African-American Stereotypes

At first sight these two pictures look extremely different, but as one deeply analyzes both of them their similarities are exposed.
The first picture features a dark-skinned man in the water with his face painted white. The white paint masks the man's ‘true’ identity, but simultaneously highlights certain features of his face. These features include his eyes, nose, and lips. He is immersed into the water, exposing any body part from the top of his head to his shoulders. As one focuses on the water, one can see the man’s reflection. The light in the picture is reflecting off of the water showing the huge contrast between the dark-skinned man and the blue bright water. This causes the man to appear darker than his real skin tone. The second
Both pictures symbolize the various African-American stereotypes that are deeply ingrained in our society and which can even be traced back to the beginning. We are presented with two men who are extremely naked and found in the wilderness. This observation supports the idea that those of color are constantly viewed as inferiors and poor. This stereotype can easily be seen in both images. The first picture is a magazine article cover from the National Geographic Magazine, in which its subheading in “Australia’s Cape York Peninsula.” This area is a very remote area found in Queensland, Australia. It is the largest untouched wilderness in Australia and is also one the last remaining wilderness areas left on Earth. This emphasizes on the stereotypes which are usually associated with those of color, which is that they live a traditional way of life and of course found in the wilderness. Not only did this article emphasize on the fact that those of color usually corresponds to a remote way of life, but it also highlighted many physical features that are extremely stereotypical. For example this article used the white mask to accentuate his large nose, forehead, and big lips, which are all stereotypes of those of color. All of these physical features are typically connected to those who are African-American. The light reflecting off of the water not only further highlights these features, but also shows the huge contrast between the dark-skinned man and the blue water. The second image also highlights stereotypes that are often associated with those of color. The second picture is an album cover of Richard Pryor which is a parody of the National Geographic Magazine cover. Pryor is a stand-up comedian who touches on topics related to racism and contemporary issues. This is ironic as he is a wealthy comedian