African American Viewers and the Black Situation Comedy: Situating Racial Humor (Studies in African American History and Culture)

Providing new insight into key debates over race and representation in the media, this ethnographic study explores the ways in which African Americans have been depicted in Black situation comedies- from the 1950's Beulah to contemporary series like Martin and Living Single. As scholars increasingly turn their attention to how audiences interpret, use, and resist media texts, Means Coleman makes a major contribution to the development of reception theories by focusing on African American audiences, and bringing their voices to bear on controversies over race and representation. In her analysis of African American viewers' reading of black situation comedy, Means Coleman highlights the ways in which race is encoded into viewing experiences, and illustrates how political and ideological struggles are central to discussions of representation.