That’s Not Me:
Understanding Archetypes and Stereotypes
LESSON ONE
ACTIVITY II INTRODUCTION ACTIVITY I LESSON TWO Images Courtesy of They've Gotta Have Us

That’s Not Me:
Understanding Archetypes and Stereotypes
LESSON ONE
ACTIVITY II INTRODUCTION ACTIVITY I LESSON TWO Images Courtesy of They've Gotta Have Us
Black film’s unheralded arrival in the United States had originally emerged during the silent-film era, and it persisted despite its struggles for survival with the expensive coming of sound technologies, emergent film studio industries, and unionized film workers’ racist Jim Crow (racial separation) practices, and subsequently, postwar racial politics in the United States and abroad. Black film production, exhibition, distribution, aesthetics, politics, audiences, and economics over time were difficult either to deny or to fully co-opt or assimilate.”

– Dr. Anna Everett

Black film’s unheralded arrival in the United States had originally emerged during the silent-film era, and it persisted despite its struggles for survival with the expensive coming of sound technologies, emergent film studio industries, and unionized film workers’ racist Jim Crow (racial separation) practices, and subsequently, postwar racial politics in the United States and abroad. Black film production, exhibition, distribution, aesthetics, politics, audiences, and economics over time were difficult either to deny or to fully co-opt or assimilate.”

– Dr. Anna Everett

LESSON ONE

Key theme

  • Representation in Storytelling and Media

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, participants will be able to: 

  • Identify various archetypes and stereotypes in media
  • Practice eradicating stereotypes

IMAGE: “Her [Dorthy Dandridge’s] role as the lead character in Carmen Jones (Preminger, 1954) helped make her a star. She was the first black featured on the cover of Life magazine. In Island in the Sun (Zanuck & Rossen, 1957) she was the first black woman to be held — lovingly — in the arms of a white man in an American movie. She was a beautiful and talented actress, but Hollywood was not ready for a Black leading lady; the only roles offered to her were variants of the tragic mulatto theme.” –Source: Ferris State University, Jim Crow Museum

Dorothy Dandridge, Cannes Film Festival, 1955 [Photo by Archive Photo / Getty Images]

LESSON ONE

Key theme

  • Representation in Storytelling and Media

Objectives

At the end of this lesson, participants will be able to: 

  • Identify various archetypes and stereotypes in media
  • Practice eradicating stereotypes
Dorothy Dandridge, Cannes Film Festival, 1955
[Photo by Archive Photo / Getty Images]

IMAGE: “Her [Dorthy Dandridge’s] role as the lead character in Carmen Jones (Preminger, 1954) helped make her a star. She was the first black featured on the cover of Life magazine. In Island in the Sun (Zanuck & Rossen, 1957) she was the first black woman to be held — lovingly — in the arms of a white man in an American movie. She was a beautiful and talented actress, but Hollywood was not ready for a Black leading lady; the only roles offered to her were variants of the tragic mulatto theme.” –Source: Ferris State University, Jim Crow Museum

LESSON ONE

Introduction

The Power of Representation

In 1990, Rudine Sims Bishop commented on the power of representation in texts in her foundational article, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors,” explaining that “Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.”

Known to many as the Mother of Multicultural Literature, Bishop illuminated the importance of the contents of children’s literature on children’s attitudes toward themselves and others — “When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part,” Bishop wrote. Conversely, “Children from dominant social groups have always found their mirrors in books, but they, too, have suffered from the lack of availability of books about others. They need books that will help them understand the multicultural nature of the world they live in, and their place as a member of just one group, as well as their connections to all other humans.”

Bishop’s findings can and should be applied to TV and film; the ways we see ourselves and others depicted onscreen have profound effects on our cognitive development. By learning as much as we can about archetypes and stereotypes, we can consciously create stories and characters that uplift and portray more realistic, rather than stereotypical, portraits of people.

They’ve Gotta Have Us (TGHU) chronicles the journey of Black creatives, visionaries, producers, directors and filmmakers who use intentional imagery to tell stories.

LESSON ONE

Activity I. Break the Code

Procedures

Begin by watching a scene from Episode One of They’ve Gotta Have Us. In this clip, legendary artist and activist Harry Belafonte describes his experiences with stereotypes in the media.

Examine the history of The Hays Code, also known as the Motion Picture Production Code by reading this article and this article. Hollywood’s censorship affected everyone from Harry Belafonte to the cartoon character Betty Boop.

Answer the reflection questions in the next section.

LESSON ONE

Activity I. Reflection Questions

  • 1
    Did the rules in the Hays Code (1930s – 60s) reflect the injustices African Americans were experiencing in society during that time? Use this civil rights timeline for guidance.
  • 2
    What groups of people were marginalized by the Hays Code?
  • 3
    In what ways did the Hays Code contribute to racial, ethnic and gender-based stereotypes?
  • 1
    Did the rules in the Hays Code (1930s – 60s) reflect the injustices African Americans were experiencing in society during that time? Use this civil rights timeline for guidance.
  • 2
    What groups of people were marginalized by the Hays Code?
  • 3
    In what ways did the Hays Code contribute to racial, ethnic and gender-based stereotypes?

Want to learn more?

Check out this lesson plan from lgbtqhistory.org that explores the Hays Code as it relates to Queer film representation.

Watch this short video to learn more about film star Anna May Wong. Like Mr. Belafonte, even at the height of her career, Ms. Wong was prevented from performing an interracial kiss on screen, due to the Hays Code.

As Pulitzer Prize finalist and cultural critic Soraya Nadia McDonald said in an insightful and educational 2021 Twitter thread, “The Hays Code/Industry Policy thinking is still deeply ingrained within Hollywood. “Basically, for like 3 decades studios were like, ‘You can’t identify whiteness or racism as the villain of your Negro motion picture’ and they’re still doing it.”

In this next activity, we will study stereotypes in the media. How can you recognize stereotypes? How can you dispel stereotypes? What role have we all played in perpetuating these decades-old tropes, and whose responsibility is it to disrupt and insist on new depictions for people of all kinds?

The Archetypes

In order to explore stereotypes, we must first understand archetypes. What is an archetype? To answer that question, we have to briefly learn more about Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. He suggests that the characters we see in images, plays, literature and films all fit within twelve archetypes. An archetype is like an original character trait or a prototype. All other characters come from these original characters. Here are the 12 Jungian archetypes: The Sage, The Innocent, The Explorer, The Ruler, The Creator, The Caregiver, The Magician, The Hero, The Outlaw, The Lover, The Jester and The Regular Person. Archetypes are recognizable, no matter your sex, race or culture and Jung believed that you could find these archetypes in stories around the world.

Let’s pause for a moment to acknowledge that even though Jung has been celebrated for his work in psychology, he has also been called out for his racist beliefs. In 1988 Dr. Farhad Dalal published a paper in the British Journal of Psychotherapy entitled ‘Jung: A racist.’ It would be thirty years before the Jung Institute acknowledged the harm done through some of Jung’s research. “We cannot allow institutional racism to survive unnoticed in our midst as we read and teach Jung,” stated the apology. “Failure to acknowledge and apologize for these offensive attitudes, and their potential harm and confusion, is also not in keeping with the spirit and ethos of people who, like us, currently participate in Jungian and post-Jungian communities that support and value diversity, gender equality, social justice, political activism, and respect for differences in populations, cultures, religions, and sexual orientations.”

Now, let’s explore examples of archetypes.

Click the cards to see the definition and examples of archetypes.

Tap the cards to see the definition and examples of archetypes.

The Sage

The Sage

A character who is didactically wise; often depicted as a neurotic man who’s too old to perform the skills he teaches.

Examples:

• Yoda in Return of the Jedi
• Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid
• Morpheus in The Matrix

The Innocent

The Innocent

A character who rejects “sin;” and refuses to perform evil deeds.

Examples:

• Prince Akeem in Coming to America
• Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
• Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump

The Explorer

The Explorer

A character who ventures to uncharted lands, both literally and metaphorically.

Examples:

• Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones movies
• Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movies
• Erin Brokovich in Erin Brokovich

The Ruler

The Ruler

A character whose word is widely accepted as sovereign.

Examples:

• Mufasa in The Lion King
• President Beck in Deep Impact
• Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia

The Creator

The Creator

A character who brings immaterial ideas to the material world.

Examples:

• Miles Dyson in Terminator 2: Judgement Day
• Dr. Brown in Back to the Future
• Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein

The Caregiver

The Caregiver

A character who provides care; often depicted as an older woman.

Examples:

• The Nurse in Romeo & Juliet
• Lena Younger (Mama) in A Raisin in the Sun
• Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman movies

The Magician

The Magician

A character who bridges the gap between ancient and modern knowledge; often boasts a supernatural ability.

Examples:

• Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings
• Mordo in Dr. Strange
• The Goblin King in Labyrinth

The Hero

The Hero

A character who displays an utmost commitment to their morals, no matter the circumstance; commonly promotes courage and resolve.

Examples:

• Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings
• T’Challa in Black Panther
• Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird

The Outlaw

The Outlaw

A character who operates outside of the law, either explicitly or implicitly.

Examples:

• Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies
• Catwoman in Catwoman
• Robin Hood in Robin Hood

The Lover

The Lover

A character who’s predominantly defined by their love for others.

Examples:

• Coretta Scott King in Selma
• Fredo Corleone in The Godfather movies
• Claudia in L’avventura

The Jester

The Jester

A character who laughs in the face of social conventions.

Examples:

• Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
• Rod Williams in Get Out
• Arthur Fleck in Joker

The Regular Person

The Regular Person

A character who conforms to social conventions; background and supplemental to the other archetypes.

The Sage

The Sage

A character who is didactically wise; often depicted as a neurotic man who’s too old to perform the skills he teaches.

Examples:

• Yoda in Return of the Jedi
• Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid
• Morpheus in The Matrix

The Innocent

The Innocent

A character who rejects “sin;” and refuses to perform evil deeds.

Examples:

• Prince Akeem in Coming to America
• Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
• Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump

The Explorer

The Explorer

A character who ventures to uncharted lands, both literally and metaphorically.

Examples:

• Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones movies
• Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movies
• Erin Brokovich in Erin Brokovich

The Ruler

The Ruler

A character whose word is widely accepted as sovereign.

Examples:

• Mufasa in The Lion King
• President Beck in Deep Impact
• Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia

The Creator

The Creator

A character who brings immaterial ideas to the material world.

Examples:

• Miles Dyson in Terminator 2: Judgement Day
• Dr. Brown in Back to the Future
• Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein

The Caregiver

The Caregiver

A character who provides care; often depicted as an older woman.

Examples:

• The Nurse in Romeo & Juliet
• Lena Younger (Mama) in A Raisin in the Sun
• Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman movies

The Magician

The Magician

A character who bridges the gap between ancient and modern knowledge; often boasts a supernatural ability.

Examples:

• Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings
• Mordo in Dr. Strange
• The Goblin King in Labyrinth

The Hero

The Hero

A character who displays an utmost commitment to their morals, no matter the circumstance; commonly promotes courage and resolve.

Examples:

• Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings
• T’Challa in Black Panther
• Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird

The Outlaw

The Outlaw

A character who operates outside of the law, either explicitly or implicitly.

Examples:

• Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies
• Catwoman in Catwoman
• Robin Hood in Robin Hood

The Lover

The Lover

A character who’s predominantly defined by their love for others.

Examples:

• Coretta Scott King in Selma
• Fredo Corleone in The Godfather movies
• Claudia in L’avventura

The Jester

The Jester

A character who laughs in the face of social conventions.

Examples:

• Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
• Rod Williams in Get Out
• Arthur Fleck in Joker

The Regular Person

The Regular Person

A character who conforms to social conventions; background and supplemental to the other archetypes.

The Sage

The Sage

A character who is didactically wise; often depicted as a neurotic man who’s too old to perform the skills he teaches.

Examples:

• Yoda in Return of the Jedi
• Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid
• Morpheus in The Matrix

The Innocent

The Innocent

A character who rejects “sin;” and refuses to perform evil deeds.

Examples:

• Prince Akeem in Coming to America
• Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
• Forrest Gump in Forrest Gump

The Explorer

The Explorer

A character who ventures to uncharted lands, both literally and metaphorically.

Examples:

• Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones movies
• Captain Kirk in the Star Trek movies
• Erin Brokovich in Erin Brokovich

The Ruler

The Ruler

A character whose word is widely accepted as sovereign.

Examples:

• Mufasa in The Lion King
• President Beck in Deep Impact
• Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia

The Creator

The Creator

A character who brings immaterial ideas to the material world.

Examples:

• Miles Dyson in Terminator 2: Judgement Day
• Dr. Brown in Back to the Future
• Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein

The Caregiver

The Caregiver

A character who provides care; often depicted as an older woman.

Examples:

• The Nurse in Romeo & Juliet
• Lena Younger (Mama) in A Raisin in the Sun
• Alfred Pennyworth in the Batman movies

The Magician

The Magician

A character who bridges the gap between ancient and modern knowledge; often boasts a supernatural ability.

Examples:

• Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings
• Mordo in Dr. Strange
• The Goblin King in Labyrinth

The Hero

The Hero

A character who displays an utmost commitment to their morals, no matter the circumstance; commonly promotes courage and resolve.

Examples:

• Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings
• T’Challa in Black Panther
• Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird

The Outlaw

The Outlaw

A character who operates outside of the law, either explicitly or implicitly.

Examples:

• Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies
• Catwoman in Catwoman
• Robin Hood in Robin Hood

The Lover

The Lover

A character who’s predominantly defined by their love for others.

Examples:

• Coretta Scott King in Selma
• Fredo Corleone in The Godfather movies
• Claudia in L’avventura

The Jester

The Jester

A character who laughs in the face of social conventions.

Examples:

• Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
• Rod Williams in Get Out
• Arthur Fleck in Joker

The Regular Person

The Regular Person

A character who conforms to social conventions; background and supplemental to the other archetypes.

LESSON ONE

Activity II. Stereotypes in Media

Now that you’ve learned about archetypes, let’s diagnose ethnic stereotypes in media.

In contrast to archetypes, stereotypes are typically defined as caricatures: the dumb jock, the super-intelligent Asian, the dangerous Black man and the funny fat girl are a few examples. These stereotypes have historically been used to make audiences laugh, but oftentimes the real-life consequence is that audiences leave the theater and hang on to those fictional depictions. “Radio, television, film, and other products of media culture provide materials out of which we forge our very identities; our sense of selfhood; our notion of what it means to be male or female; our sense of class, of ethnicity and race, of nationality, of sexuality; and of ‘us’ and ‘them’,” writes Dr. Douglas Kellner, education professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. “Media images help shape our view of the world and our deepest values: what we consider good or bad, positive or negative, moral or evil.”

Racist stereotypes in the early days of media helped shape the way the world saw minorities. For some audience members in the early twentieth century, a minority on screen might have been their only interaction with a person of another race.

In this next activity, we will study stereotypes in the media. How can you recognize stereotypes? How can you dispel stereotypes? What role have we all played in perpetuating these decades-old tropes and whose responsibility is it to disrupt and insist on new depictions for people of all kinds?

Procedures
  • Watch this video on archetypes and stereotypes in the media.
  • Download this PDF.
  • Analyze the movie clips that follow.
  • Identify the stereotypes and archetypes that might be associated with the characters presented.
  • Take action and break the stereotype.

Expand the sections below to see examples of stereotypes in film and how to change them.

In this section we will analyze African-American stereotypes in film.

Watch the following clip from Robert Townsend’s Hollywood Shuffle:

Questions to consider

Why is the grandmother (Helen Martin) upset? Why does Bobby (Robert Townsend) want to assimilate into a system that reduces him to a stereotype? Do you know where the stereotype originated?

Questions to consider

Why is the grandmother (Helen Martin) upset? Why does Bobby (Robert Townsend) want to assimilate into a system that reduces him to a stereotype? Where did the stereotype originate?


In this section we will analyze Asian stereotypes in film.

Watch he following clip from John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles:

Questions to consider

What role is Long Duk Dong supposed to play—do Asian characters usually play comedic roles? What are the character’s defining aspects? Why is he dating a woman that’s much taller than he is?

Questions to consider

What role is Long Duk Dong supposed to play—do Asian characters usually play comedic roles? What are the character’s defining aspects? Why is he dating a woman that’s much taller than he is?


In this section we will analyze the Irish stereotype.

Watch the following clip from Saturday Night Live:

Questions to consider

Is this scene inflammatory to Irish people? Why or why not? What role does comedy have in perpetuating stereotypes?

Questions to consider

Is this scene inflammatory to Irish people? Why or why not? What role does comedy have in perpetuating stereotypes?


In this section we will analyze the Jewish stereotype.

Watch the following clip from Sopranos:

Questions to consider

Is it wrong for a character to be openly racist? What responsibility do writers have when creating racist characters? For those familiar with The Sopranos, how does Junior’s (Dominic Chianese) anti-semitism relate to the ethnic conflict in the show?

Questions to consider

Is it wrong for a character to be openly racist? What responsibility do writers have when creating racist characters? For those familiar with The Sopranos, how does Junior’s (Dominic Chianese) anti-semitism relate to the ethnic conflict in the show?


In this section we will analyze the Latina stereotype.

Watch the following clip from Modern Family:

Questions to consider

Why are women of Latin heritage often depicted as loud, domineering forces? Should writers avoid this stereotype so as not to perpetuate it?

Questions to consider

Why are women of Latin heritage often depicted as loud, domineering forces? Should writers avoid this stereotype so as not to perpetuate it?


LESSON ONE

Activity II. Reflection Questions

  • 1
    What is the point of stereotypes?
  • 2
    Should stereotypes be used? How can they be avoided?
  • 3
    Are ethnic stereotypes “worse” than roled stereotypes such as “the dumb jock?”
  • 4
    Are stereotypes ingrained in the collective unconscious?
  • 1
    What is the point of stereotypes?
  • 2
    Should stereotypes be used? How can they be avoided?
  • 3
    Are ethnic stereotypes “worse” than roled stereotypes such as “the dumb jock?”
  • 4
    Are stereotypes ingrained in the collective unconscious?

Digging Deeper

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