The Evolution of Minorities in Film

1763 Words4 Pages

The Evolution of Minorities in Film

Back in the 1800’s, when calculating the population, African Americans were counted as 3/5 of a person (Antonia, p2). One would think that in the past two hundred years people’s beliefs would have changed a little bit, but the general white public are stuck into believing the common stereotypes commonly portrayed in movies. In films and television shows blacks are almost always portrayed as murderers, robbers, rapists, pretty much anything negative, like American History X, for example. Two black men are shown breaking into a white man’s car. People see this, and in turn believe that all black men will try and steal their car; as stupid as it may seem, it is true, and as a result, film producers try to incorporate this into their films. Very rarely, if ever, is it possible to see a minority depicted as a hero-type figure. Every once in a while, there will be an independent film from a minority director, but as Schultz states in Lyon’s piece, “We [blacks] are still being ghettoized in Hollywood, a serious black project of any scope is as difficult to get marketed today as it was in the ‘70s.” By making a barrier to entry for minorities in the film industry, it’s almost as if America is trying to keep black films out of the popular media. At first glimpse, it may appear that minorities are very hard to be seen in the filming industry, when in reality, they are becoming more and more apparent in America’s mainstream media culture, particularly in action movies.

MacDonald stated in Allan Smith’s essay, “American mass culture continued to operate as an assimilative force, seeking to maintain social stability while gradually merging people of different backgrounds into the cult...

... middle of paper ...

...ral trend of how minorities are making a bigger and bigger impact on American mainstream culture. All America can do is smile and be content at the fact that minorities are finally getting the respect they deserve.

Works Cited

Antonia, Kathleen. “A Lesson Before Living” Humanist, March/April 2001,

Volume 61 Issue 2, p.43.

Beck, Bernard. “What Price Glory?” Multicultural Perspectives, 1999, Volume 1

Issue 1, p.26.

Brinkley, Douglas. “Edward Norton’s Primal Fear” George, October 1998,

Volume 3 Issue 10, p.110.

Lyons, N.L. “From Race Movies to Blaxploitation to Homeboy Movies” American

Visions, February 1992, Volume 7 Issue 1, p. 42.

Smith, Allan. “Seeing Things: Race, Image, and National Identity in

Canadian and American Movies and Television” Canadian Review of

American Studies, Autumn 1996, Volume 26 Issue 3, p. 367.

Show More
Related

  • Response to Movie Ethnic Notions

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    The movie 'Ethnic Notions' describes different ways in which African-Americans were presented during the 19th and 20th centuries. It traces and presents the evolution of the rooted stereotypes which have created prejudice towards African-Americans. This documentary movie is narrated to take the spectator back to the antebellum roots of African-American stereotypical names such as boy, girl, auntie, uncle, Sprinkling Sambo, Mammy Yams, the Salt and Pepper Shakers, etc. It does so by presenting us with multiple dehumanized characters and cartons portraying African-Americans as carefree Sambos, faithful Mammies, savage Brutes, and wide-eyed Pickaninnies. These representations of African-Americans roll across the screen in popular songs, children's rhymes, household artifacts and advertisements. These various ways to depict the African ?American society through countless decades rooted stereotypes in the American society. I think that many of these still prevail in the contemporary society, decades after the civil rights movement occurred.

    Read More

  • Myths of the Melting Pot

    1981 Words  | 4 Pages

    concerns racial equality in America. The myth of the “Melting Pot” is a farce within American society, which hinders Americans from facing societal equality issues at hand. Only when America decides to face the truth, that society is not equal, and delve into the reasons why such equality is a dream instead of reality. Will society be able to tackle suc...

    Read More

  • A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    To conclude, disillusionment played a sizeable role in the lives of Finny, Gene, and Leper. The source of their disillusionment stemmed from their dreams, ideas, and hopes that were never realized. Disillusionment is a natural and crucial part of life as it allows us to learn new things and discover new ideas. Every experience teaches us something new and helps us progress as people. The most important aspect of this book is disillusionment because, as George Santayana said, “Wisdom comes by disillusionment.”

    Read More

  • Was the Fed-Organized Bailout of LTCM Favorable?

    1696 Words  | 4 Pages

    [1] Brennan, Deirdre, Long-Term Capital Management: Technical Note on a Global Hedge Fund, Thunderbird, 1999

    Read More

  • To Kill A Mockingbird Stereotypes Essay

    1452 Words  | 3 Pages

    For many years, African Americans have faced the challenge of being accurately and positively portrayed within mainstream media, such as American made films. They are often represented as people who are inferior to those of the Caucasian race, and are frequently presented with problems that are related to racial discrimination. The portrayal of African Americans in media such as movies has often been considered a large contributing factor to the racial tensions that still exist in our world today (Lemons, 1977). The movie, To Kill a Mockingbird, sheds light on the portrayal of African Americans in movies, and how stereotypes can greatly impact the lives of those who are not of the Caucasian race.

    Read More

  • Racial Stereotypes on Television

    1870 Words  | 4 Pages

    Woll, Allen L and Randall M Miller. Ethnic and Racial Images in American Film and Television: Historical Essays and Bibliography. n.d. Print.

    Read More

  • African American Theater

    1967 Words  | 4 Pages

    Over the course of approximately one-hundred years there has been a discernible metamorphosis within the realm of African-American cinema. African-Americans have overcome the heavy weight of oppression in forms such as of politics, citizenship and most importantly equal human rights. One of the most evident forms that were withheld from African-Americans came in the structure of the performing arts; specifically film. The common population did not allow blacks to drink from the same water fountain let alone share the same television waves or stage. But over time the strength of the expectant black actors and actresses overwhelmed the majority force to stop blacks from appearing on film. For the longest time the performing arts were the only way for African-Americans to express the deep pain that the white population placed in front of them. Singing, dancing and acting took many African-Americans to a place that no oppressor could reach; considering the exploitation of their character during the 1930's-1960's ‘acting' was an essential technique to African American survival.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Michael Omi's In Living Color Race And American Culture

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    notice people of different backgrounds. The part that is most surprising is the statement about people of unlike races are becoming clearly defined as being lesser than. Although some white people are stereotyped, most people view whites as being greater for no clear reason. First, we can see the cruel cycle of how American culture reveals ethnic stereotypes, and how society has such negative thoughts about minorities because of the way other races are described on television, movies, music, sports, books, magazines, media, etc. Omi continues to disapprove on popular culture and explain how

    Read More

  • Classified X: Film Analysis

    655 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his documentary Classified X, Martin Van Peebles describes three areas where African-Americans could be receive some sanctuary from the racism that pervaded almost all Hollywood films. These three places were: the Hollywood version of an all-Black film, the church, and entertainment. Black culture and music is prominent in mainstream society, but the people behind this culture don’t always receive recognition and respect for their creations. Mainstream White pop culture excitedly consumes and appropriates Black culture, but disrespects the source.

    Read More

  • Cross Racial Casting

    631 Words  | 2 Pages

    Public out cry about actors who portray other races has brought attention to the subject and has produced numerous arguments. These actors who portray themselves a different race is something that shouldn’t be viewed as a positive thing that we should continue to do. First of having an actor portray another race usually results in a more stereotypical role. This gives the public a bad image of different ethnicities, which may think that this is that ethnicities normal behavior. Similarly, having an actor portray another ethnicity takes a job away from someone from that race. Actors of other races are under represented in films. By not giving minorities opportunities they can’t prove that they are in fact good actors, limiting them in future roles. By allowing actors to portray a different race we are not respecting minorities as equals.

    Read More

  • Nature vs. Nurture: Virtues in our Society

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    One can say, "Character education is as old as education itself." There is some truth into that statement as teaching character extends into prehistory itself. In Western philosophy, early Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle believed that happiness requires virtue; hence a person who wanted to be happy needed “virtuous amounts of character”. Socrates identifies happiness with pleasure and explains “various virtues as instrumental means to pleasure.” Plato on the other hand expands on Socrates’ theo...

    Read More

  • Essay On Minorities In The Media

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    With the lack of representation that we have in today’s media, it takes away the voice that smaller groups have to express themselves in a safe environment. The act of being a member of a less represented, or even misrepresented, minority and being able to speak out can help normalize the group to the general public. According to Natalie Dulka, a freshman at Concordia University, ”Diversity in media can be a way for less understood and underrepresented groups,

    Read More

  • Essay On Capital Asset Pricing Model

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) is an ex ante concept, which is built on the portfolio theory established by Markowitz (Bhatnagar and Ramlogan 2012). It enhances the understanding of elements of asset prices, specifically the linear relationship between risk and expected return (Perold 2004). The direct correlation between risk and return is well defined by the security market line (SML), where market risk of an asset is associated with the return and risk of the market along with the risk free rate to estimate expected return on an asset (Watson and Head 1998 cited in Laubscher 2002).

    Read More

  • Three Tools of Investment Analysis

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    Capital Asset Pricing Model is believed to be the first equilibrium asset pricing model t...

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Hollywood Film

    1000 Words  | 2 Pages

    While watching movies, have you ever noticed that the villains in almost every single Hollywood film are of Middle Eastern or European descent? In a reoccurring theme of Hollywood, the villains in these films are almost always foreigners or people of color. This is a stereotype. On the other side of the spectrum, we often see that the heroes of these films are most often than not white males. This is another stereotype. Within the last few years, we’ve seen actors such as Will Smith, Morgan Freeman, and Zoe Saldana take the lead roles, so it can’t be said that there are no non-white heroes, but there certainly isn’t many. Hollywood action movies, moreover than other genres, are typically loaded with an abundance of stereotypes. The way these movies are composed and structured can tell us a great deal about the views held within the American psyche and who holds the social power. The harsh reality is that the media ultimately sets the tone for societal standards, moralities, and images of our culture. Many consumers of media have never encountered some of the minorities or people of color shown on screen, so they subsequently depend on the media and wholeheartedly believe that the degrading stereotypes represented on the big screen are based on fact and not fiction. Mary Beltran said it best when she stated in her “Fast and Bilingual: Fast & Furious and the Latinization of Racelessness” article, “ultimately, Fast & Furious mobilizes notions of race in contradictory ways. It reinforces Hollywood traditions of white centrism, reinforcing notions of white male master while also dramatizing the figurative borders crossed daily by culturally competent global youth – both Latino and non-Latino” (77). This paper will specifically look...

    Read More

More about The Evolution of Minorities in Film

Open Document