The films Color Adjustment and Ethnic Notions explore how Blacks were depicted in the media. Ethnic Notions produced by Marlon Riggs in 1986 examines the stereotypes attached to black people in the film. The female narrator in Ethnic Notions explores the most enduring stereotypes associated with blacks such as carefree and irresponsible sambo and the mammy image. On the other hand, Color Adjustment was produced in 1992 by Marlon Riggs to critique the wrong portrayal of blacks in film from 1948 to 1988. In the film, blacks were portrayed as having achieved the American dream and living in harmony with whites, which is inconsistent with the reality. Both films were created in the late 20th century to show how the media perpetuated systemic racism by falsely representing blacks through stereotypes to appease the dominant group.
In the film Ethnic Notions , the narrator talks about the black stereotypes in film. The black stereotypes are depressing, yet they are common in film, TV programs, and cartoons and even in live theatre productions. The stereotypes were added to the media to shame black people by making fun of them publicly. The stereotypes portrayed blacks as “ugly” in cartoons as seen in the stereotype of pickaninny.” Blacks were also shown as uncivilized and unintelligent in the film who can be taken advantage of or ruled. Other films show black characters as troublemakers, lazy, inferior among other demeaning labels. In Color Adjustment , TV programs falsely presented blacks for example the Cosby Show was made up of an upper-middle-class black family to show that blacks had achieved the American dream.
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The stereotypes and false representation of blacks in the film were prominent because it eased the conscience of many whites (dominant group). The media representation of black people represents the dominant view of black people. Most white people often negatively view black people through stereotypes even when they do not want to admit, and this is revealed in the media. The negative stereotypes are connected with colonization; the dominant group wants to justify its action that it is superior to blacks by continuing to label them negatively.
While Color Adjustment is a critique of representation of blacks in film, it shows that political economy and class affect the image of black people in the film. Blacks were generally portrayed negatively to represent their economic state. For instance, in the 1940s, more than half of black women worked as housemaids, hence the black mammy stereotype. The changes in political economy improved the economic status of blacks, some of them moved from low class to middle and upper class, but this did not make them immune to racial stereotypes. Black people had to prove themselves that they belonged to the middle and upper class as seen in the Cosby Show and other TV programs discussed in Color Adjustment. Social class is not the only factor that affected how blacks were portrayed; gender also played a role. Black women were portrayed in the domestic role while black men were doing menial labor. For example, in Gone with the Wind, black women are shown as overweight, asexual, humble and maternal servants which are the opposite of the portrayal of white women as sexual and feminine beings.
Ethnic Notions and Color Adjustment were produced in the late 20th century, and yet the documentaries still make sense in the contemporary film industry. Blacks are no longer restricted to the role of house help, but they are still stereotyped. The themes surrounding blacks in film today include rags to riches, segregation or thug life. In today’s movies, black actors mostly play the supportive role to white actors for example in the Oscar-nominated film The Help, Octavia Spencer was nominated for a supportive role. Racism in the film industry was seen in the recent ‘Oscars is white’ controversy where black actors felt that they were not recognized. The new stereotype is different from the old stereotype. In 19th and early 20th century, Hollywood avoided black actors and even employed blackface. In the 21st century, black actors are in the movies, but they mostly play a supportive role to white actors or they restricted by the black-specific themes of the film.
The changes in the representation of blacks in media can be attributed to socio-economic changes such the mobility in social class and education. Blacks are more educated than before, and they have challenged the negative stereotypes imposed on them by the dominant group. The rise of black filmmakers such as Marlon Riggs has also elevated the role of black actors in the film industry. The recent black film Black Panther broke many records; the Marvel blockbuster was created by a black director who wanted to show that there can be black superheroes too. The film also showed that blacks are capable of changing the narrative and their place in the world.
In conclusion, Ethnic Notions and Color Adjustment are two essential films that explore the overt and systemic discrimination in media. In the 20th century, the media continued to use stereotypes such as black people are lazy, unintelligent, and ugly among other demeaning stereotypes for entertainment and to maintain the status quo. The negative representation of blacks in the media and popular culture still exists in the 21st century. Blacks have to challenge the stereotypes by creating new identities and narratives that show them in their true nature as seen in Black Panther.
