AND THE STEREOTYPE AWARD GOES TO…: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF

DIRECTORS USING AFRICAN AMERICAN STEREOTYPES IN FILM

Kelcei Young, B.A.

Thesis Prepared for the Degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS

December 201 9

APPROVED:

Tracy Everbach, Committee Chair Newly Paul, Committee Member Harry Benshoff, Committee Member Koji Fuse, Director of Graduate Studies in the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism Andrea Miller, Director of the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism and Dean of the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism Tamara L. Brown, Executive Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Victor Prybutok, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School

Young, Kelcei. And the Stereotype Award Goes to…: A Comparative Analysis of

Directors Using African American Stereotypes in Film. Master of Arts (Journalism), December

2019, 55 pp., references, 78 titles.

This study examines African American stereotypes in film. I studied six directors,

Kathryn Bigelow, Spike Lee, the Russo Brothers, Ryan Coogler, Tate Taylor, and Dee Rees; and six films Detroit, BlacKkKlansman, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Help, and

Mudbound. Using the framework of critical race theory and auteur theory, I compared the

common themes between the films and directors. The main purpose of my study is to see if

White or Black directors predominantly used African American stereotypes. I found that both

races of directors rely on stereotypes for different purposes. With Black directors, the stereotype

was explained further through character development, while the White directors used the

stereotype at face value with no further explanation.

Copyright 2019

By

Kelcei Young

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This has been such a long time coming, and I am so incredibly grateful for this process. I can’t believe I did it!

First and foremost, praises and thanks to my Lord and Savior, for His continuous blessings on allowing me to complete my thesis successfully.

I also would like to express my very profound gratitude to my parents, Franklin and

Sandy, for providing me with unfailing support and continuous encouragement throughout my research and stress. They always encouraged me to never give up and to keep on pushing even when I really wanted to stop. This accomplishment would not have been possible without them.

Thank you. Love you!

I’m extremely grateful for my thesis chair, Dr. Tracy Everbach! The door to her office was always open whenever I ran into a trouble spot or had a question about my research or writing. She was always so encouraging and patient with the ten thousand questions I had for her.

Finally, I want to thank all my friends who have talked me off a ledge and helped me to remain calm throughout this. Their support means so much to me. I want to specifically thank my friend and fellow coder, Briana Moore, for helping with my research and always being supportive throughout this entire process.

iii TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... iii

CHAPTER 1. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY ...... 1

CHAPTER 2. TYPES OF STEREOTYPES ...... 3 Female ...... 3 Male ...... 7

CHAPTER 3. THEORIES ...... 11 Critical Race Theory ...... 11 Auteur Theory ...... 13

CHAPTER 4. FILMS USED ...... 16 “Detroit” ...... 16 “BlacKkKlansman”...... 18 “Captain America: The Winter Solider” ...... 21 “Black Panther” ...... 22 “The Help” ...... 24 “Mudbound” ...... 26

CHAPTER 5. FEMALE STEREOTYPES IN THE FILMS ...... 28 Mammy Stereotype ...... 28 “BlacKkKlansman”...... 28 “Black Panther” ...... 29 “The Help” ...... 29 “Mudbound” ...... 31 Sapphire/Jezebel ...... 32 “BlacKkKlansman”...... 32 “Black Panther” ...... 34

CHAPTER 6. MALE STEREOTYPES IN THE FILMS ...... 36 Uncle Tom Stereotype ...... 36 “Detroit” ...... 36

iv “BlacKkKlansman”...... 37 “Captain America: The Winter Solider” ...... 39 “Black Panther” ...... 41 “Mudbound” ...... 42 Brute ...... 42 “Detroit” ...... 43 “BlacKkKlansman”...... 44 “Captain America: The Winter Solider” ...... 45 “Black Panther” ...... 46

CHAPTER 7. CONCLUSION...... 48

REFERENCES ...... 50

v CHAPTER 1

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

Growing up I rarely saw myself or an accurate depiction of myself onscreen. The first

time I saw a positive non-stereotypical black character was when the singer Brandy played

Cinderella in the live-action remake. I was amazed that someone like me could be a princess.

Stories like this are rampant all over African American households.

When black people see themselves on screen it is mainly in a stereotypical light. We are the gang bangers, the whores, the Mammies, or the Uncle Tom’s. Most African Americans rarely

see an appropriate representation of themselves on the television screen. Many times, the only

representation that is presented is a gross mischaracterization of what being a black person really

means. This misrepresentation in the media also translates to how they are perceived in reality.

That is why it is the media’s job to portray all minorities like people, not just as racist and outdated caricatures. The purpose of my study is to see how black directors and white directors portray African American actors. I want to see which director leans more heavily on African

American stereotypes. I watched six films: Detroit, BlacKkKlansman, Captain America: The

Winter Soldier, Black Panther, The Help, and Mudbound.

I chose these films for various reasons. Detroit and BlacKkKlansman are both based on true events that happened in the 1960s to early 1970s when Blaxploitation films were popular, and the stereotypes of black people changed. Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Black

Panther are both superhero movies from the same cinematic universe, who later depended on each other for survival. The Help and Mudbound are both based on fictional novels by the same name and heavily discuss racism surrounding real-life events in the South.

1 With each category, I discuss the Caucasian director first and then proceed to the African

American director. I look at these films through the framework of critical race theory and auteur theory, to examine the common themes between them. Through my research and findings, I want to figure out if African American stereotypes are used predominantly by white or black directors.

2 CHAPTER 2

TYPES OF STEREOTYPES

Female

Melissa Harris-Perry notes there are three myths about black women and discusses how

these myths limit black women’s role in society; the Jezebel myth, the Mammy myth, and the

Sapphire myth (Harris-Perry, 2011). She states that these stereotypes “shame [African American women] and shape their experiences as citizens” (Harris-Perry, 2013). Due to this shame,

African American women and their experiences are often marginalized and ignored by the general public, specifically by news and entertainment media.

The Jezebel stereotype is described as “seductive, alluring, worldly, beguiling, tempting, and lewd” (Pilgrim, 2002). This stereotype predates media but began with the institution of slavery. When black women were found in their native country of Africa they were seen as

“scantily clad natives” (Pilgrim, 2002). This nudity led to the hyper-sexualization of black

women today.

In a study done by Scyatta A. Wallace, Tiffany G. Townsend, Marcia Glasgow, and Mary

Jane Ojie (2011), they studied the effects of negative stereotypes on African American

adolescents. They speculated that the relationship of being seen as a Gold Digger or Video Vixen

(which are the modern-day Jezebels) led adolescents to substance abuse.

“How one identifies oneself is important because self-concept mediate[s] and regulates

one’s behavior (Wurf, 1987, qtd as cited in Wallace, Townsend, Glasgow, Ojie, 2011 p. 1315).

This is especially important for young women in the transitionary period between childhood and

adulthood. Young African American women are constantly being shown through the media that

they are hyper-sexualized and promiscuous. The modern-day Jezebel shows itself as “the diva

3 [whose] beauty standards are characterized by western standards and who targets men who can

raise her social status” (Wallace, Townsend, Glasgow, & Ojie, 2011). Through being exposed to

this negative stereotype most of their lives they turn to substance abuse to keep up with that

image, as opposed to the young women who did not have to see that stereotype growing up.

Stereotyping black women goes beyond adolescence. In a study done by Sonja M. Brown

Givens and Jennifer L. Monahan (2005), they tested participants on their measure of “implicit

and explicit racial profiling.” They hypothesized that the participants would associate African

Americans with a negative term versus a positive one.

The participants were shown two clips, one of Halle Berry as the character Dorothy

Dandridge, the 1950s soul singer, to display the Jezebel stereotype, and one of Juanita Moore as

the character Annie Johnson in the 1959 Imitation of Life, to display the Mammy stereotype.

Afterward, the participants were given a list of 40 adjectives and asked to see which character

trait fit the person on the clip. Unbeknownst to the participants, the adjectives were separated by positive, negative, Jezebel, and Mammy. All of the participants placed the negative and/or

Jezebel traits to describe the black women.

The Mammy stereotype was made popular in the “Antebellum South during slavery”

(Pilgrim, 2000). Mammy is defined as “a motherly, self-sacrificing Black female servant who is responsible [for] domestic duties and taking care of those around her” (Bell & Nkomo, 2001).

When one thinks of the Mammy stereotype the predominant images that pop in your head are

Aunt Jemima or Hattie McDaniel’s award-winning performance in Gone With the Wind.

In a study done for the University of Georgia, it was observed that the Mammy stereotype was not only limited to the domestic home life but included the workplace as well. At work, the

Mammy stereotype is displayed as a usually older black woman who is competent in her job, but

4 also offers the much-needed support system in the office (Reynolds - Dobbs, Thomas, &

Harrison, 2008). Adia Harvey Wingfield (2007) expands on the Mammy stereotype in the workplace. She states, “the modern [work] Mammy is expected to sacrifice all vestiges of a personal life in order to demonstrate unshakeable loyalty to the (usually white) boss or institution” (p. 202).

The Mammy stereotype is not only dependent on her willingness to be supportive, but her weight as well. She is usually dark-skinned and very overweight. “The Mammy image continues to represent the economic and working conditions of many Black women” because black women, especially the economically challenged, are more likely to be overweight than Whites and Black men (West, 1995, p. 459).

In a dissertation for Ohio State University, Karen Jewell (1976) noticed that the Mammy stereotype is “the antithesis of femininity and the American conception of womanhood” (p. 10), because the Mammy stereotype focuses so heavily on her weight and masculine unattractive features. Jewell also noted that this stereotype is “the most detrimental and denigrating image of black womanhood” because of how well American audiences have embraced it.

American audiences tend to embrace the Sapphire stereotype made famous from the

Amos and Andy show of the 1940s and 1950s. Sapphire Stevens was the character’s name on the radio-turned-television show. She was the overbearing wife of the lead actor on the show. Her sassy nature was always combined with her being verbally and physically aggressive. The

Sapphire stereotype “was the antithesis of the Mammy representation” (West, 1995, p. 461).

While the Mammy stereotype was kind and enduring, the Sapphire stereotype was loud and usually verbally berated and emasculated black men.

5 In the Journal of Black Psychology, there was a study documenting the media’s contributions to Black college students’ endorsements of various stereotypes (Jerald, Ward,

Moss, Thomas, and Fletcher, 2017). It was argued that the Sapphire stereotype is a “controlling image of Black women that [has] been used to justify the systems of oppression present in Black women's lives” today (Jerald, Ward, Moss, Thomas, & Fletcher, 2017, p. 610). They hypothesized that seeing these negative stereotypes consistently ruins the young black woman’s identity of herself.

Young black women are consistently forced to see themselves as various stereotypes, specifically the Angry Black Woman, which is a more common name for the Sapphire stereotype. Being possibly labeled an Angry Black Woman prevents black women from displaying anger or frustration in public out of fear of being stereotyped. However, to some women, this blatant show of anger or aggression is seen as a positive because it allows them to be seen as strong instead of passive (West, 1995).

The workplace disagrees. This strong show of emotions can be seen as negative in the workplace. Black women who are seen as “pushy and hostile by subordinates are often seen as aggressive” (Garrison & Jenkins, 1986, p. 158). To combat this some black women will back down to attempt to appear less threatening, especially when interacting with other ethnic groups

(Lineberger & Calhoun, 1983). By backing down this prevents black women in the workplace from being themselves for fear of offending anyone in the process.

The black female’s stereotype continues to evolve and redefine itself. Jezebels are known for their bodies; Mammies are known for their loyal nature, and Sapphires are known for their bad attitudes. These types of images, while tweaked slightly from their original definition, are still being shown in the media today and affect black women on a global scale.

6 Male

America has a “love-hate obsession with black men in commercial cinema” according to

Ed Guerrero (1995, p. 395). He notes that throughout cinematic history, America has struggled to

“define and contextualize black manhood in broader terms” other than the stereotypes that are regularly being shown on screen (Guerrero, 1995, p. 396).

One of the first black male stereotypes was not even portrayed by a black actor, but a white actor in blackface. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel turned film, showed America what a

“Good Negro” character looked like. This stereotype, formally known as ‘Uncle Tom,’ was socially acceptable to the white society (Bogle, 2001). The Uncle Tom stereotype is overly subservient and assumed to be intellectually inferior to the white person they are serving.

Arnold Rose wrote in his novel The Negro in America that “the negro may unconsciously

come to feel that by rejecting Negroes and ‘Negro ways,’ he can escape being a negro and all

that [it] involves” (1957, qtd as cited in, Petroni, 1970 p. 260). This is the thought justification

behind the Uncle Tom stereotype. If he, the black man, rejects all things relating to black culture

then maybe he can be accepted into his white counterparts’ world.

Today, the modern-day Uncle Tom has evolved to also include a mythical element. This

mythical element is now known as the Magical Negro Narrative. Famed black filmmaker Spike

Lee noticed this shift in cinema. Lee noted that “black characters in these [types of] films use

their powers to help the White characters, but [do] not utilize them to help themselves” (Glenn &

Cunningham, 2009, p. 138). In a Howard University study, Glenn & Cunningham (2009) defined

the true definition of the Magical Negro: “to assist the [white] character, to help him or her

discover and utilize his or her spirituality, and to offer a type of ‘folk wisdom’ used to resolve

the character’s dilemma” (p. 136).

7 While the Magical Negro is not limited to males, it is primarily a male who plays the role. The Magical Negro uses his powers to “transform disheveled, uncultured, lost, or broken whites” (Hughey, 2009, p. 543). The Magical Negro stereotype is not always so pointed at the black characters' magical features, however, sometimes it’s focused more on servitude. Sidney

Poitier’s films of the 1960s showed him as a perfect example of a “passive resistance” black man

(Benshoff & Griffin, 2004). These types of magical negros are the ones who are consistently

“placed in White worlds to help [white] people improve themselves” (Glenn & Cunningham,

2009, p. 137).

Matthew Hughey makes a point that the Magical Negro is a form of new or synthetic racism. Hughey uses the word synthetic because “Magical Negro films demonstrate a cinematic synthesis between two dynamics… the reproduction of violently stereotypical and racist black representations, and the normalization of white (especially male) representations (2009, p. 551).

This new racism “reinforces the meaning of white people as moral and pure characters while also delineating how powerful, divine, and/or magic-wielding black characters may interact with whites and mainstream” characters (Hughey, 2009). Author, bell hooks (1992), adds on to this by saying that the Magical Negro stereotype shows a false sense of reality to white America. In films that follow the Magical Negro narrative, it shows a utopian society where blacks and whites get along and the “racial problems only exist in the minds of black people” (Glenn &

Cunningham, 2009).

While the Magical Negro Narrative and the Uncle Tom stereotype is reliant on servitude, the Coon stereotype is purely for entertainment purposes. The term ‘coon’ derives from the animal name raccoon. Coons are “slow-talking, slow-walking, self-demeaning nitwit[s]”

(Pilgrim, 2014). Pilgrim notes that this is where the lazy negro stereotype came from. Not only

8 does the Coon Stereotype speak a certain way, but he usually dresses a certain way too. He is typically depicted as tall, gangly, and wearing clothes that are oftentimes twice his size.

A stereotype very similar to the Coon stereotype is the Sambo. It emphasizes the childlike nature of the character being portrayed. The Sambo stereotype was just as loyal as the

Uncle Tom stereotype, yet in a more childish manner. Joseph Boskin in his novel Sambo: The

Rise and Fall of a Jester stated the Sambo stereotype originally began as more of a concept before it was an identity (1988). Boskin claims that the Sambo character is the same as the Jester character - someone who is naturally funny - the only difference is the type of clothes worn and the types of jokes said.

Another common stereotype for black males today is the Black Buck stereotype. This stereotype depicts the African American male as a “violent, vengeful, [and] highly sexual male”

(Kocić, 2017, p. 85). This depiction helped define black masculinity, which was in a direct correlation to white masculinity. Due to its negative nature, this stereotype alters how black men are viewed and treated.

In a study for the University of Kentucky, Tyler questioned black American male high school students to see if they internalized this stereotype and to see if because of this internalized stereotype did it alter their learning (2014). “Black American male adolescents are in a persistent battle for their own social identities or how they are perceived by others,” the author said (Tyler,

2014, p. 6). The study noted that due to this internalized stereotype that many black men turn to criminal activities to combat these feelings.

In turning to criminal activities, it pushes another element of the stereotype that black men are inherently violent, so much so that when people hear of a crime, they immediately assume it was done by a black person. Barlow believes that “perceptions about the presumed

9 racial identity of criminals [is] so ingrained in public consciousness that race does not even need to be specifically mentioned for a connection to be made between the two because it seems that

“talking about crime is talking about race” (1998, p. 151, qtd as cited in, Welch, 2007 p. 276).

However, this violence through the years has become highly sexualized. The Black Buck stereotype that was originally used to scare white people because of the violent nature of the black man has now become a fetish. “A stereotype that once functioned to frighten white women and to keep black men in their place now functions to solicit sexual desire in the form of a transgressive, pornographic tale” (Williams, 2004, p. 83). These types of pornographic flicks exploit the Black Buck stereotype. They use violence and make it extremely sexual and aggressive. This reduces black men to the Savage stereotype who only cares about feeding his sexual appetite. This labels black men as a “subhuman species, devoid from empathy and human(e) feelings” (hooks, 1992, p. 112).

In today’s society, the black man has gone through many stereotypical phases. He has gone from being the ‘good negro’ who helped his owner in any way possible, even to the point of using magic, to being the butt of everyone’s jokes, to finally, being dehumanized to a sexual aggressor. Due to the history of these stereotypes many black men are still seen this way. The media still portrays these images which show not only how black men are seen, but how the world should interact with them as well.

10 CHAPTER 3

THEORIES

Critical Race Theory

Critical race theory began as a theory for “scholars of color to challenge and transform racial oppression” (Cabrera, 2018, p. 209). The theory originally was focused on the educational side of racial oppression. The critical race theory education tenets were, “[the] intercentricity of

race and racism, challenge to the dominant ideology, commitment to social justice, centrality of

experimental knowledge, and interdisciplinary perspective” (Yosso, 2009, qtd as cited in

Cabrera, 2018 p. 212).

Now the theory has transformed into a theoretical framework that is used in many various

forms. As research has evolved, so has the definition. As of the early 2000s the updated

definition of Critical race theory is “the view that race, instead of being biologically grounded

and natural, is socially constructed and that race, as a socially constructed concept, functions as a

means to maintain the interests of the white population that constructed it” (Curry, 2009, p. 1).

Critical race theory began as a theory grounded in education but has shifted to a theory that can relate to other fields. With this shift to include critical race theory in other fields, the tenets have shifted as well. The original tenets were based in education, but the reformed tenets

are based on law and education. The reformed critical race theory legal tenets assert that “racism

is normal” (Delgado and Stefancic, 2012, qtd as cited in Cabrera, 2018 p. 212).

In a study done by Daniel Solorzano, Miguel Ceja, & Tara Yosso it was noted that

critical race theory relates to the many racial microaggressions that African American college

students experience today. Microaggressions are defined as, “subtle insults (verbal, nonverbal,

and/or visual) directed toward people of color, often automatically or unconsciously” (Solorzano,

11 Ceja, & Yoso, 2000, p. 60).

They chose critical race theory because of the aforementioned legal tenets that were redefined by Delgado and Stefancic. They felt it would properly assist them in identifying what racial microaggressions were happening on campus and how it affected the African Americans’ undergraduate experience. They noted that with this theory “victims of racism can find their voice” and realize that they are not alone in feeling the way that they are feeling (Solorzano,

Ceja, & Yoso, 2000).

Critical race theory asserts that racism is normal or at least normal to the race that constructed the hierarchy (Solorzano, Ceja, & Yoso, 2000). Throughout the history of film, the white narrative is the starting point and all minority roles are secondary and dependent on

stereotypes. The minority characters, for the most part, rarely have any character development or

depth aside from assisting the main white protagonist.

Dennis Davis and Stanley Baran (2015) discuss critical race theory as one where the

“social elites” use their power and influence to control society. This is particularly true according

to films. The film industry is run by essentially 10 movie production companies; Warner

Brothers Pictures, Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney

Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc, United Artists Corporation,

DreamWorks Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (Greer, 2019). The people in charge

of these companies are predominately white males. These white males use their influence to

control and maintain societal order. These social elites are using their power to influence the

media by creating a “hegemonic culture” (Baran and Davis, 2015).

Margaret K. Russell (1991) suggests that “the cinematic narrative – whether art film,

blockbuster, musical, melodrama, comedy, or documentary – is a valuable source of insight

12 about race and law.” Using critical race theory, she hypothesized that stories showing exclusion

and oppression can help to change or challenge the laws that exclude the minorities in the first

place. Yet to bring about truly radical change, Robin West of Georgetown University Law, noted

that “[we should be] flooding the market with our stories” to help gain power and legitimacy

(West, 1988, qtd as cited in Russel, 1991 p. 245).

This theory relates to my research because critical race theory wants to challenge the

ideals of racisms. The films I have chosen try to challenge racism in their own way. Films, while being entertaining, also have a level of responsibility to their audience. The characters that films portray, whether they are real or fake, still hold some grounding in reality. When the film

industry shows minorities, specifically African Americans, in a predominantly stereotypical

light, it shows that this is the norm for African American people, not only in how they act, but

also how they should be treated.

Auteur Theory

Auteur theory began in France in the 1940s. In the 1960s, Andrew Sarris an American

film critic brought the auteur theory to America. Sarris believed “the way a film looks and moves

should have some relationship to the way a director thinks and feels” (Stam, 2000, para. 1). The

term ‘auteur,’ which means ‘author’ in French, became popular when a group of French critics,

who founded Cahiers du Cinêma, decided to use it to represent film directors. They believed,

“that movie directors exert the same artistic control on (and bear the same moral responsibility

for) their films as a writer does for a book” (Brody, 2012, para. 3).

Sarris (1962) argues that there are three main tenets of auteur theory. One, that auteur

theory does not assume that there are merely good or bad directors, but that there is a “technical

competence of a director” (Sarris, 1962, p. 562). This means that all directors need to have an

13 appreciation and understanding of the art of cinema before they can be labeled as a director.

Two, that each director should have a “distinguishable personality” or signature in their directing

style to set them apart from the rest (Sarris, 1962). Then the final tenet of auteur theory is of the

“interior meaning” of the film itself (Sarris, 1962). This incorporates both the previous tenets

together. Does the director use his or her technical skills and signature style to portray something

deeper than just a film?

Benshoff (2016) states that “multiculturalists argue that a director's social subjectivity—

including his or her race, class, gender, sexuality, regionality/nationality, etc.— play[s] an

important role in the cultural meaning of any given director's work” (p. 64). This is important

because based on the director’s personal cultural background it would determine how the

director displayed certain races (opposite or identical) to his or her own. A director could be

relying on stereotypes because that is the only way they have seen that minority group growing

up or because they feel that is the most adequate way to portray them.

Many people believe that auteur theory should expand beyond just directors. Sondra

Bacharach and Deborah Tollefsen (2010) argue that auteur theory isn’t just dependent on the director’s creative vision, but other influences as well. Bacharach and Tollefsen note that the director is not the only author of the film, “these properties could not all be attributed to the director or producer alone, as they were produced by the actions of other individuals” (p. 24).

Theorist Berys Gaut (2010) suggests that “neither the director nor the producer has sufficient control over the whole film” (Bacharach & Tollefson, p. 24). He states that actors always bring something different to the film than what the director might have originally expected.

Jeff Menne (2011) makes a counter-argument that auteur theory is (and should be) entirely based on the director’s impression because that is what the originator Sarris intended. He

14 argues that because of auteur theory, directors are “able to shape the organizational machinery of

Hollywood to his will” which allows directors to create a unique style (Menne, 2011, p. 36).

For my research, I use auteur theory the way Sarris originally defined it. I focus primarily on the directors to distinguish their voice and direction in the films that were chosen. I want to examine the influence the director had over the films. I investigate whether they used their influence to better the African American stereotype or if they used it to further the already predetermined narrative.

15 CHAPTER 4

FILMS USED

“Detroit”

Detroit is an intense portrayal of the 1967 Motel Algiers incident. Director, Kathryn

Bigelow showed what happened on that horrific night, when three, young black men were killed by Detroit police. She showed the audience not only the trauma the group of African American men suffered but the injustice that was served as well.

The film had varying levels of stereotypes but relied heavily on the racism portrayed by the white cops. Bigelow did draw a clear distinction that not all white people believe and act this way though. She made it seem that the only racist people were the lower level patrolmen.

Anyone higher up or in a different division such as National Guard or Army had more common sense than your average run of the mill cops.

Critical race theory strongly relates to this film because of the heavy use of racism in the film. A tenet of critical race theory is that “racism serves important purposes” (Delgado &

Stefancic, 2012). This is evident in Detroit. Racism served as the justification for white

Patrolman Krauss to repeatedly shoot and kill unarmed black men. In his mind, he was helping black people and simply doing his job. He commented that “we need to stop failing the black people because they’re looking to us for help” (Bigelow, 2017) minutes before shooting a looter from running away from him.

His racism fueled his purpose in his job. When questioned by the homicide detective on why he was so trigger happy, he began weaving a story of “what if’s” that the dead black man could have committed. After hearing his reasoning, the detective said that he would recommend

Krauss receive a murder charge. Krauss wasn’t angry or upset to hear this news because a white

16 person delivered the message to him. Nor did this stop him from committing the same crime later

in that same day.

A more recently developed tenet of critical race theory states that “racism is ‘embedded

in the structure of society’” (Bhambra, 2017). Detroit was set in the late 1960s as the Civil

Rights Movement was in full swing. People were still used to a segregated way of life and seeing

black and white people comingling in any setting was strange and disturbing still too many

people.

When Patrolman Flynn is raiding the motel and sees an African American, Karl Greene, with two white women, Karen and Julie, he immediately assumes the worst. Seeing the young white women in short dresses alone with this muscular black man-made them believe he was their pimp. The young ladies were still tortured physically, but the patrolmen also questioned their mental state for them wanting to sleep with the black men.

This film is a “righteous outrage” calling out police brutality and social injustice (Brody,

2017). Critics were split on how to view Bigelow’s work, but they could all agree that she presented this black trauma loudly and with no room for contention on who acted inappropriately. Bigelow brings these strong reactions to all of her work. She is the only female to win an Academy Award for Best Director for her heart-wrenching display of the Iraq war in

The Hurt Locker. Her signature storytelling technique is the rawness of the stories she tells.

While bringing harrowing tales to life is her author's signature, many wonder why a white director decided that this story was hers to tell. Film critic, Angelica Jade Bastien, wrote that

“white creatives…do not understand the weight of the images they hone in on with an unflinching gaze” (2017). Bastein furthers her point saying that this film, although about the

Algiers incident was “white perceptions of black pain” (2017).

17 Much like his character in the film, John Boyega who played Melvin Dismukes, jumped

to Bigelow’s defense. He believed her thorough research on the incident and her “approaching

[the project] with respect and integrity” allowed for Bigelow to be the proper director to bring

this film to all audiences (Erbland, 2017).

Bigelow disagreed. She quickly questioned herself on whether she should be the person

to tell this story. She realized that no, she wasn’t the perfect person for the project, but she is

“able to tell the story and it’s been 50 years since it’s been told” (Lang, 2017). Bigelow believed

that the story needed to be told, no matter who was telling the story. She felt that “the white

community needs to take [responsibility] for racism in America” and this is how she intended to

do that (Leigh, 2017).

All of Bigelow’s films show violence on a grand scale. Her obsession with showing

bloodied bodies on screen is not just for the gore factor, but because she believes it can be used

as a political tool. She sees it as a “power strategy” to encourage conversations that would not

usually be had (Lang, 2017).

“BlacKkKlansman”

BlacKkKlansman is based on the memoir written by Ron Stallworth about an undercover investigation into the Ku Klux Klan. Ron Stallworth is a rookie African American cop who infiltrates the Colorado Springs chapter of the KKK. Director Spike Lee tries to balance the drama and comedy of a black man being welcomed into a white supremacist group.

The film while based on a true story parodies racism and white supremacy. Adding humor to an already dark topic, Lee uses his African American characters as jokes, and his

Caucasian actors carry the drama and seriousness of the situations. Stallworth, played by John

David Washington, borderlines on a stereotypical Uncle Tom and someone who is trying to help

18 black people. The line is consistently blurred because the nature of his true intentions for the investigation are never fleshed out.

The film was set around the ending of the civil rights movement in the 1970s. It showed that even though America finally recognized that racism was legally wrong, the rest of the country still did not feel comfortable with a mixed world just yet.

Critical race theory is described as “work that challenges the ways in which race and racial power are constructed and represented in… American society as a whole” (Crenshaw,

1995, qtd as cited in Chaisson, 2004 p. 345). BlacKkKlansman wanted to challenge American society to show them that the racial differences we had in our past are still relevant today. The film referenced Donald Trump being president, white supremacists still at large, and black people being harassed and killed by police.

The film also challenges the definition of an ally. The chief of police that Stallworth worked under told him when he was hired that he would support him, but essentially, he was on his own (Lee, 2018). However, throughout the film, Chief Bridges makes constant comments on

Stallworth’s blackness.

These microaggressions are still relevant today. Microaggressions are “verbal and nonverbal assaults toward People of Color, often carried out in subtle, automatic, or unconscious forms” (Kohli & Solorzano, 2012). Many claim that they are not racist or that they don’t see color, yet say comments that undermine black people.

Chief Bridges exhibited each form of microaggression through the film. He subtly told

Stallworth to keep his afro big because it worked for him. He automatically questioned

Stallworth’s lateness to a meeting. Claiming he must have been on “CP time” (Lee,2018). CP time, also known as Colored People Time, references black people and their “habitual tardiness”

19 (Bates, 2016). He unconsciously told Stallworth that white voices and black voices sound

different. “[The KKK are] going to know the difference between the way my officer talks and a

negro talks” (Lee,2018).

Despite all these comments, Bridges was still presented as an ally to the black characters

when he finally arrests the racist cop on the force. Only after telling Stallworth that he shouldn’t

let Patrolman Landers’ racists comments get to him and that as a unit usually no one told on their

fellow officers for racist behavior due to them being a family.

Spike Lee has presented racial commentary in all of his films, and this one is no

exception. This is his author's signature. A moviegoer will always recognize a Spike Lee joint.

Actress Laura Harrier, who plays Patrice Dumas in BlacKkKlansman, comments on Lee’s

directing ability saying he always has a specific vision for his films. Through his vision, “it was

the first time [she] realized what an auteur [was]” because the way Lee views the world is evident and “shape[s] so many other people’s views of the world” as well (Kelley, 2018).

In his work, Lee has constant ideals he is trying to present not only to the black

community but the country as a whole. “He wants us to start being honest with ourselves about

this country. And he is begging us to educate ourselves about our history” (Browne, 2018).

In BlacKkKlansman Lee wants America to wake up to the “okey-doke” or tricks that the

mainstream white world is playing on black people (Browne, 2018). Lee, using history, demands

black people to see that the atrocities and devastation that black people have suffered is not new

and will continue to happen unless black people wake up and make a change.

Lee, as a director, also understands that it is his duty to present this kind of information to

the American audience. He knows that mainstream white directors rarely use their platform for

such critiques, so he has taken it upon himself to make that his mission. “Lee imbues his movies

20 with a style befitting his black, Brooklynite, and …decidedly middle-class upbringing. The mere idea of his movies ha[ve] meaning” (Collins, 2018, para. 12).

“Captain America: The Winter Solider”

Anthony and Joe Russo, better known as the Russo Brothers, directed this action-packed film. This was the first Marvel film the brothers directed, but it led to them directing three other

Marvel films. Captain America: The Winter Soldier follows Steve Rodgers (Captain America)

“as [he] struggles to embrace his role in the modern world, he teams up with a fellow Avenger and S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Black Widow, to battle a new threat from history: an assassin known as the Winter Soldier” (2014).

The film is predominantly about Captain America, but two African American characters do show crucial plot points for the film. One of the characters and his perceived death is what kickstarts Captain America on his journey to find the truth. The African American characters are on different ends of the stereotypical spectrum. One of the characters leans on the Uncle Tom

Stereotype and the other the Brute Stereotype.

This film furthers the ideology in critical race theory that white people are the majority, and people of color are the minority. Even when using the black characters in the film they were merely there to assist the lead. Falcon, the African American sidekick to Captain America, even mentions that “I do what he does, just slower” (Russo, 2014). This is to indicate his standing in

American society. Black people may have the same abilities and powers, but progress at a much slower rate than their white counterparts. This inserts the subtle racist hierarchy in the film.

Using auteur theory, the brothers who are known for their politically charged satire television comedies, such as Arrested Development, did the same with Captain America: The

Winter Soldier. This film differs from many other superhero films because the brothers wanted to

21 direct it more like a political thriller. This was in part due to Marvel’s insistence and the current

political climate. At the time President Obama was discussing “his controversial terrorist ‘kill

list’” (Suebsaeng, 2014). The Russo brothers wanted to implement this into their film and their

thoughts behind it.

They wanted their audience to question how far is too far. “If there are 100 people, we

can kill to make us safer, do we do it? What if we find out there’s 1,000? What if we find out

there’s 10,000? What if it’s a million? At what point do you stop?” (Russo, 2014). The brothers

consider themselves as “politically inclined” and drew upon their own political anxieties, in the

film to give it a sense of realness (Ravenola, 2019).

“Black Panther”

This beloved comic book of the 1960s came to the big screen in 2018 by director Ryan

Coogler. Black Panther must return to his technologically advanced homeland to take over as king while also dealing with a long-lost cousin who puts the future of Wakanda and the world in grave danger.

Black Panther let black people see themselves as not only superheroes but royalty as well. Jamie Broadnax, the founder of Black Girl Nerds, a pop-culture site for back women, describes Black Panther as “… the first time in a very long time that we’re seeing a film with centered black people, where we have a lot of agency” (2018, para. 9, qtd as cited in Wallace,

2018). This is important because many black audiences were finally able to see themselves in the

Marvel cinematic universe, aside from playing a sidekick.

Coogler understood the weight of bringing not only a beloved superhero to the screen but a black superhero to the community. Seeing as how the film had a predominately all-black cast, the characters were displayed in both a positive and negative light. Many of the characters break

22 the societal norms that are usually placed on black characters in the media. Throughout the film,

the black characters did have to lean on some stereotypes, but Coogler tried to change the

definition of many of the stereotypes he had to use.

Critical race theory asserts that it is common for white characters to always be the leads

in film. However, in Black Panther the lead is a black man. Black Panther had to be more than

just a leading man, though, he also had to be royalty and not just any royalty, but royalty that

housed the greatest metal known to man. This relates to an old African American proverb where

“[black people] have to be twice as good to get half of what [white people] have” (Skinner, 1991,

para. 30). Black Panther could not just be a superhero, he had to be more than or he wouldn’t be

considered great.

Black Panther changed the hierarchy of the film and made all the main characters African

American and all secondary characters Caucasian. This film changed how not only black people

were seen in films, but how Africans were seen in films as well. Primarily, Africans were cast as

slaves or servants. This allowed Africans to portray royalty as well as show the continent of

Africa in a positive light.

Coogler’s goal in filmmaking is to make films that take the audience's breath away and have people talking about it for days (Eells, 2018). He also specifically wanted “to do it for

people who look like me and people I grew up with” (Eells, 2018, para. 5). Being an African

American meant a lot to Coogler. It defined him not only as a person but as a filmmaker as well.

Auteur theory states that directors should bring their own experiences to their films. In

Black Panther, Coogler brought his need for representation to the screen. Growing up, he says

that all he saw on television were shows with “black characters that were pimps, drug dealers,

and slaves” (NPR, 2018, para. 8). He didn’t want kids growing up to see these same images,

23 that’s why he jumped on the opportunity to direct Black Panther because he was “a king, a

genius, and a badass superhero” (NPR, 2018, para. 8).

Coogler also wanted to bring the idea of what it meant to be African to the film (Eells,

2018). He felt that he understood what it meant to be an African American but did not know his

heritage of being African. Coogler brought this sense of longing with the character Killmonger.

Killmonger grew up knowing his father was an African descendent of royalty, but in the country,

he was currently living in he was labeled as just black. Killmonger struggled to understand what

it meant to be not only black but African as well. Through his struggle of trying to relate to both

cultures he realized something. Killmonger realized that he needed to see the cultures as blended,

because both cultures feed off each other.

“The Help”

Director Tate Taylor, a Caucasian male, brought Kathryn Stockett’s book about 1960s

African American maids to life. The film follows hopeful journalist, Skeeter Phelan, played by

Emma Stone, as she moves back home to Jackson, Mississippi. While looking for her big break into the literary realm she stumbles upon a story that will change the way things happen in

Jackson – the treatment of the African American maids.

Taylor is depending on the audience to know and understand how black people were treated in the 1960s. He is also trying to show that not all white people were that bad with the character, Celia Foote, plated by Jessica Chastain. She welcomes in Minny Jackson not only as a maid but as her friend as well. Foote continuously tries to hug Jackson and eat at the same table with her. Foote doesn’t see Jackson as less than, but more so as a person who knows how to cook and clean and just so happens to be black. This could be because she was an outcast amongst the

24 other white stay at home mothers. It was not examined if Foote was around the other women consistently if she would treat Jackson any differently.

Critical race theory notes that black people are considered less than white people because they are not the majority. The Help relates to critical race theory because the narrative that black women are perceived as inferior to white women is the major plot point of the film. Due to this film’s setting in the 1960s, it heavily relies on black women playing a subservient role.

Critical race theory relates to this film because it furthers the idea that “racism is normal” and commonplace. (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012, qtd as cited in Cabrera, 2018 p. 212). When

Hilly Holbrook, the local mean girl, insists that all-white homes have separate bathrooms for the colored help it furthers the idea that this is normal, and this is how they should be treated.

Based on auteur theory, Taylor uses his own experiences to bring this film to the screen.

Taylor notes that he and Stockett grew up together in Jackson, Mississippi where the film takes place and that he was determined to bring this film to the big screen. He felt it was an important story that needed to be told. He believed the film was important because, “the [black] women developed a voice and they were heard” (Lazarus, 2017).

Lead actress, Viola Davis, later disagreed, saying, “it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard” (Desta, 2018). She argued that the film focused on Emma Stone's character, Skeeter

Phelan, more than the women who it was supposedly shining a light on. This is a common criticism of the film.

In the film, the maids were the magical negros aiding Skeeter in her quest to get a book published. Their only purpose was to further her along in her career. It was never seen what happened to the maids after the book was published because of their role in helping the main white protagonist was finished. In the film, Skeeter didn’t see it that way, nor does director Tate

25 Taylor. He, much like the main character, believed they are doing the black characters a favor.

They believe they are saving them from mistreatment and showing the world how bad racism is.

Taylor and Skeeter are the white saviors of the film who don’t even realize what they are.

“Mudbound”

Hillary Jackson’s novel Mudbound was brought to the screen by director Dee Rees. The film follows two families from different racial backgrounds as they navigate farm life during the

World War II-era down in the delta of Mississippi.

Much like The Help, the author of the original material is a Caucasian woman, but the difference is the director is an African American female. Rees displays the nuanced relationships between the black and white families by not leaning on stereotypes to carry the story. While the film does begin by introducing the characters in a stereotypical light, throughout the film Rees slowly unveils why the characters are behaving this way.

Rees took her experiences of growing up in Antioch, Tennessee and used that to her advantage in the film. Much like auteur theory states, she brought her own experiences with racism and being stereotyped and changed how it was viewed. Rees recounts in an interview that growing up to be free and feel true freedom, she knew she had to be elsewhere (NPR, 2017). The same thing happened in the film with Ronsel and Jamie wanting to escape the small farm town in

Mississippi, because they knew that anywhere but where they were was better.

Rees even mentions that she brings what happened in her life into her work because

“those kind of things… sink into your psyche and… draw these very real lines in, like, interactions and in relationships” (NPR, 2017, para. 17). She understands that as a director it is more than just presenting a certain work on screen, but also making it personal enough so that

26 other like-minded people can experience it as well. Due to this connection, the black characters in the film are fleshed out beyond what originally meets the eye.

27 CHAPTER 5

FEMALE STEREOTYPES IN THE FILMS

Mammy Stereotype

The Mammy stereotype was popularized in the time of slavery and continues to be a domestic fixture in white homes in the media today. What began as an overweight dark-skinned woman in the kitchen has turned into larger-than-life black women with exaggerated maternal instincts. The Mammy stereotype in media today is usually a black woman devoid of any sexual attraction whose only mission is to bring aid or comfort to those around her.

“BlacKkKlansman”

BlacKkKlansman was focused mainly on the male perspective of the KKK infiltration, but it did hint at the importance of black women in white homes. KKK leader, David Duke, played by Topher Grace, mentions that growing up he had a mammy named Pinky. He called her his, “Hattie McDaniel” referencing the popular mammy from Gone With the Wind.

Duke, much like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, depended on Pinky for many things in his life. He knew she was black, but he also knew that she helped raise him. He becomes reflective when discussing her death saying that he was sad when she passed. He says, “it was like looking losing a member of the family” (Lee, 2018). This compassion is uncharacteristic of

Duke, but Pinky brought that out in him.

Stallworth comments that “a good nigger is funny like that” and compares Duke’s sadness to that of losing a loyal dog (Lee, 2018). Duke agrees with his sentiments but the pause in his speech alludes that Pinky meant more to him than just acting as the role of the family pet.

This was but a brief moment in the film, but it emphasized the complexity of the Mammy characters in white homes.

28 “Black Panther”

The majority of Black Panther focused positively on the female characters in the film.

There is no outright Mammy character because there are no white characters in the film that are being served or catered to. Even when the white CIA agent, Everett Ross, is injured and taken back to Wakanda, he is treated like an equal. He is not put above the rest or handled differently merely because he is white.

Even though there are no outright Mammy stereotypes in the film, there is a strong display of a character having mammy like characteristics. Nakia, Black Panther’s ex and confidant, has a mammy moment when she self-sacrifices her position in the Wakandian tribe.

The difference between her and the stereotype is that she is self-sacrificing for her own race. Not only is she sacrificing for her own African people, but she is also doing so to help them have a better life. She is giving up a life of luxury in the palace to help the unfortunate African people, specifically the African women and children who were kidnapped. The film makes it known that Nakia is not only nurturing but, she also stands by T’Challa’s side and fights with him on multiple occasions. This shows that a character can be nurturing, without having that be the only thing that defines her. (Woodard & Mastin, 2005).

“The Help”

The Help while wanting to portray a positive view of African Americans further pushes the Mammy stereotype. The Mammy stereotype in this film was used heavily and tried to expand beyond the stereotypical view of black women but eventually fell short because the intention behind why they were acting this way was never explained.

Aibileen Clark, played by Viola Davis, is the quintessential characterization of the

Mammy stereotype and Minny Jackson, played by Octavia Spencer, is the perfect culmination of

29 the Mammy and Sapphire mixed together. Clark and Jackson further push the stereotype of

black women being fiercely loyal to their white counterparts through many different interactions

in the film.

Even though the film does push a negative African American female stereotype, it also

tries to humanize them at the same time. Throughout the film, the black maids are constantly

code-switching. When around their employers they are soft-spoken, head down, with broken

English yet when they are around each other they are louder, more confident, and their English seems to improve.

Their humanization is not fully realized though. The audience only sees the maids as real human beings as it is related to Skeeter Phelan. When they first begin the interviews with Phelan, they still treat her like their employers. It isn’t until later in the film after they’ve spent more time together that they begin to be themselves around her and relax more. The maids, however, always know their place. While they feel comfortable with Phelan, they know that there is an invisible boundary that they cannot cross, especially in public. Taylor tries to show two sides of the stereotype but ultimately ends up leaning on antiquated stereotypes about black women.

Clark, while working for her employer was consistently happily submissive, self-

sacrificing, and a surrogate mother to her employer’s children. When working in the house Clark

always had a smile on her face when asked to do something, even if it was something, she

disagreed with like using the outdoor restroom her employer forced on her. Clark began

sacrificing her dreams and ideas as soon as the age of 14 when she had to drop out of school and

help her mother pay the bills (Taylor, 2011). Taylor wanted to reiterate how common this was

for African Americans in the 1960s because he also showed Jackson making her daughter drop

out and help their family make money.

30 Throughout the film, there was a strong trend of familial neglect among the white families. This is why the role of the Mammy was so important. Due to the neglect, the maids became the surrogate mothers to the children. Clark admits that throughout her life she raised 17 babies (Taylor, 2011).

The white families are in denial about how often they utilize the Mammies in their life.

Elizabeth Leefolt, Clark’s employer, spends very little time with her child. Clark is the one giving her child positive affirmations, medicine when she’s sick, and potty training her. When

Hilly Holbrook demands Leefolt fire Clark there is clear stress on her face as she realizes she has to finally raise her children on her own.

Many of the white employers deny how much their maids helped with their children.

Skeeter mentions how her maid, Constantine, essentially raised her and was upset with her being sent away. Even though Skeeter’s family treated their maid better than most, Skeeter’s mother,

Charlotte Phelan, still was offended by this statement, claiming “I raised you!” (Taylor, 2011).

This is a common feeling between the Mammy figure and the white mothers of the home.

The Mammy figures take care of and raise the white children, but then as the children grow into adults the maids must turn around and take orders from the same children they helped raise.

Clark references this by saying, she has to raise “the little white babies and then when they get grown [the maids] have to work for them and raise their kids.” (Taylor, 2011). The cycle for a maid is essentially a never-ending indentured servitude cycle.

“Mudbound”

For Mudbound the Mammy stereotype was personified in Florence Jackson, played by

Mary J. Blige. Jackson has moments where she has to sacrifice her children’s wellbeing for her white neighbor’s children, but she realizes that this is all for a reason. She knew that “if

31 something happened to that other woman’s children that would have been the end of [her and her

children]” (Rees, 2017).

Growing up Jackson never realized why her mother would leave her and her siblings all

day to care for someone else’s child. It wasn’t until she was a mother herself that she understood.

In helping Laura with her children, she suddenly had a deeper understanding of why her mother

did what she did. Florence realized that it was about the bigger picture, not just a mother

sacrificing for her child, but a mother providing for her child and putting food on the table.

Mudbound showed that sometimes the black mother had to play Mammy for the white

family, but she didn’t go willingly, and she was only loyal because she had to be. This film saw

the main black female character in a stereotypical role, but it also pushed past the stereotype, so you saw that she was only acting that way out of duty.

Sapphire/Jezebel

The Sapphire stereotype better known as the Angry Black Woman stereotype comes with many other characteristics besides anger. While anger is the predominant characteristic, it’s not the only way to classify the Sapphire stereotype. This stereotype also includes sassiness, quick tempers, and usually an element of feistiness. In the current film industry, the Sapphire stereotype is included in all its different facets.

“BlacKkKlansman”

Laura Harrier as Patrice Dumas plays the Angela Davis-like black power Sista who is the

president of the Black Student Union. Her character is depicted as intelligent, but very focused

on the improvement of black people. She is a sidekick character and she is angry, but not in the

way that would label her as a complete Sapphire.

32 Her anger is not for men, black or white, but for the oppression of the system and

whoever implements it. She believes this up until the very end of the film. When Stallworth

reveals that he is a cop and saves her life, she still refers to the police as “pigs” (Lee, 2018).

Upon learning this Dumas reveals she can no longer have a romantic relationship with him

because she can’t “sleep with the enemy” (Lee, 2018). This liberates her from being a total

Sapphire stereotype because she is not tearing down her man just because. She is merely

expressing how she feels about oppressive society.

Even though Dumas is this strong-willed character who is the face of the Black Power movement in the film she is also the sex symbol as well. Not in the traditional sense, but she was

consistently used as sexual bait in the film. When Dumas is pulled over by police officer,

Patrolman Landers, it is hinted at that he felt her and her friend up at the traffic stop simply

because “[she] looked good that night” (Lee, 2018).

Dumas’ role is not a Jezebel stereotype in the original sense where she dresses

provocatively or uses her body to sell ideals. Her characteristic of a Jezebel comes from her

being sexually appealing to all races that she comes across, white and black. When Landers is

finally arrested for his racist behavior, it is only because he approaches Dumas at a bar and tries

to solicit her because he is intoxicated and thinks she is beautiful. He can’t help himself, so he

harasses her and ends up confessing to other racist behavior.

Dumas’ friend, Odetta, played by Damaris Lewis, is a minor role in the film, but every

time she’s on-screen she is exhibiting Sapphire characteristics. When we are first introduced to

her, she is fussing with another male character for pulling her away from a conversation between

Dumas and Stallworth. Then later the same feistiness is exhibited when Stallworth asks her a

question about how she feels about police and her answer is less than favorable.

33 Her minor character is important because while Dumas showed multiple stereotype

characteristics and examined her anger, Odetta was not given that same opportunity. She was just

the angry black woman who fussed every time she in the vicinity of a man.

“Black Panther”

In Black Panther, Shuri plays the sassy little sister sidekick whose opinions usually only

offer comic relief. Shuri is the younger sister to T’Challa, Black Panther, and she is the

mastermind behind all of the technology in the film. She is also the sassiest character in the film.

Shuri has many one-liners that resonated well after the film had left theaters, like the term,

“Colonizers,” in reference to white people (Lee, 2018).

Instead of berating the main male character, Shuri pokes fun at him under the guise of

siblings having fun with one another. Her quick comebacks are a positive spin on the usually

negative Sapphire stereotype. Coogler slightly changed the narrative of the loudmouth sassy

character and made her loud, funny, and a genius.

The Angry Black Woman stereotype is also known for her strong-willed and independent

nature. In today’s culture, to be a strong black woman is usually ridiculed as a woman who is

always single and has a consistently bad attitude (Jones & Norwood, 2017). This bad attitude

stems from being so strong and not having to depend on anybody. Black Panther’s strongest

women are the primary point of protection in Wakanda. Being the protectors did not stop these

women from having relationships. The leader, Okoye, has a relationship with another Wakandian

tribal king, W’Kabi.

Coogler incorporated African culture when making the strong independent black woman the main protectors of the black king. In most indigenous tribes “the women and men everywhere related to each other in a hierarchical fashion” (Sudarkasa, 1986). There was never a

34 strictly all-male council, women were included in this hierarchy because their strength was acknowledged.

The Dora Milaje, Black Panther’s female warriors, challenged the Sapphire narrative because the stereotype originally classified as the “Sassy Mammies” were the characters who were known for consistently berating their black husbands and children (Pilgrim, 2002). The

Dora Milaje does nothing but uplift their black king and protect him at all costs. Okoye, Black

Panther’s leader of Dora Milaje, when questioned by her lover if she would kill him says, “For

Wakanda? Without Question” (Lee, 2018).

The connection that Dora Milaje and Black Panther have is important because it shows that women can be strong and powerful without degrading the black man at the same time. The

Sapphire stereotype banks on pitting the sexes against each other. One cannot be great or positive without tearing down the other in some form or fashion.

This is a common misconception within the black community. Many times, it is speculated that to be a strong black woman you must have become strong by doing so alone.

This mindset pigeonholes the black woman because it doesn’t allow for there to be a duality to being strong and to also being supportive.

Coogler changed this narrative because not only were the warriors the strongest and fiercest people of the tribe, they traveled in a group. In Entertainment Weekly, he described the

Dora Milaje as “the most elite fighters in the country” (Romano, 2016). He showed a positive representation of the strong-willed black woman that not only helped the king but also helped show other women the power of unity for black females.

35 CHAPTER 6

MALE STEREOTYPES IN THE FILMS

Uncle Tom Stereotype

The Uncle Tom stereotype is known for blindly following the white man at the detriment of his own race. This is not as common a trope in media today unless it is being blatantly parodied. However, the Uncle Tom stereotype still sneaks into film in other ways. While not being as blatant as it used to be the Uncle Tom stereotype is still rampant in films today.

“Detroit”

Marvin Dismukes was the overly friendly security officer who kept inserting his nose where it didn’t belong. Dismukes was a major Uncle Tom stereotype, but supposedly with the right intentions. Dismukes was an Uncle Tom not because he denounced his race, but because he was so overly helpful to the white man at the detriment of his race. He would go out of his way to make white people happy or to keep them calm.

Dismukes was happily submissive to whatever white people asked of him. He always very quickly and politely replied ‘yes sir, no sir, yes ma’am, no ma’am.” However, his submission was more than just obedience. He wanted to survive. He always wanted him and any other black man he came into contact with to “make it alive another day” (Bigelow, 2017).

Even though his intention was always to help black men, his delivery never felt completely genuine. A teenage black boy was stopped by white police officers and began being harassed. Dismukes instantly ran over to try and deescalate the situation. The boy called him an

Uncle Tom for apologizing to the white officers on his behalf.

Dismukes always felt like he was doing the right thing. In his mind, he wasn’t being happily submissive, but willfully submissive. When entering the Algiers hotel, he quickly

36 jumped to the aid of the white cops. Not just because he was being submissive, but because he

wanted to minimize the pain the black men suffered.

Aside from searching for the gun the cops believed was in the house, this was the last

time Dismukes did anything active. The rest of the time Dismukes was there he just stood there,

watching. He saw the white police officers torturing the black boys and he did nothing. He didn’t go to the National Guard and urge them to help, he stood aside and let those white men berate and beat those men.

This added to Dismukes being labeled as an Uncle Tom. He never tried to use his position to help the black boys, nor did he try to go and get help. His lack of help showed the other black people which side of the brutality he was on.

After the incident was over and it had come to light what happened that night, Dismukes was brought in for questioning. The officers thought he was a suspect and not just a witness.

Even though he helped the white officers to the best of his abilities, in the end, he was still seen as a black man at the scene of a horrific crime.

Due to him being a person of authority at the crime scene, he was charged right alongside his white serviceman counterparts, even though he didn’t shoot anyone or touch his gun. This showed that aiding the white cops, even if out of survival was ultimately not beneficial for him.

His willingness to help was pointless and only put him in a worse position than if he had just stayed at his original station and guarded it.

“BlacKkKlansman”

A way in which the Uncle Tom stereotype is still prevalent in today’s media is in the form of the Sidney Poitier stereotype. Jack Nachbar and Kevin Lause, authors of Popular

Culture, state that the Sidney Poitier stereotype is just a glorified updated version of the Uncle

37 Tom Stereotype (1992). This stereotype allowed black males into the white world, but only if they “clean up their acts, cut their hair, learn to speak English clearly and ‘properly,’ and pursue professional goals” (Nachbar & Lause, 1992).

The lead in BlacKkKlansman, Ron Stallworth, plays a rookie cop who goes undercover to investigate the Ku Klux Klan. He is the first African American officer at this Colorado Springs police department and is determined to prove himself. His determination is sometimes at the cost of his own people and he is constantly having to prove his worth to not only the force but to the black people he surrounds himself with as well.

Stallworth embodies the Sidney Poitier stereotype because he is always trying to fit into the white world. Throughout the film, Stallworth is constantly changing who he is to fit the mold of whoever he is trying to impress. When he first becomes a part of the force, he is willing to do anything to fit in. He even mentions to his chief that he would shave his beard and his afro to assimilate to the culture of the force.

To further separate himself from the other black people in the film. He makes the comment that he was “raised right” on two different occasions. One, when he is asked if he drinks and another when he was pretending to be white and saying he “wasn’t allowed to be friends with a nigger” (Lee, 2018). He makes both statements while talking to a white person trying to fit in and denounce that he is anything like the other black people they may be used to.

In the first instance, he is still not accepted because the recipient does not believe him. He questions Stallworth’s answer so Stallworth must expand and say he only drinks on special occasions. That answer still wasn’t good enough, so he continues and mentions that his father was military (Lee, 2018). This seems to end that line of questioning and his answer is finally accepted.

38 In the second instance, Stallworth is acting undercover to force himself in the white world that has rejected him all his life. This time when he says he is raised right he has to go against everything he was raised to believe. However, because his counterpart believed he was talking to a fellow white person, he agrees to Stallworth’s statement, granting Stallworth the admission into white acceptance that he has been searching for all along.

Stallworth begins his undercover detective position posing as an ally for the Black Power movement to gain intel on if black people were about to incite a race war. Even the black people he approaches at the event were skeptical of him. They can sense he doesn’t belong by the questions he asks them and his approach. He comes off as an outsider and someone trying way too hard to fit in.

Later in the film, Stallworth tries to defend his actions of posing as undercover to help the police by saying “just because I don’t wear a beret and yell ‘kill whitey’ doesn’t mean I’m not there for my people” (Lee, 2018). This justification still isn’t enough because the black people feel as if he chose the white side over his people due to his actions.

During the film, despite the seriousness of the situation, Stallworth was either the butt of the joke or cracking the joke himself. This gave his character Sambo-like characteristics. He was the good-natured, funny, black guy that you could always depend on for a laugh.

Stallworth’s character is a culmination of the Uncle Tom stereotype because he is shown on constant occasions denouncing his race; the Sidney Poitier stereotype because he just wants to belong within the white world, and the Sambo stereotype because he never seemed to take himself or his role in black affairs as serious as his other counterparts.

“Captain America: The Winter Solider”

This film introduces Sam Wilson better known as Falcon, the African American war hero

39 turned superhero, who will later take Captain America’s job as Captain America. In this film,

they were showing the audience Falcon’s ideals and morals because these are big parts of the

Captain America persona.

Captain America received his name because he is a perfect portrayal of 1940s American

ideals. He is a tall Caucasian male with blonde hair and blue eyes with an attitude of never

giving up. Even when the odds are stacked against him, he never runs from a fight (Johnston,

2011). This description is important because when looking for a predecessor for Captain

America he needed to share the same ideals.

Falcon portrays Uncle Tom characteristics because he is happily submissive to Captain

America. Whatever Captain America needed from him he was willing to do. Even if that meant losing his life.

When Black Widow and Captain America come to Wilson’s home to discuss why

HYDRA was trying to kill them, Wilson reveals that he was a part of a special unit called

Falcon. He was honorably discharged and left because he needed to get out of that killing mindset. The few times that Wilson is shown before this, the audience sees that he is happy with this decision. Captain America briefly mentions that he will need help going after HYDRA and the Winter Soldier and Falcon jumps at the opportunity claiming, “Captain America needs my

help. There’s no better reason to get back in” (Russo, 2014).

Falcon continues then for the rest of the movie to follow Captain America around like a

lost puppy. At the end of the film, after the world has been saved from all impending doom and

the superheroes have defeated HYRDA for hopefully the last time, something looms over

Captain America. He wants to find out what happened to his friend Bucky and how he can return

him back to his childhood old pal. He knows he’s on a personal mission and can do it alone, but

40 Falcon insists to be by his side anyway.

For Marvel fans, this showed how Falcon, much like Captain America, never ran from a fight. Even when he knew that there was a high chance that it could lead to his death, he would do all he could to win to the best of his abilities. This is a noble ideal, but for Falcon, this comes off as submissive. Falcon has no dreams or goals aside from making Captain America happy and helping Captain America achieve his goals. This makes Falcon not only an Uncle Tom but a

Magical Negro.

The reason Falcon is in later Marvel films is not because he is of actual help, but because his mission to aid his white leader has not ended. Then after Captain America has become an old man and achieved all his goals in this life and his other alternative life in Avengers: Endgame,

that is when Falcon is deemed responsible enough to finally carry Captain America’s shield.

“Black Panther”

T’Challa in Black Panther is the Sidney Poitier of superhero films. He is “deserving and inoffensive” even though he is the king with the strongest resource in the world, vibranium

(Nachbar & Lause, 1992). This was how the first African American superhero had to be represented though.

A black superhero in a predominately white world had to be presented a specific way.

Black Panther has to be depicted in this overt gentle way to avoid being the stereotypical angry black man, but by making him so gentle you force him into a different stereotype. T’Challa is not allowed anger or engaging in too much violence because that would put him on the same level as

a thug. Being labeled a thug is how most black males in the 21st century are portrayed in the

media (Smiley & Fakunle, 2016). T’Challa is not allowed to show strong emotions explicitly

because it would take away from what he was angry about. Instead, the focus would be on him

41 acting violently and irrationally.

Chadwick Boseman who played T’Challa claimed he portrayed the character this way

intentionally. Boseman claimed he knew being Black Panther had to go beyond simply playing a

superhero. He wanted his character to be “more idealistic” and understanding of his culture and

where came from (The Hollywood Reporter, 2018). By understanding black culture, Boseman

knew the only way for the character to be seen as a superhero for everyone he had to act a certain way.

“Mudbound”

Mudbound tries to provide the reasoning behind why a black person would act that way against his own race. Hap Jackson at first glance was the epitome of the Uncle Tom stereotype.

He always said, “yes sir” and “no sir” and would do anything landowner, Henry McAllan asked of him no matter how demeaning.

As his character progressed it became evident that Hap was only acting that way out of self-preservation. He knew that to keep his family safe he had to abide by the racist rules. The audience also sees that there is more to him than just a helping hand. Hap has dreams of becoming a sharecropper again and then eventually owning his own land.

Hap’s dreams of wanting better for himself to better his family legacy, and not to appeal to the white man show how he changed the Uncle Tom stereotype changes from happily submissive to being submissive out of seeing the bigger picture. He did what he had to do, so he could provide for his family and build a legacy for his children.

Brute

The brute stereotype began as defining black men as “historically violent, aggressive menaces to society” (Stam, 2000). As history progressed the definition went on to include “thug”

42 like characteristics. From then on blackness became synonymous with criminality (Smiley and

Fakunle, 2016). This synonymy is heavily referenced in today’s media. What the media doesn’t

show is possibly how the thug came to be or why he leans so heavily towards criminal ways.

“Detroit”

There are many brute characters in this film. From the very beginning of the film, all black men as a collective were labeled as brutes. All but one of the characters were acting in retaliation to their treatment from the white officers.

When the police officers raided the Blind Pig, the after-hours alcohol parlor, all of the black people are portrayed as thug-like characters. Even though the only criminal thing they are doing is drinking. The black people are arrested, and the situation begins to escalate.

The other black people in the streets saw the black people getting arrested and became angry. They began throwing things at the police and started a riot. Their thug-like behavior was in response to seeing other black people being wrongfully arrested. From that point on every other male in the film was either a Brute or Uncle Tom.

While most of the black men were violent or criminal in justification to the police brutality they endured, Carl Cooper was the exception. Cooper was a Brute stereotype to his core. He was displayed as a menace to society with a propensity for violence. His violence was not only with white people but with black people as well.

His violence seems to stem from just being a black man. Nothing more is said on his character or why he acts the way he does. When playing out a scene of a white cop harassing a black man, he pulls a gun on his friend Lee. Cooper acts the part of the racist white cop, shoving the gun in Lee’s face and calling him a nigger. The room is shocked and surprised as Cooper continues his charade. He ends it with ‘shooting’ his friend.

43 The gun was a toy starter pistol, but everyone in the room was on edge because of

Cooper’s dramatics. His violence while seemingly playful sets the tone for the entire film. He

later went on to “show those pigs a lesson” and began shooting his starter pistol out the window

towards the police (Bigelow, 2017). His perpetration as a thug cost him his life as he was the first

one to be shot by police.

Karl Greene, the African American military veteran that was held hostage, was stereotyped as a Brute, but then was also stereotyped as a Black Buck. His version of the stereotype went beyond his image of appearing violent. Since Greene was found with two white women in his room his image from that point on moved from a thug to a sexualized being.

Even though the audience doesn’t see Greene engage in anything sexual or any sexual

innuendos, because of how strong and muscular he is it is assumed that he must be sleeping with

the white women. Not only must he be sleeping with them, but he must be dominating them and

forcing them to work as prostitutes.

“BlacKkKlansman”

When Ron Stallworth first enters the undercover division, he must infiltrate Kwame

Ture’s speech to Colorado College’s Black Student Union. Chief Bridges wants Stallworth there

because Ture, previously known as Stokely Carmichael, is a former higher-up of the Black

Panther Party. Chief Bridges is worried that his speech will “get in the minds of the good black

people of Colorado Springs and stir them up” (Lee, 2018).

Ture spoke to the students about the definition of black power, the beauty of black skin,

and that as a black person you really can do anything despite what you may have been told.

He encourages the students to embrace their blackness and all that that entails, the broad

noses, the thick lips, and the nappy hair (Lee, 2018). He further tells them to not let anyone say

44 that you can’t do something, especially your oppressors. Don’t believe the ideology that “black people can’t do the same things that white people do unless someone white is helping them”

(Lee, 2018).

He defines Black Power as unity. Unity not only within the black community but uniting against the powerless system black people are forced to be in. He explains that black people

“should no longer endure this kind of oppression without retribution” (Lee, 2018). Ture furthering his point admits that he would be okay with black people shooting a racist cop.

Although his speech had some intense language, Ture never encouraged the students to go out and commit violent acts. He merely wanted to uplift the students and inspire them to chase their dreams and not let an already rigged racist system deter them.

Ture was labeled as the Brute stereotype by the other characters not because he was inherently violent or destructive himself, but because it was believed that he was encouraging the violence of others. Due to his association with the Black Panther Party, he was seen as a threat.

Chief Bridges agreed with J. Edgar Hoover’s statement that the “Black Panthers are the greatest internal threat to the security of [the] United States” (Lee, 2018). Ture never mentioned the words race war, until Stallworth asked him about it after the speech privately. Even then he wasn’t inciting a race war, but simply telling Stallworth to arm himself in case something like that happened.

“Captain America: The Winter Solider”

Nick Fury is the mysterious one-eyed man who rounds up all the superheroes in the

Marvel films. He is not violent, but he can be when pushed to that limit. He is respected for his intelligence and his ability to make strong leadership decisions. His strong nature gives him

45 Brute characteristics. His nature to do whatever needs to be done, whether that be criminal or legal, adds to him being the Brute in this film.

Brute stereotypes generally have a problem with authority figures because they do not like to be told what to do. Nick Fury is no different. When cornered by the police at a stoplight, the police eye Fury’s large black Cadillac and the large black man inside. Sensing that he was being racially profiled he asked them if they would like to “see [the] lease” (Russo, 2014).

This moment of him bucking at the police and trying to prove how tough he was instigated a fight. The police proceed to ram his car from all sides and the FBI shows up to shoot him down. It was later discovered that this was due to a HYDRA scheme but being target by authority figures especially police is prominent with Brute stereotypes.

Nick Fury was not the only one labeled as a Brute. Anyone associated with Nick Fury became a brute as well and was seen in a negative light. Nick Fury’s soldiers are repeatedly called “costumed thugs” throughout the film only because of who their leader is (Russo, 2014).

“Black Panther”

In Black Panther, Coogler gives reasoning behind Killmonger’s brutish ways. At face value, Killmonger is the epitome of a Brute. He is unnecessarily violent and aggressive, plus he has no qualms of being socially polite. He wants his way, and he will get it forcefully if necessary.

Coogler wants the audience to see past media’s upfront presentation of the brute stereotype. N’Jobu, Killmonger’s father, lets it be known that he is tired of seeing black people struggling all over the world. He comments that “their leaders have been assassinated.

Communities flooded with drugs and weapons. They are over-policed and incarcerated”

46 (Coogler, 2018). His realization of how black people are being treated fuels his radicalization which he passes on to his son.

Killmonger grew up in 1992 Oakland, California. Around the same time when Rodney

King was caught on tape being brutally beaten by four predominantly white police officers in

Los Angeles (Sastry & Bates, 2017). After the policemen were acquitted of the beating, LA turned into utter mayhem. During this time, it was dangerous to be a black person in America.

James Baldwin, the famed African American novelist, states “to be a negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time” (Baldwin, as qtd. In

Stone, 2018). This quote personifies what Killmonger not only grew up with but how he feels about black people. He saw first-hand how horrible black people were treated and this further fueled his rage, especially since he knew that he came from royalty.

This shaped him as a character because through his anger he became the stereotypical brute of a black man. He was thuggish which is noted in his swagger or the way he carries himself throughout the film. He becomes a thief, even though he is ‘stealing’ what originally belonged to his people. Throughout the film, he is seen as a villain, when really, he just wants to help his people and give them all the opportunities they deserve.

47 CHAPTER 7

CONCLUSION

My research has yielded mixed reviews. Directors of both races used the stereotypes, but some of the directors expanded the character past the stereotype. For the most part, the African

American directors tried to offer further explanation for using a stereotype. I believe that because they are also the minority they were discussing they owed their black viewers this explanation.

The black directors knew of the historically negative stereotypes and wanted to give proper reasoning why they would still continue to put it in their films.

Critical race theory is supposed to challenge “racial oppression” (Cabrera, 2018, p. 209).

With the films I chose, they tried to challenge oppression by challenging the identity of black people. The directors did lean on stereotypes because that was a narrative that was already established by the film industry.

The directors who conquered the challenge and changed the narrative were the ones who gave further meaning. By doing this the directors gave the characters the ability to break free from the stereotypes or give the audience further explanation on why they needed to stay that way. The responsibility was given to the character to change their circumstances.

The directors who lost the challenge were the ones who merely presented stereotypical characters. These directors put more responsibility on their audience. They required their audience to see the characters depicting a stereotype and decide for themselves how it should be changed. They didn’t challenge racial oppression because they just presented it the way it always was. They didn’t provide an alternative or an explanation.

Auteur theory is based on the director having a distinguishable voice or personality and bringing that to their body of work (Sarris, 1962). With my selection of films, I chose directors

48 who have not fully developed their voice yet. The Russo brothers, Tate Taylor, and Dee Rees were still in the beginning stages of filmmaking at the times of the films I chose. Their specific directorial voice is not present yet. Some themes may be similar in some of their previous work, but not in the way that makes them true auteurs of their craft.

Directors such as Spike Lee, Kathryn Bigelow, and Ryan Coogler have a very specific theme and method. This distinction allows for the audience to know that this is their work. Lee and Bigelow have multiple, usually award winning, films under their belt. This helped them to craft a unique voice in the filmmaking industry. This also allowed the directors to understand exactly what they’re bringing to their audience and to bring more depth into their characters.

These directors understood the need to offer their audience an explanation. They knew that by letting the characters examine for themselves and explain why they are acting stereotypically it gave the film a whole deeper meaning.

A recommendation for the film industry is not to remove stereotypes because they are an integral part of our history, but to offer further explanation. Let the characters explain to the audience why they are behaving this way. This will allow for the character to be more than just a stereotype and have depth. By creating this depth within the character, it will create more of an understanding as to why stereotypes are being used.

Going further instead of focusing on the specific films, I would choose two prominent directors of different ethnicities with a clear directorial voice. I would study how they used

African American stereotypes throughout their body of work. By doing a longer analysis of two directors, I could see how that director found their auteristic vision and how they have evolved in their use of stereotypes.

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