INTRODUCTION
Representation
in film has always been a social issue. Many academics have pointed to the
relationship between
accurate film representation and feelings of self-worth that result in
increased levels of success and inclusivity. A more egalitarian and
balanced representation of marginalized and oppressed groups (whether they be
various people of color, women, persons with disabilities, or Queer) is an
important goal to strive for, even though it is often framed as a secondary
concern. In order to achieve this inclusivity, the saturation of white male
representation in film is going to need to be decreased[1].
To do this there needs to be a relinquishing of patriarchal control in the form
of the symbolic death of strictly white male protagonists paving the way for
more diverse characters and stories.
CULTURAL
IMPACT OF THE WHITE MALE PROTAGONIST
The American film culture, like the
American culture in general was born and thrived under the construction of the
white male protagonists. For generations, the representational lens in which an
entire diverse population was viewed, was through a white male perspective. The effects of which retained a white male cultural
monopolization on film leading to a structure of white male hegemony.
Normalization of
whiteness
The first way that this hegemony is maintained
is through the continuous hiring of white men in major roles, leading to the
assumption and normalization of diverse white male stories. Because white men
were (and still are) over represented in film, this visibility constructs the
diverse individuality of white men. They are not painted with a broad brush,
and thus there is no understanding of “typical white male story”. Conversely,
anytime that any person of color, woman, person with a disability or queer
individual was a protagonist in a film, they were often regulated to stories
that principally dealt with their mechanism of marginalization (race, class,
gender disability etc.). For years, the plethora of diverse roles available to
white men were not available to anyone who wasn’t. Instead, these actors were
given stereotypical roles based upon skin color, gender and ability. Thus, diversity of stories were stories about
white people, which impacted the sense of possibility that marginalized groups
had.
White savior and
White washing
Additionally, because of the normalization
of white male stories, and a lack of diverse characters, generations of diverse
film and TV consumers learned to identify with white male protagonists. They
grew up and became active in a culture that idolizes white men as symbols of
strength and power, thereby judging their own thoughts, actions and bodies by
the deified white men of the silver screen.
This results in a multi-layered structure of organized pacification of
marginalized groups, through this cinematic white male hegemony.[2]
Still to this day many people of color, women, people with disabilities and the
queer community have used straight white cisgender men as their role models,
heroes and saviors.
Maintaining the importance of the white
male protagonist, their miscellany of stories and characters has led the
cultural appropriation of stories from diverse groups that were once believed
to be economically unfeasible without a white male at the helm. This resulted
in the much maligned
white savior trope [3](which
often fuels white guilt, and alienates white people from people of color) and an
absence of authentic representation[4]
in which many marginalized characters are often played by non-marginalized
actors. Whether that be white people playing people of color, straight people
playing people who are gay, cisgender people playing transgender characters, or
able-bodied people playing people with disabilities[5]
(the latter awarding the most awards)[6]
This results in the use of “ blind” casting which favors the white male
majority[7]
versus conscious casting [8]
that has had better results, and should be continued. However, regardless of this greatly improved
practice, many white characters, have been imbued (usually through their white
male creators) with ideas, concepts and characteristics that are a clear form
of cultural appropriation. There are countless examples of older white men
imparting sage like wisdom that is not from a Eurocentric point of view. So
regardless of an improvement of casting, this process of cultural appropriation
(that has its roots in colonialism) still continues. One such example is the
cultural appropriation of Zen.
ZEN
IN POPULAR CULTURE
Zen has its origins Hinduism and the indigenous
religions of India. Later, Zen evolved
as a sect of Buddhism and emphasized “the middle way neither engaging in
extremes of self-indulgence or self-denial[9]
Zen eventually made its way to Japan and became a part of the ideology of the
Samurai class in which they emphasized Zen through Bushido.[10] While Bushido and
Zen are not the same,[11]
there is a similarity in the way that both attempt to achieve emptiness or “no
mindedness”. Both understand that everything is about perception, and it is the
moment that matters.[12]
Thus, an important practice in Zen and Bushido is meditation. This meditation
can be done is various ways through sitting, walking or through work. This
meditative work was used by the Samurai class as a way to achieve mastery over
everything they pursued especially martial science and practice of
swordsmanship (Kenjitsu).
Cultural
Appropriation of Zen
When this belief system gets translated to
the screen (usually in a masculine patriarchal way), many individuals who are adept
at any type of martial arts, are consistently depicted as also having a deep
rooted (usually) eastern philosophy and code of honor (e.g. Zen and Bushido)
which, from a storytelling perspective, adds pathos and drama. Therefore, a lot
of Zen teachings in popular culture have often come from white men (either
characters or creators) imparting their (culturally appropriated[13])
wisdom upon the next generation of usually white men[14].
Yet, as our culture has shifted, and representation in media has become more
diverse (thanks to the tireless efforts of feminist and other social justice movements)
the role of the white male protagonist is beginning to shift as well.
From White Savior
to Feminist ally
To reflect the social changes of the
increase in access to power of marginalized groups, the media has started to
see more visibly diverse characters in popular culture.[15]
This desire to have a film and TV culture that is a more accurate
representation of the populace shifts the importance of the mentor death troupe
from a reproduction of white male
hegemony to that of a bridge into the new normal which is a (much needed) world
of diverse identities and perspectives. To that end, there are three recent
examples where Zen teachings and the death of the white male protagonists, causes
the elevation and actualization of female characters.
Kevin Flynn: Tron
Legacy
1982’s Tron,
while a sci-fi classic to a certain segment of the population (Usually white
men currently in their 40’s and 50’s) there is nothing in the film that is
exclusively talking about religion, philosophy or anything outside of
consumeristically trying to capture the zeitgeist of Star Wars. 2010’s sequel Tron Legacy is a masterpiece of Zen
teachings to the point where it could almost be considered a Koan (Zen parable)
itself. Throughout the film not only
does Kevin Flynn drapes himself in the image of the stereotypical Zen master[16],
white robes, sitting in Zazen, wearing Buddhist beads he has many lines of
dialogue that impart a Zen perspective, especially that of patience and
achieving of nothingness:
“…the
only way to win is not to play.”
“You would be surprised
how productive doing nothing can be.”
“Life has a way of
moving you past wants and needs.”
“Perfection is
unknowable and impossible, but it is right in front of us all of the time.”
Most people would analyze this film and look
at it as a Kevin Flynn giving these Zen teachings to his son Sam. But, if you
look closer Sam, like his father in the first film, is just a cypher for the
audience. The student of Flynn’s Zen teachings is the ISO character Quorra (played
by Olivia Wilde) who often recites Kevin Flynn’s teachings with conviction becoming,
at the end, worthy of Kevin Flynn’s sacrifice and to carry on his teachings.
Luke Skywalker: The Grey Jedi
As mentioned in a
previous essay, Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy is a two dimensional
character that is more of a plot device than an actual person. However, it was
director Rian Johnson that finally gave Luke depth and allowed for the
presentation of Zen outside of the dogmatic binary of light (the Jedi) and dark
(the sith) in the film The Last Jedi.
In the film, Luke has closed
himself off to the force and sequesters himself on a remote island to die in
the ultimate act of selflessness (the aforementioned clip of Quorra taking
herself out of the equation) and patience.
When he decides to help Rey he offers her three lessons about Balance,
dangers of binary thinking, and Nothingness.
Balance
Dangers of the
Binary
Nothingness
In
these teachings, Luke is embodying the Dharma of “the middle way” by being a “Grey Jedi”. While this
point get a little muddied toward the end of the film (like a lot of philosophy
in Star Wars) Luke’s death is a choice he makes without sacrificing the
principle of the middle way. Yoda even reminds Luke that one must not only pass
on his strengths, but also his failures because “the greatest teacher failure
is.” Thus, Luke, through force projection, engages in an act of Non-aggression
against Ben Solo, showing Rey that there is a non-violent solution to
aggression and is an example of the true Zen notion of selflessness (something
he could not do in previous films). Therefore, Luke as a white male protagonist
is able to pass on important lessons without reinforcing the masculine aggression
that often leads to the dark side, realizing the truth in Yoda’s words that he
is what Rey will grow beyond.
The 12th Doctor
Peter
Capaldi’s 12th Doctor from the BBC’s Popular Sci-fi series Doctor Who was a reset of the character
and the series. In the show, The Doctor is a space traveling alien known as a
Time Lord who has the ability to regenerate into a different body[17].
In the show’s fifty year history all of the actors to play The Doctor have been
white men. However, it was through Peter Capaldi’s run as The Doctor that the
show experimented with Queerness and gender fluidity (something that was only
hinted at in previous iterations of the show). Firstly, The Doctor’s frienimy “The
Master” was played for the first time by a woman, calling herself Missy and
Bill Potts( a human companion of The Doctor) was presented in the 10th
series as being a queer woman of color.
This experimentation culminates in the regeneration of the twelfth doctor
into the thirteenth incarnation; the first female doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker).
In his ultimate swan song, Capaldi speaks to his new incarnation (Whittaker,
being on set and just off camera) giving her some parting advice “Laugh hard.
Run Fast. Be Kind.”
CONCLUSION
We need to heed the recent examples
set by Kevin Flynn, Luke Skywalker and The 12th Doctor. These are
historically white male characters with a long history and deep cultural
impact. Because of this, there is weight
to their actions as they are both recognizable, and in many cases, deified.
Thus, it is through these character’s collective deaths, and subsequently being
succeeded by women, that they have moved from a reinforcement of white male
supremacy to one of feminist ally-ship. However, we cannot lose sight of the
enormity of this shift, and accept the sobering reality that this important
transition
has not been smooth. There will continue to be growing pains for many
ignorant white men as they shift to this new world order. But this is a necessity
as we move from supremacy to equity in our culture.
[1] Which,
from a non-intersectional perspective, looks like discrimination.
[2]
This is tactic is centuries old. The most effective has been was through the
construction of white Jesus in Christianity/Catholicism. White Jesus was used as a mechanism of social
control during imperialist and colonialist actions. If the son of a deity and
thereby the deity themselves were the same race and gender as the invaders,
then the invasion, occupation and annihilation of a group of people of color is
justified as “God’s will” EX: Doctrine of Manifest Destiney
[3]
Where white individuals save people of color from some sort of plight; often
implying that people of color need to be saved
[7] Mainly
because “blind” casting does not eliminate the internalized bias toward white
actors due to the long history of white actors receiving a majority of the
roles.
[9] Simple Zen: A Guide to Living in the moment
(1999)
[10] Integrity (GI) Respect (REI)
Courage (YU) Compassion (JIN) Honesty/Sincerity (MOKOTO) Duty and
Loyalty (CHU) Honor (MEIYO)
[11]
Some may consider this hypocriful considering the way Bushido often justifies
violence and classism that Zen abhors
[12]
Zen shares a lot with Symbolic interactionism in this way especially in the way
that Zen and SI sociologist look at the creation and the development of the
self.
[13]
Sometimes creators attempt to get around this accusation of cultural
appropriation through the mentor of a white male protagonist being either a
person of color or a puppet.
[14] This
happens so often it is considered a filmmaking trope https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MentorOccupationalHazard
[15]
And we still have further to go https://deadline.com/2018/04/diversity-inclusion-representation-television-tv-time-1202375787/
[16]
This is also due to the actor Jeff Brides having so much interest in Zen Buddhism
that he actually wrote a book on it https://www.amazon.com/Dude-Zen-Master-Jeff-Bridges/dp/0142180521
[17]
Even though during this process the character retains thoughts memories and
experiences only their body and personality changes; the Doctor Who fandom
often treats this like death.
