Misrepresentations of African Americans in the Media

A detailed Summary of Misrepresentations of African Americans in the Media

Misrepresentations of African Americans in the Movies

It seems that the entertainment industry has helped to shape the way that African Americans are viewed by modern day America. As a white male who has little or no experience within an actual black family unit, I am not sure exactly how accurate media portrayals are. However, I am fully aware of the stereotypes that often plague the African American race. Myths and untruths about the work ethic and sexual ferocity of Black males, the unskilled or careless parenting of Black mothers and fathers, and the general moral deterioration of the Black family as a whole run rampant in today's films, television shows, and other forms of media. Through real life interactions and experience, books and classes, and common sense, I have put these stereotypes to rest for myself. I know that they are not accurate. Unfortunately, there are many who do fall victim to the stereotypes, and there are many more who experience prejudice and pain because of them. After watching some movies that are currently popular, it seems to me that the majority of current films that are aimed at an African American audience fill and support these negative stereotypes of African Americans.

"How High" is only the tip of the iceberg. Movies like "How to be a Player", "Friday", and "Baby Boy", among others, portray Black males as extremely sexually aggressive, almost to the point of being predatory or dangerous. "Anther common stereotype with extensive historical roots concerns the black male's alleged sexual appetite...this stereotype views the men as being "dogs" by nature, and of course "dogs" can be expected to do anything, especially when it comes to their sexual conduct" (Cheatham 151). Images like this cause tension between Black males and females and have a negative effect on relationships and families. It is not healthy for Black females to be seeing these images on the big screen that are supposed to be portraying their fathers, brothers, and husbands.

These movies are highly publicized. There are billboards in my neighborhood, which happens to be a largely African American section of South Philadelphia, there are advertisements on all of the major rap music stations, and in all of the Black focused magazines. Why are they aimed towards black teens? To me, it would seem that these movies would contribute to the already poor self-image of many black males. "Positive self esteem is a salutogen, but it appears that it is not a characteristic of successful Black men" (Majors 223). These movies should make young black men feel bad about themselves. Movies like this are telling people that indeed, the images of the "Black Brute", that we have worked so hard to erase from our mind, are in fact accurate. There is no doubt in my mind that these types of films do a disservice to Black America.

es an idea for a film, it is aimed towards a specific audience. Some of these movies are specifically aimed towards African American teens. These films usually star African American actors and actresses, sometimes popular rap stars, and they usually take place in an urban setting. I have seen two such comedy movies recently; "Friday", starring Ice Cube, and "How High", starring Method Man and Redman. Because these movies star popular rap artists, they are meant to attract those artists' core audience, African American teens. However, upon viewing these films, I was disturbed rather than amused. Because of the extremely high number of r

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Approximate Word count = 1522
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Movies