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"The role of stereotyping in the media"

Stereotypes have developed over the years to encompass every type of media and have become an integral part of the representation of many groups. While a stereotype is essentially an archetypal representation which appears across mediums it also has far broader connotations across society as a whole. As with all issues there are a variety of points of view. The main issue being do stereotypes actually have an effect on the way groups are treated?

Stereotyping has influenced the representation of minority groups in particular with all members of the group being represented in one way. There is also an issue of where does stereotyping begin and people’s own ideas end? For example people were racist before the mass media developed but was the racism a result of stereotyping in social terms. This leads to an interesting paradoxical argument, which came first, the bigot or the stereotype. While it is nigh on impossible to actually prove this either way it is an important issue in considering stereotyping within the media.

Stereotyping in the visual media has often created controversy, particularly historically in the roles of blacks and other ethnic minorities in TV and Cinema. Until the pioneering work of Sidney Poitier in cinema the role of the black person in cinema was relegated to the butler or servant. After the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960’s challenged perceptions of blacks in America, the black stereotype changed to fit in with the new socially liberated demands of the audience. This creates another conundrum; stereotypes often change over time reflecting society’s attitudes. This is needed in order to retain an audience rather than to alienate them with outdated stereotypical roles for the previously condemned. This presents a problem for people who state that stereotyping increases society’s acceptance of these representations. If anything, stereotyping acts as a catalyst to create new ideological understanding between groups because by showing the lifestyle of the minority groups it is hoped that people may better understand them.

There is also the idea of positively stereotyping, enhancing a groups image through the use of positive representations. This is particularly relevant to the change in the representation of women. Nearly all women in the today’s media are strong and powerful, respected among their peers as being equal. The female characters in the American sitcom “Friends” are a principle example of this. They retain stereotypical female problems and flaws such as Rachael’s unplanned pregnancy and Monica’s fastidious cleaning of the apartment but these are juxtaposed against the male characters whose flaws generally run far deeper, such as Ross’s failed marriages. Whereas Rachael’s pregnancy is used to show her growth and resilience as a strong woman, the plot plunges Ross’s character into yet more disequilibrium as a result of his trouble with relationships.

However, positive stereotyping can still lead to problems; does this truly show how the characters would react to a given situation? In “Friends” although Rachael’s doubts were shown in the first episodes after the shock revelation of her pregnancy this has now been left to show her character preparing for childbirth. While this is obviously meant to be inspiring to an audience its realism is called into question because it is likely Rachael would still have doubts. Positive stereotyping can have the effect that people dismiss its use, either because of their beliefs to the contrary or because of the overtly explicit ‘good’ representations of minority groups. While positive stereotyping can be justified to some extent, the time when stereotyping does potentially reach dangerous proportions is when negative stereotypes are implemented. These often occur during times of war and are used by governments and dictators as propaganda. The obvious example of this is the construction of the Jewish stereotype during the build up of to the Second World War by the Nazi party. By promoting a distinctly racist ideology the Nazis convinced the Germans to commit religious genocide against the Jews ultimately leading to the Holocaust. This is where any arguments regarding the use of stereotyping as a good idea can be discarded. After the aftermath of the September the 11th attacks on America the representation of people of Arab origin changed significantly, thus prompting racist attacks on people in this country and America. This ideological impetus has been blamed by many leading authorities on the role of propaganda and a supposed hate campaign instigated by the world’s media. The dangers of stereotyping become more apparent when considered away from the world of the media. By classing a whole group of people as one thing there is no room for difference, they become a singular person who embodies the entire culture, religion and beliefs of that group. This in today’s political climate is not only an old fashioned way of classing people but can be highly destructive.

The stereotyping of blacks has changed, but is this change any better than what preceded it. In films such as “Boyz in the Hood” the black community is seen as dangerous and violent and this has become the staple for the black’s role in Hollywood cinema. While there may be many black actors working in Hollywood the roles they play are still set by a stringent set of rules that govern which genre of film they can appear in. For example a big star such as Samuel L. Jackson is known for his roles as a fast talking, foul mouthed criminal. This is optimised by his role as Jules in “Pulp Fiction” where as a hitman he became a cultural icon for black cinema.

In conclusion the media needs stereotypes to create continuity between texts and between medium. This makes economic sense as audience recognition of character roles means that stereotyped representations attract audiences because of the assurance that what they are going to see is not different to their expectations. Also it is often assumed by audiences that these stereotypes have some basis in fact, which ultimately they do, but they represent a group as a one dimensional entity rather than the multi faceted individuals that make up the group. Stereotypes can be used to a destructive effect but this is inevitable as in reality it is often politicians which instigate this ideology, not the media itself. While it is often advisable for the media to fight against stereotyping it is a difficult not to repel an audience. If a stereotype is flouted by a film as with genre conventions, if the film is a success it is likely that this new representation will become the norm.

Well done on the GAD win!

Good Post!

This is extremely ironic, and not meant to offend, but I was really suprosed that a newbie started this topic. No offense intended, as I know that Newbies can and do make good posts, but anyways, they were good points. I don't think stereotyping is good at all. I think the world seems increasingly realising that it can't just stereotype segments of society. Business, governments advertising, all seem to be realising that society cannot be treated as a bunch of stereotypes- they have to be smarter than that now to get us on their side. But still society itself seems to create stereotypes. Even as old stereotypes are broken down and ridiculed, new ones are built up from the ashes.

And can any one of us honestly say that we have never made any judgement about a person before knowing them because we have placed them in a certain group?

I would like to thank Mr Happy for the comments regarding my post. The whole area of stereotyping particualy in a racial context is very interesting.

I was particularly interested in the racism aspect of your post...

You rightly cite Sidney Poitier as an example of a pioneering black actor. However, it's important to make another disticntion. Sure, Poitier is a marked improvement from the roles of Blacks in earlier films, notably Gone With the Wind, but Poitier took it a step further. He got lead roles in which he was just an actor: not a black actor. If you watch "In the Heat of the Night" Poitier is in a transition role, where he himself is portrayed as having racist preconceptions - note his immediate suspicion of the white plantation owner - but is also the victim of racism. In "the Bedford Incident" it's purely a non-race specific role. And he is arguably the first black actor to have achieved that. I would shy away from saying that Poitier was evidence of the liberal nature of the times.. The production crew of "In the Heat of the Night" was literally run out of a SOuthern town when it tried to set up to shoot, and ultimately the film was actually made in the North.

If you move on a little, Sammy Davis Jr is another example of a black who broke the stereotype, becoming part of the Rat pack. People have complained that in "Oceans 11" it's him that drives the dustbin lorry, and not Sinatra or Martin or any of the other white actors. But we shouldn't overlook the fact that Sammy Davis Jr was the man who hugged Nixon on live TV and who backed Kennedy all the way up to the Whitehouse. He even married a white woman, but did little to endear himself to the more militant blacks, whom he systematically ridiculed in his comedy routines. Yet he was another black who was accepted for who he was and not what he was; he later went on to forge a successful career in comedy: not as a black comedian but as a comedian.

Yes, stereotypes are prevalent in cinema and television, but they are gradually changing. More and more we see films featuring characters whose race is unimportant, and actors are thus chosen on ability rather than skin colour. If anything the more stereotyped end of the spectrum lies in the hands of the supposed racial warriors, such a Spike Lee.

Racism will always be a part of our society, but it doesn't have to be a part of film, and increasingly it isn't. And as you quite rightly observe films like "Boyz n the Hood", ironically, are now the main purveyors of the black stereotype.

very interesting post.

Stereotypes have developed over the years to encompass every type of media and have become an integral part of the representation of many groups. While a stereotype is essentially an archetypal representation which appears across mediums it also has far broader connotations across society as a whole. As with all issues there are a variety of points of view. The main issue being do stereotypes actually have an effect on the way groups are treated?

Stereotyping has influenced the representation of minority groups in particular with all members of the group being represented in one way. There is also an issue of where does stereotyping begin and people’s own ideas end? For example people were racist before the mass media developed but was the racism a result of stereotyping in social terms. This leads to an interesting paradoxical argument, which came first, the bigot or the stereotype. While it is nigh on impossible to actually prove this either way it is an important issue in considering stereotyping within the media.

Stereotyping in the visual media has often created controversy, particularly historically in the roles of blacks and other ethnic minorities in TV and Cinema. Until the pioneering work of Sidney Poitier in cinema the role of the black person in cinema was relegated to the butler or servant. After the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960’s challenged perceptions of blacks in America, the black stereotype changed to fit in with the new socially liberated demands of the audience. This creates another conundrum; stereotypes often change over time reflecting society’s attitudes. This is needed in order to retain an audience rather than to alienate them with outdated stereotypical roles for the previously condemned. This presents a problem for people who state that stereotyping increases society’s acceptance of these representations. If anything, stereotyping acts as a catalyst to create new ideological understanding between groups because by showing the lifestyle of the minority groups it is hoped that people may better understand them.

There is also the idea of positively stereotyping, enhancing a groups image through the use of positive representations. This is particularly relevant to the change in the representation of women. Nearly all women in the today’s media are strong and powerful, respected among their peers as being equal. The female characters in the American sitcom “Friends” are a principle example of this. They retain stereotypical female problems and flaws such as Rachael’s unplanned pregnancy and Monica’s fastidious cleaning of the apartment but these are juxtaposed against the male characters whose flaws generally run far deeper, such as Ross’s failed marriages. Whereas Rachael’s pregnancy is used to show her growth and resilience as a strong woman, the plot plunges Ross’s character into yet more disequilibrium as a result of his trouble with relationships.

However, positive stereotyping can still lead to problems; does this truly show how the characters would react to a given situation? In “Friends” although Rachael’s doubts were shown in the first episodes after the shock revelation of her pregnancy this has now been left to show her character preparing for childbirth. While this is obviously meant to be inspiring to an audience its realism is called into question because it is likely Rachael would still have doubts. Positive stereotyping can have the effect that people dismiss its use, either because of their beliefs to the contrary or because of the overtly explicit ‘good’ representations of minority groups. While positive stereotyping can be justified to some extent, the time when stereotyping does potentially reach dangerous proportions is when negative stereotypes are implemented. These often occur during times of war and are used by governments and dictators as propaganda. The obvious example of this is the construction of the Jewish stereotype during the build up of to the Second World War by the Nazi party. By promoting a distinctly racist ideology the Nazis convinced the Germans to commit religious genocide against the Jews ultimately leading to the Holocaust. This is where any arguments regarding the use of stereotyping as a good idea can be discarded. After the aftermath of the September the 11th attacks on America the representation of people of Arab origin changed significantly, thus prompting racist attacks on people in this country and America. This ideological impetus has been blamed by many leading authorities on the role of propaganda and a supposed hate campaign instigated by the world’s media. The dangers of stereotyping become more apparent when considered away from the world of the media. By classing a whole group of people as one thing there is no room for difference, they become a singular person who embodies the entire culture, religion and beliefs of that group. This in today’s political climate is not only an old fashioned way of classing people but can be highly destructive.

The stereotyping of blacks has changed, but is this change any better than what preceded it. In films such as “Boyz in the Hood” the black community is seen as dangerous and violent and this has become the staple for the black’s role in Hollywood cinema. While there may be many black actors working in Hollywood the roles they play are still set by a stringent set of rules that govern which genre of film they can appear in. For example a big star such as Samuel L. Jackson is known for his roles as a fast talking, foul mouthed criminal. This is optimised by his role as Jules in “Pulp Fiction” where as a hitman he became a cultural icon for black cinema.

In conclusion the media needs stereotypes to create continuity between texts and between medium. This makes economic sense as audience recognition of character roles means that stereotyped representations attract audiences because of the assurance that what they are going to see is not different to their expectations. Also it is often assumed by audiences that these stereotypes have some basis in fact, which ultimately they do, but they represent a group as a one dimensional entity rather than the multi faceted individuals that make up the group. Stereotypes can be used to a destructive effect but this is inevitable as in reality it is often politicians which instigate this ideology, not the media itself. While it is often advisable for the media to fight against stereotyping it is a difficult not to repel an audience. If a stereotype is flouted by a film as with genre conventions, if the film is a success it is likely that this new representation will become the norm.