Culture analysis on race

In the 2005 comedy Next Friday it follows a young black male named Craig as he leads a hard life. In this comedy stereotypes are overused and project black people as lazy workers and as people that are destructive to their own property and to society as a whole. In this movie the producers try to use racial stereotypes such as the brute and mammy in light hearted funny tones, but all they are doing is enforcing the bad views through the characters and themes in this movie.

In this movie the writers are delivering stereotypes through the characters. Next Friday is about a young man named Craig who moves into a predominantly white neighborhood with his black cousins to get a better life. This sends the message that you cannot have a good life without moving to someplace that is predominantly white. In the first part of the movie it showed that the only reason uncle elroy could afford his house was by winning the lottery. Showing that the only way that a black person could afford to live in a good house in a good neighborhood is not by hard work but by pure luck. In many cases when black people moved into a predominantly white neighborhood the white people began to move out. This is because of a common belief that a black person cannot maintain the things they have and that they mess up their surroundings. This is portrayed when Craig's cousin day day buys a new car and within the first ten minutes of the movie ruins it.
They also show stereotypes from the past when Craig flirts with Carla, the Mexican neighbor. After witnessing this her brother says “she has jungle fever” this is referring to when they believed that blacks were monkeys and inferior. The stereotype of the mammy and the brute also occurs with uncle elroy's wife sugar and deebo, a African man who escaped from prison. Every Time you see sugar she is in the house, she makes the food and is always looking to satisfy her husband. They also introduce a character named deebo who is a prison escapee who closely symbolizes the brute. They portray deebo as a strong illegal criminal who would do anything to hurt someone. Deebo is portrayed as savage like, dumb and violent. This is a stereotype that whites used against black men to prove that they were inferior.
In this movie it shows that even today society uses many stereotypes to falsely depict black people as someone that people should be afraid of, not trust and teaches people to be cautious when letting blacks into our society.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens": The Hidden Racism

CAUTION: Explicit Language

Building off of the most popular series of science-fiction action epics in movie history, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was an incredible smash hit. The box office was immense, bringing in two billion dollars and having an astounding profit of over 780 million. The film was also met with extremely positive reception from critics and audiences alike. The film, though, still struggles with several instances of racial stereotypes and cliches through the use of the main character, Finn, who fell into a stereotypical black character. It only makes it worse that the character was an attempt change a large aspect of the Star Wars franchise, but seem forced and superficial.

The film features a few major characters. Finn is a former Stormtrooper, and he is also the film’s only black character. He was torn from his family to be forced to work for the First Order, until he reaches a point where he can escape after refusing to kill for his captors. As great a story as this may be cinematically, it is all too reminiscent of slave stories. Finn has been fully stripped of his identity in order to make him utterly subservient, in the same way many slaves were through familiar separation and degradation. Even when he managed to break free he is hunted down ruthlessly by his white captors. Only through the help of Rey is he able to evade capture, showing that he is still dependent on the help of more “privileged” (force sensitive) whites for survival. Although he is eventually able to fight his oppressors, in a story akin to that of Frederick Douglass, Finn remains unable to reunite with the community and family he has been torn away from.

In addition to the way his backstory is presented in a somewhat historically insensitive way, Finn as a character falls into some stereotypical traps and has an unfortunate and all too common lack of any sort dramatic agency. He is somewhat clueless, lost, but not so much so where it could be considered incompetent or intentionally stupid. What does resonate with the feelings of potential tokenism and helplessness, is that Finn seems only able to succeed when he is rescued by white people and then he is able to find his way from there.

Compared to the rest of what is widely considered to be an amazing movie, especially as it fits so well with the rest of the “Star Wars” series, is often considered to not be a huge deal. It can not be ignored, however, that some themes and stereotypes are still prominent in even films as popular and successful as “Star Wars.”

Dexter the Stereotype Killer?

A murderer was always portrayed as the “bad guy”until the television series Dexter was released in 2006. This show takes place in Miami, where the main character, Dexter, lives. Dexter is a natural born killer who’s father raised him to kill by a certain code, only killing criminals.

The show starts out with Dexter killing someone, leaving you feel uncomfortable about him. As the show progresses, however, you build a connection with him. You find yourself hoping he doesn’t get caught. This is mainly due to the normal life the writers of the show make him live. Dexter has many friends and co-workers that you learn to love, and some that you learn to hate. The show features characters of many different ethnic backgrounds, which a lot of series don’t.

However, what’s often overlooked is the sheer number of stereotypes that are woven into the heart and base of the show itself. Therefore, although Dexter incorporates racial diversity in the show mainly promotes stereotypes by what they often make the characters do or say depending on their race.

Right off the bat, the show starts with having the main character as a powerful white male in his thirties and pushes minorities to the side with slightly more minor roles. However, there is a few characters that defy stereotypes, for example Lieutenant LaGuarda. She is a powerful latina who runs the entire police department, yet while the show progresses, her character does too. They end up protecting her as a loud, annoying, emotional woman, who let’s her personal issues affect her work and let’s love interfere with official police work.

As well as Vince Masuka, an asian science geek, that’s socially awkward, and always ends up creeping people out. He always is shown in the lab typing away, or blabbering on about some science innovation and the rare times they shoot him outside the lab, he is hitting on girls and getting shot down due to him lack in social skills.

One of the biggest stereotypes on the show is Jamie Batista. She is the captain of the force’s sister, and plays a stereotypical role of a hispanic nanny and caretaker. She takes care of Dexter’s son every single day and is always willing to drop whatever she is doing to come help him no matter what the case or what time of night.
Overall, Dexter promotes many more stereotypes than it demotes, when it comes to latinos, asians, and even some whites. This is seen in social media and entertainment  everywhere, not just in Dexter. However, this being said, progress has been made in the right direction, and it will hopefully continue to progress.

Cultural Analysis - Grey's Anatomy

The hit tv drama Grey’s Anatomy first aired on March 27, 2005, and has since made thirteen seasons and counting. Shonda Rhimes, writer, director, producer of Grey’s and other shows such as Scandal and Private Practice, is the first African-American woman to produce a top 10 network series. Grey’s and Rhimes’ other shows are known for casting many minorities because Shonda believes that “everyone should get to see themselves reflected on TV.” Similar to real life, Grey’s Anatomy both questions many and supports some racial stereotypes through the specific characters’ personality traits.

The diversity in the show is accurate to real life in that all races are represented. From the first episode, stereotypes towards African Americans are defied. Dr. Richard Webber, Dr. Miranda Bailey, and Dr. Preston Burke are all African American and are all chiefs of surgery. These doctors play a major role in showing that African Americans are not unintelligent and not hard-working, like stereotypes play them out to be. The show starts off with four white interns and one Korean intern at the hospital, but has three African Americans playing more important roles. The fact that many African American characters are superior to white characters questions racial stereotypes by showing that white people are not superior to minorities and that they do not always have to play a leading role. While many black racial stereotypes are questioned in Grey’s Anatomy, other stereotypes for Asians are perpetuated. In the first episode, Christina Yang, who is Korean, is portrayed as very smart, hardworking, and top of her class at Stanford. The stereotype that Asians are hardworking and nerdy is reinforced. As the audience gets to know the characters, stereotypes are not as obvious, but the first episode both highlights and minimizes certain qualities of the characters.

Bailey for Chief

The Mammy Stereotype in Grey's Anatomy

Grey’s Anatomy is a well-known drama series about a group of medical interns in a renowned surgical program. The cast of Grey’s Anatomy is primarily white, though three or four of the lead roles are filled by minorities. Each drama-filled episode of the show follows two main story lines: one diving into the complex personal and sexual lives of the interns and doctors, and one looking at medicine and patients. It does not take a long time to notice the patterns between which characters are in romantic situations and which characters’ identities are solely developed through interactions within the hospital. Throughout the entire show, especially prominent in the first and second seasons, the personal lives of white female doctors become the main focus. Through this focus on white females and the in the desexualtion of black, female doctor Miranda Bailey through her lack of love life within the show, Grey’s Anatomy reinforces the archetype of the Mammy.

The Mammy was a big, fat, fast-talking, dumb, black slave woman who took care of the big house and any children on the plantation. She was not beautiful or sexy, nor was she the object of any man’s desires. In Season 2 Episode 12 Grey’s Anatomy, the desexualization of Dr. Bailey is briefly addressed when, after years of friendship, one of her co-workers has no idea that she has been married for years. When asked by her friend why she never mentioned her marriage at work, Dr. Bailey replied, “You never asked.” On the surface, and probably to most people viewing the episode, this interaction seems like an issue of bad friendship. However, The disinterest of this white male lead in Dr. Bailey’s personal life, especially when he is heavily involved in the personal lives of most of the white female doctors, shows the inherent dismissal of her as a desirable woman because of the color of her skin. In that same episode, Dr. Bailey is called back to the hospital for an emergency and she is wearing a dress. Upon seeing her, one of the white male interns says, “Wow, you look like a girl!” This same intern slept with countless white female doctors who he had no trouble seeing as girls, though he interacted with them in the same professional setting that he saw Dr. Miranda Bailey in every day. The discussions of Dr. Bailey’s life outside of the hospital last for a total of forty two seconds of the episode and the scene immediately switched to one following the love story of a white female intern and the date between Dr. Bailey and her husband was never talked about again. Dr. Bailey grew to a character defined by her job and strict work ethic, incapable of having a story line revolving around her personal life or love in general. The Mammy archetype being reinforced through the character Dr. Bailey was so deeply rooted in the writing of Grey’s Anatomy that it was not only demonstrated through her interactions with white male characters, but also in the overall structure of the show which managed to story lines of love when it came to its dark characters.

The character of Dr. Miranda Bailey was developed in 2005 when Grey’s Anatomy first aired, and although it ran until 2016 and Dr. Bailey’s character had plenty of time to grow more complex or dive into her personal affairs, her story lines remained primarily professional. Since Grey’s Anatomy, however, shows like Scandal, featuring a black female lead with a personality far beyond sassy or mean and professional have been developed. This growing variety, depth, and complexity in the roles obtained by black women is important in preventing the enforcement of stereotypes that can be traced all the way back to the Jim Crow South.

Color Blending

In America today, dating is seen as a very normal task. But once race becomes a factor, a simple date can seem like an attack on a family. In the episode “Baby Got Black” from the television show Family Guy fights racial stereotypes and barriers as two fathers come to an agreement for the better good.

In this episode of Family Guy, Chris begins to date a girl named Pam. This relationship is very casual, and both parents know about it. Soon after, Pam’s father confronts Peter, and claims “I don’t want my daughter to date a white boy…”. As the episode progresses, the tension between the two fathers becomes greater, and they catch the two kids together alone. Pam’s father then tells her that she does not want her to date him, and Peter tells Chris “Gotta keep the races separate. White date whites, blacks date blacks.” With this blunt comment Pam’s father sees how he has overreacted and has a change of heart, and allows pam to date Chris.

This issue with interracial relationships has been a problem ever since race relations began. In the early days of slavery, masters at times had relationships with slaves, and lost all power in the community because of it. Recently parents of a white daughter cut off all support and contact due to her black boyfriend. What this episode is showing is how foolish parents can be when it comes to protecting their child. Love is love, and parents need to respect their child’s decision no matter their views.

The Indian Woman in Movies

Miss India America begins with what seems like what would be a show about an ambitious Indian girl, Lily, who has her whole life planned out, and never lost until she loses her boyfriend, a supposed petroleum engineer. She does puts herself in the only situation that makes logical sense. She enters a beauty pageant so she can win Miss India California and then go on to win Miss India National, which just so happens to be the title that Reshma, her ex- boyfriend's current girlfriend, holds. 

Lily is presented as not only the stereotypical smart Indian but also as the stereotypical female that is presented in rom-coms, high achieving, wants to be a brain surgeon (like her father) and incredibly needing her boyfriend. Almost every single parent has a strong accent and high scholarly jobs: doctors, engineers, physicists. Most of the parents also play the typical indian parents that culture makes them out to be, pushes ideas forward, family is everything and so is tradition

In the pageant; however, Lily meets a variety of people who challenge the traditional Indian stereotypes. Sonia, who appears will be the antagonist, is actually friendly and kind to Lily, Lily actually becomes the one who sabotages Sonia and despite sabotaging her Lily still wins the pageant. One of the competitors is really perky and also really into tennis One of the judges is a famous Indian actor who is a drunk who distraught over an ex girlfriend. The dancer who teaches Lily who is presented as the “perfect Indian daughter” has a secret white boyfriend, and does not get along with most of the female characters. And one of the judges is a famous Indian actor who is a drunk who distraught over an ex girlfriend.

After the pageant Lily acknowledges her mom as a writer, she writes poems and while she is successful, her job is more free and artistic than the other parents. And. while competing nationally instead of trying to appeal to “Traditional Indian Beauty” she presents herself as who she actually is instead of that Idea. Lily never gets back with her boyfriend or finds a new guy.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Racially Stereotype

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TFA) is generally regarded as a groundbreaking film for its leading roles being acted by a black man and a latino man, both of whom break the stereotypes that men of color are violent, sexual, and emotionless. However Kylo Ren and his potential redemption arc perpetuate the idea that white male criminals are simply “troubled boys” who will be excused their crimes, contrasted with the demonization and imprisonment of men of color.

Iconic opening scene to TFA. At 2:15 Finn is smeared with the blood of his fallen comrade

which causes him to make his choice not to kill (shown at 3:54).

Before the movie premiered, media buzzed with the news of a black stormtrooper, setting the stage for TFA’s series of broken stereotypes. Having two actors of color in leading roles defies the Hollywood standard that white people are the ‘default’ hero. Finn, the black stormtrooper, again broke the mold in the opening scene when he decided “[he] wasn’t gonna kill for [The First Order]” after being ordered to massacre a town. Finn’s refusal of violence contrasts the idea that black men are inherently aggressive and dangerous. His compassion for Rey to the point where he risks his life to save her from Kylo Ren, destroys the idea that black men are emotionless. It also breaks pattern by being an interracial relationship. Poe, another lead, is played by Guatemalan actor Oscar Isaac, who has stated that he is working to make Poe defy the stereotype of the ‘Latin Lover’ by making the
role about Poe’s piloting skills rather than romance.

Despite TFA’s progressive portrayal of men of color, the movie and its fanbase enforce the stereotype that white criminals are not responsible for their actions. Kylo Ren leads a violent, terror-based regime, which should seem an obvious crime. Yet Kylo’s parents deny that their son is responsible for so much destruction, claiming that “it was Snoke [who] seduced our son to the dark side” rather than Kylo’s own choice. The fanbase has added onto this portrayal of Kylo with a steady stream of fan theories surrounding the Kylo Ren Redemption Arc, all of which boil down to “Kylo did some bad things, but chose good in the end so it’s ok”. That people are willing to excuse Kylo of murdering innocents and showing no regret for his actions seems to reflect the stereotype that white men who do bad things can be forgiven, no matter the heinousness of their crime. Although TFA defies stereotypes about black and latino men, the movie enforces stereotypes that white people can be redeemed from even the most vile crimes.

Diversity in The Office

The Office was a groundbreaking television show that challenges relatable and uncomfortable topics that are relatable to many Americans. The extremity of the subject and vulgar humor forces the audience to experience the awkwardness of the situation. It has received countless nominations and over 20 awards such as Emmys, Screen Actors Guild awards, Golden Globe awards, as well as the People's Choice award. The Office has incredible character development and real life situational humor. The second episode of the series, aired in 2005, “Diversity Day”, was named the nineteenth greatest episode of any television show in 2009 by TV Guide. The construction of race in the episode “Diversity Day” uses intense exaggeration, highly offensive and vulgar stereotyping as well as developing characters in order to symbolize the audience.

Michael, the boss, thinks he's trying to help and that he understands race as well as actually making the workplace a safer and more welcoming environment. However, because of his own insensitivity, the workplace is forced to do a “Diversity Day” to educate the staff on proper race relations. Ironically, Michael is the only one who really needs it. Michael tried to come from a place of understanding but his  ignorance is visible, “Abraham Lincoln once said that if you're a racist, I will attack you with the North, and those are the principles that I carry with me in the workplace.” Taking matter into his own hands, Michael writes out different races on index cards such as “Asian”, “Indian”, “Jamaican”, and even “Jewish” and “Martin Luther King Jr.”  Michael has the employee's tape the index cards to their heads and have others describe the race to them so they can guess what is written on the card.  When Pam, a mild mannered worker is forced to play along,  describes Chinese, “Fine, if I had to say something very stereotypical and bad about this card that’s on your head, if I’m being forced to do this against my will, I suppose I would say, and I don’t actually mean this, but I suppose I would say that you’re not a very good driver.” By using common and offensive stereotypes, the audience is shocked but can still relate to the resistance of the characters. Pam’s unwillingness to participate symbolizes the uncomfortableness of race, especially coming from a place of privilege. Michael Scott symbolizes the good hearted and well intentioned American who matter of factly knows next to nothing about race in America. The writers do this in such an outrageous and ballsy way that it brings shock value to the audience. The show is not afraid to cross boundaries, all races included, even the most touchiest, “You'll notice I didn't have anybody being Arab. I thought that would be too explosive. No pun intended. But I just thought, "Too soon for Arabs." Maybe next year. Um... You know, the ball's in their court." It makes the audience remember the times in life they too have experienced very cringy and similar experiences. Race is such an unspoken and silenced subject, especially in the workplace. By bringing forth this uncomfortable topic in the way they did, it shines the light on American culture and the unspoken mental stereotypes and biases we all have. They are rarely to the extreme that’s portrayed in this episode, but it does challenge our notions and and makes us stop and think about the world around us. 

 This episode reminds me of the uncomfortable situations of race I have encountered. In grade school, race was explained in a very clear cut manner with no grey areas allowed. As I continued to get older,  I was woken up to all of the injustice and inequality in our society. There are so many grey areas when it comes to race in our society. Race has become such an important topic that should be spoken about freely and normalized. With the election and inauguration of the new president elect, race will be forced into the spotlight as a central topic heavily discussed in America today. As society progresses, and regresses, race will always be an underlying problem that demands to be heard. Television shows like The Office, although crude and outrageous, force the American consumer to question their own notions of race as well as allow them to do it in a satirical fashion. American culture needs more iconic television shows like The Office that allow the audience to be conscious of their own biases and beliefs, as well as modernize and portray a diverse cast. The Office pushes the boundaries of television in an effective and thought-provoking way, making race a central topic of discussion.

Ghostbusters 2, Defying or Supporting Stereotypes?

Ghostbusters 2 was released in 2016 as a sequel to the first film that came out in 1984. Throughout the film, Ghostbusters carries on the stereotype that whites are smarter than blacks and the stereotype of the “typical street black woman”. While supporting these stereotypes, the movie also defies the stereotype that women are unable to do what men do.

Ghostbusters 2 has four women, three of which are scientists, who catch ghosts throughout New York City. The problem with this is that the three scientists are white, while the other women is portrayed as a street black woman. An example of this is when the non-scientist Patty, played by Leslie Jones, says “You guys might be scientists, but i know New York”. This has been criticized heavily because it promotes the stereotype that whites are smarter than blacks. It also carries on the stereotype of the “street black woman” because it is saying that they are not smart and their only knowledge is through their street knowledge. Another example is when one scientist says, “We are scientists...plus Patty”. It seems as if she is only there to help guide the three scientists to their success, not hers. She is being used for their gain, but she is not gaining anything herself.  It also perpetuates the stereotype of “street savvy black women” by having Pattyś contribution be through her knowledge of New York. She let them be the “brains” of the group while she contributes through her familiarity to the street life. While continuing these stereotypes the movie also defies stereotypes at the same time.

The major difference between the two Ghostbusters films is the cast. The first Ghostbusters consists of four main characters who are males while the main characters in Ghostbusters 2 are woman. This is big because it defies a major gender stereotype that women cannot do everything men do. Having a predominantly female cast shows that women are just as talented as men and can do everything they do and in this case it’s catching ghosts. In a lot of movies women tend to be a part of the supporting cast rather than having a main role and this movie switches that around completely. This movie puts woman in the main roles of the film that have not been seen in a lot of other films.

While Ghostbusters 2 is a funny and classic movie, it has many stereotypes that are hidden at first glance but when you take a deeper look they are clearly there. There are many movie that you think might not contain stereotypes but if you take a deeper look, stereotypes tend to come up. These stereotypes can change your perspectives on the film as a whole. Ghostbusters 2 is a perfect example of that.