In many films that African American men and women have played in, personally most of them have stereotypical roles. beyond the fact that this is degrading to my race and culture, its also very hurtful to see and unfair in many ways. the fact that these stereotypes are supposed to represent every black person , and that's the unfair part for me because as I have grown up, I have notice that these stereotypes effect how others treat and view you. therefore myself and others tend to feel as though we have to "prove our self" just to make an statement that says *hey I am not that stereotyped black women/men* I actually do know how to speak correct English, I am educated, I am not loud, I do act civilized in public, I do deserve to work ECT.
but in a movie I have watched particulary is the movie called "Friday" Creg the main character is a thug, not doing anything with his life, his dad chases dogs for a living, his mom cleans houses, and his best friend sells and does drugs. In the film that African American women have played in, the women plays the roles of, domestic house workers and slaves , also black women are routinely portrayed as sassy, neck rolling individuals with attitudes in television and films, and this is where the saying " the mad black women" comes from. in today's entertainment the popularity of these so called reality shows severs to fuel these stereotypes, especially when they are full of drama. men stereotypes are not just played on television and in films but they have been viewed that way beyond that, and are getting killed over it. most roles they have played in as drug dealers, thugs, pimps, murderers, rapist,. they overlook how racial and economic injustice makes it more difficult for young black men to not be an target when it comes to authorities and even in future opportunities. the way they portray African American men and women on t.v , internet, movies ect is the problem , only until they would be willing to change the way they represent races in the way they do and not give people stereotypes things would be different.
it clear that things have been this way, and most likely will not change anytime soon, but that does not make up any excuses for the negative representation not only African American but any other culture that has been stereotypes in a negative way on television and films.
Nice post. Negative stereotypes of blacks and African Americans harm everyone. I come from a white lower-middle-class family, and although I grew up around mostly nonwhites in Jonesboro, when I was 14 my family moved to Fayetteville and I finished high school in Peachtree City, an extremely white suburb in Fayette County. I recall being unsettled at the whiteness. One of my favorite movies in high school was Friday. I used to watch it in a nostalgic sort of way to remember Jonesboro. I knew then that the movie portrayed African Americans in highly stereotypical ways, and I remember showing the movie to (white) friends and them always asking me if that's what Jonesboro was like, if I lived in the ghetto, if I smoked a lot of weed, etc. I eventually quit showing the movie to people because they took the stereotypes literally, having never lived around anyone different than them. I've often wondered whether so-called "black movies" were good or bad for people. Like, on the one hand, they tend to be highly stereotypical, which can be problematic in reinforcing stereotypes for the stereotyped group and for being major examples of blackness that whites see, reinforcing stereotypes in their minds as well. But on the other hand, they may be one of the few genres that isn't explicitly dominated by old white men, where nonwhites can creatively express themselves. But I guess if the stereotypes are so prominent, it might not matter who directly controls the film's production, or we could expand our view and argue that "dominant culture" controls it through the producers anyway. What's the way forward here?
ReplyDeleteI agree with this a whole lot. I feel the role of black actors and actresses in a way are limited because they're always portrayed in a certain light. Having to overcome a huge generational struggle , or slavery, or poverty. Audiences don't think its "normal" to see them in other verstile roles. (I.E when the internet got upset that someone suggested donald glover play the next spiderman).
ReplyDeleteI agree with this and I find it unfair that Hollywood still chooses to portray African American people like this. Although shows like Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder have strong Black Woman leads who destroy these stereotypes. They are successful, independent and have high paying Carears. Hollywood should stop making all black characters inferior and unsuccessful and make them the successful people they are.
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