Black-ish Episode “Lemons”: Creating empathy across divides *
Media has the power to polarize – but it can also be used as a tool to create connection, understanding and empathy across deep divides. And in cultivating those things, entertainment media can help shape some of the social norms most essential for a healthy, pluralist democracy.
After the 2016 election, the production team of the sitcom Black-ish attempted to do exactly that: in the face of deep distrust and growing animosity between left and right, its episode “Lemons” made a case for empathy, calling on its audience to consider that the “other side” may have a viewpoint worth listening to. Viewers observed characters articulating and navigating divergent perspectives, just as America itself was struggling to make sense of a political moment that had left the country deeply fractured. The episode suggested that even for those most upset by the election’s outcome and determined to resist, perhaps there was value in seeking to humanize and understand those fellow citizens who had voted differently.
Did it succeed? That’s what BEL set out to answer in 2022. Read the full report now.
