The Changing Representations of African Americans in Drama - Essay Example

The Changing Representations of African Americans in Drama In order to assess the common American consciousness, from the colonial era to the present day, prominent Black artists, of all genres, have worked hard to incorporate the important moments in the struggle to deepen America's democratic roots against the overwhelming forces of racism and bigotry, in their works. After the end of slavery, few could envision what the 20th century would hold for African Americans. The fact that "racism inscribed in the nation's Constitution and legal history has practically insured that a national tendency towards blindness, psychosis and stammering around race would carry over into the 21st century,"(Tate 44) and this is clearly demonstrated in America's modern media. Today we see the demonstration and celebration of the clever and reflective achievements of African Americans not only in the field of entertainment, but also in other distinct fields as well. This paper will explore the changing representations of African Americans in theatre and television. I will also examine the implications of these roles and the ways in which they influence others' perceptions of the black race. There are many intelligent Blacks working in the American theatre today who have labored to bring forth its daring and often healing truths. From 1910 to 1927, the period known as the Harlem Renaissance, Harlem came alive with drama, sports and politics. Reviewing the bulk African American performance, theatre and drama, and brings into focus the years of glory of the Harlem Renaissance, ranging from the plays and sporting events to fights and dances. To assess the development in the American African theatre, one needs to examine the important contributions of the black male and female playwrights. With the contemporary focus on multi-cultural theatre, anthologies of plays by African Americans are important additions about the Black theatre because the number of venues in producing plays by African American authors has greatly increased (Collier). African Americans as Universal Role Models Criteria that make a television and film drama great and some productions mediocre are the significant stories that show the age and the period by portraying the characteristic conflict and choices and immediate circumstances of the characters' lives. Today, the visual media and studies are employing different approaches and methods whereby some skim the surface and shun the question of value, while others penetrate beneath the surface and take on questions of value in the most direct way. Drama and movies have presented models that have had the ability of being challenging, probing, insightful and therapeutic by portraying believable characters in credible situations, challenged to make choices. It is clear "America is experiencing a new black cultural renaissance, and nowhere is it more evident than on the nation's theatre stages." (Nesmith). While old stereotypes are not completely gone. Some shows project Blacks as lazy and not wanting to better themselves, when in reality it is an enormous struggle to overcome oppression and gain equal opportunities for themselves. Everything produced on the television cannot always be great drama. Certain shows set back race relations because their view of Black assimilation is not projected positively. But the works of the African American playwrights present the philosophy and magnitude due to the depth of the inner unity between the characters and the concrete collisions of the socio-historical forces of their time. Around the 1950's, the visual entertainment was shifting toward television shows, and it became important for the survival of the motion picture to have new ideas. This resulted in the 1950 Hollywood presentation of a Black middle class family, "No Way Out." "Thirty years ago, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, in the year Malcolm X was shot and riots broke out across the country, Douglas Turner Ward used comedy and satire to deliver a message of the interdependence of blacks and whites."(Nesmith). Certainly, that traditional of using humor to bridge racial conflicts continued and is still present today. Gradually, African Americans started identifying themselves as stars and from the 1980's onward, Hollywood as well as the independent movie makers wanted to embrace these stars, (as their presence in the films were making box office hits.) Television producers also reached out to stars, in the making of full length motion pictures; just for the television, this tremendously improved the image of the Black American. Meaningful Black Drama Uplifts Community The most memorable and meaningful television drama is that which has a metaphoric thrust and presents a whole way of life in a miniature universe, provoking communal recognition and revelation. Good visual productions help the viewers to appreciate the past, interpret the present and conceive and envision the future. It also helps to create individual images of social totality, thus capturing the flow of historical processes. From the 1920's to the 1940's, there was a rise in the Black actors seeking work, but only receiving light comedy, music or dance roles. In the years 1949-69, many roles in motion pictures required scenes showing African Americans in positions of authority. This integration period brought together Black and White actors. By the 1970's, Blacks were firmly in the doors of Hollywood and it was no longer strange to see them performing as doctors, lawyers, detectives and superheroes, etc. Critics of the way blacks were treated in television were quick to advise, "If Negroes were seen more frequently on television -- and in featured roles comparable to those played by white actors -- their real-life employment picture might be favorably affected. Television's power to change mass habits and attitudes appears to be significant. An improvement in the Negro image on television might be a very important step toward real integration."(Harper 63). The African American motion pictures and television productions in today's expanding world of visual imagery is now taking on subjects from history, life experiences or unexplored events. Today's markets are open and African Americans are taking full advantage of these opportunities and the actors and actresses are expanding their roles from the stage to movies, as well as television mini-series. But producers still have to tailor their productions for the majority of the viewing public and what they enjoy. Therefore, they need to be careful in doing this, as these images may hinder unity between the races. Additionally, children are looking to these individuals as perfect models. The drawback is that just as the positive images are being absorbed, so too are the negative ones. Subsequently, children are adopting the behavior and using their idols' celebrity status as justification. Drama Perpetuates Negative Stereotypes Many of the stereotypes of African Americans encountered in early television have been replaced by new, more subtle representations. One construct proposed to describe these portrayals is symbolic racism. According to Sears (1988), symbolic racism is characterized by three main attributes. First, there is an antagonism toward African Americans" pushing too hard' and moving too fast" (56) to achieve equal rights. Inherent in this view is the implication that African Americans employ violence as a means of pushing too hard and moving too fast. Second, there is resentment toward what are perceived to be special favors for African Americans, such as racial quotas in jobs or education, excessive access to welfare, special treatment by government, or unfair economic opportunities for African Americans. The third major component of symbolic racism is a denial of the continuing existence of discrimination (Rada 704). As far back as the silent film era, African Americans have played roles where the themes of movies have presented a mixed images based on what was thought to please the viewers of each particular film. Unfortunately, most of these movies depicted Blacks as being drug users and dealers, liars, abusers, thieves and mostly dumb as in films like "The Corner" and He's Coming Back." Such movies show Black characters in negative stereotypical roles, and "People of color have been frequently perceived as sources of TV humor; racially and ethnically marked fictional characters test the terrain of assimilation and difference as part of the weekly pleasures offered by television series."(Haralovich and Rabinovitz 9). The average African American today would never like to be identified with. When depicted in good roles, there seemed to be a deliberate use of light skinned Blacks to portray the good, honest, intellectual and romantic side of their character. The repeated negative depiction of Blacks has sunken into the fabric of the nation and also into the minds of many. When the film "The Birth of a Nation" was released in 1915, this led to the outspoken outrage of the African Americans, as it depicted many falsified facts and even justified the existence of the "Ku Klux Klan." The storyline and production shown at that time was believable history for many who wanted to display that view of African Americans status and position. But by all standards of today's film making, all that might appear not only laughable but silly. Race is portrayed in the media in two ways: through the content of a message or program, and through the race representation of sources included in a program or story. Previous research has demonstrated that race representation on television tends to affirm, and possibly galvanize, White viewers' racial attitudes.(Coover 413). Not every drama and movie embodies total vision to be good, but the drive must be towards totality and coherence. Dynamic writers challenge the social norms and open sources of growth, and that is why visual productions of standard and quality do not lack authenticity and conviction in formulating the view of the society. Day time television and talk shows offers representations of African Americans which are both exaggerated and inaccurate. The Maury Povich Show atrades in this racial family drama, but with more emphasis on race and sexuality. Not only does Mr. Povich, a White American, present shows in which White women seek paternity tests for their Black male partners, Mr. Povich presents Black women and Black men in an especially stark light. One show, for example, featured a Black woman who brought on nine Black men as candidates for her six-month-old daughter's "baby daddy." All nine failed the paternity test.(Collins 39). After the revelation, with cameras rolling in search of the all-important "money shot, " Mr. Povich followed the distraught young mother backstage, and volunteered to keep working with her until she had tracked down the Black deadbeat dad. Like Mr. Williams, Mr. Povich delivers a message about responsibility to the DNA-branded fathers. Via the choice of topic, and showing the African American woman whose sexuality was so out of control that she had no idea who had fathered her child, Mr. Povich panders to longstanding societal beliefs about Black sexuality (Collins 40). Dramatic Roles Influence the Real Views of African American Communities The visual media has played a major role in constructing, maintaining and representing the image and identity of African Americans. The television and movies produced over the past few decades have shown how they struggled to achieve recognition, respect and power from the old image that was presented of them as being only fit to be ruled. It offers diverse audience analysis in projecting the life and culture and gives insight into how the media treatment has had an impact and played a major role in the social formation of their life, culture and identity. The average African American has to deal with the way they are represented individually and as a social group. As a medium, film can cater to individuals who fall into different categories. For example, the film "Color Purple," depicts black men as evil and brutal. Whereas, many Black women loved the film because it presented a new type of feminism to Black women, who were previously depicted as slaves and maids. Such productions can tremendously uplift and change the way society looks at the Black race. With limitations and a large audience, television has representational problems. With productions like the "Cosby Show," some feel that the real problems faced by the Blacks on an everyday basis such as racism, class and lack of opportunity were not even mentioned. Many African American actors believe "that stereotypes have gotten in the way of Blacks being shown in a wholesome, sexual manner on screen...There are these stereotypes about Black women as hookers and whores and Black men as studs and pimps...There are these myths that surround us about being hot and passionate, which is not the same as being loving and holding."(Collier). At times, the visual media reveals a subtle pattern of images communicating a racial hierarchy with the Whites being on top. It also promotes a sense of difference and conflict. On the other hand, some media representations have sociopolitical implications of Black family life and show an easy upward mobility, with no sign of discrimination which is the idea of the real American Dream. Conclusion As to how Blacks respond to their representation on TV and movies, a lot more ground needs to be covered in areas of equality and political correctness. In the rare Black drama, "self-determination and hard work lead to middle class comfort. Informal observations about current portrayals of Blacks suggest entertainment television is overly optimistic."(Busselle, and Crandall). American people are not just sitting blindly accepting what the visual media presents but are analyzing the images presented of them and to them. They not only enjoy watching their selected movies but also love to watch their favorite movie idols. Certain depictions of Black people characterized as all Black people, can at times be dangerous because it perpetuates stereotyping and discrimination. The visual media with its powerful images plays a significant role in shaping the attitudes of other races towards African Americans because they learn more about them not through personal relationships, but by the images shown to them. Literature and drama projecting mixed views during the 20th century have greatly helped the ethnic image of American population and although Black actors are more visible in films and on TV, there is still an open question as to how they will be represented. According to Collier "According a major key is educating Black movie patrons about the influence they can wield. "People are now learning to write and say, 'No, we don't like this' or 'Yes, we like this.' Let the powers-that-be know by way of letters what we want to see on the screen. Black America has not told Hollywood what it wants to see and demanded that they do it."(Collier). Works Cited Busselle, Rick, and Heather Crandall. "Television Viewing and Perceptions about Race Differences in Socioeconomic Success." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 46.2 (2002): 265+. Questia. 27 April 2006. Collier, Aldore. "Why Hollywood Ignores Black Love and Intimacy; Black Stars Challenge Race and Market Fears That Limit On-Screen Romance." Ebony Apr. 1989: 41+. Questia. 27 April 2006. Collins, Patricia Hill. Black Sexual Politics: African Americans, Gender, and the New Racism. New York: Routledge, 2004. Questia. 27 April 2006. Coover, Gail E. "Television and Social Identity: Race Representation as "White" Accommodation." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 45.3 (2001): 413. Questia. 27 April 2006. Haralovich, Mary Beth, and Lauren Rabinovitz, eds. Television, History, and American Culture: Feminist Critical Essays. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1999. Questia. 27 April 2006. Harper, Phillip Brian. "Extra-Special Effects Televisual Representation and the Claims of "The Black Experience"." Living Color: Race and Television in the United States. Ed. Sasha Torres. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1998. 62-81. Questia. 27 April 2006. Nesmith, Eugene. "What's Race Got to Do with It." American Theatre Mar. 1996: 12+. Questia. 27 April 2006. Rada, James A. "A New Piece to the Puzzle: Examining Effects of Television Portrayals of African Americans." Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 44.4 (2000): 704. Questia. 27 April 2006 Sears, D. O. (1988), Symbolic racism. In P. A. Katz and D. A. Taylor (Eds.) Eliminating racism: Profiles in controversy (pp. 53-85). New York: Plenum Press. Questia. 27 April 2006. Tate, Greg. "How We Talk about Race." American Theatre May 2000: 44. Questia. 27 April 2006. Read More