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This controversial film illustrates one day of events in a black neighborhood. It shows the African American population’s frustration with how they are being treated and how it elicits their reactions. The storyline also comments on other racial stereotypes, including Hispanics, Koreans, Italians, and Caucasians. The portrayal of stereotypes in this movie can be analyzed in light of Berg’s 11 theses of stereotypes. Berg identifies stereotypes through 11 theses: rigid logic, basis in fact, generalizations, worthwhile predictors, uncontextualized dialogue, dominant majority, ideological motives, in-group influence, repetition, normalized beliefs, and ignorance (Berg, 2002). Thus, statements such as rigid logic, basis in fact, generalizations, and worthwhile predictors can be applied to Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing.
The movie Do the Right Thing depicts many stereotypes and myths that work at far too general a level to be worthwhile predictors. Some of the stereotypes are that most of the black characters in the film don’t have jobs. In fact, the only black character who has a job is Mookie. Another myth is when black characters don’t listen to a white person driving a beautiful convertible. The man warns them several times not to wet his car, but they keep moving anyway.
Berg’s thesis that stereotypes may have a basis in fact can also be applied to this film. One of the stereotypes throughout the film is that black characters do not obey the command of the police. Especially in the scene where a fight breaks out in front of Sal’s pizzeria. Some of the characters jumped on the firefighters and started fighting with them. Part of the inner fervor is inherent in African Americans. However, the fiery temperament of African Americans is depicted in a caricatured way, which gives rise to stereotypes. Thus, the conflicts and fights depicted depict the stereotypes that African Americans are troublemakers, violent, out of control, and easily involved in criminal activities. The same stereotypes are distinguished by rigid logic. Moreover, stereotypes are simplified generalizations that assume out-group homogeneity. So, Spike Lee exaggerates the stereotypes of his characters to show the racial prejudice inherent in every ethnic group and race represented in the film. Italians are prejudiced against blacks and vice versa, Puerto Ricans are prejudiced against Koreans and vice versa.
In general, it is worth noting that one of the film’s strengths is the complexity of its characters and the portrayal of blackness on screen. Lee went beyond the stereotypes of African Americans in movies and created characters that are reflected in everyday life. In Do the Right Thing, blacks are not represented in the traditional binary of inferior and smiling, aggressive and dangerous, but rather can exist as fuller expressions of themselves.
In many films, for a black hero to being recognized by the viewer, they need to have some impressive story. In turn, Syed notes that white characters are interesting for the very fact of their existence. For example, the theme of whiteness is well represented in many episodes of Switched at Birth. The black characters, who are rightfully at the forefront of the storyline, are not prominent characters during the show. They appear briefly in some prices, but no more. They take on special significance when the show depicts the theme of racism. It is difficult to isolate their distinctive features before the racial storyline came to the fore. Thus, this example confirms that in order to receive recognition from whites, the hero must be a victim of racism.
According to Konzett, in Hollywood, one thing is certain: no other race has had such an opportunity to shine as the white. White actors have also played the roles of black characters for a long time. The portrayal of black women was particularly disappointing: looking at the roles for which black women were nominated for an Academy Award, one would conclude that they were the roles of suffering women. Among them are Halle Berry’s role in Monster’s Ball, Gabourey Sidibe in Precious, and Diana Ross’ and Angela Basset’s roles as Billie Holiday and Tina Turner (Lady Sings the Blues and What’s Love Got to Do with It).
The theme of whiteness is also explored in the film The Legend of Tarzan. The film follows white characters whose innate sense of justice leads to a tale of racial cooperation, the rise of non-whites, and the redemption of whites. In an environment where many whites now believe that they, and not people of color, are the true victims of the racial order, or claim some racial fatigue, listening to people of color complain about racial inequality, and those who may even have a hidden desire to see evidence of a post-racial era, films showing the messianic white character crossing the color line certainly resonate.
Particular attention should be paid to films aimed at children. Disney films have a special power over American society because they are easy to watch and easy to understand regardless of age. They are watched repeatedly, and by now, many generations have grown up with them, which makes their influence even stronger. Thus, the original composition of the Disney princesses was white girls, including Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and only Jasmine was not white. Later, the Native American character Pocahontas, Asian Mulan, and African American Tiana joined. In princess movies, very popular with little girls, a clear distinction is made between light and dark colors.
Interestingly, Mulan is one of the very few Asian characters in Disney film history. Thakore notes that the most famous depiction of Asians in Disney cartoons is the toothy, slanted-eyed Siamese cats who speak with an exaggerated Thai accent in Lady and the Tramp. In Aladdin, a viewer can see how language was used to distinguish between the good and the bad characters: Aladdin and Jasmine don’t have a trace of an Arabic accent, while the bad guys do. There is concern about how Disney portrayed Native Americans in Peter Pan (1953). They are partly mute, communicate with animal sounds and simple sentences, and have to explain why their skin is red as if everything that is different from white skin needs to be explained.
Works Cited
Konzett, Delia Caparoso. Hollywood at the Intersection of Race and Identity. Rutgers University Press, 2019.
Syed, Aafia. “Why is Whiteness the Default in Every Movie and TV Show?” The Tempest News, Web.
Thakore, Bhoomi K. “On the Origin of White Hollywood: The Racialized Space of the U.S. Film Industry.” American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 64, no. 14, Dec. 2020, pp. 2016–2027.
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