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  • Essay / Stereotypes in Do The Right Thing By Spike Lee

    Characters who embody these stereotypes influence the reactions of other characters. Additionally, the camerawork and storyline generate stereotypical characteristics that visually influence the person(s) watching the film. The stereotypes, I recognized, in the film depicted an African American man who was aggressive, lazy, drunk, unemployed, bias discriminator, irrational and against the system. Additionally, each stereotypical characteristic demonstrated illustrates the class concept of stereotypes. Specifically, how people selectively perceive and seek out information that supports stereotypes of a group (Rozema, 2013). Furthermore, how stereotypes, usually negative, surround a tiny constructed truth; therefore, a person can easily find people who support evidence of a stereotype (Rozema, 2013). For example, the interaction between Buggin' Out and a white man on the street simultaneously illustrates the aggressiveness, irrational, and materialistic qualities that personify African-American stereotypes. As Buggin' Out walks down the street, a white man accidentally bumps into him scuffing his brand new Jordan sneakers. Buggin' yells, "You almost knocked me over." The word is “excuse me.” The male responds: “Excuse me. I’m really sorry.” Unhappy with his response, Buggin' aggressively retorts, "Not only did you knock me over, but you stepped on my new white Air Jordans that I just bought and that's all you can say: 'Excuse me » ? Then he threatens to beat the white man. male standing. “Who told you to step on my sneakers?” Who told you to walk on my side of the block? Who told you to be in my neighborhood.” He came across Buggin'. In my interpretation, Buggin' assumes that he encountered him deliberately and reacted violently, as a stereotypical African-American man would characterize a black.