Race and stereotypes in comedy
Racial Stereotypes in Comedy
Hollywood films, for centuries, have been using American comedies to humorously naturalize the beliefs of racial differences that construct the ideological basis of racial hierarchy. In American history racial hierarchy refers to the ranking of different races or ethnic groups. Professionals have found a ways for these films to provide the public with a positive source of pleasure in the negative portrayals of their own race and no reactions to produce oppositional discourse. In today’s society race plays a tremendous role in economic class, educational status, and social being. All throughout mass media you see images and videos that the media is constantly portraying and reinforcing racial and ethnic stereotypes. In some ways may be extremely offending and in other ways may have a neutral effect on a person. But the power of comedies can play with these ideas and typical stereotypes to generate humor for their audience.
J.H. Park produced an excellent article, “Naturalizing racial differences through comedy: Asian, black, and white views on racial stereotypes in Rush Hour 2”. Using his intellect I was able to come up with a textual analysis of my own on the American comedy, Guess Who? This film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan in 2005, gives a perfect interpretation of race relations in America in the form of a romantic comedy. Which covers the problematic barriers of an interracial romance of a white man with a black woman in today’s society. From the beginning of the film you already get hit with interracial relationships in the background, whether it was friends eating together, people walking on the streets, or couples kissing on the street. You immediately see the culturally diverse city and the people interacting with each other. The main character Theresa Jones takes her fiancé, Simon Green home to meet her parents for their 25th wedding anniversary in hopes to surprise them with their exciting secret. Theresa has also not
Hollywood films, for centuries, have been using American comedies to humorously naturalize the beliefs of racial differences that construct the ideological basis of racial hierarchy. In American history racial hierarchy refers to the ranking of different races or ethnic groups. Professionals have found a ways for these films to provide the public with a positive source of pleasure in the negative portrayals of their own race and no reactions to produce oppositional discourse. In today’s society race plays a tremendous role in economic class, educational status, and social being. All throughout mass media you see images and videos that the media is constantly portraying and reinforcing racial and ethnic stereotypes. In some ways may be extremely offending and in other ways may have a neutral effect on a person. But the power of comedies can play with these ideas and typical stereotypes to generate humor for their audience.
J.H. Park produced an excellent article, “Naturalizing racial differences through comedy: Asian, black, and white views on racial stereotypes in Rush Hour 2”. Using his intellect I was able to come up with a textual analysis of my own on the American comedy, Guess Who? This film directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan in 2005, gives a perfect interpretation of race relations in America in the form of a romantic comedy. Which covers the problematic barriers of an interracial romance of a white man with a black woman in today’s society. From the beginning of the film you already get hit with interracial relationships in the background, whether it was friends eating together, people walking on the streets, or couples kissing on the street. You immediately see the culturally diverse city and the people interacting with each other. The main character Theresa Jones takes her fiancé, Simon Green home to meet her parents for their 25th wedding anniversary in hopes to surprise them with their exciting secret. Theresa has also not