Boston Public
David Frost once said, "Television enables you to be entertained in your home by people you wouldn't have in your home." The reason why we are so entertained by these people on television is because the people on television are demonstrating stereotypes within our society and they are so stereotypical that sometimes we are annoyed with them. In the everyday world, television and advertisements are constantly using stereotypes to attract new and more audiences and consumers. In one specific show, Boston Public, these stereotypes are more of the reinforcing nature instead of the challenging nature and are also extremely relevant. Created by David E. Kelley, Boston Public is set in the fictional Winslow High School, supposedly in Boston. There's no indication as to why Winslow High is as crowded (a 29-to-1 teacher-student ratio) and chaotic as it is - whether it's in the richest or poorest section of Boston, or somewhere in between; we just have to take it on faith that the heroic teachers are operating under siege conditions. And these teachers are: Lauren Davis (Jessalyn Gilsig), a young, idealistic social studies teacher; Harry Senate (Nicky Katt), in trouble for kissing a student and firing a gun in class; Marla Hendricks (
Peters' students, who is an outcast, is being accused of cheating, Scott Guber (the vice-principal) is modest and decides to question Ms. In Boston Public the situation is no different. Scott admits to cheating by avoiding a drug test brought up by Guber. While growing up I have been subjected to the male dominant society. Later on, they conclude that Sylvie had an emotional breakdown, which was brought on by stress, caused from Lauren, one of Sylvie's teachers. While in high school I have found that the kids that you would least suspect of being problem teens are the ones that cheat, steal, and do drugs and the kids that appear to be outcasts are the ones that do well in school its just that they express themselves in their own way and that's what makes them an outcast in the eyes of their schoolmates. And they are all, we are reassured numerous times, "great" teachers. These types of stereotypes need to be extinguished for the reason being that people that like to express themselves and are labeled outcasts cannot get very far in our culture due to stupid stereotypes. Now that I attend Colorado State University I see the same thing. Marla suggests that Sylvie's attack might have been a result of drugs. The show goes a step further by demonstrating that you don't have to be a white catholic or Christian to hold an important role in society. Even though he is not a very religious man Bill shares the common ideals of white male seniority in society. Boston Public challenges the culturally dominant stereotype that only white people hold high positions in society.
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