The Counter-Stereotypical Representation of Latinas in the American Police Procedural Comedy Series Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox & NBC, 2013-2021)

https://doi.org/10.22146/rubikon.v11i1.83768

Naily Ananda Putri(1*), Fitria Akhmerti Primasita(2)

(1) Universitas Sebelas Maret
(2) Universitas Sebelas Maret
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


The representation of Latinas in America has always been stapled with stereotypical traits since their initial appearance in the mainstream media because the representation is depicted from the point of view of Anglo-Americans. It is then intriguing to analyze the representation of Latinas in the American police procedural comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine which its Anglo-American producers claimed to be counter-stereotypical to the existing Latina representation in the American mainstream media. Using Roland Barthes' Semiotics, the analysis shows that these characters defy traditional roles by being depicted as competent, assertive professionals with legal citizenship. The findings show that these characters defy traditional roles by being depicted as competent, assertive professionals with legal citizenship. They also diverge from sexualized stereotypes through their portrayal as authoritative figures, avoiding overly sexualized tropes in speech and attire. This portrayal offers a counter-narrative to existing media stereotypes of Latina women.

Keywords


american police procedural comedy series; counter-stereotype; latinas; representation; stereotype

Full Text:

PDF


References

Associated Press. (2015, Jan 24). How Fox’s cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine gets diversity right. The National.https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts/how-fox-s-cop-comedy-brooklyn-nine-nine-gets-diversity-right-1.118358

Barthes, R. (1972). Mythologies (A. Lavers, Trans.). Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux. (Original work published 1957).

Berg, C. R. (1990). Stereotyping in films in general and of the Hispanic in particular. Howard Journal of Communications, 2(3), 286-300.

Berg, C. R. (2002). Latino images in film: Stereotypes, subversion, and resistance. University of Texas Press.

Blumberg, D. M., Schlosser, M. D., Papazoglou, K., Creighton, S., & Kaye, C. C. (2019). New directions in police academy training: A call to action. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 1-14.

Casillas, D. I., Ferrada, J. S., & Hinojos, S. V. (2018). The accent on Modern Family: Listening to representation of the Latina vocal body. Aztlán: A Journal of Chicano Studies, 43(1), 61-88.

Enriquez, L. E. (2015). Multigenerational punishment: Shared experiences of undocumented immigration status within mixed-status families. Journal of Marriage and Family, 77(4), 939-953.

Fasoli, F., Maass, A., Volpato, C., & Pacili, G. (2018). The (female) graduate: Choice and consequences of women’s clothing. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2401.

Griffin, D. (2017). (Not) one of the boys: A case study of female detectives on HBO [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Western Ontario]. Western University Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository.

Hinojos, S. V. (2019). Lupe Vélez and her spicy visual “accent” in English-language print media. Latino Studies, 17(3), 338-361.

Hunter, S. D., Smith, S., & Chinta, R. (2016). Predicting new TV series ratings from their pilot episode scripts. International Journal of English Linguistics, 6(5), 1-11.

Jontes, D. (2010). Slovenian sitcom and the construction of otherness. Cultural Studies, 24(5), 716-728.

Karray, S., & Debernitz, L. (2015). The effectiveness of movie trailer advertising. International Journal of Advertising, 36(2), 368-392.

Karsay, K., Matthes, J., Platzer, P., & Plinke, M. (2017). Adopting the objectifying gaze: Exposure to sexually objectifying music videos and subsequent gazing behavior. Media Psychology, 21(1), 27-49.

Martynuska, M. (2016). The exotic other: Representations of Latina tropicalism in US popular culture. Journal of Language and Cultural Education, 4(2), 73-81.

MasterClass. (2022, September 13). Film 101: What is a medium shot? Understanding the essentials of using a medium shot in film. masterclass.com. https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-101-what-is-a-medium-shot-understanding-the-essentials-of-using-a-medium-shot-in-film

Merskin, D. (2007). Three faces of Eva: Perpetuation of the hot-Latina stereotype in Desperate Housewives. The Howard Journal of Communications, 18(2), 133-151.

Molina-Guzmán, I. (2010). Dangerous curves: Latina bodies in the media (Vol. 5). NYU Press.

Molina-Guzmán, I., & Valdivia, A. N. (2004). Brain, brow, and booty: Latina iconicity in U.S. popular culture. The communication review, 7(2), 205-221.

New York City Police Department. (n.d.). Hiring process. https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/careers/police-officers/po-hiring.page

New York City Police Department. (n.d.). Police academy.https://www.nyc.gov/site/nypd/about/police-academy/police-academy-landing.page

Ong, M.D. (2022). Othering, stereotyping, hybridity in ‘Hujan Bulan Juni’: A postcolonial analysis. E-Journal of Cultural Studies, 15(4), 30-41.

Padilla, Y. M. (2009). Domesticating Rosario: Conflicting representations of the Latina maid in US media. Arizona Journal of Hispanic Cultural Studies, 41-59.

Rezeanu, C. (2015). The relationship between domestic space and gender identity: Some signs of emergence of alternative domestic femininity and masculinity. Journal of Comparative Research in Anthropology and Sociology, 6(2), 9-29.

Sedita, S. (2014). The eight characters of comedy: a guide to sitcom acting and writing. SCB Distributors.

Yalley, A. A., & Olutayo, M. S. (2020). Gender, masculinity, and policing: An analysis of the implications of police masculinized culture on policing domestic violence in southern Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 2(1), 1000077.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.22146/rubikon.v11i1.83768

Article Metrics

Abstract views : 706 | views : 283

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Rubikon : Journal of Transnational American Studies

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Indexed by:

   Crossref Google Scholar JournalStories Main logo  OAI logo  

View My Stats

ISSN & E-ISSN