I
found this weeks lecture very interesting, particularly the discussion into the
perpetuation of indigenous stereotypes through the media. I definitely agree
that this is a major problem in the media industry, especially in Australia. Even
when Indigenous Australians seem to be favourably represented by mainstream
media, the fact that these representations are often constructed through racial
stereotyping actually highlights the implicit racism inherent in mainstream
media. This is evident in Baz Luhrman’s “Australia”, his depiction of
Indigenous Australians might not be overtly offensive or negative. Yet, the
characters of Nullah’s grandfather and of Magarri, seem suggestively similar to
images of the “noble savage”, that were prominent in eighteenth and nineteenth
century literature and which feature prominently in the modern Indigenous
stereotype (Rowland, 2004: 2- 6).
As
was mentioned in the lecture, this type of racial stereotyping is now being
questioned in Australia. Films such as Samson and Delilah and The Sapphires,
which are produced by Indigenous people, give a different view of what it is to
be an Indigenous Australian and actively reject mainstream stereotypes. Some
mainstream media outlets, such as the ABC and SBS have also encouraged the
breakdown of such stereotypes. This suggests that Australian media may be on
the right path to more balanced and inclusive representations of Indigenous
people and Indigenous culture.
References:
M.
Rowland, “Return of the ‘Noble Savage’: Misrepresenting the Past, Present and Future,”
Australian Aboriginal Studies 2,
(2004): 2- 14.
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