You want it to be one way, but it’s the other way: How David Simon’s The Wire Maintains African American Stereotypes

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The Wire is widely considered to be the blueprint of a post-racial TV show. It features more Black characters than any other US TV show has ever done before. African Americans are depicted in all possible positions of social and professional hierarchies. However, the show maintains some of the stereotypical depictions of African Americans that have been prevalent throughout the history of film and television as well as the history of the US. With a close look on the history of Black representation in the United States and the stereotypes used in 20th century film and television, Eike Rudebusch analyzes The Wire with regard to social as well as media stereotypes of African Americans. Thereby he shows the changes in African American representation on The Wire, but also that The Wire is not deserving of such idealistic post-race praises.