Ellen HaProfessor Ellen ScottMEDST 145April 10, 2014Negative Impact of Stereotypical Portrayals of African Americans on TelevisionIntroductionHow has the media portrayal of African Americans affected the way society perceives them as a whole? “…negative exposure to portrayals of African Americans in the media significantly influences evaluations of African Americans in general” (Punyanunt-Carter 242). My research question centers on the general public's view of African Americans as individuals and as a minority. The mass media is a vital source of information that contributes to the public perception of African Americans and their roles and personalities. According to several scholars and according to my point of view, I believe that the representation of the African American has been one-dimensional, negative and distorted; Without a doubt, the stereotypical portrayal of African Americans has contributed to racial prejudices and assumptions. In my opinion, I feel that the negative portrayals outweigh the positive ones. My father was a Korean citizen who immigrated to New York in 1983. He moved to New York to start a business. The business he started was mainly run by other Koreans, and their contacts were also all of Korean origin. He rarely had direct contact with African Americans. I thought it would be interesting to find out his perspective on African Americans when he arrived in the United States and how they were portrayed on television. This interview took place at a bar located in Bayside, Queens. The interview began at 7:51 PM EST and was completed at 8:07 PM EST on April 3, 2014. Transcript of Interview with Joseph Ha Interviewer: Ellen Ha (EH) Interviewee: Joseph Ha (JH) EH: Hi Dad. You read...... middle of paper...... knowledge is not available to an individual like a language barrier or a rare interaction between them, television provides society with images that influence and shape their perceptions. The greater the exposure, the more likely people are to remember what they saw and apply it to life and everyday scenarios. Bill Cosby stated in 1994 that blacks in the media tended to be “threatening, disorderly, rebellious, disrespectful, buffoonish, sexual, immoral, hopeless, inexperienced, uneducated, and loud” (Punyanunt-Carter 243). He concluded that most black roles were negative and stereotypical. These harmful portrayals that do not shine a positive light on African Americans often focus on reaffirming harmful racial stereotypes. When the interviewee was asked which famous African Americans he remembered on television, he mentioned Michael Jackson and Eddie Murphy..