Stereotypes Depicted In Shrek And How The Grinch

The Green Brutes
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a brute as a savagely violent person or animal. The Sambo is a happy, docile Black man with no issue submitting completely to his master or white people. These two very different images have unfortunately been branded upon black men. They are both a racially offensive stereotypes that have roots in the post-Civil War era and are the after effects of this characterization are still very apparent today. Two characters that are treated similar to the black brute and Sambo are Shrek, the main character from the movie 2001 Shrek, and The Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a 2000 film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book of the same name. Like a black brute or sambo, Shrek and The Grinch

Shrek is an ogre, which is a large, humanoid, fairytale creature with green skin and tube like ears. The Grinch, who is also green, is an unspecified creature known only by his name. He is covered in green hair and has large eyes. Like Shrek, The Grinch is also taller than the average human. They also both have rotund, cherub faces. The Sambo and Black brute are described in Richard Siegesmund’s article, “On the Persistence of Memory: The Legacy of Visual African-American Stereotypes” as typically having “a black, chubby-cheeked face with bulging white eyes and thick lips”. One could say the only dirty and vile color that an animated movie could use without being accused of racism, like movies such as Song of the South and Dumbo, is

After Augustus tells The Grinch that he “[doesn’t] don't have a chance with [Martha because he’s] 8 years old with a beard!” (The Grinch 2000). The Grinch feigns nonchalance about going to Whoville with Cindy Lou Who to be the Holiday Cheermiester. His act is so transparent, even a child like Cindy can see right through it. Shrek spends his time scaring away the humans and other fairytale creatures that dare enter his swamp. His whole motivation for agreeing to rescue Fiona for Lord Farquad is to guarantee that he retains his land and privacy. Shrek eventually confesses to Donkey that he thinks it is better to be alone than for others to judge him. Siegesmund’s article suggests that Black artists, such as Michael Ray Charles and Kara Walker, who are developing ironic and trendy visual images for galleries, collectors, museums, and magazines. The marginalization or the "othering," that Blacks dealt with is in fact essential to their acceptance by a critical white art world elite (Siegesmund 324). In even more recent news, the Ferguson protest has included many grown black men breaking down into tears. These men are frustrated with the way black men are being dehumanized and many of them are looking for a way to