A Feminist Perspective of Spike Lee’S
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BLACK WOMEN ARE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT PROPERTY: A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE OF SPIKE LEE’S 1986 AND 2017 PRODUCTIONS OF SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT A Thesis Presente to The Graduate Faculty of The University of Akron d In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Tonya M. Johnson , 2019 May BLACK WOMEN ARE HUMAN BEINGS, NOT PROPERTY: A FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE OF SPIKE LEE’S 1986 AND 2017 PRODUCTIONS OF SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT Tonya M. Johnson Thesis Approved: Accepted: ________________________________________ ____________________________________ Advisor Dean of College Dr. Mary E. Triece Dr. Linda Subich ________________________________________ ____________________________________ Committee Member Dean of the Graduate School Dr. Kathleen D. Clark Dr. Chand Midha ________________________________________ _____________________________________ Committee Member Date Dr. Kathleen Endres _________________________________________ School Director Dr. Heather Walter ii ACKNOWLEDEGEMTS This thesis has been a fulfilling journey that would not be possible without the love, support, and encouragement of a number of people. I would first like to acknowledge Dr. Mary Triece for her time and effort through this entire process. It was her passion for rhetoric that inspired me to explore research through a feminist perspective. Her wisdom was there to guide me through the periods I felt most defeated. I would also like to thank my committee members, Dr. Kathleen Clark and Dr. Kathleen Endres for their guidance. Your fields of expertise have been extremely valuable to becoming a scholar. It is with the deepest gratitude that I acknowledge The University of Akron School of Communication. For the past five years, this program has helped me grow both intellectually and professionally. No matter where I reside in the future, I will forever be a proud Zip. It is with greatest sincerity I acknowledge my friends and family for supporting me from the very beginning. First, I thank my friends. Not only were you there for entertainment and laughter, you were also there for words of encouragement. Second, I thank my mom and dad. In addition to being wonderful parents, they both have contributed immensely to my education. They are the reason why I am this woman today. Last, but far from least, I would like to thank my sister Alyvia. As her younger sister, she has been nothing less than an exceptional role model. Although she often acted like a second mom, she believed in me when I iii couldn’t believe in myself. It is with this that I offer my token of sincere appreciation. Completing this thesis and earning my Master’s degree of Communication is by far my greatest accomplishment. I could not have done it without the support, encouragement, and guidance from each of you. I will always be indebted. Thank you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES……………………………………………………………………………………………….. vi CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………………………...…..1 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE……………………………………………………………………7 Representations of Black Women in the Media………………………………..7 Perceptions of Black Beauty Standards…………………………………………..14 The Role of Colorism……………………………………………………………………..17 III. METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………………………………………21 IV. ANALYSIS…………………………………………………………………………………………..30 She’s Gotta Have It Synopsis………………………………………………………….31 Black Beauty Standards…………………………………………………………………34 Controlling Black Images……………………………………………………………….48 Sexual Objectification of Black Female Form…………………………………..55 V. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………..63 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………………………………………..68 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 5.1 Clorinda Bradford………………………………………………………………………………36 5.2 Shemekka Epps & Daughter………….…………………………………………………….37 5.3 Shemekka Epps (edited)……………………………………………………………………..37 5.4 Nola Darling: 1986 film……………………………………………………………………....38 5.5 Nola Darling: 2017 series……………………………………………………………………38 vi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION “In every crisis there is a message. Crises are nature’s way of forcing change – breaking down old structures, shaking loose negative habits so that something new and better can take their place.” --Susan L. Taylor There is a wide swath of research conducted on the undermining of African- American women within a White male-controlled society (Chen, Williams, Hendrickson, & Chen, 2012; Collins, 1990; Davis, 1981; hooks, 1989, 1993; Jones & Shorten-Gooden, 2003; Miller et al., 2008; White, 1985). However, the impact dominant ideology has on Black female beauty, experience, and sexuality in our culture and the Black community, in particular, is often underexplored. Mainstream media are a central facilitator for how we conceptualize Black women in our culture. During the beginning stages of media, Blacks struggled to represent their own stories, beliefs, opinions and identities because Whites controlled the entertainment industry and chose what images of Blacks to portray 1 (Kulaszewicz, 2015). Luther, Ringer-Lepre, and Clark (2012) write in Diversity in Mass Media that: Throughout history the mass media, in various forms, have tended to support the power of the dominant group by presenting to the general public highly negative, emotion evoking images of minority groups. ( p. 322) In the twenty-first century, Black producers and creators are finding more opportunity in the White-controlled media industry. Still, Mercer (1992) argues that even African-American producers and creators of shows that represent Black life are oftentimes confronted with two opposing forces: (1) the need to present positive images to counter historical representations that reinforced negative stereotypes, and (2) the desire to “keep it real” which inevitably includes both positive and negative aspects of the African-American experience (Cornwell & Orbe, 2002). Like African-American producers and creators, Black women are gradually gaining more opportunities in film and television by being offered more substantial roles and parts. Shonda Rhimes’s 2012 Scandal and 2014 How To Get Away With Murder leading characters Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, and Annalise Keating, played by Viola Davis, are both depicted as strong independent women with successful political careers. Characters like Olivia Pope and Annalise Keating ignite controversy by giving African-American women a great deal of political power and challenging the ideology of hegemonic masculinity. Amid such controversy, there is still a surplus of television shows and films that reinforce dominant beliefs about race, class, and beauty (Bennett, 2014). A Black woman’s experiences in the workplace, the complexities of her romantic life, 2 the challenges she faces as a mother, and her spiritual and religious practices are all ways in which a Black woman can be misunderstood or understood in her community. Many images of Black women in the media are portrayed as ghetto, criminals, buffoons, or even hypersexual beings (Jones & Shorten-Gooden, 2003). These images can be negative, limiting and degrading and may also impact both how Black women perceive themselves and how others see them as well. Reality television shows like Love and Hip Hop, for example, portray the angry licentious Black woman who constantly devalues herself because she entertains conflict and drama. Reality shows like this are interpreted by viewers as influential to society’s perception of violent Black women in African-American communities. Furthermore, it serves as a formula of success for the network that problematically reinforces the stereotype of the “angry Black woman” (Goff, 2012). As media culture has emerged and spectacles helped produce the fabric of everyday life (Kellner, 2003), television shows and films that offer insight into communities that are underrepresented have become more common. Despite media content evolving with the interests of society, representations of Black women are still situated through long-standing ideologies that create and perpetuate negative stereotypes. Therefore, the production of oppressive imagery that highlights Black female beauty, experience, and sexuality in society remains entrenched in subordination. As Brooks and Jacobs (1996) write, attention must be given to television’s ability to promote antiessentialist and nonstereotypical images of African Americans (as cited in Orbe, 1998). 3 There is a significant gap in the literature that critically compares past and present representations of Black women in a White male-controlled society. Yet, there is an even greater gap in scholarship on portrayals of Black women within the Black community, which are created and produced by their African-American counterparts. Thus, it is extremely important to explore how representations of Black women are influenced by preexisting ideologies in our culture. Shelton Jackson Lee, also known as Spike Lee, is an African-American film director, producer, writer, and actor in Hollywood today. He is well known for his iconic films that highlight complex messages surrounding Black experience and culture within a White male-controlled society. In 1986 Lee paved his way into the American film industry with his feature film, She’s Gotta Have It. His work was notable for its revolutionary portrayal of Black female beauty, experience and sexuality in a system of interlocking race, gender, and class oppression. The main character, Nola Darling, lives her life free-spiritedly while entertaining multiple significant others and attempting to experiment with monogamy. Darling finds that lessons in love can be enlightening,