Political Physics: Skids, Mudflap and Race in Transformers ROTF
So last Wednesday, my husband and I went to see Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Now this may not seem like a big deal to most people, but as relatively new parents (our son is 14 months old) getting out to see a summer blockbuster is definitely not as easy as it used to be. But seeing Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was totally worth it. Although, I have been told that I view movies from the perspective of a 13-year-old boy, so take what I say with a grain of salt. I loved the movie.
But I was not surprised when I read that folks were up in arms about two of the characters in the film – Skids and Mudflap. As a matter of fact, I posted an update on Facebook on the following Thursday that read, “Monique feels she must put a disclaimer on her love of Transformers…. the plot was crazy, the writing wasn’t great and the offensive transformers with gold teeth talking about ‘busting a cap in someone’s ass’ were ridiculous…. but I still loved the film!”
According to The Huffington Post, “the buzz over the summer blockbuster Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen only grew Wednesday as some said two jive-talking Chevy characters were racial caricatures. Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact hatchbacks, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They’re forced to acknowledge that they can’t read. One has a gold tooth.” Marc Ecko from Complex.Com was outraged. He put together a list of reasons why Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen might be racist — like how “Skids” and “Mudflap” sound suspiciously like “skid-marks” and “mud people.” And Manohla Dargis, film critic for The New York Times, notes that the “Transformers characters were given conspicuously cartoonish, so-called black voices that indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by George Lucas.”
Todd Boyd, a professor of popular culture at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, said that “Hollywood has a track record of using negative stereotypes of black characters for comic relief…there’s a history of people getting laughs at the expense of African-Americans and African-American culture.”
And Boyd is right.
“Savage Negro” in Birth of a Nation.
The mammies from movies like Gone with the Wind.
White performers in “black face” playing Jim Crow or Zip Coon.
The minstrel tradition which birthed shows like Amos n’ Andy.
Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Good Times, What’s Happening and Diff’rent Strokes.
Anything by the Wayans Brothers and Tyler Perry’s Madea.
The list can (and I am sure will in the comments) be disputed. But they all represent uses of black stereotypes for the amusement of largely white audiences. And I included the Wayans Brothers and Tyler Perry to make the point that if folks are going to lash out at Michael Bay, then they need to lash out at them too. Donald Bogle, acclaimed author of Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films, noted that “Madea [has] connections to the old mammy type. She’s mammy-like. If a white director put out this product, the black audience would be appalled.” It is not just white directors who have benefited from this game.
I think the real issue is balance.
As CNN’s Nicole Saidi noted, “Will Smith has made epic blockbusters a Fourth of July tradition, and Denzel Washington is one of the most recognized faces in show business.” There are not enough African Americans in Hollywood. Not enough black actors, black writers, black directors, etc. Not enough African Americans in a variety of different rolls showing all of the different “faces” of black. Yes, Skids and Mudflap are offensive, but that becomes even more egregious when they represent one of five character types (or caricatures) that African Americans are allowed to voice or play…more multi-dimensional roles that do not allow audiences to see us in just one way.
In the CNN article “Being black in Hollywood still exception, not the rule,” Robyn McGee acknowledged, “[Will] Smith’s appearances in diverse films such as Independence Day, Men in Black, I Am Legend and Hancock were groundbreaking. Notably, Halle Berry won an Oscar in 2002 and Jennifer Hudson did so as well in 2007. But she said these examples of achievement are unique and must be built upon.”
A friend of mine from college refused to see any film that did not have a black person in it. My philosophy is to go and see films with black people. My BFF tries to watch the one or two primetime television shows with black leads (even if they’re bad). I think we all need to do our part to convince the capitalists in Hollywood that black is bankable even without all of the buffoonery. But we have our work cut out for us.
But Skids and Mudflap aside, I still loved Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
*Note from the editor: I looked online for a movie clip of Skids and Mudflap, to no avail. I was able to find this Burger King commercial featuring the duo.
transformers busting a cap in someone's ass–hilarious
jive talkin' transformers that can't read–not ok
transformers with a gold grills –really not ok but at least a car is supposed to have a grill.
transformers busting a cap in someone's ass–hilarious
jive talkin' transformers that can't read–not ok
transformers with a gold grills –really not ok but at least a car is supposed to have a grill.
Yes, I believe it may be. Not that this is anything new, mind you. Take this article about 1996's The Rock. http://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/articles/shoot…
Brent, thanks for sharing this link on The Rock. You know I actually never saw the Rock and was completely unaware (not surprised, but unaware) of the racial stereotyping in the film. Thanks.
Yes, I believe it may be. Not that this is anything new, mind you. Take this article about 1996's The Rock. http://www.leisuresuit.net/Webzine/articles/shoot…
Brent, thanks for sharing this link on The Rock. You know I actually never saw the Rock and was completely unaware (not surprised, but unaware) of the racial stereotyping in the film. Thanks.
The Star Wars character Jar Jar was also portrayed as a "coonish", stumbling, mumbling, ignorant buffoon! The use of Sci-Fi and cartoon to minimize offensive depictions of groups is still alive and well. I see it in shows I love like “Family Guy”. http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9906/09/jar.jar…
The Star Wars character Jar Jar was also portrayed as a "coonish", stumbling, mumbling, ignorant buffoon! The use of Sci-Fi and cartoon to minimize offensive depictions of groups is still alive and well. I see it in shows I love like “Family Guy”. http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Movies/9906/09/jar.jar…
I'm trying not to be too sensitive here. In the end, it is only a stupid movie about robots, after all. I am also a fan of "Family Guy" and "South Park" and I know both of those shows have gotten a lot of mileage off of stereotyping.
But I feel like those shows are doing it in a knowing way. They are making fun of the stereotypes even as they … Read Moreexploit them. Whereas, with "Transformers 2", it seemed more like Michael Bay was trying to sneak it in there. And, if you look at his past films, he has always relied heavily on humor based on racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, and cultural differences.
Also, in "Transformers 2", it wasn't just the Amos & Andy-bots that offended me. There was also the stupid, midget Egyptian border agent. The stupid, buck-toothed, brown foreigner (either African or East Indian) butcher. As well as the depiction of Paris as a place where we Americans have to endure stupid, rude mimes interrupting us while we try to eat their horrible food (ooh snails – gross!).
So would you say that Michael Bay is a "repeat offender" when it comes to this type of behavior? You referenced The Rock earlier and now that I am thinking about it I suspect that Baby Boys, Bad Boys II and Mystery Men could probably be added to the list. I am interested to hear what you think.
I agree, the lack of honesty in what a film/TV show is trying to get away with gets me as well. Being upfront with it like "All in the Family" is more bold, controversial and ultimately courageous. What was done in T2 was cowardly and to fain ignorance of your actions Like MM doubts the intelligence of us all! But I do appreciate the thoughtful dialogue we are having:)
It is funny that you mention Family Guy and South Park. Truthfully, my husband watches both of those shows and I have a hard time with them. They are so over the top in terms of how offensive they are too me as a woman, as a Black woman, as Black, etc. But, I do get the feeling that they are sort of "equal opportunity" in terms of their offensiveness. I know that sounds crazy, but it is the best way I can describe it. At least I feel like it is not just black folks that are getting reemed on those shows. And somehow that makes you feel "better" about watching them.
In the end, I think their racial overtones adds to the stigma and the stereotypes just as much as say Jar Jar Binks or Skids and Mudflap, so I would not use the word "courageous" to describe what they do…..but I think more honest about their actions and intentions.
Great post and discussion. But i have to disagree with your disagreement, MMKV. I think All in the Family WAS courageous, because for the first time in television, Lear was making a comment about issues (racism, homosexuality, sexism, abortion) that weren't being addressed anywhere else on television. And by using the character of Archie Bunker, he was saying to the american public, "see, you sound as idiotic as this buffoon when you say those hurtful and ignorant things." i'm not saying Lear was a social revolutionary in terms of WHAT he was saying, but he certainly made those issues more accessible to the average white american male (who, in general, probably wasn't listening to the real social revolutionaries).
As far as Lear's other shows, I struggle to see your point about The Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Son… I don't see how they perpetuated stereotypes — it seems to me they were taking existing stereotypes and breaking them open. Yes, they were being watched by largely white audiences, but again, I think that's what made them socially successful, because those issues were finally making it to the mainstream, the source of the problem.
As far as Transformers, that just sounds like crap.
In black history there are several images…the coon, the sambo, the buffoon, the mammie, etc. The underlying commonality among the words is the notion that black people or whites in black face act in a "buffoonish" manner to get laughs (typically by a white audience. And the mannerism is compounded because it typically built on some type of stereotype. So when I think of The Jeffersons, Good Times and Sanford and Son I think you find some of those images in characters like Jay Jay, Fred Sanford and George Jefferson. Those characters at times were definitely more caricature than character and elicited that feeling of Jim Crow or minstrel antics. However, at the same time those shows also showed blacks who owned businesses, blacks with strong family values, etc. which was revolutionary. So they walked a fine line. Definitely more good than bad and opened the door for black sitcoms like the Cosby Show, but nonetheless they also benefitted from using "black stereotypes for the amusement of largely white audiences." That does not mean that they were not trailblazers.
Conversely, I just cannot see Archie Bunker as courageous (even though I adore Carroll O' Conner by the way). As a child watching reruns of that show, I just found him to be racist and it bothered me to my core. But I can totally see your point about what Lear was trying to accomplish.
Agreed that I don't find “All on the Family” corageous, but interestingly enough, I do think of Archie Bunker as yet another buffoon character put forth to make white people laugh in a “look at how different he is from us.” I think he's basically what paved the way for send-ups like The Colbert Report.
Agreed that I don't find “All on the Family” corageous, but interestingly enough, I do think of Archie Bunker as yet another buffoon character put forth to make white people laugh in a “look at how different he is from us.” I think he's basically what paved the way for send-ups like The Colbert Report.
Interesting. I hadn't really thought about it from that perspective…..Archie Bunker as a trailblazer for Stephen Colbert.
I'm trying not to be too sensitive here. In the end, it is only a stupid movie about robots, after all. I am also a fan of "Family Guy" and "South Park" and I know both of those shows have gotten a lot of mileage off of stereotyping.
But I feel like those shows are doing it in a knowing way. They are making fun of the stereotypes even as they … Read Moreexploit them. Whereas, with "Transformers 2", it seemed more like Michael Bay was trying to sneak it in there. And, if you look at his past films, he has always relied heavily on humor based on racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, and cultural differences.
Also, in "Transformers 2", it wasn't just the Amos & Andy-bots that offended me. There was also the stupid, midget Egyptian border agent. The stupid, buck-toothed, brown foreigner (either African or East Indian) butcher. As well as the depiction of Paris as a place where we Americans have to endure stupid, rude mimes interrupting us while we try to eat their horrible food (ooh snails – gross!).
So would you say that Michael Bay is a "repeat offender" when it comes to this type of behavior? You referenced The Rock earlier and now that I am thinking about it I suspect that Baby Boys, Bad Boys II and Mystery Men could probably be added to the list. I am interested to hear what you think.
I agree, the lack of honesty in what a film/TV show is trying to get away with gets me as well. Being upfront with it like "All in the Family" is more bold, controversial and ultimately courageous. What was done in T2 was cowardly and to fain ignorance of your actions Like MM doubts the intelligence of us all! But I do appreciate the thoughtful dialogue we are having:)
It is funny that you mention Family Guy and South Park. Truthfully, my husband watches both of those shows and I have a hard time with them. They are so over the top in terms of how offensive they are too me as a woman, as a Black woman, as Black, etc. But, I do get the feeling that they are sort of "equal opportunity" in terms of their offensiveness. I know that sounds crazy, but it is the best way I can describe it. At least I feel like it is not just black folks that are getting reemed on those shows. And somehow that makes you feel "better" about watching them.
In the end, I think their racial overtones adds to the stigma and the stereotypes just as much as say Jar Jar Binks or Skids and Mudflap, so I would not use the word "courageous" to describe what they do…..but I think more honest about their actions and intentions.
Great post and discussion. But i have to disagree with your disagreement, MMKV. I think All in the Family WAS courageous, because for the first time in television, Lear was making a comment about issues (racism, homosexuality, sexism, abortion) that weren't being addressed anywhere else on television. And by using the character of Archie Bunker, he was saying to the american public, "see, you sound as idiotic as this buffoon when you say those hurtful and ignorant things." i'm not saying Lear was a social revolutionary in terms of WHAT he was saying, but he certainly made those issues more accessible to the average white american male (who, in general, probably wasn't listening to the real social revolutionaries).
As far as Lear's other shows, I struggle to see your point about The Jeffersons, Good Times, Sanford and Son… I don't see how they perpetuated stereotypes — it seems to me they were taking existing stereotypes and breaking them open. Yes, they were being watched by largely white audiences, but again, I think that's what made them socially successful, because those issues were finally making it to the mainstream, the source of the problem.
As far as Transformers, that just sounds like crap.
In black history there are several images…the coon, the sambo, the buffoon, the mammie, etc. The underlying commonality among the words is the notion that black people or whites in black face act in a "buffoonish" manner to get laughs (typically by a white audience. And the mannerism is compounded because it typically built on some type of stereotype. So when I think of The Jeffersons, Good Times and Sanford and Son I think you find some of those images in characters like Jay Jay, Fred Sanford and George Jefferson. Those characters at times were definitely more caricature than character and elicited that feeling of Jim Crow or minstrel antics. However, at the same time those shows also showed blacks who owned businesses, blacks with strong family values, etc. which was revolutionary. So they walked a fine line. Definitely more good than bad and opened the door for black sitcoms like the Cosby Show, but nonetheless they also benefitted from using "black stereotypes for the amusement of largely white audiences." That does not mean that they were not trailblazers.
Conversely, I just cannot see Archie Bunker as courageous (even though I adore Carroll O' Conner by the way). As a child watching reruns of that show, I just found him to be racist and it bothered me to my core. But I can totally see your point about what Lear was trying to accomplish.
Agreed that I don't find \”All on the Family\” corageous, but interestingly enough, I do think of Archie Bunker as yet another buffoon character put forth to make white people laugh in a \”look at how different he is from us.\” I think he's basically what paved the way for send-ups like The Colbert Report.
Agreed that I don't find \”All on the Family\” corageous, but interestingly enough, I do think of Archie Bunker as yet another buffoon character put forth to make white people laugh in a \”look at how different he is from us.\” I think he's basically what paved the way for send-ups like The Colbert Report.
Interesting. I hadn't really thought about it from that perspective…..Archie Bunker as a trailblazer for Stephen Colbert.
I'd be interested to know if anyone else agrees that perhaps more diversity in Hollywood would help to balance the scales in terms of the variety of "shades of blackness." If there were more African Americans in Hollywood – more black actors, black writers, black directors, etc. – would we see more variety in terms of the types of black people or characterizations of black people?
probably. diversity is always a good thing. (but as you said, look at Tyler Perry, african american actor/director/writer.)
i'm still pushing for gender diversity. even though there are more women writers and directors now than there were even 10 years ago, women are still in the very large minority in those fields.
I'd be interested to know if anyone else agrees that perhaps more diversity in Hollywood would help to balance the scales in terms of the variety of "shades of blackness." If there were more African Americans in Hollywood – more black actors, black writers, black directors, etc. – would we see more variety in terms of the types of black people or characterizations of black people?
probably. diversity is always a good thing. (but as you said, look at Tyler Perry, african american actor/director/writer.)
i'm still pushing for gender diversity. even though there are more women writers and directors now than there were even 10 years ago, women are still in the very large minority in those fields.
I watched transformers also and mudflap and skids bothered me throughout the movie, they were pointless characters, they had no involvment in the plot and no impotance to the movie whatsoever. I do understand that they were trying to add comic relief to the story, but in truth Michael Bay's racial stereotyping wasn't even funny. I also think that they cursed innapropriatley, not like innapropriatley in a prude way, but they didn't really have a reason to do it and they did it at the wrong times. Skids and Mudflap were irritating to a point that i almost didn't like the movie.
I watched transformers also and mudflap and skids bothered me throughout the movie, they were pointless characters, they had no involvment in the plot and no impotance to the movie whatsoever. I do understand that they were trying to add comic relief to the story, but in truth Michael Bay's racial stereotyping wasn't even funny. I also think that they cursed innapropriatley, not like innapropriatley in a prude way, but they didn't really have a reason to do it and they did it at the wrong times. Skids and Mudflap were irritating to a point that i almost didn't like the movie.
So I saw finally Transformers this weekend. I am not sure if it was better that I knew what I was in for and feel like WTF or if I went in blind and came out WTF. Skids and Mudflap were so inane and I was thinking that the writers thought they were being clever and trying to make them like the Ying Yang Twins. They weren't the only thing that was annoying either…the ridiculous overt sexuality in the movie was doing too much too: Megan Fox's ass hanging out of her shorts bent over the motorcycle and the slutty college girl that even the transformers thought was a ho. There are elements of Michael Bay's work that I love like the cinematography. But then he jacks up his work with unnecessary crap. I wonder if Steven Spielberg was uncomfortable when it saw the movie. His name is on it and he has black kids!
So I saw finally Transformers this weekend. I am not sure if it was better that I knew what I was in for and feel like WTF or if I went in blind and came out WTF. Skids and Mudflap were so inane and I was thinking that the writers thought they were being clever and trying to make them like the Ying Yang Twins. They weren't the only thing that was annoying either…the ridiculous overt sexuality in the movie was doing too much too: Megan Fox's ass hanging out of her shorts bent over the motorcycle and the slutty college girl that even the transformers thought was a ho. There are elements of Michael Bay's work that I love like the cinematography. But then he jacks up his work with unnecessary crap. I wonder if Steven Spielberg was uncomfortable when it saw the movie. His name is on it and he has black kids!