 Thinking about Ethnicity in Film… “Americanness” as an ethnic category mythical framed in terms of race-relations ideological argument  not about being Black but being thought of as Black Oversimplified dichotomies Pre-existing images reproduced in this new medium Thomas Edison’s film co. attract viewers with ‘exotic’ characters  atypical to Whites intentionally exaggerated Pickaninnies (1894), Negro Dancers (1895), Dancing Darkies (1897) By early 1900s, racial/ethnic minorities in film now given their identity….which would stick for decades to come reflect socio-political structure Whites reflection of reality  Blackface Griffith’s The Birth of A Nation (1915)  from Dixon’s The Clansmen  Mammies Dominant personality Particularly in interactions with Black men Older, darker complexion  Wise-cracking but loyal Counterpoint to White female Rarely sexual beings Situated in the ‘big house’ Often more dedicated to White family than her own Gone with the Wind (1939) Faithful Servants, Toms Submissive, loyal, kind-hearted Celebrate White superiority Eager to serve Dependable  Willing to endure white domination Brutes & ‘Tragic Mulattos’ Faithful servants often accompanied by Savages & Tragic Mulattos Black Brute/Buck/Savage  knife-wielding, corrupt, sexually & physically violent pent-up rage, physically threatening to Whites defeated by White hero ‘Tragic Mulatto’  unhappy bi-racial woman Black woman as sexually promiscuous, represents the ‘one weakness’ of the White man  seduces White men Black women with insatiable sexual appetite absolves guilt for rape of Black female slaves Buffoons, ‘Comics’  In Early Film, Black = Buffoon Common theme for decades Objectified Black oral traditions, appearance, dress dance and song Often Whites in blackface Slapstick, Entertains others Exaggerated portrayal Happy, singing & dancing  Satirized dialect No drive or motivation in life The Wooing and Wedding of a Coon (1905), How Rastus Got His Turkey (1914), The Sambo Series (1909-1911), Cotton and Chick Watts BlackfaceMinstrel Show in Yes Sir, Mr. Bones (1951) Race Films (1910-1950) Independently written & produced films with all Black Casts  Contrast to negative films being produced by Whites Noble Johnson & Lincoln Pictures All Black production company Respectful, “real” portrayals of Blacks Oscar Micheaux  Writer & filmmaker (40+ films) Most successful Black film maker of the time The Homesteader (1919) first feature length film made for black audiences by an all-black cast & crew Within Our Gates (1920) Response to Birth of a Nation depicted the reality of racism in early 20th century America included a white-on-black rape scene that was banned by authorities in numerous cities Shifting Images in the 1960s Hollywood efforts to depict themes of integration, racial tension, and Blacks in mainstream Very cautious early on Doctors, Lawyers, etc More Diversity Arose e.g., A Raisin in the Sun (1961) Literary classics for Black & White audiences Era of the sophisticated Black man Intelligent, calm, cool, collected Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Sammy Davis Jr. Harnessed rage with tolerance of less sophisticated Whites  non-threatening E.G., Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967) Blaxploitation Films(1970s) New image, non-accommodationist “Super-Black”  Escapist films Sweet Sweetback’s Baadassss Song (1971) Women still often seen as accessories and sexualized But opportunities for female ‘super-black’ heroes Cleopatra Jones (1973), Foxy Brown (1974) Hollywood attempts to capitalize on success of these Black-produced films Shaft (1971), Blackula (1972) Male, Bonding, Black Buddy Films & Comedies (1980s and 1990s) Early 1980s Roles for Blacks scarce in film Mid/Late 1980s resurgence of Black presence in movies Often Black Comedian as White foil Eddie Murphy, Whoopi Goldberg 48 hrs (1982),Trading Places (1983), Beverly Hills Cop, Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), Mostly simple messages, focus attention away from real-world socio-economic reality (but not always e.g., The Color Purple, 1985) Films of the 1990s Comedic roles continue but films depicting a harsher edge also emerge, as well as more sensitive and dramatic roles Due in part to success of filmmakers such as Spike Lee and John Singleton Wesley Snipes White Men Can’t Jump (1993), New Jack City (1992), Demolition Man (1992) Denzel Washington Malcom X (1992), Philadelphia (1993), The Pelican Brief (1993) Whoopi Goldberg Ghost (1990), Sarafina (1992), Sister Act (1992) Summary Across the decades, thus far Early 1900s Whites in blackface, playing servants for white lead characters.  Blacks as intellectually inferior to whites Blacks as criminals and deviants these stereotypes become institutionalized in Birth of a Nation 1930s-1940s Some changes in portrayals, still reflect white mythic notions Blacks as maids, mammies, servants, sidekicks…but also deviants and criminals 1960s-1970s More films geared toward a variety of diverse audiences Following civil rights movement, address unfair treatment of Blacks in the U.S Blaxploitation films challenging white, dominant culture 1980s More lead roles for Blacks Often in ‘buddy’ or ‘comic’ films 1990s Wider spectrum of Black depictions Fueled in part by popularity of figures such as Denzel Washington, WesleySnipes, and Spike Lee Today Number of Blacks comparable with real world demographics Greater diversity of roles Women still sexualized From Super-stardom to Producer Will Smith & Jada Pinkett Smith Danny Glover Halle Berry Question: Do films today promote or counter stereotypes? The influence of a powerful image – film Cognitive issues Heuristic processing Creating exemplars Reinforcing prototypes Strength and identifiability of characterization  Can outweigh other cognitions Can be good or bad, depending on the