| Tribal Television: Viewing Native People in Sitcoms Contributor(s): Tahmahkera, Dustin (Author) |
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ISBN: 1469618680 ISBN-13: 9781469618685 Publisher: University of North Carolina Press OUR PRICE: $30.88 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: October 2014 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Social Science | Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies - Social Science | Media Studies - Language Arts & Disciplines | Communication Studies |
| Dewey: 791.456 |
| LCCN: 2014020273 |
| Physical Information: 0.7" H x 6.1" W x 9.1" (0.90 lbs) 262 pages |
| Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - Native American |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Native Americans have been a constant fixture on television, from the dawn of broadcasting, when the iconic Indian head test pattern was frequently used during station sign-ons and sign-offs, to the present. In this first comprehensive history of indigenous people in television sitcoms, Dustin Tahmahkera examines the way Native people have been represented in the genre. Analyzing dozens of television comedies from the United States and Canada, Tahmahkera questions assumptions that Native representations on TV are inherently stereotypical and escapist. From The Andy Griffith Show and F-Troop to The Brady Bunch, King of the Hill, and the Native-produced sitcom, Mixed Blessings, Tahmahkera argues that sitcoms not only represent Native people as objects of humor but also provide a forum for social and political commentary on indigenous-settler relations and competing visions of America. Considering indigenous people as actors, producers, and viewers of sitcoms as well as subjects of comedic portrayals, Tribal Television underscores the complexity of Indian representations, showing that sitcoms are critical contributors to the formation of contemporary indigenous identities and relationships between Native and non-Native people. |
Contributor Bio(s): Tahmahkera, Dustin: - Dustin Tahmahkera (Comanche Nation) is assistant professor in the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and faculty affiliate in the Native American and Indigenous Studies Program at the University of Texas at Austin. |