Napoleon Dynamite: Studying Culture and Stereotypes - Movie Review Example

Napoleon Dynamite: Studying Culture and Stereotypes The most important aspect to deal with the film Napoleon Dynamite is how it has represented certain cultural phenomena that are of extreme importance like the notions of identity, which involves gender, class and race by using the works of Weber, Kellner and Andre that has given an in – depth study of different cultural phenomenon in the contemporary times. Several instances in the films has dealt the manner of how each notions has been represented and paved way for a certain stereotype as constructed by the characters. In the film Napoleon Dynamite, certain stereotypes are evident, which individually constructed and socially determined. There is an important need to understand that a certain group will posit a certain stereotype based on how an individual projects himself or herself in a group, which would result to either acceptance or discrimination. The most important stereotypes that are prevalent are the ones that cater to gender and sexuality and to that of race and identity, which are evident in the interaction of the characters in the film. Napoleon, the main character, is ostracized in his school and within the premises of his own home (Napoleon Dynamite). This is crucial since there two components that constantly shape his personality: his personal aspect and the social aspect. Pure oppression and oppressed group does not exist as pointed out by Weber (25). However, the people who carries with them a certain ideological inclination or condition, which is strongly dependent on the status quo of its society, constructs both as asserted by Kellner (Kellner). Identity is at stake in this case. Napoleon’s own oppression can be analyzed in relation with his manner of self – expression, which is tagged to be unconventional to the hip, cool and jock notions present in his school, embodied by the guys who are deemed cool by women is school. He is making himself oppressed due to his own presentation. This would result into an unwelcoming condition: that of oppression by the people who have lived up a certain standard regarding being cool and hip. Media’s role in construction of identity is crucial as pointed out by Kellner (Kellner). La Fawnduh, the black girl, has given Napoleon a tape recording of a dance music upon seeing Napoleon being so into dancing (Napoleon Dynamite). This paved way for Napoleon to express himself: considerably a manner of reorienting his appearance through dancing, a strong manifestation of the influence of pop culture in him. This is the time where Napoleon is making himself sellable, which he will use to make his Mexican friend, Pedro, win the school elections for presidency (Napoleon Dynamite). Analytically, Napoleon’s reorientation towards the end signals a vibrant matter: of embodying an exotic appearance. People did not know that Napoleon can dance yet he used it to his advantage at the stake of making a spectacle: an entertaining number deemed to be fun in the eyes of the people who have seen him perform a dance for the first time. For Kellner, pop culture worked for Napoleon’s advantage due to his act of imbibing a certain cultural standard that is well – known to everyone despite being branded to be cheap and low class (Kellner). When it comes to sexuality, Napoleon’s appearance of being less macho, compared to the jocks in his school that appears to be highly masculine, did not discredit him (Napoleon Dynamite). He has used this to his own advantage to become a likeable person despite adhering to a certain stereotype: i.e. nerd and weirdo. Judith Andre can provide a certain explanation about this phenomenon when she stated, “stereotype – which retain in the face of contradictory evidence – must function in one of the following ways: it may be relatively fundamental to our conceptual scheme; it may protect our self – esteem; it may help bring about some desirable situation; or it may shield us from facing an unchangeable, unpleasant fact” (Andre 259). The character of Napoleon explicates all the premises that Judith Andre mentioned when he is able to achieve what he needs to accomplish for his friend Pedro, who is also subjected in the same cultural prejudice that envelopes the premises of the school. At the same time, La Fawnduh is projecting a certain stereotype that is working within the context of race. The physical characteristics of both characters are enough indicators to determine their cultural origin. On this level, for Weber, the society or a certain group of people can attribute or impose a certain characteristic or standard of a certain individual to a certain strata of people outside their identification (Weber 21). However, the confinement of the two characters based on their racial origin cannot be seen as weaknesses in the film despite of the racial stereotype projected in the film. Pedro’s success in the elections of their school indicates that there is not much discriminatory conditions that are imposed on him but it is important to take into account the fact that Napoleon did helped him all throughout his campaign for victory (Napoleon Dynamite). It can be seen that Napoleon is the first one who has considered Pedro as a friend. Critically, both Pedro and Napoleon are discriminated individuals but they have made room to accept each other despite of the racial differences. In the relationship of Pedro and Napoleon, the binaries of oppression and the oppressed are not that present. This would then prove the point raised above about the non – presence of oppression asserted by Weber (25). There is no discriminatory act nor even a selective standard from the two of them even if racism could have been a possible act committed by Napoleon. On a critical level, the possible explanation that can explain why the acts of Napoleon toward Pedro are nice is largely dependent on how Napoleon himself has experienced rejection and discrimination even if he belongs to the white racial class. Napoleon is a victim of his own race but he did not allow Pedro to be the victim of the same even if the phenomenon is unavoidable. What is important here is that Napoleon has accepted Pedro, despite of the false representations that are imposed to and are subscribed by Pedro’s Mexican origin. The same condition is evident with Kip and La Fawnduh’s relationship as lovers. Their interaction in media, via Internet and computer technology is crucial since the media has the capacity to instill a certain view or perception towards a person that can totally change the worldview that can be good or bad depending on the capacity to process the massive information that media provides, which another proposition by Kellner (Kellner). The interaction of the two via computer already dispelled the racial judgments. Due to an obsession to have a love affair, both of the characters ended up being in love. Something that can be considered to be possibly ironic and impossible given that there is a notion of the supremacy of the white. All the more, there is an influx of a problematic situation since both Kip and La Fawnduh, based on their stature, belongs to the groups of ostracized individuals. Nevertheless, the same acceptance is evident as seen to that of Pedro and Napoleon. One that can be considered evident here is the role of different institutions in honing the characters in the film. The school, the media and the family are the ones that have been existent and influential in the film. What kind of family one has carries a certain degree of stereotype, whether it is based on class, gender, sexuality, nationality, race and appearance. The school in the films can be considered to be the most diverse setting where almost all of the stereotypes are present as embodied by the a spectrum of students coming from different backgrounds. As pointed out by Kellner, one must understand that the operations of a certain institution are dependent on an ideology where its operations are founded (Kellner). To such extent, the ideology that the school carries, in plausible sense, is of a white education where those who belong mostly enjoy the privileges and perks and those are deemed misfits cannot fully enjoy what the school can offer. At the same time, the best instigator of ideological conditions is the media where Rae-Kwon-do is a service that can give Kip and Napoleon, and others present, a chance to defend themselves physically (Napoleon Dynamite). This is the most extant forms of consumerist culture present in the world nowadays where people are blindly immersed to the mass – culture carried on by the popular forms of information disseminations (Kellner). This creates then a certain stereotype of what is strong and cool and what is not: the muscled man vs. the thin, clumsy and lumpen one as manifested by Rae, the martial artist instructor, and the brothers Kip and Napoleon, which are of direct contrast of each other respectively (Napoleon Dynamite). One must not also disregard the manner of conditioning and projection of certain stereotypical characters in the film as constructed by the most basic institution: the family. This the most crucial since the trouble that each member of the family faces affect each members, which would further aggravate the perception of people towards them. Uncle Rico, in the film, has jeopardized the conditions of the Napoleon, who is already aggravated at the very start of the film (Napoleon Dynamite). What is crucial here is the projection of Rico to be a certain cool machismo guy, which, inevitably, set Napoleon into a dispute with him. This is where a certain sexual tension exists, where Rico, tries to become an alpha – male, of which he is not capable of and Napoleon, who is considered as a weak, nerd, social suicidal. Though in the film, Rico’s efforts to help Napoleon can be considered as a manner of uplifting Napoleon’s ego, it is something that is blatantly taken as an offense by the latter. Rico has not been really sensitive about what will be the effects of his acts of kindness towards Napoleon. All in all, Napoleon Dynamite, as a film, can be considered as a criticism of the stereotypical perpetuations of the cultural status quo, where there is prejudice, discrimination and non – acceptance. At the same time, it offers as solution of being keen about different projections of sexuality and to be inclusive about it instead of being too exclusive. Culture is at stake here. There is a need to strike a balance between feeling superior and of being sensitive. One must see that understanding the background of others, whether it is social, political, cultural or economical must be considered. This is an act of being culturally – sensitive and being accepting of people regardless of cultural origins. WORKS CITED Andre, Judith. "Stereotypes: Conceptual and Normative Considerations." Multi-Cultural Film: An Anthology. Comp. Kathryn Karrh Cashin and Stacy Lynn Tanner. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. Print. Weber, Lynn. "A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality." Multi-Cultural Film: An Anthology. Comp. Kathryn Karrh Cashin and Stacy Lynn Tanner. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2010. Print. Kellner, Douglas. “Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture.” UCLA.edu. . Napoleon Dynamite. Fox Searchlight, Paramount Pictures and MTV Films. 2004. Read More