Stereotypes In Fruitvale Station

The movie Glory can be described as a classic “underdog story.” It is a true story about a group of African American soldiers known as the 54th Massachusetts Regiment who faced constant prejudice and resentment by white soldiers and officers throughout the Union. However, under the leadership of Colonel Robert Shaw, they were able to prove themselves as a formidable fighting force at the battle of Fort Wagner. Although the 54th Regiment suffered heavy casualties they showed the Union that African American soldiers could be just as effective as white soldiers. While the movie Glory did paint an accurate picture of the Civil War, the 54th Regiment, and the Battle of Fort Wagner, it did have its fair share of stereotypes.

After watching the movie Crash in class it was immediately added to the list of my favorite movies. I have always been a huge fan of mystery movies. When I say mysteries I don’t always mean murders or crime but those that don’t quite make complete sense until the end. Crash is that type of movie.

Stereotype; a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. In the realistic fiction novel, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, and in the short story, “Geeks Bearing Gifts”, written by Ron Koertge, stereotypes are defied by ordinary people. In The Outsiders, Johnny Cade and Darry Curtis face many struggles throughout their lives. Their town in separated into two: the rich and dangerous Socs, and the quiet, tough Greasers. For them, living dangerously is a reality. As a result of their lifestyle, Johnny has become fearful and Darry is considered the toughest man in the gang. In “Geeks Bearing Gifts” aspiring journalist, Renee, interviews her fellow classmates who are classified as “outcasts.” After meeting several students, she realizes her assumptions were incorrect about them. After reading both of these stories, the reader learns that our thoughts about others often revolve around stereotypes and assumptions, but most of these ideas that we have about other people are proven wrong.

Media as a whole has evolved alongside with the growth of technology, that give us new ways to interact with each other with social sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc… It also gives way for individual to get more information to get in touch with our culture. But often times, some of the information were given to us by media can be ignored and interpret it differently than the original meaning, especially the depiction of minorities in media. It is hard to watch any form of media in today's society without seeing some kind of injustice toward minorities or the representation portrayal of that particular minorities in the form of entertainment value without being analytical and invoke some kind of negative reaction toward that kind of representation.

The movie ‘’The Color Purple’’ is a 1985 drama film that portrays the historical period. This film sheds light on the struggles that African American women faced during the 1930s. The Color Purple is about the life of Celie Harris, a poor black girl who married against her wish to an older black man. This movie was a great portrayal of history, which was directed by Steven Spielberg in a new light, this movie also shows realism and grit.

Jumping into a burning building is one of the things that the boys from the “Greaser Gang” would do for each other. When the main character, Ponyboy, jumps into a burning church to save children from the flames, his two gang members and family, Johnny and Dally, jump in after him to help get the children out and ensure that he can get out. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton shows two main themes. These themes show many examples of stereotyping could lead to misjudgment of people and to be loyal to the people around you, especially the ones close to you.

In society, social problems are often brought to the public’s attention through popular culture and media. The compelling film, Fruitvale Station, directed by Ryan Coogler is a nod to many social problems found in the United States of America today. The film portrays social problems like poverty among minorities, racial profiling and especially police brutality through the last 24 hours of Oscar Julius Grant III’s life. The star-studded film not only pays homage to Grant but also to the ideas of poverty and police brutality. The film all but shouts at the audience that the minorities, especially African Americans, suffer from many economic and social disadvantages that needs attention. At the 2013 Sundance Movie Festival by means of great

Kevin Gonzales English 1301: Tues/Thurs: 2-3:30 Professor Clarke Friday Night Lights Across our beloved nation, it is strikingly evident there are a numerous amount of stereotypes that we can never seem to rid of, which is tremendously emphasized through daily television watching. In my own personal opinion, one of the truly heart pounding and influential series to be displayed on television was the Friday Night Lights series; a show mainly focuses on a small town, dead center in the heart of Texas. The small town, Odessa, relies heavily and whole-heartedly on the high school football team, Odessa-Permian. As odd as it may seem, this show doesn’t only focus on football, but also displays the lives of the people that surround the football

We have all seen them in TV shows, movies, and music videos from the day. Greasers were heavily stereotyped gang members in the 40s and 50s that were known for their greased hair, switchblades, and leather jackets. How many of those are inaccurate, for greasers are not the only group that have been wrongfully stereotyped. One fictional greaser that has been stereotyped is Ponyboy, the fourteen year old narrator and main character of the popular novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Ponyboy is wrongfully stereotyped to be dumb, rough, and a criminal as are the rest of the greasers.

Fruitvale Station (2013) was a realistic film dealing with the issues of race, family, and personal development. Oscar was an inspiring character who may have started on a negative and disruptive path, but truly tried to clean up and fix his mistakes. The film presented a rational view of the shocking event which took place in the Oakland station in 2009, shedding more light on the personal issues and past experiences of the benign Oscar Grant. Director Ryan Coogler was able to answer looming questions people may be wondering about the case—what really occurred and why did it have to result in a death. This 2009 extreme incident became a controversial and typecasting topic surrounding Oakland and all over California.

(Intro) In the film pleasantville, people tend to value their conventions and stereotypes very highly above other things. They refuse to let things change in pleasantville because they have grown accustom to their ways, but all it takes to change this is for someone to act out and change it or defy their laws which is what a big part of the changes in this movie are about. The director Gary Ross utilizes character development to suggest the idea that challenging conventions will shape a persons identity.

What does it mean to be an "outsider?" S.E. Hinton wrote the book "The Outsiders." This is a story about two groups of teens: the Greasers and the Socs. The Socs are popular and have lots of money. The Greasers are not popular and do not have a lot of money. "The Outsiders" teach us about stereotypes, friendships, and acceptance. "The Outsiders" is a timeless novel that people can continue to relate to today.

Growth is a strong component that symbolises how the human condition can be shaped to become today’s society’s perception of moral standards through generations; this is clearly represented through the film’s change between the teenagers of the 1950s and the 20th century eras.

New Year’s Day, 2009, a man is brutally shot by the BART Police of Oakland, California. Fruitvale Station, written and directed by Ryan Coogler, took audiences by surprise as it resonated with twenty-two year old Oscar Grant, a man who was shot down by the BART Police. This movie takes viewers on an emotional expedition as it takes a peek into the life and death of Oscar Grant and his family. The struggles of originating from an African-American background become apparent as Oscar Grant struggles with steering away from racial stereotypes and the misunderstandings of racial profiling.

Fruitvale station, is a story about the real life Oscar Grant, a black man who was shot and killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer in Oakland. This film follows Grant and his last days before the shooting on New Year’s Day. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Fruitvale station was his first feature film. Coogler expressed that he was interested in making this film because he wanted people to get to know Grant, get attached, so that when a situation like this occurs again, people will care more about that human life (Wikipedia). In addition, the cast includes Michael B. Jordan (Grant), Octavia Spencer (Wanda Johnson), and Melonie Diaz (Sophina Mesa), amongst a few others. However, there is an underlying concept in this film. This film relates back to Double Consciousness and the internal conflict and struggles within African American men.