Racism in the film industry

The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how films have traditionally and at present been used to advance racial ideologies in the American community. In line with numerous posts, it reveals that the entertainment industry has played a crucial role in fostering racist ideologies as well as influencing cultural views in the American community. It starts by demonstrating and describing the psychological effect of viewing and discusses how it affects one’s view and behavior about various issues. By reflecting on bigotry, the paper helps to explain how the American film industry has been used to perpetuate discrimination and racist beliefs as well as views. The reviews various movies and how they influenced American society. It points that blacks have often been depicted in a negative way ’which have aided in formation of the negative perception towards the black community. Additionally, the paper shows how the American white population used the movies to show superiority while creating a filthy perception of inferiority towards other minor races. On the other hand, it also objects at showing how black community has been affected by the images created by movies. It relates various racial segregation instances with respect to various movies. Apart from that, the paper shows how the while man was being treated by the white people. It depicts blacks being victim of murder but cannot be trusted hence they opt not to disclose the truth. Moreover, the paper also shows the efforts of African American producers to create a positive perception towards the African American population. In conclusion, the paper also recommends on how the film industry could use its position to advocate for racial equality rather than promote racism in America
Introduction
Movies are one of the most popular forms of entertainment and consisting of images depicting human stories. Most people, on a subconscious level, recognize them as a work of fiction. However, what most people don’t realize is that movies have a particular influence on how people think. Good movies, such as zero dark thirty have proven that public opinion can be influenced since after the release of the movie was released, trust in the American government soared (Guida). Therefore, films regardless of the genre, do play a role in informing some of the perceptions that people have and can affect the way they relate to each other and their environment.
In accordance with different reviews and reactions of Zero Dark which focuses on the United States intelligence, it is evident that movies play a significant role in informing the community about the state of government bodies. After the release of the film which depicted American Triumph, many citizens felt safer and commended the governments for finally capturing Osama bin Laden. Additionally, the effect of movies was illustrated in a study conducted at the University of Dayton. In the study, the students were required to fill in questionnaires which showed their opinions on the government. Dr. Michelle Pautz, the professor in charge of the investigation, found that after watching ’Zero Dark Thirty,’ approximately 25 percent of the participating students showed a change of heart and opinion (Guida). The 25 percent rated the government favorably feeling more trustful of the intentions and work of the military and the intelligence community. It was also revealed that the film increased the optimism they had regarding the direction in which the country was taking in protecting its citizens.
The study conducted by Dr. Pautz also demonstrates the power that movies can have on people’s opinions about their environment and towards each other. The persuasive power of movies lies in the accessibility and stimulation it provides to the audience. Videos are available to Americans of all ages and walks of life due to the low costs of watching them in theaters and online. The internet has also made them easy to distribute them over the globe. Unlike other art forms such as pictures and painting, movies occupy and stimulate more senses in people resulting in lasting effects (Franklin, 75). Perceptions generated by movies are dominant if the individual watched the film in a social setting such as a cinema. In a social environment such as a cinema, the audience develops similar perceptions reinforcing the message in the movie even if it had little or no reality in it.
Illustratively, a study conducted by Dr. Paultz using undergraduate students showed that after watching the movie, a substantial percentage changed their negative views into positive ones. It can be assumed that before watching the film the participants had their reasons for not trusting the government some based on exposés by the media into government scandals. However, movies which are loosely based on fiction rather than facts can also be used to influence people. After the study, Dr. Pautz stated that vulnerable members of the society such as teenagers and young adults were at risk of forming realities from fictions since they are yet to establish their understanding of the world. To put the argument into perspective, if the participants were voters in an election, after watching the movie they would have been inclined to vote for the incumbent even though that would be a mistake. Movies make it difficult for young people to differentiate what is real and what is not (Peterson, Ruth, & Louis, 38). This ability to shape people`s views can be used for the better good. However, it can and has been used to propagate falsehoods in the past and present.
An example of how movies or movie studios production propagates false notions is Walt Disney Studios. The workshop is famous for favorite cartoons such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse and a host of other animations as well as theme parks. However, the production house has a history of propagating racism. Walt Disney is the man credited with founding Walt Disney Studios together with Roy who happened to be his brother in 1923. Over the decades, the studio produced various successful animations and television shows that would contribute to its growing stature. However, the studio released multiple movies that propagated racist sentiments to the viewers who at the time were trying to end racism in the United States (Archer, 123). Films that are cited as being racist include Fantasia, Dumbo, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid, and Song of the South all which showed lacked consideration for black Americans (Lehman, 27).
In Fantasia, Sunflower, a dark-skinned Centaur is depicted as being a creature of lower rank and worth than those of fair skin, because she is the serves the others (Breaux, 410). Another example of how Walt Disney propagated racist sentiments and in effect strengthened them was in The Song of the South. The movie has two black characters portrayed as being happy to serve as slaves for a white family which can be interpreted as advocacy for slavery. The portrayal was wrong since the slave trade in America had claimed many lives. Moreover, it also lowered the dignity of the Black Americans and such a depiction would only serve to demean them further. There was much criticism after the release of the film which saw the movie banned from being sold at all in America, but the damage had already been done. Racial tensions at the time of the mentioned movie releases were high following the abolition of slavery with black Americans seeking to regain their human dignity. Therefore, such racist movies only served to worsen the situation in which the white majority found the movie entertaining while the black community perceived it as an insult. Despite that the intentions of the film producers may not be known, the films were demeaning to the black American community and could be seen as having shaped the post-slavery attitudes of racism. The movie showed the public that it was alright to treat the black community as inferior beings though in a subtle manner than before.
Presently racism persists with flare-ups between black and white communities being a common occurrence which has even extended to the National Football league where some players such as Colin Kaepernick choose to kneel during the national anthem. This exhibits that America is yet to achieve a harmonious relationship between citizens of different races. The reason racism has persisted for so long can be attributed to the attitudes promoted during the post-slavery period in America by the media. Especially, during the era of television which holds great potential in shaping the beliefs that people hold about a particular topic. Movie studios such as Walt Disney would have been instrumental in reducing racism by promoting good values such as equality. The movies should have sought to showcase the positive aspects of each race as being equals. Black Americans should have been given equally dignified roles as their white counterparts which would have increased their self-worth and attracted respect and love from the whites. If black characters had been portrayed in a positive light, the races could have warmed up to the idea of peaceful coexistence and not one of suspicion and hate. For example, in Walt Disney`s film Dumbo the black voices are portrayed by crows which are black (Lehman, 56). The movie further invokes the past by naming the leader Jim Crow which is similar to the Jim Crow laws that imposed segregation.
Movies offer a better comprehension of historical patterns, beliefs, influences around different generational effect. Historically, movies have shown the tendency to support the dominating racial group power through exhibiting to the general community highly adverse emotion evoking perceptions and images of the minority groups(Nakagawa, Kathy & Angela 106). Illustratively, in movies like Tarzan and the Birth of Nation, African Americans were exhibited as thieves, ignorant, slaves, a potential rapist as well as interlopers. Apart from that, movies also showed distortions by having white people play in characters that are or for the black. Such symbolism created the perception that black community was not good enough or lacked talent, hence only a white character would fit (Kreitner 11). By white actors taking a black role, it created a subconscious message that the white race was .preferred and the only intelligent race of acting in the mainstream media. With respect to studies, the negative description of the African Americans was problematic since the movies succeeded and often led to a segregated community that only glimpsed into the available black life to the whites. Holly Wood and other movie production companies have also been critiqued of casting the minority groups in demeaning and harmful roles. Holly Wood exhibited the minorities based on stereotype. In the early, 20th century, the significant roles provided to African Americans in movies apart from music included: janitors, chauffeurs servants, and other menial jobs.
On the other hand, some of the American producers have shown used movies as a tool for promoting racial equality. In 1949, Clarence Brown produced Intruder in the Dust based on a novel by Faulkner which motivated the black community who lived in segregated areas. The main character, Journo Hernandez, is a black man who is charged with attempt of murder of a white ion Mississippi. However, the lawyer for the accused man is exhibited as reluctant since the black man fails to disclose how the murder occurred. After the case, the black man is found not guilty, hence released from jail (Sinha 17). However, he still fails to tell his lawyer how the murder had occurred although it had been an accident. The white, black man fails to disclose his secret since the lawyer could not trust anything a black man would say. Brown movie aimed at raising awareness of the ignorance and prejudice the white community had towards the black community (Weinman 53). During this era, the black man was not being trusted nor was he of any worth to the white society.
In the late 20th and early 21st century, movies still depicted people of color as less powerful in dealing with major catastrophes or tragedies (Quinn 485). With respect to the fiction industry, most heroes or characters who possess ’superpowers against natural forces and calamities were only whites. These created the perception that black people are powerless and are always depending on the whites in case of any extreme disasters (Yue 113). However, in 2014, Marvels produced a television series in which the Starring, Luke Cage is shown to possess superpowers which make him bulletproof. This did create a perception of power within the black community. Nonetheless, the movie also portrays the black community as violent and as main players in illegal businesses.
In conclusion, it is evident that movies have a significant impact on racial perceptions and attitudes. Notably, the film industry has been largely dominated by the whites. As shown above, it is used as an ethnic leverage to exhibit superiority and power that one race got to another. This could be an indication that, despite the African American and other discriminated races may be free, they are still subjected to racial prejudice in the modern society. As shown above, blacks are often depicted negatively by playing roles such as thieves, drunkards, drug addicts or gangs. This helps in maintaining the existing negative stereotypes and attitudes towards black individuals. Despite the factor that movies have already succeeded in creating racial images, producers can still use films to promote equality through depicting each race with equal value. This will raise the confidence and ambition of the discriminated races.

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Works Cited

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