However, modern audiences know better, and they have to see through the stereotyping of white supremacy in this film. In an age when there is so much diversity in Hollywood, it seems the writers and directors could have done much more to work diversity into the picture. A character here or there is simply not effective. Many other films have managed to create diverse characters while still portraying comic book type situations. "Men in Black" is an excellent example. Therefore, this film did not help diversity, if anything, it added to the problem of diversity and stereotypical characters that behave in certain ways and do not mix with people of other colors or races.
No, this film did not foster a better understanding of diversity and multiculturalism. In fact, it fostered just the opposite. The film, if anything, is a celebration of white supremacy in the media. It is odd, because some of the filmmakers are of Asian or Arabic descent, and yet, they do not include any real numbers of their own races in the film. If a stranger watched this film, they would think that America is predominately white, and there really are very few minorities in the country at all. It seems like the filmmakers included one "token" minority, there is an Asian (Raymond, a bit part), the...
These people pass by so quickly in the film that many people might not have even seen them. Almost every speaking part in the film is a white person. Some of the doctors in the "chainsaw" scene are Asian, but again, these are all very minor parts, who do not any real depth to the film. In another area, most of the people in the film are young, too. The older characters, such as the doctor, the professor, and Peter's aunt, are all portrayed pretty much as stereotypes, and this too mirrors what is happening in the media today. Journalists Oring and Danko continue, "by the early '90s, 74% were ages 25 to 44, leaving fewer veteran journalists in the industry. In 1971, for example, 11.3% of journalists were between 55 and 64; by 1992 just 6.6% fell into that category" (Oring and Danko, 1995). Thus, there is also less diversity in age, and most of the reporters in today's newspaper newsrooms are young. This too was the case in "Spider-Man 2." The "veterans" of the newsroom were older, but the people who did most of the work were young, like Peter and Hoffman. Another journalist states, "I don't think you can be a news organization in this day and age and be relevant without practicing diversity, and also appreciating it and understanding it'" (Still, 2001, p. 44). Unfortunately, many newsrooms do not adhere to that standard, and so, the relevancy of their reporting and their outlook comes into question. Diversity is an important, even vital part of media today, and more of the media needs to practice real diversity to indicate they truly understand the diversity of America's growing population.
Ethics of Spider Man The character Spider Man is a foundational superhero of the modern era. His history and life demonstrate the development of an ordinary and even some would say subpar or at the very least "un-cool" young adolescent into a super hero by a twist of fate, i.e. being bit by a genetically modified spider on a science filed trip. The early life of the Spider Man character as
Science Fiction Film Genre Defining the Science Fiction Genre The genre of science fiction has been defined saying that it describes, The probable consequences of some improbable or impossible transformation of the basic conditions of human (or intelligent non-human) existence. This transformation need not be brought about by a technological invention, but may involve some mutation of known biological or physical reality" (Baldick 1991, p. 200). Another source says that: Sci-fi tales have a
In terms of a feature film like the Spiderman series, there is much revenue to be generated from merchandise, DVD and video sales, tie-in promotions from companies like McDonalds, and spin-off video games. Therefore, the stakes are higher. A feature film producer who has been granted a 200 million dollar budget had better deliver an audience, and deliver it in spades. A telemovie producer, however, working much faster with
Films and Filmmaking As Spike Lee noted in the 25th Anniversary celebration of his film Do the Right Thing, "the only reason why my generation went to film school was we couldn't get our hands on the equipment" (Macfarlane). Do the Right Thing had an independent feel to it, largely because of Lee's hands-on oversight of production, direction, writing and editing -- but it was ultimately a Universal picture. Since its
The "Halloween" films that continue to be so popular are prime examples, but just about any horror film made within the past three decades follows basically the same formula, they have just gotten increasingly sexual and violent, as society has continued to embrace the genre. There are literally hundreds of other graphic examples, such as "Saw," an extremely violent film that has spawned six other films, and the examples
Interestingly, results indicated that the three timing variables investigated, which were releases prior to long weekend, during summer, or during Christmas, did not demonstrate relation to total revenues (Simonoff & Sparrow, 2000). However, the third quartile grosses were noticeably higher for seasonal releases in comparison to non-seasonal releases (Simonoff & Sparrow, 2000). One of the most important factors involved in determining the success of a film in terms of box office