The way that gender, age, ethnicity, national and regional identity, social concerns, and current events are depicted in the media is known as representation. The understanding and comprehension of an audience concerning these crucial subjects may be shaped through the media's representation.
It is important to recognize how what we see in any media text is a constructed
representation rather than a simple reflection of reality. It is also important to consider that
most representations are constructed by someone outside the group that is being depicted. Given the volume of representations we are exposed to while accessing the media, it is unsurprising that they are seen to be influential in the way we the audience make sense of the world.
Modern Family is a popular sitcom from ABC that offers an honest, often-hilarious perspective of family life. Gloria is the woman who is far to the left. Her character in the show is presented as a fun, loud and beautiful Colombian woman with a very noticeable accent, quite dramatic, outspoken and feisty. Christopher Lloyd and Steven Levitan, the show's creators, probably had a concept or mental image to represent a Hispanic woman, which led them to stereotype this character in that way. Gloria represents Hispanic women over the world, altogether full of passion and zest for life. Although Hispanic women are louder and more outgoing than other women, this portrayal may not be realistic because not all Latinas have trouble speaking English or have an accent. I am also from hispanic heritage as my parents are from Venezuela so I could relate to her and her fun attitude.
Jenniferer Lopez plays the role of Marisa Ventura in the 2002 movie Maid in Manhattan, as a Latina hotel maid. The movie makes the suggestion that she follows the wealthy man in order to succeed. This portrayal of Hispanic women does not do them justice. It implies that Latina women are usually cleaning ladies and that are less capable than other women. The story's author, John Hughes, intended to illustrate this stereotypical notion. Since everyone is equal and all women are capable of achievement and success, this portrayal is entirely inaccurate. This movie objectifies women, which is wrong. Again, I identify with Marisa since I am Hispanic. Despite the differences in the way we live our lives, we both have hispanic backgrounds.
Schitt’s Creek is a sitcom that went on air in 2015. Dan Levy and his father Eugene Levy created the show that went on to become an underground hit. The father and son duo also star in the show, playing father and son of the Rose family, together with Moira and Alexis (mother and daughter respectively). It is a show that is thoroughly Jewish without always overtly stating it. The show takes Jewish tropes and turns them into a show for everyone, not just Jews. The focus on family and family relationships is, of course, a central element in the Jewish tradition. The show itself is very much a family affair. Not to mention that Jews have had the theme of losing everything and starting from scratch in a new place as penniless outsiders trending since the Assyrian exile. The show embraces Jewish tradition and expression in a way that appeals to all and is especially comforting to a Jewish audience. There is an overabundance of white, often Ashkenazi, Jews on television, and on this particular show. This common practice leads to a belief by the public that all Jews are white. This is one of the more dangerous aspects of the way Jews are represented on television because, in reality, Judaism is a religion with diverse members. The stereotype that all Jews are white works to erase the multitude of races and ethnicities that subscribe to the Jewish religion, like myself for example, since I’m Jewish and also Hispanic. This show also relates to me and my family, and even not in the same way, and with much luck that the Rose family in the series, my parents left their lives in Venezuela to start new ones in the United States.
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