Buddhism Culture Project

Part 2: Portraying Culture Speech

Alexandra Niemeyer
Presentation: Buddhism in the Media
Media Artifact: Family Guy episode Moms the Word
2 Main Points: Buddhist Stereotypes in Family Guy
Main Point 1: Meditation/Golden Buddha:
Stereotype presented in FG: The second Stewie and Bryan walk into the
Buddhist temple, they find Buddhists meditating and worshipping a
golden Buddha on their knees.
Main Point 2: Stereotypical Buddhist Appearance:
Stereotype presented in FG: There is a video clip during the episode that
shows a Buddhist in an orange toga wrap and with a shaved head.
This presents the cultural stereotype that ALL Buddhists are monks who
shave their heads and wear orange toga wraps.
References
2 interviewees from the University of Kentuckys SGI Student Buddhist
Association: Zina Merkin & Meera Nair
Schneider, R. H., et al. (2012). Stress reduction in the secondary prevention of
cardiovascular disease. Circulation: cardiovascular quality and outcomes, 16.
Retrieved from http://www.tm.org/healthpro/downloads/circulation-aha.pdf.