The Colorblind Screen

Television in Post-Racial America

By Sarah E. Turner | Publisher: NYU Press

About the book

The election of President Barack Obama signaled for many the
realization of a post-racial America, a nation in which racism was no longer a
defining social, cultural, and political issue. While many Americans espouse a
“colorblind” racial ideology and publicly endorse the broad goals of
integration and equal treatment without regard to race, in actuality this
attitude serves to reify and legitimize racism and protects racial privileges
by denying and minimizing the effects of systematic and institutionalized
racism.

In The Colorblind Screen, the contributors examine
television’s role as the major discursive medium in the articulation and
contestation of racialized identities in the United States. While the dominant
mode of televisual racialization has shifted to a “colorblind” ideology that
foregrounds racial differences in order to celebrate multicultural
assimilation, the volume investigates how this practice denies the significant
social, economic, and political realities and inequalities that continue to
define race relations today. Focusing on such iconic figures as President
Obama, LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey, many chapters examine the ways in which
race is read by television audiences and fans. Other essays focus on how visual
constructions of race in dramas like 24, Sleeper Cell, and The Wanted
continue to conflate Arab and Muslim identities in post-9/11 television. The
volume offers an important intervention in the study of the televisual
representation of race, engaging with multiple aspects of the mythologies
developing around notions of a “post-racial” America and the duplicitous
discursive rationale offered by the ideology of colorblindness.

Editions of The Colorblind Screen

Hardcover
ISBN 9781479809769
Paperback
ISBN 9781479891535

Read an Excerpt

The election of President Barack Obama signaled for many the
realization of a post-racial America, a nation in which racism was no longer a
defining social, cultural, and political issue. While many Americans espouse a
“colorblind” racial ideology and publicly endorse the broad goals of
integration and equal treatment without regard to race, in actuality this
attitude serves to reify and legitimize racism and protects racial privileges
by denying and minimizing the effects of systematic and institutionalized
racism.

In The Colorblind Screen, the contributors examine
television’s role as the major discursive medium in the articulation and
contestation of racialized identities in the United States. While the dominant
mode of televisual racialization has shifted to a “colorblind” ideology that
foregrounds racial differences in order to celebrate multicultural
assimilation, the volume investigates how this practice denies the significant
social, economic, and political realities and inequalities that continue to
define race relations today. Focusing on such iconic figures as President
Obama, LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey, many chapters examine the ways in which
race is read by television audiences and fans. Other essays focus on how visual
constructions of race in dramas like 24, Sleeper Cell, and The Wanted
continue to conflate Arab and Muslim identities in post-9/11 television. The
volume offers an important intervention in the study of the televisual
representation of race, engaging with multiple aspects of the mythologies
developing around notions of a “post-racial” America and the duplicitous
discursive rationale offered by the ideology of colorblindness.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Colorblind Screen about?

The election of President Barack Obama signaled for many the
realization of a post-racial America, a nation in which racism was no longer a
defining social, cultural, and political issue. While many Americans espouse a
“colorblind” racial ideology and publicly endorse the broad goals of
integration and equal treatment without regard to race, in actuality this
attitude serves to reify and legitimize racism and protects racial privileges
by denying and minimizing the effects of systematic and institutionalized
racism.

In The Colorblind Screen, the contributors examine
television’s role as the major discursive medium in the articulation and
contestation of racialized identities in the United States. While the dominant
mode of televisual racialization has shifted to a “colorblind” ideology that
foregrounds racial differences in order to celebrate multicultural
assimilation, the volume investigates how this practice denies the significant
social, economic, and political realities and inequalities that continue to
define race relations today. Focusing on such iconic figures as President
Obama, LeBron James, and Oprah Winfrey, many chapters examine the ways in which
race is read by television audiences and fans. Other essays focus on how visual
constructions of race in dramas like 24, Sleeper Cell, and The Wanted
continue to conflate Arab and Muslim identities in post-9/11 television. The
volume offers an important intervention in the study of the televisual
representation of race, engaging with multiple aspects of the mythologies
developing around notions of a “post-racial” America and the duplicitous
discursive rationale offered by the ideology of colorblindness.

What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The Colorblind Screen?

Law > Laws of specific jurisdictions and specific areas of law > Entertainment and media law

Where can I read a sample of The Colorblind Screen?

You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781479809769

How long is The Colorblind Screen and how many pages does it have?

The Colorblind Screen has 363 page(s)

Who is/are the Author/s of the book The Colorblind Screen?

Sarah E. Turner

Who is the Publisher of the book The Colorblind Screen?

NYU Press

What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?

The Colorblind Screen is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781479809769) and paperback(ISBN 9781479891535)

Where can I buy The Colorblind Screen online or support local independent bookshops?

You can buy The Colorblind Screen from below

Where can I buy The Colorblind Screen?