Running head: FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: DISCRIMINATION OF FEMININITY

AND MINORITITES

Friday Night Lights: Discrimination of Femininity and Minorities

Cara Tripodis
Georgia Southern University
July 20, 2016

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: DISCRIMINATION OF FEMININITY AND

MINORITITES

Abstract
In this I analyze an episode from the popular show, Friday Night Lights to prove that in
the midst of trying to represent an accurate description of American life, the show
projects typical dominant ways of thinking. Gender and race are topics that come with
differentiating opinions from different perspectives. With the help of scholarly articles I
am able to further analyze the underlying messages and technical aspects that allow a
critical cultural perspective researcher to identify gender and race as controversial issues.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: DISCRIMINATION OF FEMININITY AND

MINORITITES

Friday Night Lights: Discrimination of Femininity and Minorities

FNL challenges dominant ideology with radical voices, although in many
situations in the show the stereotypes of gender, class, and race in the small town are still
evident. The purpose of this paper is to point out the underlying projection of dominant
messages, covered by radical voices in an episode of Friday Night Lights. FNL offers
many different viewpoints on controversial topics where some are accurate while others
emphasize dominant ideology through discrimination of certain groups of people. I will
expand on research already done to show how different races are not portrayed equally. I
will continue by analyzing a scene that projects the dominant idea of masculinity over
femininity. I assert that through a critical cultural studies perspective, in an episode
form Friday Night Lights, the implications from gender and racial discussions prove that
femininity and minorities are not equal, represented in media.
In the opening of episode 15 of season one, Coach Taylor informs Smash that he
will be starting as tailback in the next football game. Smash, an African America player is
thrilled about this news. During the actual game Smash is successful in the position
resulting in a Panther touchdown. This decision by Coach Taylor and the success of
Smash during the game seems to imply that race is not an issue on the field. In the
following scene, two white reporters explicitly bring up the topic of race to Coach Mac, a
white football coach. One reporter asks if race is an issue for the Dillion Panthers and
Coach Mac confidently replies no yet follow with discriminatory comments. This shows
a dominant way of thinking in many small towns. Coach Mac continues with the
reporters by grouping the black players on the team by saying guys like Smash are
fearless, like junk yard dogs. When the reporter asks if he is implying that they use

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MINORITITES

whites as quarterbacks because they are inherently smarter, Coach Macs response is,
you could put it that way and continues with degrading jabs at African Americans. FNL
uses his ignorant comments to show stereotypical thinking of a white, small town,
American football coach. Coach Taylor challenges that stereotype by cutting the
interview with the reporters short and putting an end to Macs discrimination against the
African American players. The juxtaposition of the scene where Smash is extremely
successful on the field and this scene with Coach Mac, shows Friday Night Lights
attempt to bring light to racial issues in the show. By having Mac express these
derogatory comments, it gives Coach Taylor a role to be the voice of reason and equality.
The radical voices are loud in this series. By explicitly bringing up the topic of
race in this high school football community, questions the racial intentions of the
coaching team. Although the entire episode is having a discussion on the topic of race,
the diversity in the show is still not accurate. One racial researchers explains, My
approach is to consider racial sentiment as a practice of inequality and identityand not
so much as a matter of mere signification and legibility but in terms of racial feeling and
feelings about race produced and circulated in television and related digital-media
platforms that serve as a resonance machine (Gray, 2015). The dominant ideology
reflects the true inequality.
Throughout the episode we see only one African American coach and his voice is
not heard. Yes, Coach Taylor does correct Coach Mac by telling him he must apologize,
yet the voice of an African American authority figure is missing from the discussion. The
episode might be about race but whites are predominantly shown on screen compared to

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MINORITITES

the African Americans screen time. Although FNL attempts to bring light to equality
between races, they also forget to show other races that make up our culture.
The scene that immediately follows the controversial interview opens with an
American flag waving in the wind. This simple shot of the flag is a way that this show is
trying to project itself as a window into the small town American dream. The technical
aspects of this show are vital to the messages that the program portrays. The close up
shots of the characters allow the viewer to make obvious connections with them, the
casting of the characters, and the real like camera shots also play a part in the
discussion of race and gender.
In a scene we see Smashs family in the car listening to the radio as they discuss
Coach MacGills comments. Smash and his mother disregard the comments as they drive
up to a real house, said by Smash in hopes to buy it. Although the show tries to bring
light to many racial issues, the African American family is the one who is hoping to take
out a loan to buy this house that they are extremely excited for, yet cannot afford. The
stereotype of African Americas as the lower class representation in the show robs the
radical voices of their attempt to challenge the dominant way of thinking.
The meanings and associations attributed to masculinity are a product of the
enduring images and characteristics people have ascribed and assigned to men in groups
over time (Chesebro & Fuse,2016). The show also chooses to highlight masculinity over
femininity. In a scene where two females skip P.E. class, they receive their punishment.
Julie and Tyra, the students, skipping Physical Education explicitly shows they would
rather be shopping which was the reason they skipped class. This projects the stereotypes
of girls and their need for materialistic things. They could have skipped any class but

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MINORITITES

since FNL writers chose P.E. it separates them from physical work, which is commonly
associated with masculinity. Because the content of gender stereotypes arises from
perceivers observations of peoples activities and these activities are determined
primarily by social roles, gender stereotypes : : : arise when women and men are
observed typically to carry out different social roles This approach suggests that social
roles provide the substance, at least in part, of gender stereotypes (Lauzen, Dozier,
Horan, 2008). To further the masculinity dominance theme, the twos punishment is
specific to their gender. The consequence for skipping class is to play in the powder-puff
football game. If the situation involved two males instead of females the punishment
would be different. By making the punishment gender specific it implies that males and
females are not represented on the same playing field. Forcing these two individuals to
conform to the dominant ideology of masculinity over femininity through football is a
skewed perspective that is reflected onto our society. The critically acclaimed television
series Friday Night Lights (FNL) presents a complex and problematic portrayal of
masculinity (Cherney & Lindemann,2013). By using dominant ideology of
masculinity to try and transform femininity into it, reflects the societal idea that
femininity needs correcting.
Nolan Ryan demonstrates the potency of frontier imagery in the mediated
production of masculinity. As he explains, hegemonic masculinity in the United States
contains five major features: (1) physical force and control, (2) occupational
achievement, (3) familial patriarchy, (4) frontiersmanship, and (5) heterosexuality
(Butterworth & Schuck, 2016) Just in the example of the two female students skipping
class, the implications point to some of these five major features by choosing a male

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MINORITITES

dominant sport for punishment. Friday Night Lights does allow radical voice to speak the
form of the show is not any different from previous television dramas we have studied.

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: DISCRIMINATION OF FEMININITY AND

MINORITITES

Appendix
https://www.netflix.com/watch/70080649?trackId=200257859

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: DISCRIMINATION OF FEMININITY AND

MINORITITES

References
Butterworth,M.,&Schuck,R.I.(2016)AmericanmythologyandambivalentrhetoricinFridayNightLights,
SouthernCommunicationJournal,81:2,92106,DOI:10.1080/1041794X.2015.1100211
Cherney,J.L.,&Lindermann,K.(2014).Queeringstreet:Homosociality,masculinity,anddisabilityinFriday
NightLights.WesternJournalofCommunication,(1),1.
Chesebro,J.W.,&Fuse,K.(2001).Thedevelopmentofaperceivedmasculinityscale.Communication
Quarterly,49(3),203278.doi:10.1080/01463370109385628
Gray,H.(2015).Thefeeloflife:Resonance,race,andrepresentation.InternationalJournalof
Communication,9,11081119.doi:19328036/20150005

Lauzen, M. M., Dozier, D. M., & Horan, N. (2008). Constructing gender stereotypes through
social roles in prime-time television. Journal of broadcasting & electronic media, 52(2),
200-214. doi:10.1080/08838150801991971