Ethnic Notions /Classified X

While viewing this film I really was supprised with all of the stereotypes that I was taking in. It is something that viewers have been taking in for a long time and not necessarily actually thinking of what they are seeing. Stereotypes of the Sambo, the zipcoon, the mammy and others. I thought that it was very interesting to see that pre-civil war that the public was given the notion that slaves were happy to serve their masters, and post civil war the public was told that the now free blacks are uncontrollable. To me the mammy kind of hit me as some what like an aunt B from The Andy Griffith Show. Then Ethnic Notions actually went to when African Americans started to enter the entertainment industry. The problem with these roles that they were getting is that they were getting the stereotypical roles. In the film this is referred to as a "Catch 22" for the actors because they wanted to get in to the industry however they didn't want to affirm the stereotypes. The last thing that was mentioned in the film was that some of the new problems in films today is the stereotype of the "Black Rambo". The black rambo, has a side kick of a white cop and has a licence to be more violent. I however disagree with this last one especially when the film uses the movie Lethal Weapon as one of its examples. In that series of movies, the white cop is the one that is more violent and in some cases crazy, and the black cop is a calm family man.
Now to Classified X
Before WWII all of the stereotypes of African Americans were put into movies. However after WWII there was the "NEW NEGRO" this was due to a big wave of democrocy. However in the 50's in went from the new negro era to the no negro era. The film industry said that this was due to the American Golden rule, "He who has the gold rules". The film industry just said that they were appealing to the audiences. It was not till the 60's that the first interracial couple was put up on the silver screen, and at this time it was a very touchie subject. As the movie said on of the problems with the film industry is that they see blacks as a social class not a race. To me this isn't just a problem with the film industry it is the biggest problem over all.