Gender Stereotypes In The Film Industry

Introduction

When the film industry began in the 1900s, it was exclusively dominated by Whites. At the time, slavery existed which meant that it was hard for Black people to be treated or even seen as people, let alone represent their own ideas and lead the film industry. That being said, White people “controlled the entertainment industry and were able to choose what images of Black people to portray” (Kulaszewicz). These stereotypes that Whites have created for Blacks in the film industry are continued to be found in the 21st century’s film industry. For the purpose of this research project, I will be diving into the importance of media representations, specifically in the film industry, by breaking down and answering these question: How

The participants varied in age, race, and gender. All were asked to watch a short scene prior to the test from the show ‘Everybody Hates Chris’ episode 11 of season 2, where Julius, the father of the protagonists, takes a picture of the inside of the fridge so no one would waste electricity money by opening it up to look for food; they also were asked to watch scenes from ‘Living single’ that presented the protagonists—Black Women—in a very angry sense. Participants were also asked to watch one of these movies: ‘Love & Basketball’, ‘Remember the Titans’, and ‘White Men Can’t Jump’—all movies that were centered around athletically skilled black characters. The participants were given a few questions with four photos attached to them of four different races; Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic. The 5 questions that were asked were: Of the people shown below, which is more likely to succeed in the athletic field? Of the people show below, which is more likely to be more strict when it comes to spending money? Of the people shown below, which is more likely live in prestigious neighborhood? Of the below shown below, which is more likely to have a successful career? And Of the people shown below, which is more likely to start an

My research included examples and information related to racial microaggressions and the impacts as it related to media exposure, such as movies and TV shows. The film industry acts as a stabilizing force when it comes to forming preconceived notions about African Americans as it has impacted our belief and value systems. We expect them to be athletically built, deviant, and angry. We no longer view them as unique individuals, rather a group of individuals that possess the same characteristics and skills. This not only affects our way of viewing them, but it also impacts those individuals being stereotyped.

All this stereotyping can cause one to believe that they are nothing but the stereotypes that the media has set for them—destroying the formation of their self-concept. These stereotypes also causes high expectations of Black men, as they are expected to be athletically build and driven, but if one were not to be athletically built, they do not live up to their expectations and therefore lose self-confidence. This makes the film industry vital in forming social and ethnic identities as well impacting our value