Although the storylines and the character of Benson poke fun at the incompetence of those in positions of wealth and power, the portrayal of an African-American man as a butler remained a strong stereotype that served to uphold racial power relations and reinforce social values in the neoconservative United States of the 1970s and 1980s. Despite conscious efforts of writers and actors, the main character’s role remains problematic: why in contemporary television was an African-American man still portrayed as a servant? However lighthearted and fictitious Benson might have been, its significance in television history is both serious and real.

Comedy has long been a means of representing characters of color in both American film and television. Hollywood film picked up where minstrel shows left off, using stereotypes (and often white actors in blackface makeup) to portray African-American characters. One stereotype in particular that became nearly omnipresent in many classic Hollywood films is the figure of the Black servant, a remnant of the antebellum American south. This stereotypical trope of the servant is seen time and time again, subtly suggesting the superior status of whites and simultaneously dictating to the viewing audience the position of African Americans in society. The persistence of such representation in contemporary television demonstrates the continuing use of characters of color for racial demarcation and for comic relief.

As a source of humor, Benson is historically significant in television. Few American programs featuring characters of color have been dramas. Instead, beginning with Beulah and Amos ’n’ Andy in the 1950s and continuing into the present, most programs with minority characters have fallen into the genre of situation comedy. Issues of race are to be addressed, it seems, through laughter. Although the character of Benson was indeed allowed to rise along the occupational ladder, this advancement was carefully contained within the realm of comedy. It was also controlled by the narrative, as evidenced in a 1983 episode in which the ghost of Soap character Jessica Tate (Benson’s former, white employer) haunts Benson and reminds him of how far he has come.

The premise in the half-hour sitcom Benson is that the title character has been “loaned” by Jessica to her cousin, Governor James Gatling, after his wife passes away. This loan becomes permanent as Benson’s utility becomes indispensable to the governor. Through his service in the governor’s mansion—saving the governor from political blunders, managing both the political and domestic staff, and helping to raise the governor’s daughter, Katie—Benson is seen as the source of not only composure and wisdom but also of warmth. At the same time, he is known for his sharp wit, often expressed at the expense of other characters on the show.

The critical view of Benson has generally been positive and, moreover, addresses the issue of Benson as a butler by arguing his is a “dignified” portrayal. Nevertheless, the limitations of the role are clearly set in the way in which he is characterized. For example, the headlines of some reviews instruct their readers in specific ways: “Benson Moves Out and Up,” “Benson Butlers His Way into a Sensational Spin-off,” “ABC May Clean Up with Benson.” One critic describes Benson as the “smug, cocky and perennially bored Black butler.” These descriptions and plays on words only emphasize the position that Benson is expected to occupy; his rise “out and up” is deemed unusual, irreverent, and ultimately funny. In this light, a “cocky” servant who is smarter than his masters is not a subversive portrayal, as some may wish to believe; it is exactly the opposite. The often overdetermined praise of Benson’s independence and sophistication perhaps reveals the effort on the part of critics to compensate for the fact that Benson is a servant. Unfortunately, arguing that these characteristics of an African-American man/butler are exceptional only further dictates what his place is supposed to be. To be “uppity” or insolent, as Benson is sometimes described, implies that he must somehow be put back down where he belongs.

This contradiction—Benson as the defiant, yet also stereotypical, character—seemed to have confused audiences. Although Benson was not among the top 10 shows (it was in the top 25 in its first year only), the program lasted for seven seasons. And although Robert Guillaume was nominated several times for an Emmy Award for Best Leading Actor during his years on Benson, he won only in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his work in Soap. While the producers and writers of the show worked consciously to make Benson’s character reflect the strides in civil rights that were made in the previous decades, they still chose to use the stereotype of the Black servant. Hence, though far lower rated, the fact that Benson far outlasted such programs as Taxi and even its parent program, Soap, might suggest that American television audiences were ultimately sustaining and supporting the status quo.

Guillaume has taken a critical stance toward his own role, saying variously, “I will not go back to 1936”; “This is not going to be one of those plantation-darky roles”; “It was employer-employee, not master-servant.” Still, despite Guillaume’s talent and his determined attempts to bring substance and accuracy to his role, the long-standing cultural connotations of an African-American servant predominated the program. Benson is not derogatory or inflammatory and, in fact, can be quite entertaining. Nevertheless, the program stands as part of an ongoing practice of representing people of color in subordinate positions. Though liberal, the television industry is by no means revolutionary. Accordingly, Benson attempts to portray the life of an African American in a progressive and “dignified” manner, yet cannot escape the trappings of a deeply embedded cultural classification.