Media And Race: Desensitizing The Movie 'Crash'
Media and Race
Tanishia Gray
SOC/262
September 7, 2014
Dr. Sharon Chappelle
Media and Race
Movies are a powerful outlet to depict certain racial observations. Theaters insulate moviegoers in a cocoon-like setting with little distractions. This setting is an ideal situation to sway an audience. Movies can desensitize people to issues and shift public attitudes through influence. While there are many real scenarios portrayed in fictional film, to say that movies similar to Crash are completely accurate portrayals of reality is an oversight. The movie Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, is an attempt to accurately portray the various racial, ethnic, and racial stereotypes within the cast of characters …show more content…
He has the chance to prove that he is not the stereotypical, white, racist cop when he is called upon to save the woman whom he had violated earlier in the movie during a traffic stop. This woman and her husband did not fit the racial stereotypes that Officer Ryan labeled them with earlier in the film when he pulled them over, and inappropriately frisked her just because they were black. When Newton’s character crashes her vehicle on the highway and is left trapped in the burning wreckage, Officer Ryan is the first officer on the scene and must act quickly to save her. He chose in that moment to comfort her as he gently pulled her from the wreckage. When he realizes who she is and remembers what he had done to her, he is overwhelmed with guilt and …show more content…
Just as there is a stereotype for criminals and their race, there is a stereotype for police officers and their opinions toward minority groups. At first glance, Officer Ryan seems to battle with behavior that would support this theory. Officer Ryan was very close with his father, and the audience would most likely assume that he adopted the racist beliefs of his father. This maybe an accurate assumption but not the entire story. His racist beliefs were also the result from witnessing his father’s experience of working as a Los Angeles police officer, followed by his own experience working for the LAPD and the negative experiences both had with black people and other minority groups over the years. He could no longer make the distinction between individuals who were criminals, and a whole racial group.
The events depicted in Crash suggest that racial stereotypes are only accurate characterizations of certain individuals. To use such generalizations to define an entire group is ignorant and sometimes hateful. The characters of Crash are given opportunities to change their thinking.
Tanishia Gray
SOC/262
September 7, 2014
Dr. Sharon Chappelle
Media and Race
Movies are a powerful outlet to depict certain racial observations. Theaters insulate moviegoers in a cocoon-like setting with little distractions. This setting is an ideal situation to sway an audience. Movies can desensitize people to issues and shift public attitudes through influence. While there are many real scenarios portrayed in fictional film, to say that movies similar to Crash are completely accurate portrayals of reality is an oversight. The movie Crash, directed by Paul Haggis, is an attempt to accurately portray the various racial, ethnic, and racial stereotypes within the cast of characters …show more content…
He has the chance to prove that he is not the stereotypical, white, racist cop when he is called upon to save the woman whom he had violated earlier in the movie during a traffic stop. This woman and her husband did not fit the racial stereotypes that Officer Ryan labeled them with earlier in the film when he pulled them over, and inappropriately frisked her just because they were black. When Newton’s character crashes her vehicle on the highway and is left trapped in the burning wreckage, Officer Ryan is the first officer on the scene and must act quickly to save her. He chose in that moment to comfort her as he gently pulled her from the wreckage. When he realizes who she is and remembers what he had done to her, he is overwhelmed with guilt and …show more content…
Just as there is a stereotype for criminals and their race, there is a stereotype for police officers and their opinions toward minority groups. At first glance, Officer Ryan seems to battle with behavior that would support this theory. Officer Ryan was very close with his father, and the audience would most likely assume that he adopted the racist beliefs of his father. This maybe an accurate assumption but not the entire story. His racist beliefs were also the result from witnessing his father’s experience of working as a Los Angeles police officer, followed by his own experience working for the LAPD and the negative experiences both had with black people and other minority groups over the years. He could no longer make the distinction between individuals who were criminals, and a whole racial group.
The events depicted in Crash suggest that racial stereotypes are only accurate characterizations of certain individuals. To use such generalizations to define an entire group is ignorant and sometimes hateful. The characters of Crash are given opportunities to change their thinking.