Stereotyping Color - A Study on the Representation of Black Celebrities in Media

Running head- STEREOTYPING COLOR: A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATION OF
BLACK CELEBRITIES IN MEDIA
Stereotyping Color: A Study on the Representation of Black Celebrities in Media
Student’s name
University
Author’s note

STEREOTYPING COLOR: A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATION OF BLACK
CELEBRITIES IN MEDIA
1
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
The Role of Media in Celebrity Construction.................................................................................3
Media Representations of African-Americans................................................................................5
Constructing Celebrities of Color....................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................8
References........................................................................................................................................9

STEREOTYPING COLOR: A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATION OF BLACK
CELEBRITIES IN MEDIA
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Introduction
According to Media Representation Theory, representation refers to the construction of
different aspects of reality, such as people, ethnic or racial class, gender, cultural identities etc. in
a certain medium, most likely in mass media (Flew 2017). Media has the power to mold or shape
the viewer’s knowledge and perception regarding these issues, thus giving them a powerful
influence in the construction of celebrity image. Among many other aspects, stereotyping is a
significant form of media representation, which construct a generalized, often simplified
representation of a certain group of people. And at times, such generalizations are constructed by
overt exaggeration. It is a very popular mechanism of media, as it often helps the audience
identify and relate to the targeted characters shown in the particular media text (Trebbe et al.
2017).
There has been a long-standing objection against the Western media that their portrayal
of people of color is rather problematic, often relying heavily on stereotyping. Since the portrayal
of Hattie McDaniel as Mammy, the governess in a Southern household during the Civil War era
in the Academy Award winning movie Gone with the Wind, Hollywood has been subject to a
staunch criticism that African the -Americans were mostly portrayed only as blue-collar workers
or comic characters. The issue also points to the bias in the inherent in the Western culture as
well as media, especially in the United States (Borum Chattoo 2018). For a number of reasons,
all sorts of media provide a deliberate misrepresentation or distorted portrayal of the African
Americans. One of the most prominent reasons being the Eurocentric approach of the
mainstream popular culture.

STEREOTYPING COLOR: A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATION OF BLACK
CELEBRITIES IN MEDIA
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In purview of this media bias, there has been a long-standing debate-- whether this
alleged misrepresentation of the people of color influence the creation of celebrity figures as
well. The underlying rationale of this dispute emphasizes the active role of media in the celebrity
creation. However, this notion of misrepresentation has been undergone a huge change following
the liberalization and postmodernist revolution of the American society. In the recent times, the
popular rhetoric of feminism and minority rights have had serious impacts on the social
perception, not to ignore the increasing trend of accepting diversity and inclusion (Glazer 2017).
Following the change, the media has also started to represent the notable individuals of African-
American origin in a different light. However, this altered representations is also playing a
crucial role in the creation of celebrity status in the recent times.
This aspect of race and ethnicity is an instrumental factor in celebrity studies. Addressing
this broader area of discussion, the current study proposes to review the role of media portrayal
in the process of celebrity construction. More precisely, it aims to address how the portrayal of
African-Americans in entertainment industry has changed over time, and how does that affect the
contemporary celebrity culture. In this regard, the present research argues that the enunciation of
the “post-racial” American culture in the media has created a new form of stereotyping.
Theorizing the thesis with Media Representation Theory, Max Weber’s theory of status Groups,
Cultivation theory and bell hook’s “Commodification of Otherness”, the study therefore will try
to establish that the contemporary media portrayal of African-Americans is developing a cultural
commodification of black culture, thus leading to a radicalized celebrity culture.