When writing the essay based around the Hollywood movie I came across the heading ‘Racial politics of Casting” in the Shohat and Stam reading. I find this concept fascinating. Basically it talks about the roles that specific ethnic groups could be casted to play in films. It talked about how whites played the dominant roles with non-whites playing supporting roles. However, I was shocked to discover that in the silent period and in some of the sound period, white-skinned actor would paint themselves black to play black-skinned characters. This overtly racist stance enabled white people to play any ethnicity while blacks were limilted to playing roles within their own. To say the least I was appalled. This idea goes right back to the notion that one drop of “black” blood meant that you could not be defined as a ‘white”. In contemporary film making this overt racism has been all but eliminated by ideals of political correctness (PC). Personally I am not a believer in being PC. It does reduce overt racism but it also gives birth to a subtle, more dangerous type. This neo-racism is prevelant not just in media but within society in general. It is an inferential racism that is hard to remove from society. As a “brown” individual I personally experience this daily. Being watched while you walk through a store is more subtle then telling me they think i’m a thief but it has the same demeaning effect. I could continue with neumerous examples to reiterate just how prevelent this problem is. The fact is, racism is alive and well in this country. Anyone who says otherwise is probably “not brown”.

Stereotypes

Shohat and stam tell us that stereotypes stem from patterns of prejudice towards particular ethnic groups. These stereotypes are reaffirmed by the media with constant negative images. A local example is the programme Police Ten 7 where the majority of arrests on this programme are Maori or Pacific Island men. This continuous portrayal of “brown” males being arrested leads to negative stereotyping: that it is not just these individuals but the entire ethnicity that are a bunch of criminals.

It has been found by social psychologist that stereotypes about a particular ethnicity affect our attitudes towards these groups. One study in America found that jurors who had negative stereotypes towards Hyspanic people would be more likely to convict a suspect of Hyspanic desent then an individual from any another ethnicity. These results where found even when the evidence was specifically designed to be inconclusive. These racial stereotypes are clearly damaging to ethnic groups as a whole and lead to discrimnination of minorities.

Although this is a problem in society, stereotypes are not seen as an error of perception but are assumed to be accurate when infact they are not. This is a frustrating thought when I am a Maori and a member of a minority in New Zealand.

Rugby League, Live & Breathe It.

I love Rugby League, I basically live and breathe it. It sasses up Rugby Union any day. Personally, the Rugby World Cup is overrated.

ANYWAYS back to Rugby League!
I support the New Zealand Warriors, New Zealand Kiwis and the Queensland Maroons :)

Anyways, in the 'other' camp, the New South Wales Blues, assistant coach made a racial slur towards Maroons player, Greg Inglis which shocked Blues player, Timana Tahu. Both players are of aboriginal descent.

Although Johns intentions were to not sound racist but it was taken as being racist to Tahu, who walked out on his team due to the slur.

Personally, I think that if you're gonna say something along the lines of, "Stop Inglis", just say that, don't need to be descriptive about it.

Since this occurrence, Johns quit his assistant coaching job for the New South Wales because of the hype around the racial slur.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/johns-quits-nsw-coaching-over-race-slur-20100612-y424.html