Larry David and Tina Fey understand race humor. When you watch Curb Your Enthusiasm and 30 Rock, it’s understood that the majority of their jokes about race are used to make fun of stereotypes, racial tension, or even the writers’ own white liberal discomfort with racial topics. A story in the today examines the two shows and how Fey and David (to a lesser extent, in my opinion) and the writers of The Office have managed to successfully pull off the sort of racial humor that could get a less capable writer thrown off the air.
“The Office” and “30 Rock” on NBC, “Family Guy” on Fox and, of course, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” on HBO are leading a backlash against lingering inhibitions. On a recent episode of “30 Rock,” a Watergate-era comedy writer suggests that the staff write a skit in blackface because “race is the last taboo.” The show’s head writer, Liz Lemon, played by Tina Fey, is aghast. “You can’t do race stuff on TV,” Liz says. “It’s too sensitive.”
Obviously it isn’t any more. The television writers’ strike, which has already stopped production on “30 Rock” and many other sitcoms, has put this racial riff into freeze-frame: viewers perusing reruns of this season and last are all the more likely to notice the trend.
I like all of these shows, and I think the important prerequisites for pulling off this sort of humor are that you have to be smart, informed, and, while not racist, hyper-aware of your own racial hangups and willing to make fun of them. Because most viewers can see through anything less than that pretty easily.
I think Family Guy really toes the line between racial humor and plain ol’ racism. Otherwise, I agree with you on the other shows.
That one sort of slipped by me — I don’t actually watch Family Guy. Do others think it’s racist?
I was never all that thrilled over 30 Rock in the first place. I failed to see the humor in the first couple episodes so I never watched it again. Sort of the same with Family Guy.
The only cartoon that I love long time is ‘King of the Hill’. That’s my jam!!
I watch Family Guy and I don’t consider it racist. It is an equal opportunity offender and 99% of the time, it’s making fun of the racists. Since it airs all the time now, it’s taken the place of Law & Order for me as my choice of background noise while doing other stuff.
JB, are you kidding? King of the Hill and The Simpsons don’t do it for me at all.
30 Rock is sometimes hilarious. The few episodes I’ve seen have either been either complete hits or complete misses. The Office does it very well.
…oh, but at times, Family Guy just validates stereotypes. Here are some that come to mind:
*Black women = overly bossy (see Cleveland’s ex-wife and current girlfriend)
*Japanese girls like small things and have small breasts.
*Being Jewish makes you good with money. While I find that banned episode funny, it mostly affirmed stereotypes.
The people who should be most offended by the show are really Irish-Americans and Catholics. Those are the only groups that are repeatedly and quite blatantly made to look bad. There are just far too many examples to list.
I love all 3 of these shows…but yes, Family Guy toes the line on all of those groups. Daria did a pretty good synopsis of the show, but one scene in particular sticks out in my mind; on one show, Stewie proposes a toast: “To the black man…for taking it all in stride.”
Family Guy is racist, it uses ridiculous stereotypes however, I think it does that to make fun of racism.
30 Rock and Curb are the two best comedies on TV. Period. I own all of the Family Guy shows on DVD and my friends and I can quote most episodes so that tells you what I think about that show. None of the shows are racist. Smart people know this.
Is it racist if they’re using it in a way to show how absurd some stereotypes and attitudes are in a non-preachy way? Many shows attempt this and fail miserably at it, South Park being the most notable recent example though I genuinely believe that they have good intentions. I will say that of the little I’ve seen of the show, I absolutely LOVE the idea of Token though.
Daria,
Ohhh come on! King of the Hill is great stuff (Bobby, LuAnn, Boomhauer, CLASSIC). I haven’t been watching the new Simpson’s episodes. In fact, I realized a few months ago that the show was still producing new episodes
The Office is absolutely hilarious though the last couple have been dull. I assumed it was due to the writer’s strike?
wait, lauren…you have to watch the back episodes of curb your enthusiasm…this season was HILARIOUS!
JB, I thought it was because it was stretched to an hour since Scrubs started late. I do like that the whole Jim-Pam will they or won’t they thing has ended. I spent the summer watching Frasier from beginning to end. The whole Daphne-Niles thing gets old. I do like that there’s more attention on previously minor characters. Keeps things fresh.
King of the Hill offends my ear drums as do most accents. Boston ones are funny though. “If you pahk ya cah in Hahvahd Squeh, it’ll be towed to Medfahd or Sommahville.” If I end up settling here, my kids are definitely going to private school. It’s only funny on other people’s children.
My ability to go off topic never ceases to amaze me.
^^As does my ability to turn any subject into one about myself.
Love the dialogue on this blog. I really love the humor on 30 Rock. I have tried to give CYE a chance, but I find Larry David annoying. There is so much on cable, that I hardly watch sitcoms anymore.
I think Family Guy and the Office are hilarious and I don’t think either of them are racist. If anything, they make fun of white, liberal guilt more than anything else.
Plus, I agree with daria about 30 Rock. It’s funny 50% of the time.
I’ve only seen 5 minutes of CYE and I didn’t think it was that funny. I don’t like Letterman either. I guess I’m not smart enough to get that type of humor.
Michelle, no, it’s just not that funny. I am a fan of the clever and witty stuff (Frasier) as well as the satirical, campy bits (Family Guy, Office). I’m not even sure how to categorize Letterman or CYE. I get it but it’s just not that funny.
Dude, Frasier sucks. You’ve sooooo been bamboozled.
^^^
Well, let me start shuckin’ and jivin’ because Frasier is hilarious. I watch it every day on Lifetime @ 10 before I go to class.
I used to hate Lifetime but they’ve stepped it up with airing some quality sit-coms. I’d sooner poke my eyes out than watch “More of Me” or a movie of the week though.
You’re quite right. Too many YTs on Frasier. I should use the term “bamboozled” more in everyday life. But seriously, that show has the best writing ever. Interesting fact: Niles, the dad Martin and Bob the Bulldog are all gay. Curious with all the shows with slightly homophobic inferences on the show.
I knew “Niles” and “Bulldog” were gay but not the dad. WOW!
*sighs* I miss smart and funny TV shows. Damn writers’ strike and greedy TV execs!
Another great show was Designing Women. I respected them more than the Sex and the City chicks.
Well…I am about so show more of my love of white women. Some of the best writing on TV was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seriously.
Never watched Buffy.
I watched SATC religiously in college. I watch it now and I think “these stupid overgrown girls are trying to be like men.” I’m not a feminist. With rare exceptions (Samantha), you can’t really sleep with some guy you spent an hour with and not get attached, even if he ain’t shit. I don’t think we’re programmed that way. The whole hook-up thing and wondering why “relationships” end so quickly amuses. And then when the Ms. Do-You-Know-What-People-Think-When-They-See-Us decides to not give it up, she took it too far and married a impotent man who evolved into a premature ejaculator. And just think of the diseases. For a show that was all about sex, the fact that they had a total of 3 shows dedicated to after school special sex-ed troubles me. HIV testing one, the one where Miranda finds out she has chlamydia (wouldn’t it be hilarious as a pet’s name?) and again when Miranda gets pregnant.
Buffy = Best. Show. Ever.
SATC was awesome. I don’t watch it anymore b/c I’ve seen every ep about 10x after my boy got me the collectors edition dvd set. And, yes, some of us are programmed that way.
OMG!!!! Michelle, see, I love you. Are you a Buffy fan? I’m a big fucking dork about that show. I have buffy figurines and role playing books and monster makeup and posters and ish in my garage. No lie.
Closet nerd. I embrace my nerdiness but it doesn’t go quite that far.
I think I particularly turn my nose up to SATC now because when I was in college, I thought that was what normal people do and I’m supposed to be like that to. I am naturally a Prude so I made some calls that just weren’t me at all. The lesson there is to not follow other people’s rules. My best friend got me a book title “Prude.” I look forward to getting it.
I was a huge Buffy fan but I missed the entire final season because the city in which I moved to didn’t have the WB or UPN. But, I’ll get the entire series on DVD eventually.
BTW, the best episode was “Hush”. Damn creepy ass Gentlemen still give me nightmares.
As for SATC, I dislike the show for the reasons you bring up Daria. Plus, Carrie wound up with a man who treated her like crap because she wore him down. To me, the message that show sent was ” You can be a self absorbed whore all you want. However, if you wind up with a man, any man, you’ll be ok.” Um…no
I’m a prude too, daria.
- You have no idea how far my closet nerdiness extends. It goes DEEP. People are always like, “you look lik THIS, but you’re into THAT?” I stan for the closet nerds!
Michelle - Hush is great. I have many eps that I like. You like Angel, too? Firefly?
I liked Angel but I didn’t see the rest of it because of the lack of UPN/WB. I didn’t get into Firefly. After Hercules and Xena went off, I stayed away from those type of shows.
I concur the racial humor in these shows is so blatant it’s made to make fun. Like calling Stanly (office) the “fun” black guy. You take it with a grain of salt and watch where it goes. The family guy isn’t just racist, they are equal opportunity with their jabs, the poor, the rich, the fat, the retarded, and celebrities are all equally jabbed on the show. You watch expecting it to be audacious, that’s the shtick.