Analyze race on the media especially the movies.

Race and Media (Movies)

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The paper seeks to analyze race on the media especially the movies. Research reveals that racial discrimination is rampant in the movies with the certain roles being left for the races that are deemed minor. The same races are also missing out on certain opportunities in the movie industry because of their racial background.
Incidentally, the race is a physical attribute that helps in differentiate people from the diverse lifestyles. It also assists in the various way of seeing and comprehending the world. For instance, in most of the Western context and, in particular, United States, whites have a history of being associated with privilege and superiority. They are taken to have a higher influence compared to those who are non- white. However, the people of color, who have been labeled the ‘other’ society, have been associated with inferiority like crime and poverty. The wide gap has existed for a long time and media especially the movies have just revealed its depth (Sharpe, 2014). Although the society has taken significant steps in dealing with the racial discrimination, there are still large elements of injustice and inequality. The majority of the people in the media industry are being discriminated upon by their races and the skin color. Discriminated races are being denied proper roles to play in as main characters as well as other opportunities. Research has shown that this discrimination is more persistent in the media especially in the film and movie industry. The media, in general, has been a key influence and a factor that greatly shapes how we think and enact race in our day to day living.
Moreover, the media, in this case, the movies, are at the forefront in revealing the level of perceived inferiority especially among the members of the subordinate groups. It reveals how since time in memorial some races have been victims of oppression, discrimination, and racism. In particular, movies from the Hollywood’s have shown a consistent inability to incorporate the actors of color as the main characters. The racial discrimination has been so rampant that there are only four Best Actors nominees suggested by the critical popular consensus from other races that are not whites. However, it is clear that they are voted to be the nominees just because the whites could not have played the specific roles acted by the nominees (Gauntlett, 2008). For instance, the council agrees on Idris Elba, who acts as Mandela in the Long Walk to Freedom. Since, the story is about a person of color, definitely the white cannot fit for the role in a story that is boot thrilling and teaching of endurance and persistent. Similarly, the role played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, who acts in the 12 Years a Slave, requires a black person to take the role. There is also Michael Jordan playing in the Fruitvale Station and lastly, Forest Whitaker in The Butler. Therefore, as men of color their appearance as nominees raising much interest in the awards debates because their perspective is not played in the Hollywood. However, they are limited by their veracity despite the fact that their movies are important.
The four movies involve true stories and therefore, the roles of the main characters can only be represented by the black people. Further, the ’12 Years’ explains the story of Solomon Northup, who was captured and enslaved the black man. Similarly, Mandela follows the same aspect while the Fruitvale Station tells the tale of 2009 shooting and death of Oscar Grant III, who was a black man. Hence, these actors have earned the nominees awards. However, it could also be that they have been rewarded for the roles just because the white actors could not fit in for the same roles. In the event, this is the scenario it would create an outright evidence of the racial discrimination being rampant in the movie industry, especially in the awards. Researchers on the roles take by actors reveal that the problem is a historical one (Bambrick, 2009). For instance, in 1963, Sidney Poiter won for playing the black itinerant worker in the movie Lilies of the Field. A couple of years later, Forest Whitaker won for playing Idi Amin in the movie The Last King of Scotland. In history, the only person of color ever to win the Best Actor award in a role that could have been easily engaging a white person was Denzel Washington in 2001 in the movie Training Day. The above illustration reveals that media reveal the impact of race in our everyday living.
Even worse scenarios are where the Hollywood fails to include female of color in the award winning performances. For instance, history reveals a story of only one woman, Halle Berry to ever win the Oscar for Best Actress. In the movie, the role she plays involves a controversial and complex relationship with race. Other movies that have featured in the Oscar Award with some of the characters as people of color have revealed that they are independently financed films (Wihbey, 2015). Most of them have been created without fiscal support or interest of the major movie studios. There are still elements of true equality lacking in the awards of Best Actors. Race should not be an indicator for rewarding black men just because they played the roles that were unfit for the white men.
Furthermore, two levels exist that easily reveal racism. One level is the interpersonal between people while the other is institutional in which case the media and, in particular, movies is inclusive. Hollywood greatly discriminates the movies presented by the people of black. However, some of the moves from this races such as ‘The Butler’ and ‘12 Yeas a Slave’ struggle to finance their studio expenses. Reports have shown that they have such moves relies on the black investors, independent producers and crowd funding (Ramasubramanian, 2015). On the other hand, Holly wood has been reluctant in respond to the masses on their demand for moves that reflect the racial and cultural shift. Based on the data taken in 2011, it is shown that the minority make up thirty-six percent of the United States population. Nevertheless, there represented the lead characters account for only ten percent, and only twelve percent have been able to hold director’s chairs. It is this lack of diversity and increase of racial discrimination that make prevents large movie studios from investing in movies made by the minorities. Notably, the leaders of the biggest five studios are white.

Moreover, movies influence the meaning of ethnicity and therefore, create the meaning of race. Through the movies, people are made to view live motion images that at times reveal outright discrimination. Following their visual aspects, and their persuasion through the roles played by the characters as well as the theme of the film, they greatly followed and people tend to base their views on what they see. Importantly, the movies have the capabilities of shaping the people’s understanding of their ethnicity and race as part of their social institution, history, identity and everyday lives (Johnsona, 2008). However, they have a tendency to convey the wrong messages to the public. They have a habit of distinctively separating the two races such that one is seen as being better than the other. Incidentally, the race is the way in which groups and individuals are classified by their physical attributes especially the skin color.
Therefore, it is majorly tied to the concrete physical identities although sometimes even the geographical roots play a role. As an ideology, it helps in seeing and comprehending the surrounding environment. However, the race has been greatly misused in movies. For instance, in most of the movies that are not locally made for certain regions, they have the white being depicted as the wealthiest while the people of color seem to be assigned the lowly roles such as being a maidservant. Besides, researchers consider race as a marker and a descriptor of the broader relationships and concepts (Kopacz, 2009). Nevertheless, it seems that movies have used it to mean more that a marker. It has gone beyond designating a person or a group skin color background and begun to largely function in the larger system that relates to other racial identities. Races are also categorizing movies. In most cases, those that are made by the people of color are not being distributed as much as those made by white. The people of color are also not being supported by the larger studio o the basis of race. Hence, in movies industry it is evident that certain individuals or groups are being regarded to have more privileges and power than others.
Besides, specific moments in history have been the major contributors of the many of American and Western ideas concerning the race. They are being played in the movies and apparent, they are intensifying the racial discrimination that was there in the ancient days. Still, the movie directors have not come up with effective ways that can erase the racial discrimination that is revealed by the films and movies in the society (Tukachinsky, 2015). Such major moments have been marked by immigration and colonialism among other tides that shifted demographics and population in the world. The tides have led to intermixing and changes in the different race causing dominant groups to exert influence and rise to power over other races. As they rise to power, such races have greatly occupied and controlled the language, landscape, rituals and the cultures of the minor races.
During the colonialism, the white attained dominance over the people of color. The movies have continued to show this elevation without cautioning people that the people of color are their brother and sisters. They reveal the ancient ways where the subordinates’ group were relegated to the political, social and economic margins. Such movie acts are reinforcing racial discrimination. They continue to showcase that the people of color were left with petite and to some races no power (Sharpe, 2014). Such actions supported by the movie and films theme make the people continue denying others the opportunities and rights afforded by the dominant by others just because of their races. For instance, so far the political movies continue to reveal that the dominant groups are free to hold political, social and economic power. On the other hand, the minorities are left to struggle for the freedom amidst oppression y the might from certain races. In this case, race discrimination persists in the industry as some movie firms such as Hollywood determine the people worthy of sharing the high positions of leadership and roles in their movies.
Nevertheless, history has it concerning the resistance from the marginalized communities after the awakening to the realization that they too can have power and the freedom. Ethnic minority communities have battled mightily to acquire the opportunities and rights that they were systematically denied. Despite the struggle lasting through decades and centuries, it still ongoing through new and evolving forms. The racial discrimination can be said to be far from over. Media does not only reveal its extents but can be said to fuel its existence. It enhances people’s comprehension of race and the embedded meaning attached to the subordinate and dominant categories. Listening and reading the various media channels we have to date there is a difference attached to the wording that it sets aside to define the races (Wang, 2006). For the white people, mostly terms like modern, civilized, stability, unmarked and superior are majorly integrated when evaluating their activities and styles of living. On the other hand, the media greatly employs terms such as backward, primitive, chaos, marked, inferior, minority, irrational and violence when referring to the people of color, mostly the African and some sections of the Asia countries. Therefore, one can clear make out the race being described by the media even without having known the group by reference.
Film and media analyzes indicate that there is a lot to be done when it comes to making a decision concerning the next motion picture that is likely to reap the best returns. In the end, such decision does largely affects the types of movies that are made by the African Americans including how such movies are distributed (Gilens, 2009). However, people are beginning to realize that lack of presentation of the entire culture in movies has high chances of damaging the returns. The movie makers are now incorporating not just a few characters to be black but an entire theme that revealed the culture.
In conclusion, media especially the movies have been at the forefront in initial racial discrimination within their industry. They have taken people depending on their skin color. The whites have gotten opportunities to show easily case their movies with the support from big studios like the Holly wood. However, the people of color especially the African American have had to endure intense struggle to see their movies successful at the disposal of their customers. Moreover, the awards in the movie industry have been marked to haves traces of racial discrimination. In most cases, the awards for the best actors usually go for the whites. Even for the few categories that other races seem to get awards, rumors have it that the white are only at a natural advantage. It is because they cannot take the roles of the some of the characters because due to the nature of the story and the reality that took place, black people can only play such roles. Lastly, the movies have the capabilities to shape people mind concerning certain races.

Reference List
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