Portrayal of Diversity in the Media: WB's Chuck

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Dear Student,
Hello. The solution below looks at a popular TV show for this purpose. The last part concentrates on questions of stereotype and diversity but I believe that it is important to discuss show particulars for the purpose of analysis. I hope it helps. Thank you for using Brainmass.

Sincerely,
Xenia Jones
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Warner Brother TV's Chuck

Chuck is a light action-comedy by Josh Schwartz & Chris Fedak for WB Television (24 Sept., 2007-2012). The series is about Chuck Bartowski, played ably by Zachary Levi, your average College dropout computer whiz next door who receives an old encoded email from his college buddy and, by the whiz of technology, embeds into Chuck's brains 'the intersect' - top secret information encoded in images about the world's foremost spy and information-intelligence secret. Chuck then becomes an asset as he becomes the computer intersect of the CIA and the DOD, able to identify and analyse intelligence for their purposes. To keep him a secret, the CIA installed protection and guardians for him, he gets to continue his work at the Buy More, a technology retail warehouse where he leads the 'nerd herd' - computer experts in hardware and software to clients with the simplest problems (i.e.' my computer is flashing green', 'the cup holder is inside the computer', etc.). Chuck does not want the intersect but there is no technology to get it out of him so he lives a double life - as the intersect and as the nerd herd lead. He lives with his loving sister, herself a doctor. She is the parental and family figure in his life, constantly worried about his welfare. At work chuck is surrounded by a group of underachievers, slackers and nerds with an organizational hierarchy that's representative of a typical warehouse store: his best friend who can, if possible, live life without responsibilities, a manager who only acts when absolutely necessary, a multicultural set of colleagues, a stoner salesman and several others who get entangled in Chuck's world with or without their intention. As the intersect, Chuck gets into all sorts of action-filled challenges working for the government aided by his handlers - the beautiful Sarah Walker of the CIA whom he has feelings for and Major John Casey of the NSA - all these though are kept secret from his 'actual life' and from his sister at times to some very funny and dangerous results.

Looking at Chuck: Structure & Function

I picked Chuck as the show to analyse primarily because it is well-loved as a form of light entertainment. Ask any 15-35 year old about the it and they will acknowledge how much fun it is to watch as the social situations entangled with the outrageous are easily accessible to ordinary human experience. Therefore, from a fantastical 'spy' aspect it is entertaining, and from the ...