Stereotypes: Movie Analysis
Luc Brubaker
Essay #11
November, 2014 Humans, in our ancestry have required stereotyping to survive. “Animals are hardwired to ensure that their group survives and reproduces” and humans are no exception (Stossel, 2007). A quick judgment on who the person is and whether they pose any danger may mean the difference between life and death. While many of these useful life or death stereotypes have been transferred into everyday subliminal judgment, they still remain a relevant part in our life. Also, while stereotypes may contain certain truths it does not discount others. Saying that “black people tend to be good dancers, does not mean that black people cannot be lawyers” which is a type of distinction that people often fail to make (Stossel, …show more content…
Just because people were not offended does not mean that these stereotypes in the movie did not play any role in the person’s perception. Through comedy the media is able to reinforce stereotypes, negative or positive because often stereotypes, taken lightheartedly, can be humorous and not seem ethically egregious to the viewer or the stereotyped group. As one viewer had ,” implied that Black stereotypes in Rush Hour 2 are likely to be true because Chris Tucker (as an actor) plays off of stereotypes and he makes jokes about his own race” (Park, 2006, P.172). To the viewer an idolized celebrity whom utilizes a stereotype seems in the eye of the spectator to turn into a true account and therefore okay to use. In this instance the presence of Chris Tucker, even though he enforces many black stereotypes throughout the movie, he is overall beneficial to black stereotypes. Throughout the movie he reinforces carefree stereotypes such as a black persons liking for fried chicken, and opposes the more threatening and unfavorable stereotype of a black criminal. Conversely he was solving a crime in the film, which posed an opposing view to negative
Essay #11
November, 2014 Humans, in our ancestry have required stereotyping to survive. “Animals are hardwired to ensure that their group survives and reproduces” and humans are no exception (Stossel, 2007). A quick judgment on who the person is and whether they pose any danger may mean the difference between life and death. While many of these useful life or death stereotypes have been transferred into everyday subliminal judgment, they still remain a relevant part in our life. Also, while stereotypes may contain certain truths it does not discount others. Saying that “black people tend to be good dancers, does not mean that black people cannot be lawyers” which is a type of distinction that people often fail to make (Stossel, …show more content…
Just because people were not offended does not mean that these stereotypes in the movie did not play any role in the person’s perception. Through comedy the media is able to reinforce stereotypes, negative or positive because often stereotypes, taken lightheartedly, can be humorous and not seem ethically egregious to the viewer or the stereotyped group. As one viewer had ,” implied that Black stereotypes in Rush Hour 2 are likely to be true because Chris Tucker (as an actor) plays off of stereotypes and he makes jokes about his own race” (Park, 2006, P.172). To the viewer an idolized celebrity whom utilizes a stereotype seems in the eye of the spectator to turn into a true account and therefore okay to use. In this instance the presence of Chris Tucker, even though he enforces many black stereotypes throughout the movie, he is overall beneficial to black stereotypes. Throughout the movie he reinforces carefree stereotypes such as a black persons liking for fried chicken, and opposes the more threatening and unfavorable stereotype of a black criminal. Conversely he was solving a crime in the film, which posed an opposing view to negative