Representation of Ethnicity

Black Acting School

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKX4LktBI5o What points is this extract making? Does it still have relevance to our contemporary media landscape?

Typecasting

Typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character or role.

Alvarado Theory (1987)

Four Key Themes in Racial Representations:

•

Exotic

•

Dangerous

•

Humorous

•

Pitied

Stuart Hall (1995)

He outlines three basic images of the ‘grammar of race’ employed in ‘old movies’:

Slave

Native http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz30vlff2kQ

Clown

Case Study: 50 cent Exotic and dangerous!

How are visual codes used to represent 50 Cent in this image?

`

Watch this trailer for the PS3 Game 50 Cent - Blood on the Sand (2009) and answer the questions below.

Warning: This extract contains very strong language throughout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1J9TMwXvSA 1. Who is this text aimed at?

2. What stereotypes does it appear to reinforce?

3. How are we supposed to feel about 50 Cent in this trailer?

4. How does it construct notions of ethnicity? Is it a positive representation of African Americans?

Watch this review of the game on Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe (2009).

Warning: This extract contains very strong language throughout.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=496-HyZi0oI 5. What oppositional view is being established here? Do you agree?

http://www.theory.org.uk/ctr rol6.htm

Log on to theory.org.uk and read/make notes on this chapter. There’s a link from the wiki AS exam> ethnicity Analyse the representation of a ‘black’ person/ character in a media text of your choice. Make sure you refer to theory.

Match up! (And say something smart).

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Anti-racism films Native Antonio Gramsci Savages Blaxploitation Colonial attitudes dominate production process: TV companies as ‘safari hunters’.

Chris Dunkley Hegemony Freeth Uses & Gratifications Gitlin Black character as main protagonist Clown/Entertainer • • • • • • • • • Robinson ‘Ethnic’ programming is ‘benign fascism’ capable of producing ‘cultural Apartheid’.

Stuart Hall Tokenism Stuart Hall From exclusion to domestication.

Stuart Hall Faithful slave Trix Worrell

Answers

• • • • • • • • • • • • • Anti-racism films Native Antonio Gramsci Savages Blaxploitation Colonial attitudes dominate production process: TV companies as ‘safari hunters’.

Chris Dunkley Hegemony Freeth Uses & Gratifications Gitlin Black character as main protagonist Clown/Entertainer • • • • • • • • • Robinson ‘Ethnic’ programming is ‘benign fascism’ capable of producing ‘cultural Apartheid’.

Stuart Hall Tokenism Stuart Hall From exclusion to domestication.

Stuart Hall Faithful slave Trix Worrell

Now apply

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBmMU_iwe6U&ob=av2e Bonus points for anything smart about representations of gender while we’re at it!

Over to you

1. Find your own media text that represents ‘black’ people and analyse the codes used to create meaning. If this is moving image then the clip needs to be available on Youtube. Please insert hyperlink into your work.

• Then: 2. Consider the following statement:

Part of stereotyping is the attitude that all members of a particular group are the same, or else fall in to a very small number of types.

How and why are black people stereotyped? (Refer to theory).