Weeds' Viewers on the Fence: An Ethnographic Analysis

As audiences follow Nancy’s illegal drug dealing antics, questionable mothering tactics, and her perennial mission to maintain a picture perfect, white, upper-middle class lifestyle they are forced to ask themselves about the implications of the show’s representations of sexuality, gender, and race in every episode.

However, the most interesting question to ask in regards to the shows perception is does the employment of humor in dealing with socially and politically volatile material like racism, sexuality, and adult responsibilities sufficiently prompt audiences to question the legitimacy of such content, or does it simple help to reinforce these potentially harmful ideas?

To get a better understanding of how the shows material is being interpreted by its viewers I conducted a screening of two of the shows episodes followed first by a round table discussion and then by more personal, one on one interviews with each participant. In addition I looked to the Internet Movie Data Base for audience's opinions and reactions from around the country.

Many that liked the show cited its violation of norms, conventions, and correctness as its appeal, while others point it its display of “cultural taboos,” and “left-wing,” “pro-ganja” attitudes.

Those that dislike the show cite a reliance on “tired, clichéd, and formulaic” representations of female sexuality as well as race. One viewer voiced her “fear for those who aren’t able to distinguish stereotypes from reality, and good decisions from bad.”

One IMDB user asked, "Would it kill them to have a lawyer or doctor that is a minority? Or at least someone who can string together a full sentence, without using a swear word?" He concluded by saying, "In the end it's just hard to tolerate preaching," about one-dimensional, liberal, and progressive attitudes, "from a show so flawed in so many ways... It's clear that they do not have many writers of color on staff."

Those that love the show are able to connect with and sympathize for Nancy's mission to raise her two boys in the comfortable suburban lifestyle that her husband left them. They find humor and progress in the shows dealings with taboo subject matter and challenging of certain norms. Others find Weeds to be formulaic, one-dimensional, and offensive in more ways than one. And still others find themselves internally torn between wanting to like what is in many ways a unique and entertaining program and, in other ways a potentially harmful reinforcement of damaging stereotypes and generally bad behaviour.