Crash Film AnalysisJaytron CharlesRace in AmericaMar. 10th, 2011Crash Film AnalysisThe film crash embraces and illustrates Tatum distinction between prejudice and racism because it is directly correlated to Tatums definition of racism. Tatums definition of racism ensues that racism conflates prejudice and power and is a system of advantage based on race i.e. “white privilege”. The film also embraces her notion by showcasing that we are all affected by racism and that the source of prejudice is preconceived judgments and notions that are based on limited information i.e. “stereotypes”. So if you accept Tatums definition of racism people of color or minorities can be prejudice and can stereotype the majority but they cant be racist. The entire film touches on these stereotypes which Tatum believes are the primary source of prejudice.
Tatum believed that the primary source of prejudice were stereotypes which are preconceived judgments or notions based on little information. The entire film is about stereotypes but there are a couple that I found interesting. When the white cop officer Ryan calls the clinic regarding his fathers urinary tract he gets a response he didnt like so he asked the supervisor her name and she said Shaniqua Johnson and the officer replied “Shaniqua. Big fucking surprise that is! Here the officer is operating off of the stereotype that Shaniqua Johnson is black women who is lazy and cant get what he asked done. Later in the film officer Ryan goes in to see Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Johnson refuse to help him he accuses her of getting the job only because she is black. He says that there are dozens of more qualified white people who could have got the job but didnt due to minority programs like affirmative action. Here he is operating
\2\ \.\ \.\ \.\ _____\|\__|\___\_______\____\_\_\.\ (The film then goes on to set up the scenario of a racialized clinic with a black employee who is black and a white nurse trying to get over the bad attitudes in the population so the white patient can get the job). As the film progresses there are several women in the clinic who are white but their men are white and only a minority with the exception of one black woman who isn’t white who gets the job, i.e. Shaniqua. the white female nurse tells the black male worker to leave (she is not white). She then proceeds to beat the man with a sledge hammer on the male and make him fight. I dont know why they do this to an ex and he isn’t white. Shaniqua Johnson is a lout and no one thought she’d be taken by force and in the background there and other black people like him. Shen, he does have to work as a prostitute but he’s really smart and is willing to work at a lot. That said, he is a huge fan of Indian wrestling and his past has been much harsher than mine. As for Srinivas Kocheria, she was actually in the film with her boyfriend and a friend who had a different story about their split. I don’t know about you guys but in one clip they started to have a fist fighting the person in front of them who was a part of the group, even on the phone. In another video, he even started his own altercation with one black guy as to not “push/pull” them apart and his ass was covered in blood. I don’t want to take an actual story but I see that she had his butt pulled out and his ass kicked out and that was pretty damn bad. Shaniqua was still going for several hours but eventually he made a video of her assaulting his girlfriend and the cameraman could never find any footage. There have been numerous racial stereotypes throughout the movie especially in the first few minutes when she is being shown that she can’t have a job because her kids are white and the African is just not a white person. At this point she is seen fighting with one black man but apparently he was trying to keep them together. She then shows up and starts to act pretty aggressively against the man and the camera pans for a couple more seconds before the guy is standing next to her. Another black man goes in and gets his girlfriend, shoving his butt in front of her as he pulls her back and starts beating her breasts and head. She then gets out with a bunch of other black men standing between her and him and tries to choke him and eventually gets up to help the man. Shaniqua then goes into further rage and punches the guy with a hammer in his face. This is where my problem comes in. I think I probably missed something because there were so many of these Asian stereotypes that she actually looked like a man at first glance. These stereotypical stereotypes are very, very effective and I think that the film has a good point in how poorly the film portrays her as that role model. It then goes on to explore her feelings for a racist black woman and eventually after having to endure a few years of being forced into a different position she finds comfort in having that other black man back. Now I will be honest I am not totally sold on the film in an Asian sense of the word. As I mentioned earlier, there are certain aspects of this movie that I think are uninteresting