Movies both reflect and shape American desires. Whether you believe that films distract us from the real world or inspire us to imagine a better one, their central place in contemporary American culture impacts us in such a way that they demand interpretation. Jessica Hagedorn’s “Asian Women in Film: No Joy, No Luck,” Hirsh Sawhney’s “An Idiots Guide to India,” and Matt Zoller Seitz’s “The Offensive Movie Cliché That Won’t Die” all address various myths that influence films. Use a minimum of two of these articles to write an essay of at least four full pages in which you answer one of the following:

 

 

 

1. Analyze Hollywood’s tendency to stereotype different ethnicities or races. What myths are addressed in the text and what implications do they have about American culture?  

 

 

 

OR

 

 

 

1. Do Hollywood writers and directors have a social responsibility to avoid stereotyping ethnic characters? Brainstorm examples from the text that depict various ethnicities and discuss whether the portrayals are damaging or benign.

 

 

 

You are also required to provide a Works Cited page that is formatted in MLA style.

 

 

 

Reminders:

 

 

 

You must provide a comprehensive response to the prompt above in a thesis statement.

 

 

 

Provide evidence for your thesis in support paragraphs that follow PIE

 

 

 

Remember that you are writing for a naïve audience.  When you discuss the texts, provide enough information about them that someone who has not read them can understand what you are saying.

 

 

 

Scope and format:

 

 

 

Your essay should be 4-5 pages total. Use MLA format, Times New Roman, 12pt font, and 1 inch margins with a works cited page for each source used.