The 20 Most Outdated Stereotypes In Film And Television
11 August 2008, 11:15 AM. By Guanabee Staff
The desire to telegraph a great deal about a character in a short amount of time can leave a writer open to using cultural stereotypes. It’s human and we all do it. But so is shitting our pants when we’re babies and eventually, we grow out of that. (Until we’re old and senile like Andy Rooney. Then we can shit all over whoever we want and CBS will apparently pay us for it.) So, in the interest of helping us all grow the fuck up, Guanabee has compiled an educational list featuring our 20 favorite outdated stereotypes from television and films both recent and past. It should be noted that a lot of these movies are really quite good, despite their cultural faux pas. While others of them (cough! Norbit cough!) are all that remains of a talent that once shone bright as the stars. Sigh. Anyway! Please join us after the jump as we count the 20 Most Outdated Stereotypes In Film And Television.
1. Song Of The South (1946) - Uncle Remus, The Disney Uncle Tom
Disney’s Song of the South starring James Baskett as Uncle Remus is a little known film that introduced the world to, “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah”–the song of the happy slave. The film was groundbreaking at the time for its mixture of live action and animated characters, but rather old hat in its use of Uncle Tom, Massa and an actual Tar Baby. While it’s by no means the only racist Disney vehicle, it may be the one upon which their entire creative model was founded.
2. The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre (1948) - Gold Hat, The Dirty Mexican
The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre features the famous line, “Badges? We don’t need no stinking badges” uttered by Alfonso Bedoya who apparently inspired “Ask A Mexican’s” logo. If we had a nickel for every time a drunk spring breaker shouted this line at us in Matamoros, Mexico, we’d have a lot of nickels. He’s the quintessential dirty Mexican.
3. “Speedy Gonzales” (Debuted 1953)- Little, Brown, Mexican Rodent
We’re going to say it now. We fucking love Speedy Gonzales. Precisely because he is a stereotypical poor Mexican with an exaggerated accent who is STILL quicker than all the gringo cats. But let’s face it, that’s not exactly what most Americans think of when they think of Speedy. Oh, and let’s not forget his cousin Eslow Poke Rodriguez.
4. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) - Mickey Rooney As Mr. Yunioshi, The Strict, Japanese Landlord
Not much needs to be said about Mickey Rooney’s performance here. Not only is he not Japanese, but he goes out of his way to perform a caricature of a human being. Not really sure if this was even funny in 1961.
5. Deliverence (1972)- The Inbred Southerner
Imagine a movie made in 1972, at the height of the Black Panther movement, where four suburban guys get lost in the projects of Detroit and are sodomized by an inbred black family. Yeah, it never would have happened.
6. Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie (1980) - Cheech, The Drugged-Out Cholo With The Ridiculous Accent
We saw an interview once with Cheech Marin where he said he was literally coaxed into being more and more cholo with this character to sell it better. Today Cheech has a serious career as a Mexican sidekick (sigh), but he will never be as beloved as when he played the unemployable pothead from L.A.
7. Scarface (1983) - Tony Montana, The Greasy, Immigrant, Latino Drug Lord
We know we’re going to get some flack here. Latinos love to claim Tony Montana more than white guys love to think of all Latinos as greasy drug dealers. But the truth is, he’s a despicable character and one of the only ways that Hollywood will represent Latinos on the big screen. Put that in your straw and snort it.
8. Police Academy (1984) - The Kinky, Gay Predator
The “Blue Oyster” gay bar scene in Police Academy was such a successful joke, it was referenced again in at least one more sequel. Two antagonist characters accidentally walk in and are held hostage by the horny, gay patrons looking to make them their bitches. Cuz that’s what happens at gay bars.
9. Sixteen Candles (1984)- Long Duk Dong, the Asian Über-Nerd
We have to admit that the character of Long Duk Dong is as beloved to us as any hit song from the 80’s. And we were so judgmental of Mickey Rooney’s Asian character in Breakfast At Tiffany’s! Looking at it now, though, kind of makes us–okay, it still makes us laugh.
10. Pretty Woman (1990) - Vivian, The Hooker With A Heart Of Gold
Pretty Woman wouldn’t be such an affront if it wasn’t so critically lauded. It literally was Julia Roberts’ star vehicle. Well, at least it gave Richard Gere the chance to graduate from his star vehicle in American Gigolo.
11. The Birdcage (1996)- Agador, The Barely Housebroken, Gay, Guatemalan Houseboy
It’s bad enough that the character of Agador the Guatemalan is a houseboy to two rich, white guys, can’t walk in shoes or wear a shirt comfortably, but he’s also played by a Jew. Not too culturally sensitive there, producers.
12. The Waterboy (1998) -Bobby Boucher, The Dumb Cajun Southerner
There aren’t a lot of people out there defending Cajuns, but we’re going to. This falls under the second most accepted stereotype in all of America–the dumb, white southerner. (The first is coming up, natch.) Sure, Bobby Boucher has a heart of gold and is the hero of the movie, but does his mama have to hate readin’ so?
13. The Sopranos (1999-2007) - The Italian-American Crime Family
We know we’re treading on thin ice here, but America’s love of seeing Italians kill each other and everyone else has got to stop. It’s the most culturally accepted, nay applauded, stereotype in all of America as far as we’re concerned. And sadly, some of the most lauded Italian-American actors of our time continue to reinforce the stereotype over and over again. After all, what other roles will they be offered? Do they even know how to act without the accent and the gun?
14. Shrek (2001) - Donkey, The Wisecracking, Black Sidekick
Eddie Murphy appears twice on this list and it’s no wonder. The comic genius who created Delirious and Raw is now the minstrel willing to do any dance for a buck from the studio. And what character could be more tired in America today than the black sidekick? Even in donkey form.
15. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - Pagoda, The Quirky, Exotic, Indian Manservant
Wes Anderson, director of the The Royal Tenenbaums, is sort of responsible for the quirky asian character’s rise to popularity in the last decade. Since Bottle Rocket he hasn’t really been able to get away from them. They kind of just stand in the background without too much to say. Like furniture. Or they play the brainy math teacher or bookstore attendant. He claims to love them, but they never get more screen time than a prop. And unfortunately he’s influenced an entire generation of advertising creatives. Like the guys who wrote all those retarded Virgin Mobile Chrismahanukwanzakah ads a few years back. Thanks, Wes.
16. Lost In Translation (2003)- The Entire Country Of Japan As Comic Fodder
This movie actually goes so far as to have Bill Murray mock a prostitute for ordering him to “lip” her stalkings. There’s also the flaming Japanese TV show host, the über hipster Japanese director (who says “lat pack”) and the crazy titty bar that introduced the world at large to Peaches (a Canadian.)
17. A Shark’s Tale (2004) - The Italian-American “Shark”
See the Soprano’s write up above. Voicing the dad in this crime family is Robert De Niro, of course. This time, the writers don’t even bother to hide the idea that Italians=sharks.
18. Spanglish (2004) - Flor, The Hot, Latin Maid Who Barely Speaks English
Latinas have made there way up in the world from the asexual, plump maid who crosses herself when the white protagonist does something funny to the skinny, hot maid who might fuck you. Rejoice!
19. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006) - Borat, The Eastern European Bohunk
Sacha Baron Cohen plays the culturally clueless Kazakhstani who goes to America on a learning expedition while exposing his hosts to the way things are done in his country: incestous affairs with one’s sister, naked fighting with co-workers and the ritualized vilification of Jews. The country of Kazakhstan sued Cohen and the producers for defamation. Need we say more?
20. Norbit (2007) - Rasputia, The Fat, Black Bitch
Norbit is, in our opinion, Eddie Murphy’s lowest public moment. And we are including the tranny incident. An entire movie making fun of fat, black women? What’s next a movie about how smelly the homeless are?
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Badges? We don’t need no badges! That will be my line when people ask me what’s up from now on.
Yeah, Caramelo…and for my part, I’m gonna pretend to wanna screw the old white dude who owns the toilet I’m scrubbing…
I’m not sure you should have used comedies as examples. Your point is much more valid using movies that are actually trying to be serious and make a statement rather than using a comedy that is actually making fun of stereotypes.
And the use of racial stereotypes in animated kids movies/shows/cartoons has always disturbed me. But, I have to admit, I didn’t notice them as a kid and I wouldn’t remember them now if people didn’t point them out.
Maybe if the list were entirely 20 recent movies (non-comedies) that still used stereotypes [and you already have quite a few listed] then I’d be impressed. A Disney cartoon from the ’40s is bound to have inappropriate racial references but a Disney movie released in the past year with inappropriate racial references would be scandalous.
Very nice list. I like the crows in “Dumbo” as well. “I be done seen ’bout everything, when I see an elephant fly…”
However, Hank Azaria has said he based Agador on how his grandmother spoke, who was from Greece and spoke Ladino, which is basically Spanish-based Yiddish. So, not too far off I guess…
Much respect for Slowpoke Rodriguez…he’s packing…
You forgot nearly every portrayal of Arabs ever.
Great list, humor aside we still see way too much of this going on in film and tv. Native American Indians have had very rough treatment by Hollywood until recently. Anyone remember seeing Burt Lancaster as an Apache? Even though the film was somewhat sympathetic to Indians, BURT LANCASTER?
And how about all the stereotypes of Jesus and Moses? How could you ignore them?
In defense of Wes Anderson, he’s used Kumar Pallana in his movies before. He’s kind of a gimmicky actor who allows himself to fit in these sort of roles (i.e. the safecracker in Bottle Rocket, the entertainer in The Terminal) and Wes Anderson movies are written with a LOT of static characters with one joke… tends to be a running gag, so if some of them fit an ethnic stereotype(just as others such as the interns in Life Aquatic fit non-ethnic stereotypes) then isn’t that just variety?
One more thing, I wouldn’t call Borat an’out-dated’ stereotype and if it is, where was it over-used before? Same goes for the italian shark? lol…
I’m with Fat Elvis. You picked the wrong genre of film to prove your point, and most of which are movies so old that simply by age they have become outdated and you used them anyways, like Treasure of the Sierra Madre or Speedy Gonzales. Happy slaves? In todays fast paced, fad based world, you have to use more than 6 movies or TV shows from the past 5 years to try and argue something is outdated. After 5 years, its been outdated for at least 4; something new and more controversial will arise months after a movie is released, guaranteed every time, and the movie once thought so bad and wrong will be forgotten, with the exception of some of course.
There is no doubt that some of these steroetypes still exist, but that won’t stop me from saying this is one of the worst executed and cross-referenced articles I have ever read about anything; not to mention it seems as though its only purpose is to point out singular examples for the sake of bringing down some movies, some of which happen to be considered classics and on AFI’s Top 100 Film List(Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 30). Next time, pick more than one movie which exemplifies the stereotype. For that matter, pick stereotypes that exist.(hookers with hearts of gold? unhousebroken, gay Guatemalan houseboys?)
What about Spicolli the surfer stoner? Bill & Ted…
@Cyrious
jesus and moses stereotypes? Which would those be? Throughout history, the church has portrayed jesus as a clean shaven white dude. Really? Clean shaven and white? From the middle east, before razors were invented to shave with. Is that what you mean by stereotyping?
@Fat Elvis
Ever watch Mickey Mouse Monopoly? Tell me how Aladdin isn’t stereotypical of arabs. Or how about how none of their movies have ever had a black person in the lead role. Also, take a look at Sleeping Beauty, The Lion King and Mulan.
And the genius of Borat was he was making fun of America even more so than he was Kazakhstan
I know you’re making a point here, and I agree almost all of the examples, but you need to look at Borat closer, and indeed what Cohen does with each of his characters. Yes, Borat is a stereotype, but the character exists to point out our acceptance of these stereotypes and how we react to them in every day life.
A question that I can’t answer, and I hope others can’t without at least some pause is the following. Can a flamboyant stereotype in media ever be used to such an extreme as to shock the audience into evaluating their acceptance of the stereotype in general, or is it just a gimmick in poor taste? I see no mention of Ali G or Bruno, but they haven’t hit the mainstream as high as Borat, so the outrage will have to come later. Say when the Bruno movie comes out.
Regarding #16. Lost In Translation (2003)- The Entire Country Of Japan As Comic Fodder:
Uh, none of that was stereotypes. I live here and I can vouch for all of it. Japan is really like that.
Oh, and you left out:
#21. Cho Chang! The Preteen Asian with a Scottish Accent
I mean, come on, how many more preteen Asian characters with Scottish accents are we going to have to endure before somebody gets fed up enough with ALL THAT STEREOTYPING going on? I mean, what is wrong with Hollywood these days?
I’m not sure if this qualifies as “most outdated,” but the stereotype I hatehatehate the most is the Mystical Indian.
The absolute worst is when the show/movie is set in modern times. I can count on one hand the number of shows/movies I’ve seen where a Native American dude was just a dude and not a magical plot device. Ugh.
Most Outdated Stereotypes In Film And Television??? What are you talking about? Those are great stereotypes… and some of yours weren’t even stereotypes.
As for your #3, Mexicans love Speedy Gonzales. He is one of their favorite cartoon characters. It’s the Americans who are worried about offending Mexicans who don’t like Speedy.
I think we all understand the point you’re trying to make, though. Maybe Top 20 Overdone Characters in Film and TV would have been more accurate.
That’s one problem with “Politcal Correctness” … it often lacks Actual and Factual Correctness.
@mike…what on earth are you talking about? I grew up a Catholic, and Jesus ALWAYS had a beard. Honestly…did you even think AT ALL before posting that ridiculous statement?
As for this list…portraying ONE person does not make a stereotype. Are you saying that there CAN’T be a mafia family that happens to be Italians? Of course there can. And hte Sopranos happens to be one of that. But the TV show did not depict all Italians as that. Hence, not a stereotype.
Then again, I wouldn’t expect intellgience from people with not enough journalism skills to get a REAL job so they are stuck writing for a blog.
Since when is Kasakhstan in Europe? Dumbass americans…
“the flaming Japanese TV show host” is an actual tv personality. Or at least he used to be. He was just playing the same character he does on his actual show, which is really called “Matthew’s Best Hit TV”.
The “Matthew” character is actually a parody of flaming Westerners yet you call out Lost in Translation for its portrayal of Japanese. The real comedian is married and has a kid. Christ! I’ve even met the guy!
Bottom line: do some research before you go off making such claims. The Japanese director making the whiskey commercial and the photographer in the film were both personal friends of Sophia Coppola. The film was not about stereotyping Japan, but rather showing how Westerners–more specifically Americans, are shut off to the idea that not everyone in the world is like us. Bill Murray’s character’s complaints towards Japan come from his own inability to bring himself to understand Japan, so instead he spends his time with a young American girl. He’s never happy in the film about being in Japan because that’s his character, an a-hole who is facing many problems in his life.
Yes, Japan is way different than America. I know, I’ve lived there. And yes! The Japanese “R” sound is like a mix between an “L” and an “R” sound. And YES! It’s hard to distinguish sometimes.
The film isn’t about Bill Murray or Americans laughing at Japan. It’s about showing us Westerners who we really are; stuck-up bastards who don’t want to take the time and learn about the language and culture and customs of another country because we expect our great American way to be the standard for the world.
Oh, and the guy who says “Lat Pack” is actually the photographer. It’s in the freaking preview for the film that you posted!
You, sir or ma’am, know nothing about film, or Japan. You couldn’t even take two seconds to look up Matthew Minami on Wikipedia…
There are very few SNOOTY EUROPEANS but you would never know that from watching American films.
They forgot the arrogant Frenchman who smack talks and ends up losing in the end. Hold on, that one might still apply.
more recent examples would of been better.
although I don’t agree with some of these, you do need a symbol for representation and that the audience also can relate to. Completely changing these signs would throw off the audience.
I’m almost totally positive that Micky Rooney pre-empted the internet by 30 years and was totally playing it for the LOLZ in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. There’s no other explanation.
“Bohunk”? Any idea how racist that word is? If not, walk through your nearest Ukranian community and yell it.
An entire movie making fun of fat, black women? What’s next a movie about how smelly the homeless are?
You seem to be saying that making fun of fat black women should be avoided for social reasons, not because it’s wrong.
I fail to see the point of this “article”?
You can do better than Police Academy for kinky gay predator.
Peter Lorre made a career out of it. Not to mention Martin Landau in North by Northwest.
I think Borat did more for creating sterotypes out of god fearing republican southerners…
Oh, wait….
A Tar Baby has never been a racial slur. It was created in the Brer Rabbit books, Brer Fox tried to use a person made from sticky tar as a trap for the rabbit. Song of the South was partially based on those books.
@ Aaron: Um. Refer to a Black person as a “tar baby” and see if the fact that it comes from a children’s book makes any difference. Racial slurs sprout up from all sorts of places.
Thanks for defending us Cajuns! Between the alligator fighting, extreme drinking, excessive eating and habitual truancy (cuz we illiterate), we really find no time to do it ourselves.
Laizzes les bon temps rouler, motherfuckers!
Uncle Remus–yes, of course that portrayal makes contemporary watchers squirm a bit.
However, many of the supposed ’stereotypes’ you mention are far from it. For instance, The Sopranos offers a portrayal that is anything but stereotypical–characters are deep, well-developed, and often internally conflicted. And yes, they are also Italian. Would you prefer they were West Coast soccer moms? A Hindu mafia in New Jersey? Or would you prefer we avoid mobster movies altogether? While the central family is Italian-American, the show includes people of many ethnic backgrounds, and it candidly deals with its central characters. If a mob boss in therapy counts as a stereotype, then, my, how stereotyping must have changed!
I would say the same thing about Spanglish. Yes, there are Mexican-Americans who speak better English than I, but of course there are many Mexican immigrants who are still learning the language. Spanglish puts Flor (and her family) in a positive light, and the viewer feels a certain amount of sympathy for her. (And, importantly, Spanglish avoids making us feel pity for Flor, which underscores my point.)
In case you haven’t been told, the real world includes the Japanese Yakuza, the Cosa Nostra, and the Jewish Mafia. It includes male (and with almost no exceptions, not female) chess champions; home-schooled, immigrant spelling bee champs; a lot of whites excelling at soccer, a lot of blacks excelling at basketball, and, apparently, some amazing Chinese gymnasts. I can say all that without a soupcon of racism. I understand that all Asians aren’t good at math, that there are black Americans who play professional soccer, and white rappers. But if my novel about rap in America didn’t include mostly black rappers, it’d be laughably out-of touch. The same goes for my screenplays about the Native American mafia, the wise Buddhist teacher from Guatemala, and the world of male dance with nary a gay.
As for the animated movies–seriously? If Shrek really wronged African-Americans with the character of Donkey, Should Scottish-Americans feel slighted by Mike Myers performance? An Italian-American shark is a stereotype–really? White males should be outraged over Disney’s choice to make Cruella’s bungling henchmen white, eh?
Ultimately, while I think stereotyping (in the sense that it implies that all members of a race, ethnicity, etc. fit a certain mold) makes for both bad citizens and bad fiction, anti-stereoptyping (avoiding any potential stereotype by making characters across demographic groups homogenous) makes for dishonest, uninformed citizens and boring fiction.
Artists, writers, and directors from previous generations should be judged, to a certain extent, from their cultural contexts. Obviously, we should not give contemporary bigotry a pass; that said, we should be careful of stifling creative expression in the name of political over-correctness.
The mafia family is not a stereotype. I come from an Italian family. Every Italian family I know acts like the people on the Sopranos, just without the killing. I avoid my Italian relatives as a result. Tehy’re a bunch of hypocritical arrogant jerks.
aww, come on! if you take away our racial stereotypes, what will we have left? we may actually have to talk to people and get to know them! what a concept!
Funny how pc identity politics lists like this don’t realize the irony of nearly everything about this description:
“It’s bad enough that the character of Agador the Guatemalan is a houseboy to two rich, white guys, can’t walk in shoes or wear a shirt comfortably, but he’s also played by a Jew. Not too culturally sensitive there, producers.”
Let me point out just one: He’s a Jew! (What, cultural heritages have to match in fictional portrayals?)
Gosh, kinda culturally dimwitted, dude.
You missed this one, btw: Two of the three main characters who are gay are played by straight actors!
Ethnic stereotypes are offensive, and some amount
of stereotyping is inevitable in film, which is, by default, a vehicle for stereotyping, as is the human mind. The mere portrayal of a “character” in a movie will be categorized in the subjective judgement of the viewer. The filmmaker’s intentions
are irrelevant, as Jesse’s comments about Lost in Translation demonstrate. For example, I watched the posted trailer for that movie expecting to spot Japanese sterotypes because I was told to do so by the article. But when I read Jesse’s response,
I realized that trying to spot supposed stereotypes is also a form of bias that can lead one very astray.
I admit, however, as a middle-aged man who likes tie-dye t-shirts, that I was stung by Scarlett’s stereotyping of Bill as being in a mid-life crisis because of his wearing of a loud, camoflagey t-shirt.
You see, stereotyping works all the way down to a micro-level. People constantly and subconsciously reinforce sterotypes; it is how the brain organizes the world.
Also, sophisticated people can enjoy filmic stereotyping as irony. When I watch Cheech Marin,
I see a hip and funny dude pantomiming a stereotypical “Mexican.” I stereotype the stereotype (and see how I stereotyped myself as being “sophisticated?)”
One last comment. By aggrandizing one’s self, one stereotypes the Social Other. To be ethnically “proud” is to be ethnically dismissive of another “race.” To be honest, one has to be proud and humble at the same time.
Stereotypes do have a certain degree of truth…bt only unsophisticated people will take them as the whole truth.
Stereotypes do have a certain degree of truth…bt only unsophisticated people will take them as the whole truth.
Sorry, but the inbred southerner is not a stereotype. I see folks like that all the time when I am at the 7-11 convenience store.
It would be great if you knew where Kazahstan is.
Oh, no, a “Jew” actor was allowed to play a non-Jew role?
Next thing you know they’ll be letting them into our neighborhoods!
I grew up Catholic too (seriously) and I always thought of Jesus as a hairy, unwashed gay dude in filthy robes with pedophilic tendencies. Seriously…. actually, just kidding (except for the pedophilic part, haha).
Here’s my take on things:
There’s many Guido-ish Italian mobsters with horrible accents that actually exist. Then there’s some that are in to organized crime that look like actual joes. And then there are some Italians that are perfectly normal, regular citizens.
Yes, there are some normal Arabs. There are also normal Germans. There are many normal razas. And nice black dudes. Etc. Some are kind; some brilliant; some gay; some mean; some smart and some not so smart.
But let’s not say that all stereo types are completely wrong ~ that would be as asinine as saying that they are always correct.
Do hispanic bangers exist? You bet ya.
Do stereotypical Italian mobsters exist? You bet ya.
Are there lazy black housholds? You bet ya.
Insane Arabs? Yup.
Germans in BO stinky sweaters? Yup.
Ignorant white trash? Absolutely.
Let’s just admit that some individuals work very, very hard to ensure that stereotypes never completely go away.
Now, if you don’t mind, tattooed me am going to put on my biker vest, kiss my minority family laters, and take my harley for a spin around my middle class neighborhood, maybe stop for a cannolo or Sanoran hot dog.
Laters.
SERIOUSLY GET OVER YOURSELF STOP TAKING HOLLYWOOD SERIOUSLY THEIR ASSHOLES…. GROW A SET RJ
All stereotypes have a base in reality. Can’t we all just laugh at each other? Lighten up.
BTW, I’m a hispanic gay man, so I fit into a few of those.
Uncle Remus? You truly miss the point. Learn a little about Joel Chandler Harris, who wrote those stories. What white kids who saw that movie in the ’50’s saw was a kindly, sympathetic adult, and avuncular figure. The whole issue of racism is played to death and for many is used to foster divisiveness. Grow the f### up.
im pretty sure all these stereotypes are still extremely accurate…..
I think Borat falls more under satire, than stereotyping, and racist.
Perhaps you should look up the meaning of satire?
Borat isn’t Eastern European! He’s some kinda Central Asian Caucasian whose sister makes yummy cheese out of her breastmilk.
Thank you for not listing any Jewish stereotypes, BTW. Pretending they don’t exist is about the only thing holding Hollywood together at this point.
there are still may stereotypes about japanese (51 to be exact)
http://japansugoi.com/wordpress/stereotypical-japanese-characters-by-peter-machat/
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You missed out the British stereotypes which are just awful. There’s a token Brit on every US TV show now…. fuck it, I’m going for some tea.