You Mean, There's RACE in My Movie?

by Minority Reporter, F.W. Gooding

Did you know that there is race in your movie?! Prepare yourself, for this is the report that Hollywood doesn’t want you to see! Picking up where texts like Donald Bogle’s “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks,” left off, learn how to consistently critically analyze race in mainstream movies. This 330-page text identifies distinct patterns for both White and non-White characters in mainstream movies that often remain "hidden in plain view." With over 65 new vocabulary terms and references to over 500 different movies and actors, the book provides an eye-opening look at the entire movie industry and the "role" race plays within it. After reading this book, you will never see movies the same way again!

340 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It really nails the point home and does a great job of showing how there disparities in Hollwood. It addresses the cycle of blame and common responses. Gives ample examples and challenges the reader to engage. Released in 2007 but still so valid..

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

So in the process of moving to a new apartment I came across a business card for this Minority Reporter web site. I'm pretty sure I picked it up somewhere at NCORE in 2007 and never looked into it. The web site appears to be gone but in doing a little research before tossing the card, I found that they'd since written a book and put out a short film. The book was at the library and I got the DVD through interlibrary loan. I enjoyed reading the book but it did get a little repetitive. I did think it was written in a rather accessible way for a mainstream audience so it was easier to read than a serious scholarly work on the topic. I don't know how much the book would really make a dent for someone who hadn't considered this before. The book is set up with the premise that the reader's perspective on the way race is handled in mainstream movies will be changed. I'm not sure that, if someone really didn't want to see race in movies, this would make much difference to that person. I suppose it could take someone who has a peripheral understanding of this concept and go a little deeper but frankly, not much deeper. I also felt that while the book was designed nicely enough, it suffered from a lack of editing that was at times distracting. I haven't watched the film yet and will look forward to it. If someone is really interested in this topic, I would bet there are more impressive works out there but for a light introduction to the idea, this will probably do the trick.