Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing

Words: 997

Pages: 4

Open Document

INTRODUCTION
What are stereotypical “blacks” you ask? Research by Jussim and Rubinstein (2012), agree that “stereotypes are usually defined as beliefs about groups, prejudice as evaluation of or attitude toward a group, and discrimination as behavior that systematically advantages or disadvantages a group.” In this discussion, stereotypes are the boxed in, fabricated, deeply rooted descriptions of African Americans through the lens of other nationalities and how they view the African American culture from a negative prospective. This negative outlook is caused by the media and society tainting the African American image, proclaiming their viewpoints as accurate. My purpose is to shine light on the unspoken truth about television and media sabotaging Americas association with African Americans, which makes it beyond challenging to rise from degradation. Is the negativity attached to the African American society possible to detach with decades of slander clouding the culprit’s perception?
RQ1. African Americans on payroll: In what …show more content…
If the media is attaching African Americans to criminals, thugs, drug dealers, slaves, butlers, etc., then that is exactly how society will be programmed to view the entire race no matter their role. Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing shows racism, prejudice acts, and inequality amongst divided cultures living in close radiuses. The lack of understanding amongst different communication climates throughout the film shows how television and media has corrupted potential relationships and encouraged ignorance towards those of different ethnicities. “I wish we could see such love, but instead we have deepening class divisions in which the middle classes of all races flee from what's happening in the inner city, while a series of national administrations provides no hope for the poor.” (Barone 2014). America is supposedly “the land of the free”, but are we all equally

Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing

When Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing” came out in 1989 it explored race in a new way. The film takes place in Brooklyn and features characters from different races and backgrounds. The poignant message and commentary from the film is present in the character’s interactions with each other. To show the importance and intensity of the character’s reactions, Lee employs a variety of cinematographic techniques. The different camera angles, the varying focus, the colors, and even the zoom all play a role…

Words 1078 - Pages 5

Gender Dynamics In Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing

Dynamics in Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing (1989) Inspired by a series of racially-charged incidents in New York City, Spike Lee’s acclaimed drama Do The Right Thing (1989) attracted intense scrutiny upon its release for its audacious treatment of ethnicity. To this day, much of the existing popular and academic discourse on the film concerns notions of African-American identity and the legitimacy of Lee’s status as a “black director”. However, despite being an overtly political film, Do The Right Thing’s…

Words 343 - Pages 2

Spike Lee Do The Right Thing

In the movie Do the Right Thing, director Spike Lee incorporated a controversial take on what race and racism were in 1989. This movie quickly gained traction because of its unique interpretation of racism in America that the Hollywood realm of films had not yet dove into at that time. Although the film has a serious tone, it includes several philosophical topics, such as police brutality and racial bias. With these messages included in the scenes, the Spike Lee film reflects on the sociopolitical…

Words 2008 - Pages 9

spike lee essay

Spike Lee has always been one of the many directors who in always wanted to keep his or her audience socially aware. Spike Lee is an American filmmaker, producer, writer, and actor. He is most known for his films such as: Malcolm X, She’s Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing and School Daze which made Lee famous, making him one of the most, if not the most, important Black filmmakers of today. Spike Lee was born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. At a very young age, he moved…

Words 2561 - Pages 11

Half Yearly Essay

are. Journeys can lead to new understandings of who we are and the world in which we live. The idea of journeys leading to new understandings is reflected in interesting ways in Richard Beynon’s play ‘The Shifting Heart’ as well as the Spike Lee film ‘Do the Right Thing’. Both of these great texts look at racism and its impact on its victims and wider society. This issue refers to the concept of journey in that it is the journey of immigration that bought people of different racial background together…

Words 797 - Pages 4

Violence And Racism In Do The Right Thing By Spike Lee

In class we watched Spike Lee’s movie, Do the Right Thing. It was my first time seeing it and I enjoyed it very much. The movie brought awareness to violence and racism that happens every day. Days after watching this movie, the only scene that stayed on my mind was when Buggin Out was upset about Sal’s pizzeria not having any African Americans on “The Wall of Fame” and them protesting and threatening to close the pizzeria if things didn’t change and eventually resulting in a fight and Sal’s pizzeria…

Words 201 - Pages 1

Do The Right Thing

It goes without saying that Do the Right Thing is one of the best films of all time. It was released to critical acclaim and was nominated for two academy awards. Despite all this, the film does deal with controversial topics that some people felt were handled inappropriately. The biggest topic that was depicted in this film was racism in America. Near the end of the film, a fight breaks out between the owner of a pizzeria and some members of the community over the pizzeria owner’s refusal to put…

Words 1143 - Pages 5

Institutional Racism

more subtle form of racism that is embedded within the political and economic fiber of a society which negatively affects people of a certain group (i.e. gender, class, race, etc.). Two examples of institutional racism is found in Spike Lee’s movie “Do the Right Thing” and in Robert M. Covers article “Violence and the World”. In addition, through both the film and the article, one can see how there is often contradiction that is within institutional racism. The film…

Words 1149 - Pages 5

Fight The Power Final Paper 1

During the 1980s, an empowered new generation of Black youth began to interpret the civil rights movement in a different, more direct way, far removed from the "I Have a Dream" Idealism of the 1960s. This movement was pioneered by Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing, and the civil rights themed song Fight the Power composed by Public Enemy. In the Fight the Power music video, which was also directed by Spike Lee, Chuck D denounces the marches and speeches of the 60’s and calls for more radical action…

Words 2765 - Pages 12

Satire and Stereotyping in the Birth of a Nation and Bamboozled Essay

Spike Lee's film Bamboozled (2000), cinematically stages American mass entertainment's history of discrimination with humiliating minstrel stereotypes which was first brought to film in 1915 by D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation. Blackface' minstrelsy is a disturbing legacy that began as a tradition in the early 1800s on stage, with white actors using burnt corks to darken their skin and "allowing them to portray African-American slaves, usually as lazy, child-like providers of comic relief"…

Words 3022 - Pages 13