Post-colonialism: Edward Said blog task

Alvarado(1987)

• Exotic 
• Dangerous
• Humorous
• Pitied 

Frantz Fanon: “Putting on the white mask”

Primitivize - The 'exotic & virile' tribal warriors or 'bare-breasted maidens' with a 'natural sense of rhythm‘. Sporting prowess.

Decivilize - The 'Gangsta', 'Pimp' etc.

Essentialize - Undifferentiated mass-'they all look the same to me'

Destiny Ekaragha
Destiny Ekaragha spoke brilliantly at the Media Magazine conference about being a young black filmmaker in London. She showed clips from two of her films - the short Tight Jeans and the feature length Gone Too Far!

Infantilize - such as the 'cute' children of the Charity Poster or the 'simple-minded‘ 'Step ‘n’ fetch it‘ lazy comedian.

Read the excellent article exploring the different representations of black people in British film and TV from Media Magazine 42 (MM42 from our Media Magazine archive - page 51)

List FIVE films, FIVE TV programmes and FIVE online-only productions that are discussed in the article.

• Ill Manors
• Top Boy
• 55 Degrees North
• Line of Duty
• Meet the Adebanjos
• All About the McKenzies
• Adulthood
• Kidulthood
• Brothers With No Game
• The Ryan Sisters
• Attack the Block
• Shank
• Dr Who
• Luther
• Venus vs Mars

Watch Destiny Ekaragha's clips above (more of her work is available on her website, including the short film The Park). To what extent can we apply Alvarado's and Fanon's theories to these films? Do they reinforce or subvert typical black stereotypes in British film and TV? Refer to specific scenes and events in the clips in answering this question and aim for at least 350 words.

Alvarado

Pity - A foreign family owning a small house in a suburban area, coming from a Nigerian background to increase their quality of life. 

Humorous - The brother is comedic due to the changes in lifestyle to that of people who have lived in the London suburbs their entire life. Clothing is also very humorous due to it being out of the norm. Even the protagonist who seems to be born and bred here, is portrayed as humourous at times, e.g walking into the pole and not being able to talk to girls. 

Exotic- The mothers traditional clothes are especially very different from 'normal' clothes that everyone is wearing due to the bright colours and detailed patterns that represent her culture. Also, the accents of the newcomer and the mother reinforce the difference and identity. 

Dangerous - Thugs shown through the 'boyfriend' of one of the girls. Usually a black man wearing the normal 'thug' clothing: hoodie or cap. 

Fanon

Primitive - The brother displays natural rhythm through the on the spot song about Nigerians in the chicken shop. The protagonist also has a similar trait as he is dancing in his room.

Decivilise - All the youths are represented to be gangsters or chavs through clothing and the violence that the boys show whilst playing football.

Essentialize - The girls assumed that the brother was not speaking english due to his accent, following the assumption that the brother is a foreigner who cant speak other languages.

Infantilise - There are no serious issues explored in the movie, perhaps due to the genre being a comedy.

3) Finally, choose THREE clips for EACH of the theorists and explain how you could apply that theory to the clip

Fanon - "Putting on a white mask", Decivilise, Essentialise (they all look the same)

Luther, 2015 - The protagonist embodies stereotypical white male characteristics and rejects the dominant ideologies associated with his social group, such as being tribal (in terms of his more middle class accent that is presented through the dialogue). In particular, his attire is formal and he is portrayed as a leading figure who is in charge of other white characters. 

Adulthood, 2008 - The behaviour illustrated through the black characters reflects decivilised and criminal acts that are reinforce Fanon's theory. For instance, through the medium long shots capturing the protagonist wearing a hoodie and grabbing a bat to attack another character. Also, in terms of 'essentialise', the high angle long shot capturing the black youth at a "rave", reflects Fanon's idea that they all "look the same".

'I am what I am' Reebok Advertisement - The advertisement capturing black rapper 50 cent reinforces ideologies in regards to the decivilised and 'criminal' aspects of Fanon's theory through the background on the right mirroring imagery associated with prisons (e.g. the finger prints). 

Alvarado - "Dangerous, Pity, Humorous and Exotic"

Cool Runnings, 1993 - The trailer captures the non-diagetic narration of a white male, outlining the comical narrative of Jamacian's entering a sport "they know nothing about", parallel to the imagery of medium long shots of the black characters falling over and being made a mockery of. This relates to Alvarado's theory of 'Humorous' and 'Exotic', through the strong native accents that the black characters have, alongside the different things that they say. 

Gone Too Far!, 2014 - The trailer presents the strong accents that the African mother and brother have, through the diagetic dialogue. In addition to this, the medium close up of the mothers sandels and costume reflect her native and 'exotic' origin. 

South Africa, 2013- Starting from 3:00 minutes, the white males are presented as superior to the weak and lower class black children, who joyfully reach up to high five the white males, illustrated in the hand held medium long shot. This relates to Alvarado's theory of 'pity' through the unfortunate objectification placed upon the black children. 

Said - "Them and Us", "East and West"

Bend it Like Beckham, 2002- The narrative shows the strong ideologies associated in Asian culture and presents their domain stereotypes, such as women cooking and serving for men. This contrapuntal to the more liberal attitudes that the white characters have, displaying, in terms of Said, "them and us". 

East is East, 1999- Despite the male and female parents being binary opposite in terms of white and Asian, and their overall nuclear family being more liberal. There still remains a "them and us" illustration in regards to the vertically extended family types who enter the story. 

Eastenders - The Asian family the "Masoods", captured a strong sense of "them and us", when entering the 'square', as they were the only Asians presented. Their family not only portrayed dominant ideologies that Asian's have and their attitudes, but also in terms of costume, visually differed to the rest.