"Unfortunately, I found same-race preferences among viewers of this popular show. This doesn't mean these viewers are racist. But it does reveal the reality of same-race preferences and shows how the process works."
"As expected, the race of contestants mattered in voting only if there were a relatively small number of contestants. At the sixth week, when there were only six contestants left, race preferences heated up relative to voting."
"The findings suggest voting and viewing behaviors interacted dynamically, especially for higher rankings. As more black contestants survive, more black viewers watched the show, and more black viewers, particularly those with strong same-race preferences, participated in voting."
"The difference between the two shows has to do with anonymity. On 'Weakest Link,' show participants vote to eliminate other participants -- the weakest links. So, they have no anonymity. They're out there in front of millions of American viewers, and they probably do not want to appear biased. On 'American Idol,' though, viewers are the voters, and they are free to reveal their true preferences under anonymity."
"It is still questionable whether these pure preferences among television viewers would translate into racial discrimination in the labor market where preferences should be reconciled with economic stakes. On the other hand, it is true that social scientists have not found any reasonable cause for things like hate crimes."
| Quotes from Jungmin Lee, assistant professor of economics in the University of Arkansas' Sam M. Walton College of Business, in the University of Arkansas' Daily Headlines article "'American Idol' and Race Preference"
Previously: "Sexualizing a larger black body signalled the end of her idol fantasy"
posted in articles on May 16, 2006 12:56 PM | t (0)
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