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How media influences stereotypes
How media influences stereotypes
Diversity within the movie industry essay
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In Marlon Riggs’ 1992 documentary film titled Color Adjustment, Riggs, the Emmy winning producer of Ethnic Notions, continues his studies of prejudice in television. The documentary film looks at the years between 1948 and 1988 to analyze how over a 40 year period, race relations are viewed through the lens of prime time entertainment. The film examined many of television’s stereotypes and mythes and how they changed over the years. The one hour and twenty-two minute documentary is narrated by Ruby Dee, the American actress, poet, playwright, screenwriter, journalist, and civil rights activist.
Michael Paulson, a well-known American journalist recently wrote a piece for the New York Times in September of 2015 called “This Broadway Season, Diversity Is Front and Center”. This piece focuses on the uprising of people from different races being introduced and playing roles in Broadway shows. Paulson asserts this positive statement by providing the reader with many examples of upcoming/present diverse Broadway shows and explaining how the audience can connect with these cultural stories. Paulson also establishes a friendly and highly proud tone when informing his readers that the lack of diversity on Broadway is overcoming; reassuring that indeed times are changing.
When we think of heroes we often think of a masked vigilanty or a cape crusader swooping down from the heavens and saving the day. Although heroes come in many shapes and sizes, they also tend to come from different backgrounds. The people of the United States pride themselves with freedom and equality. However, still to this day there is a struggle with discrimination. Matt Zoller Seitz’s article “The Offensive Movie Cliché That Won’t Die” definitely sparked some interest and was definitely right when it came to the offensive issue most people do not see.
I chose this film because it showed how hard the union workers and families worked in fighting racial injustices, and because it inspired myself to move forward with strong ideologies and pride. 2. Stereotyping in mass media was an important concern of Chicana/o media activists because it imprinted a demeaning label by only casting Chicana/o actors with "minor roles: villains, sidekicks, temptresses, where their main function is to provide the protagonists, typically a handsome white
In today’s society, the hero of any movie is normally a white male or female. It is not in the norm to see a Hispanic, Asian, or Black person saving the world or being the main star of a movie. These main characters have different characteristics than the secondary character that happens to be of a different race. For example: In the movie “The Incredibles”, the lead actor is ‘Mr. Incredible’, who happens to be a white male that is incredibly fit and someone all the super heroes wish to be. A secondary character is ‘Frozone’, a black male that is not even close to the size or the importance of ‘Mr. Incredible’.
Is Tupac really dead? Tupac, born as Lesane Parish Crooks, supposedly died September 13, 1996, just 5 years into his rapping career, but some people suspect him to still be alive. Tupac was a rapping Legend. Is it possible that he is still on this legendary path, avoiding his death, and still writing music?
Asian’s are discriminated in entertainment industries by rarely becoming the main roles, are whitewashed, and play similar types of characters in movies/TV shows. Asian-Americans can be discriminated in entertainment industries because they rarely become the main roles on movies or TV series. They have many chanced to audition to become the main roles, but some things happen making them become more of a lead role or lower. Sam Levin, a reporter for the Guardian US in San Francisco, implies that, “Okatsuka said she had also lost lead Asian roles to mixed-race women who looked much more white. The message she received was: ‘You’re more fitting for this more soft-hearted, kind, kimono-wearing friend of the lead”’ (Levin).
While examining origins for inequality, discrimination remains a root cause. Although other minority groups, such as Latinos, suffer from discrimination, African-American populations tend to assume a more severe burden in terms of absolute numbers and proportions of families affected (Jennings, 1997). To further this evaluation, the activity selected for attendance was the Texas Tech University African American History Month lecture series event in which Levar Burton spoke over “The Value of Diversity.” Levar Burton is an African American actor, writer, producer, and director who overcame tremendous odds to become a pivotal figure in the television industry for over four decades. Burton launched his acting career by procuring his first part as Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed 1977 miniseries Roots.
Consequently, people would think about the next generation and believe in equality for every races and skin colors. In Hollywood, movie directors and writers should remove stereotypes, ensure justify for the minority, and teach the younger about equality. Last but not least, the director hurt minority audiences because of the movie they make. Economically, using racial stereotypes in the film helps increase the views and profit.
Representation in all aspects, race, age, family dynamics, and more give younger folks time to appreciate themselves early on instead of learning to love themselves years after. Having movies with a predominantly black cast and having black nominees leads to a culture of acceptance and talent. Young kids who see themselves in their role models are able to imagine themselves as actors and actresses, directors and producers. The “Oscar problem” essentially ends with the Oscars because the problem begins much before that. With deeper representation and more job opportunities, the Oscars can once again become a lively event that can be appreciated by all kinds of
Diversity in Hollywood includes more than race and more than acting. There is little diversity not only in front of the camera but behind the scenes too. Likely hood of seeing a nonwhite cast or set of directors is low since the industry is own by Caucasians. Hollywood cast their movies base on their liking. Which they would cast an all Caucasian cast instead of being diverse.
Many television shows have caused attention to themselves by not being racially diverse. For Example, HBO’s Girls has established a bad reputation from the absence of diversity among the major roles in the show. It is a show centered around four white women living in New York City. When nonwhite characters are casted they get only a few lines at best. The comedy shows Two and a Half Men and How I Met Your Mother are other shows who have been called out on their lack of diversity.
The role of the minority, especially African Americans, in American theaters is neglected, ignored and kept from proper development; the supposed solution of colorblind casting actually comes off insulting and further impairs the black playwright from creating original work. According to Wilson, this stems from a sense of perfection and entitlement in the works derived from well known and respected white artists. By utilizing color blind casting, Wilson believes that the people in charge of productions (predominately white) are not actually exploring a multiracial view of the stage but instead giving minority actors a pat on the head and saying that they can participate, too. To Wilson, it is the ultimate easy way out of the situation. By not seeing race, a fundamental part of one’s self, a casting director also ignores one’s race.
Case Question 1: Most aspects of foreign culture, like languages, religion, gender roles, and problem solving strategies, are hard for a casual observer to understand. In what ways do do Hollywood movies affect national culture outside the United States? What aspect of U.S culture do Hollywood films promote around the world ? Can you observe any positive effects of Hollywood movies on world culture?
2.2. Comedy and documentary film genre ‘A film genre is a motion picture category based on similarities in either the narrative elements or the emotional response to the film. Most theories of film genre are borrowed from literary genre criticism. ’(Online 1) There are many types of film genres.