And the Stereotype Award Goes To…: a Comparative Analysis Of
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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