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“ It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something . ”
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“It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We'realways behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much,that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something.” -Det. Graham Waters
ste·reo·type “A simplified and standardized conception or image shared by members of a group.” -Webster’s Modern Office Dictionary
Some Stereotypes in Crash • Mexicans park on their front lawn • Mexicans are gang members • All tattoos mean you went to jail or you are a gang member • All Orientals are bad drivers and are too short to see over the wheel • Blacks don’t tip • Black men are lazy • Anyone who’s middle-eastern is Arabic • All Arabic people are terrorists • Just Non-whites ride busses • Black people are thieves • Black people don’t like hockey or country music
Setting • Los Angeles, CA • December, 2004 Presentation of Crash • First scene is one of last scenes of movie • From then on all storylines are flashbacks playing in chronological order, story continues after it catches up to present • Multiple storylines flow easily from one scene to the next
Characters The film Crash showcases the racism and racial stereotypes of today in the cultural melting pot that is Los Angeles. The film features many characters that become linked as a series of events unfold.
Farhad • Persian immigrant • Owns corner store that was vandalised • Discriminated against because he looks Arabic in the United States • Not fluent in English • Dorri • Coroner • Daughter to Farhad “When did Persian become Arabic?”
Anthony • Has strong opinions on black behaviour and racism • Hates both Rap & Country music • Peter Waters • Brother to Graham Waters • More open to different ideas about race • Likes hockey, country music • These two steal cars and sell them for money
Rick Cabot • District Attorney of Los Angeles • Needs the black vote in the election • Jean Cabot • Wife to Rick Cabot • In the beginning of the movie, this couple’s car is stolen by Peter Waters and Anthony.
Christine Thayer • Wife to Cameron Thayer • molested and later rescued by Officer John Ryan • Cameron Thayer • Big time movie director -- doesn’t to fit into black or white communities
Detective Graham Waters • Raised in poor household with drug abusing mother • Turned his back on his family to focus on career • Ria (Det. Graham Waters’ partner) • Half Puerto Rican, half El Salvadorian
Daniel • Mexican and discriminated against because he looks like a “gangbanger” • Locksmith • Kind • Non-racist
Officer Tom Hansen • Believes he is above the racism in LAPD • Kills Peter Waters • Officer John Ryan • Self-proclaimed “racist prick” • Molests Christine Thayer, and later saves her during car crash
Important Scenes • Scene 1: • Anthony steals Cameron Thayer’s car. • Cameron realizes that black men like Anthony are the reason he is discriminated against; the truth behind the stereotype • Anthony realizes how he affects other people, and has a moment where he just stops and thinks about what he has done. • shows how much the stereotypes we all make affect their subjects; how frustrating it is to be criticized by others, but also by people of your own race, even those you love, because of what colour you are.
Scene 2 • From the first point that we meet Hansen he is shown as the contrast to Ryan; he is the good cop, who does not think in racial terms and who stands up against Ryan’s racism. • The audience sees him as the one hope in a story of hate, and they assume him to stay that way for the rest of the film • Kills Peter Waters • shows that even if you think you are above racism or committing a crime, we are all capable
Scene 3 -After John Ryan is racist towards the Thayers and sexually assaults Christine, John Ryan is sent on car crash rescue mission -Woman in car crash is Christine, doesn’t want to be saved by John -Ryan starts to realise the consequences his actions bring, that he really hurt this woman
Movie Relevance to Course • Socialization: illustrates how peoples of different races interact and view one another • Psychology is shown through the reactions that each character has in response to the other • Anthropology is portrayed in the movie Crash through the stereotypes that represent each culture
Major Points of the Film • emphasizes over importance placed on race, ethnic background in today’s society, and how it can cause a negative cycle • Stereotypes promote hate and segregation in society • People should be taught at young ages to accept other cultures so that the cycle of hate, discrimination, and racism would be stopped
Secondary Points • police corruption • Crime • sexual assault • Violence • Drug abuse
Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology Concepts in Crash • Adler’s inferiority Complex • Freud’s theory of the 3 levels of the mind: Id, Ego, and Superego • Defense mechanisms: projection, rationalization, sublimation • Personality • Birth Order • Perception • Jean Piaget’s Stage of Development • Deviant, aggressive, violent behaviour
Impact of the movie • Opens people’s eyes to racial hate and discrimination • makes people aware of how racism in a society can have terrible consequences and promote hate. • Audience sees racism contributes to a dangerous cycle, promotes hate, discrimination towards others causing violence, abuse, and inequality in a society.
Why do we stereotype races? • easier to classify a whole group of people as a threat then have to consider each individual separately • Media portrays stereotypes constantly promoting racism • “Cops” • Mexican drug trafficking
Things to Keep in Mind • Have open mind • Not everyone in the real world is racist
