StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Hollywood's Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Male Role in Motion Pictures - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Name Institution Course Instructor Date African American Male Role in Motion Pictures Introduction Since the inception of America, African Americans have been considered second-class nationals. For years, blacks had been taken as slaves and servants for Americans…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER95.1% of users find it useful
Hollywoods Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Male Role in Motion Pictures
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Hollywood's Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Male Role in Motion Pictures"

Download file to see previous pages

These humiliating stereotypes are strengthened and made even worse through the unenthusiastic depiction of blacks in ancient jobs (Henderson, 2013, 57). Black actors have taken part in American movies from the start of the firm in 1888. However, their roles have remained as directed by the film makers without depicting the real blacks in ancient jobs. Centrally, white male performers and female actors were employed to depict the actors when in “blackface”. Through declining to employ black characters to represent black actors, humiliating stereotypes were being formed as blacks were introduced in an adverse light.

Moreover, blacks were significantly depicted in movies with unenthusiastic stereotypes that strengthened white preeminence over blacks (Kraszewski 2002, 23). This had a huge impact on our community’s perspective of blacks; especially in the Hollywood movies because motion images have had more of an effect on the public skull than any different entertainment channel in the past ninety decades. Arguments The initial Hollywood movie to appear an all-black action was Hearts in Dixie, released in 1929 and directed through Paul Sloane for Fox.

The movie introduced to broader viewers, one of the movie firm’s major polemic identities always; Stephen Fetchit. In the movie, the viewers are introduced to the trustworthy black farm employees, digging hard in the meadows the entire day and unwinding at night through singing and dancing (Horton, Price, & Brown 1999, 1). Stepin Ftechit categorizes the indolent; however good reared slave, not ready to do job, nevertheless pardoned for his wayward actions. When the white employer jokingly boots Ftechit at the back-end, Fetchit smiles broadly and flashes reticently at the viewers.

This is an instance of the normal screen ‘darkie’. Fetchit, a ‘black clown’ is a ‘nice nigger’, indolent and changeless, however, “okay at the heart”. Fetchit’s representation of blacks is very degrading and humiliating. Blacks all over the nation were assumed to fit Fetchit’s typecast of being indolent, idiots, unintelligent, and although well purposed. For those who had never met black individuals before; however, had viewed a Stepin Fetchit movie, were left with a distorted, tilted perspective of blacks through Fetchit’s presentation (Horton, Price, & Brown, 1999, 1).

In Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, during the fortieth Academy Awards that happened merely following the King’s demise, Peck claimed that the best honor of King was to create movies, which showed the self-esteem of man, no matter his origin, color, or faith. This personal laudatory feeling was normal of Hollywood’s addition of Poitier into the A-record of film stars, and the feeling incited more sarcasm of Hollywood through means of Poitier. Mark Harris scripted that Poitier was upset by the criticism since he had the attitude that he had acted maximally to form an optimistic depiction of black men (Perrin 2012, 713).

However, as per Harris’ views, the deluge of unenthusiastic remarks concerning Poitier’s characters disclosed that the model of incorporation that he symbolized was developing further apart from a “younger, further confrontational black literary intelligentsia”. His reception by white filmgoers was applied as proof of the manner out of pace his films were, with the requirements and aggravations of his individual persons. The criticism got by the movie shows that the Civil Rights body was testing the

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Hollywood's Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Essay”, n.d.)
Hollywood's Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Essay. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1494803-hollywoods-black-man-the-objectification-of-the-africanamerican-male-role-in-motion-pictures
(Hollywood'S Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Essay)
Hollywood'S Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Essay. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1494803-hollywoods-black-man-the-objectification-of-the-africanamerican-male-role-in-motion-pictures.
“Hollywood'S Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1494803-hollywoods-black-man-the-objectification-of-the-africanamerican-male-role-in-motion-pictures.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Hollywood's Black Man: The Objectification of the African_American Male Role in Motion Pictures

Role of African Americans in Film

Moreover all of the african Americans were portrayed by white men in 'blackface' which played on a number of physically unrealistic stereotypes.... A) Firstly one could make the argument that in some of the earliest motion pictures such as D.... In terms of how to remedy this issue one of the most effective yet most complex solutions would be to better educate young people with films to ensure that young learners become interested in the filmmaking process and hopefully play a larger role in Hollywood in the Future....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

Sociological Issues in the Movie Hitch

Taking cue from this we can say that the movie Hitch also tries to focus on the objectification of women from the perspective of Sara.... Through Sara the message which we get is that objectification of women by men was a very common phenomenon and women were aware of such a system existing and here in the movie Sara's desire to unmask Hitchens is basically a protest which women want to undertake against men.... Hitchens played by William Smith performs in the movie as a “Date Doctor” whose job is to train men so that they are… The movie is set into motion by Albert Brennaman played by Kevin James when he falls for the famous celebrity Allegra Cole....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

African American History

hellip; The author states that among the problems faced by people on account of the serious effects of the Great Depression, those faced by the african Americans, must be noted with special concern as they were the group of people who were hit harder.... It is the african Americans who suffered from the many sided effects of the Great Depression.... The most targeted in this crisis were the african Americans, as we find in the following the precarious situation they were in: “By 1933, African Americans found it all but impossible to find jobs of any kind in agriculture or industry....
13 Pages (3250 words) Admission/Application Essay

Race and Ethnicity in American Culture

In fact, films and books still play a major role in crafting the society with respect to every individual.... american culture is composed of various ethnic issues, and racism is one of the primary aspects of it.... … The american culture has maintained its solidarity and uniqueness.... In the past, american culture has been greatly influenced by the films and books that were a part of every denizen's life.... So to consider the analysis of such a medium on its impact on the american culture seems valid....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

The Best of African Film

The following paper 'The Best of african Film' presents Nollywood which is the name given to Nigeria's movie industry.... With the movies playing in clubs, restaurants, and in various other african settings, most Africans identify with the themes in the movies and effectively making the industry famous....
1 Pages (250 words) Research Paper

How Is Sexuality Viewed by the Society

In the 20th century, it was observed that media plays a significant role in the assumptions believed within society either negative or positive.... hellip; The author states that one of the challenges experienced largely in modern-day society has been identified as the abnormal context of heteronormativity which represents male-bodied women and female-bodied men.... Men's SexualityPrior to the Twentieth Century, male genders were considered the strongest, in terms of strength, courage, and cleverness....
13 Pages (3250 words) Assignment

How Photograph Shapes Perceptions

Therefore, I am going to critique this image in terms of the negative effects that it generates in the society such as preference for cosmetic surgery, objectification of women bodies with reference to sex sells and media exaggeration of celeb glamour and glitz.... The artist statement accompanying this photography is, “Great american Women”....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

Things, Like People, Have Social Lives

Around 1905, unsurprisingly, the denim jacket first emerged as a practical coat for work before american producer Levi Strauss and Co.... nbsp;It is trading that situates the restrictions of effectiveness and insufficiency, relatively than the other way around, and trade that is the source of importance: The acquisition obscurity, the exchange presented for sacrifice, is the sole constitutive value constituent, of which shortage is only the outside expression, its objectification in the form of capacity....
14 Pages (3500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us