Bleaching Hollywood

Whitewashing in mainstream media (Hollywood in particular) is prevalent to the point where sometimes we miss it completely and that harm that it can cause is so much bigger than one might assume. It highlights some of the major problems with our modern societies conception of race as it is, its is most basic form, a literal manifestation of these beliefs.

What white washing represents is the way that we consider "white" to be the default position or as being "above" race while people of colour (POC) are defined by their race and are burdened because of this. When white skin is the assumed default setting for human beings, by definition, people of colour are abnormal or "other". This perpetuates an extremely harmful divide between POC and white people and a concept of us verses them in society. This separation or ability to compartmentalise people as "different types" of human is what leads to segregation and discrimination as once a line is drawn it is easier to start finding reasons to reaffirm the line.

The importance of representation in mainstream media could be outlined by any human being who belongs to a marginalised group. Being able to see people and characters like yourself is so vital to the creation of self-image and the affirmation of identity as well as creating feelings of community. When Hollywood removes POC from the foreground a huge part of this representation is lost for POC in the real world, not to mention opportunities for actors of colour. Another extremely damaging aspect of this is segregation in film (barring burden of representation and stereotyping) is the fact that POC are not being seen or seeing themselves as doing great things. Whether it be a historical drama or a superhero flick, the images of strong, capable people of colour are almost entirely absent from our silver screens and when they do appear, its in supporting roles, always not quite good enough for the lead. Ultimately, POC become a backdrop for a white world.

Behind the scenes, all this whitewashing reflects the way that the executives in Hollywood think of how audiences would react to more people of colour in film. It comes from a place of assuming that the majority think POC are not interesting enough to make good stories where as in fact many of the best stories we know today come from the works, experiences, and inspirations of people of colour. As well as this, Hollywood clearly views successful actors of colour as the exceptions rather than the rule which leads to the overwhelming whiteness of the supposed blockbuster "A-Listers" (see Oscar Nominees from 2016 below).

As a mega-corporation, money is a priority in Hollywood which is why they continue to pump out movies on formula however all we can hope for is that as more risks get taken and more directors, producers, and writers aspire outside the box, Hollywood will see risks succeeding and hopefully this will generate a change.

White Guilt and a Poem I Shouldn’t Write:

I hate my skin

not for the same reason as you

you are told to 

while I’m not 

I look down at my palms

translucent, 

a pinkish tinge, my veins bright, my scars clear 

and I’m not like you, but I’m not like them

This "gift" given from conception;

everything I earn, I didn’t quite work for.

Everything you get, 

you’re owed that little bit more.

And I know I should shut my mouth 

and its your topic to speak on

but I have so much to say 

the issue is I feel entitled to say it.

Dysmorphia of another kind;

I don’t want this hair of mine,

I don’t want this skin of mine, 

I don’t want this life of mine. 

I want us to get what we work for, 

I want us to love what we love, 

I want a world where none of this ever happened,

but we can’t have that.

And I’ll forever be connected 

to their fucked up mistakes

just like you are too 

but both in different ways.

You deserve to not be shot when your hands are in the air, 

and you deserve to be hired "despite" your natural hair, 

and you deserve to be loved by a society that cares,

and you deserve to be treated by your worth thats clearly there. 

But I don't need to tell you that 

you know this for yourselves.

You're smarter than they let you be 

and I hope you know I can tell.

And I also hope you know 

when I look at my pink glands 

its not my own blood that I see

on these ghostly hands.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

DISCLAIMER: 

The idea for this blog post came from the above poem which I did write myself and while it expresses my thoughts and feelings about being white I acknowledge exactly how it sounds; like a privileged white girl whining about her privilege. Because I'm not a poet I couldn't make it any less problematic than it is in this form but because I'm an essay writer, I can explain fully what I am trying to say. This essay is more emotional than intellectual and I ask you to keep that in mind when reading the following.

The other day an Asian-Indian boy and I were having a conversation surrounding race and he made a small joke somewhere along the lines of "its because I'm black" but followed this my turning to me and saying "but I suppose you are too..". The conversation quickly moved in a different direction but for that split second I wasn't white and honestly, I didn't bother to correct him. Because I'm southern European, my ethnicity is potentially a little more allusive than I assumed it might be and so I take a small enjoyment in the knowledge that sometimes, some people (particularly people of colour) might not think of me as white. 

There is nothing truly hard about being white and until I became politically and socially aware, I barely ever thought about race something which I know cannot be said by anyone who doesn't fall into the category of "White". This blissful privilege is only one of many that I have simply from birth but what this poem was trying to articulate is the feeling that I get from knowing that just because of the way I look, I have an advantage over other people; a feeling I'm sure is comparable too (but not equal to) the one that comes from knowing that just because of the way you look, you have a disadvantage. Its incredibly frustrating that in receiving scholarships, jobs, or promotions, that my name and picture might have been the deciding factor between myself and someone who is ultimately more qualified than I am. The only thing more frustrating than receiving something you don't deserve because of a factor you can't control is NOT receiving what you worked for because of a factor you can't control. 

I've spoken to Suzanne about my feelings of "white guilt" a few times in tutorials and her initial reaction was that "it starts out as a feeling of guilt and then gradually transitions into a drive to help". While I can see this to be true, I think until racial inequality really is no longer an issue (most likely not in my lifetime) I will continue to feel this guilt not instead of, but rather alongside my motivation to make a change. 

Thinking about this entire concept (and in fact every speech, essay or poem that I write about race), I am reminded of the video we were shown in one of the older lectures where the topic of race was being discussed by all the white people in the room, and no matter how helpful they tried to be the black person in the room still was not actually allowed to speak. This is the issue of racial inequality that pops up among even the most liberal white people; we are trying so hard to talk about racial inequality that maybe sometimes we are failing to listen. I am almost certain I've been guilty of this at some point. 

Ultimately, one part of me says to myself I should not write this essay at all and tell Suzanne she's asking the wrong girl, but the other part of me says the following; when you get the opportunity to hear about the experience and feeling of people of colour first hand, shut up and listen but when the room is pumping full of racist assholes and your designated POC is not around, speak up with the knowledge you have and don't let your guilt or fear stop you from doing what you know is right; using your privileged voice to yell the words of those who are only allowed to whisper. 

Spot the Difference

Not Racist: "Oh you look like you're wearing a hijab with your scarf like that!"

Racist: "HA! You look like a terrorist with your scarf like that!"

The racist version of this was said to me the other day and then followed by a long string of "terrorist jokes" which made me extremely uncomfortable.

I'm happy that I'm in a place mentally where I don't immediately associate muslim culture with terrorism but when I remember that other people still do it really makes me feel like no progress has been made in a long time.

Just a thought. 

#AllLivesMatter

The social media campaign #BlackLivesMatter was started in response to the outrageous events in Ferguson, U.S.A. In 2014 Michael Brown (18-year-old black man) was gunned down by Darren Wilson (28-year-old white police officer). With the circumstances surrounding the case highlighting that it was a clear act of racism, there was a societal uproar from those who recognised the injustice of an innocent mans death followed by a guilty mans pardon. Darren Wilson escaped all charges and all repercussions for his actions and this lead to avid protesting and in turn the #BlackLivesMatter campaign online. Following these protests, more racially driven killings were brought to the forefront of the worlds attention by protesters in an attempt to ensure that these blatant acts of racism were not going unnoticed by the general public.

In and of themselves, the events that occurred in Ferguson, mainly the lack of consequences for the white cops, made a very clear point about societies view on racism and how much we still need to fight, not only against it, but to have the general public recognise it as still being an everyday issue.

With these protests continuing alongside more deaths of innocent black men, the campaign online was getting more and more attention including the unwanted vocalised opinions of blatant racists. Infuriatingly, one of the responses to the #BlackLivesMatter campaign was the creation of #AllLivesMatter. This stemmed from the obnoxious thought process of;

"#BlackLivesMatter? What about us? Do we the WHITES no longer matter just because of a little racism? That is real racism! Claiming that only one race matters!! How about #AllLivesMatter!!"

and so on...

Many people do not see the issue with this approach and truly believe that by saying #AllLivesMatter, they are supporting racial equality. But it is important to recognise the true significance of hijacking the original social media campaign and what saying #AllLivesMatter really means. 

What is the purpose of #BlackLivesMatter? This campaign was started as a way to acknowledge the fact that there is little value placed on the lives of black people, especially by the police force. With so many deaths of unarmed, innocent black people, #BlackLivesMatter was a form of peaceful protest in an attempt to point out that black lives do in fact have value and are worth just as much as white lives. While to some, this is simply common sense, the campaign was a way to try send this message to the whole of society. 

What is wrong with saying #AllLives Matter? They do all matter! While it is of course true that all lives matter, our modern society has no trouble accepting the fact that white lives matter, we see this every day, but somehow still struggle to understand black lives in the same way. In this sense, saying that all lives matter is like asking for something you already have; its white people asking for their lives to be respected, even though that respect is there in the first place. One man created a fantastic analogy on Facebook; "My personal interpretation of Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter. Bob is sitting at the dinner table. Everyone else gets a plate of food except Bob. Bob says "Bob Deserves Food". Everyone at the table responds with "Everyone Deserves Food" and continues eating. All though Everyone Deserves Food is a true statement, it does nothing to actually rectify the fact that BOB HAS NO FOOD!!" (Adam Campbell). Using #AllLivesMatter is down the same vein of "being colour-blind"; while it has good intentions, the reality is that those who act this way are really failing to address the issues of race in modern society by claiming they are already overcome and therefore, any action against racism is no longer necessary. It is turning a blind eye to what is really going on with the mindset that if our modern day and age is supposedly so liberal, racism must no longer exist, therefore there is no need to continue the conversation surrounding it. If you claim you are sick of hearing about racism, how sick do you think people of colour are of experiencing it. 

The difference between #BlackLivesMatter and #AllLivesMatter comes down to this; equality is giving all people the same opportunity and expecting that they should all do as well as one another while equity is acknowledging that because of the way our society functions, prejudice takes away from the ability of some individuals to fulfil their potential, therefore in order to have everyone equal, some need to be given more opportunity or help than others in order to balance our society out. 

#BlackLivesMatter exists because as sad as it is, even in our supposedly liberal age, some people need reminding.

Dedicated to, and in remembrance of those who died because of police brutality, including;

Michael Brown, Eric Garner, John Crawford, Dontre Hamilton, Tamir Rice, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, Tanisha Anderson, Akai Gurley, Rumain Brisbon, Jerame Reid, Tony Robinson, Phillip White, Sandra Bland, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray

Cultural A-pop-riation:

Cultural appropriation in all its glorious wonder, has been a part of pop culture since the dawn of Hollywood. Of course in the "Golden Days" the appropriation was much more along the lines of overt racism (i.e. black face) while modern appropriation is a lot more sneaky.

So what exactly is cultural appropriation, how does it rear its ugly head in pop culture, and why is it so damaging?

The definition of cultural appropriation is listed as "the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture". However I would amend this further to specify that cultural appropriation comes from a culture of privilege disregarding the significance of the cultural signifiers that come from the groups they have previously oppressed or as YouTuber, Kat Blaque phrased it "seeing something [white people] like, taking it and in the process removing all cultural significance to it". While that might not be the more eloquent or white-sympathetic way of putting it, it remains true that for the most part, cultural appropriation comes from white people believing that the cultures they have dominated, owe them the ability to select aspects of culture to adopt, without feeling the weight of actually being in a marginalised group.

Cultural appropriation makes itself known in every facet of pop culture from fashion, to hairstyles, to performance themes. "Katy Perry" (unofficially deemed the queen of appropriation) has used her power and privilege to offend an awe-inspiring number of different cultures in all these areas. However, one of the clearest examples of cultural appropriation hiding in plain sight of pop culture is corn rows. Corn rows, and other natural black hairstyles are used to keep textured black hair tidy, unknotted and more manageable. Black hairstyles have always been at the core of black culture and furthermore have a cultural significance and importance that white cultural hairstyles definitely do not have. One example of how black hair represents black culture is through hip-hop and rap. These music styles stemmed from rhythm and blues and looking further back, from the music created by black slaves as a way to "retain humanity in the face of adversity" and maintain a voice/identity as a people (Amandala Stenberg). Because black culture is a cumulation of a range of different signifiers, something as simple as corn-rows which could be deemed "just a hairstyle" really symbolises the black struggle. Even the term "corn rows" came from the hairstyle resembling the fields that black slaves worked in. It is clear to see why black hairstyles mean more in black culture than simply a point of functionality; in actuality, they represent black power, black history, black excellence, and black identity. 

Corn rows came into the mainstream following pop cultures absorption of hip-hop and rap styles. With black culture in the forefront many different aspects of black culture were adopted by white celebrities. When this happened, the media commented on the white celebrities new look as "urban", "fresh", "original" and "innovative" having previously commented on those styles as being "ghetto" and "tacky" when on black women and men. This is the major issue with cultural appropriation; its not so much the physical action which people often focus on, but more about the repercussions that come from white people using and abusing black culture. 

What makes the appropriation of black hairstyles even more disturbing is the way that it highlights the blatant racism that underpins modern societies. It is embarrassingly common for black women to be subject to commentary on their natural hairstyles in relation to their employment and education. There have been many cases in which young black girls have been told their natural hair is "distracting" to other students and black hairstyles have been banned in many schools for being "untidy". As well as this black women are often told in professional environments to straighten their natural hair in order to get/keep a job. This all occurs while white women are getting praised for the "revolution" that in actuality, is the same exact hairstyle black culture created. This truly shows the weight of cultural appropriation and why it needs to be taken seriously. Amandala Stenberg eloquently explained in response to an image of Kylie Jenner wearing her hair in corn rows; "while white women are praised for altering their body, plumping their lips and tanning their skin, black women are shamed although the same features exist on them naturally". That, in a nutshell, is why I feel cultural appropriation is such a dangerous form of inferential racism; it perpetuates and normalises the racial inequalities hidden within the walls of society that lead to the much more severe consequences.

Links:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuO8Z12Ri1U

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXejDhRGOuI

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1KJRRSB_XA