It’s a Man Thing, Gina”

Watching Gender in Martin

Bibliographic Data

ID12918489
AuthorsPatrick Johnson (0000-0001-5346-0260, Sonoma State University, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume14
Issue3
Pages422-437
Publication date2021-02-03
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCommunication Culture and Critique (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1753-9137 • E-ISSN: 1753-9129
PublisherOxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/ccc/tcab005
OpenAlexW3132427061
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited18

In the almost three decades since the hit situation-comedy Martin (1992–1997) originally aired on Fox, the show has not only enjoyed a vibrant second life through syndication and streaming platforms, but has functioned as a form of television heritage, reflected in fashion, music, games, and memes. Martin has developed a particularly loyal following among black millennials, many of whom were too young to watch the show during its original network television run. In this article, I explore the series’ representations of black women through individual and focus group interviews with 26 black viewers. My interviews reveal that participants have ambivalent relationships with the show. While several cite Martin as their favorite show of all-time, they were disturbed by the show’s troubling depictions of black heterosexual romantic relationships and its reliance on stereotypical representations of black women

Ambivalence · Art · Comedy · Literature · Media studies · Romance · Sociology · Visual arts · Web syndication · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Media Studies and Communication · Media, Gender, and Advertising · Psychology · Gender Studies · Social Psychology

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