NgZiEn,Beatrice

S10162733D
CommunicationIssues
T208
MovieAnalysis
Thefilm42surroundsthestoryofJackieRobinson,playedbyChadwickBoseman,an
AfricanAmericanbaseballplayerfromKansasCitywhowasscoutedbyBranchRickey,
playedbyHarrisonFord,toplayfortheBrooklynDodgers.42followsthestoryofhow
Robinsondealtwithpressureduenotonlytohimreceivingracistinsultsforhisparticipation
asaplayerinBrooklynDodgersbutalsostruggledwithhisinabilitytofitintohisteam.42
greatlyglorifiesthesuperiorityoftheWhitesinthe1940s,whereracismwasnotconsidereda
tabooandtheWhites,whohadtheupperhand,hadnoqualmsaboutactingonit.Thebiggest
andmostblatantissueinthemovieisracism,thoughitdoesnotshowthehelplessnessor
inferiorityofAfricanAmericansexplicitlyinthemovie.Themovie,infact,showshowone
canovercomeanyoddsandbethesparkthatstartsarevolutionarychangeinattitudeand
perspective.Hencethismovietriestomakeviewersseeracialracisminadifferentlight,
where it shows how it just takes one person to make a significant difference in various
situationsleadingtotheacceptanceofRobinson.
Thefirstpointofdiscussionwillbeonracism,linkingtoracialstereotypes,followedby
discussionsonthetheoryofSpiralofSilenceandlastlyagendasetting.
AccordingtoDavidJ.Schneider,A.L.Edwards,authorofJournalofSocialPsychology,said,
astereotypeisastimuluswhicharousesstandardizedpreconceptionswhichareinfluentialin
determiningonesresponsetothestimulus(Schneider,16).Thismeansthatstereotyping
willoccurwhenonehasamentalclassificationofcertainattributestodifferentgroupsof
peoplethatareassumedtobetrue.
Inthemovie,aflightattendantwitnessedRobinsonswife,Rachel,enteringtheladiesroom,
whichspecificallystatedthatitwasforWhitesOnly.Theattendantsubsequentlygavethe
pairs tickets to an elderly couple without informing Robinson and his wife and when
confronted,challengedthepairtocallthelocalsheriff,implyingthatthesheriffwillstandon
herside.
ThisclearlyshowsthatAfricanAmericansareconstantlybeingbrandedasuntouchables,
forevencommonsharingtoiletshavetobeseparatedbyrace.Thisstereotypicalthinkingis
causedbytheprevailingissueofracisminthemovie,wheretheAfricanAmericanswere
oftendiscriminatedagainstforbeingtheminorityrace.Inreality,thissameformofracism
hasledtooverassociationsandstereotypesofAfricanAmericansaslawbreakers.Astudy
conductedinlate1995bytwomediaresearchersTravisDixonandDanielLinzwasdesigned
torevealhowTVnewscastersinanunnamedAmericancityrepresentedAfricanAmericans
and Latinos in crimerelated stories. In a comparison method known as interreality
comparison, when the Dixon and Linz uncovered actual crime data, it was revealed that
African Americans comprised of only 21% of all criminal arrest, the lowest percentage
amongst Whites and Latinos, however, the comprised the highest percentage perpetrators
representedonTVnewswith37%,whereasonly21%ofperpetratorsshownonTVwere
Whiteswhentheycompriseof28%oftotalcriminalarrest(Spark,177178).Thisformof
portrayalhasledmanytoassociateAfricanAmericansaslawbreakers,anegativeformof
stereotypesimilartotheoneportrayedin42wheretheywereportrayedasuntouchables.

Theissueofracismhasgreatlyimprovedoverthelastthreedecades,withthewidespreadof
variousopinionsfromoutletssuchastheInternetwherefreedomofspeechiscommonly
observed.Thishasledtoamoreopenmindedsociety,whichinturnallowsonetoembrace
difference.
ThetermSpiralofSilencereferstothegreatamountofpressureonefeelstohideandconceal
their views when they think or feel like they belong to a minority group (Griffin, 372).
ElisabethNoelleNeumann,professorofcommunicationresearchattheUniversityofMainz
inGermany,attributedtheconceptofSpiralofSilencetoaquasistatisticalorgan,asixth
senseapartformthefivebodilyreceptorsthatconsolidatesinformationaboutwhatsocietyin
general is thinking and feeling, without conducting actual surveys or interviews (Griffin,
373).
However,themovieportrayedthereversalofthistheory,whichmeansdespiteknowingthat
oneisintheminoritygroupofabelieforprejudice,thatpersoniswillingtospeakupwithout
fearofisolation.
In the movie it was evidently seen that Robinsons teammates were unaccepting of him
initially, even signing a petition in hopes to get him out of the team but when he was
provoked by Philadelphia Phillies manager Ben Chapman, played by Alan Tudyk, his
teammatePeeWeeReese,playedbyLucasBlack,stoodupforhim.
ItisevidentinthemoviethatdespitethebulkofthemovieshowingRobinsonasanoutcast
andhisstrugglestofindhisbelongingintheteam,attimeswherehewasindiresituations,
Reesemanagedtogathercouragetostandupforhimdespitetheironythathewastheone
thatkickstartedthepetitiontodriveRobinsonoutoftheteam.Subsequently,therestofhis
teamslowlyacceptedtheideaofhavingRobinsonasateamplayer,asshowninascenein
whichallbutonestayedtosharetheshowerwithRobinson.ThereversalofSpiralofSilence
inmoviecanbeduetorighteousnessReesefelt,whereitdawnedonhimthathurlinginsults
atRobinsonwasnottherightthingtodobecauseevenastrongpersonhashislimits.Inreal
life,suchsituationsarebecomingincreasinglycommonagainduetotheriseofsocialmedia
platformsandforums.InaresearchdonebyShellyA.Neill,FrancesBowenandBlackmon
conductedananalysisofthedynamicsofgaysandlesbiansandtheirchosetoremainsilentor
speak out within workplace organizations. Their study included findings of an existing
negativeclimateofopinionthatpreventedthegayandlesbianindividualstorevealtheir
sexualorientationforfearofisolationduetomediasshunningoftheLesbian,Gay,Bisexual
andTransgender (LGBT) community.Fromthis analysis, Neilldiscoveredfrom her own
findingsthatinrecentyears,withthewidespreadofforums,manylikemindedindividuals
fromtheLGBTcommunityhavebegancomingtogethertoexpresssupportforeachother.
(Neill,How).Thisshowsthatwithsocialmediaisplace,manymorevoiceshaveplatforms
wheretheycanbeheard,allowingpeopletobreakawayfromtheSpiralofSilenceinan
efforttobetheirtrueself.
BreakingawayfromtheSpiralofSilenceisoftenseenasanewinnovationtocertainextent,
wheredifferentviewpointsarefinallyhearddespitethemajoritywhosevoicessayotherwise.
Perhapsthiscouldbecreditedtothefactthatonecanchoosetoremainanonymousonline,
makingthesharingofdifferedperspectiveseasier.
RichardJacksonHarrissaidinhisbookthatM.EMcCombsandS.Gilbertdefinedagenda
settingastheabilityofthemassmediatostructureaudiencecognitionsandtoeffectchange
amongexistingcognitions(Harris,34).JournalismprofessorsMcCombsandDonaldShaw

believedthatmassmediahavetheabilitytotransferthesalienceofitemsontheirnews
agendastothepublicagenda(Griffin,359).
Inthemovie,manyreporters,inattemptstoinciteahatefulcommentfromRobinson,probed
himwithquestionsthatweredirective,suchasWhatareyougoingtodoifoneofthese
Whitepitchersthrowsatyourhead?Thereporterswerehopingforprovocativeanswerfrom
Robinsontochannelmorehatredtowardshimwhenreadersreadthenews.
ThroughwhatcouldhavebeengatekeepingifRobinsondidnotremainsilentwhenprobed
thequestion,thereportersweretryingtocreateanillusiontoitsreadersthatRobinsonwas
vengeful, stirring more negative emotions among the Whites towards him. This agenda
settingwasdoneinhopesofpressurizingRanchtoretracthisdecisionofsigningRobinsonto
theteam,tokeepthingsthewaythewere.Inoursociety,suchcasesofagendasettingusing
gatekeepinghavebeencaughtredhandedbysharpeyedviewersandanalytics.In2003as
reported by NBC, the toppling of Saddam Husseins statue was discovered tohave been
staged.Inwhatwasreportedbycablenetworksontelevision,Iraqiciviliansweretheones
whoinitiatedthetopplingofthestatue.TheillusionthatmanyIraqicivilianswerepresentto
celebrate the liberation was also created through media portrayal. However, after many
analyticsandreporterslookedintotheevent,itwasunraveledthatitwasanunnamedMarine
colonelformtheStateswhoinitiatedthetopplingofthestatueandnotIraqiciviliansas
reported.Aftertheinitiation,manyquickthinkingMarineCropsthenusedloudspeakersto
askcivilianstojoininthetramplingofthestatue,makingtheentireincidentseemlikeitwas
plannedandexecutedbyhotbloodedandvengefulIraqicivilians(SomervellCountyTexas,
Video).Thisincidentillustrateshowpowerfulandmanipulativeagendasettingcanbebut
withintuitiveandinvestigativeskills,thetruthcanbeuncovered.
Agendasetting,moreoftenthannot,areusednegativelytocreateillusionsandfoolreaders
intobelievingwhatisnot.However,agendasettingcanbeusedpositivelyifusedright,for
theyhelpusthinkcriticallyandexploredifferentviewpointsinsteadofabsorbingwhatis
giventouswholly.
Inconclusion,watchingthemovieuncoveredmanysocietalproblemsthatarestillpresent
today.Whetherisitablaringorlessnoticedproblem,themovieteachesthatitonlytakesone
persontohavecouragetomakeachangeandthatnonconformistscanalsochange.
WordCount:1599words

42
MovieAnalysis
CommunicationIssues

NgZiEn,Beatrice
S10162733D
T208

WorkCited
Griffin,Em.AFirstLookAtCommunicationTheory.NewYork:McGrawHill
HigherEducation,2009,Print.
Harris,RichardJackson.ACognitivePsychologyofMassCommunication.New
Jersey:LawrenceErlbaumAssociatesInc.,2004,Print
Neill,Shelly,A.TheAlternateChannel:HowSocialMediaIsChallengingThe
SpiralofSilenceTheoryinGLBTCommunitiesofColor.WashingtonD.C:
AmericanUniversity,May2009,Web.
Schneider,David,J.ThePsychologyofStereotyping.NewYork:GuilfordPress,
2004,Print.
Sparks,Glenn,G.MediaEffectsResearch.Belmont:WadsworthGroup,2002,
Print.
SomervellCountyTexas.FakeTopplingofSaddamsStatuein2003.Online
videoclip.YouTube.YouTube.Mar11.2008.Web.9June.2016.