Stereotypes In The Movie Dope

The Outsiders Thematic Essay Everybody wants to “fit in.” Nobody tries nor wants to be different. We all conform to the stereotypes that are set for us. It is not easy to break through stereotypes, but once it is done identity forms.

As a teen in high school, Desmond-Harris was truly affected by the murder of Tupac, a gangsta rap icon, for she and her best friend Thea could relate to his very much mixed identity as an artist. He not only had a fun side, but also had a side full of anxiety and anger. Through Tupac’s songs, both Desmond-Harris and Thea were enabled to learn what it truly meant to be biracial. To say the least, Tupac’s songs had aided the coming-of-age journey the two mixed-race girls had embarked on together.

In the 1991 drama “Boyz in the Hood”, Written and Directed by John Singleton. He successfully attempts to portray what life was like and in some areas in America still is for African Americans living in a rough Los Angeles neighborhood. It displays a portrait of the harsh realities that plagues the black community and by displaying uninviting living conditions that is South Central L.A, Singleton aims to share to the world the self-destructive deviant behavior that is to this day, destroying the African American community. Some of the self-destructive deviant behaviors include gang life, selling drugs, and gun violence. Various issues are displayed in this movie involving the black community including deviance, poverty, gentrification, the importance of a father in a young man’s life and black on black crime. Singleton displays a tale of three friends growing up in the “hood”, plagued by drugs and violence and layers textures over rough and compelling visuals of black culture that shows us what it means to come to maturity, or die trying, as a black male. In this essay, I will be giving a thorough analysis of the film, as well as covering certain points from the movie from a sociological perspective to explain why singleton chose to write this film.

Everyone is tempted by sex, drugs, easy money and the power generated from violence and vengeance. The film “Boyz N the Hood” follows Tre, who moves to a neighborhood in the socioeconomically disadvantaged South Central with his father and becomes involved with new friends. The movie best portrays how being of low socioeconomic status during that time had a devastating effect on an adolescents development. For many young people during that era, the future is a day that never came.

Some challenges between anti-social behaviors and geographic are evident in the film Boyz n the Hood. It a 90’s films created by John Singleton, about a boy Tre styles who is sent to live with his father Furious styles in South Central Los Angeles after he got into a fight at school. At his father 's house, he is taught morals and values of being a respected man. On the other hand, his friends Ricky and Doughboy who are half-brothers has a different upbringing with no real support system, resulting in forming a gang, involvement with drugs and a tragic ending. This film is based on the African American experience in terms of environmental conditions which results in a great deal of African American males being pushed into the criminal justice system.

In the movie "UP", it is about Carl (an old man) and Ellie (a little boy). In the beginning, the man was characterized as being frail and grumpy. As the movie goes on they grow a tight bond and the older man is characterized as an active and kind father figure to the little boy Ellie. This example is a representation that proves older individuals being characterized and portrayed in negative ways, even though there are times where there are different aspects that present elderly individuals as kind, like is shown in the movie "UP". Even though there are movies in the media that characterize older people as being "kind" and not represented as frail, the argument on how gender is portrayed is also going back to how "men re more vibrant and

When he tells his teacher he might want to be a lawyer, he is rebuked with racism: “‘A lawyer-- that’s no realistic goal for a n****r.’”(38) He sees then that his work to become the top student and class president has all been for naught. It doesn’t matter how hard he tries: “They didn’t give me credit for having the same sensitivity, intellect, and understanding that they would have been ready and willing to recognize in a white boy in my position.”(28) This realization breaks something in him: when he realizes that whites will never deign to accept him into their society, he loses trust in what his father stood for. “‘You’re acting so strange,’” his classmates and coworkers tell him.(37) Malcolm changes; he rejects all outer stimuli and retreats deeper into himself, hopeless without a paragon of success to emulate. “‘You don’t seem like yourself, Malcolm. What’s that matter?’”(37) In losing his role model, Malcolm has become a wanderer without a path to follow.

Almost twenty-five years after the film’s theatrical release in 1991, the significance and importance of Boyz n the Hood is incalculable. The film continues to be one of the most realistic portrayals of life as a young African-American male growing up in South Central Los Angeles during the 1990s. It presents inner city Los Angeles in non-biased, true to life manner. Only few films after have tried to take this innovative approach, all not receiving the success and lasting impact of Boyz n the Hood. The film uses this to its advantage to realistically investigate issues of race, violence, and other hardships in Los Angeles ghettos.

“Can you dig it?” I know that I can. Sundance Film Festival success, Dope, tackles stereotypes of African-American teens in lower class American societies. Malcolm continuously calls himself a geek and is shown being doubted by his school counselor and bullied by the other kids in his high school. Malcolm isn’t like the other kids in Inglewood; he has straight A’s, an almost perfect SAT score and wants to go to Harvard.

“We all use stereotypes, all the time, without knowing it. We have met of equality and the enemy is us.” - Annie Murphy Paul. Dallas (From The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton) represents the stereotype of a greaser, and the way people know him as a greaser. Stereotypes change only those who agree with them. His stereotype has been formed by his years in the New York gangs. Not many people truly enjoy his presence, but due to his fear and reputation, they still let him hang out. He’s become a poster boy for the greasers.

Exploitation of marginalized people to conform to will of the privileged is present in both movies, however the difference is not only the degree of racial tension that emerges, but also the methods used for its implementation. In Dope, there is a scene that portrays this power dynamic in a methodical manner. As Malcolm is in an admissions interview he notices that the drug gang, The Boy’s Club, that have involved him in a drug war by sneaking large amounts of ecstasy in his possession are the same ones that are pictured on the interviewer’s desk. Jacoby goes on to refer to them by saying that because he knows how it is to be fatherless he started The Boy’s Club, not knowing Malcolm's knowledge of their true identity. Later on in the scene,

    School teachings are full of artificial context to brainwash students into thinking that school is the only place you can learn. Education can be taught by exploring your passion and interests even if it’s not seen as academically correct. In the article, “Hidden Intellectualism,” by Gerald Graff, he suggests that students should be able to “exploit students’ nonacademic interests, but to get them to see those interests through academic eyes.”(Gerald Graff, page 400). In contrast, Malcolm X in “A Homemade Education,” wants to spread awareness about black history through actual academic readings. Both Graff and Malcolm believe that passion plays a role in learning, however,  for Graff it's the teacher's job to use the students interests first, whereas Malcolm wants students to find their passion and be self educated just like himself.

1.Music is a weapon by empowering the person to feel anger or sadness music effects not the emotions but the souls say like I play a song called were not going to take it allot of people would feel like there government is using certain things against them so they'll rebel so music is really more as a empowering fuel to the emotions and soul of the man and women kind everywhere. In the movie Slingshot Hip-Hop “I’m just doing it because there’s no other reason to live,” this was a quote by abeer. For some reason this spoke to me it showed me how important it is to stand for something. Furthermore, going to bat for yourself characterizes you just like a man of pride, who qualities your ethics and beliefs. Abeer sees hope in hip-hop, so he holds on to it with dear life and is ready to destroy anyone who comes in front of it. Going with the flow, dismisses this and permits you to happen to the numerous

The film 8 Mile, directed by Curtis Hanson, is the typical American story of struggle and the eventual overcoming of obstacles and evil. Upon closer look, the film is arguably a socioeconomic and racial discourse. It focuses on the ascension of Marshall Mathers into the rap industry, previously dominated by African-American males. Rabbit’s race, gender, and class, all contribute to his identity and the meaning of the film, as well as contributing to Eminem’s image. Several themes are defined through the movie’s underlying discourse of race and class: the commodification of black culture, racial opposition, “passing”, cross-cultural bonding, white heroism and white masculinity, the reversal of white privilege into a disadvantage, and

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.