Ethnic Notions and Zack & Cody

If I had to describe the documentary Ethic Notions in one word, I think it would be: unsettling. There was a lot to take in and there were many uncomfortable characterizations that I've been thinking about and trying to organize, but that's not working out very well so I think I'm just going to talk about a couple of things.


Something that I noted most throughout the documentary was the role of children. Initially the depiction of black children as wild animals was a way to justify showing them being shown in such an uncivilized manner and as victims to "comic violence".  It was mentioned around this part of the movie that the fear of black people entering white society came together in these artistic renditions where black children were literally removed from the picture. Later, very racist products, like board games with the n-word in their names, came out that were marketed towards everyone, including children. Additionally, we talked in class about rhymes and songs that we still sing today that were initially racist and along the way changed to be less offensive. These reproduced games and songs were meant to teach children and train them. The question is have they (in a way) succeeded?


Simple rhymes like 'Eeny, meeny, miny, moe' are still widely known today, and though some words and images have been replaced so that it isn't racist (this is also true with Aunt Jemima and other brands that changed bits and pieces), is there still some significance simply because it is still known? A good point was brought up that these songs have been passed down for a long time, which created an emotional tie, so they evoke nostalgia. I'm not really sure if the fact that they're still known is negative, but it's something I found interesting. Also, some stereotypes are still projected in the media. We talked about black superheroes, as well as the children's TV show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (probably my 2nd favorite show when I was younger, only behind Hannah Montana) which has a black character who is the manager of a hotel. This show has previously been praised for breaking stereotypes, but the character Mr. Moseby still seems to be stereotypical (though not in a modern sense). He's portrayed as more feminine and therefore emasculated, and as a "mammy" figure. Though these stereotypical portrayals are not typical, they still occur today. I guess this brings me back to my question, have the caricatures succeeded? I'm not sure, but when looking at the media today, I think my answer is maybe.


~~~