Identities: Post-colonial theory & blog tasks

Identities: Post-colonial theory & blog tasks

1) 

Films:

• Slumdog Millionaire 
• Kidulthood
• Adulthood
• Attack The Block
• Shank

TV programmes:

• Top Boy
• Citizen Khan
• Casualty
• Luther
• Line of Duty

Online-only productions:

• Brothers With No Game
• Venus vs Mars
• The Ryan Sisters
• All About The McKenzies
• Meet the Adebanjos

2)

Looking firstly at Gone Too Far, and we see that a number of different aspects of the theories can be applied to the film that predominantly reinforce typical black stereotypes. In terms of Alvarado’s theory, the very Nigerian roots of the film is something that can undoubtedly be viewed as exotic  and foreign to (white) British audiences. This is displayed through things such as the traditional West African attire worn by Yemi’s mum and not least through the use of the Yoruba language by her and Ikudayisi. This goes hand in hand with Fanon’s primitivizing element of black stereotypes, simply because the characters in the film are something that the audience is not. Danger is also something present here, with Razer’s showing this particularly. The connotations he gives off whether it’s in terms of behaviour or (more arguably) clothing are ones that can be likened to that of a gangster. This would also link in to the decivilizing that the black community is often victim to through portrayals in the media. To some extent, pity can be said to be a theme within the film. Although not an issue directly explored by any means in it, the environment it mostly takes place in, a council estate, has most of its associations being with poverty and just general adversity. Tight Jeans doesn’t work to subvert any of these stereotypes either and actually, it could be said that it does more than Gone Too Far to reinforce them. For example, the theme of humour is something shown with all 3 of the boys in it with the quite comical discussions they’re having. As well as this, the clothing that they’re wearing which is hoodies and jeans across the board, could be said to work to essentialize them to audiences which robs them of any elements of uniqueness whatsoever. Just like in Gone Too Far, clothing of this nature also has links to gangs and social dysfunction, so even without the boys actually doing anything wrong at all, they’re viewed as dangerous by audiences viewing them. Again similarly to the other film, the setting also assists in doing this. Primitivizing too has to be mentioned here in relation to the discussion that they’re having, in saying that black people have something that others simply don’t.