Anything Goes : Are you fed up of stereotypical characters? by Donna - Marie

WHY USING STEREOTYPES RUINS THE VIEWER'S EXPERIENCE! I watched ‘Fruitvale Station’ last night and could not help but bawl real tears. The film was beautifully and honestly portrayed by the lead protagonist Oscar Grant III (‘Michael B Jordan’, one to watch). The other main characters were also just as believable in their representation as Oscar’s mother and girlfriend; played by Octavia Spencer and Melonie Diaz. ‘Fruitvale Station’ attempts to depict the real life account of Oscar Grant III. The film commences with hand held shots of Oscar and his friends being handled brutally by the Fruitvale police. A gun shot rings out and then the film reveals prior events which lead the audience up to the shooting episode. Oscar is portrayed as an average black; working class; young man from the hood, and yes he does sell Cannabis to survive, but that is where the usual stereotyping ends. From the start of the film to the finish, Oscar is characterised as a stand up, nicer than average guy. (This characterisation was slightly overwritten, but did not diminish the strength of the film). As the film progressed I watched as the character continued to do one good turn after another. At first I assumed the writer was doing that old trick where you make your audience love your character so that when he did something bad, we knew he was the good guy and we forgave him anyway. So there I sat waiting in anticipation for this young black, out of work man to do something awful. I watched and I waited; I waited and I watched, but this was not your stereo-typically depicted, black out of work, gang banging, young man. This was a young, loving father, desperate to get his old job back, wanting to provide for his woman and child. On reflection I questioned why I was expecting this young black man to do something seriously untoward. Was it because I wanted more depth to his character? I don't think so. Then, the realisation hit me. After decades of seeing stereotyped black characters on TV and in the cinema I had been programed to expect nothing less. The sad thing is by using stereotypical characters in TV and Cinema; the writers/producers/casting agents are providing a poorer viewing experience. To validate this statement, consider the lead character in ‘WEEDS’. A respectable upper middle class white lady; who is a school rep and a widowed mother deals Cannabis to uphold her affluent lifestyle. Would this character be as interesting if she was an aggressive black drug dealer from the hood? No, she wouldn't. How many times have we seen this already? I could ask the same question about ‘Orange Is The New Black’, the lead character, a white middle class female has to do a sentence in prison for a drug supply offence which she had committed ten years prior. The narrative is richer because these characters have not been seen before; finally, the well regarded ‘Breaking Bad’; A white working class teacher with a terminal illness decides to manufacture and supply Chrystal Meths. These programs are so interesting because they are told from a fresh perspective. It is an insight into a world view we are rarely shown. These stories are also a truer reflection of our society, as we are all smart enough to know that drug dealers come in all colours, shapes and sizes. It’s about time we start to see some diverse stories and refreshing characters on the small and big screen! Donna – Marie Dowe MA Screenwriter/consultant www.turnanewpage.com @donnadmd