A Study on the Representation of Black Celebrities in Media

This report delves into the media representation of Black celebrities, examining the evolution of their portrayal and the impact of stereotyping. It explores how media, particularly social media, constructs celebrity status and influences public perception. The study analyzes the historical context of misrepresentation, the effects of white-centric perspectives, and the influence of theories like Media Representation Theory, Weber's theory of Status Groups, Cultivation theory and bell hooks' “Commodification of Otherness”. It highlights the shift towards a 'post-racial' American culture and the emergence of new forms of stereotyping, including cultural commodification, and the implications of this for Black celebrities. The report also discusses how the celebrity status is largely dependent on media representation and the impact of media on the lives of common people. It concludes by arguing that contemporary American culture has embraced diversity and individuality and how the media portrayal of Black people has undergone a paradigm shift.

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

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STEREOTYPING COLOR: A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATION OF BLACK
CELEBRITIES IN MEDIA
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

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STEREOTYPING COLOR: A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATION OF BLACK
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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.

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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.

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The Role of Media in Celebrity Construction
The dictionary meaning of the term “celebrity status” denotes “a stage of fame or being
well known” (Merriam Webster 2016). Evidently, becoming well known would never be
possible without media exposure. Hence, it can be argued that the contemporary understanding
of celebrity status is majorly a media construction. The media promotes an individual to the
public attention, using their success as the driving force, thus making them stars or celebrities.
The culture was mostly spread with the development of the film industry (Elliott 2018).
According to Dreissens (2013), mass media is largely responsible for the cultural and
social prominence of the celebrity culture. However, up until the television era, only successful
individuals in the sphere of entertainment and sports were given the celebrity status. Political
leaders, journalists and efficacious professionals such as star chefs, architects or designers also
captured the attention of people through their appearance on mainstream media. The film
magazines, tabloids as well as the gossip columns fuelled the trend by evading into the personal
lives of famous TV and film stars, yielding controversial news items and involving their partners
in the process. However, with the emergence of social media and personalized viewing
experiences, the approach of media on celebrity creation has also undergone a paradigm shift. In
the most recent times, individuals are considered as celebrities due to the media representation of
their lifestyle, wealth, their connection with other famous person, or simply their involvement in
controversial issues (Elliott 2018).
The influence of media, especially the social media, on common people’s lives is
undeniable now a days. Accordingly, the influx of information about the personal lives and
activities of people that media deems worthy, immediately attracts public attention. For example,
the bulk of information regarding Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s children available in media

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immediately earns them celebrity status, without any notable success of their own. Also, the
whole world was keen to know whom Princess Eugene of England was marrying, simply
because she is a member of the royal family.
The fact that media compels people to consider these individuals as celebrities points to
the potency of media portrayal. It could be further established by the context of Marxian
commodity fetishism. According to Marx, the value of a commodity is not intrinsic, rather it is
determined by influence of the object on common people. Such fetishism, thus ascribes a
mystical significance on the commodity through its exchange value, which is essentially
different from its real value. Therefore, it becomes an object of reverence and adoration based
solely on its social perception. Similarly, media hypes and exposes the lifestyle and personal
lives of stars, making them objects of mass reverence, and giving them celebrity status in
contrast to common people (Ouellette and Gray 2017). Thus, it is evident that the emergence of
the celebrity culture is largely dependent on the media representation of individuals. This is even
more relevant to the case of individuals in the entertainment sector, as their lives are under
constant limelight, making them hyper-visible to common people. Hence, examination of the
public perception of black celebrities in entertainment industry largely depend on their
representation in mainstream media.
Media Representations of African-Americans
Since the late 90s, the minority strata of the American society has made considerable
progress in achieving equality and autonomy. As a direct consequence, the mainstream
perception of black culture has transformed to a substantial extent. However, this change is yet to
infiltrate the white supremacy inherent in the mindset of the American people. Evidently,

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African-Americans were majorly portrayed in films and TV shows as economically and socially
backward characters, some with criminal tendencies. As media Brown (2016) has opined, the
Hollywood is yet to be free from stereotyping blacks as submissive, irresponsible, foolish,
violent, cowardly, or lazy people. The stereotyping, therefore, reflects a stark tendency of
Eurocentrism and white supremacy.
In this regard, Max Weber’s Theory of Status Group helps dissect the social perception
and the alleged unfair treatment to African Americans in media. Weber presented a three-
component theory of social stratification which helps to determine the social status of a particular
social group. According to Weber’s theory, the social status could be determined on the basis of
certain non-economic characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, honour, religion etc. The three chief
components are class, status and power (Grusky 2018). In accordance with the Weberian
stratification, the dominant social group in the western countries, in terms of class, status and
power, were always the whites. Hence, the African-Americans were considered as second-class
citizens, thus affecting their media portrayals as well.
Constructing Celebrities of Color
The white-centrism of the mainstream media could be fortified by several evidences from
mass media practices and phenomena. Since long, the African American have been denied
visibility or appreciation in the celebrity award platforms, most notably in the Oscars. And until
the recognition of the movie 12 Years a Slave in 2013, there have been many objections and
criticisms against the Academy Awards that it is continually marginalizing and ignoring the
black performers (Banjo 2019). Besides the parameter for celebrity status has essentially been set
by the standards pertaining to the white majority. The societal standard of beauty mostly

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conforms to the image of a petite, feminine, white individual, whereas black women are
portrayed in the light of the Mammy stereotype. Traditionally, cinematic technologies such as
three-point lighting, film makeup, cinematographic techniques are all developed in purview of
the white-centric standards. Subsequently, the representation of different race and ethnicity has
always been contextual, rather than usual (Merskin 2017).
To be more specific, it can be argued that the representation of black celebrities has
always been racialized. There has been rare instances where the media text uses black characters
irrespective of their significance as a person of color. In the same context, it can be said that
black people are often hyper-sexualized, specifically women were largely objectified, satisfying
the mystical fantasies of common white mass (Evans 2017). For example, the visual
representations of Dwayne Johnson or Beyonce are not usually the standards for representing
Tom Cruise or Jennifer Lawrence. Most notably, the representations of black celebrities often
lead to cultural appropriation of the African Americans, such as appropriation of rap fashion
(Mair 2019). In this sense, the lifestyle and activities of the African American stars are mostly
portrayed in the light of ‘otherness’. In contrast, white celebrities are rarely seen under the lenses
of racial identity, thus normalizing their cultural identity in the representational context (Weaver
Jr. 2016).
This notion of otherness is further echoed in the views of bell hooks. She maintains that
the black culture still serves the spice of ‘otherness’ or the variety to the palette of white
supremacists patriarchal capitalism. She opines “Within current debates about race and
difference, mass culture is the contemporary location that both publicly declares and perpetuates
the idea that there is pleasure to be found in the acknowledgment and enjoyment of racial
difference. The commodification of Otherness has been so successful because it is offered as a

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new delight, more intense, more satisfying than normal ways of doing and feeling. Within
commodity culture, ethnicity becomes spice, seasoning that can liven up the dull dish that is
mainstream white culture.” (hooks 2012). hooks’ notion of otherness could be linked back to
Weber’s stratification, where the perception of other through media representation demarcates
the dichotomy of power and identity politics.
Conclusion
It is often argued that the contemporary American culture has embraced the ideals of
opportunity, equality, diversity and individuality. Subsequently with time, the minority strata of
the society, as mentioned earlier in the discussion, has attained much social advantage in terms
of positive representation in media. Moreover, as media has extended beyond film and television,
the representation of black people has also undergone a paradigm shift. People can actually
follow the lifestyle and personal lives of their preferred stars in social media such as YouTube,
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and so on. As a result, they have direct access to the lives of real
life characters, rather than relying on their depiction in TV. Also, emergence of new formats in
entertainment, such as talk shows, standup comedy, reality TV etc. are creating a change of
perception regarding the black celebrities. Beside the changed format of media, several
celebrities are carrying out their craft to break the stereotypes in media representation. For
example, the success of the movie Black Panther marked a significant milestone in Hollywood
with a predominant black cast, and despite being a superhero movie, the film earned huge critic
appreciation for an atypical representation of African-American characters. However, it is still
hard to view a black celebrity just as a celebrity, and not ‘as black’ through the contemporary
media representation. Every time a black celebrity is brought under the lights of mass media, it is
a common perception to view their racial identity over their individual connotations. Thus, the

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representation of African Americans is still remains a representation of otherness. The traditional
stereotypes has been merely replaced by a new set of stereotypes, retaining the identity politics
of race as intact.

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References
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