X-Men 3

I really enjoyed the movie X-Men 3. Even though Storm was in constant battle with the other Black female super hero, at least both women were in progressive roles. I really enjoyed the diverse cast, and the overall message for marginalized people to stand up and fight for their rights. I would recommend this film to anyone; it has all of the elements of a great epic tale.

The Wonderful World of Disney

I enjoyed the video we saw about Disney films and the depictions of stereotypes. Many people think that maybe this conversation is taking this notion of stereotypes effecting people too far, but I really believe that not only do stereotypes shape the way people feel about everything from what to eat, to how to act, they also effect people’s perception of reality. I feel that consuming anything in the media without dialogue about the issues that are present is harmful. The problem is that not only do people lack global literacy which would allow them to think about issues globally, they lack media literacy and the ability to discern patterns and themes presented in mainstream media. It is up to the school system to educate parents and students about how to consume media responsibly.

Spike Lee

Spike Lee’s films always provoke people to think about the world we live in. The film Bamboozled raised many concerns for me in regards to how Black people are portrayed in the media. Spike Lee made comments that people before us had no choice but to take these types of roles because of the barriers and blatant racism they had to face. He says that artists of today have a choice and that they have no excuses. I feel that this a complex situation for actors today that want to break out of the stereotypes, but are faced with having to play such roles to get a foot in the door. It must be very conflicting for Black artists to take stereotypical roles for the sake of furthering their careers. I am not sure how this huge problem can be remedied, but I am sure that producing such works allows for scholarly discourse to begin figuring out real life solutions.

Asian Women in Film

The video we saw on the depiction of Asian women in film was eye-opening. They have been stereotyped as the “lotus blossom” or the “fighting dragon” and are almost always shown as being submissive and inferior to men. I cannot think of anything in the media that portrays Asian women in progressive roles, except for Gray’s Anatomy. I think a great film and book to read that depicts Asian women in many roles is the Joy Luck Club.