Black Representation In-Front and Behind the Camera

The subject of diversity in Hollywood films is constantly sought after, however, the industry is still dallying in the proper inclusion of diverse groups in film and television. In this article, the subject of the black presence in Hollywood is thoroughly analyzed by several sources. The sources within this rhetorical analysis all share a common purpose—to inform society what representation can do for Hollywood and the positive impact it could easily impose but has yet to achieve.

In The New York Amsterdam News article “Black is the new black” written by DavidGoodson, a journalist for the Nightlife column in the New York Amsterdam News and additionalcolumns following black entertainment and media. Readers are notified of Marvel’s BlackPanther success in the box office and widespread phenomena despite the racist comments made regarding the film. Goodson begins his column with a recollection of a racist incident that occurred on 167th Street, his childhood neighborhood in the South Bronx. Goodson creates an ideal introduction, one that can immediately hook in The New York Amsterdam News’ intendedaudience—the black residents of New York City. The audience is familiar with areas such as 167th Street and can maybe even relate to the incident, which was a Chinese food restaurantposting a makeshift flyer that read “3 Wings, french fries and soda. $2.00 Black History Month Special!” (Goodson, “Black is the new black”)

The tone of Goodson’s article is immediately intimate and solemn, as he quotes directracist comments made about the film, such as “…the blackness had really made me drowsy[..]” and “When I entered the theatre, a bunch of Black people was fighting in the night” (Goodson, “Black is the new Black”). However, there is a shift when he begins to discuss the outstanding global ticket sales Black Panther made, making it the third highest-grossing film in the history ofAmerica. About himself being offended by the racist incidents, he writes, “Maybe 50 cent said it best. ‘If they hate, let ‘em hate, but watch the money pile up.” (Goodson, “Black is the new Black”)Goodson switches to a hip-hop cultural reference, 50 cent’s iconic song “In Da Club”,which creates a sense of connection and nostalgia for the readers.

This newspaper article is a genre established by its audiences’ need to learn about currentmovies and entertainment, especially a film by a black director with an all-black cast. A short, easy-to-read column in the newspaper is a great way to quickly grab the readers’ attention. Themedium of this writing is conveyed through the newspaper and its circulation throughout Harlem.

The author maintains a socially aware stance throughout his article by reflecting on the despair that stems from being discriminated against but also reclaims achievement by highlighting Black Panthers’ financial success and cultural phenomenon. He reinforces the importance of diversity in film and its power to transfer into everyday life. In addition to his stance, he maintains a relaxed but formal language that can transfer to the audience, even endingthe article with “Over and out. Holla next week. Till then, enjoy the nightlife”. Goodson intendsfor his audience to feel comfortable with him and trust his writings by using certain slang. He creates a persona through his choice of language, one that can keep his readers coming back for more.

In the Filmic Conception of the Black Female, Manatu-Rupert analyzes the stereotypical depiction of black women as overly promiscuous. Starting with the origin of the stereotype, she asserts that the view of black female sexuality has a foundation in slavery, in which blackwomen were seen as “objects of sexual gratification.” (Manatu-Rupert, 45) Manatu-Rupert goes further by analyzing two films from the 1980s that depict black women in the same stereotyped depiction: She’s Gotta Have It and Lethal Weapon. The author is an assistant professor ofspeech, communication and media studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, meaning that her audience can include a range of people. The audience can consist of students in her class, students within the CUNY system, other professors, and individuals conducting research.

The tone of this scholarly article follows a formal, academic language. Manatu-Rupert maintains an objective tone throughout her writing, but at the end, writes “A cynic might ask, of what use if a lens that exacerbates misperceptions?… As a black woman, I have sunk too far into cynicism to know,” (Manatu-Rupert, 50) which strays the impartial tone she set throughout the rest of the paper. However, it does not make the article any less insightful. As a black woman writing about how black women are depicted in films, she appropriately inserted her view of the subject at hand. As for purpose, the author wants to inform her audience and highlight a specific trope in the film world. The article also can create discussion, as the film is often subjective and can be interpreted in different ways.

The genre of The Filmic Conception of the Black Female is a scholarly journal article. It seemingly developed from certain negative stereotypes of black women being depicted in filmswithin the ’80s and her need to highlight the issue. The medium of this writing is conveyedthrough Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, which is convenient access for her intended audience.

In the article “What I Learned From Token Black Character in Teen Movies”, the author,Vanessa Willoughby reflects on her experience of growing up with a stereotypical trope of black women in film and television. She recalls growing up in the suburbs as the token non-white family in the neighborhood and attending an all-white school with people who assumed she shared the same teenage experience. (Willoughby, “What I Learned From Token BlackCharacters in Teen Movies) With films being a part of one’s upbringing, Willoughby recalls, as ateen, consuming movies solely made for her white counterpart. When a black character didappear, it was often a “token” role, in which the black character acts like a stereotypical representation of the entire race. She provides several examples of films released in the ’90s thatfeature token black characters that seemingly never evolve. Vanessa Willoughby is a freelance journalist and writer, who contributes her work to Vice Magazine occasionally. Because of ViceMagazine’s edgy, taboo, and sophomoric topics, the audience may mostly be made up ofmadolescents.

The tone of the article is candid and reflective. Willoughby keeps a nostalgic quality throughout her text as she reflects iconic 90’s/2000’s movies such as Clueless, She’s Gotta Have It and Bring It On. She writes, “For me, Dionne was a new kind of black girl on film: one who refused to sacrifice her backless to fit in…Dionne’s character agitated the boundaries aroundblack women in pop culture quite a bit showing how wildly different the black teen experiencecan be.” (Willoughby, “What I Learned From Token Black Characters in Teen Movies) Through her words, we can see the effect Dionne’s opposing portrayal had upon Willoughby. She shows that she was finally able to relate to and admire a black female figure that was more than the token black character—Dionne, for Willoughby and many black girls alike, was a positive reinforcement of how black girls are more than the harmful, racist stereotypes that have been embedded in media and real-life.

The genre of this magazine article can be described as feature writing. Feature writing is a form of journalism that aims to explore a topic and provide new perspectives on an issue. In this case, Willoughby provided her viewpoint of how evolved black characters in the film impacted the everyday truths of her life. The medium is distributed through Vice Magazine.

Willoughby provides a critical stance on the lack of diversity in films. However, the critical stance is quite fair, in terms of her being a black teen that is forced to engage in whitewashed television and film. In atopic discussing race and diversity, there is no room to beneutral, which makes Willoughby’s stance valid and understandable. Due to the audience, the language she uses is moderate. She mentions films that have a cult following, which makes reading the article more enjoyable because readers can refer back to their viewing of the film and their opinion of it, while also applying Willoughby’s critiques.

For Black History Month, Tribeca Film Center’s website paid a tribute to black women directors through the article “ A Guide To Essential, Underrated, And Flat-Out ExtraordinaryFilms by Black Women Directors” by Matthew Eng.

Matthew Eng is a featured writer within Tribeca Film Center’s site, often composingarticles that highlight minority women in film and television. The audience intended for TribecaFilm Center’s website is film lovers, film critics, journalists, and other employees of the film institute. The genre of this article is composed mostly of a list, which makes it ideal for its audience. A list is easy to peruse through, with short blurbs that quickly allow readers to decide what film they would like to watch. The medium is delivered through a website, which grants easy access to the content.

The laudatory tone of the article is ultimately set through the preface-like introduction written in the beginning. Eng starts with a reference to the artist Solange’s lyric “I can’t be a singular expression of myself,” (Eng, “A Guide to Essential…) stating he returned to the lyric towatch and revisit the films of black women directors who have permeated boundless careers. By referring to Solange, Eng is successfully drawing in a modern audience with a contemporary mention of popular artists. He uses analytical and reverent language to highlight the works of the directors while supporting the stance that the most promising connection between these directors is that “they share daring artistry.” (Eng, “A Guide to Essential…) The purpose of this article is toaccentuate directors who have been often overlooked due to their race and gender. While some of the directors featured on the list have received proper acknowledgment and praise, there is still a multitude of others who deserve the same recognition but fail to be given the accolade due toHollywood’s uniformity.

In the New York Times article ‘’’They Set Us Up to Fail’: Black Directors of the ‘90s Speak Out” readers get an immersive dialogue between several black directors and their experience in the film industry. The author, Reggie Ugwu, is a pop culture reporter who covers multiple topicsranging from film to internet culture. Because of the New York Time’s incredible history and impact on journalism, there is a range of people who would possibly read this article. From film buffs to people who peruse through NYT articles on their morning commute, it is difficult to pinpoint the main demographic of the audience.

Ugwu sets the article by providing readers with some additional background of how American production companies suddenly became interested in diverse, new stories. He refers toearlier New York Times articles such as “In Hollywood, Black is In” and “They’ve Gotta Have Us,” (Ugwu, ‘They Set Us Up to Fail’) both written in the early ’90s, which discusses the

optimism Hollywood and minorities had in terms of having a platform with moral, financial and empowering benefits for black filmmakers. The tone of the article changes soon after Ugwu presents the aftermath of the so-called optimism, in which the interest in black filmmakers decreases and the people who were recognized for altering the industry could not move forward in their careers.

Ugwu’s purpose in writing this article stems from the continuous lack of diversity in Hollywood. Although the lack of inclusion and equal treatment for black people in the film hasbeen an issue for decades now, it seems to constantly get ignored. Ugwu’s purpose is set even more clearly as he provides excerpts from the direct conversion of the black filmmakers whofaced the consequences of Hollywood’s refusal to adjust their system. By using these directors’genuine thoughts and sayings, Ugwu is appealing to his readers through their emotions. The words of the directors are filled with sentiment—one describes how she was blacklisted from Hollywood for speaking out on persistent racism and misogyny, one described how he had to change his entire career and divert from his true passion of filmmaking. Ugwu could have summarized their words and thoughts altogether, but the effect of direct quotes and dialogue is far more powerful.