Stereotypes In Felix Gary Gray's Friday

Throughout the history of motion pictures, film has been used to control how the general public views certain demographics of people. In particular, the black community has hitorically been viewed in a negative light. Through stereotypes such as Bucks, Toms, Coons and Mulattos, African Americans are put into subcategories that diminish their value as a human being. Often played by white actors in blackface, these characters exaggerated stereotypes that were used to confine the way black people were viewed and ultimately treated. Once seen as shocking or appalling, overtime these characters have become normalized and are seen in modern day cinema. Felix Gary Gray’s Friday perpetuates stereotypes that negatively affect the black community through …show more content…
It is not by coincidence that the two Bucks in the films are large black men. That furthers the ideas that black men are these massive dominant creatures that have no respect for authority. Stanley being an Uncle Tom, makes it hard for black men that want to dress nice. When seen in formal clothing, someone who has seen Friday, or movies familiar, will automatically associate them with being an Uncle Tom without judging the content of their character. Craig is one of the lighter members of the cast. Playing the role of the tragic Mulatto, he continues the notion that the lighter one’s skin is, the better his chances at becoming a successful. Lastly, we have the Coon. This is shown through a range of characters, which makes it arguably worse than the rest. Since there are no specific character traits other than being black, any black person who may be uneducated or uses comedy to enhance certain situations will be seen as a Coon. Through Bucks, Toms, Mulattos and Coons, Friday perpetuates stereotypes that negatively affect the black