Introduction

Stereotypes in America Through the Centuries

    In prehistoric times when humans relied on instincts to survive, prejudice was a primary shield that helped humans separate dangerous animals and plants from those that weren’t. Small, close-knit communities also helped draw a fine line between trust for the familiar and fear for the foreign. These two grouping mechanics that form the word “stereotype,” which had once saved human lives, remain in modern society as enemies of humanity. In extreme cases, it has become murderers of the modern age.

While humans aren’t so preoccupied with hunting elks for dinner, they have developed entertainment through paintings, photographs, video games, and motion pictures. Intentional or not, human culture, our culture, is often expressed in these visual arts, namely, the visual culture.

When Americans sit down in front of the TV after a tiring day, racial dynamics is not very big on their what’s-on-TV-list. Why? Because it’s troublesome and not simple. From simple Heads Up Displays in games, movies without subtitles, and  color AND shape coded street signs, it’s safe to say Americans enjoy simplicity. Hence, in an age when you can walk down the main street of a city and casually meet different people from twenty different countries, racial simplicity becomes an aspect that prompts us to tap back into our prehistoric, judge-to-survive selves. The reason why visual culture is an adequate starting point to begin analyzing the role of stereotypes of society as a whole is because whether intentional or not, racial stereotypes are never hidden and are often times, especially in comedy, extremely exaggerated. Exaggeration means a bigger target to see and easier to be analyzed.