Project 1 Blog 1

I'll be writing about the character Baljeet from the TV show Phineas and Ferb. Baljeet is an Indian immigrant living in Danville with the titular characters who go on wacky adventures every day of summer vacation by building crazy gadgets. Baljeet is very focused on grades, as he has received straight As and has only gotten one A- as the worst grade of his life. He's even described a failed math test as "the scariest thing known to man". And to top it all off, in The Baljeatles, where Baljeet is stressing about getting a good grade in Summer Rocks, he ends up singing a song called "Somebody Give Me a Grade", all about asking for an A for the camp.

 
"Somebody Give Me a Grade"
 
Baljeet represents the "Smart Asian" stereotype, with his character so focused on grades. This stereotype implies that all Asians, specifically Asian-Americans, are good at academics such as math and science. This stereotype is harmful because it places undue expectations on Asian students and can lead to intense pressure to perform at a high level even when math, science, or schooling as a whole isn't the student's forte. As with other stereotypes, associating any trait with a race, even a positive, can make it easier in the mind to associate other traits like negative ones.

Comments

  1. michaelhuangwrit150April 29, 2022 at 10:25 AM

    I recommend providing possible ways this character could be written to reduce their positive stereotypes.

    ReplyDelete

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There are plenty of ways for Baljeet to be changed. I think the main one is his focus on grades, which doesn't do much within the plot of the show except for a couple episodes. Outside of that, it's mostly used for jokes at Baljeet's expense. When the character was first introduced, he was the nerd that was bullied by Buford, getting wedgies and swirlies for comedic effect. However, as the show progressed, this relationship generally changed to a more true friendship without the bullying. If we remove Baljeet’s obsession with his grades, which was done in later seasons of the show, we can begin Baljeet’s story as an intelligent person with friends, not as the stereotypical “smart” Asian immigrant. This in addition to removing the bully/nerd relationship between Baljeet and Buford will make Baljeet’s character a much better character and no longer representative of the smart Asian stereotype.  Buford giving Baljeet a wedgie.
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