Interpretation of Ethnic Stereotypes in Churchill Show among University Students in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to examine how university students in Kenya interpret and react to ethnic stereotype messages in the popular comedy Churchill Show, which aired on television for more than a decade. While a lot of studies have been done on the prevalence and proliferation of ethnic stereotypes in the show, little has been done on the audience and the interpretation of the stereotypes. This was a qualitative study using the case study method. It involved holding Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 27 students from four universities in Kenya, with diverse backgrounds, aimed at representing the general audience of the show. The participants first watched an episode of Churchill Show, Season 7 Episode 6, which aired on television in October 2017, which set the tone for the discussion. The findings reveal that most of the audience members disapprove of the use of ethnic stereotypes in comedy. Participants expressed concern that negative stereotypes could affect self-esteem for the communities stereotyped. The audience uses a variety of cues and tools to identify and interpret the stereotypes. Most of the students acquired stereotypes and ethnic stereotypes about other communities early on in life from their parents and close social interactions as they were growing up, indicating that comedy mostly plays a reinforcing role. The findings suggest the current generation of young people, commonly called the ‘Generation Z’ or ‘Gen Z’, disapprove of the use of ethnic stereotypes in television content and are moving away from tribe and ethnicity as an identity, and so for them, ethnic stereotypes are no longer relevant. This study recommends the exclusion of ethnic stereotypes in content meant for mass consumption by media houses and other content creators.