“The representation of women–Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Middle-Eastern, Asian–in movies and TV shows.”
1) Introduction: Find a couple pieces of data regarding the issue What is your provisional thesis?
2) What FIVE movies or TV shows are you planning to analyze?
a) Norbit: African American Rasputia Latimore
Summary: The main character Norbit was abandoned as a baby at an orphanage which was also a Chinese restaurant. As an adult, he married the loud and obnoxious Rasputia. After a couple of years of marriage Norbits’ old love comes back to town, Kate. Norbit has to fight through challenges to finally be with Kate and undercover a dirty secret of Kate’s fiance.
Analysis: The movie made Rasputia’s role very stereotypical for an African American. Rasputia is an overweight, loud, and rude woman who gets what she wants. This creating the belief that all African American women are plus-sized, rude, loud, and eat a lot.
b) Modern Family: Hispanic Gloria
Summary: The American tv show explores the many different types of a modern family through a gay couple, with the characters Mitchell and Cameron, and their adopted daughter Lily, a straight couple, with the characters of Phil and Claire, and their three kids, Haley, Alex, and Luke, and a multicultural couple, which is made of the characters Jay and Gloria, and their son Manny. These three types of families are being taped by a Dutch documentary crew who are using them for an upcoming reality-based television series due to air in The Netherlands.
Analysis: With the different families the character Gloria is seen to be the most stereotypical character. Gloria is from Columbia and moved to Los Angeles and got married to an older white man. She is the stereotype of a Hispanic woman. She always has her cleavage out, tight clothing, constantly mad, thick accent, and a good cook.
c) Mean Girls: Rachel
Summary:Cady Heron was raised in Africa by her scientist parents. When her family moves to the suburbs of Illinois, Cady gets to experience public school for the first time and gets a quick primer on the cruel, tacit laws of popularity that divides students into cliques.She finds herself in
the good graces of the most popular group of cool students known as “the Plastics,” but Cady soon realizes how shallow and fake the group is. She then tries to get out and make things right with other groups.
Analysis: This is an example of a stereotype of a white girl. The character Rachel is a rich white girl who always dresses with revealing clothing. She is seen to be extremely fake with others and always wants to be on top. She isn’t the smartest, wants to be unhealthily skinny and rude to her mom.
d) Big Mommas House: Big Momma
Summary: An FBI agent known as Malcolm Turner is tough, smart and a master of disguise. Malcolm, takes on his most challenging “role” ever, and decides to impersonate the Southern granny Big Momma for a case. Using a few tricks of disguise, he completely transforms himself into Big Momma, even taking on the corpulent septuagenarian’s everyday routine – from cooking soul food to delivering babies to testifying at the local church. Throughout the movie, he is seen becoming a lot like the character he is disguised as and completes his case.
Analysis: The character Big Momma is a stereotypical view of what an African American granny. She is really loud, strict, plus size body and demands respect.
e) Fresh Off The Boat: Jessica
Summary: The show is set in the mid-’90s and 12-year old, hip-hop loving Eddie Huang and his family are adjusting to their new lives in suburban Orlando With new traditions the are still maintaining true to their family values and their continual pursuit of the American Dream.
Throughout the show, they are seen trying to get accustomed to new white traditions while still keeping theirs, whether it is at work, their neighborhood, or school.
Analysis: The mother character Jessica is a typical example of what an Asian mother is. She is strict on grades, education, how the kids dress, being cheap and not wanting to spend money.
3) THREE causes of the problem
Cause 1: People aren’t getting accustomed to the diverse groups and don’t interact with them and just guess how they would be.
Cause 2: So many people continue to put the women characters with stereotypical characteristics that people begin to believe it so tv shows and movie industries continue to use them.
Cause 3: It is seen to be funnier when tv shows and movie industries continue to add the characters to get better reviews.
4) THREE consequences of the problem
a) People believe this is how it really is with the women
b) The women don’t take so seriously and are treated differently in society
c)
5) Solutions
Stop adding so many stereotypical characters for women in shows and treat them like normal people.