This is fascinating, and makes complete sense. I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Redman episode, which was probably the first one to really go against stereotype (against stereotype of the show that is... Completely with the regular stereotype of race...)



Quote Originally Posted by mjbabcock View Post
There is a great article looking at how MTV represented folks with different races. Sounds like the YingYang twins episode fits the narrative.

From

"MTV's popular television series “Cribs” displays the homes of famous athletes and entertainers. “Cribs” presents these male athletes and their households as exemplars of “making it.” This article examines the representation of male athletes and how various types of “successful” masculinity are conflated with race and class. We found two dominant models of successful masculinity, James Bond and Cool Pose. “Cribs” clearly demarcates between Black and White athletes, which essentializes race. Simultaneously, “Cribs” presents race as performative styles providing the audience with opportunities to consume “the other.” We argue that this paradoxical dynamic is utilized to sell the cool lifestyle and has multiple implications, including depoliticizing race, class, and gender."

Smith, Maureen & Beal, Becky. (2007). “So You Can See How the Other Half Lives” MTV “Cribs”' Use of “the Other” in Framing Successful Athletic Masculinities. Journal of Sport & Social Issues. 31. 103-127. 10.1177/0193723507300483.