Blog #1: The Truth Behind Phineas and Ferb's Baljeet.

    There is a common stereotype that suggests that all Asian people are smart. While it may be the case that there are very intelligent Asians, this quality is not solely unique to those of Asian descent, nor does it apply to every single Asian person in the world. This stereotype is fairly ubiquitous, appearing in numerous instances across television, movies, and novels. One such example of this "positive stereotype" is that of Baljeet, an Indian character in the show "Phineas and Ferb". 

    First premiering on Disney Channel TV on August 17, 2007, the animated kid's cartoon "Phineas and Ferb" quickly became incredibly popular, attracting over 289 million viewers world wide during its eight year run time. The show follows the actions and antics of two brothers, Phineas and Ferb, who's sole goal is to spend their 104 days of summer vacation in the most fun way possible. Along with their friends Buford, Baljeet, and Isabella, the kids build large scale, advanced machines and technology attempting to make the most out of their summer break and have a blast. However, Phineas and Ferb's sister, Candice, is intent on stopping the brother's fun and revealing the boy's inventions to their parents. Her plan is constantly foiled, though, as Phineas and Ferb's creations always disappear in a ridiculous way just seconds before their mom has a chance to see them and punish the boys. The show, filled with humor and creativity, touches on more complex themes every once in a while bringing up questions surrounding relationships, mental health, and race. The show also employs some stereotypes for comedic effect, and though these stereotypes can be viewed as "positive", in fact they are quite the opposite such as the case with a character in Phineas and Ferb's friend group, Baljeet.

    Baljeet, a very kind and welcoming character in the show, is portrayed as a genius often knowing very intricate details about random topics and being especially good at mathematical computations. Though at first glance, Baljeet's genius may seem to complement the character and subsequently portray Indian people in a good light, after a deeper analysis of the character is completed one realizes that Baljeet's stereotype is actually detrimental and not at all positive. Though extremely strong in his intellect, Baljeet is portrayed as being very weak physically, often being bullied by a white character in the show named Buford. Buford terrorizes Baljeet and, because of his superior strength and size, is able to threaten Baljeet into doing his homework, giving him his lunch money, and helping him succeed in school. Though Baljeet is very smart, his character is shown to be very weak and submissive, never retaliating against Buford's abusive language/actions, nor standing up for himself against injustices. This is very detrimental to perceptions of those of Indian descent because it promotes the idea that Indians are very book smart, yet lack all street smarts, strength, self confidence, and are easily bullied/pushed around. Additionally, the stereotype's promotion of the idea that all Indian's are smart leaves individuals of Indian descent that are not as smart feeling as though they do not live up to their ethnicity's "standards" and are therefore "lesser". This is obviously not the case as all individuals are unique and some Indians may focus on other aspects of their life to excel in such as art or socialism, rather than solely academics. 

    Though "Phineas and Ferb" is just a kids show and Baljeet is merely a fictional character, his character's portrayal in the show reveals how ingrained stereotypes are in American culture and demonstrates that seemingly innocent and positive depictions of certain peoples can actually hold deeper meanings.