Stereotyping African Americans Through Comic Books

I examined 2005's Hollywood blockbuster Batman Begins, which stereotyped African Americans. The film not only depicted African Americans as secondary citizens in the fictional world, it reinforced DC Comics-the proprietor of the Batman Series-as primary racists in the real world. With a history of stereotyping black characters in its storylines, the Time Warner-owned comic publisher has once again managed to wane the progress of the movement of Afrocentrism on and off its pages. Although many people credit DC with pursuing multiculturalism by launching its subsidiary, Milestone, just as many people condemn it. In her piece, "Heroes of a Different Color," author Irene Lacher writes, "Milestone has come under fire from some of the black independent publishers for signing on with the largely white, corporate Establishment" (248). Milestone competed (until it shut down in 1997) with other multicultural comic publications as well as enraged those involved with them. "We're trying to correct stereotypes passed down on African Americans for years and years.

It becomes more than a money thing," says Alonzo Washington, publisher of Omega 7 comics, an independent publication (248). Washington still denounces Milestone three years after its demise, stating in an Omega 7 press release, "Milestone was designed to destroy the Black comic book movement, and it almost did… Due to the confusion all the Black comic book publishers missed out on the super hero movie explosion. A few movies were made about Black super heroes, but all were comedies or designed by white creators (…Meteor Man…)" http://www.omega7.com/html/PressRelease_09_01_00.html.

Because of DC's [eventually unsuccessful] business move, African Americans haven't been taken seriously in comic book adaptations. It's been six years since Washington's press release and Hollywood hasn't cast an African American in a lead role, not even as a villain. Rumor has it, however, that a black superhero may hit the screen with actor/model Tyrese Gibson portraying Luke Cage-a Marvel Comics' character. Until it hopefully works out, we're forced to settle for Meteor Man.
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Meteor man, however, is a film that deserves a substantial amount of scrutiny; it was a venture that, evidently, featured the most African Americans in its casting (i.e., more than half a dozen). Bill Cosby, Luther Vandross and James Earl Jones all make appearances. It is the only film that attempted to reflect African American ethnicity and faced real-life problems such as gang violence and the importance of education. Yet, after viewing this film again (the first time was at a matinee in 1993), I found it to be distasteful. This online review by James Berardinelli best resonates my sentiment: "Meteor Man is a mostly-unsatisfying film that can't decide whether it wants to spoof superhero films or join their number. In attempting to walk a fine line between the two alternatives, it succeeds at neither" http://movie-reviews.colossus.net/movies/m/meteor.html. Both now and when I was in 4th grade I walked away from this movie wondering why they couldn't have just given Meteor Man a little something to kick some butt with.

Only now, however, do I understand why Hollywood won't allow black actors superpower-once again, Alonzo Washington provides an explanation: "Most white people are uncomfortable with people of color gaining power…Therefore, the concept of a super hero of color is an uneasy thought to most white Americans" http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/panel/1063121223602.htm. It's as if African Americans need super powers to overcome Hollywood's red tape and produce a true-to-life Afrocentric film that is powerful enough to disregard stereotypes. Still, big-time movie executives are so far from reality that it would seem they prefer to cultivate perceptions of African Americans, with or without ulterior motives. James A. Rada writes in his piece "Color Blind-Sided: Racial Bias in Network Television's Coverage of Professional Football Games" that "Many mass media messages about blacks seem to be that blacks are inferior, lazy, dumb, dishonest, comical, unethical, crooked… and insolent, bestial, brutish, power hungry, money hungry, and ignorant" (28). Meteor Man manages to capture all of these between its superhero, its gang of villains, and its stock characters-all of whom reside in an urban, prominently African American neighborhood.

Obviously, something needs to be done about this… and I'm not just talking about some mediocre gimmick film with another clichéd character that just happens to be a minority. Hollywood needs to recognize that minorities are a driving force for profitability-but only if what they are consuming rings true to their cultures. In Richard Natale's "The Latin Factor: Hollywood Plugs Into a Burgeoning and Profitable Ethnic Market" he writes, "Latinos now buy as many movie tickets as African Americans (12 percent of the national total)" (217). I.e., a film directed towards only Latinos and African Americans would appeal to nearly ¼ of the total market. That's a lot of initial profit, not to mention merchandise, TV premiere, etc. We, as consumers, need to let them know this-and the Internet is a primary vehicle for voicing our concerns! I, for one, will publish this article online.

After that, I will find or start a petition to bring more minorities into action films. There are numerous people of diverse backgrounds in Hollywood who could and would fight hard to see this happen, including Oprah-the most powerful black woman ever. I'm taking a screenwriting class next semester… maybe I'll even try to sell a multicultural superhero script. The bottom line: Hollywood should be investing in quality movies that revolutionize race relations, rather than the ignorant movies that reinforce them. Why not an ethnic superhero?

Works Cited

Biagi, Shirley, and Kern-Foxworth, Marylin ed. Facing Difference: Race, Gender, and Mass Media. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press, 1997.