It Is More Than a Role: POC vs. Popular Culture
The misrepresentation of people of color in popular culture has become a cataclysm in our society. Regrettably, the blatant misrepresentation had not received as much cognizance until recent controversies surrounding the 2016 Oscars. The visual of the homogeneous audience that night became a catalyst for awareness. The tension from the issue unveiled how there was still an undercurrent of racism present within the system, and that in turn exposed how stagnant our society has been in effacing institutionalized racism. The Oscar’s revealed the unperceived flaws in film and media. By examining the films: Pan, Braveheart, and Ghost in The Shell, and paralleling them with hooks commentary in her 1997 …show more content…
A film that comes to mind in the misrepresentation of people of color is the live action adaptation of Disney’ classic Peterpan, dubbed as Pan. According to the article “Misrepresentation of People of Color in the Media,” the Warner Bros. recently cast Rooney Mara to play Tiger Lily in the movie Pan. As the article puts it, the role of Tiger Lily is a “fundamentally racist, stereotypical, and problematic” (X.O 2014) role, but it would have served as the perfect chance for an unknown Native American to accurately portray this role, and in turn give positive recognition to an otherwise isolated group. It is more than a role at this point; it is a chance for a small, isolated group of people that are often excluded or misrepresented in the media to receive proper recognition. In receiving that recognition, the audience’s perception of the group is subject to positive change. By giving the role to a white actress, the Native Americans are marginalized and inaccurately represented in the media. Essentially, the isolated group cannot escape the stereotypes surrounding them because audiences are not given accurate representations in …show more content…
The study confirms a lack of representation of POC in top grossing films from 2007-2014: “12.5 percent of speaking characters are black, 4.9 percent are Hispanics, 5.3 percent are Asian” (Smith 2014). In those statistics, the roles that are given to POC only perpetuate stereotypes. The article “Misrepresentation of People of Color in the Media,” confirmed this: “The roles written often perpetuate stereotypes, whether it is the sassy, independent black woman, the spicy Latina maid, or the nerdy and emotionless Asian student” (X.O. 2014). Those stereotypical roles are more than roles; they facilitate negative ideas about the different races, embedding it in the peoples’ minds. What’s more, the implications that people of color are undeserving of accolades come from the institutionalized racism present within the system. The overrepresentation of white actors in top grossing films are given the exposure. So, when it comes time to recognizing talents, the actors given the better profound roles—exposure are the ones recognized. Not the actors who are given the stereotypical roles, the roles that often do not stand
The misrepresentation of people of color in popular culture has become a cataclysm in our society. Regrettably, the blatant misrepresentation had not received as much cognizance until recent controversies surrounding the 2016 Oscars. The visual of the homogeneous audience that night became a catalyst for awareness. The tension from the issue unveiled how there was still an undercurrent of racism present within the system, and that in turn exposed how stagnant our society has been in effacing institutionalized racism. The Oscar’s revealed the unperceived flaws in film and media. By examining the films: Pan, Braveheart, and Ghost in The Shell, and paralleling them with hooks commentary in her 1997 …show more content…
A film that comes to mind in the misrepresentation of people of color is the live action adaptation of Disney’ classic Peterpan, dubbed as Pan. According to the article “Misrepresentation of People of Color in the Media,” the Warner Bros. recently cast Rooney Mara to play Tiger Lily in the movie Pan. As the article puts it, the role of Tiger Lily is a “fundamentally racist, stereotypical, and problematic” (X.O 2014) role, but it would have served as the perfect chance for an unknown Native American to accurately portray this role, and in turn give positive recognition to an otherwise isolated group. It is more than a role at this point; it is a chance for a small, isolated group of people that are often excluded or misrepresented in the media to receive proper recognition. In receiving that recognition, the audience’s perception of the group is subject to positive change. By giving the role to a white actress, the Native Americans are marginalized and inaccurately represented in the media. Essentially, the isolated group cannot escape the stereotypes surrounding them because audiences are not given accurate representations in …show more content…
The study confirms a lack of representation of POC in top grossing films from 2007-2014: “12.5 percent of speaking characters are black, 4.9 percent are Hispanics, 5.3 percent are Asian” (Smith 2014). In those statistics, the roles that are given to POC only perpetuate stereotypes. The article “Misrepresentation of People of Color in the Media,” confirmed this: “The roles written often perpetuate stereotypes, whether it is the sassy, independent black woman, the spicy Latina maid, or the nerdy and emotionless Asian student” (X.O. 2014). Those stereotypical roles are more than roles; they facilitate negative ideas about the different races, embedding it in the peoples’ minds. What’s more, the implications that people of color are undeserving of accolades come from the institutionalized racism present within the system. The overrepresentation of white actors in top grossing films are given the exposure. So, when it comes time to recognizing talents, the actors given the better profound roles—exposure are the ones recognized. Not the actors who are given the stereotypical roles, the roles that often do not stand