In Living Color: Race And American Culture

In Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, the main character is a Moorish general of the Venetian army is portrayed as a well-respected, yet disparaged for his race and how he looks by the historical and cultural background during the playwright and the intended audience of the play. Similarly, Asian American in today’s society are expected to be in the technological and medical careers as they are usually known to be high advanced in academics, yet they are still get taunted for their appearance because today’s society believe having slanted eyes and small body parts is unnatural and gives a disadvantage for the Asian American.

The year is 2016 and American society is open-minded to so many issues, except televised stereotypes. Racial and gender stereotypes are continually reinforced by social media and television, it has played a major role in the way society views one another. Enabling stereotypes that have been associated with a person of specific race or gender in the media promotes prejudice. Meaning society expects that person to act a certain way based on what they have witnessed on television or social media. . A perfect example of how television shows incorporate stereotypes based on ethnicity is the tv show “Everybody Hates Chris “which is about a working class African-American family that lives in a poor urban neighborhood in New York. Chris Rock is the

When we think of heroes we often think of a masked vigilanty or a cape crusader swooping down from the heavens and saving the day. Although heroes come in many shapes and sizes, they also tend to come from different backgrounds. The people of the United States pride themselves with freedom and equality. However, still to this day there is a struggle with discrimination. Matt Zoller Seitz’s article “The Offensive Movie Cliché That Won’t Die” definitely sparked some interest and was definitely right when it came to the offensive issue most people do not see. His argument clearly states that African Americans are playing more roles in Hollywood blockbusters as mentors or in this case “god like” for the main characters. However, many of the roles played by African Americans are that of mentors and are not receiving the proper applause they should be receiving. Matt Seitz presents great material in his article that doesn’t sound bias and enough information to make him credible.

Martin Luther King once said “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”. Racism is the intentional act of antagonism against someone of a different race/culture based on the belief that one’s own race is more superior. This problem is major in the society today, it doesn’t matter if you’re black, Caucasian or Asian it can affect you. Racism is such a big issue that it has made it has made it into many films some being; Remember the Titans (2000) and The Boy in Striped Pyjamas (2008). These films are all thriving for one outcome and that is to change the minds of all citizens about racism and end discrimination.

“White America”, “magical negro”, and “WASP.” Film, literature, and just media in general coin such terms in order to portray a writer’s perspective of a reality that is apparent in society. Helena Andrews and Matt Zoller Seitz attempt to depict a notion of gender and racial inequality in their respective articles: “The Butler vs. The Help: Gender Matters,” and “The Offensive Movie Cliché That Won’t Die.” Both writers incorporate gender and racial imbalances in American film however; Seitz has a more convincing argument that makes his ideas more lucid. Matt Zoller Seitz is able to convey a more compelling insight about American media with his ability to integrate many examples, and by branching out to real world situations.

In this online exert from Allure Magazine, Constance Wu explains her experience with the Asian American stereotype in Hollywood. Constance Wu has broken many barriers and stereotypes that Asian American women have faced in the media, as she became a lead actress in a prime-time television show. Furthermore, this television show itself has broken many barriers as well because it is the first Asian American television that is about an Asian American family and played by Asians too. The show that I am describing is called, Fresh Off the Boat, which airs on ABC channel on Tuesday nights.

One of the most important events was the Civil Rights Movement which responded to a racial discrimination towards African-Americans during the 1950s (Berry, 2009). The growing power of the movement had much influences on American society, including on Hollywood and film industry. It caused a number of the large film productions began to involve more black casts and also shifted the representations and views of African-Americans in films (Siham, 2010). Things slowly changed thanks to actor Sidney Poitier’s arrival on several Hollywood scenes, and his name quickly became synonymous during the 1960s (L. Johnson, 2017). Poitier pushed Hollywood’s boundaries of racial integration in film even further (Siham, 2010). Throughout the film history, blacks have been few displaying on screen and commonly represented in the negative, brutalizing ways, often the lowest level and a secondary character providing a humor or contrasting with white. Poitier was the first black actor who guided the way to other black actors, to give them the opportunity to show their talents and to give a good image for the African Americans (Siham, 2010). These movements had made a major changed and also encouraged another movement within both society and the film industry. Various film productions had a greater push back against the racial status, greater cast integration, and greater encouragement to better understand and provide the meanings of race to

Classified History X by Melvin van Peebles thinking about how African Americans could be viewed in movies by younger generations. In the documentary Peebles, talks about that moment when he was 12 or 13 and he realizes that he feels shame coming out of the movie theater. This got me thinking back to all the times I would sit and watch movies as a kid. As my mother was a huge fan of the Turner classic movie station, I grew up watching movies such as Casablanca and Billy the kid. Most time I would brush the old movies off, thinking they were either too boring or too hurtful and scary. However, there were also times when I sit down next to my mother and admire all the pretty women acting, twirling, or dancing around while the handsome men strut

There are many controversial topics that we see on a daily basis through the media. Some of the topics that we are exposed to are race, stereotypes, sexism and sex. These things seem to be a key factor in how media makes its presence felt. Whether it is through T.V. shows, how stereotypes and race are still a common trend in present day movies. I believe that stereotyping is everywhere you look movies and T.V. in particular but also music. This leads to society seeing things in a black and white form, by this I mean people see things one way and that is not how it should be seen.

The only time in films we saw an Asian character was when they were promoting given stereotypes. In Chan is Missing, we view the lives of Chinese residing San Francisco, California, and instead of the characters playing as the stereotypical Asian characters that are usually in Hollywood films, they play as an average resident of San Francisco. The characters were not given roles such as “evil foreigners, China dolls, dragon ladies, desexed sidekicks, criminals, nerds, and mystics” liked described by the author and national scholar Stephani Greco Larson (67), but played characters that had normal jobs either as a taxi driver, or chef. The movie only features Asians, opposite of what Hollywood films, the white character was the outcast. Since the movie was following the lives of Asians, it also portrayed the American side of the Asians lives. They were just like any ordinary U.S citizen and they weren’t portrayed as an exotic

Asian Americans – The timelines showed advancement in music, literature and theatrical fields. They also showed more popularity of this sub-culture during the last fifty years. I drew a conclusion that it was coincided with the Civil Rights Movement and the development of ethnic curriculum within modern American society. The timelines indicated the popularity of Asian movies and music artists coincided with technology and worldwide sales opportunities.

So what exactly is colorblind casting? In the past many people believed the term “colorblind casting” means casting their characters without their race and ethnicity. Throughout the decades, American theatre has experienced problems regarding the relation between race and gender, and their effect on casting, and the discussion particularly focuses on actors’ skin colors. Nowadays colorblind casting does not truly exist, it is known more as “color-conscious” casting. Through the ‘1997 August Wilson and Robert Burstein Debate’ about colorblind casting in New York Town Hall, I truly found what side I take and why I believe I am right. Through this specific debate we can truly see how casting is vital to the play’s representation, especially as

Some may argue that Hollywood directors and writers should not be burdened with the responsibility of avoiding the stereotyping of racial characters. However, these stereotypes poorly represent the traditions of ethnic groups, send out harmful messages to children (who are easily influenced by movies), and give very little opportunity to talented actors/actresses who are judged more on their race than their talent. By casting ethnically-accurate actors/actresses for characters, Hollywood directors and writers can help increase the racial diversity of actors/actresses in the movie industry. By casting different races in movies, a cycle can be created where Hollywood directors and writers can discover more talented and ethnically diverse actors/actresses to play future roles and increase the cultural accuracy in

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? This question has been hotly debated for centuries with no hardline conclusion. The question “do films shape culture, or does culture shape films?” has the same cyclical, unanswerable nature. Films cannot change culture without in some way reflecting it, and films cannot reflect culture without in some way affecting it. Film is inextricably intertwined in today’s culture, both as a means and as an outcome. Through movies’ ability to stay grounded in some truths, yet also push social boundaries, it is clear that films shape culture, and culture shapes film, making more important now than ever that filmmakers are aware of what they are putting out and the implications they will have.

“By 1960, 90 percent of U.S. homes owned one” (Phruksachart, 100). The statistic this quote is referring to this the rise of televisions in America. Recently, television has taken steps in an effort to include more diversity in their shows an example of this is seen in ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat. Following the life of Eddie Huang, a middle schooler who has just moved from Chinatown in DC to a predominantly white neighborhood in Florida, Fresh Off the Boat is a sitcom that that showcases some struggles immigrant families face. The show brings the question, are these inclusive shows being handled correctly? By portraying a Chinese immigrant family that addresses specific immigrant issues while still connecting with mass America, Fresh Off the