The United States has a long history of racial tensions. A nation of immigrants ever critical of further immigration; a country founded on enlightenment ideals of freedom and equality whose southern economy was dependant on slave labor. Hollywood has long tapped into these tensions, reselling America’s sorrows and triumphs alike. Somtimes functioning as America’s school room, helping the citizenry digest complex ideas ranging from world politics to youth violence, Hollywood has also institutionalized many racial stereotypes. The recent Twilight phenomena is no exception, borrowing racially stereotypical characters from Hollywood’s own stock room.
As vampire movies go, Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight is decidedly tame. The movie’s supernatural stars lack the malevolence of Stoker’s Dracula, the predatory sexuality of Rice’s anti- heroes, or even the campy horror of Buffy’s vampiric enemies. Meyer’s version of vampirism looks a lot like the cast of The O.C. reading Nietzsche in mime makeup, lots of blank expressions and white powder. Twilight’s bland vampires necessitate the movie’s setting be as uninteresting as possible, in order to offer sufficient contrast.
A popular choice of setting for just such a need is the small town. Small towns in American movies represent idyllic places where nothing abnormal ever happens. These are settings we can count on to reflect a familiarly fictitious version of American life, replete with white picket fences and simple, hardworking folk with hearts of gold. It all goes smoothly for these modern villagers, until something depraved with big teeth comes along, and, well, we all know what happens next. Twilight’s version of the American small town includes the racial diversity American audiences have come to expect (Kinnick et al 96). A small town in Washington state populated entirely with whites, while perhaps more accurate, would be noticeable for its lack of racial diversity. This presented a problem for the makers of Twilight, how would they include racial diversity in the mythical small town without breaking it’s blandly familiar feel. Arguably, nothing is more familiar to Americans than racial stereotypes. While it is unlikely that Meyer or the screenplay writer, Melissa Rosenburg, consciously wanted to create characters that perpetuate harmful stereotypes, they did want to produce African American, Asian and Native American characters who would be familiar to the audience. Unfortunately, familiar representations of minorities are reliant on mostly negative stereotypes. Twilight uses racial stereotypes to construct a familiar setting that adds needed contrast to the film’s supernatural plot.
The most familiar racial stereotypes to any American are stereotypes regarding African Americans. The country’s long history with African Americans has given birth to several recognizable archetypes: the sexually aggressive savage, the mammy and the clown (Omi 276). Twilight employs all three stereotypes, although the clown is the best example. Tyler Crowley, played by Gregory Boyce, is the only African American in the popular group with which the film’s protagonists associate. He is the quintessential clown. Film makers first began casting African Americans as the comic relief to minimize the contentiousness of even including African Americans, “For decades afterwards, however, Hollywood consciously avoided portraying black men as assertive or sexually aggressive in order to minimize controversy. Black men were instead cast as comic, harmless and nonthreatening figures exemplified by such stars as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson…” (Omi 279). The clowning black man is one of the most pervasive and recognizable racial stereotypes in media (Kinnick et al 96). Most of Tyler’s appearances involve quick clips of his loud antics, while his white friends watch appreciatively. The filmmakers, perhaps unwittingly, seem to have built Tyler’s character on stereotypes that have their roots in Minstrel Shows. The only pivotal scene in the movie that Tyler participates in serves to reinforce his subservient, clown status, and to bring to the fore the film’s protagonist. “Even the “good” person of color usually exists as a foil in novels and films to underscore the intelligence, courage and virility of the white male hero” (Omi 278). Indeed this is exactly what happens in Twilight. Boyce’s character is shown driving his truck into the school’s parking lot, listening to loud music and oblivious to his surroundings. He makes a sharp turn, and nearly squishes the film’s heroine between his truck and a parked car. Nearly, because of course the (white) hero saves the day. Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson, is the film’s vampiric knight-in-shining armor (and mime makeup), and he uses his superhuman strength to stop Tyler’s careening truck. Perhaps the most damning critique of Boyce’s character in Twilight comes from the actor himself, who refers to Tyler as a “jokester” and “irresponsible” in an interview.
Twilight’s use of stereotypes to create a familiar setting does not end with African Americans. Twilight is an equal opportunity employer, there are plenty of stereotypical roles for Asians and Native Americans too. Asian stereotypes are a mixed bag, with many deceptively positive. The film’s primary Asian character is Eric Yorkie, played by Justin Chon. “By contrast, Asian men, whether cast in the role of villain, servant, sidekick or kung fu master, are seen as asexual or, at least, romantically undesirable” (Omi 279). Indeed a minor subplot in Twilight revolves around Eric’s inability to attract the attention of Bella Swan, the film’s heroine. When it comes time to find dates to the prom, Chon’s character is the only male who fails miserably to even ask a girl. Eric ends up as the askee instead of the asker, subtly emasculating him by placing him in a traditionally female position. Other Asian stereotypes exploited by Twilight are less demeaning but potentially more harmful. “First, Asian Americans are supposed to be extremely hard working – more hard working than whites. Second they are said to be intelligent and highly educated, though a large number of them are dismissed as math and science geeks. Third, as a group they are seen as economically successful, especially compared to other ethnic minorities..” (McGowen, Lindgren 334). Chon’s character certainly fits the notion of Asian Americans being highly educated and hard working. Eric is portrayed as an overachiever, the editor of the school’s newspaper and a top student. All of these characteristics fit with the general notion of Asian Americans as the “model minority” (Mcgowen, Lindgren 334). The problem with the model minority stereotype is that it is often used to dispense blame to minorities that are perceived as less successful (Mcgowen, Lindgren 334). “Other raical minorities would succeed if only they would follow the example of Asian Americans and channel the energy they spend complaining into hard work” (Mcgowen, Lindgren 335). This is true even within the limited scope of Twilight’s plot, as hard working Eric acts as a contrast to the clownish Tyler.
Finally, Native American stereotypes abound in Twilight. “American natives have been branded as the “Bad Injun” or its counterpart the “Good Indian,” or identified with the “Ignoble Savage,” “the maurauding, hellish savage,” or its alter ego, the romantic stereotype of the “Noble Savage,” “the peaceful, mystical spiritual guardian of the land” (Buken 47). Certainly Twilight’s Native Americans fall under the last category, as the film industry has moved away from the less politically correct stereotypes. Both Jacob Black and his father, Twilight’s two most important Native characters, are depicted with long “Indian hair” (Buken 50). Immediately this sets them apart as “other” and reinforces visually the “Noble Savage” ideal, the longer hair symbolizing a natural state contrasting with the more military and artificial male hair styles of whites. Jacob’s character is part of a local tribe whose interaction with the film’s vampires is limited to a rivalry over land. The stereotype of Native Americans as tied to the land is particularly strong in Twilight. Similarly, although the film never goes into detail, Jacob and his father hint at spiritual powers. The overall effect of these stereotypes is to create a very familiar, romanticized caricature of Native Americans that the target audience can immediately identify.
Using racial stereotypes to create a familiar setting is a method used throughout Twilight. By constructing characters who adhere to expected racial norms, Twilight attempts to ensure audience immersion. The blandness of the film’s supernatural characters explains the necessity of using such immediately identifiable stereotypes. Meyer’s boring vampires require a firmly familiar setting in order to be noticeable at all. It is unfortunate that the film makers could think of no better way to make sure the setting would feel “normal.”
Monday
Monday
Chaplin
Chaplin's "Modern Times" is a comedic take at the dehumanization of the modern industrial workforce.
The comparison of corralled sheep to workers in a subway, at the beginning of the movie,
makes a clear statement about the worker's status in "modern times"
They are livestock, controlled and without agency. Chaplin's comedy illustrates the alienation felt by workers
in industrial jobs, a sentiment that must have been commonplace when the popularity of "Modern Times" is considered.
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