Remember the time when Will Smith and his wife Jada-Pinkett Smith and other several black actors and directors boycotted the last year’s Oscars? Why was that? Have you ever wondered? Well, if you have been living under the rock all this while, let us shed some light on the matter.
Over the period of time, and to be honest, there always has been stereotyping of black people in contemporary literature. This stereotyping is evident in films such as Negros with healing abilities, black best friends, criminals and thugs, trash talking ladies and the likes thereof.
Now the reason behind such stereotyping is primarily due to the fact African people were once slaves and were brought to serve their white masters. However, things took a turn with civil rights movement and emergence of men like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and Muhammad Ali etc. who shaped the white men ideology and etched black man’s legacy.
They became a force to be reckoned with and were making waves with their own efforts and hard work, rising above the ranks of slaves. Do my essay for me feature can be availed online. In Hollywood, many of the actors and directors have won Oscars but still, it can be seen that the film fraternity is reluctant in accepting the black people in totality.
This is what occurred during last year’s Oscars and in Oscars prior to that. Sam Jackson famously known for his work in Pulp Fiction and several other notable movies was not nominated for his role as the butler in Django Unchained opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Fox which was easily the ‘baddie of the year’ character. Last year’s Oscar’s biggest snub in the best film category was Straight Outta Compton that wooed audiences worldwide and critics alike but had black actors and director at the helm of it.
Black actors have dominantly shown as catalysts who nurture and bring about the best in their white leads. ‘The Help’ is a classic example of such an instance where the protagonist is being helped by her black maids to realize her potential. Similarly, Denzel Washington, a seasoned Hollywood actor was awarded best actor award for Training Day as a compensatory act after having neglected him for far superior roles.
Although, the race has a past but it is high time that mainstream media should realize that not every black guy wears a hoodie and listen to hip-hop/rap genre and roams the streets dealing in drugs. They too have families and are honorable hard working people contributing to their community while raising their children. Hollywood must highlight these aspects to bridge the gap between two races or else it will widen and instead should ask why these stereotypes continue to exist?
