Cross-posted at The Oreo Experience.
With the summer over, it’s time for Hollywood to pull out a new season of films. Here’s some of what’s coming up this fall and winter. For each trailer, I note what white people get to do and what non-white people get to do.
Let us begin:
Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star
Things White People Get to Do: Be part of a loving family, be content with simple things, be blissfully unaware, be sweet, be naive, be oddly cool, progressive parents, live in a small town, live in a big city, parody Almost Famous, be hot, be regular looking, be super hot with a regular looking boyfriend, be the hero.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: be threatening, drive a car.
Contagion
Things White People Get to Do in This Movie: Play craps, have a family, be an expert, cry convincingly, deliver bad news, be unable to accept bad news, probably be the focal point of a conspiracy, populate towns.
Things Not-White People Get to Do in This Movie: Play craps, provide and clarify exposition.
Main Street
Things White People Get to Do: Fake an American accent, come up with a plan, be taken advantage of by the boss, be savvy about the boss, believe a stranger, be troubled, look out for the troubled, work in an office.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: Believe a stranger.
Warrior
Things White People Get to Do: have tattoos, cage fight, announce fights, reconnect with parents, gamble, join the military, lose a home, offer help, make up for lost time, walk around the house in matched undies and undershirt, throw tires around, be an adorable father, kiss the girl, be a war hero, cheer supportability, go head to head.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: walk through frame, lose a fight
I Don’t Know How She Does It
Things White People Get to Do: Have a career AND a family and be totes supes adorbs about it.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Straw Dogs
Things White People Get to Do: Watch old movies, be in old movies, be way too aggressive, terrorize innocents, be a cheerleader, have sex, have a nice date, disrespect their partners, sexually harass women, fight back against bullies, go to church, rise to the challenge, wield a tire iron, use boiling water effectively.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Drive
Things White People Get to Do: be really good at driving, set up dirty deals, be mobsters, live in a big city, meet guys in elevators, be a stunt person, be a loving single mom, get their hands on more money than they were expecting, kiss the girl, bash someone’s head in, wear freaky masks, slit some throats, be the dad the dad couldn’t be.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: be a felon.
30 more movie trailers after the jump:
Abduction
Things White People Get to Do: Experience an existential crisis, wrestle, host and attend pool parties, have an iPad, discover their past, illegally adopt children, fight like they do in the Bourne movies, be a rogue weapon, be the center of controversy, threaten teenagers, have sweet cars, ride trains,
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Dolphin Tale
Things White People Get to Do: Find tailless dolphin, believe in the tailless dolphin, provide a parallel storyline by having a badly wounded leg, hug awkwardly
Things Not-White People Get to Do: Be Morgan Effing Freeman, walk past a van
The Double
Things White People Get to Do: Murder, be murdered, be powerful, be a smarty pants, throw down a challenge, become obsessed, have a family, be a threat, be level headed, be either a schizo madman or a brilliant strategist.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: swivel in a chair.
Killer Elite
Things White People Get to Do: get people “ready for this,” sport that awesome Clive Owen accent, punch, kick, make a chair fly with awesome glute action, get felt up in a pool.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: give advice.
Machine Gun Preacher
Things White People Get to Do: have regret, stand in underwear, beg for help, get baptized, have a change of heart, save black people, make amends.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: be poor in Africa, be Freedom Fighters, be in a refugee camp, wield machine guns, try to kill the white guy, burn down a village.
Moneyball
Things White People Get to Do: run a baseball team, kick ass at their first job, change the game, have a family, sport some pretty obvious product placement, scare the intern.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: not be able to read the information on a vending machine, sit behind Brad Pitt, sit next to Jonah Hill.
50/50
Things White People Get to Do: be a best friend, cope as best they can, diagnose disease, provide therapy, be a supportive family, be a surprisingly cool old man, provide dubious support, go to bars.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Dream House
Things White People Get to Do: have a family, have sex, suspect something is wrong, be creepy townies, be bad neighbors, not know who they are, ride trains, relax in a bath, look like the kids from The Shining.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: walk through a door.
What’s Your Number?
Things White People Get to Do: date, stand in underwear, look for love, be a puppeteer, be delightfully awkward, make deep, personal insights,
Things Not-White People Get to Do: provide advice, be a rocket scientist, be gay, attend a lovely wedding.
Wait?? A silly, floppy comedy is the movie that’s brave enough to risk putting of color ppl in real roles?
Dirty Girl
Things White People Get to Do: be Southern, feather their hair, promote abstinence, push the envelope, be preggers, assign homework, have a good family, have a bad family, discover family secrets, drop a flour baby on its head, run away, dance with ribbons.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
The Ides of March
Things White People Get to Do: fly in private planes, be sure of themselves, recruit promising young people, make a difference, be a good candidate, be a bad candidate, make good deals, make bad deals, demand loyalty, wear suits, get in over their head.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: stand next to George Clooney.
Real Steel
Things White People Get to Do: recognize how the fight has changed, make robots, place bets, win some, lose some.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: announce a fight, attend fights.
The Big Year
Things White People Get to Do: have a big house, have a great job, be angsty at family, go skiing, compete with each other, see the world, make up for lost time.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: set up a Jack Black joke, sit in front of Owen Wilson, set up another Jack Black joke.
Father of Invention
Things White People Get to Do: commit white collar crimes, be embarrassed about their family, expect the best, discover the worst, fall from grace, climb back up again, sing, make coffee, shine a light on other characters, be behind the times, play Rock Band.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: marry a super hot gal while her husband is in prison.
Fireflies in the Garden
Things White People Get to Do: be abusive, be abused, accidentally kill someone, be EMTs, process the past, write a tell all, have loving catch phrases, do the best with what they have.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Footloose
Things White People Get to Do: Live in a small town, live in a big town, have a family, be in positions of authority, have attitude, drive cars, make rules, challenge the rules, date, play chicken with school buses, tempt a train.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: be one of the guys, play sports, be in the crowd, deliver high fives.
Trespass
Things White People Get to Do: have a family, have an amazing house, have a secret vault, stage an elaborate break in, be brutal, lie, cheat, steal, take big risks.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Margin Call
Things White People Get to Do: work on Wall Street, get fired, keep working, go over the figures, place blame, dump stocks, go to strip clubs, empathize for the commoners, ride elevators, set into motion events that change America for a good long time.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: sit at a desk in the background.
The Three Musketeers
Things White People Get to Do: Sport dashing period costumes, fence beautifully, be clergy, be commoner, be captivating, create amazing dirigibles,
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
In Time
Things White People Get to Do: have a family, be stunning, be rich, be blue collar, make an important trade, owe someone their life–literally, ask people to look inside themselves, lead a revolution.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: walk behind Cillian Murphy, walk through scene at a party, deliver a line of exposition, sit behind Cillian Murphy, be grateful for a gift.
The Rum Diary
Things White People Get to Do: be a disaster, be a tough boss, be an adorable ex-pat, find creative solutions to problems, find the one white gal on the island, populate a yacht, make innuendo, hallucinate, print papers, be unafraid of death by car, shower.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: populate Puerto Rico, practice voodoo.
Tower Heist
Things White People Get to Do: Be the boss of the staff, be the staff, commit financial crimes, come up with a plan to get the bad guy, vocalize the need for a criminal, have asthma, disrespect the little guy.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: recognize racial disparity, be the staff, be locked up for non-savvy crimes, tutor people on how to rob, hit on the other black person in the movie.
A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas – Umm, this movie has two minority leads!
Jack and Jill
Things White People Get to Do: have a family, be rude, come over for dinner, hurt a horse, adopt a kid, have a cat, get hit on by Al Pacino, re-live youth, break the laws of physics on a jet ski.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: work in an office.
Melancholia
Things White People Get to Do: get married, have access to a giant sundial, toast, be grumpy, ride horses, be unsatisfied, balletically prepare for the end of days.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
The Twilight Saga – Breaking Dawn
Things White People Get to Do: show off their trapezius, send a letter, get a letter, morph, get married (aren’t they like 14??), go to Brazil, kiss a lot, expect us to believe that a belly that tiny could hold a baby.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: be in a wheelchair
A Dangerous Method
Things White People Get to Do: answer questions, ask questions, ride in carriages, dress beautifully, be crazy, try new procedures, hide from sex get laid, have a gorgeous boat, face temptation.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Hugo
Things White People Get to Do: be a sweet dad, be a loved son, have a dog, run from authority, be all mysterious, make friends with a robot, enjoy miracles.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Things White People Get to Do: investigate, have dinners, live in cold climates, be part of the crowd, grow ill, come to the end of their ropes, keep searching.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
War Horse
Things White People Get to Do: fall in love with nature, defend their homes, run through town, practice excellent riding posture, draw very well, grow up, tell their story.
Things Not-White People Get to Do: n/a
Whew! I was worried that I was going to see examples of myself in various and interesting situations. But luckily, I’ve been reminded that being of color is just not that interesting. Why else would of color folks be kept out of the canon of one of the most powerful industries going?
I’d say this was no big deal and that I and others might accept my blackness anyway. But the repetition of images (or the omission of images) is pretty much what the entire advertising industry is based on. So I guess a message is definitely getting across.
And thank God for it! I have spent way too much money relaxing my hair for it to be otherwise!
For more looks at more movies, click here!
Comments 31
Missdisco — October 3, 2011
In Time - they managed to come up with a film plot where they don't have to have old people - and lots of beautiful younger people. (shakes head)
But Cillian Murphy, if not many others shown in that trailer, are OVER 25 - premise fail!
Alex Cranz — October 3, 2011
Aw, but Laurence Fishburne is one of the main characters in Contagion and the non-white people roles in What's Your Number are in the trailer and that's it.
But for every other film mentioned what's said about the trailer is accurate for the film.
trj — October 3, 2011
re: "schizo madman"
Aydrea: please dont use discriminatory language toward people with mental illness. We already face enormous stigma for our conditions especially due to the stereotype that those with mental illness are more likely to be violent.
Considering one aspect of this post is to illustrate the racism that is so prevelant in Hollywood, I would expect more tact when speaking about another discriminated against group.
Thanks
Sa — October 3, 2011
I'd like to point out that Taylor Lautner (the lead in Abduction and the werewolf in Twilight) is not white. He's Aboriginal. Both those movies are problematic enough without lacking a non-white lead, though.
Kayla Kamin — October 3, 2011
This article isn't done well. It's looking for anything bad that poc "get" to do and only putting either meaningless things that white people get to do or some of the same things that poc get to do, like be a bad guy.
If this is supposed to point out that white people get to do all the good stuff and poc only get the bad stuff, it isn't convincing in the least. There are much better examples and much better ways of rooting out true racial disparities, disparities that I am sure do exist to some extent in these films. Presenting information like this just doesn't look credible and the result is shoddy and unconvincing.
PinkWithIndignation — October 3, 2011
Contagion trailer aside, I thought the movie was one of the best I've ever seen at portraying non-whites in a neutral, very human manner and providing actual non-gender-stereotyped female role-models (I know, hard to believe, but TRUE). Also, although it should have further destroyed the credibility of Jude Law's character, it does a good job of promoting scientific literacy and showing that science is reliable and trustworthy. I think it might have come off better in a comic book (some people will probably think it is a bit slow and drawn out with all the explanations) but I LOVED IT! Seriously SI you should do a post about how awesome this movie is in these terms. Sure, Gwen may appear to get fridge stuffed, but not really because she is one of the film's main characters, being key to deciphering the disease's epistemology, and her death is explained extensively. This is a great example of the direction Hollywood needs to progress!
Ilikechairs — October 3, 2011
Things Not-White People Get to Do: swivel in a chair.
AWESOME.
Larry Charles Wilson — October 3, 2011
"Hugo" looks promising.
Bernardo Soares — October 4, 2011
Just for a stupid second there, I wanted to defend "musketeers" by arguing that it is set in early 19th Century Europe, where POC would have been absent from much of society. Then I remembered that Alexandre Dumas was of Afro-Caribbean descent and that for a 2011 movie it could have been a nice hommage to this famous writer, whose descent (as Pushkins) is still unkown to many who continue to ignore POC contributions to the intellectual history of the Europe, to include POC in the movie. Ooops.
Anonymous — October 4, 2011
I find it interesting that none of the movies that are distinctly "Southern" seem to have any black characters at all. I don't know if it's a way to avoid awkward racial conversations, or (possibly more likely) idealize and romanticize the south for white people, either Southerners themselves, or white Northerners who think of the south as more quaint, sexy, and "real" than northern urban and suburban areas.
KO — October 4, 2011
Some minorities get to touch Joseph Gordan-Levitt's bald head in 50/50, but I think that might be in a different trailer. Anyway, this article was amazing.
Alexandra — October 5, 2011
Courageous follows 4 cop characters, two of whom are POC, apparently. So apparently, POC can be cops who face tragedies, have crappy marriages, and try to be honorable, Godly men.
weekend nomz – october has arrived | Visions of Arcadia — October 8, 2011
[...] Dear movie industry, really? Check out the role of white people vs those of people of colour in this year’s movie [...]
Links « 50ft Feminist — October 9, 2011
[...] images had a number of great posts this week. There’s one here about the difference between the roles of white people and non-white people in movies. The other [...]
Ben Zvan — October 12, 2011
I am proud to have not seen very many of these films.
Trailer Trashing at Sociological Images « Ars Marginal — October 22, 2011
[...] movie trailers tell you what White people can do vs. what people of color can do. Share this:TwitterFacebookStumbleUponEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
Melwein — November 20, 2018
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