CAPS Blog #5: Stereotyping in Breaking Bad (Season 1: Episodes 1-6)

 

 

Breaking Bad Season 1 Poster

            Breaking Bad covers the story of a high school chemistry teacher that “breaks bad” and delves into the dark world of drug dealing. Walter White, a fifty year old white chemistry teacher, turns to cooking and selling meth in order to create a comfortable economic situation for his family when he passes away from the terminal lung cancer that he learns he suffers from in episode one. Mr. White will team up with former student Jesse Pinkman to cook and distribute methamphetamine, but along the way they face the realities of the world of drug dealing as one filled with violence and politics. Within Breaking Bad, I noticed the stereotyping of three social/culture groups: male Latino/Hispanic Americans, white drug addicts/”wannabe gangstas”, and male law enforcement.

Tuco from Breaking Bad

            The first stereotype I noticed within Breaking Bad was the stereotyping of male Latino/Hispanic Americans. Recently many Americans have begun to develop the stereotype that many Latino/Hispanic Americans are violent and have heavy involvement in gang and drug related activity. This stereotype has been recently reinforced by the current Mexican Drug war, and through the portrayal of many Latinos in Hollywood movies as violent, aggressive gang members and drug dealers. Breaking Bad is similar to many Hollywood movies, as almost all of the Latino males through Season one are drug dealers and gang members. The Latinos in these gangs are portrayed as violent, greedy, and self-centered. Since Breaking Bad has no main characters that are Latino outside of those involved in drugs and gangs, it reinforces to viewers the stereotype that many Latino men are heavily involved in drugs and gangs. For example the two main antagonists in Season one of Breaking Bad are Tuco and Crazy 8 (both male Latino drug dealers). Both men are shown as


  Crazy 8 in a photo used by the DEA to investigate a drug related incident

extremely violent and aggressive, as shown by Tuco beating up Jesse and Crazy 8 planning to kill Walter and Jesse after assuming they are involved with the DEA. We see that Breaking Bad reinforces the idea of them as violent and aggressive through their words as well: Tuco- “I remember that little bitch” (Episode 6), Tuco- “I beat the piss out of your little mule boy” (Episode 6). Other non-Latino character’s words also help create a stereotyping of Latino men. In episode 6 a DEA agent is describing to a group of other DEA agents as the new flow of meth not coming out of, “some Mexican super lab” (Episode 6). These words, although they seem insignificant, help reinforce to viewers the stereotype that many Latinos are involved in drugs.

            Another stereotype within Breaking Bad is the stereotyping of white drug addicts, drug dealers, and white “gangsta wannabes”. Within Breaking Bad one of the main characters, Jesse, is just that, a white drug addict/drug dealer/”gangsta wannabe”. He is shown to be addicted to drugs such as meth and marijuana (Episode 1), he is depicted sagging and in most cases wearing a beanie,  Jesse shown with Walter White

and he is shown to own porn magazines (Episode 6). This fits the mold of what many people imagine when they think of white drug addicts. Breaking Bad also plays into the stereotype that all white drug addicts/dealers/“gangsta wannabes” talk in a certain dialect. For instance Jesse’s voicemail is, “representing the ABQ, what up BIATCH!” (Episode 2). Other examples include Jesse describing his education as “The Streets, Yo” (Episode 2), or describing his interests on a webpage of his as “Fine Herbage” (Episode 2) and “Keepin it Real” (Episode 2). He is also shown to come from a middle class family who is fairly affluent, and is assumed to have been a failing student in high school, as shown by Walter White (his former high school chemistry teacher) having failed Jesse when he was in his class. This fits the stereotype that all white male “gangsta wannabes” come from middle class families and are failures as students.

 

            One final stereotype I noticed in Breaking Bad was the stereotype that male law enforcement  Hank in his DEA uniform

is composed completely of “macho” or “manly” men. This is portrayed by one of the main characters, Hank, who is a male DEA agent. Through episodes one through six, Hank is depicted as your stereotypical “manly” law enforcement officer. Hank is shown making sex jokes, drinking beer, gloating over his victories over drug dealers, and loving and enjoying his job of bringing justice. For instance, Hank makes a couple of jokes referencing a desire to engage in sexual relations with singer Shania Twain. Also during a birthday celebration for Walter, one of his drug busts is shown on the local news. He then boasts of his victories and displays his large ego when stopping the celebration to gloat in front of everyone (Episode 1). Breaking Bad will continue displaying Hank’s character and actions as one that fits the stereotype and preconceived notion people have of male law enforcement.

            With all of these stereotypes shown in Breaking Bad, one may wonder how they can resist them. One way stated in Intercultural Communications is to, “resist particular forms of popular culture by refusing to engage in them” (Martin & Nakayama, 2013, pg. 368). This I believe may be the most effective way to resist popular culture stereotypes due to the fact that it is in a form of total resistance and boycott, but it can also be a bit extreme in cases. Another way I believe stereotyping in popular culture can be resisted is by informing one self of the social or culture group being stereotyped. Usually people come to believe stereotypes when they have little to no knowledge of the culture/social group in question. By deepening one’s understanding and increasing one’s interaction with a certain social/culture group, one can begin to resist common stereotypes portrayed and reinforced in popular culture.

 

Breaking Bad Season 1 Recap

 

 

References

Gilligan, V. (Director). (2009). Breaking bad [Motion picture]. United States: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2013). Experiencing intercultural communication: an introduction (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.