TV Tokenism

This is the cast photo for the Family "Dramedy" Gilmore Girls. It aired on the WB/CW for 7 consecutive seasons, and had a target audience of 18-34 year olds, usually female. The plot is centered around a mother and her teenage daughter, who receive the majority of the screen time. However, the lives of their friends and colleagues were also featured. There is only one black actor on the show, and he plays Michel, the concierge at the Inn the main character works at. As you can see, he is in the back right of the photograph, dressed in suit and tie. He is also the only character without any affectionate contact wit the rest of the group. On the show, he played a man who was well dressed, diet conscious, higher class and snobbish. Interestingly enough, he is one of the few characters whose home life the audience never see, although he is billed as a series regular and main cast member. He is often contrasted with the other man on the show, Luke, who receives much more screen time, as being higher class, and better behaved than Luke. Most of the characters interactions with Michel are used as comic relief.