Many black actors are still confined to comedies. Since ethnic comedies like Amos n' Andy first aired in the 1950's, Hollywood has tended to turn the real issues and concerns of minorities into humorous plot lines and ethnic characters into caricatures, raising the question of whether these shows ultimately attack or reinforce stereotypes and prejudices. But life isn't always funny. And TV's picture of the world may be affecting kids in ways Nielsen ratings can't measure. Children Now's survey found that 80 percent of black youngsters had their own TV in their bedroom, compared to 51 percent of whites.
TV often fails to provide it's most loyal fans with role models.
Actor Plana notes that in some communities the dropout rate among Latinos is up 50 percent, and blames television in part for not offering them other roles to aspire to. TV is failing white kids, too. Little on screen will prepare them for the diverse world into which they are growing. Study after study shows that TV can be a powerful tool in teaching tolerance and understanding, but, all too often, it doesn't take advantage of that opportunity. The networks and other programmers have made some significant changes.