What is the "White Gaze"?
- This term refers to the fact that many movies, TV shows, and other forms of media portray individuals of different races and ethnicities in a very stereotyped way.
- For example, many movies and TV shows depict Latina women as maids, or Black women as housekeepers.
- Stereotypes such as these are, of course, incredibly limiting. But often, those who produce these images use them to maintain their own privilege. By demeaning those of racial minorities and depicting them in very one-dimensional ways, the dominance of whites in our society remains unquestioned.
Example #1: The Jungle Book
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Example #2: Peter Pan
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For further information, see:
- bell hooks, Reel to Real: Race, Sex, and Class at the Movies. New York: Routledge, 1996. Print.
- Wainer, Alex. "Reversal of Roles: Subversion and Reaffirmation of Racial Stereotypes in Dumbo and The Jungle Book." Farris State University. n.d. Web. 3 April 2014.