The smaller quandaries of civilized life are often overlooked while we focus on larger social problems with more immediate consequences. I would like to study how America interacts with itself and how these smaller interactions define us as a nation. The problems that we overlook or forget are oftentimes significant to the development of the people of this nation. Because of this, I would like to study issues that involve common life, which on the surface may seem to be inconsequential but can have dramatic effects on how we live.
One particular example would be how Comedy affects Americans. Although Comedy has its place in society, its capricious nature prevents it from accepting or denying its social responsibility. Comedy is predominantly presented as a means of entertainment, and many accept this as its singular purpose. Unfortunately, as with many things, it is not easily categorized using dogmatic criteria. It often acts as a euphemism for society’s problems. However, when Comedy is not presented in the proper context or when viewers do not share the same set of previous experiences, it takes on a new life and naively equivocates, destructively substituting discussion for laughter. Once adulterated by the milieu or ignorance, Comedy instigates stereotypes and provides a false sense of progress that ultimately undermines societal maturity.
Exaggeration and satire are two common tools used for comedy, and they have rich histories. Sadly, both act as unconscious reinforcements for stereotypes and other inappropriate thought patterns. For example, David Chappelle’s “Chappelle’s Show” used exaggeration and satire frequently. The show was also wildly popular, and because of this, the content of the show was presented to a wide variety of people from different backgrounds. When the content of the sketches became part of the national subconscious, it was not accompanied by an explanation of racial relationships in America or a list of decorous behaviors when mimicking the content of the show. The genius of the sketches became not only one of its greatest qualities but also one of its downfalls. In one sketch, Chappelle introduces Hip Hop artists as entrepreneurs of products normally not associated with Hip Hop. These exaggerated situations could easily be interpreted as a critique of the commercialization of hip hop or a jab at America’s stereotypes of Blacks and Hip Hop artists. However, since comedy is not often associated with intelligent dialogue — many cannot get past Chappelle’s sometimes juvenile sense of humor or use of inappropriate language— these sketches acted to strengthen many viewers’ prejudices, enforcing their media influenced ideas about Hip Hop artists and Blacks. Without the appropriate knowledge of the intricacies of Hip Hop, these sketches, while successful in serving their purpose for Comedy, took on a harmful social agenda.
A Master of Arts in English will be my first step towards my goal of teaching at the collegiate level. I want to share different perspectives with students; I want them to learn to appreciate things that seem to be unimportant. I believe that oftentimes Americans have forgotten how to appreciate things that are beautiful. So my goal in teaching is to get students to question. I want them to use their own minds to interpret the world around them. Hopefully, they will be able to decide what is beautiful and important without the influence of others.
