The myth and maybe even the harsh realities of African-American stereotypes, how I feel about the stereotypes and how African-American communities are affected.
Blaxploitation films are the King and Queen of black stereotypes. They were made for the urban African Americans. Most Blaxploitation films takes place in a typical "ghetto" setting and mostly involves drug-dealing, pimps and hit men. These films are switched in context with other types of films. In these films, African Americans use a lot of of ethnic slurs and a lot of the white actors in these films are portrayed as crooked cops, politicians and prostitutes. There were some blaxploitation films that were set in south. Those films set on a plantation and dealt with slavery and segregation.One of the most famous blaxploitation actress was Pam Grier.
The Boondocks, which is an African American anime-type cartoon, aired only on Adult-Swim on Cartoon Network, is the most stereotyped, black-political and controversial cartoon show ever. Well, maybe not "ever" but its one out of the many that are aired regularly. The show is based around two brothers named Riley and Huey and their grandfather, who moved the two boys to a predominately white neighborhood after their parents had passed away. The show strictly but humorously based around the types of things that African Americans may go through on a day to day basis and the stereotypes that may follow. Riley is the stereotypical black boy portrayed in the media, Huey is the one that tries to keep the peace and follows his "black" values as an African American. Granddad, as the boy calls him, tries to fit in with the predominately white neighbors and tries to raise the boys properly and not like "hoodlums", but yet Granddad has his own stereotypical personality as an elderly black man. Another character in the show named Uncle Ruckus, loves the grounds white people walk on and put them high up on the pedestal above his own, yet he is "black as the night"... weird huh?
Though some portrayal of stereotypes can get out of hand in the media, this is the only show I love to watch where there are tons of ridiculous stereotypes against African Americans but yet at the end or while you are watching the show there is always some moral or value behind the story. I honestly believe that this show may be a mind opener to some who are "curious" about African Americans. It may make fun of the stereotypes presented but I look at it as completely educational despite the constant cursing, sexual content and the extreme use of the N-word.
When Aaron McGruder, creator and writer of The Boondocks comic strips before it became a cartoon, he had a lot of trouble trying to get his idea for a cartoon pitched to several cable networks including BET because of the content and the use of the N-word. It was then approved to air on Cartoon Network on Adult-Swim where the N-word could be used but words such as the F-word could not be used.
Below is a clip mashed together with several episodes of The Boondocks to give you an idea of what the show is about and how it is portrays. There are explicit content and cursing in the episode just to give you a fair warning.
Black men are portrayed as violent, criminals and ignorant. Unfortunately the African American community isn't doing a very good job of cleaning up how the world views black men. The music, the movies and even some TV shows show the world how black men are when most are not the way that the media portray them. In a Washington Post article written in 2006 it discuss the point of view of African American men and how they are automatically perceived by both whites and black when they act or speak "proper". Click the link below and take a look.
Stereotypes are generalizations of a certain race or group of people. Stereotypes originated from the colonial days of settlement, but African American stereotypes started in the 19th century when actors for minstrel theater would portray African American in black face. They would paint their faces in black paint and portray African Americans in obnoxious, ignorant and naive ways.
Today, blacks are portrayed as poor, lazy, violent and criminals. Black are also portrayed as to love eating fried chicken and Kool-Aid.
Of course, we all know that this isn't true, but I think we're the only race that has to keep fighting to defend our culture. Even though some stereotypes are not true and they maybe used for a good laugh most of the time, but the more its enforced the more people are going to look at African Americans as loud, rude, "ghetto", ignorant, criminals and violent.
On YouTube, there are a series of videos by a group of actors or a guy named Reckless Tortuga. I've been watching several of his videos and I really don't know what to make of them. They are obviously making fun of the ridiculous stereotypes that are presented against African American and they are doing it in a very funny way. I don't know what to make of these videos. The first video I seen was funny, so was the second, third and fourth video I seen made by these actors. After awhile, the videos just stopped being funny and I started to think that the main African American actor is stretching the stereotypes a bit too much, at least that is my opinion. You make the judgment.
I recently came across a creative YouTube video that depicts black stereotypes in old films and cartoons in many different ways. It's definitely a mind opener and the video builds its unique way of combining different clips into one video. To give a quick insight, the video shows the typical stereotypes that cartoon animators and film directors use to depict African American stereotypes. Such as all black eat watermelon, fried chicken etc. Check it out below.
Now this a stereotype within itself that black women cringe when they hear or read something like this. It automatically says "Hey black women! You're not doing your job." I believe that black women are often attacked by this statement and the worst statement of all which is constantly said by our black men "White women know how to treat a man" or something of that sort. It terrorizes black women because till this day black women still feel like white women are put on a pedestal especially b our black men when they fail to realize that they were hung, killed and humiliated if they were ever seen looking at a white woman the wrong way. I'm not saying that I don't believe in interracial dating; I'm all for it, but its the fact that we are still bashed for being strict and not as submissive as men want us to be; because we're more independent than most and prefer not to be a house wife. The Essence magazine had three gorgeous successful black men on their cover with the title "What Makes Black Men Happy". I didn't bother to read in between the lines of this statement but the more I thought about it the more I began to think that this maybe a stereotype towards black women that they don't know how to treat or keep a "black" man. Maybe I would have felt a bit more comfortable if the title said "What Makes Men Happy" in general. That way it would have been directed to all women instead of just black women. It is a black magazine, but it's also a magazine that could be read by all. Instead of three black men, why not Will Smith, Adam Rodriquez and Justin Timberlake, that way the statement could be directed to all types of women rather than just one.
My dad took me and my two older sisters to the movies on Saturday at the Pittsburgh Mills mall. My oldest sister is 29, my other sister is 25 and I'm 21. We are all four years apart. We also had my 10-year-old niece with us as well. As we are giving the employee our tickets to enter into the theater another employee, who seems to be the manager, stopped all of us from going into the theater and asked my dad "Are you leaving all of them alone in the theater?" We all looked at each other confused. My dad ask "Well, what do you mean?" The manager then replied "I'm sorry sir but you can't leave them alone or unintended for they might disrupt other audiences." We were shocked. I do admit we were a little loud, but we were having fun as sisters, as family should. But I think we all had decency and home training to know not to be loud in the movie theater. I mean really! My dad looked at the manager and told her that these were his daughters and that she(pointing to my niece) were his granddaughter. "They're all grown. She's 29, she's 25 and she's 21. And my granddaughter is 10," my dad said. "Oh, I'm sorry," the manager said. She let us through and we proceeded to walk through.
I couldn't believe what had happened and unfortunately I do blame the media for portraying African Americans as loud, obnoxious and disruptive. Kind of like how the Antoine Dodson story was portrayed. There is some truth to it and it depends on how some were raised, but that's not an excuse to assume that all African Americans are this way. We didn't let the minor situation get to us and we enjoyed the movie. I think my dad might have been still upset about it but he let it blow over and at times you have to.
