Discrimination and Misrepresentation of Minority Races in...

Discrimination and Misrepresentation of Minority Races in Film Racists often believe that alternative races are inferior. Stuart Hall, an expert in the field of cultural studies who is also interested in media studies, believes that it is difficult to completely eliminate race as a floating signifier because it is impossible to remove the obvious physical differences of distinct races. These distinctions are made increasingly aware by filmmakers to their audiences in such films as West Side Story, Birth of a Nation, Gringo in Mananaland, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Even when films were silent movies, The technology of film entertainment was so powerful†¦ in altering the mindsets and viewpoints of minority racial†¦show more content†¦Greaser was used to refer to Mexicans who supposedly had used grease to comb their hair, but soon it spread to incorporate other Hispanic groups as well. Racial epithets were commonly used and construed into the plots of films, and minority racial groups tended to be increase the profit in film sales (Keller 13). These epithets were reinforced to define a characteristic style of stereotyping by playing on the attitudes that predominated among Anglo filmmakers and their white audiences (Keller 14). Two particular silent films both exemplify how stereotypes have played on racist Anglo-American attitudes: the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and Birth of a Nation. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, shows how minority groups are kept as subjects to Anglos. For example, several camera shots showed how this was thought to be true. A monkey, to which African Americans have been commonly referred then and even now, is shown climbing a stick, and a white bird is perched at the peak of the stick, pecking at the monkey to keep him from climbing up the stick. This scene has several intentions. For one, it depicts how Anglo-Americans do not and will not accept the coming up of racial inferiors, or rather they will do everything in their power to keep blacks down or keep them from climbing the social ladder to equality. As Stuart Hall had mentioned, there will always existShow MoreRelatedRace And Racial Profiling And Gender Issues On The Basis Of My Upbringing, Experience, And Social Media1206 Words   |  5 PagesIt wasn’t until I got to middle school and high school that I became aware of race separation because students grouped culturally and linguistically. I was not well informed of the purpose of the L.A. riots until I saw the police brutality video. It became evident after 9/11 and the Arizona SB 1070 act that race and racial profiling became a great issue. 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