Ethnocentrism Rears Its Ugly Head in the Cancellation of ABC’s “Eli Stone”
by Guest Contributor Nina, originally published at Threshold of Your Own Mind
Last year during Christmas, ABC had the genius idea to cancel Eli Stone. And by cancel, I mean completely phase out mid-season. The show was in the primetime line up and it aired before Boston Legal.
Eli Stone was set in a San Francisco law firm. It was cleverly written and extremely progressive. Like San Francisco, it had a gamut of diversity. It featured Black and Asian actors cast in roles of doctors and lawyers. The lawyers handled cases with gay, lesbian and trans issues. There was a strong social activist element to the firm where ethics and humanity were prevalent in the all too cut-throat world of lawyers.
Most importantly, the show dealt with issues of spirituality & alternative medicine. Eli Stone, the man for which the show was named, was a prophet who was struggling with the gift of sight. He saw the future and his third eye chakra was off the chains.
His gift was nurtured by a Chinese acupuncturist herbalist who studied and expounded on Ancient Chinese healing practices. He had to adopt the stereotypical “ching-chong” accent to get his white customers to believe his practice was legit, which only added to the cleverness of the show. The Chinese acupuncturist turned the stereotype on it’s head by adapting the voice of what “someone like him” should sound like.
Of course, there was the obligatory Black mammy secretary who served as a mother figure to Eli, but she was far from the happy slave type. Naturally, she was a single mother and former alcoholic of a pre-med daughter who succumbed to cocaine to stay awake during rounds, but she kept Eli in line and guided him toward making wise decisions. Decisions that would save many lives in the process. Often with a LOT of attitude.
All of this was set to the tune of George Michael. Micheal’s songs were the catalyst for his visions. Visions that came at morbidly embarrassing times and usually featured characters singing and dancing in vaudeville like musical numbers.
It was witty, clever and full of diversity, which is exactly what I’d expect from a company who is notorious for their support of the GLBT community. (Hello, Disney Gay Days!)
However, in the area of being advocates for racial and spiritual diversity, ABC failed. They phased out the show mid-season. I will NEVER know what becomes of Eli’s brother’s ill fated marriage to the woman who took Eli’s virginity.
I simply will never know because the powers that be at ABC decided to cancel “Eli Stone” and replace it with yet another cop show featuring all white characters set in NYC with zero people of color in the cast al la Friends and Sex and the City.
Another gem they’ve been airing is the horrendous podunk shit program Surviving Suburbia about, well, I don’t know what it’s about. I know a Caucasian blond haired, blue eyed character on the show said she “hopped the fence like a fugitive slave” to gain access to the family’s backyard. *Cue laugh track* That is not, nor will it ever be, funny.
ABC failed me by canceling “Eli Stone.” I was, for once, relieved to watch a show where Black men with natural hair were lawyers. I thought it was very cool that there was a Chinese doctor who knew enough about spirituality and divinity to school the pasty Eli. I loved watching the episode with the female to male trans minister who was wrongfully terminated for having SRA surgery. Watching said Black lawyer walk side by side with him to rejoin his now diminished congregation was heartwarming.
The show was entertaining and I was moved more than once at its themes. It gave me something to look forward to in primetime. But no, ABC decided ethnocentrism was the way to go. To ABC, white characters in positions of power are the only way to go. Good Bye “Eli Stone” and your queer diverse smart cast of characters and Welcome back, Kotter!
I taught my kids about Ethnocentrism before teaching them Octavia Butler’s Kindred.
What kind of lesson is ABC doling out by canceling shows like this one?
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
Deaf Indian Muslim Anarchist! wrote:
I LOVED ELI STONE. Glad to know I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the show. Ugh, I was pissed off when I noticed they stopped airing the show.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 11:05 am ¶
chris chambers wrote:
Sometimes stereotypes ring true:
1. American audiences are lazy and stupid, thus reality shows rule the ratings
2.networks fuel stupidity with more stupidity
3.more educated black folks can’t support shows like Eli Stone alone
4. less educated blakc folks don’t watch shows like Eli Stone
5.most white people don’t watch shows with a black lead character unless it’s a stereotypical comedy. Stereotype feeds off stereotype.
Therefore, I watch basic cable and Showtime and HBO dramas.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 11:37 am ¶
Niki wrote:
It’s hard for me to get hooked on new shows because the networks ineveitably pull the plug on shows I actually like. I was pissed about the cancellation of ABC’s “Dirty Sexy Money” and “Pushing Daisies” too. Even though these show had a majority of white characters, their characters of color either were “raceless” and could be played be any actor or they were imbued with particular nuances that would be missed if white actors played them.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:03 pm ¶
Abu Sinan wrote:
I dont think this is about the network’s ethnocentrism, but it most certainly could be the audience’s ethnocentrism.
Media networks are interested in number/market share. If a show about worms gathered a large audience and good percent of the market share they’d keep it.
The money they make from these shows comes from the advertising slots they sell. The price they can charge for these is based on the number of people who watch the show.
Ethnocentrism could be a proper call here, but your target is wrong. If ethnocentrism is to blame it, it is the audience (or potential audience) that needs to be blamed.
The lesson ABC is teaching is one that is well known: “show me the money”!
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:14 pm ¶
Vanessa, Michigan wrote:
Have you considered that the show was canceled b/c not enough people was watching it?
No viewers=No show.
Nature of the beast….ABC is a company all about making money.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:19 pm ¶
Naomi C wrote:
i disagree about eli stone being progressive on the diversity front.
i watched quite a few episodes of the show and felt it only reinforced certain stereotypes.
the chinese man who serves as a guiding force for eli. almost a magical minority type character who never has his own story but helps guide eli
the two jewish-named partners (posner and klein) try to oust the non-jewishly named partner (wethersby) because of… greed. wethersby wanted to do more non-profit work, and well.. the jewish partners didnt
i think the sassy black woman assistant is almost as common a stereotype as the latina maid. she does have her own story too.. but as a single mother, former alcoholic.. her pre-med daughter–a coke addict. why must the african american family that is portrayed have addiction problems?
the show was well-acted, and progressive at times. the character of keith (the african-american attorney) was a good one.
but like most other shows, it still had a long way to go…
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:23 pm ¶
cocolamala wrote:
i had no idea this show was any different from say, boston legal…marketing the show from these angles you mentioned might have picked up more viewers…
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:34 pm ¶
[dave] wrote:
dang this show sounds good, i’d never heard of it.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:43 pm ¶
Titanis walleri wrote:
You really shouldn’t be attributing malicious intent to ABC, since I doubt there was any…
Shows, even good ones (especially good ones), get canceled all the time, after all.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:49 pm ¶
Tracey wrote:
So true. I really like Eli Stone and really wish I had found it earlier and been able to watch more episodes. I also loved that the doctor adopted stereotyped ways consciously and the way his character did so. Before I realized it was an act I was turned off but when I saw him with only Eli away from customers I thought it was hilarious. The episode with the trans minister was great and I also really liked that Eli’s friend was a highly successful lawyer with natural hair. There were one or two episodes I thought played up stereotypes but overall it will be missed.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:50 pm ¶
bradski wrote:
ABC will air the remaining “Eli Stone” episodes this summer.
The show was affected by the writers’ strike and poor ratings.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 12:55 pm ¶
SayNay wrote:
I loved Eli Stone. I was so pissed when they took it off the air. That and Pushing Daisies (also recently cancelled) were my main reasons for watching ABC.
I feel like ABC as of late is really on an anti-diversity agenda. They’ve basically run Ugly Betty into the ground and Grey’s, at least on the POC character storylines, is headed right there with it.
It’s almost as if we’re going backwards and not forwards with regard to diversity on TV. The only show I’m watching regularly right now with any kind of color is Lost. What do these networks really stand to gain by pushing the same old agenda?
Posted 01 May 2009 at 1:26 pm ¶
embarcader0113 wrote:
That’s sad. I’ve never even heard of the show– and I watch my fair share of TV… Goes to show you how well ABC publicized it. No wonder it was cancelled (although I would NEVER consider Disney to be notorious for its support of oppressed communities).
This article gives simple advice on how to save your favorite shows (hint: watch them online).
Posted 01 May 2009 at 1:40 pm ¶
Mrs._Lioness wrote:
I have to agree that more than being a show that was progressive on race and gender issues Eli Stone fell into the “comfortable” role of re-enforcing existing stereotypes while pretending to be something different and open minded.
I for one was NOT impressed and will not miss it one bit.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 2:48 pm ¶
Rachael wrote:
I only watched the pilot of the show, but I thought it was pretty abysmal, and never gave it a second try. I concur with Naomi – i didn’t think the minority characters were refreshing at all. The pilot also had a disturbingly anti-science plot dredging up vintage “vaccines-can-cause-autism” BS. Lastly, the entire thing was steeped in way too much spirituality for my taste. I can’t say I’m sad to see it canceled.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 2:51 pm ¶
Rob Schmidt wrote:
See http://www.racialicious.com/2009/04/21/fade-in-magazine-talks-racism-in-hollywood for a previous discussion about whether the networks are biased or just greedy.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 3:12 pm ¶
Twyst wrote:
I had been loving Eli Stone. I was watching it in its off-season so that i could watch the eps back to back to back to back. it’s really sad that it has been canceled, because you are right, it was a gem. Sad
I guess that is what you get from a channel owned by Disney. After all, Disney was an anti-Semite 
Posted 01 May 2009 at 4:21 pm ¶
Eva wrote:
I feel bad because I never heard of this show.
I never heard of it because I don’t watch many TV shows on the networks. Most TV I watch is on cable, either basic or HBO and Showtime because I find most of the shows on the networks to be boring.
The reason I think networks push the same old same old is they figure that anyone who wants to watch something “different” probably watches cable.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 4:35 pm ¶
G.K. wrote:
Yeah, I loved ELI STONE,too—at first, the premise sounded too damn ridiculous to even past muster, but once I saw the pilot and a couple of other episodes, I was hooked (I could kick myself for not taping the pilot when it was repeated, but dang it, there was something else I had to tape) . Eli’s Chinese-American friend was very refreshing to watch because not only did he not fit the stereotype to some degree, he let you see the real person behind it,and he also talked about his offbeat background. It was also cool to see Loretta Devine on a series again ’cause I’ve always liked her, even if it was a secondary role.
My impression was that the show was doing well, so of course I was surprised when it got kicked to the curb after only one season. Another thing I liked about it was that Jonny Lee Miller, who played in one of my all-time favorite movies, TRAINSPOTTING (he played the character of Sick Boy) was starring in it—first time I’d seen play an American–he did very well with the accent, of course. Interestingly enough, another good show I liked–JOURNEYMAN–also featured a TRAINSPOTTING alumni, Kevin McKidd–and that show got canceled after only one season,too—go figure!
Posted 01 May 2009 at 4:37 pm ¶
Michele wrote:
I never watched Eli Stone. I hate musicals. Every ad I ever saw for the show had people singing and dancing. This could have possibly turned off a lot of other people as well.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 5:14 pm ¶
caroaber wrote:
I never got hooked, but when the author declared that “Eli Stone” was replaced by an all-white cop show (I’m guessing you meant “The Unusuals”), that was inaccurate.
The cop show features a Black cop (the actor from “Lost” and “Oz”), a Latina cop, and a female cop. But I don’t predict that “The Unusuals” will last, either. It’ll go the way of “Life on Mars.”
Posted 01 May 2009 at 5:25 pm ¶
abby wrote:
Eli Stone was cancelled because people weren’t watching. . . plain and simple. It sucks because I was such a big fan of the show.
I think while it can be argued that it re-enforced certain stereotypes. I think it was also a bit different.
One episode that struck me the most was the one where Keith Bennett played by Jason Winston George was introduced (Season 1 episode 4). It touched upon something I didn’t expect to ever see on TV outside of “black Tv shows” – racism/discrimination within the black community.
It’s unfortunate it was cancelled, it had so much potential.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 5:47 pm ¶
Miles Ellison wrote:
I think that the question to ask when “progressive” shows are canceled is what audience does the network think it’s going to attract?
If the show is different and offbeat, and the rest of their programming is moronic reality TV dreck, do they honestly think that people with the kind of sensibility that would appreciate something different are going to go anywhere near their network?
I didn’t really watch this show, so I can’t speak to the portrayals of POC on the show, but the broadcast networks are more interested in moldy minority stereotypes than anything that pushes the envelope in that regard. There is a limit to how much positivity that their target audience will accept in that regard.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 6:43 pm ¶
jen* wrote:
I loved Eli Stone, too, and was puzzled when there was one ep this year, and then no more. I learned that it went the way of ‘Eyes’ and I was sad.
Jason Winston George is a beautiful man, and I hope to see him [and his lovely hair] on something else, quite soon.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 8:32 pm ¶
B wrote:
Sorry, I *loathed* it. I agree with Rachel & Naomi. I also thought the whole “vaccines cause autism!” episode was absurd. Sprinkling in stereotypical p.o.c. figures does not a progressive show make. I also didn’t think that the writing was well done.
Ugly Betty, however, I love. The show doesn’t get nearly enough credit for the ways in which it engages w/race in subtle ways, amidst all the camp.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 10:01 pm ¶
B wrote:
Eli Stone is really more of a casualty of the sad state of television right now than anything else.
I’m a huge TV fan. Huge. I follow TV news and ratings each day. Across the board, scripted TV ratings are down. They’re dismal. Each network is slashing and hacking away at shows that aren’t performing as they wish, replacing them with something new, and scratching their heads when THAT doesn’t perform well, either. Procedurals are performing better, but even mainstays like SVU, Cold Case, and Without a Trace are on the bubble (SVU ended up getting a green light, but Stabler and Benson have not, so far).
Reality shows are making a KILLING in the ratings. I’ve watched networks decide to shuffle things around so they can throw up an extra hour of the Bachelor or American Idol and the ratings go through the roof.
My theory is partly that the way of measuring ratings is so outdated that it doesn’t capture relevant information anymore – in this day and age, as more and more households have DVRs, internet access (I watch so much on Hulu.com and network webpages now that most have implemented CC). Reality shows are more immediate, like a sports game – if you don’t watch them when they air, you hear the results right after it airs and there’s really no reason to catch up.
Also, I’m willing to believe that a lot of society is stupid enough to prefer mindless reality shows to scripted television.
I didn’t mean to write a thesis, since this isn’t really a site for this sort of comment, but I did want to point out that Eli Stone isn’t just a random or unique cancellation, but part of the widespread fall of scripted television.
Posted 01 May 2009 at 11:18 pm ¶
Hibbs4Prez wrote:
I’m sorry but it was an okay show at best. The diversity that the writer of this blog/post praises is not new for ensemble TV dramas based upon lawyers. Sure perhaps this show had more of an Asian presence given its locale. But still in the end it was a show with a white lead and a mostly white cast. How….status quo. Having some Asian version of the Magic Negro does not give it points in my book. Wake me up when the lead next time is a “minority” or at least a co-star of equal focus is a person of color. That show I would mourn over if yanked (ex: Daybreak). Otherwise its been there, done that.
Posted 02 May 2009 at 12:57 am ¶
Titanis walleri wrote:
“but the broadcast networks are more interested in moldy minority stereotypes than anything that pushes the envelope in that regard.”
I think they’re interested in moldy stereotypes period…
Posted 02 May 2009 at 1:11 am ¶
more cowbell wrote:
I did watch the show, but I add my vote in with Naomi and others. Although I liked the storyline about the Black lawyer as it brought up some points not usually seen on network tv, I thought the other diverse characters were handled in a stereotypical manner. That annoyed me, because in some ways the show actually was clever, so it seems they could’ve done better in that area.
Another reason I think it’s hard for shows (other than the mind-numbing crop of reality shows) to do well is this new “mini season” bullcrap the networks are pulling. I haven’t quite figured it out, but it’s like they put a show on for maybe 6 episodes, then replace it with some other show for a while, then come back for a second round of the first show. People can’t track of what’s on, what’s been canceled, what’s on break, what’s moved to a new night – it’s ridiculous.
Posted 02 May 2009 at 2:09 am ¶
Lxy wrote:
I’m sorry but it was an okay show at best. The diversity that the writer of this blog/post praises is not new for ensemble TV dramas based upon lawyers. Sure perhaps this show had more of an Asian presence given its locale. But still in the end it was a show with a white lead and a mostly white cast. How….status quo. Having some Asian version of the Magic Negro does not give it points in my book. Wake me up when the lead next time is a “minority” or at least a co-star of equal focus is a person of color. That show I would mourn over if yanked (ex: Daybreak). Otherwise its been there, done that.
I haven’t seen this show, but this is what “diversity” really means in America in general, whether that be the media or other institutions.
White America just loves diversity alright–just as long as it’s a safe, non-threatening “whitewashed diversity” that does not fundamentally challenge their dominance, power, or centrality.
But that’s the very point of course.
White Supremacy in multicultural drag is becoming the new paradigm for America’s time-honored racial caste system.
Posted 02 May 2009 at 5:06 am ¶
Natalie wrote:
I had no idea Eli Stone was a musical, I probably would have watched. I just assumed it was another boring law procedural.
But more on topic, I’m not sure I understand from your description what was special about secretary’s character that pulled her out of the realm of the sassy black friend stereotype. Perhaps you could flesh that out a bit?
Posted 02 May 2009 at 5:14 am ¶
Marie W wrote:
I have to totally agree with Naomi C’s comments. I really don’t see where you’re getting the idea that Eli Stone was progressive and diverse. At best it was tokenism. And frankly–it wasn’t that good of a show. The acting was strong, and Johnny Lee Miller was outstanding in the lead role, but the storylines bordered on ridiculous–there were plot holes that you could drive a truck through.
I’m all for diversity, but if a TV show is bad, it’s bad. I went in REALLY wanting to like this show, but I’m one of the audience members that it drove away.
Posted 02 May 2009 at 2:10 pm ¶
-k- wrote:
Huh. I really just thought it was a bad, bad show. Diverse, yes. But that just means it was.. diversely bad.
Posted 02 May 2009 at 4:01 pm ¶
DivergentDana wrote:
” I was, for once, relieved to watch a show where Black men with natural hair were lawyers. ”
Don’t the vast majority of black men on TV and in RL wear their hair in its natural state? I remember when Vance was the D.A. on L & O, he had natural hair.
Posted 02 May 2009 at 10:33 pm ¶
Steven Capsuto wrote:
Most proposed series never make it to the air. Those that do generally last one season at best, and two or three weeks at worst.
Given that Eli Stone was granted two full seasons, I don’t see grounds for complaint. I imagine the decision not to renew was based on business factors.
Posted 02 May 2009 at 10:45 pm ¶
Michelle wrote:
Loved the show, loved the writing.
I can see where folks are coming from about how the Black secretary and parts of storyline and the Asian doctor could be seen as status quo and not progressive. I get that, but I do think that the show had many clever moments and creative story lines. However, to each his own.
And, has anyone on this site every even a Nielson box? I have always thought that whole system was suspicious!
Posted 03 May 2009 at 3:56 am ¶
veebot wrote:
Eli Stone was a great show. it a shame. I hope those reality shows tank eventually. I really miss brains and good writing on tv.
Posted 03 May 2009 at 4:56 am ¶
diana wrote:
I loved Eli Stone, It started when i had a lot of free time, and so I saw almost every episode. I was so upset when i found out it was cancelled. I don’t know if I like ABC for actually airing these shows, or if I hate them for canceling them after they’ve started.
I can’t wait for summer to see the episodes that weren’t aired.
Posted 03 May 2009 at 4:45 pm ¶
claire wrote:
i’m with naomi c. and everyone else who didn’t like the show. i watched the first three episodes, cringing the whole way. aside from racial issues, the show was embarrassing. i don’t know about you, but the FIRST time i’m caught up in a musical number in my office lobby and find myself dancing and singing alone in front of my boss? yeah, that’s gonna be the LAST time, too. but we’re supposed to find eli getting stuck in this situation every epiosde FUNNY?
yeah, the characters of color were tokens. yeah, the chinese herbalist was a magical chink. and the whole thing about him using a ching-chongy accent because that’s what people expected of him? not new. haven’t you read john steinbeck’s “east of eden”? the character lee makes a whole speech about why he uses pidgin, even though he’s an ABC and speaks american english. and, in spite of his ability to understand this, steinbeck STILL turned lee into an effeminate stereotype.
the black admin? typical sassy black woman sidekick. i didn’t watch long enough to get into her family story, but her whole shtick was cut and pasted from every tv show and movie of the past fifteen years that tried to prove its “diversity” by having a random, isolated black sidekick for its white hero.
ugh! i’m glad it’s gone!
Posted 03 May 2009 at 9:59 pm ¶
michael wrote:
I’m not sure what show the writer of this post was watching, because Eli Stone was poorly written, and hardly progressive. I watched a few episodes, solely because i’ve always found Johnny Lee Miller to be hot, but even he could’nt keep me hooked. There was no ethno-conspiracy nonsense involved in this shows demise….it was the lack of an audience that killed it.
Posted 04 May 2009 at 1:46 am ¶
Persephone wrote:
It sounds like they did a terrible job marketing the show, judging by all the different perceptions people have about it in this thread alone. Personally, I never watched it because the ads made it look like a “magical mentally ill person” show, and I find those plots really offensive.
I definitely think that networks intentionally spend more time and money on marketing shows that they think will do well with the audiences they want — usually young, rich white guys. So the ones that don’t necessarily target those groups won’t get very good marketing.
Posted 04 May 2009 at 4:36 am ¶
MoeHailstone wrote:
Soon as I saw the “Mammy” stereotype I was already on my way out and when they started singing I closed the door.
Don’t ever expect the regular networks to include any of us blacks or hispanics as equals cause its never going to happen. Television and movies embody white americas dreams and that doesn’t include us. Sorry but I at least expect reality and corporations don’t care about us. The instant I see the stereotypes i gotta run…and thats what happened to Eli Stone
Posted 04 May 2009 at 5:34 pm ¶
kydavi wrote:
who cares about eli stone, it’s long gone and aint coming back! however, the man is telling you to GO READ OCTAVIA BUTLER!!! i was lucky enough to meet her at a reading before she passed – the ultimate example of an “outsider” and an amazingly talented writer. ‘kindred’ is good, but my favorites are the parable of the sower & parable of the talents. science fiction of the most unique kind.
Posted 08 May 2009 at 3:44 am ¶