In his essay entitled, “Bakhtin, Polyphony, and Racial-Ethnic Representation”, Robert Stam said that Bakhtinian analysis of film can allow viewers to examine ethnic relationships without being concerned about truth and fact. This idea appealed to me when I watched the TV show this week. I believe this fact allowed characters to joke about standard touchy subjects relating to ethnicity without viewers getting offended. This allows viewers to have an open mind when thinking about ethnic relationships.
In the episode, “Welcome Back”, Kotter initially expressed his disgust for his job and the students he was teaching. He wanted nothing to do with them and was frustrated when he could not get through to them. The students initially ignored him, insulted him, and made him feel worthless. If this TV show had been a drama, viewers would likely be disgusted by all the characters in this show and could potentially consider many of them racist. The inference that their negative interactions were related to race was emphasized based on a sprinkling of multiple ethnicities throughout the classroom. However, the fact that this show is a comedy changed everything. Viewers are given the opportunity to view the interactions between teacher and students without being blinded by realism. Insulting comments can be viewed in a different light when they are phrased as jokes. The open, friendly mindset inspired by comedies can allow for a more understanding view of each ethnicity present in the show.
In addition, humor allows the characters to interact without truly hurting each other, thus allowing them to maintain the lines of communication. For example, in the episode entitled, “Basket Case”, Kotter is able to get through to Washington using humor. Serious rebukes simply served to make Washington defensive but humor made Washington feel Kotter was on his side. Humor broke down the student-teacher barrier, as well as the ethnic barrier between Kotter and Washington, allowing them to communicate rationally and effectively. The saying, “laughter is the best medicine”, certainly applies when you consider the effects of humor on ethnic relationships.
