Since taking this class, racial
differences that I used to glaze over such as racial preferences, now easily spark
my attention. In particular, the discussion in class about the study involving
different colored dolls really jumped out to me. Come to think of it, I had never owned a
black Barbie. Actually, I couldn’t even
picture a black Barbie. The Barbie I
pictured was white, just like me. It made me wonder—do black girls picture a
black Barbie? After that discussion, I
saw a particular racial taste in my everyday surroundings that I had never
noticed. For instance, above my bed I
have a poster of Audrey Hepburn, while my African American friend has Billie
Holiday. “Cinderella” has always been my
favorite Disney movie, while “Princess and the Frog” is her favorite.
In researching this idea more, I
came across an interesting article about the same idea centered around films, entitled,
“Why white
cinema-goers are less likely to watch movies with a black lead actor.” In the article, it describes a study focused
on the likelihood of a white audience to see a movie based on the percentage of
the cast that was black. Not
surprisingly, this particular audience was drawn to the movies, particularly
romantic movies, with two white protagonists.
Again I saw the parallel in my life.
My favorite romantic movie is The Notebook my friends favorite is Love
and Basketball. However, a new question
popped into my head: Why?
The
article concluded with the verdict that people relate more to movies that
portray a cast of their own race, which is very understandable. The culture and lifestyles of the two races
are very different. But is it only that
our cultures are different or is it more?
Could it be that people believe they won’t “relate” to a particular race
because they just don’t know enough about that race? We all have our own stereotypes, but we don’t
truly know about another race unless you discuss the topic with someone of that
particular race—which can often times be an awkward conversation. “What if they
think I’m racist for asking that?” Even
when talking about stereotypes in class, an understood “safe place” for such
discussions, it was an awkward conversation.
There
has always been a lot of controversy around the role of race in films, but are
movie writers and producers to blame for this form of racism? Or is it the audience’s fault? Should producers cross these invisible,
though strict, racial lines? Or is it our responsibility to cross them?
This is definitely interesting to think about. Once you begin to consider the role that race plays in our culture, you'll discover more and more. It seems that we do enjoy stories told by those we can relate to culturally and racially. However, I think we have all seen a movie that challenged our perspective and yet we still enjoyed that movie. It is not one's fault if he or she enjoys stories that have people of our race, however our nation as a whole cannot just tell one story. If our culture is leaving out fundamental aspects of who we are as a nation and where we have been, then we as consumers must be bold enough to watch movies with black leads, advocate and inform our friends about the need for such movies, and hope that with time we will share stories together-- stories that don't only involve Tyler Perry's interpretation of the African American experience.
ReplyDeleteYou offer insight on an interesting aspect of cultural life, Kristen. In my opinion, what has been presented in your post does not depict racism. A particular audience’s being drawn to a particular movie with certain colored characters and likewise their feeling of being more related to certain movies/characters in no way equates to the harsh, demeaning ideology of racism. This choosing is simply personal preference, which everyone is naturally entitled to. This is not to say that everyone possesses this genuine outlook—I am aware that some people are racist and automatically reject anything not reflective of the race of their choice. But from what is stated in the above post, it does not seem that racism is the intended action. Therefore, movie writers and producers should not receive much blame—they write and produce movies that appeal to varying audiences and tastes (such as the ones you have alluded to). I feel that most audiences appreciate this diversity as long as their preference is represented. The audience is certainly not at fault. Humans are different and should be able to enjoy what best suits their inclinations. What would be blatant racism, however, is if producers and writers ignored a certain audience’s preference of actors and relatable storylines on the basis of race.
ReplyDeleteIf our goal as a nation is to become more knowledgeable, well-rounded, and embracing of a melting pot or multiculturalism, then everyone should, in some respect, encourage conversations that cultivate a more culturally-conscious society.