The Aftermath: The Impact of Stereotypical Hollywood Films on Black Men
This study examined the impact that stereotypical images of Black men in Hollywood Films have on Black men. Hollywood Films fortify and maintain the stereotypes, created essentially by the movie Birth of a Nation, of Black men in America. Through films that portray Black men negatively, the status of Black men is constantly imprinted on the minds of the American populace. As a result of media conditioning, Black men as well as the rest of the American populous have been misled to believe that Black men are to be feared by everyone and belong at the bottom of the American socioeconomic strata. The images of drug dealer, murderer, thief, coon, buck, rapist, athlete, etc. impede the success of Black men in America. Stereotypes that were created centuries ago still haunt Black men in America (uncle tom, coon, buffoon, buck). These stereotypes have simply been modernized to reinforce the American social paradigm that helps keep white men in the forefront of America, while continuing the oppression of the Black male. As critiqued in Spike Lee's film, Bamboozled, white America does not want to see Black men on the screen unless they are playing a stereotypical role that degrades their entire race. With the deconstruction of this confinement demanded by Black men, Black men will finally be able to redefine Black masculinity and transform the current definition into one that humanizes the Black male.
School:
New York University
Department:
Political Science
Research Advisor:
Norman K. Denzin
Department of Research Advisor:
Speech and Communication
Year of Publication:
2004