Flim Essay

1. 1) The

Affluent

While seldom seen working, mentioning or

speaking about money, this character always

seems to have plenty of it at their disposal.

2. 2) The

Family-Tied

The White family unit most often serves as the

emotional anchor that grounds the movie.

Consistent goal is the reunification or continued

preservation of the core family unit.

3. 3) The Hero Is almost always personified by a White male

and enjoys a status elevated far above your

run-of-the-mill protagonist.

Such a character frequently shoulders the

"White Man's Burden" to save the world

4. 4) The

Intellectual

Inherently knowledgeable about anything and

everything. Built upon the assumption that the

character is, in fact, correct - and is almost

always validated by truth or facts.

Has the ability to "master" the "culture" of

others, often benefitting both the character and

the cultural "inhabitants."

5. 5) The

Manipulator

The ability of a White character to reject their

circumstances at face value and manipulate or

change them to fit their personal needs.

6. 6) The

Romantic

The White male protagonist often "gets the girl"

at the movie's conclusion as a "trophy" for his

accomplishments

7. Action and

Adventure -

casting

minorities

If a minority character takes the lead in such a

film, they are typically surrounded by White

characters in order to soften the larger

connective switch that majority White

audiences must make.

8. anchor the moral, political, and social orientation of a

character around which events in the movie

revolve

9. Audience

Participation

Nobody wants to take the blame for this

marginalization, but the one place we can

really see it is at the box office.

Ultimately, the audience is free to do what it

wants. It is unlikely anyone is taking time to be

"racist" when picking a film to watch.

10. The Bottom

Dime

For minority characters that do obtain

starring roles, not only are they often

isolated, but they often are made "palatable"

to the White audience by evincing a

comedic quality.

This imbalanced image cycle helps to

reinforce a racially segregated space in the

minds of moviegoers:

- Minority archetypes

- White prototypes

The negative repercussions of minority

marginalization in mainstream movies can be

distilled into two distinct costs:

- Social Cost

- Financial Cost

11. Casting - Who

is held

accountable??

There is no evidence of an organized effort

to freeze out minorities from Hollywood.

Instead, the entire environment is permissive

of minority depictions.

12. color-blind

movies

Movies with an almost exclusively White

cast and a minuscule or non-existent

minority presence; although presented as

"universal," or applicable to all races, the

movie merely focuses on Whites and their

experiences.

13. Comedy -

casting

minorities

Since comedy is considered "lighter fare,"

the content and material tends not to be too

serious.

Many minorities have been prominently

featured in comedies, often taking first

billing or enjoying significant screen time.

14. Contra-

juxtaposition

An exaggeration of an existing minority

stereotype contrasted against "typical" White

middle-class norms.

15. controlled

universe

A secured setting whereby the movie's

creators are able to manipulate all objects

and persons depicted on film to create a

particular image captured onscreen.

16. copycat

behavior

when individuals imitate behavior displayed

in a mainstream movie

17. Cross-casting A movie studio casts a minority actor in a

role originally slated for, designed for,

portrayed by, or written for a White actor

18. Cycle of

Blamelessness

Cycle whereby major studios and

mainstream audiences each hold the other

responsible for the lack of substantive

minority characters

Race and diversity FINAL (Ch. 7 - 12) Study online at quizlet.com/_4rq7n0

19. Drama -

casting

minorities

There are very few mainstream movies that

depict minorities in serious, emotionally

charged and intimate settings.

20. Financial

Cost (end

pp)

The prevalence of minorities fulfilling roles

with limited speaking parts and limited screen

time means limited opportunities for financial

gain for an aspiring minority actor with

dreams of establishing a fruitful and

successful career as a mainstream Hollywood

actor.

21. finite

fantasy

many mainstream movies spearheaded by

minorities are limited in the spectrum of

social experiences that they portray due to a

limitation of resources

22. identification

process

the method and manner by which the

moviegoer physically, emotionally, and

psychologically connects with a movies

character

23. Issues with

casting (last )

Studios deliberately devise marketing plans

that take into consideration how to market

movies for different audiences ("Black movies"

vs movies for "all audiences"

White leads in order to minimize financial risk

with a popular and profitable former film.

Many minority actors rationalize their

acceptance for two reasons:

Short Term: The role is harmful to the

individual's image, but will be financially

beneficial.

Long Term: The role is used to gain

experience, make contacts, increase exposure,

etc.

24. key art promotional materials that distill the movies

central themes into succinct symbology

25. Menace to

society

(first )

Possesses a value system that poses a threat

to civil "normalcy," either through violence (or

potential violence) or through moral

corruption

26. Minority

Cycle of

Moviemaking

Movies starring minority leads are generally

regarded as less financially lucrative as

movies starring White leads, which in turn

justifies less financial support from the movie

studios, which ultimately inhibits the movie's

potential to become financially lucrative.

27. moral

compass

the unwritten rule guiding major studios so

that they are consistently produce mainstream

movies communicating the ultimate victory of

good over bad

28. pararealistic

movie

a mainstream movie crafted or based upon a

historical event containing a mixture of

hyperbolized or fictional accounts

29. Physical

wonder

Consists of minority characters who are

primarily regarded for their physical or sexual

prowess, typically at the expense of their

emotions or intellectual capacity

30. Protective

sterotypes

(text )

images of bigotry or racial hatred that allow

common white audience members to distance

themselves for such anti-social behaviors

31. sacrificial

sofa

Where an actor feels the need to accept a

marginal or racially disparaging role for the

opportunity for more lucrative and satisfying

roles in the future.

32. Six White

Prototypes

1) The Affluent

2) The Family-Tied

3) The Hero

4) The Intellectual

5) The Manipulator

6) The Romantic

33. Social Cost When a mainstream movie happens to feature a

lone minority character in a disparaging role for

a limited period of screen time, it heightens the

minority's juxtaposition against sustained

themes of White glamorization.

34. Tipping

point

The imprecise number where "too many"

minorities involved in a movie brands it as a

"minority movie," thereby curtailing its budget

and "universal" appeal

35. umbrella

image

a unique visual rendering used to convey

information about a movies central characters

and/or overall themes

36. unclear

hero

whereby a minority represents the driving force

of a movie yet does not experience the

victories (financially, sexual)

37. Utopic

Reversal

This minority archetype character is usually

found occupying a high social position...Their

power and authority are undermined

38. visible

continuum

the observable part of a movies timeline as

portrayed and shown to the movie audience

between the beginning and ending credits

39. White

Balancing

Act

Whites are not defined by limited screen time

and marginalized/negative roles in mainstream

movies whereas other races typically are.

Whites can "afford/withstand the cost" of

negative imagery much easier than a minority

group.

40. White

Prototypes

Prototype: General patterns of common traits

shared or exhibited by White characters in

mainstream movies

41. world stop

scene

scene where character takes personal action

that noticeably interrupts the actions of others,

emphasizing the importance of their decision