Stereotypes and Diversity in the Movie, Crash

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Stereotyping is a major issue in the world today, however, mostly in the United States. It is known as fixed impressions, exaggerated or preconceived ideas about particular social groups, usually based solely on physical appearance (The New York Company). Crash is a great example because it shows others stereotyping individuals in many ways. According to Schingel, it is the perfect analogy of how we as a human race deal with life, people and our own experiences. The movie, released in 2005, shows each character's point of view, rather it be from an African-American, Caucasian, or a Latino. It follows each character throughout the movie to show how they live their daily lives.

Crash is known for having numerous examples of stereotypes. It shows characters stereotyping against all races, no matter what the condition may be. For instance, one illustration of label is with Sandra Bullock's character. Her character is afraid of every race except Caucasian. In the movie Crash, she had a gun shoved to her head by two black men while they stole her car. Another case is when she pulls her husband aside and tells him that she wanted the new lock changed the next morning because she was afraid the Mexican male who was changing the lock would give his "homeys" a key. She states, "He is a gang-banger because of his shaved head, prison tattoos and his pants around his ass" (Schingel). However, she could not have been more wrong. Daniel, the locksmith, was actually a well-mannered family guy. Daniel, of course, is a sweet-natured husband and father struggling to get his family to a neighborhood where the gunfire doesn't pop all night (Burr). What Sandra Bullock did to the locksmith was incorrect and spitef...

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...there is good and bad in everyone. It is just the way the world works. In all cultures, there is the good, bad, and the ugly. Each person in each culture has their faults, but also at the same time, they have their nobility and heroic side.

Works Cited

""A Definition of Stereotypes"." The New York Times 2008 20Mar2008 .

Burr, Ty. �Well-acted 'Crash' is a course in stock characters.�

<06May2005http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=7408>.

Crash. Haggis, Paul. (DVD), 2005

Greydanus, Steven. Crash (2005)."http://www.decentfilms.com/sections/reviews/crash2005.html. 2008.

Schingel, Rebecca. "How the Movie Crash Illustrates Race and Ethnic Relations in America."http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/18187/how_the_movie_crash_illustrates_race.html. 2006.

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