Background and inspiration
When I think of “movement,” my mind typically goes to the idea of political groups and activists advocating for equal rights of oppressed individuals or communities. I believe that there is an imperative to look into alternate meanings of the word, and how in the broader scope of things, movement can also play into the development of ideologies through generations.
It was a typical Saturday afternoon, when I was sitting with my mom watching the movies Catch Me If You Can starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg, when she turned to me and said “you’re quite a movie buff, aren’t you?” Thus the idea for this article came to life.
I’ve watched films from many decades, and I can say the development of what is ‘politically correct’ in movies has evolved to suit what is generally considered acceptable today. It is unavoidable that the making and context of some films, although sometimes unintentional, can come off as racist or otherwise offensive.
I don’t usually watch movies with a hyper-analyst lens. On a surface level, I sometimes notice small controversial moments in films where I think to myself, was that really necessary, and did it add to the plot in any way? However, my queries never really have extended beyond that stage, until recently. Today, I am going to ‘break the fourth wall,’ and face these questions head-on by looking at three films, from three generations.
Trading Places, 1983.
Trading Places is a comedy about two men, Louis Winthorpe III (played by Dan Aykroyd), and Billy Ray Valentine (played by Eddie Murphy) who live completely different lives, and end up ‘Trading Places.’
Despite having this laugh factor, the film has been revisited in recent years, and people have since realised that it wasn’t as fun and games as it all seemed…
Valentine is portrayed as a poor black man. That is, until two absurdly rich brothers named Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, take him in for a scheme that involves swapping lives with a more fortunate white man, Louis Winthorpe.
It has been criticised that there are stark racist undertones present in the film, as Eddie Murphy is not only portrayed as a slightly crazy and impoverished black man at the beginning of the film, but as another scene later follows with actor Dan Aykroyd partaking in what is commonly referred to as ‘blackface’ in order to disguise himself.
The Economist, a well-known news outlet for many, commented on the movie in an article titled “Trading Places” and the challenge of troubling art of the past. In a forthright comment, the article states that “there are lots of cringe-inducing moments: racial stereotyping, explicit and vicious racism that is presented as reprehensible but played for laughs, casual homophobia…” that all play into the controversial themes present in the film.
Clueless, 1995.
Clueless is a classic 90s rom-com that explores the relationship between main character Cher and her ex-stepbrother Josh. Additionally, Cher and her best friend Dior set up two teachers together in aims to improve her grade.
Although a seemingly enjoyable and innocent film, upon watching it a second time, I noticed the use of the ‘r-slur.’ This was deemed as appropriate in colloquial speech back then, but unacceptable now.
To provide some background on the slur, although commonly used a few decades ago, it is now perceived as ‘ableist’, which is the discrimination against disabled individuals. Furthermore, doctors have since changed labelling these individuals from using the slur to the term ‘intellectual disability.’
Thomas Bagnall, writing for WhatCulture, noted that the use of the slur in the film has “no place in our modern society,” implying that tolerance for saying it has significantly declined.
In today's society, the use of the word is not tolerated, and since, most people have been more careful to prevent saying it.
White Chicks, 2004.
White Chicks follows the story of two detectives, played by two black actors Shawn and Marlon Wayans. In the film, they volunteer for the job to protect two sisters (Brittany and Tiffany Wilson) from an alleged kidnapper. Throughout the duration of the film, they end up transforming themselves into two white women, to take the place of the sisters and draw the kidnapper to them.
What was interesting, after doing some research, was that many people bash the film for depicting the use of ‘whiteface,’ something I had personally never heard of before.
George Yang and Tracey Ann Ryser, writing in a journal article, noted that the movie “takes seriously the critical capacity of the black gaze to tease out the subtleties of whiteness.” Furthermore, Richard Schertzer, writing for Moviecast in an article titled Explained: Is the Wayans Bros. Movie White Chicks Problematic or Brilliant, noted that some people have considered there to be “racial bias in its intentions,” and it's a “way of making white women look foolish, as the brothers portray the women as ditzy, shallow, and brainless.” This viewpoint flips the script of some of the racism I explored in previous films, claiming that there is instead a negative portrayal of white people.
This leads into a case of reverse racism, defined as the promotion of ‘anti-white’ agendas. It is also important to note that reverse racism itself is controversial, as prejudice towards white people is seen as illegitimate.
Actor Shawn Wayans, who plays detective Kevin Copeland, in response to this criticism noted that “White Chicks isn't racist,” and that “it's not us making fun of white people.”
The clash of opinions resides within the satirical nature of the film, and how on the other hand, it can be read as outright racist.
In another scene, the disguised detectives are in a car with Brittany and Tiffany Wilson’s friends, singing along to some of their favourite jams. When a new song comes on that only the detectives know, they start rapping along to it, saying the ‘n-word.’ Outraged, Wilson's sister's friend Karen, immediately turns off the music and turns to them and exclaims “I can’t believe that you just said that.” In response, one of the detectives says “nobody's around.” This results in all five of them rapping along to the song, saying the word out loud.
After rewatching a clip of this scene on YouTube, it was noticeable that most of the commenters noted that people are too “sensitive” in today's day and age, and that “cancel culture wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
Summary: to cancel or not to cancel?
Some people argue that it's all for the comedic value of the movie, others argue that the offence taken could be significant.
So what does it all come down to?
At the end of the day, directors and producers will prioritise the publicity and success of the movie based on the profits and viewership it receives. If the movie is getting the attention that these directors desire, then it likely will be in their least interest to consider the ethical aspects of their filmmaking. ‘Don’t watch the film if you don’t like it’' seems to be a common approach these days…but how much does this actually do in the grand scheme of ‘movement’ and evolution in today’s society?
After doing this deeper research and having new knowledge on the ethical aspects of filmmaking, I can now confidently say that I will approach my film watching with a much more focused angle. Balancing these ethical considerations with comedic value will be critical, and will come in handy when sitting down with my mom to choose our next film.
Works Cited
Bagnall, T. (2016, November 2). 10 extremely uncomfortable moments in classic movies. WhatCulture.com. https://whatculture.com/film/10-extremely-uncomfortable-moments-in-classic-movies?page=4
Change in terminology: “Mental retardation” to “Intellectual disability”. (2013, August 1). Federal Register. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/08/01/2013-18552/change-in-terminology-mental-retardation-to-intellectual-disability
Explained: Is the Wayans Bros. Movie white chicks problematic or brilliant? (2022, February 21). MovieWeb. https://movieweb.com/white-chicks-movie/
Geisinger, G. (2018, October 26). Clueless remake: Will there really be a new clueless movie? Express.co.uk. https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1036923/Clueless-remake-new-clueless-movie-sequel
Ghostbusters star Dan aykroyd throws full support behind cancel culture, claims offensive comedy should be "Rightly cancelled". (2021, November 3). Bounding Into Comics. https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/11/03/ghostbusters-star-dan-aykroyd-throws-full-support-behind-cancel-culture-claims-offensive-comedy-should-be-rightly-cancelled/#:~:text=It%20is%20also%20worth%20pointing,regional%20accent%20for%20comedic%20effect
Gnakash. (2004, June 23). White chicks. IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381707/
How Disney decides which content gets ‘offensive’ disclaimer. (2021, March 16). New York Post. https://nypost.com/2021/03/04/how-disney-decides-which-content-gets-offensive-disclaimer/
Reverse racism. (2004, June 12). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved May 22, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_racism
Shawn Wayans shuts down conservatives who say 'White chicks' is racist. (2020, December 11). BET. https://www.bet.com/article/hk8s72/shawn-wayans-on-people-who-say-white-chicks-is-racist
The use of the R-word and why it's a problem | Wheelock College of Education & human development. (n.d.). Boston University. https://www.bu.edu/wheelock/the-use-of-the-r-word-and-why-its-a-problem/
(n.d.). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTTuYe-G2BI
“Trading places” and the challenge of troubling art of the past. (2022, January 7). The Economist. https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/01/07/trading-places-and-the-challenge-of-troubling-art-of-the-past
Yang, G., & Ryser, T. A. (2008). Whiting up and Blacking Out: White Privilege, Race, and White Chicks. African American Review, 42(3/4), 731–746. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40301264
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