Set It Off (1996)/ New Line CinemaAccording to The Entman-Rojecki Index of Race and the Media (by Robert M. Entman and Andrew Rojecki, authors of The Black Image in the White Mind)
In the top movies of 1996:
Black female movie characters shown using vulgar profanity: 89%.
White female movie characters shown using vulgar profanity: 17%.
Black female movie characters shown being physically violent: 56%.
White female movie characters shown being physically violent: 11%.
Black female movie characters shown being restrained: 55%.
White female movie characters shown being restrained: 6%.
13 comments:
This is so true. It would be interesting to see what this is like nowadays. Of course, I wonder if the "top" movies of 2007 even have any black women in them. I didn't see Spiderman 3, Shrek 3 or Transformers but Tia Dalma in Pirates 3? She fits right in since she's physically violent and needed to be restrained.
Harry Potter? Didn't see it. Bourne Ultimatum? I just watched this last night and I don't recall any black females in it.
Not a surprise, we still don't exist in Hollywood.
Propaganda! Our 9th grade boys were doing a study on propaganda - these would be interesting stats to share with them.
I think w/o even reading that, I knew bc would come out on the bottom. lol
I'm always leery of studies like these. What is the exact point? Hollywood is not interested in making films showing black women being anything other than vulgar, violent, and restrained, so it's a surprise that statistics reflect that fact? I'll bet if they run the same stats for the past 11 years, they won't have changed much.
Liz,
Where there any Black people at all in any of the Harry Potter movies? I've wondered about that.
You're right, other than Halle in that movie with Benicio Del Toro; there haven't been many Black women in the top grossing films.
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Lisa,
That's so true. The media is full of propaganda. The images are someone's vision of how they want us to think of ourselves.
We have to be careful what we expose ourselves too.
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Miriam,
Yeah it's nothing new is it?
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Professor Tracey,
You're right but maybe some Hollywood exec will see the study and make a change. I know, that's a very long shot but I can hope!
When are some new representations of Black womanhood going to finally make the rounds and get popular? The old formula is really tired.
Wouldn't be so bad if so many Black women didn't embrace these stereotypes as well.
The comedian Mo-Nique comes to mind: quick to curse someone out, hates 'skinny bitches' and just an all around aggressive person.
Staggering statistics.
DMB,
I agree, Mo-Nique and Sherry Sheppard are great examples.
But even more troubling is that some young Black women embrace the images they see. That really worries me.
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Don,
As always.
I have a somewhat different take on this. I for one think Hollywood is pretty much recycled garbage. So I don't expect much from it. From what I have heard from people who have worked in it and left it, there is a lot of shady business it.
I don't believe that is going to change because it has been that way for decades. What can be done is things on the independent film level and cartoons. The cheaper and easier to make level.
People who actually want to get into acting have to realize that they are like food at a grocery store. They have a shelf life. This is especially true of non-European American actors and actresses.
I think there are two videos on the color coding in Hollywood that may help you understand why Hollywood is garbage and is only able to produce mostly garbage. Part 1 and Part 2.
The above videos are the reason I would NEVER expect much from it.
Ehav,
I agree that most of what Hollywood produces is bad. But there is no arguing the influence that Hollywood has around the world.
So something needs to be done, not just about the lack of quality but about the slandering of Black women.
Thanks for the links.
Hey MDC,
I agree with you that something needs to be done, but without the money and resources you can't really compete with the reach that they have. That is in a face to face showdown.
That is why I firmly believe that the only way to slow, or over time stop them is to get to the young kids. If you can convince young kids that the images are garbage and convince them that Hollywood is garbage that in itself may be enough to combat the influences of Hollywood and Pop Culture.
Besides Hollywood has ALWAYS put up mostly negative images of people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds. That hasn't change since the start. They haven't changed that much over the years. That is why I don't expect anything, but garbage from them. That is why I would tell any kid, of any race or ethnic group, to stay away from investing to much into that culture.
who's surprised at that? who makes the movies?? who casts the movies? who perceive black women as such??
Bria,
Exactly.
I think we have enough money in African America to make our own films. Oprah has made a start but we need more.
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