According to Alex Wainer, the history of American entertainment has displayed derogatory images of African Americans on TV and even Disney animated motion pictures. These negative stereotypes depicted in films included the tom, the coon, the tragic mulatto, the mammy, and the brutal black buck. In the last decade or so two new stereotypes emerged in the African American society, the black radical which developed during the Black Panther era, and the gangsta which could be argued to be the modern black buck. The hit animated television series, The Boondocks reaffirms these stereotypes and the classic tom and tragic mulatto stereotypes but purifies them with the intent to spark a change in the African…
In this essay, I will be comparing John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club published in 1985 with Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower of 1999. The Breakfast club aims to highlight what went on in high schools as well as the larger society at the time, by using five unique stereotypes. In the movie, there was the jock: trying to live up to his dad’s and friends’ expectations; the brain, expected to be super-smart; the princess, who always wants to be a part of the popular crowd at school. There was also the criminal who is always negative, pessimistic and causing trouble. Finally, there’s the basket case who was silent the whole time except for the odd break outs.…
“Grease”, originally a musical play write in 1971, was brought to the big screen in 1978 by producers Robert Stigwood and Allen Carr. Set to reflect the 1950’s era, “Grease” explores real life situations that several high school students during this time period were faced with – developing relationships, teen pregnancy, bullying, and peer pressure, drinking and gang violence. The use of unrealistic song and dance outbursts to portray the character’s emotions and views of life was a way to add comedic relief to real life situations. The characters included Danny, played by John Travolta, Kenickie, Leo, Doddy, Eugene, Rizzo, Frency, Marty and Sandy, played by Oliva Newton-John. Identifiable by the logos and colors of their jackets, each teenager…
The film “The Breakfast Club” directed by John Hughes is a compelling film that illustrates the inner working of the teenage mind-set. A film quite literally opens your eyes to how teenagers work within different stereotypes. John Hughes is able to show how although each character may give the impression that everything is “OK” but really, on the inside their whole life is just constant stress. This stress, which numerous things, including their parents and peers brought on, effected them in a way in which throughout the film, we as the audience have more insight into their lives as teenagers. Many of the characters in this film are easily relatable; however, Hughes has been able to show the differences within the inner workings of their…
Back in the 1950’s - 1970’s, there were a lot more stereotypes in the world. In the article by Jessica McBirney, Emmett Till decided to visit his uncle in Chicago. He was dared to flirt with a white woman named Carolyn Bryant, and then she harassed him and threatened to kill him. Then, her husband had abducted him, and abused him and pushed him into the water where he laid there dead. In the novel That was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton, a black girl walked in a drugstore, and the white kids were being rude to her.…
The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, is a coming-of-age story that compels readers to question society’s stereotyping of people and expresses the need for people to always have hope. Based on two rival teenage gangs, the poor, east-side Greasers, and the rich, west-side Socials (Socs), The Outsiders is told through the eyes of sensitive, 14-year-old Greaser, Ponyboy Curtis. The novel explores the choices people make when faced with adversity, sending an important message to readers that everyone is an individual, regardless of their background. The characters of Ponyboy and Dallas ‘Dally’ Winston, a hardened and damaged Greaser, are vital to this message and they also play key roles in portraying the book’s fundamental theme that even the most…
Have you ever wondered what people think of you well I think most people have. What are stereotypes, According to Dictionary.com stereotypes are defined as, “A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.” We treat people they way we do because of stereotypes. In the book The Outsiders, by SE Hinton, you see stereotypes.…
Mary-Louis Parker once said, “People have a problem with me being different, but that propels me forward in life”. S.E. Hinton believes that the outsiders are all the people who dare to be different, and who stand out from their social category. She provides examples throughout The Outsiders of characters that feel and act differently than those around them. Randy Adderson does not fit the stereotype of a Soc because he is caring, and he has his own opinions. To begin with, Randy is an outsider because he cares about other people.…
This paper is an analysis of five dissimilar teenagers representing a cross-section of middle class high school students in the suburbs. The students meet each other for the first time during a Saturday morning detention session. Each student arrived to the school by different means, which is a precursor to determining the type of individual each one is. The group is comprised of a "princess", an "athlete”, a "brain", a "criminal", and a "basket case". These are the roles the students play during the week. Because of typical stereotypes and status levels, at the onset, the students don’t want anything to do each other at the beginning of the detention session. However, once confronted by the controlling principal and…
On a Friday night, you might often find yourself mindlessly browsing through the abundance of movies available to watch on Netflix or Amazon. In fact, it's likely you spend at least ten minutes, if not more, just trying to narrow down the options with great frustration. Next time, just skip ahead of the monotonous search and look for one movie: The Breakfast Club. Released in 1985, The Breakfast Club is about a group of seemingly different high school students that must spend the majority of their Saturday in detention together, each leaving the experience with a new perspective of their classmates. While some may say movies are for simple entertainment alone, I would argue otherwise as this particular film presents highly important messages to its audience. It alludes to themes of learning not to judge others based on stereotypes, self-acceptance, and, additionally, viewers may more easily relate to the characters, unlike with many other teen films. It is, without a doubt, essential for teenagers and adults alike, to watch this movie.…
Gender stereotypes are a serious problem within the society. Gender role stereotypes are defined as how people think a male or a female should act. Every age group is faced with a handful of stereotypes, but there is one particular age group that faces gender stereotypes a bit more harshly than others, that age group is high schoolers. The Disney Channel’s original movie High School Musical portrays a dramatic version of certain gender stereotypes such as: the jock (Troy Bolton), the nerdy girl (Gabriela Montez), and the theater groupie (Sharpay Evans). In this movie, the students of East High are faced with target based expectancies, which is how one perceives a person based on a small amount of information on that person.…
Stereotypes have been around for a long time and it has gotten to the point where researchers have conducted a phenomenon known as “stereotype threats.” According to a Stanford Professor, Claude Steele, a stereotype threat “occurs when individuals whose group is targeted by negative stereotypes try to excel at tasks that are related to the stereotype.” In this case, if someone were told that they would do poorly on a task, they’ll believe it and in result, actually do poorly. Nevertheless, stereotypes affect everyone, whether it’s based on race, gender, age, etc. For example race, it’s one of the most stereotyped categories.…
The film industry has found a supporter of its work on me. Once a month and after researching about the theme, cast and critics’ opinions of the films being promoted, I select the most appealing one and spend a high-quality time with my partner. Although there are more affordable options, I also utilize the experience to learn and actively incorporate more vocabulary. A highly regarded artwork is usually conceived with a more sophisticated language. Enjoying to watch John Oliver’s show on YouTube or news channels in general also entices me. I do not know why, but it appeals to me being constantly informed. On top of my nightstand, two books currently are lain: To Kill a Mockingbird and an English grammar one. It may not be the first selection choice for many people, but I find checking grammar rules helpful. It reinforces my previous knowledge and increases the confidence of my speech.…
Women have graced our silver screens since the roaring 20s with countless characters and decade defining performances. Film is one of the most impactful medias of all time; filling our worlds with unthinkable thoughts, inconceivable worlds and generally taking us away from the harsh realities of daily life, Giving us a great escape to the stuff of dreams. However, beyond the glittering lights and propaganda, women face inequality in the film industry; both in general, both in unrealistic beauty standards and lack of females in the industry. Since the first flicker of film, women have been second class superstars. Women in the film industry are constantly faced with the social pressure of appearing beautiful, when will the film industry accept…
High School Musical is a story about two high school juniors from rival cliques – Troy Bolton, captain of the basketball team, and Gabriella Montez, a beautiful and shy transfer student who excels in math and science. Together, they try out for the lead parts in their high school musical, and as a result, divide the school. Despite other students' attempts to thwart their dreams, Troy and Gabriella resist peer pressure and rivalry, inspiring others along the way not to "stick to the status quo". Sharpay Evans, a drama queen and high school diva will do anything to sabotage the friendship between Troy and Gabriella and also get a lead in the school musical.…