What Sterotypes do you hate?

[Huw]

Really? Havent heard of this one. Examples of non-white / male villains and the out cry that ensued please.

Fu-Manchu.
Villains in Tarzan.
Japanese businessmen in anything.

Most examples are from the first half of the 20th century. Rising Sun was the most recent I remember getting negative feedback for having non-white villains. The complaint is that since the 80's the trend has been to show white villains to avoid the prejudices of the earlier decades.

 

[Filby]

Fu-Manchu.
Villains in Tarzan.
Japanese businessmen in anything.

Most examples are from the first half of the 20th century. Rising Sun was the most recent I remember getting negative feedback for having non-white villains. The complaint is that since the 80's the trend has been to show white villains to avoid the prejudices of the earlier decades.

Not to mention the "big, scary black thug," though that doesn't seem to be as common today either.

 

[Klaus]

Reading this thread made like Fireply/Serenity all that much more.

Gorram stereotypes and cliches...

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Fu-Manchu.
Villains in Tarzan.
Japanese businessmen in anything.

Most examples are from the first half of the 20th century. Rising Sun was the most recent I remember getting negative feedback for having non-white villains. The complaint is that since the 80's the trend has been to show white villains to avoid the prejudices of the earlier decades.

As I remember it the outcry wasnt about having non-white villains, but more about how sterotypically the Japanese antagonists were portrayed. Which from my point of view are two different things entirely. In defense of the filmakers the antagonists in the book werent to fleshed out either and the MAIN outcry I remember had to do with casting Wesley Snipes as the main character when in the book the main character was supposedly white. I say supposedly because it's been a few years, but I dont remember the character's ethnicity being mentioned in the book at all. But most people assume that white is the default so I can see how that mistake can be made.

Also I dont really understand that last sentence. I would possibly agree if there werent already an abundance of white villains out there, but I'd make the argument that there have always been an abundance of white bad guys and the non-white bad guys have ALWAYS been inn shorter supply.

Still doesnt address the point that since most of the heroes are white it makes sense that most of the villians are white as well...

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Not to mention the "big, scary black thug," though that doesn't seem to be as common today either.

Yeah, but I think we've had decades of "big, black scary thug" enough so that when you see a big WHITE scary thug it's a bit of a relief.

At least to me, being a black d00d and all...

 

[Huw]

Also I dont really understand that last sentence. I would possibly agree if there werent already an abundance of white villains out there, but I'd make the argument that there have always been an abundance of white bad guys and the non-white bad guys have ALWAYS been inn shorter supply.

It's about audience perception. You've perceived the real situation, but if most people see a villain who is not a white male they'll read something into it which isn't there (case in point: why is the operative in Serenity black?) To avoid confusing the average movie viewer, film makers just take the lazy route and cast white males, which is the stereotype we're complaining about.

 

[Ranger REG]

Yeah, but I think we've had decades of "big, black scary thug" enough so that when you see a big WHITE scary thug it's a bit of a relief.

Nah, it has to be totally opposite: A tiny white adorable thug.

 

[Ranger REG]

Southerners. For pity's sake, the best southerner recently was Larry the Cable Guy in Healthy Inspector. Other Southerners (always a target for Hollywood's scorn and wrath) are made out to be violent, sadistic, degenerate, wicked, racist, religious fantatics or all of the above. Terrorists usually get a better deal in movies and TV shows than do Southerners.

They can't be that bad. We had CBS's Dallas and WB's short-lived Savannah.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

Fu-Manchu.
Villains in Tarzan.
Japanese businessmen in anything.

Most examples are from the first half of the 20th century. Rising Sun was the most recent I remember getting negative feedback for having non-white villains. The complaint is that since the 80's the trend has been to show white villains to avoid the prejudices of the earlier decades.

Black Villians

Sahara

Four Brothers

Serenity

That's 3 from just last year alone. I'm fairly certain that there's more...

It's one of my favorite movies, but every black face in this movie is portrayed as a degenerate and somehow even the totally BENT cops still come out looking like roses in comparison LA Confidential (1997)

Sherry Palmer from the 1st Season of 24 (2001). SHe wasnt the main villain but there's no way that she was one of the good guys/gals...

 

[ShinHakkaider]

They can't be that bad. We had CBS's Dallas and WB's short-lived Savannah.

And youre forgetting Blue Collar TV
I'll Fly Away
Any Day Now

and how can we forget...

The Dukes of Hazzard.