George Lopez

In “Enlightened Racism,” Jhally discusses The Bill Cosby Show and how the characters are living the American dream. The family and characters are African American and living in a time when racial inequality was prominent. Most African American and minority families lived below the poverty line. Jhally argues that this show and similar show promotes the false idea that blacks and other minorities can make it, and if they do not they have only themselves to blame. These sitcoms provide white audiences with relief of responsibility for inequalities, while distorting the way most blacks lived during that time.

Most television sitcoms are based on the typical family setting of two parents, a son, a daughter, and sometimes a neurotic grandparent. After reading and analyzing Jhally’s article and viewing a similar sitcom in class, I thought of the George Lopez show. The idea of anyone being able to make it is promoted in this sitcom. The Lopez’s are a middle class Mexican family. George had a difficult upbringing. He was abandoned by his father and abused by his alcoholic mother. However, George works his way up to become the manager of Powers Brothers Aviation. Race is mentioned frequently on the show and the characters speak Spanish sometimes.

These sitcoms reinforce Jhally’s idea of the race myth by obscuring the connection between race and class. Rather than focusing on the socio-economic reasons that affect race and class, viewers of this show assume the reason for living below the poverty line is a choice and a result of bad work ethic or lack of motivation.