Racial Stereotypes In Films

Racism and Stereotypes in the Media Spotlight
Since the golden age of Hollywood, Americans have delighted themselves in viewing various movies and television shows. Films and television programs have provided a wide range of genres such as romance, action, comedy, and science fiction. These early works of art paved the way for what the entertainment industry is today. Although films and television shows have captivated the minds and hearts of many, they have also had an unpleasant side to them. This unpleasantness comes in the form of blatant racism and racial stereotypes that many films and television shows employ. Racism in film and television has been an ongoing issue for many years. Minority actors and actresses have demonstrated their

People rely on these various media sources to gather information about the world around them. It is for this reason that media outlets have a responsibility to convey accurate information to the public. Yet films, television, and media outlets continue to broadcast misconceptions about race and minorities. Audiences are very receptive to the messages that these shows convey and the public begins to formulate misconstrued notions about race. This is troubling because there are many Americans that do not understand the multitude of different ethnicities and their respective cultures living in various parts of the country or in their communities. Their use of television, films, and other media as their source for information can easily influence them to believe that everything they watch is an accurate depiction of the real world. In the essay “In Living Color: Race and American Culture” Michael Omi notes that “Our ‘common sense’ assumptions about race and racial minorities in the United States are both generated and reflected in the stereotypes presented by the visual media” (544). Omi believes that the media is responsible for the way many Americans view race and racial minorities as a whole. He makes a point of stating that assumptions about race are presented to the public by way of racial stereotypes in the media. For instance, the popular television show Empire, perpetuates

Therefore, it has a responsibility to accurately represent minorities and races in a positive manner. Hollywood and the popular media do the opposite and place non-white races and minorities in an unfavorable light. They do this by hiring minority actors to represent their race and agree to adhere to the popular stereotypes that the entertainment industry is trying to convey to the public audience. Many of the roles written for minorities are those filled with negative stereotypes about their race. For example, Daniel Dae Kim, a South Korean born American actor told ABC News that “’Hollywood stereotypes Asian American actors by downgrading them to certain particular roles. We've been portrayed as inscrutable villains and asexualized kind of eunuchs…’” (Mastropolo, Stossel). Categorizing an entire race in the entertainment industry seems to be the norm in Hollywood. Many minority actors like Daniel Dae Kim are type casted to suit the narrative of the film or the television show. Asian actors are not typically casted as a lead character. When they are, film and television writers use Asian stereotypes usually involving them to speak in broken English, emulate the good guy persona, and they must possess high powered martial arts skills that are necessary to save the white man’s life. The same stands true for Asian actresses. Historically, Asian women have been type casted to play demeaning