Gossip Girl here: Rumor has it Race will be the hottest accessory this season

There’s no doubt that minorities have always struggled to be as prevalent as white people are on television. Shows like The Cosby Show were important to the past few decades in making minorities relevant. In a society that’s dominated by the majority, whites, it would seem as if we’ve made a lot of progress as far as an equal representation of all populations on television. But unfortunately that is not the case and many television shows only use minorities almost as decoration in order to support white characters.  

Gossip Girl was a hit when it came out in September 2007. Who doesn’t love watching rich people live lavish lives in the glamorous NYC from the comfort of our couch in Iowa? Success came fast to this teen drama, based on an elite group of high school students from the Upper East Side of New York City. The show is centered on five white students that all attend Constance Billiard Preparatory School. They spend their time wasting their parent’s money on alcohol, parties, and sex, all while trying to get into Yale. The show is based in New York City, where less than half the population is white. So how is it possible that almost no non-white characters have made it on to the show? The only characters that are not white are depicted simply in terms of their relationship to a white character. The show is misrepresenting minorities by making them seem less important to society than they actually are. The characters and plot of Gossip Girl demonstrates how race is used as an accessory on television today.

In the fifties black characters were limited, and mostly functioned to support white characters such as in the show Beulah. In the seventies representations tried to be more socially relative and reference issues of the time. During the eighties one of the goals of The Cosby Show was to represent positive African American roles to counter other messages that were going on at the time. Although it seems as if American television was progressing, a study done on minorities’ roles in television from 2000-2008 proves otherwise. “More important, however, the results show that prime time programming was less diverse at the end of the first decade of the 21st century than it was at the beginning” (Signorielli). Although diversity in the U.S population was increasing over the eight year period, the amount of diversity on television has been decreasing.  This isn’t a problem depicted only in Gossip Girl; it’s a national issue.

            The original cast of Gossip Girl was an all white ensemble. Vanessa Abrams (Jessica Szohr) was added in during the first season to be an occasional role. She was introduced as Dan Humphrey’s childhood friend from Brooklyn, and typed as the “half-black” girl. Being the only minority, she was also the only one who couldn’t afford to go to the elite private school. Instead she was homeschooled so that she could work. Coincidence that the only non-white student is also the only one whose forced to provide for herself? Strange. But Vanessa’s character also wasn’t meant to be one that is looked at on an individual level and developed. She was only created to be Dan’s support and helped us get a better look into Mr. Humphrey. Vanessa only became a regular when polls showed that the Gossip Girl audience really liked her. She was one of the only relatable characters and the viewers are the reason why she became a regular.

I could list four hundred television shows off the top of my head where the main white characters has a “black friend”. It’s a common staple in a lot of shows; and typically their only purpose is to support and give advice to the white character. The character that’s a minority never gets their life delved into and they’re only focused on in terms of their relationship with the white characters.  “Grey’s Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes sees progress in her diverse cast and those of other established hits — namely Lost and Heroes. But she still cites room for improvement: ''Do I want to see any more shows where someone has a sassy black friend? No, because I'm nobody's sassy black friend. I just want to see shows in which people get to be people and that look like the world we live in. The world is changing, and television will have to follow” (Armstrong). This is a great quote that examines one of the biggest issues with the lack of diversity in television. Besides the fact that there isn’t much, when there is, it’s often not in the best representation. At this day in age I think it’s time for America to get over the “sassy/funny black friend” role.

Aside from Vanessa Abram’s character, there are only two other smaller roles with characters that aren’t white. Blair’s “minions”, Hazel and Nelly, (whose names I actually had to look up because they’re such un-emphasized characters I forgot) are the only other non-white characters and are only around to be supporters. After looking at this picture through an image analysis perspective, based on surface value, the girls’ relationship and power status is clearly communicated. Blair is in the middle and ahead of the two girls because she’s the one with the money and the one who makes all the decisions. Her minion’s help her with her dirty work and anything else she asks for. Oh and her non-pictured minion is Hispanic (there’s a surprise). The non-white characters are used as nothing more than a simple side kick in Gossip Girl. We never go into the lives of Hazel or Penelope and they’re only relevant in terms of how they can help Blair or ruin Jenny’s life.

“After nearly 10 years of working with diversity reps and outreach programs, the networks still primarily solve the problem by sprinkling nonwhite actors into white-led shows — often as a comedic sidekick or in guy-who-helps-the-main-guy-solve-a-crime roles. Brock Akil calls the solution ''very transparent. I think the audience can see right through that” (Armstrong). Gossip Girl doesn’t even try covering up the fact that non-white characters are used as irreplaceable and meaningless. The only non-white main character wasn’t even originally scheduled to be on the show! I do understand that the show takes place from the Upper East Side of New York City, but there is a population there that is being under represented. I can say with much certainty that the upper east side isn’t 100% white and it’s disappointing that no one of a minority was represented (A very close friend of mine went to an all-girls private school on the upper east side, AND she happens to be Puerto Rican). It would be irrational to say that all shows need to exemplify a certain amount of diversity. But I do think that it is something that should be looked at. Especially when minorities are used simply as accessories. To Blair her minority minions were as important as her headband, a simple accessory with no substance.

References

Armstrong, Jennifer, and Margeaux Watson. "Diversity in Entertainment: Why Is TV so White?" Entertainment Weekly. N.p., 13 June 2008. Web.

Nancy Signorielli (2009) Minorities Representation in Prime Time: 2000 to 2008, Communication Research Reports, 26:4, 323-336,