They Live manages to indicate a disruption of the prevailing ideology in the form of resistance. Near the end of the film, Nada and Frank stumble along an underground chamber which houses a small concentration of elites and houses a network station where we learn is where the “signal” is transmitting. When they arrive at a hall in the vicinity, they survey the area like they are security guards. In this portion of the film, it is important to notice that we see the same black-and-white-camera establishing shots with select people being concealed as humanoid aliens, especially when Nada and Frank are not wearing the sunglasses. They come across a guide who show them around, thinking that they support the elite’s ideology. The guide leads them to a TV station, in which they force him to reveal the location of the signal. They shoot their way up the TV station and up through the roof to destroy the satellite which is transmitting the signal. However, Frank gets shot before he can reach the roof, and Nada gets shot up by a helicopter guarding the signal, but not before Nada can destroy it. We learn that Holly, a reporter who Nada …show more content…
took hostage sometime earlier, kills Frank by shooting him at close-range in the stairway in which the shot immediately cuts to Nada reaching the roof. In several shot-reverse shots, we see that she intends to keep Nada from destroying the signal, in which we conclude she pledges allegiance to the “State.” Nada shoots and kills Holly, and turns his attention to the satellite dish. His middle finger in the direction of the helicopter completes the shift in narrative established by the ideology, not that it is broken altogether, but the spectator can notice the change in process of how the ideology is coming apart. However, it is unclear as to whether the system has truly collapsed or not; we can only assume that people have adapted to world as it actually is as opposed to what it is fantasized to be. We see that people seem to be aware of the modification through the physical concealment in the form of a humanoid alien. However, we ask a crucial question: are people going to overcome this ideology, or struggle to find their place in it as it destabilizes? I do not get the impression that the film settles that, or maybe it is purposely doing so to force the audience to clarify the possibility for themselves. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, more so than They Live, is representative of a category e film, by its narrative, its plot development, and the shift in behavior of the characters.
Even the title itself evokes an ideological connotation. It refers to an ideology based on cultural identity; blondeness was usually a criterion for sexual preference, assumed a racially charged preference, and it was easier for men to objectify. Being a brunette, however was considered an unattractive sexual preference, it represented impurity, much harder for men to objectify, and denoted an expectation that a brunette would only be attractive with someone who is poor and undesirable. However, the film shatters that completely as it progresses. Furthermore, women in this film are redefining their ideological status to the point where men become secondary
subjects. The prevailing ideology is radically deconstructed because Lorelei and Dorothy, the main characters, defy the ideological norms of gender and heterosexuality presented in film. One major component of this defiance to normalcy of the ideological state apparatus is their outright refusal to be objectified by men. Notice Dorothy’s and Lorelei’s interactions with men. Instead of gazing at the men in response, they look away. They seek attention, but they decide control of that attention by resisting submission. In fact, Arbuthnot and Seneca analyze this resistance to objectification in the film, noting that “socially is it the prerogative of men to gaze at women and the requirement of women to avert our eyes in submission”, indicating a “superiority over the subordinate” (116). Interestingly enough, they note that the costuming and the use of camera and lighting limit objectification. Perhaps when we study the musical number with Dorothy and the Olympic team as they practice, we observe that she is the center of attention, and that the men become objectified instead. They react to her movement, rather than the other way around. Capitalism, likewise as in They Live, is the base of the film. However, Gentleman Prefer Blondes makes it easier to cause internal conflicts within the ideology as well as show more signs of destabilizing it from within through Lorelei’s and Dorothy’s demeanor. Lorelei is portrayed as the “gold-digger”, which was a natural justification of the culture of capitalist enterprise. Noticeably, Lorelei is much more affectionate with money than she is with men. Dorothy, however, does not seem to take that into account; she not only resists the notion of being in a relationship with men because of their wealthy status, but also she is highly disapproving of Lorelei’s fantasizing over capital to capture attention. This musical lyric that Turim studies is quite revealing of how the film really evokes a provocative response to capitalism as presented in the perspective of the women, “I was young and determined, to be wined and dined and ermined, every night opportunity would knock. For a kid from a small street, I did very well on Wall Street, although I never owned a share of stock. Men are the same way everywhere” (102-103). Consider the nature of this lyric. It is powerful, because it relates to the cerebral identification of the capitalist culture and how it enables the objectification of women for financial gain as well as for their own emotional gratification. A homoerotic element is established in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with the strong bond between Dorothy and Lorelei. In most of the scenes, they are seen walking together in perfect tandem, and the camera purposefully focuses specifically on their synchronizing movement. It is also evident based on their level of cunning, when they are searching through Malone’s coat for photographs he took of Bleakman and Lorelei. They build a sense of trust with each other as they proceed with the search; they eventually find the photographs. Interestingly, the scene cuts to close-up shot of the photographs which signals to me that the film is purposefully trying to symbolize their bond through the concept of good teamwork that was required to find the photographs. The bond is not only established in a way to challenge the ideology, but also to deconstruct it through their resistance to connect with men as a whole. They are bounded by their refusal to accept the “social powerlessness of women” (119), as Arbuthnot and Seneca note, as well as their dependency on men. This film manages to supplant one ideology by splitting it through means of reverse objectification with the confines of another, in this case, feminism. Perhaps in the way this film celebrates women’s allegiance to one another, sense of strength, reconsolidating power to satisfy feminist values, I would consider Lorelei and Dorothy as the driving force of the gradual shift in ideological process. In the scene where they search for Malone’s photograph, we notice Dorothy holding Lorelei’s hand as they get out of the room, in which the camera cuts to them entering the cabin together, which further identifies their bond. Lorelei’s and Dorothy’s bond is completely satisfied in the eyes of the spectator at the end of the film, where they are set to marry Gus and Malone, respectively. However, while they approach them at the altar, they are instead caught looking at each other instead of their new husbands. It is at that point the film succeeds in creating a major shift in ideological process by emanating both feminist and homoerotic elements. The spectator is given closure about the change in result of the women’s successful attempt to reject objectification by the fact that they get married together.
It is one of the first things people see. It can make or break you. “If your hair is relaxed, white people are relaxed. If your hair is nappy, they are not happy.” This was said by one of the people being interviewed in the documentary, and the meaning basically means that relaxed hair equals happiness and un-relaxed hair equals the opposite. Yet, the nature of "relaxing" is not very relaxing. It is a long, tricky and expensive business whose purpose is to get black women's hair to resemble European hair – the idea is to "relax" the white people who come into contact with black women. Furthermore, black hair products are largely controlled and manufactured by white people. Rock shows that black women have made this style their own – it is no cultural cringe to white
Aiming to gratify others has a tendency of making people act in ways other than their usual self. As one begins to act the way others want them to they begin to lose distinctiveness and individuality. For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange is about a specific set of women, who aim to please a certain man or different men. Each woman is hurt in some way by a man and as they progress throughout the series of “choreopoems”, they alter themselves in different ways to cause an effect upon the various men they associate themselves with. As the women describe their experiences, it is obvious that they make drastic changes in themselves. These women lose purpose and become confused, bitter, scared, and frustrated about their lives. Consequently, the ladies have negative outward reactions that are similar to each other, making the women easy to stereotype. The women in For Colored Girls who have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow is Enuf have the opportunity to narrate their own stories; however, they choose to emphasize the influence of men in their lives, thus illustrating how susceptible they are to stereotyping and making them weakened as individuals.
The lyrics from “Formation” state, “My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana-You mix that Negro with that Creole make a Texas bamma” (Beyoncé); were directed toward African American women specifically because they have been taught to hate the skin they are in which leads to women using bleaching to become lighter which can be extremely dangerous if it is not used properly. The feud in the black community is light skin vs. dark skin is also addressed with these lyrics it simply states be proud of your bloodline no matter what you may be mixed with. The light skin vs dark skin argument is an end result of the brown paper bag test, which determined who would work the fields and who would work inside the house. The “Paper Bag” test was the determinant factor, if your skin color was the color of the brown paper bag or lighter you were given access to certain privileges and conversely if your skin was darker than the paper bag you were denied those same privileges (Steward). Beyoncé goes on to sing, “I like my baby hair with baby hair and Afros-I like my Negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils” (Beyoncé), this focuses on African American women changing their looks because society tells them that their natural hair and big nose is ugly. Beyoncé personally targets the criticism she received for not “combing” her daughter, Blue Ivy’s, hair stating that if
Somehow, everything about the whites appear to elicit a reigning beauty that raises hatred and envy the black girls have against the white girls. Packer argues that even small thing like hair contributes to hostility. The fourth grade says; “their long, shampoo-commercial hair, straight as spaghetti from the box” (Packer, 16). These reinforcements are ingredients of prejudice that brings about racial discrimination. The black girls get jealous of the white girls’ hair, and this leads to discrimination against them. It is worth noting that the prejudices are handed down by the environment and society that people are brought up in. Arnetta, remembers a mall experience when she and her mother were being seen as if they were from China. They were being discriminated because of their race. The various treatments given to black people has played a vital role in intensifying the issue of prejudice, magnifying people’s sense of inferiority, and shaping the views of the black people on the white people. Arnetta says; “Even though I didn’t fight to fight, was afraid of fight, I felt I was part of the rest of the troop; like I was defending something” (Packer, 12). This is a clear indication that society has the power to influence youths. It depicts how society joins hands to fight for what they think is their right. Owed to the fact that this is a society. Everything and everyone is interlinked in a given way, making racism and prejudice hard to do away
"Those whose hair texture and thickness differed from those of most white women were left with two choices: straighten their hair to approximate the images of 'ideal ' white beauty or resist the hegemonic messages of white standards of appearance and instead adopt hair styles well suited to the characteristics of their own hair and embrace them as beautiful” (1991, 375). It is important to consider the second option that Caldwell stated. In order for us to deconstruct hegemonic femininity and masculinity, we must first recognize it and then resist it. The same applies for Ducille’s piece, one must really step back and analyze whether an action, such as making a multiracial Barbie really does justice to community in which it is targeting. I do not believe that Mattel’s intentions were to push for cultural and racial equality in the means of providing a new doll. I think they were just creating a new doll to sell to a certain demographic and make more
The concept of whiteness being the ideal standard for physical appearances is ingrained into every girl’s brain through dolls given during early childhood due their parents’ preconceived notions that they desire the same things they did (Morrison 20).
Hispanic girls dying their hair blonde. Is it a fashion statement or is there a meaning behind it? In a society where racial prejudice booms in politics, communities, and popular culture, it is difficult for racial minorities to avoid absorbing the racist messages that constantly bombard them. Internalized Racism does exist, if not, what would it be called for people that dislike their ethnicity? This type of racism are minority groups that loathe the physical characteristics that make them racially distinct such as skin color, hair texture or eye shape and buy into the belief that whites are superior
...aw is giving the public the idea that judging people on the way which they look is a appropriate action when in reality we the people of the United States have been trying for years for equality! It is justifying the idea of white privilege. “The greater the power imbalance between groups, the greater the emphasis on maintain boundaries between sides” (Dalamage, 2013).
It is this form of prejudice that has more to do with skin tone rather than race. This mentality oppresses and criticizes those with darker skin tones and those that deviate from one desired appearance. It is for this reason that many Black women have gone out of their way to assimilate to society’s beauty standards or attempt to be “white”. What this simply means is that these Black women have gone to extreme lengths to appear light skinned and to make their natural hair as “white” looking as possible. This is partially due to the racist and colorist mentality in this society but also because there is a huge market in making Black women feel as if they are unworthy of being called beautiful because of their skin tone and hair. In Chris Rock’s documentary “Good Hair” he states that within his own community each individual spends an average of five thousand dollars a treatment on an attempt to get “good hair” and that the industry that is responsible for pushing this upon Black women is worth about nine billion dollars. The effects of this colorist mentality can be seen throughout history take for example during the Supreme Court case “Brown vs The Board of Education” (1954) in which it was deemed unconstitutional for a State to enact laws that created segregated schools solely for Black Americans. One of the pivotal
Nowadays, beauty is so commercialized that a woman feels she must look a certain way to fit in. A beautiful woman, by the U.S. Standard of Beauty, should be Caucasian (but able to tan); she should preferably be blonde, and her hair should be long enough to provide a secondary fetish (after her body).
The much praised and Oscar winning film Crash presents an uncompromising insight into what is considered to be a modern and sophisticated society. The film challenges viewers to examine the issues of race, gender and ethnicity and to which extent they plague society even now, thirteen years after it’s theatrical release.
Almost 250 years of slavery and anti-blackness within the United States has created a divide in what type of hair is acceptable. According to Cynthia L. Robinson, “Black hair texture is graded” (Robinson 2011). Precisely, this means that a Black woman has either good hair or bad hair. Good hair has a resemblance of European hair texture, meaning straight and wavy curls. Good hair also diminishes the look of African ancestry. Bad is the complete opposite. The texture is kinky, coiled, and thick, giving the appearance of short hair (Robinson 2011). Hair that bears a resemblance to Eurocentric beauty standards is more beautiful and makes the individual with that hair type more beautiful as well (Robinson
Grover uses hair color as an analogy between the white forced culture and the destruction of the Native Americans culture. When the girls are in the classroom learning to mend socks the Matron suggests singing the song, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair. This song is about a caucasian girl. The girls listened to the song a few times before beginning to sing themselves. “Jeanie with the light brown hair, happy as dancing daisies” (45). This song is hard for the Native American girls to relate to as they are doing labor in a boarding school. This is a way for the matron to debunk the dark features of these young girls that is their heritage. Another time hair is used is when Louis first arrived at the boarding school. He knew that he couldn’t stay their. He made a run for it the first chance he got. He almost made it, but his hair gave him away. “The color was his betrayal, a near-black copper that the intensity of the oblique late-day sun lit to a red beacon” (46).This imagery reinforces the struggles Native Americans faced in boarding schools. The use of hair color is a creative way that Grover used to represent the
Many directors use their films as a means of glorifying, criticizing, or simply depicting, a particular ideological system. These ideologies are especially visible in foreign films, as the viewer is forced to assess the film from outside his or her culture and ideology, and consider the film in its proper context. Director Akira Kurosawa’s Japanese film Seven Samurai allows the viewer to understand several important aspects of Japanese culture and ideology. First, the film depicts the Japanese social class structure and its acceptance by the masses. Seven Samurai also reveals the pride of the Japanese, as well as the utilitarian, collectivist nature of their society.
...ciety who has strict Japanese culture traditions. Japanese culture and Shinto religion to Hatsue are valued because she wants to be the ideal woman. Although often compared to a flower and a child, she realizes the importance of staying true to her Japanese roots. Even today, with western influences virtue is valued in women all around the world not just in Japan. The indirect characterization by Mishima that comments on the other characters’ view of her body and her beautiful physical appearance allow for readers to see that she remains innocent. The image of staying innocent and also being innocent through self control is important to have and show the community. Throughout the book she remains pure and innocent until the end when she finally blooms and marries Shinji.