Ethnic Notions, a 1987 film by Marlon Richards, portrays many of America’s social problems before and after the Civil War. This film focuses on different social issues, such as sexuality and appearances. These issues were directly influenced by media. Different stereotypes were created by the media, which was responsible for the portrayal of African Americans in cartoons and minstrel shows.
Media used “blackface” as a means to defend slavery. Media created a variety of characters that helped to create the idea of serviility. In defense of slavery, characters like “Happy Sambo”, “Mammy”, and others were created. Media portrays African Americans as happy and eager to work for slave owner owners. Happy Sambo was described as a cheerful, dance-loving, African American man who enjoyed working for slave owners. The Mammy was a happy, older woman who was willing to do whatever was asked of her. These characters were created to defend slavery and to promote false beliefs about African American. White performers would portray their “blackface” and imitate African Americans stereotypes. Zip Coon was another character that was created to portray African Americans as free and not able to fit in society. This is very similar to Abraham Lincoln’s media portrayal. Many people consider Lincoln the president who abolished Slavery. This is the only image we have of Lincoln. Lincoln said that he would save the Union if he could do so without releasing any slaves. If he could, a free all slaves would be a better option. (Morgan, 3). Many people, including me, didn’t know Lincoln was a staunch supporter of the Union. This is a clear example of how the media can influence society and shape our opinions.
The film also addresses the topic of gender and sexuality in relation to African American women. In terms of their appearance, the film featured many depictions of African American women. Film provided different images of “Mammy”, which showed characteristics such as large, motherly and docile, which was different from how white women were depicted. Many women today are sexualized according to a set standard. For example, Mammy’s character has a beautiful body.
Before Ethnic Notions, I did not have much knowledge about blackface and minstrels. This is what I think continues to happen today with social media becoming a big part of our lives. Social media has become a place for racism, as people regularly compare their races to one another. In today’s society, racism like “blackface” is still prevalent. They would rather hire an Asian actress and actor than hire an Asian actress, and instead hire a Caucasian actor or actress with a yellow-faced face to fill those roles. Asian American communities are underrepresented in media, just like the African American communities. While it is common for Asians to be the subject of stereotypical or racist jokes, the media rarely mentions this. Jess Watters was an example of racist behavior. He went to Chinatown, New York, and interviewed members of the Asian community. He not only interviewed them but also mocked them using Asian stereotypes. The story did not make the headlines as often as stories about racism targeting minorities. Although these images of African Americans may not be as common today, they are still visible in the media.
