By: Jalen Amerine (’20), Staff Writer
At the 69th Emmy Awards show on Sunday, September 17, Donald Glover and Lena Waithe made history with their Emmy wins. Glover was the first African-American to win an Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, and Waithe was the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
Glover won his Emmy for his work in Atlanta, a show that tells the story of a rising rapper in Atlanta named “Paper Boi,” while also commenting on social issues and common stereotypes of black people in America. The show is only one season in, but has received lots of praise for its originality and creative storytelling.
Waithe won her Emmy for her work in Master of None, a show that is streamed through Netflix. The specific episode she won her award for is called “Thanksgiving,” which tells the story of Denise, played by Waithe, and how her family comes to terms with her sexuality. The story goes through many Thanksgivings of Denise’s life from childhood to adulthood, tracking the transition of not only Denise fully embracing who she is, but her family as well.
These two shows tell the stories of a group of people underrepresented in mainstream media. They take characters that most shows would make stereotypical and one dimensional and give them platforms to voice issues that are pertinent to them. They are written by people that have actual life experiences to back up their ideas, and understand the importance of changing the narrative and breaking away from the status quo.
Master of None and Atlanta are similar in that they both satirize the stereotype and perspectives so often forced on people of color in television. In Atlanta, Glover challenges the dominant stereotypes of “the hood” and “the ghetto,” in the media, while also showing the challenges that a black rapper can face in the beginning of their career. Master of None focuses on the ways Hollywood reinforces and strengthens these stereotypes, while also creating a diverse cast in which the actors play a part in molding their characters.
The NAACP commented on these historic wins at the Emmys this past Sunday in a press release. In it, they quote the Chairman of the NAACP Image Awards Leonard James III.
“Now, more than ever, television is aimed at a more diverse audience,” James said. “We look forward to continuing our important work with the Hollywood community to further increase visibility, diversity, and the accurate portrayal of people of color in the television world.”
Recently there has been a surge in diverse casts that seek to break away from the mainstream and challenge what has been considered the “norm” of Hollywood for so many years. With not only Master of None, and Atlanta, but also shows like Dear White People and Black-ish that comment on social issues while also having a dominant storyline to provide the foundation of the story.
With this surge of popularity in media created by minorities, it will be interesting to see how mainstream media responds and what they do or do not change in order to emulate the success that these shows have had. Will they try to imitate the level of depth and complexity that these shows bring to underrepresented characters that makes them so popular?
In the wake of shows like Atlanta and Master of None, and with so many other shows following, the hope is that people of color will see that “it is possible,” Waithe said. Their stories matter, and people want to hear stories that matter, and that say something that people can identify with.
There is still a long way to go before shows like these will successfully break through the dominant ideology that many people are willing to accept. But, given the success of these shows and their fan bases, it is clear that people are wanting something different from their entertainment. Atlanta and Master of None are already breaking through the noise and are successfully demonstrating what people want in this new era of television.
