Tags : mudflap, racist, skids, transformers 2
Reality Check: “Transformers 2″ Is Not Racist
Much has already been said elsewhere about the so-called “racist” robots from the recently released “Transformers” sequel, claiming the characters Mudflap and Skids are poor and offensive caricatures of African Americans and black culture in general – everything from the voice acting to the “gold tooth” to their facial features is being used as evidence for these arguments. However, there are a few problems with this:
- Who ever said they were supposed to be black characters?
- One of the two voice actors responsible for the robots’ personalities is black.
- It’s not racist.
Let’s assume, for simplicity of argument, that both voice actors were told to portray this kind of character, with the intent of producing a “ghetto” robot, and they both obviously agreed to participate. Does the studio asking them to create such characters constitute racism? Or even some sort of one-sided stereotyping? I would argue no, and the reasons are quite clear.
First, look at any number of accepted pieces in the media: The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, most of Eddie Murphy’s work, and anything Tyler Perry has ever sketched an outline for on a napkin. Do they not include generalizations and stereotypes? If so, does the race of the characters’ creator somehow alter the offensiveness? Stereotypes prevail in media regardless of race – Everybody Loves Raymond and Will Ferrell movies will easily prove this as true for those who happen to be white.
Second, how can these robots be caricatures when the behaviors and language are modeled off of reality? Compare Mudflap or Skids to Lil Wayne, Kanye West, or most modern rappers/”gangstas” – are there discernible differences? Does Transformers take it past the point of reality as an over-the-top portrayal of real life? No.
Bill Cosby famously once said that the rappers and “gangstas” of the world were doing nothing but perpetuating their own stereotypes to the detriment of their race. By these kinds of personalities being included in modern movies, and even portrayed by futuristic robots, it could be argued that the purveyors of such culture finally won the battle – they are recognized as a cultural subset worthy of big screen attention.
Is it sad to see such changes happen in the modern world, both on and off the screen? Of course – any time people choose to be unintelligent and offensive for the simple reason of being so, it is a loss to humanity. But is it racist for these changes to appear on the silver screen? No – most movies are a presentation of an augmented reality, and Transformers is no different in this regard.
So let’s leave Michael Bay alone, alright?
Kyle Brady is a contributing columnist for the Inquisitr, an entrepreneur, and has a future in science fiction. He can be found at his blog, via email, or on Twitter.
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