Race: TV and Reality

In 1965, Bill Cosby starred in the television program I Spy, becoming one of the first African-American dramatic leads on television. Cosby and his costar, Robert Culp, insisted that there be no racial jokes or themes in the program. They wanted the show to be "color blind" so that Cosby’s presence was simply accepted as normal. On the one hand, that was a daring move for the 1960s; but was that a realistic or idealized representation of race relations for 1965?or today?

In this Application, compare the depictions of race on television with the realities of race and explore how each affects the other.

Questions about this assignment? Post them in the Ask the Instructor area. That way, everyone in the class will see and benefit from the Instructor’s response.

To prepare for this Application:
?Review this week’s Learning Resources.
?Recall racial depictions you have seen on television.
?Compare the racial depictions you have seen on television to those in your personal experience.
?Reflect on the influence of these depictions in your personal life.

The assignment:
?Compose a 1- to 2-page paper in which you do the following:
?Compare racial interactions on television to those in real life.
?Explain how these fictional interactions have influenced your personal interactions.
?Support your assertions by making at least 2 references, in proper APA format, to your course readings.