--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Unfortunately, in television today there…" description: "\"Unfortunately, in television today there are very few African-American characters who are human beings. They are typically two-dimensional stereotypes,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/andre-braugher-13949_human_unfortunately-in-television-today-there_1848773.jpg" --- # Unfortunately, in television today there are very few… ![“Unfortunately, in television today there are very few African-American characters who are human beings. They are typically two-dimensional stereotypes, cookie-cutter types.” quote by Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/andre-braugher-13949_human_unfortunately-in-television-today-there_1848773.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/andre-braugher-13949_human_unfortunately-in-television-today-there_1848773.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2aa/andre-braugher-13949_human_unfortunately-in-television-today-there_1848773.jpg) > “Unfortunately, in television today there are very few African-American characters who are human beings. They are typically two-dimensional stereotypes, cookie-cutter types.” [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The comment highlights the scarcity of fully realized African‑American characters on TV, noting reliance on stereotypes. **In simple terms:** TV lacks complex Black characters, often using stereotypes. Key Takeaway Demand richer, three‑dimensional portrayals. Themes representation stereotypes media Mood concerned hopeful Type critical advocacy When to use this quote - scriptwriting - casting decisions Key Concepts racial diversity character development Questions to Reflect On - How can creators avoid one‑dimensional roles? - What impact does representation have on audiences? A Different Perspective Stereotypes can be subverted with thoughtful writing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [African american](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/african-american/) [Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human/) [Stereotypes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotypes/) [Television](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/television/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [TV is a language all its own, a land of one dimensional stereotypes that destroys culture, not adds to it. TV is anti-art, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/tv-is-a-language-all-its-own-a-land-of-one-dimensional-stereotypes/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [I think it's a wonderful thing to have African-American characters. Look at life. It's not a white world or a black world; there are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darius-mccrary/i-think-it-s-a-wonderful-thing-to-have-african-american-characters/) [Darius McCrary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darius-mccrary/) > [For me, I start at the place that my characters are human. I start at the place that they are onions that are layered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mara-brock-akil/for-me-i-start-at-the-place-that-my-characters-are-human-i-start-at/) [Mara Brock Akil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mara-brock-akil/) > [When I'm playing an American, I don't play Lennie with an American accent. They're American characters who look like me, but they have different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lennie-james/when-i-m-playing-an-american-i-don-t-play-lennie-with-an-american/) [Lennie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lennie-james/) > [I hope we can see African American characters as the diva, as the villain, and also as the praying mother. We are all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-robinson/i-hope-we-can-see-african-american-characters-as-the-diva-as-the/) [Angela Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-robinson/) > [The more I know about America, the better I'll be at performing American characters and American stories.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebel-wilson/the-more-i-know-about-america-the-better-i-ll-be-at-performing/) [Rebel Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebel-wilson/) > [I do always feel very proud and flattered by being asked to be a part of American productions playing American characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-jones/i-do-always-feel-very-proud-and-flattered-by-being-asked-to-be-a-part/) [Toby Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-jones/) > [When British or Australian actors perform American characters, we laud them and talk about how great it is they are able to do this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hong-chau/when-british-or-australian-actors-perform-american-characters-we-laud/) [Hong Chau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hong-chau/) > [I like ambiguity because you may be the villain in someone else's story and the hero in your own, and I think very often,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chadwick-boseman/i-like-ambiguity-because-you-may-be-the-villain-in-someone-else-s/) [Chadwick Boseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chadwick-boseman/) > [I've played American characters so many times now, it's so natural to me. But when I play American, I stay in the American accent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregg-sulkin/i-ve-played-american-characters-so-many-times-now-it-s-so-natural-to/) [Gregg Sulkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregg-sulkin/) > [When I was writing stories about Chinese American characters in my fiction classes, I'd get comments like, 'You should consider writing more universal stories.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-zhang/when-i-was-writing-stories-about-chinese-american-characters-in-my/) [Jenny Zhang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-zhang/) > [I've always gotten a positive reaction to doing African-American characters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-ullman/i-ve-always-gotten-a-positive-reaction-to-doing-african-american/) [Tracey Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-ullman/) > [If there is a reason I'm able to make unsympathetic characters human, it's because it's my desire to find what drives the unsympathetic behavior.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-schreiber/if-there-is-a-reason-i-m-able-to-make-unsympathetic-characters-human/) [Pablo Schreiber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-schreiber/) > [We can always connect with all of our characters on a human level, but a lot of them took a lot of observation and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-boden/we-can-always-connect-with-all-of-our-characters-on-a-human-level-but/) [Anna Boden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-boden/) > [Nicole Garcia has always portrayed characters in a very human and complex way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-martin/nicole-garcia-has-always-portrayed-characters-in-a-very-human-and/) [Stacy Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-martin/) ## More by Andre Braugher > [They're mutually incompatible I feel; being a wise thief and a wise father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/they-re-mutually-incompatible-i-feel-being-a-wise-thief-and-a-wise/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [If you go back to the Conan the Barbarian series, I really liked that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/if-you-go-back-to-the-conan-the-barbarian-series-i-really-liked-that/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [You can't separate the phenomenal birth of unionism in the United States of America from the Pullman porters. This same small group of men,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/you-can-t-separate-the-phenomenal-birth-of-unionism-in-the-united/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [I knew that in order to make a more lasting impact, to be on a show that people would watch on a regular basis,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/i-knew-that-in-order-to-make-a-more-lasting-impact-to-be-on-a-show/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [I got tired of going to the barber to keep my fade together, so I just cut it all off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/i-got-tired-of-going-to-the-barber-to-keep-my-fade-together-so-i-just/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [I'm sitting here watching Hannah Montana, so I'm not going to annihilate 4.3 million Pakistanis without hearing directly from someone whose authority I recognize!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/i-m-sitting-here-watching-hannah-montana-so-i-m-not-going-to/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [So I think what you see in this show is it's really not a just world at all, but you get what you give.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/so-i-think-what-you-see-in-this-show-is-it-s-really-not-a-just-world/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [I'm in love with low-rated shows. That's true of 'Men of a Certain Age,' 'Thief,' 'Gideon's Crossing.' I fall in love with projects that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/i-m-in-love-with-low-rated-shows-that-s-true-of-men-of-a-certain-age/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [But only if I believe that my directing talents will improve the material I'd be working on. I want to make sure I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/but-only-if-i-believe-that-my-directing-talents-will-improve-the/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [Leadership is by far the most important quality when it comes to making a show that's going to last and of superb quality, something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/leadership-is-by-far-the-most-important-quality-when-it-comes-to/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [I was a child when the March on Washington led by Martin Luther King occurred, and I wanted to hear what was going on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/i-was-a-child-when-the-march-on-washington-led-by-martin-luther-king/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [Comedy and I were never strangers, it's just that I was doing a lot of drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/comedy-and-i-were-never-strangers-it-s-just-that-i-was-doing-a-lot-of/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [It was good to travel to the other side of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/it-was-good-to-travel-to-the-other-side-of-the-world/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [We lived in a ghetto. I could have pretended I was hard or tough and not a square. I wound up not getting in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/we-lived-in-a-ghetto-i-could-have-pretended-i-was-hard-or-tough-and/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) > [I've committed myself to perfecting the art of the straight man. I try really hard not to crack up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-braugher/i-ve-committed-myself-to-perfecting-the-art-of-the-straight-man-i-try/) [Andre Braugher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) [Explore all 48 Andre Braugher quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-braugher/) ## More African american quotes > [This is, for an accomplished Latino, an accomplished African American, an accomplished anyone who disproves stereotypes, it's a constant battle in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-sotomayor/this-is-for-an-accomplished-latino-an-accomplished-african-american/) [Sonia Sotomayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-sotomayor/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I agreed a long time ago, I would not live at any cost. If I am moved or forced away from what I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/i-agreed-a-long-time-ago-i-would-not-live-at-any-cost-if-i-am-moved/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [“This popularity extended to Trump himself, who, according to private demographic research conducted at the time, was even more popular with African American and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/this-popularity-extended-to-trump-himself-who-according-to-private/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [I know I'm more forgiving than most African Americans when it comes to second chances for White people who not only commit a racial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-capehart/i-know-i-m-more-forgiving-than-most-african-americans-when-it-comes/) [Jonathan Capehart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-capehart/) > [Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization. I am here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mehlman/some-republicans-gave-up-on-winning-the-african-american-vote-looking/) [Ken Mehlman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-mehlman/) > [It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-lot-of-people-think-african-american-female/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [Whereas our ancestors (not of choice) were the first successful cultivators of the wilds of America, we their descendants feel ourselves entitled to participate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-allen/whereas-our-ancestors-not-of-choice-were-the-first-successful/) [Richard Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-allen/) > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Most of the more celebrated names among African-American authors, poets, and artists are known to the world because of their association with specific cultural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aberjhani/most-of-the-more-celebrated-names-among-african-american-authors/) [Aberjhani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aberjhani/) > [I think it's easier for African American and white comics to be praised than it is Latinos because they think our culture or our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lopez/i-think-it-s-easier-for-african-american-and-white-comics-to-be/) [George Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lopez/) > [“Alabama in 1927 alone, 27,701 men were arrested on misdemeanor charges and offered for sale by county sheriffs. 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