Responses to Julia
Discuss the range of viewer responses to Julia described by Bodrohkozy's article. Based on your viewing of the pilot and our discussion of television and race in the 1960s, why do you think the show was interpreted so many different ways?
It is interesting to note the many differing textual readings of Julia that Aniko Bodroghkozy was able to juxtapose through her analysis of mail and other viewer responses Hal Kanter collected. It seems that the american audience was split in their opinions of the show itself, but also specific attributes of the show. Many wrote in to just discuss Julia’s character specifically, applauding her role as an independent African American woman, or disapproving of the stereotype of the broken African American home. Some wrote about how race was handled in the show, stating that Julia was a great example of middle class African American life and that it was refreshing to see on television, while others argued that it depicted a false representation of race that made Julia a black women “in a white milieu”, which made her act and seem white. These differing examples of the readings of Julia come at a time of rising tensions around civil rights and the differing ideas of racial equality throughout America. Just like the show, it could be said that there were differing opinions on racial equality regarding African Americans at the time. This show, which was supposed to be as racially neutral as possible, seems to have created different interpretations that follow the interpretations of society on a larger scale, outside the world of the show. It would seem that those viewers that did not like the show saw it as a false representation of African Americans and hid behind a false reality opposed to showing true society (these viewers were African American, but also xenophobic whites). And others, who saw the show as a positive representation, seemed to have had ideals leaning towards utopian dreams of equality that did not actually exist. They believed in the shows racial neutrality because they either wanted it to be true or were avoiding the truth.
ReplyDeleteBodroghkozy presents many viewer interpretations of the sitcom Julia. Some of these were from people of different race and class so they saw the show in a different light. However, I think the reason this show in particular got so much commentary was because it ignored a lot of racial issues that other shows were dealing with at the time. Some criticized Julia because she was a “white negro” and didn’t recognize her culture. Others thought the show was eye-opening because it showed that African Americans were “just like everybody else”. This also brought up the issue of being white as the norm and anything else was considered different. Another criticism was that there was no Black male father figure in the family. I thought this was interesting because the people who were upset by this were focused on the absence of the male figure rather than the fact that Julia was a strong independent woman who was able to raise her child on her own. Even though Julia and her home showed a lack of culture, the show did address some racial issues. For example, in the episode we watched Corey and the neighbor child argued about whether Santa is brown or peach colored. By the end of the episode multiple people dressed up to make sure Corey still believed in a Black Santa.
ReplyDeleteBodrohkozy describes an interesting mix of opinions on "Julia", and these tended to arise from the colorblind attitude the show had towards race. On one hand, many people believed that the portrayal of Julia and her interactions with white neighbors were progressive and a step in the right direction. On the opposite end of the spectrum, others thought Julia was too unrealistic, too much of a "white negro," to be considered a good representation of black people in America. Not only were there criticisms of race portrayal on the show; there were also issues of gender involved. For example, as Bodrohkozy describes, the pilot includes two very clear examples of sexual harassment in the workplace. At the time this show was created, the behavior of Julia's coworkers was considered normal. In addition, white women wrote to the producers complaining about the portrayal of Julia's white neighbor, who was a ditzy housewife. They felt that this depiction was sexist and supported gender stereotypes that women shouldn't be associated with.
ReplyDeleteWhile I enjoyed the episode that we watched, the one about Christmas and Santa's race, I understand some of the critiques of the show. For one, as Bodrohkozy points out, the criticism that Julia lives a too-nice life on a nurse's salary is completely accurate. Her home is incredibly nice for a single parent, especially a woman in the 1960s, to be able to manage and afford. In addition, the show made it seem like "white culture" was the norm that everyone should strive for. It stripped Julia of her racial identity in favor of one that is, regardless of skin color, white. It lacked cultural influences that, as Bodrohkozy points out, are present in later programs such as "The Cosby Show."
Since its introduction to television in 1968, Julia has stirred up much controversy due to its representation of the middle class African American woman, as well as African Americans as a whole. Many critics were not impressed with how Julia herself was presented within the show. Many stated that, “characters were either demeaning ghetto stereotypes or they were upper-class ‘white Negroes,’ a term used by critics to describe Julia” (Bodrohkozy, 145). It is very much true,as Julia is depicted as this middle class working mother who has the ability to juggle finances, work, and raising a child all on a nurse’s salary, a feat that is completely improbable during that time. In truth, upon my viewing of Julia I saw the overwhelming issues that were associated with the show. To start, I have to commend the writers for scripting Julia to discuss Santa Clause not being bound by a single race, how the color of his skin did not matter so much as what he himself represented, which was the spirit of Christmas. This point seemed extremely revolutionary at the time, when segregation and racism ran rampant throughout the United States, a simple T.V. mother explained to her child how one’s race is an obsolete matter when in comparison to character. There is also the matter that, in the same vein as Amos n Andy, Julia was able to give African American actors work, as well as open the doors for more opportunities for African Americans in television. However, there is the issue of Julia’s depiction as unrealistic, which much of the controversy stemmed from. I found, in some respects, that Julia was often depicted unrealistically, her home and way of life much too lavish for a woman living off of a nurse’s salary, which neglected to view the true struggle of the working single mother in society. As well, I thought that while the show did bring up issues of race, they played off race as a minor issue within society. While it was great to see young Corey learn that it doesn’t matter if Santa is black or white, that is the extent of the issue of race that is witnessed in this particular episode. Major issues such as race and potential poverty are viewed almost through skewed rose colored glasses, merely scratching the surface of deeper issues.
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