Stereotypes

Stereotypes

Task 1: Perkins 5 assumptions 

1) Stereotypes are not always negative.

In Hotel Babylon, stereotypes are not always shown as negative. One example of this is a black male cleaner, who is actually qualified as a doctor. He is portrayed as uneducated and less well-off, because of his job and ethnicity. This shows that as an audience, assumptions were made which don't portray him as an educated, clever doctor. This is a positive stereotype as he is actually something better than the audience expects.

2) Not always about minority groups or the less powerful.

This is shown in Hotel Babylon, as there are still stereotypes about white people, even though they are the majority. One example of this is the blonde woman on reception, who owns the hotel. She is an intelligent, educated and powerful woman, but is still portrayed as a 'dumb blonde'. When talking to the police she mentions a code to another employee, which makes the audience believe she has too many things going on in her head and she is unorganised. When actually she is trying to buy time to help hide the immigrants.

3) Can be held about one's own group

White people are seen as the racist, upper class, richer people in Hotel Babylon. The police and immigration officers are portrayed and represented as racist as that is their job, they are meant to be seen as the 'baddies' and the 'ugly' characters. As white people are seen as the majority, they are portrayed to attack the minority, which is black people. They have different stereotypes to black people, but still about their image, ethnicity and class. In Hotel Babylon white people are still stereotyped as the bossy, rich and racist members of society.

4) Not rigid or unchanging
Attitudes have changed towards people of a different ethnicity. For example, stereotypes are no longer as racist, such as the black cleaner in Hotel Babylon, just being an uneducated cleaner, not a doctor. People's attitudes and outlook to people of a different ethnicity has changed and aren't so rigid. Now people are seen as equal, no matter what their skin colour is or their backgrounds. The stereotypes towards white people has also changed, blonde women are no longer seen as 'dumb' or 'just a pretty face'. One example of changing stereotypes in Hotel Babylon is the Asian woman who helps the immigrants. Her stereotype is that she is kind and intelligent, however, when a cleaner faints she is unsure on what to do, and doesn't understand when the man gives her sugar. This is a changing stereotype as now she is seen as 'dumb' and 'incapable'. 

5) Not always false
One example of a stereotype that isn't always false is that the 'baddies' are portrayed as a middle-aged white man. This is often the case for the 'baddies' as they aren't likable and are 'ugly'. This shows that in other TV dramas or films the bad people are offers shown as white men. This is representing them as having more power and being disliked by many people from different likeable ethnicities. There is a conflict between the different ethnicity groups in Hotel Babylon. There is also this type of conflict in real life and other TV dramas and films. It is common as people can seem racist or prejudice towards each other. These stereotypes aren't always false if they are based on a real situation or issue. 

Task 2

Leon Festinger can be used to explain why TV shows such as Hotel Babylon are popular. Cognitive dissonance is when people try to avoid changing their beliefs unless they are faced with a clear and overwhelming amount of evidence against it. This shows that people want confirmation of their beliefs and thoughts. This is related to Hotel Babylon as the audience will watch this TV show and see evidence of discrimination and racism towards the black and Asian ethnicities. This will make the audience change their beliefs about the different ethnicities, as they will see it is wrong to be prejudice, racist and to discriminate.