Closing Thoughts: Racism and the Entertainment Media

Hollywood and Racism

Television is blamed for so much of what is wrong with society. I'm not an apologist for the entertainment industry. I certainly don't think everything it presents is worthwhile, I do believe most people spend way too much time being "entertained," and I think television has done more to destroy social life than any other single factor. However, it seems we only hear about the harm it causes. Since television isn't about to disappear, we need to recognize its beneficial sides.

I strongly believe television has been a major factor in reducing racism, which has been on a steady decline in recent decades, and I think television has had more to do with this than the combined efforts of legislators, school programs, and tolerance organizations.

How does racism get reduced? By contact between groups. When we get to know each other as human beings, the stereotypes dissolve and we become more tolerant and compassionate toward each other. Most people tend to limit their close relationships to those of their own groups, so we have limited opportunity for close contact with other groups. Television brings people of all backgrounds right into our living rooms. We love entertainment because it's great fun to suspend reality while vicariously living through the characters' experiences. Watching a good movie or show can be a more effective learning tool than the best lectures, which is why more people eagerly pay to attend movies and plays than lectures.

Movies as Lessons

Recently, during a flight, I got to see the movie, Remember the Titans, starring Denzel Washington as a Black high school football coach. It's hard to imagine any lecture or seminar doing a better job of promoting racial tolerance than this film. And Remember the Titans isn't unusual. Many movies and shows have a similar effect.

I recommend Remember the Titans for a couple of additional reasons.

One: I was impressed by how the protagonist refused to let anyone treat him or the Black students as victims in any way. He was, in effect, illustrating my lessons on anti-Semitism and the victim mentality.

Two: there's a great locker room scene that illustrates what I teach about humor. One kid insults another kid's mother. That kid gets mad and wants to fight the kid who insulted his mother. Then a third kid saves the day. He insults another kid's mother. In a matter of seconds, they're all insulting each other's mothers and laughing their heads off.

Three cheers for Hollywood.