Category: Entertainment

Reviewing the Systems of Inequality in BlacKkKlansman

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By Samantha Solmar

Editor’s note: This a research paper. We get it, it’s a little research-y. But we still thought it was pretty neat, so we wanted to share it with you.

BlacKkKlansman is a 2018 American film directed by Spike Lee. The film confronts racism head on by portraying the real-life story of Ron Stallworth, Colorado Springs’ first Black police officer. In the late 1970’s, Stallworth worked undercover to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan and prosecute its members. The film’s message is clear: Racism is systemic, pervasive, and enduring. Many aspects of systems of inequality are evident in the film.

The film begins with Stallworth getting hired at the Colorado Springs police department and being harassed by white police officers. Stallworth is asked to work undercover at an upcoming rally where Black Panthers activist Kwame Ture is giving a speech, because white police are fearful of a subsequent “race war.” There, he meets Patrice, a young student activist who encourages him to fight for Black liberation.

After being moved by the speech, Stallworth sees an ad in the local paper for the KKK. He calls the number, pretending to be white, and requests to join. Because Stallworth is Black, the police reluctantly agree to send Jewish, but white, “Flip Zimmerman” to pose as Stallworth. The movie follows these undercover meetings as Stallworth talks to the KKK on the phone and Zimmerman meets them in person, exposing their violent and hateful plans.

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#Gamergate: A Feminist Content Analysis on the Depiction of Women in Video Games Part 4

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By Russell Barnes

The following article is part of a multi-part series of excerpts from the author’s senior thesis. Start at the beginning here.

Discussion and Conclusion: The Ideal Female Video Game Character

We all have ideal definitions of various phenomena that we encounter. In video games, there is an ideal character model that developers heavily base their characters on for success. It’s not just the physical characteristics of the ideal that are emulated in the final product, but also the personality and social traits. Most video game characters are presumably developed with hopes of creating a product that generates a profit. Many female video game characters whose depictions come under critical scrutiny, such as Lara Croft, lead their franchises to commercial success. Critical success could be analyzed as well, yet it is not always reflected in financial gain, which helps further finance the development of future video games for the company.

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#Gamergate: A Feminist Content Analysis on the Depiction of Women in Video Games Part 3

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By Russell Barnes

The following article is part of a multi-part series of excerpts from the author’s senior thesis. Start at the beginning here.

Damsel in Distress

#Gamergate’s concerns involve the concept of hegemonic masculinity. Hegemonic masculinity promotes the dominant position of men in society. This is linked to the patriarchal societal structure of many Western societies, where men occupy a majority of leadership roles. With the high occupancy of men in leadership positions, this leads to the socialization of genders and the further implantation of the gender binary. As this step occurs, masculine-associated traits, such as physical strength, financial wellness and bravery, are rewarded with higher social standing, while female-associated traits, such as kindness and beauty, are associated with weakness and social inferiority to their male counterparts. This social and power inequality affects the dynamic of gendered relationships, often resulting in stereotypes being perpetuated through various social mediums.  This cycle eventually repeats itself, and video games are guilty of perpetuating hegemonic masculinity, especially when it comes to reinforcing that women are damsels in distress.

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