In the earlier days of television and film, African Americans were the racial group most likely to portray domestic workers. Black housekeepers played key roles in television sitcoms such as 1950’s “Beulah” and films such as 1939’s “Gone With The Wind.” By the 1980s, however, Latinos increasingly replaced blacks as Hollywood’s domestics. The 1987 TV show “I Married Dora” was even about a man who married his Latina housekeeper to prevent her from being deported. Even megastar Jennifer Lopez played a housekeeper in 2002’s “Maid in Manhattan,” a romantic comedy reminiscent of the Cinderella fairy tale. The late actress Lupe Ontiveros estimated that she played a maid as many as 150 times on screen. In 2009, Ontoveros told National Public Radio, “I long to play a judge. I long to play a lesbian woman. I long to play a councilman, someone with some chutzpah.”
Hollywood has a long history of portraying Hispanics and Spaniards as Latin Lovers. Men such as Antonio Banderas, Fernando Lamas, and Ricardo Montalban all starred in a number of roles that perpetuated the idea that Hispanic men are incredibly suave, sexy and skilled in the sheets. The stereotype became so popular that a film called “Latin Lovers” debuted in 1958. Ricardo Montalban and Lana Turner starred. Tired of being typecast as a Latin Lover, Fernando Lamas, father of actor Lorenzo Lamas, told the Free Lance-Star in 1958 that he wanted to redefine the term. “A Latin lover shouldn’t be a greasy character,” he said. “He doesn’t even have to be Latin. But he must be a guy who loves life, and since life includes women, his loves include women. Sometimes he gets a girl and sometimes he gets his face slapped. The most important thing is that he be a real man with problems to solve.”
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Genre Review: Spooky Edition
For my second venture in genre, I will be going over the conventions of horror films.
- Codes and Conventions in the Horror genre Horror films are unsettling films made to frighten and panic their audience but entertain them at the same time. Films have different codes and conventions that separate them into genres and sub- genres but most horror films have similar codes and conventions and specific symbols to make up the films iconography which allows the audience to identify the genre.
- Narrative structure and themes
- • Death and murder
- • Revenge
- • Religious beliefs
- • Survival
- • Supernatural
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
Genre, Shmonra, and All That Jazz
Can I just say, it's really hard to find a good romantic comedy? Cause it is. I don't think I'm gonna be creating a rom-com for my final project, but I love the actual sound of the term rom-com, so I've decided to do my research project on it anyways. Here's what I found about this hard-to-master film genre.
Conventions of the Romantic Comedy genre A Romantic Comedy, also known as a ‘Rom Com’ are also, alternatively known as ‘Chick Flicks’ The Romantic Comedy genre are films which contain light-hearted humor, they centre around this idea that true love can overcome any obstacles which are thrown at them. The definition of a Rom Com, can be summarized as ‘a funny film with a complicated love story, that somehow ends up with a happy ending’. The screenwriters, and Director of the Rom Com, will make it obvious that the two protagonists were meant for each other. This then makes the audience feel as though the two protagonists were also meant for each other, this is because the Director will create different hints that suggest this theory, such as: them having a common interest, constantly bumping into each other, making one another laugh..
Evolution and sub genres Extreme Circumstances – Some Romantic Comedies have adopted an extreme or strange circumstance for the main characters. This is shown in ‘Warm Bodies’ whereby the protagonist is a Zombie who falls in love with a human girl, just after he has eaten her boyfriend. This makes the film stand out from other Rom Coms as it has a unique storyline. Serious Elements – Other remakes of Romantic Comedies include plots with similar elements, however, they explore more adult themes, such as marriage or disability. For example, the film ‘Knocked Up’ contains these adult themes mentioned. Flipping Conventions – In other romantic comedies the conventions of a traditional Rom Com can be flipped. For example, in ‘500 days of Summer’ the two love interests do not end up together and do not receive their happy ending.
Codes and Conventions The plot of a Romantic Comedy • There is the typical ‘boy meets girl’ scenario, these are the protagonists of the film. This hybrid genre stays true to the original plot of a ‘Romantic’ film. • The film is usually set in a location that the audience can relate to, for example, an office or just in their general day to day life. • Due to the fact that this genre is a hybrid of, Romantic and Comedic elements, there are a lot of funny sexual innuendos, this stays true to the original plot of a ‘Comedy’ film. • In most Rom Coms, we see the film from the point of view of the female protagonist, this is because the target audience of a Rom Com is mainly females. This is true to the ‘Romantic’ genre. • Throughout the film, there will be obstacles that will segregate the two protagonists until they realise their love for each other. This results in the film ending with a happy ending, either a marriage, a relationship or a baby.
Conventions of the Romantic Comedy genre A Romantic Comedy, also known as a ‘Rom Com’ are also, alternatively known as ‘Chick Flicks’ The Romantic Comedy genre are films which contain light-hearted humor, they centre around this idea that true love can overcome any obstacles which are thrown at them. The definition of a Rom Com, can be summarized as ‘a funny film with a complicated love story, that somehow ends up with a happy ending’. The screenwriters, and Director of the Rom Com, will make it obvious that the two protagonists were meant for each other. This then makes the audience feel as though the two protagonists were also meant for each other, this is because the Director will create different hints that suggest this theory, such as: them having a common interest, constantly bumping into each other, making one another laugh..
Evolution and sub genres Extreme Circumstances – Some Romantic Comedies have adopted an extreme or strange circumstance for the main characters. This is shown in ‘Warm Bodies’ whereby the protagonist is a Zombie who falls in love with a human girl, just after he has eaten her boyfriend. This makes the film stand out from other Rom Coms as it has a unique storyline. Serious Elements – Other remakes of Romantic Comedies include plots with similar elements, however, they explore more adult themes, such as marriage or disability. For example, the film ‘Knocked Up’ contains these adult themes mentioned. Flipping Conventions – In other romantic comedies the conventions of a traditional Rom Com can be flipped. For example, in ‘500 days of Summer’ the two love interests do not end up together and do not receive their happy ending.
Codes and Conventions The plot of a Romantic Comedy • There is the typical ‘boy meets girl’ scenario, these are the protagonists of the film. This hybrid genre stays true to the original plot of a ‘Romantic’ film. • The film is usually set in a location that the audience can relate to, for example, an office or just in their general day to day life. • Due to the fact that this genre is a hybrid of, Romantic and Comedic elements, there are a lot of funny sexual innuendos, this stays true to the original plot of a ‘Comedy’ film. • In most Rom Coms, we see the film from the point of view of the female protagonist, this is because the target audience of a Rom Com is mainly females. This is true to the ‘Romantic’ genre. • Throughout the film, there will be obstacles that will segregate the two protagonists until they realise their love for each other. This results in the film ending with a happy ending, either a marriage, a relationship or a baby.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Yeooooo (AKA Greetings and Salutations)
Bonjour, party people! I don't know about you, but I think blogs are pretty tight. Actually I'm gonna ahead and assume that if you are on a blog website, reading a blog, then you think blogs are pretty tight too. Therefore by the transitive property of equality, you and I are both tight. Nice. Anyways, welcome to mi bloggo. My name's Aitana {eye-tah-nah}, I am 16, and I am currently eating a burrito as I type this. I am a lifelong actress, writer, poet, and not to mention I cook a mean fettuccini alfredo. I am planning on pursuing film as a career and I'm really excited for this new blog aspect of aice media studies because I get to be graded on ranting, which, not to brag, is a specialty of mine.
I think it's kinda cute that I'm gonna be able to document the steps of creating my film opening on here. Sorta like a lil online director's commentary. I'm not quite sure what creative direction I'm going to take for my final project, but I'm working on it alone so I can do whateverrrrr I want, and sometimes that's all a girl needs. On a slightly unrelated note, I recently wrote my very first short film script in the middle of a 4 AM Frosted Mini Wheats induced manic episode, so there's that. I hope that this blog helps me pace myself and build the exact vision of whatever film I decide to make, because I am notorious for working on a project, completing it, and then scrapping the whole thing for something completely different 3 days before it's due because i've been met with a stroke of creative genius at the very last minute. Sigh. Fingers crossed that inspiration strikes real early this time.
On another note, I've been putting off starting a blog for THE fattest minute and now it has been forced upon me. The good lord works in mysterious ways.
That is all for this post homies. Have a marvelous rest of your day. Toodles!
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