CMP- 101- 03
23 March 2018
Summary of “The Importance of Neglected Intersections”
In “The Importance of Neglected Intersections: Race and Gender in Contemporary Zombie Texts and Theories”, Kinitra Brooks makes a compelling argument that women of color lack the correct representation in movies, specifically in zombie films (Brooks, 462). Black feminists believe that gender and racial discrimination equally oppress black women and one cannot be held in higher value (Brooks, 461). In horror movies/ texts, the women are more often than not white and the African Americans are usually men (Brooks, 463).
When women are depicted in horror films, they tend to be a boyish white woman; however, when women of color make it into horror films, they are portrayed as overly masculine, much different than the white woman (Brooks, 464). Women are portrayed this way in horror films because it appeals the the majority audience which tends to be a younger, white, male viewer (Brooks, 465). Often times in horror films, the black people in the movie are men (Brooks, 466). Even if both genders are black in a movie, the film critics focus on the black male characters (Brooks, 466). Filmmakers are so content to touch on the issues of race that they oftentimes forget to hit on the issues of gender (Brooks, 467).
Screenwriters that incorporate black, female leads like to give the characters a complicated backstory and the viewer can watch the character grow (Brooks, 468-469). In Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, a black, female character, Michonne, is portrayed as a strong, black woman (Brooks, 469). At first, it sounds as if she is being compared to the stereotype of black women in movies, but she really is a badass character that the viewer enjoys (she even has two zombies that obey her) (Brooks, 469). Michonne represents overlooking the struggle and oppression in the past to grow and face the current problems at hand (Brooks,...