Essay on Stereotypes of Hispanic Women in Cinema - 2507 Words

The Latina women, even throughout the era resistance cinema, have not been able to make much progress in overcoming the degrading stereotypes that Hollywood has created for them. Despite the many advances that minorities have made in the cinema in recent years, Latina actresses still take on the roles of the dark skinned lady and other such stereotypes with strong sexual connotations. It is often debatable whether or not the role of the Latina has undergone dramatic changes since the days of Dolores Del Rio and Carmen Miranda dancing with the fruit baskets on top of their heads. However, in recent years there has been an emphasis by various Latinas in the film industry to combat such stereotypical roles and redefine themselves†¦show more content†¦This character began to appear in the 1930’s, at the same time that an audio component was introduced into cinema. The audience was not however interested in the voice of the vamp but rather for her appearance and sex appeal . She was often depicted as exotic and sensual. As Tara Osorio writes, In early cinema, Hollywood represented Latinas as ignorant, and valued their striking appearance and figure rather than their intelligence, character, and personalities. (Tara Osorio) With the introduction of musicals into cinema, there were many opportunities for vamp roles. There were three particular women in early cinema who were infamous for portraying the vamp character. Carmen Miranda, Dolores Del Rio, and Lupe Velez were typecast in such roles and were seen in the majority of films produced in these decades. This character represented an image that was offensive and insulting to many. The character did not have many diverse elements and was a rather one-dimensional figure. It was even more damaging when you take into account that the same role was repeated, often by the same actress in a myriad of films. As one actress Rita Moreno describes after she had played a similar spitfire character fourteen times in eleven years. It’s really demeaning after you’ve won the Oscar to be offered the same role over and over again. They only wanted me to drag out my accent-and-dance show over and over again. (pg.174, Hadley-Garcia) The filmmakersShow MoreRelatedThe Minorities Vs. Entertainment War868 Words   |  4 Pagescrowds that had brought overwhelming emotions and relaxation. Today, the entertainment industry has been amplified due to cinema emerging through the combination of new advancements in technology and has broaden the media and film industries horizons, the entertainment business has opened up the â€Å"opportunity gates† and has taken a turn for many minorities (African Americans, Hispanics, Asian, etc.) to live the dream and be a part of the uncontrollable whirlwind of entertainment. However, in some casesRead More Discrimination and Misrepresentation of Minority Races in Film2457 Words   |  10 Pagesthe mindsets and viewpoints of minority racial groups that, †¦one of the side effects of American cinema was often crushingly brutal portrayals of other races and cultures, depictions that spread to larger audiences than ever before possible around the nation and even around the globe(Keller 5). The representation of Latino men, in my opinion, was the most severe and the most commemorated stereotype from the era of silent film to pre sent day films because even from the earliest days, racial stereotypingRead MoreMedia s Portrayal Of The Black Age Of Media Essay1393 Words   |  6 Pagesportrayal of different minorities is usually far from being accurate. They often misrepresent the reality thus promoting myths and stereotypes. Studies have found that media create and spread images of the society (DeFleur and DeFleur). Social representation as myths or reality has woven into the fabric of society mainly through mass media such as the television and cinema. Willie (1979) explains that significance of race in understanding economic predicament is greatly emphasized as compared to economicRead MorePortrayal Of African Americans During The Film The Silent Black And White Movies 2012 Words   |  9 Pagesportrayal of races through stereotypes in American films that are being made and sold to the public. Since the beginning of the silent black and white movies there have been stereotypes that misrepresent ethnic groups, such as the negative portrayal of African-Americans in minstrel shows. Although these extreme negative racist portrayals have ended, the film industry still insists on adding stereotypes that negatively portrays ethnic minorities, such as Asian-Americans, Hispanics-Americans, and African-AmericansRead More Stereotyping of Hispanics in Hollywoods Films Essay498 Words   |  2 PagesStereotyping of Hispanics in Hollywoods Films [Cinema] manipulates the human psychology, sociology, religion, and morality of the people...(Cine-Aztlan 175). I has been said to be used by capitalists and socialists as a powerful weapon in the struggle for social justice. In all the Hollywood films and documentaries about Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, none have escapes stereotypes. And it hasnt gone unnoticed. Thomas Martinez states that the symbolic function of advertising in oneRead MoreUnder the Influence of the Media1433 Words   |  6 Pagesas muscular as before, being the hero of the movie. When we compare the 1980s to present day film, we can see that the movies reflect their society and vice versa. We notice that what is popular or current within the public is what is popular on cinema, since the audience can highly relate to them. From this observation one may propose the audience is highly influenced by what is on the big screen. For instance, Arnold Schwarzenegger displayed his muscles and acting skills in the movie, PumpingRead MoreA Research On African American Girls2306 Words   |  10 Pagesspecifically, how intersecting identities, that previous studies have neglected due to a lack of focus on intersectionalism, affect the way in which African Americans girls experience education and how their educational environment responds to them. Stereotypes â€Å"The successful, achieving, and independent African American female student is [frequently] the image that flashes across the popular and scholarly landscape of America†. This myth or assumption is responsible for the neglect that many of theseRead MoreDiversity Of Film : Today s American Society4019 Words   |  17 Pagesforget the stories of minority groups such as: Blacks, Hispanic and Asians. The American films that have shown diversity tend to be more stereotypical when representing a culture or using the minority group to help develop the white characters. Rarely do we see the honest perspective of minority groups. Boyhood directed by Richard Linklater shows little confrontation with race at all throughout the film and when it does it uses common stereotypes. The Film LUV by Sheldon Candis is an all black castRead More American Film and Movies from the 1950’s to Present Essay examples2422 Words   |  10 Pagespartially responsible for current socio-cultur al problems, too. The critical question, then, is whether film has fostered the progress of a more open-minded America, or rather hindered its development through the perpetuation of antiquated concepts of stereotypes, densensitized violence and breeding of normalcy. Whether or not a naà ¯ve approach to film as an inclusive medium holds true to fact, however, is questionable. Since its popular arrival in American culture during the 1930s, film has sparked controversyRead More Latinos, Politics, and American Cinema Essay3885 Words   |  16 PagesLatinos, Politics, and American Cinema Feature films in the United States influence American viewers attitudes on a wide variety of topics. Americans attitudes toward politics are shaped by films, and specifically the politics of racial interaction. The history of modern feature films begins with Birth of a Nation (1915), a film that misrepresents the Black race by justifying the existence and role of the Ku Klux Klan in American society. From this racist precedent, producers and directors