Screening 1: The Searchers (Ford, 1956)

• Prompt: Write roughly one paragraph in response to one or more of the following questions:
  • How and when are issues of race raised?
  • How is Wayne’s character different from the traditional cowboy?
  • Are the Native Americans different (they may not be)?
  • What power inequalities are unstated, but implied? In other words, what ideological inequalities are made to seem normal and natural?

Screening 2: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Kramer, 1967)

• Prompt: Write roughly one paragraph in response to one or more of the following questions:
  • In what ways in whiteness a default, or an “unspoken ideal?”
  • Does the film encourage us to think about whiteness critically?
  • Did you notice examples of Othering? If so explain how white characters projected negative traits onto African American characters.
  • When did you see Xenophobia in the film?
  • Does the film push toward assimilation and/or cultural specificity? What are examples of cultural specificity?
  • How would you characterize the “white paternalism” of the film?

Screening 3: Get Out (Peele, 2017)

• Prompt: Write roughly one paragraph in response to one or more of the following questions:
  • How might we view Get Out as a remake or revision of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? What do they share? What does Get Out do differently?
  • How do we view contemporary racism by seeing the world through Chris’s eyes?
  • How does the film address the contemporary social and cultural context specific to young African American men?
  • How does the film address the history of offensive representation in the film? What specific stereotypes are invoked? What events or moments recall the history of African American representation in film?

Screening 4: Smoke Signals (Eyre, 1998)

• Prompt: Write roughly one paragraph in response to one or more of the following questions.
  • How does the film depict “being Indian in the 20th C?”
  • How does the film present cultural specificity. Refer to specific scenes.
  • What is a “real Indian” to Thomas and Victor?
  • How does the film reflect upon, challenge, contrast stereotypical reps?
  • How does the film incorporate native American traditions without being reductive?
  • How does the film represent the history of oppression?

Screening 5: The Farewell (Wang, 2019)

• Prompt: Write roughly one paragraph in response to one or more of the following questions.
  • Do we see signs of Orientalism in the film in general, or from characters?
  • Asian-American stereotypes
  • Model minority?
    • How is it both “model minority” or possibly not?
  • How does the film respond to or offer alternatives to the stereotypes covered in the lecture?
    • Note: Not including destructive stereotypes can be part of resisting.
  • Cultural specificity vs. assimilationist
  • How does the film express the cultural differences as experienced by Billie?

Screening 6: Devious Maids (pilot episode)

• Prompt: Write roughly one paragraph in response to one or more of the following questions.
  • What stereotypes are invoked? List them specifically. Are they repeated or resisted, or both? Cite specific scenes.
  • How does the show call out whiteness? Cite specific scenes.
  • Does the show establish a ”latina gaze?” If so, what do we learn from it?
  • The show has a satirical tone (it doesn’t take itself seriously), and is known for breaking stereotypes. How do you see that happening?
  • Do you see evidence of latinx people represented in “tropicalist” or “Traditional Mexican” ways?
  • Are the characters assimilationist?
  • How much cultural specificity do we encounter in the story and visual details?
  • Devious Maids has also been accused of repeating common stereotypes without enough cultural specificity or criticism, ultimately allowing racist people to laugh at, as opposed to with, the “maids.” What scenes resonate with this critique of the show? Or, do you disagree with it?
  • Does the show depict latinx people in roles/jobs/identities that do not fit into the stereotypes evident in today’s lecture?