Entertainment
'Saturday Night Live' Didn't Solve Everything: We Grade TV's Hottest Comedies on Diversity
Saturday Night Live has FINALLY cast its first black female cast member in the five years since Maya Rudolph left the show. After months of controversy and weeks of semi-secret auditions, the hilarious and most-deserving Sasheer Zamata will now join Studio 8H. Amen. Amen. A-FREAKIN-MEN! Seriously, I am so excited to see Sasheer shake things up at the all-to-often-rocky terrain of SNL. I mean c’mon guys, it’s live from NEW YORK. In a city of that many millions of people you really oughta showcase, y’know, all of them. Not just six new white people every year.
In any case, really, I am thrilled for Zamata. And as much as I’d all like us to throw our hands up in the air and celebrate, “Hooray! Diversity on television is fixed!” that’s sorely not the case. It’s not even the case for comedy. Zamata’s casting is a push in the right direction — one in which people can stand up to execs and demand change, and then see it happen. That is indeed, a victory.
However, before we all rush to be like, “Okay great Tina Fey made sure everyone knew women were funny and now Sasheer Zamata can make sure everyone knows black women are funny,” we need to take a look at what’s happening in terms of diversity elsewhere on television. It’s not a stretch to say shows like Duck Dynasty and the multitudes of brain-melters all over reality television and inexplicably successful groaners like Two and a Half Men are bad for women, minorities, and well, pretty much most people.
Rather, let’s take a look at the critical darlings, the shows that are supposedly pushing the envelope, and dig a little deeper into diversity of our favorite comedies. We might be seeing more women and actors of color, but Hollywood is still sorely lacking in body and ability types. Or how about the racial and gender exclusivity of showrunners? Let's keep moving forward, shall we?
Image: thesheertruth/instagram
'Modern Family'
I’d like to be able to give a show called Modern Family a really high mark because it’s modern, right? Wrong. Sigh. I have a hard time with a show that calls itself such when there are literally no working women represented. Gloria, played by the talented and highest-paid-actor-in-the-biz Sofia Vergara, is far too often portrayed as a stereotype. Cripes, there was even an episode where Manny stormed out of a play date because he listened and listened to a girl and it turned out she wanted to just be friends. Nice guy syndrome on a kid? Ick. The show’s normalization of gay culture and identity is not without its pins, either. Still, it is at least refreshing to see a show that features stories that were once too taboo for television, let alone one of the most successful series in the past decade. Forward-thinking? Yes. Problematic? Completely.
Grade: C
'Big Bang Theory
I’ll try to get past the fact that this show tells me when to laugh. This is the most popular show on television. The. Most. Popular. There is one person of color in the main cast, Kunal Nayyar who plays Raj Koothrappali. And still, he’s a secondary character. Points for featuring mensa-level-super-genius women. Though the Penny storyline is bogged down by a tired archetype. Big Bang Theory, you above all should know, with great power comes great responsibility. Please, do more with your power.
Grade: D+
'Parks and Recreation'
Leslie Knope may very well be one of the best feminist heroines on television. This show consistently opens up the conversation about women in power and makes no apologies. There’s even a whole scandal about gay penguins. A stellar gender-balanced, age-balanced cast whose scenes are consistently stolen by Aziz Ansari and Retta. However, with Rashida Jones leaving the cast, there is a gap left in the diversity sector. The townsfolk of Pawnee could also use a bit more variety. And the question remains, how universal or far-reaching is the show’s humor? I believe in you, Pawnee, I really do.
Grade: B +
'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'
A gay black police chief, two latinas, two Italians , a Jew, and a big masculine teddy bear walk into a bar. Nope, that’s not the start of an uncomfortable joke your weird uncle tells at Thanksgiving. It’s the diverse make-up of the starring cast of television’s most ‘didn’t-see-it-coming’-est series. Not even through it’s first season yet, Brooklyn Nine-Nine is making huge waves with critics and audiences alike. Rather than stereotyping its diverse cast, the writers of Nine-Nine have created a well-rounded, complex, and completely hilarious brigade of lovable weirdos. It is one of the most wholly-inclusive (and really really smartly funny) shows out there. Kudos. All of the kudos.
Grade: A -
(It would have been a clean A if the women were billed with Andy Samberg as the show’s top stars)
'Girls'
Season Three has been touting the show’s first African American female character. However, the problem here is that Danielle Brooks is only billed for one episode. One. Lena Dunham has faced plenty of criticism for the lilly white depiction of what it’s like to be a young artist in New York. Talk to Zamata, I’m sure she has plenty to say about the subject. But hey, it’s still a step up from another show called White Dudes. You had us at season one. You lost us at season two (Seriously, that awful race argument with Sandy?). Maybe season three, maybe.
Grade: D+
'The Mindy Project'
Mindy Kaling will tell you herself, if her show was going to be about an Indian-American OB/GYN, then there better damned be some brown babies in that office. A forever champion of the “Shut up and let me make my art” campaign, Kaling has made it a point to include a wide spectrum of body types, ethnicities, ages, and opinions in her quirky-comedy-that-could. Not only does her show tout a diverse cast, it speaks to the very truth that women in and of themselves are multi-faceted. You can be career-driven and desire love, you can want A LOT of sex or sometimes none at all, you can be femme and wear sweatpants, you can love rom-coms and be exquisitely brilliant. Mindy is a lot of things, and deserves a lot more credit.
Grade: A
'New Girl'
On paper New Girl is doin’ pretty good. Two African American males, a Jewish guy, an Indian American woman, and two white people (All of which are ridiculously good looking and have nice bods). And hey! The show stars a really talented actress. Women are funny! Hey, they even explore socioeconomics when the gang makes a trip to Nick’s hometown. All in all, New Girl does a good job of exploring its many ethnic backgrounds without alienating. But, that episode where Schmidt tries to introduce Winston to more black friends…eeeeesh. Remember Schmidtty, we only laugh when you make fun of others when its also at the expense of yourself. You were also doing so much more when Merritt Weaver was on, please, bring her back.
Grade: B-/C+
'Orange is the New Black'
This show is the new everything for television and entertainment. Listen up, Hollywood, these women of all colors, shapes, ages, classes, histories, and gender identities have a lot to say. Oh, and they’re gonna make you laugh, too. Game. Changer.
Grade: A
