The Cosby Show Media Analysis

Television Media Analysis: The Cosby Show Today’s society depends heavily on mass media for information, communication, and entertainment. The average person wakes up in the morning, watches news and weather on television, and makes plans for the day based on information they receive through their mass media sources. Many times there is little thought given to the actual reliability of these media sources. Media literacy can help audiences gain important perspectives regarding which media sources are most reliable and on how to interpret media content. These important interpretations can help individuals make wise decisions about what they should watch, read, listen to and rely on for information and entertainment (Baran and Davis). Although many people now rely on sources such as the Internet and smartphones for breaking news stories, television still remains a major source for information and entertainment for many individuals and families. This paper will attempt to present a model for television media analysis using Art Silverblatt’s keys to media analysis. The TV show that will be analyzed is regarded as one of the most famous television programs in history, “The Cosby Show”.
They purposefully avoided overt racial issues but chose to use a softer approach such as referring to the names of black colleges instead of predominantly white colleges. One of the episodes showed the Huxtables celebrating Martin Luther King’s birthday as they discussed his famous “I Have a Dream” speech (Crenshaw). The use of nationally broadcast television allowed the subtle content of this show into the majority of American homes. This post civil right movement era was a perfect time to provide a more diverse ethnic awareness for the American