Racial stereotypes in the media should be stopped because they teach today's generation to embrace the views presented to them. For countless years, various religious and ethnic groups have been portrayed on television based on popular opinion and, often, erroneous stereotypes. Past generations grew up with their religion or ethnic group exposed in a light that can be very negative and insulting to their culture. Over the years, television has shaped the minds of its viewers – young and young viewers have shaped the minds of young people and shown them that the way a certain group of people are portrayed is the way they are really. Certain groups of people are certainly presented in a particularly favorable light, but they become narrow-minded and feelings of superiority may begin to arise. As if today's children weren't confronted enough, the media certainly isn't helping them. Television makes one race seem better than another. For example, the stereotype that black people always have guns, are in gangs, or know how to play basketball. And also the idea that white people are rich people who are afraid of black people. When these views are reflected back to younger viewers, their perceptions of certain groups, or themselves, could change dramatically. For example, the 1970s TV show Good Times. Good Times features the Evans family. This black family of five living in a cramped two-bedroom apartment. Mr. Evans is, more often than not, characterized as an unintelligent man because he can barely read and write and is therefore forced to work at a low-paying, dead-in-job job. He is also described as a man jealous of his own work. wif... middle of paper ... Some people have fought for so long to move away from the racist mentality that people are less other. Allowing racist attitudes to flourish in modern television is only turning back the clock. If things continue like this, a whole new generation of closed-minded people and feelings of superiority over will will begin to come to the forefront, and much of the equality that has been fought for for so long will be lost. Works Cited Frazier, Miriam. Stereotypes in the media Hannah Willis. December 12, 2011.Maurice, Joseph.Racial stereotypes on television Hannah Willis. December 12, 2011. “Racial stereotypes on television. Masonross » October 30, 2008: 1.Senghas, Sarah. “Racial stereotypes and the media.” Related content November 27, 2011: 1-2. That 70's Show. Real. David Trainer. Perf. Kutchor. 1998.