Shaquila Brown
Dr. Pearson
Final project
December 10, 2013
Mainstream stereotypes and black film/media
Mainstream media (MSM) are those media disseminated via the largest distribution
channels, which therefore represent what the majority of media consumers are likely to
encounter. The term also denotes those media generally reflective of the prevailing currents of
thought, influence, or activity. belonging to or characteristic of a principal, dominant, or widely
accepted group, movement, style, etc.: Stereotypes are to believe unfairly that all people or
things with a particular characteristic are the same.( Merriam Webster and wikipedia) Stereotype
images are based on the belief that are certain appearances, behaviors, or attributes shared by all
members of a certain group.
Mainstream stereotypes concerning black women are mainly in three characters.
Criticism of black media stereotypes has focused on the portrayals of women. Media depictions
have become very negative over the past few decades. There is a history of negative stereotypes
about African American studies among other disciplines, have led to the identification of several
historical stereotype images of African American women. The three main stereotype characters
include the mammy, jezebel and sapphire. The mammy portrayed as a loyal, seen as sassy and
comedic, desexualized caregiver. The jezebel is portrayed as an overly – sexualized, assertive
women. The sapphire is both assertive and comical, depicting women who browbeat her male,
romantic partners and was usually obsessed with status- climbing.
The mammy stereotype was one of the main criticism areas for the media with the black
middle class (Nelson, 1998).The mammy was rejected by the black middle class because she was
a symbol of racial subordination that could be traced directly to the southern plantation.
Stereotypes of black women have become more familiar with the stereotype of aggressive black
women which is the common theme for the Sapphire stereotypes. At first the Sapphire character
was played my mulatto women who very sexually attractive, light skinned, of African American
heritage but could pass as white women. Not only that but this character represented those eager
to get ahead. Now this type of stereotype which was based on one type of character is now
placed within almost all black women characters regardless of their social class, skin tone or
body type like it once was.
Media influences body image existing perspectives representations of women bodies
shown on television are so skewed, adopting this reality for young women is believed to lead to
decreased satisfaction with their own bodies and have a strong desire to be thinner. Beauty
presented in the mainstream media is almost exclusively white, making it more unattainable for
women of color (Perkins,1996).Television and magazine cover girls set the standard and these
typically do not included African American women. Black women are portrayed has been
restricted because companies rarely used black modes in magazine advertisements until quite
recently. With music along with the rest of the stereotypes of media comes along with the
contemporary stereotypes that include the diva, the freak and the gold digger.Some speculate that
media use might disturb the body images of black women to an even greater than the effects of
white women .But black women report that defining beauty is less than in weight and
appearance situations and more based on style, movement and character.(Duke,2000; Parker,
2005).
Black women found to have greater acceptance of and preference for larger body sizes
than do white women in the United States based upon the distinct effect of black male gaze.
Black women and girls believe black men and boys reject the white images and standards of
beauty (Milkie,1999). There is evidence of black men’s tendency to prefer larger body types has
been proposed to influence black women’s perceptions of themselves. Larger body parts for
example are hips, buttock and thighs(Grabe and Hyde, 2006; Thompson, Sargent and Kemper
,1996)The actual dearth of images of black women and or the prevalence of images of white
women in the media, has a protective effect on the body-esteem of black women(Molley and
Herzbeager, 1998).It is known to be a racist paradox because black women do not identify with
the white women on screen or on fashion show runways, but they actually dis-identify with
white women.
TV
Reporters estimate black women make up 5.6% of primetime television characters
(Mastro and Greenberg, 2000) and they only appear in 2-3% of mainstream magazine in the
1990’S ( Bouen and Schmid, 1997).Young black women witness numerous hours o television
promoting the message that to be beautiful is to be thin and white, while taking on what it means
to be a black women. In despite of high television use black women generally report more
positive body images than do white women. Black women compared to white women reported
fewer body image disturbances in terms of attitudes, affect and behaviors. Its proposed that the “
simple presence” of a black women on television may “ affirm the beauty of all” and encourage
young black women to perceive other black women as “allies not as competitors”. Watching
television shows with predominantly black cast has a “ protective effect” on young black women
body image ( Schooler, Ward, Merriwether and Carathers, 2004).
In the 1980’s on word, black and white household top television shows were completely
different. Black women watched shows like: The Cosby show, Living single, Franks Place, Good
Times, The Jefferson’s and Girlfriends. These shows provided more complex portrayals of black
female characters, which were playing to an increasingly segregated television and audience.
White viewers at this time saw images of black females and black professionals on shows such
as: ER, Boston Public, Greys Anatomy and Law and Order that set in the professional work
world. These shows broke new ground and depicted black professionals as competent and
complex characters.
The Cosby Show made an effort to distance itself from familiar stereotypes of black
characters. Difficult balancing act providing a positive portrayal of a black family that did not
affirm the supremacy of white cultural norms of gravitate towards minstrel like interpretations of
black authenticity. The show was criticized because the Huxtables were shown in a socioeconomic context that was unrepresentative of the typical black family. The Cosby’s did not
show any struggle with any sort of money problems and forms of discrimination experienced by
many black homes. Black people found that the Huxtables as “exceptional” instead of “typical
blacks”. Claire (the mother) launched series of portrayals of black women who were successful
professional and loving caregivers. Even though they viewed her as a lawyer, the show
embedded the focus of her private life with her husband and children which was the typical cast
of black cast.
With the show Good Times, Florida Evan marked an important turning point in television
as working class black women. But her character was overshadowed by the antics of J.J. who
was criticized for reviving stereotypes from the mainstream era.(Nelson 1998). The Jefferson’s
broke new grounds for its portrayal of an upwardly mobile black middle class family, but George
and Louise Jefferson (husband and wife) still echoed the Sapphire and Kingfish
characters(Turner , 1994).
Instead of depicting blacks as undesirable inferiors, black characters were
disproportionately cast in roles of the boss or supervisor ( Entman and Rojecki, 2000). The “boss
role” kept these characters on the periphery of social interactions that were focused on white
characters. The black boss was not always a menacing figure but their role as supervisor tended
to isolate them from the rest of the cast. Upwardly mobile black person no longer associated with
a discourse on assimilation or a more nuanced discourse on racial integration. But instead they
are associated with aggressive, flamboyant behavior that emphasizes their racial otherness.
Depictions of angry black women have taken the media portrayal of isolated black professional
into new territory. Instead of merely being socially distant, the black professional poses an
imminent threat to their work mates (white and non-white).The current era, media depiction of
black women have become the primary vehicle for conveying the massager’s to mostly white
television audiences.
Magazines
Magazine photographs contain visual representations of stereotypes, which are defined as
widely held set of cultural beliefs about the typical characteristics of members of different social
groups within a society (Operaio and Fiske, 2001). Advertiser’s use gender role stereotypes as a
means to communicate the desirability of product and a “typical” young women of obvious
beauty ( Jhally, 1987). Researchers believe that it is important to exam magazine images of
women because of the impossible standards they depict and the potentially negative physical and
psychological consequences for young women who read them ( Malkin, Wornian and Chrisler,
1999).Black models compressed less than one- third of and percent of the total advertisement’s
found among several genres of magazines. Black models appeared in about ten percent of
advertisements in magazines that were oriented towards white readers. Even then the black
images were concentrated in specific areas like the sports sections of magazines ( DeLouth,
Pirson, Hitchcock, and Rienzi, 1995).
Fashion magazines have become increasingly more body-oriented because such
magazines are designed to help women to enhance their physical beauty, (Malkin et al. 1999).
Women magazine advertisements have a tendency to portray women’s body parts, rather than
their faces . Beauty and fashion magazines imply that the primary concerns of women involve
appearance, household activities and romance. Fashion magazines focus on enhancing women’s
beauty and sexuality (Plous and Neptune, 1997).
Music
Analyzing women’s images in popular lyrics call for measured subtlety than focused
choices. Stereotypes never lack factual bases, they are expansions to unreasonable extremes.
Among women’s images, idea about hateful maternal relatives, overly- critical wives, fickle
girlfriend and absolutely flawless beauties need to be tempered. There are many types of
marginal and mainstream characters are featured. Numerous types of rebellious and normative
behavior, along with a wide variety of attitudes, values and beliefs related to women’s roles,
relationships and responsibilities should be expected. Romantic involvements undergird the
thematic attention of most singers and songwriters.
Popular lyrics are supposed to provide clues to the nature of women hood then they
should reviewed over time, in the very broadest occupational context, across stylistic genres and
against the background of a culture that has historically marginalized even the best and brightest
female role models. Many writers have excoriated popular songs for too often imaging women as
sex objects and passive playthings. Music videos have commonly combined attacks on visuals
exploitation and lyrical misogyny begins upon criticisms. ( B. Lee Cooper)
Stereotypes are important to consider when examining how gender and race influence
self-concept in the lives of African American females. Other contemporary stereotype are the
gold digger, freak, and diva. The gold digger exchanges her sexuality foe economic and material
gains. The freak seeks to satisfy her sexual desires, who considered a bad girl because she is
sexually liberated and empowered and seeks out sex for physical satisfaction but not for a
relationship. The divas beauty is characterized by western standards which is: long straight hair,
slim built and light skinned (Stephens and Phillips, 2003). Girls who identify more with
stereotypical images of black women in the music videos were more likely to emphasize the
importance of appearance in their own lives ( Gordon MK, 2008).
With music also comes with Video Vixens. Video Vixens are the video vixen is a woman
of a different and astonishing nature. A video vixen is capable of causing mutiple jerk off
sessions during the period a day. A video vixen is not thought to be easily attainable even though
her skin bearing appearance may lead one to assume otherwise. Video vixens are known to cause
premature ejaculation. But little do people know that a video vixen a is not a sexy dancer in a
music video. A vixen is in fact a fox (literally the animal)...or an argumentative female.
Therefore, a music video which contains a woman arguing in it--or a fox dancing around in it-would thus contain a video vixen.(urban dictionary.com).
Being a vixen is a woman who uses her sexual appeal and cunningness to get what she
desires from her relationships and the world around her. Video vixens are known to sleep with
people just to get their names out into the industries to get to the top and make more money but
that’s not how “the artist’ thinks. The artist feels as though because I slept with her, her body is
nice and she’s pretty she can be in the video but I do not have pay her because they slept with her
(Kitta, 2011). Video vixens are seen as unprofessional, unreliable, and lacking moral character
and respect for themselves and other around them. Video vixens are females that have really
pretty skin, small waist, a huge buttock and nice breast with long black hair that touches the
middle of their back or lower. They walk around in six inch heels or higher in revealing clothes
that shows ever sexual aspects of their curvy bodies and beautiful skin that is oiled up for show.
The performance of women in hip hop videos are deeply affected by the historical nature
of Black women’s sexualized oppression. There is a false expectation and underlying fascination
that the lurid sexuality on display in the visual, fantasy realm of hip hop videos is a potential
reality or actual lived experience for women in the United States.
Conclusion
Mainstream stereotypes and black film/media have depicted an imagery that leads back to
slavery times. Based on the mammy and somewhat of the jezebel stereotypes. The mammy was
the black women who took care of the master’s children and go back to her own family at night.
She put forth all her effort into someone else love ones and made her family second and hardly
had time for herself. The Jezebel was the mulatto girl of African American decent that was most
of the time the play mate for the master’s child as well as the masters child or the masters
mistress. The jezebel was seen as the black girl/women who always had the upper head because
she most likely was a house child and not field child.
The images of these women have held an image that in order succeed you have to have a
certain appearance, which is light skinned and long hair. But then here comes television with
videos of women with big butts and a small waist and their skin becoming perfect, which adds on
to the stereotype of how a black woman should look. So young girls aim for the bodies,
straighten their hair or buy hair so that it can be long straight, get surgery or over work their
bodies so they can become “the perfect” image of a black women. They see shows like It’s a
Different World, The Cosby show, 227 shows that image many different depictions of black
women and how it’s okay to be yourselves and love yourself, a part of black feminism.
Citation
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