Running head: Only in Merica

Racism: Only in Merica

Farias Stephen
University of Texas El Paso

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Racism: Only in Merica

American racial tension is always on the news whether it is social or institutionalize racism that is involved.
Mostly in America when we turn onto televised networks there is a segment that digress the matters of race, then we
head onto our social media and see more perspective on the matter, and finally where we hope to not see it at it is on
a late at night comedy channel that is supposed to make you laugh. Once the discussion is brought up through simple
discussion we go out of our way to assure that our view point is in fact the correct view point when others are
disagreeing. Thats when the resources start to show a true persons ideal through this topic. Questions Where do
these people get there perspective from for racism? We will never really see there facts unless we look for them
especially when they say it was on a comedy show.

The Audience and Purpose

Trevor Noah was on the late night show hosted by John Stewart doing a segment called Spot the Africa.
In this segment there would be a picture on the left showing Africans doing well and on the right there were
Americans doing poorly and John Stewart had to guess which is which. Trevor Noah is a perfect example on how
the media (social) racism is such a strong influences. When Trevor Noah Stated I never believed that I would be
more afraid of police in America than in South Africa(2014). This is America view on the outside world due to the
media giving them a negative outlook and a mindset of we are better subliminally. Thats on televised network and
YouTube, now the idea of countless articles especially the America, Racial Bias Does Exist by Nesbit.

In Nesbit article he states in We simply do not live in a color-blind society. We may wish
otherwise. We may aspire to be a diverse society that does not see itself that way. But we dont
see the world (2015) which is a strong statement to make yet a true statement to make. Each
genre have to appeal to different audience from different demographics. People who follow John
Stewart are usually youth because of all the pop references while the others are people who are
more around of following social justice movements. In both you will pass the message but in
different content for example Trevor hits the witty jokes with coursing and at the same time
showing the audience on how ignorant America is. In the article the Nesbit wrote you will get an
informative piece that will show you why America needs to stop thinking that there is no racism
when there truly is.
The communities as to where this effects is not just the comedy people or the social
justice people it hits everyone everywhere. This topic is such a powerful and controversial topic
that no matter what you do there is always going to be a bias statement whether it is coming from
you or from others. Thats why these genres can reach around everywhere to whomever.

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Ethos, Pathos and Logos

The article has a more of a logos and ethos they do use some pathos but they mainly use
the other two. The reason being for this is that because it requires a lot more understanding on
the matter. When the writer Nesbit says Each of us almost certainly carries around some level of
inherent racial bias. We may not admit it, even to ourselves, but its still there. Polls dont reflect
it. Actions in the workplace, neighborhoods, or our schools rarely show it openly. But its still
there, whether we want to admit it or not. (2014). This statement tries to hit all three but the one
it hits the most is the logos because it shows that instead of doing the logical thing to do we do
the other thing which is racist and unnecessary.
The video comes off in a different light compared to the article it has a lot more pathos
than the other one. When Trevor says Be grateful for what you have because there are fat
children starving in Mississippi (2014). Usually when you hear this it always ends in
starving children of Africa are starving which is not entirely true. What that statement does is try
to hit you in a comical yet serious way to make you second guess yourself. He also goes on how
there is more than meets the eyes than what we are presented and that sublimely we should try to
go out of our way to see the bigger picture instead of limiting ourselves in a box. With both of
these coming off as each others significant other is what makes the message stronger.

Structure
The structure of the video is surprisingly fluid when it came to how both Trevor Noah
and John Stewart followed both of their scripts with some improved jokes and make very
cohesive. Whenever John Stewart would try to set up the buildup or add on to the joke while
Trevor would end it a humorous joke but giving information at the same time. Boy are my arms

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tired.(Trevor) Thats an oldie but a goodie. (Stewart) Trevor no my hands are tired from
holding up since I have gotten off the plane.(Trevor)(2014). That little piece of the segment is
when Trevor talks about him getting off the plane and holding his arms up like if he were getting
arrested from the cops because he was just a darken skin person. With this structure it makes the
message easier to present to the youth because if you were to give them an article that was
sharing the same message but more dull it wouldnt get through. Thats why most youth love to
hear the important topics in a pop like fashion. Thats how some adults as well because hearing
the same news presented to you in a dull way turns them off from the controversial situation.
In the article the structure is set up for you to read each small passage quick but to
get the information through. It does have more of a newspaper/magazine type feel to it
yet it will make you understand on what is going on. In recent years, social scientists,
political researchers and statistical modelers able to draw on big data sets have become
increasingly better and more sophisticated at delving deeply into the inherent racial biases
that nearly all of us carry around inside our brains.(2015). This has more to a science
type feeling when people are reading to get more detail information.

When it comes down to both of the structures it really does not matter on how the
message is presented it only matters when the information is getting stuck with you. There are
still some differences between the two like in the article it is more formal structure has a
newspaper feeling to it and does not have a script of two people giving it our orally. The video
has a humorous approach with a script and some improve yet it was still structured due to time
instead of your pace of grasping what everyone was saying.

Style/Language

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The video had such an informal-formal style to it due to the foul language yet the
seriousness of the topic. When two people are saying words that cannot be repeated in a
classroom setting it really brings the youthfulness and honesty to the style. The language they
used to be honest was mere sarcasm whenever John Stewart was playing the racist ignorant
White American who only knows Africa as a country and as a aids giving, starving children, and
zoo type of place. Trevor Noah had to play the educator who gave the ignorant a true fresh look
on what South Africa really looks like and that they do not need the Americans chump change to
give out. They used pictures to demonstrate on how Africa has been a cleaner and nicer location
than what John Stewarts role was portraying. This kind of style is mostly meant for outside class
place fun instead of in the classroom.

The article that Nesbit wrote is more formal when giving out the message has a nice
formal language/style to it compared to the other genre. Instead of cursing and humorous jokes is
was more of a persuasive piece because it was trying to convince America that we are still racist
to the core even after all of these decades. We now know a lot about inherent racial bias. But we
need to acknowledge the relative truth and power of those biases. Once we do so, we can train
ourselves, as athletes do, to become better with our biases. Only then can we move toward a truly
color-blind society.(2015)
The genre that really makes more of an impact is the Trevor Noah Spot the African due to the fact that it
will be broadcast through YouTube by an extremely important channel comedy central. It made its point by comedy
by showing how ignorant America is through other countries and by assuming that all Africans are poor. Even the
Intro of the video expresses that he was tired from putting his hands up due to institutionalized racism. A man from
South Africa is showing the ridiculousness of American thinking. To be brutally honest racism is a disease that will
never be cured due to the fact that Americans were taught to be violent towards difference. Thats why America will
truly never be at peace with amongst its own people unless there is a horrendous tragedy or new difference that
humans can organize against and forgot about these race walls.

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Comedy Central (2014, December 5) Spot the Africa {Video File}: Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHO1a1kvZGo
Nesbit, J. (2015) America, Racial Bias Does Exist. Retrieved from
http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/at-the-edge/2015/01/13/america-racial-bias-does-exist