The Desensitization of Race
By LMReviews on Sep 5, 2008 in Multicultural Events, Multicultural Media
In a year where the African American community may begin to see the fruit born from generations of struggle, is society becoming too casual about race?
While there is nothing straightforward about race relations, no one could imagine that African Americans may have to lighten up philosophically-speaking in order to see their race advance to full equality, currently exemplified in America’s first nomination of an African American presidential candidate.
In order to enjoy and benefit from this historic event, the recent acts of the media seem to require that we stop carrying the melanin-heavy luggage of our past in order to truly embrace the total equality dangling overhead beckoning us toward our potential future.
But is the price too high? This year along with Barak Obama and Cynthia McKinney’s successful political nominations, the African American community has had to endure several racially questionable depictions in order to get a glimpse of full racial equality. Does fair play require the ability to not only laugh at ourselves but to laugh at the painful transgressions of others who meant to keep us inferior?
In an era where many members of the African American community thought references to our supposed monkey likeness, racial profiling, and black-faced minstrel shows were a distant memory, the media has resurrected the images in the name of art and satire.
While there were many instances that occurred this year, one of the most memorable, alluded to earlier, is Vogue’s King Kong depiction of LeBron James, the first black man to debut on the U.S. version of the magazine, claiming his white model prize in Giselle Bundchen.
While many explain that LeBron was not directed to pose in such an animalistic and aggressive manner, many are offended by the lack of sensitivity and its perpetuation of stereotypes not often spoken but not far enough in the past.
Even I have argued that basketball players make aggressive faces and unlike the King Kong movie posters, Giselle doesn’t appear to represent the damsel in distress. However, without rigorous analysis, the first impression of the photo is a beautiful woman and the ferocious black ape man. Additionally, the picture feeds the generalization implication that black men strongly desire white women.
Next, The New Yorker decided to satirize the ridiculous notion that’s been haunting the Barack Obama campaign. The presidential nominee, dressed in Iraqi garb receives a celebratory gesture from his wife, Michelle, dressed in her fully-armed and angry militant best. While the fireplace with a portrait of Osama bin Laden sitting on the mantle ravages the American flag just below. The caricature seems to suggest the absurdity of it all while feeding the frenzy of the angry militant black woman, the threat of terrorism and the lack of patriotism that the closed-minded and ignorant believe exist in anything that doesn’t mirror American commonality.
Then there’s the release of Ben Stiller’s comedy satire that pokes fun at Hollywood and the pretentious personas that inhabit the pompous world within west coast’s version of New York City. Tropic Thunder tells the story of a movie director and his self-absorbed cast, who, despite the movie studio’s fleeting support, is determined to film an epic Vietnam movie. Robert Downey Jr., knowing the repercussions, is quoted as taking on the role of an Australian obsessed with embracing his role as a black soldier by committing to a full transformation. The media garners publicity for the film by misrepresenting Downey’s portrayal of a black man rather than his actual portrayal of a black soldier being portrayed by a white Australian. However, concerns still remain in Downey’s depiction. His interpretation sadly may not be viewed as realistic if his portraying a white man trying to capture the essence of a black Vietnam soldier doesn’t incorporate the stereotypes we’ve worked so hard to discredit.
Finally, the last week in August saw not only the historic nature of the official presidential nomination of Barack Obama, but also the belittling of race in the rubbing of singer/actor Tyrese’s head by a white talk show host on MTV’s TRL. The picture credited to the Associated Press and Evan Agostini carries the caption, “Just for Good Luck.” While meant to be in good fun, there’s something inherently wrong with this photo. It seems to reek of selective acceptance. It also portrays an uneven playing field between the black man getting his head shined and the white one doing it.
What all these examples seem to suggest is that generalized stereotypes of black men are good for a laugh but not worthy of intellectual discourse or even managing the free world from the Oval office. When selective racial acceptance is no longer in the forefront of the majority’s mind, then we will be able to let go of our disenfranchised past.
While Tropic Thunder is reprehensible in so many ways that it’s not funny, (and it’s not), Mr. James being on the cover of Vogue is not. No matter the pose, he is on the cover of Vogue, something that would not have happened not many years ago. If you want to speak out, speak out about real problems, not magazine covers, movies and satire. People are still being enslaved based on their skin color, in many countries around the world. In fact, most Americans are enslaved to the rich and powerful elite, working themselves to death just to survive in this country. I can not pity Mr. James, after all, the answer to why he did that cover is simple, “You’ll pay me how much?” He’s doing well for playing a silly game. We should concentrate on real issues. As for Mr. Obama, he’s plainly said in his books that when the time, comes, he’ll favor the Muslims, so parodies and satire depicting him as such are justly deserved. He is half white, after all, but completely ignores that fact, dissing his mother, in favor of a father that was never there. That, to me speaks volumes about the kind of man he really is, and why I wouldn’t trust him to be dog catcher let alone President. Check out where his campaign financing is coming from, for real, then you’ll get the whole picture there. No, I’m not a McCain fan either. I’m tired of the poor choices the Dems and Republicans offer us. We need a “none of the above” box on the ballot. Of course, as Bush proved, who we vote for doesn’t really matter anyway.
I agree magazine covers and movies are not ground breaking issues. Unfortunately, it is the celebrity’s world that many are interested in. It is what other countries see and often hate us for and try to emulate, it is also where a lot of the power is. The point of the article is to generate discuss and that it did.