stereotypes in film

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Review

So, before we jump into our discussion of stereotypes, let’s review some of the information that we discussed last week.

In our society there exists certain divisions that result in the oppression of certain groups of people by other groups. The systems of oppression that we’ll address most in the course are those associated with issues of race, class, gender and sexuality. Weber helped us approach these cultural studies by giving us a conceptual framework: 1) these issues are contextual, 2) socially constructed, 3) associated with relationships of power, 4) simultaneously occurring, and 5) function on both socio-structural (systematic oppression) and socio-psychological levels (individual prejudice). Lastly, Weber emphasizes the importance for informed individuals to exercise their knowledge of these issues by engaging in activist efforts.

We also learned how Marx, and later Althusser, identified the societal division and social stratification that results from industrial capitalism. In order for the economy to be maintained, the working class must remain oppressed by the upper class. (Remember that Marx is introducing this theory in response to the horrible living and working conditions he witnessed after the industrial revolution). So, to "reproduce the relations of productions" repressive ideology (defined by Marx as "false consciousness") is encouraged in the society. So, ruling and working classes do not question their social division because the dominant ideological perspective (enforced by RSA's like the police and judicial courts and reinforced by ISA's like family, religion, and school) encourages their passivity.

The cinema (and the media, in general) functions as a huge ISA, influencing our perception of issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality and often perpetuating the societal divisions associated with these issues.

Introduction to Stereotypes

Now, to jumpstart our discussion of stereotypes, here’s Miss Teen South Carolina.

I think that this clip serves as an excellent example of how stereotypes function in our society. We laugh because we are surprised by the contestant’s inability to answer the question. But many of us, rather than consider the fact that this is a singular occurrence of a specific individual (about whom we know virtually nothing), may be influenced by this experience in our general perception of people. This girl may serve as a representation of certain designated groups (blondes, southerners, beauty pageant contestants, “pretty” women, women in general, teenagers, South Carolinans, or even Americans) and her unfortunate response to that question may create or reinforce negative stereotypes of these groups.

“But isn’t this clip evidence to support the stereotype that blondes are unintelligent or southerners are uniformed?” you might ask. Judith Andre distinguishes stereotypes from other generalities, noting that stereotypes are commonly held, rigid, pejorative beliefs that oversimplify or ignore certain elements or reality. So, while stereotypes may be informed by real individuals and their behaviors, the danger is in projecting these general conceptions onto groups of people.

Stereotypes in Film

Stereotyping is one of the most easily identifiable ways in which cinema can unfairly represent issues of race, class, gender and sexuality. As identified by Aristotle in his Poetics, the traditional narrative is founded on plot and character (who are the key players and what do they do?). So, since the traditional narrative is character-driven, the reader or viewer is very much linked to the characters. (Think about how your childhood dreams of being Han Solo or April O'Neil or one of the Power Rangers). And when a narrative presents a stereotype, the audience is still influenced by the character, but perhaps not in the best way. And while film is not the only medium that may utilize stereotypes(literature, visual art, television, new digital technologies, and even music may stereotype), the common practices of the Hollywood institution foster their use.

To understand how Hollywood is so capable of (and culpable for) stereotyping, we’re going to have to be aware of this and last week’s readings from the American Cinema, American Culture book. Powdermaker's description of the American cinema as a "dream factory" is perfect--it demonstrates how the cinematic institution works very efficiently to create films that, in turn, produce specific responses in its viewers. Hollywood's studio system adopted the assembly-line production methods introduced during the Industrial Revolution and constantly produced, distribute, and exhibited films. Genre films were particularly popular because the conventions that they utilized were already so familiar to the audience. So, the film production companies were whipping out formulated, accessible films (think "medean agan") and the audiences were willingly suspending their disbelief--accepting both the constructed narratives as "real" and (at least subconsciously) accepting the ideologies that informed these narratives. And since the filmmaking methodologies of the time emphasized clarity and simplicity and the films often followed the narrative tradition of melodrama, the use of stereotypes was very common. And while this system was particularly efficient during the golden age of American cinema, even after the Paramount Case in 1948, the film industry (note the word industry) has continued to perpetuate negative stereotypes. Here's just one example.


I noticed that a number of you listed Zack Snyder's film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300 among your favorite movies. I think that this film serves as another example of negatively stereotyping eastern (African, Asian and specifically Arab nations). The characteristics of incompetence, disloyalty, corruption and barbarism (all referred to in the last clip) are present. But the depiction of the Persian ruler Xerxes adds a whole other set of stereotypical associations. The character is depicted as totally androgynous (in regards to both gender and sexual orientation). So, not only are the Persians not honorable and humane (as supposedly are the Spartans, but I think that’s debatable), but they’re not even masculine! (in the traditional sense) All of these negative characteristics of the Persians justify the Spartans (and maybe our) hatred of them and desire to kill them.

Functions of Stereotypes

Now, what purpose do these stereotypes serve? You'll summarize Andre's response to this question in this week's quiz. I think that the question is pretty complex...

Sometimes, a film negatively stereotypes the villain to justify their defeat or to discourage the viewer to identify with the "evil" character. Disney is pretty notorious for this method--making the villain overweight...







...or otherwise unattractive....








...supports certain stereotypical associations between the physical appearance and the "goodness" or "badness" of a person.

Sometimes a character may initially seem like a stereotype, but his actions during the course of the narrative may distinguish them as having depth. So, Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite may initially seem like a stereotype of a Mexican-American, when he is elected student-body president, that stereotype is transcended. Or when Mario is first introduced, he is a pretty obvious Italian-American, male stereotype, but during his continued adventures, he becomes our hero.

In other examples (like the Michael Jackson video we watched above) the creators are not deliberately intending to stereotype, but they nonetheless perpetuate misconceptions about social groups. I mean, the video explicitly speaks against racial division, but its depictions of cultural groups is super reliant on stereotypes (Native Americans dancing in the desert, Russians dancing in the snow, and Indian woman dancing in the subwa--wait, what? subway?). Even the American nuclear family is depicted as consisting of an angry, lazy father, a submissive mother, and a facetious child.

Political and social satire often uses exaggerated depictions of stereotypes in order to poke fun at them. The Simpsons, South Park, Dave Chapelle, the Blue Collar Comedy group, and now D'Mites music video for "Read a Book" (among many, many others) all include stereotypes in a way that's self-reflexive. Homer Simpson is the overly angry, incredibly lazy father. Larry the Cable guy is so ridiculously redneck. And this self-mocking satire isn't new either--Polonius in Shakespeare's Hamlet is a great example of a stereotype--a self-important, conniving old member of medieval the ruling class. The stereotype is so obvious that the viewer, rather than accepting it as an accurate depiction of reality, begins to question the representation.

But while some of these self-acknowledging stereotypes are helpful in helping society recognize their false assumptions about people, I think in some cases these depictions still perpetuate stereotypes. Dave Chapelle's super-publicized trip to Africa a few years back was the result of Chapelle's realization that his satire may produce some unintended consequences (listen to a short NPR piece about the situation here). And the current controversy over the "Read a Book" video is another example. The depictions of African-Americans and hip hop culture are so over the top, and the fact that the video is animated, it's hard to argue that the video is not going to reinforce negative stereotypes among its (especially younger) viewers.

Ultimately, stereotypes (whether are not they are intended) are an indication oppressive social relations. This oppression may be be evident in individual prejudices (hate speech, for example) or by greater, more systematic means (example?).

Check out this clip from Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing. Know that the clip includes some pretty intense profanity and some really offensive racial slurs. Don't feel obligated to watch the clip. However, I do feel that it pretty effectively depicts the real danger of stereotyping.

Assignment

Pick a character from a film or television show that you feel is portrayed stereotypically. Your post will include:

• a hotlink (we've all learned how to link, right?) to the show or film's official website or your favorite not-so-official fansite/wiki entry
• a description of the character. Include in your description the characteristics that you feel are stereotypical.
  
• your opinion on what function this stereotype fulfills (whether its from my discussion of melodramatic, satirical, and transcended stereotypes OR from Andre's four functions of a stereotype).
  
• a discussion of how the representation of this character has influenced your perception of individuals of a certain cultural group. Posts due Friday at midnight. Before you post, be sure to check the other students' comments to make sure you are not duplicating the same stereotyped character.