Political Incorrectness and Lack of Diversity in Blazing Saddles

Working with Diversity and conflict
Working with Diversity and conflict
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Working with Diversity and conflict
OPTION ONE: Political incorrectness and diversity
Introduction
Political incorrectness describes the measures undertaken with the intention of avoiding
offensive practices inflicted on members of a certain disadvantage group in the society.
Historically, it involves people behaviors that are deemed as marginalized and insulting inferior
groups who are discriminated against in the society. These disadvantage groups can be
comprised of race or ethnicity. Various media platforms and public discourse has implied that
these practices are excessive. Over the years various movies have come condemning what they
term as liberal efforts to diversify victimization and multicultural diversity through various
languages and affirmative actions taken (Ashmos, Plowman, Smith 2011 p.65). The political left
argues that conservatives utilize the aspect of political incorrectness to downplay and actively
divert the public attention from their discriminatory behavior instilled against disadvantaged
groups. This is done by consciously disregarding and critiquing the actual themes pointed out in
such politically incorrect movies. The commentators on the political left indicate that the
political right often enforces its own form of political incorrectness in order to maintain and
decrease critics of its favored race and ideologies. This concept has played a huge role in the US
cultural war based on the liberals and conservative's identity and perspectives.
The concept of diversity typically represents multiple individual differences and similarity
characteristics that exist among people in the society. Diversity can literally encompass various
human characteristics like race, age, ethnicity and also sexual orientation in a distinctly personal
and societal environment.
Thesis statement
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Working with Diversity and conflict
This paper aims to discuss and critically assess the back lash of political incorrectness
and lack of diversity as pointed out in the parody of the American West "Blazing Saddles.
The parody of the American West "Blazing Saddles";
This is a western comedy that was ultimately directed by a person known as Mel Brooks
in the year 1974. However, it was not quite received well by fans upon release since it is
comprised of racially charged humor and stereotypes regarding lack of diversity and political
correctness. This makes the movie very controversial. Mel Brookes made it clear that as a result
of political incorrectness that surrounds this movie, it could not be made today in the modern era
nor approved by the current existing film company executives (Bandy & Stoehr, 2012 p. 55).
The film takes place in the mythical west of 1874, and social realities of 1974 respectively. The
white male archetypes definitely typically entail the effects of racial and cultural groups in the
region. Focusing on this particular mythology the movie significantly endangers the historical
context of the American West, which under-emphasizes racial diversity, by constantly mocking
the existing racism in the western regions. However, its entire connection with that release year
made it with complete racial stereotypes regarding class level, behavior and the roles of a
community (Chatman, Goncalo, Kennedy, Duguid, 2012 p.170). Using the past stereotypes,
Brooks has the ability to play to subconscious individual audience anticipations mocking them in
order to decrease the diversity of race into a ridiculed state. Evidently, this period is immediately
after the time of civil rights and several Black Nationalist movements. This carries the audacity
of promoting the self-image of black individuals for their identity, and the existing backlash
among racial diversity conservatives and the ultimate political bigots (Chatman et al, 2012
p.145).
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Working with Diversity and conflict
The settings of the film and its diversity context is that of American West. Focusing on the
American mythology, the past racial altitudes of the region involved the racialist white
supremacy in order to patronize the tolerance of other existing races thus reducing the movies
diversity.Exodusters who were the black settlers on the western region were deemed as political
actors whose aim was to aspire an equality in the political status quo that no other nonwhite
individual considered (Hammel, Mason, Stevanović, 2010 p.1097).
By incorporating the western myth and historical reality, Brookes makes it possible to confront
the historic tendency to forget the diversified and marginalized individuals for reasons such as
activism for the people rights especially the black people. Arts struggle in the film is for the
survival of his own personal dignity but it is more involved in recognition dimension that what
can be viewed in the Exoduster history (Jabbar & Mirza , 2017 p.47)The west cultural setting is
aimed to ensure the contrast between the brand image and reality of racial diversity. Brooks
focused on the expectations of the audience so as to offer a higher realistic portrait of racial
dynamics. In 1974, Brookes had available racially charged material from which to draw the
movie "blazing saddles".
With current stereotypes of black society to constantly mock, Brooks is able to expose the
ridiculous premises revolving around discrimination and depict them in both plot and image. He
thus borrows the image of lawlessness in the surrounding social environment and compares it
with Bart's lawful practices to promote and maintain order in Rockridge. It strongly speaks to the
cultural diversity and political incorrectness that Brook exploits, that the plot conflict existing is
aimed at Bart ensuring that he can maintain the law and political backlash as a sheriff (Kelly,
2017 p.143). This is despite the lawless image that the residents of this particular township have
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