online movie rental site, when CEO and co-founder, Reed Hastings, got a late fee for a DVD rental and realized “there’s a big market out there.”1 At this time, the switch from VHS to DVD was beginning, and Netflix made it easier to go online and choose a movie than to go to a video store, like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video. In 1999, Netflix premiered a subscription service, where consumers could receive unlimited DVD rentals for a monthly fee and, in 2000, Netflix began their data-dive, rolling out a recommendation system that used “Netflix members’ ratings to accurately predict choices for all members.”2 Netflix continued to grow and in 2007 began their foray into the online streaming world, altering the norms of TV consumption. At this point, Netflix was a distributor, getting old content and placing it on an easily-accessible site. The company made their service available through internet-connected devices like iPads and video game consoles and expanded into Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean by 2011.3 Their first original show debuted in 2013: an American adaptation of the dark British political drama, House of Cards. This show was unique in the way it was created, and its success emphasized the power of “Big Data,” which is information that is used to discover new trends and analyze businesses.4 Netflix has lots of data from their subscriber base and used that information to create House of 1 Keating, Gina. Netflixed: The Epic Battle for America’s Eyeballs. Penguin, 2013, pg 3 2 “Netflix Timeline.” Netflix Media Center, media.netflix.com/en/about-netflix 3 Ibid. 4 Arthur, Lisa. “What Is Big Data?” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 15 Aug. 2013, www.forbes.com/sites/lisaarthur/2013/08/15/what-is-big-data/#b38d4ae5c85b. 2 Cards, a show that “executives at the company knew [would] be a hit before anyone shouted ‘action.’”5 Netflix collects information on what people watch, which devices they use, and when users pause, rewind, or fast-forward. It can target ads towards people that are interested in female leads, certain actors,