Ramification Of Stereotypes
...period and examines the lives of several different ethnic groups. With their stories interweaving amongst several different characters, including a black police detective, two car thieves, Hispanic locksmith, Persian storeowner, racist white cop, etc. this movie explores the good and bad in all of us, especially in a diverse society like America. By using an ensemble cast and with various plot sequences going at once, it helps take the attention away from one certain storyline and keeps things very interesting. It takes this indifferent group of characters from different social classes and ethnicities and traces how each of their lives collide with another, changing each of them forever. This film takes a look at the dangers of prejudice, both in subtle and obvious forms. It also calls upon the viewers to question their own prejudices as well. Crash examines the complex nature of human beings and how preconceived notions of people often lead to uninformed stereotypes, prejudices and judgments of others. Contrary to what many think, today, I will focus specifically on how the stereotypes (particularly negative) explored in the movie Crash are vibrant with us today and still lead to different forms of discrimination .
So what exactly is a stereotype? A stereotype is an overgeneralization (positive or negative) associated with a racial or ethnic category that goes beyond existing evidence. Stereotypes remain in our heads even if our personal beliefs differ because they are embedded in our everyday culture through the means of media, books, newspapers, TV, and movies. (2-28-07 Sociology lecture). We hear stereotypes through many different means but everyone has heard of certain stereotypes like Asians are real smart, blacks are lazy, Irish are alcoholics and that Muslims are all terrorists. Regardless though, a lot of Americans today tend to believe that...
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