Identities: Post-colonial theory & blog tasks

Alvarado (1987)

Four key themes in racial representations; often quoted in relation to the black community but can be applied to other non-white groups:

• Exotic (models; music artists; food)
• Dangerous (crime; gangs; socially dysfunctional)
• Humorous (comedians; sidekicks; quirky)
• Pitied (poverty)

Frantz Fanon: “Putting on the white mask”

Typically black stereotypes can:

• Infantilize - such as the 'cute' children of the Charity Poster or the 'simple-minded‘ 'Step ‘n’ fetch it‘ lazy comedian.
• Primitivize - The 'exotic & virile' tribal warriors or 'bare-breasted maidens' with a 'natural sense of rhythm‘. Sporting prowess.
• Decivilize - The 'Gangsta', 'Pimp' etc.
• Essentialize - Undifferentiated mass-'they all look the same to me'

Destiny Ekaragha

Destiny Ekaragha is a black filmmaker from South London who wrote the awarded winning play - and then film - of Gone Too Far! She has also produced acclaimed short films set in South London including Tight Jeans:

Post-colonialism: blog task

1) Read the excellent article exploring the different representations of black people in British film and TV from Media Magazine 42 (MM42 from our Media Magazine archive - page 51)

2) List FIVE films, FIVE TV programmes and FIVE online-only productions that are discussed in the article.

Films

Ill Manors

Star Trek 

Attack the Block

Brotherhood

Kidulthood

TV Programmes 

Casualty 

Dr Who

Citizen Khan

Luther

The Kumars at No. 42

Online-Only Productions

Brother's with No Game
Venus vs Mars
The Ryan Sisters
All about the Mckenzies
Meet the Adebanjos

3) Watch Destiny Ekaragha's clips above (more of her work is available on her website, including the short film The Park). To what extent can we apply Alvarado's and Fanon's theories to these films? Do they reinforce or subvert typical black stereotypes in British film and TV? Refer to specific scenes and events in the clips in answering this question and aim for at least 350 words.

Tight Jeans

In this extract of Tight Jeans, Fanon's theory can be applied. The subjects being 'Decivilized' the characters are first shown in a somewhat 'gangsta' 'pimp' stereotype, they are sitting on a wall in an estate, Wearing hoodies. Making the audience assume that they are going to cause some trouble already linking to them being 'Dangerous' (Alvarado). On the contrary the character on the furthest left could also be seen as the 'Humorous' character, the one to counteract the 'Dangerous' stereotype. The 'humorous' stereotypealso linked to the 'Exotic' Stereotype due to the nature of the conversation being sexual, this is also supported but the other character walking outside the flat, where a girl was inside waiting. This also potentially 'infantillize's' the characters due to his consistent questioning and lack of fact checking. Furthermore due to the nature of the conversation it almost 'Primitivizes'' them. There is still no reference to them falling into the Dangerous stereotype though, rather than the simple environment that is left to the perception of the audience.

Gone Too Far

Gone to far plays on the 'Pitied' Stereotype, Ikudayisi is pitied consistently because he was outcasted within the different society. He laughed at for being himself and being African and not from the Caribbean. Yemi is pitied because he is struggling with his identity whilst trying to win the affections of a girl. He almost ignores his true heritage and 'puts on a mask' to  make himself seem more appealing. There is a mixture of the humorous and dangerous stereotype where the humorous become more prominent. This shows that black people are expected to either be Dangerous criminals or funny they have to fit into either stereotype.