In the early 1920s, it was not uncommon for many white actors to mock African-Americans by donning makeup to make their skin tones look darker. These “blackface” actors enforced early stereotypes of African-Americans; living in squalid conditions, eating fried chicken and usually acting idiotic. While this blunt racism has been pushed out of the media, subtle racism remains prevalent and pernicious.

In place of older stereotypes, new ones have arisen. Asians-Americans, for example, are now often portrayed in a negative light, and are, on a regular basis, passed over in favor of white actors during casting calls. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the film “21.” The novel that inspired the movie has many prominent Asian characters, including the protagonist, Kevin Lewis. In the actual film, however, directors selected predominantly white actors, including actors who had to be coached in developing American accents, in an attempt to gain a wider viewership and make the cast more relatable to the audience. Even the film “Crash,” which attempts to highlight racial tensions, inadvertently came off as racist. From the Asian woman screaming that the woman in front of her didn’t “blake” fast enough, to the disturbing portrayal of a Persian man who is redeemed by a perceived act of God after attempting murder. (What is particularly disturbing is that this stereotype is actually believed by many Americans in the post 9/11 atmosphere.) Although older, the film “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” unfairly stereotypes Indians, depicting them as people who eat horrible food and kidnap children. The controversy surrounding the film caused it to be banned in India on its release.

Even more disturbing is the racism found in children’s movies, especially those of Disney films. These racist portrayals have gone back for many years, and are often subtle enough to pass unnoticed. Although it has been argued that these stereotypes are harmless, even subtle hints and nuances can easily influence the minds of children. As Harvard psychologist Michael D. Baran pointed out in a recent New York Times article, “People think that kids don’t catch subtle messages about race and gender in movies, but it’s quite the opposite.” These stereotypes are most prevalent in older films, such as “The Jungle Book,” where the monkeys all seem to desire to be human, and use speech and phrases that are stereotypically toward African-American in nature (in contrast, all other animals seem to speak in polite British accents). Another film that attracted major controversy is the film “Aladdin,” a film that took place in an unidentified city in the Middle East, originally incorporated lines in its songs that referenced violence in Arabian cities (“Where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face/It’s barbaric, but, hey, it’s home”). While protests in the Arab-American community managed to get these words removed from the home release of the movie, the lyrics remained on the official soundtrack of the movie. Also prevalent in these films is the “Anglicization” of the main character, while heightening stereotypes of other characters. For example, in the film “Aladdin,” the main protagonists are portrayed as fair skinned, while the antagonists are dark skinned and greedy.

The media needs to act more colorblind in its portrayal of characters, and sacrifice cheap laughs for higher ethics. Although it may seem hard to do, as old hatreds often refuse to die, it is actually quite simple. Directors and producers need to stop passing over certain races of some types, and also stop using blatant stereotypes. Do that, and we can move further to create a more accepting world.