#oxyvisualanalysis

We look to Sigmund Freud’s “The Uncanny,” Jacques Lacan’s “The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I,” and Frantz Fanon’s “The Negro and Psychopathology” for our inquiry into the functions of psychoanalysis and subjectivity when examining visual texts.

Why do people call an experience or event uncanny, and what makes an occurrence that appears to be uncanny but is not uncanny?

What is the relation of personal neurosis to social passions?

In what ways are oppressed and marginalized viewers alienated when they are not or rarely represented?

While the song “Can’t Hold Us Down” by Christina Aguilera1 is mostly about female empowerment and resisting gender stereotypes, the music video conveys even more, with stark imagery of a community that is made up primarily of people of color. The intersectionality that the video possesses is key to understanding its message. In Stuart Hall’s essay “What is this ‘black’ in black popular culture?2,” he introduces his idea that the “Black” in Black popular culture is not a set idea, rather it is a fluid conversation of Blackness. In his words, “What we are talking about is the struggle over cultural hegemony, which is these days waged as much in popular culture as anywhere else”3. While, as I stated earlier, on the surface this video is about what it means to be a woman, its underlying themes are of race and representation, which is the real battle being fought. This intersectionality is still key to Hall’s philosophy. As he says, “We are always in negotiation, not with a single set of oppositions that place us always in the same relation to others, but with a series of different positionalities”4. Aguilera’s exploration of themes of sexuality while using the backdrop of a primarily people-of-color community is this video’s way of continuing the conversation about what it means to be “Black”, or in the video’s case, simply “other”. “The Other” is a concept Edouard Edward Said introduces in his seminal book Orientalism5. In the context of the Orient, better known as Asia, he states that “​​The Orient is not only adjacent to Europe; it is also the place of Europe’s greatest and richest and oldest colonies, the source of its civilizations and languages, its cultural contestant, and one of its deepest and most recurring images of the other”6. He goes on to say that Europe sees Asia as “its contrasting image, idea, personality, experience”7, yet it is “an integral of European material civilization and culture”7. While Aguilera’s video does not explicitly speak about Orientalism, some key themes are very present. In Orientalism, Said refers to the way Asia is perceived as “‘a place of romance, exotic beings, haunting memories and landscapes, remarkable experiences”6. Essentially, Orientalism places emphasis on the mystification of Asian culture, through the power of European colonialism. The environment Aguilera’s video is set in is extremely colorful, and, as previously mentioned, mostly populated with people of color. Most of the very few white people in this video appear in the beginning, shown throwing milk into the street below. This can be seen as a representation of Orientalist themes. The white people are placed above the people of color who populate the streets below, and throw milk onto them, which can represent the Orientalist turn of imposing Euro-centricity on the culture of those colonized and disenfranchised.

Of course, the question must be asked, is this music video an authentic representation of the culture and community that it’s presenting to us? In their book Unthinking Eurocentrism8, Ella Shohat and Robert Stam consider the way that race and representation exist in the media. Under the section “Writing Hollywood And Race” in the chapter “Stereotype, Realism And The Struggle Over Representation,” they argue that there is an important distinction between media image and social reality. They use the documentary Color Adjustment to help their argument, stating that “Color Adjustment underlines this contrast between media image and social reality by suggestively juxtaposing sitcom episodes with documentary street footage”9. I’d like to pose the thought that perhaps Aguilera’s video would fall under the category of sitcom in this comparison, at least when it comes to the ideas of race and representation. Aguilera, who is of Ecuadorian, German, Irish, Welsh, and Dutch descent, did not grow up in people of color dominated areas of New York. She lived in Wexford, PA for most of her adolescence, a town in a majority-white county. This music video may feel inauthentic to many because it may not be authentic to Aguilera’s experiences. Which brings me to Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar grew up in Compton, CA, at a time when the city’s high crime rates were national news, due to the prominence of gangster rap groups like NWA. The music video for his song “i”10 showcases this environment prominently. From the cars to the police uniforms, the video harkens back to a time when Kendrick was growing up in South Central Los Angeles. In my estimation, Kendrick Lamar’s video represents more of the “documentary footage” that Shohat and Stam mentioned in their comparison with media image and social reality. Aguilera’s video can be felt as inauthentic because it feels like a sitcom, not in a comedic way but in a matter of faux reality. Kendrick’s video feels like a documentary because of its groundedness in his childhood and the experiences of his city. It should be noted that Aguilera appears to darken her skin in her video. As previously stated, Hall believes that popular culture is a place where the concept of “Black” is able to be conversed about. Kendrick, in his music video for “i”, is able to redefine “Blackness” on his own terms. He presents different depictions of Black characters in every moment. One moment that shows great contrast of character and incredible conversation in his own mind on the topic of “Blackness” comes at the 2:20 mark in the video for “i”11.

Kendrick walks past a house, on the front porch of which a man yells at a woman; presumably they are in a relationship. In this very same moment, two Black children, one boy and one girl, run by, playing together, juxtaposing the depiction of adult negativity behind them. There are many things that can be interpreted from this shot, which perhaps even greater lends itself to the argument that it is more “documentary footage”. The perceived authenticity of Kendrick Lamar’s “i” video thus lends itself to a challenge of Orientalist ideals. While the video does show White police officers arresting a Black man at 1:4312, seemingly exerting that idea of power over “the other” that Orientalism is built so much upon, it is immediately followed by Kendrick and his crew of dancers/partygoers weaving through the group of cops with numbers that far outweigh what the cops possess, thus re-establishing power over themselves.

Works Cited

1Aguilera, Christina. “Christina Aguilera - Can’t Hold Us Down (Official HD Video).” YouTube, November 18, 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg8QgUIKXHw&t=196s.

2Hall, Stuart. “What Is This ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?” Essay. In Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 1996. 

3Hall. “What Is This ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?”, 471

4Hall. “What Is This ‘Black’ in Black Popular Culture?”, 476

5Said, Edward. “Introduction.” Essay. In Orientalism. London, United Kingdom: Routledge, 1978. 

6Said. Orientalism, 9

7Said. Orientalism, 10

8Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. “Stereotype, Realism And The Struggle Over Representation.” Essay. In Unthinking Eurocentrism. New York, NY: Routledge, 1994. 

9Shohat and Stam. “Stereotype, Realism And The Struggle Over Representation”, 198

10Lamar, Kendrick. “Kendrick Lamar - i (Official Video).” YouTube, November 4, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aShfolR6w8. 

11Lamar. “i”, 2:20

12Lamar. “i”, 1:43

Discussion Questions

Can the darkening of one’s skin make the work feel more authentic, and when might this backfire?

Does either video engage in stereotype, and if so, does it detract from the video or benefit it?

Take On Me

‘Take On Me’ details the epic love story of a man chasing after his dear love, culminating in a moment of passion when the two finally meet, only for the man to leave again. It’s a cute story with tinges of melancholy thanks to the yearning nature and the idea of ‘right person, wrong time.’ Right? Well, that’s what the music video would have you think. Simply looking at the lyrics, which tell of a man consistently pursuing a woman, believing her to be his one true love, trend more towards stalker behavior. It seems this piece of iconic culture is another in a long line of problematic romance that is portrayed as perfectly normal and, in fact, romantic. But why? The answer lies in the signs.

According to Saussure, the sign is made up of a signifier—the sound-image—and a signified—the concept.[1] Here, the signifier is the lyrics that are sung and the signified is ‘love’ or ‘romantic relationships.’ For ‘Take On Me,’ the signified and signifier are unified by the sign that is created during the synthesis of the two: the music video. The concept described in the lyrics is visualized in the music video through a fantastical, reality-breaking story where the narrator of the song pulls the girl he loves into the pages he exists within, then eventually finds her in the real world after she leaves the 2D world. Due to the signifiers utilized in the music video, the audience interprets the entire song and its concept as a positive representation of love rather than the problematic stalker-coded story that is so prevalent in media.

The signifiers in the music video—the sign—point to the mythologization of ‘Take On Me,’ as Barthes describes a myth as a sign becoming a signifier of something else.[2] Barthes also says that mythical signification is “never arbitrary”,[3] so what does that tell us about ‘Take On Me?’ If the reason behind the music video misconstruing the concept and lyrics to create the image of a healthy romantic relationship is motivated by something, what exactly clues us into the motivation?

Metz dictates in “Some Points in the Semiotics of Cinema” that because of cultural or specialized codes that are embedded in our society’s collective understanding, some visuals have implications for the viewer and will be interpreted in a certain way before the cinematic language can tell the viewer what the connotation—and the related denotation—should be.[4] The ‘Take On Me’ music video draws on romance tropes, settings and characters that are extremely prevalent in our cultural understanding of the concept of ‘love’ or ‘romantic relationships’ in a way that evokes a feeling of positive association with the sign. The aesthetic of the diner, a classic date spot, and the plot thread about the straight-laced female love interest being—literally—pulled into the dangerous world of the bad boy are tropes that generate an association with love and romance such that the audience has an idea of what the music video is about before they even watch all of it.

This positive association prevents the audience from interpreting the sign through its signifier, the lyrics. The connotation that the sign evokes through the mythologization the music video participates in is one of a happily ever after romance, but the denotation—the relationship between the concept of love and the lyrics that describe stalker-ish behavior—is one that reveals that the love story between the narrator of the song and the love interest is maybe not so cute.

She Likes a Boy

‘She Likes a Boy’ has a similar concept to ‘Take On Me’ in that they both focus on love and the romantic relationships that ensue from people being in love. But ‘She Likes a Boy’ focuses on the unrequited love, one that is born from a queer person falling for their straight friend—ironically, a trope that has emerged within the canon of queer storytelling. At least, this trope is what the music video posits the song to be about; again, the lyrics and associated concept can be interpreted differently without the music video as a sign to guide the audience towards a particular understanding.

The song was initially released as a single on January 12 in 2024 (though the artist Nxdia released a snippet of the song on TikTok in late 2023), with the music video not arriving until nearly a month later on February 14. This gap gave listeners ample time to interpret the lyrics as they saw fit. Several interpretations match up to the music video’s representation of the signified and signifier as a whole, with lesbians and others that like women lamenting the pain of falling for a straight person, while other videos touch on the insecurity that butch and masc lesbians feel due to presenting more masculine. But due to the “correct” interpretation not being laid out by the music video, other queer people were able to make meaning out of the signifier and signified that completely deviated from the original narrative.

Some transgender men felt they could relate to the song as it described the gender dysphoria they experience on a day to day basis. Hence: how could a girl like me if I’m not a ‘real boy?’ Nonbinary and gender non-conforming folk might interpret the lyrics ‘I’m not a boy’ as ‘I’m not a boy but I’m not a girl either.’ That interpretation encapsulates the experience of people who don’t fall into the categories of the gender binary and as a result don’t know who will love them for themselves. These interpretations were a result of the signifier and signified not being associated with a specific sign due to the music video not guiding viewers and listeners into that line of thinking. Saussure would call this a result of the “arbitrary nature” of the sign, with value and meaning being assigned to signifier/signified relationships nearly at random.[5]

The random nature of the sign’s meaning is at odds with the values assigned to the signified and signifiers within the music video itself. The myth of ‘She Likes a Boy’ is extremely apparent when applying Barthes’ conclusions from “The Great Family of Man.” In that particular essay, Barthes describes how the idealization of our history decreases its value; our past is relegated to something so poetic that it hardly matches up to our current reality.[6] The ‘ideal past’ becomes a signifier for what our life should be, but our actual lives—the signified—isn’t represented by that idealized version.

Something like this happens in ‘She Likes a Boy.’ Nxdia compares themselves to the boy their friend likes, trying to show that there is so little difference between them. The cinematography of the music video also compares the two, with parallel shots used to compare Nxdia and the boy that the girl likes. By highlighting the comparisons, the music video signals to the viewer the idealized reality that Nxdia wants to live in, one where by being comparable to a boy, the girl they like will like them back. But the cinematography also uses lighting in a clever way to distinguish between the idealized reality and the actual life that Nxdia is living. It shows Nxdia playing into the ideal heteronormative romance despite being a queer person, which further complicates the concept of 'love' and 'romantic relationships' in the context of the song.

The disparity between signifier and signified is similar to the differing interpretations of the sign by listeners before the music video was released. It seems Saussure’s postulation about the arbitrary nature of the sign was entirely correct; the meaning we assign to the sign is entirely dependent on the associations we have with the sign, its signifier and its signified.[7] From this, we can deduce that there is no correct way to interpret a sign, unless the sign has become a myth in its own right.

Discussion Questions:

How does the presence of two worlds (the world in the drawing and the real world) in 'Take On Me' create layers of myth?

Why might the creators of the 'Take On Me' music video want the love story to be perceived as its connotation (happy and healthy) rather than as its denotation (the stalker behavior lyrics)?

Does the arbitrary nature of the sign add to or subtract from the meaning different listeners assigned to the 'She Likes a Boy' music video?

Is there an inherent 'correctness' to the interpretation of the lyrics to 'She Likes a Boy' based on the fact that the music video outlines one such interpretation?

Works Cited:

Barthes, Roland. “Myth Today” and “The Great Family of Man.” In Mythologies, 100-102 and 106-126. Translated by Annette Lavers. New York: The Noonday Press, 1957.

Metz, Christian. “Some Points in the Semiotics of Cinema.” In Film Theory and Criticism, 65-77. Edited by Leo Braudy and Marshall Cohen. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.

Saussure, Ferdinand de. Course in General Linguistics. Edited by Charles Bally, Albert Sechehaye and Albert Rledlinger. Translated by Wade Baskin. New York/Toronto/London: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1916.

[1] Saussure

[2] Barthes, Myth Today

[3] Barthes, Myth Today

[4] Metz

[5] Saussure

[6] Barthes, The Great History of Man

[7] Saussure

Introduction:

Fanon in “The Negro and Psychopathology” delves into the psychological repercussions of racism and colonialism on Black individuals, highlighting the internalization of negative stereotypes and its manifestation in neurosis. Fanon discusses how cultural indoctrination can lead to alienation and neurotic behaviors, emphasizing the importance for Black individuals to confront and overcome internalized oppression for genuine self-realization.

bell hooks in “Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators” explores the concept of the "oppositional gaze" of black female spectators in relation to mainstream cinema, and discusses how black women have developed critical viewing practices that resist and challenge the racist and sexist representations of black women on screen.

Audre Lorde in “Age, Race, Class, and Sex: Women Redefining Difference” shows the importance of recognizing and embracing differences between women, particularly differences of race, sexuality, class, and age, to build a strong feminist movement. Lorde argues that ignoring these differences and pretending that a homogeneous "sisterhood" exists is a failure to confront the very real oppressions faced by women of color, lesbians, the working class, and the elderly.

Robert Stam and Ella Shohat wrote  “Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation'' to analyze representation of ethnic and racial minorities in film, particularly the limitations of a "stereotypes and distortions" approach. It argues for a more nuanced analysis that considers the orchestration of discourses, perspectives, and voices within films rather than just the accuracy of character portrayals.

This paper will analyze how Watchmen explores the identities of its characters, like Angela and Jon Abar, by authentically portraying different aspects of their identity, especially race and gender, employing innovative storytelling techniques to achieve these explorations. By delving into Angela's grandfather’s ancestral memories in black and white and depicting the non-linear events of experiences of Jon and Angela’s journey in episode 8, the show not only embraces their identities but also utilizes these aspects to enrich their character development and deepen our comprehension of their narratives.

The analysis will initially examine the shared themes among Fanon, hooks, Lorde, and Stam and Shohat’s papers, before delving into their divergent perspectives. Through Reeve’s pivotal transformation scene into Hooded Justice and the moment between Angela and Jon, where they decide on Jon's new identity to hide his true form, the paper will explore how the ideas presented in these readings intersect, demonstrating the efficacy of episodes 6 and 8 in exploring and expanding upon the characters' identities.

Section 1:

These readings all investigate the psychological and social repercussions of their respective issues, particularly racism, sexism, and stereotyping on marginalized groups, emphasizing how entrenched cultural narratives perpetuate harmful stereotypes and oppressions, while advocating for the empowerment and redefinition of marginalized identities through resistance, self-representation, and collective action against oppressive systems.

Fanon's reading shows how dominant cultural narratives and representations, such as those found in children's magazines and literature, are perpetuating harmful stereotypes and oppressions against Black people. He argues that these narratives, created by white authors for white children, often depict Black people as evil and savages, which then lead to the internalization of these negative stereotypes by Black children, who also digest these narratives as children. As Fanon states, "In the magazines the Wolf, the Devil, the Evil Spirit, the Bad Man, the Savage are always symbolized by Negroes or Indians; since there is always identification with the victor, the little Negro, quite as easily as the little white boy, becomes an explorer, an adventurer, a missionary 'who faces the danger of being eaten by the wicked Negroes.'" (1) To counter this issue, Fanon advocates for the creation of empowering narratives and representations specifically for Black children through the media they consume, such as magazines, songs, and history texts, to shape their worldview and identity in a positive way that allows them to embrace their race. 

hooks similarly examines how dominant cinematic narratives have perpetuated harmful stereotypes of Black women, citing the portrayal of "Sapphire" in Amos 'n' Andy as an example: "was not us. We laughed with the black men, with the white people. We laughed at this black woman who was not us." (2) She underscores how these representations deny the full humanity of Black women, advocating instead for the development of an "oppositional gaze" as a form of resistance. This gaze, she argues, empowers Black women to challenge oppressive narratives and assert their subjectivity and humanity in the face of erasure or degradation. By rejecting the limiting roles assigned to them and reclaiming their agency through critical engagement with media, Black women can assert their voices and reshape dominant narratives to reflect their lived experiences and complexities. 

Audre Lorde dives into the ways dominant cultural narratives and representations perpetuate harmful stereotypes and oppressions, arguing that these narratives fail to recognize and address the diverse experiences of marginalized groups, including women of different races, classes, sexualities, and ages. She contends that attempting to use the tools and structures of oppression to dismantle the systems that created them is futile, as evidenced by the maxim, "the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." (3) She also critiques academic feminism for its neglect of these differences, which leads to a false sense of homogeneity under the banner of sisterhood. Lorde contends that confronting and dismantling distortions such as racism, sexism, ageism, and others is essential for true empowerment and liberation. She advocates for embracing differences as sources of creative potential, enabling marginalized individuals to redefine themselves and construct a future that acknowledges and celebrates their diversity.

Finally, Stam and Shohat concurrently explore how dominant cultural narratives and representations perpetuate harmful stereotypes and oppressive structures, while advocating for empowerment and more nuanced portrayals. They also critique individualistic analyses of stereotypes, advocating for a holistic approach that recognizes their contradictory nature and diverse discourses. They support showing different voices in representations, helping marginalized groups speak up authentically and fighting against discourses that silence them. The authors caution against simplistic analyses and advocate for a discursive approach that considers multiple voices and perspectives within representations, stating, "Less important than a film's 'accuracy' is that it relays the voices and the perspectives - we emphasize the plural - of the community or communities in question." (4)

Section 2: 

Despite examining similar issues, the variations among these readings lie in their emphasis on agency and resistance in addressing oppressive systems, ultimately diverging in their approaches to overcoming or confronting harmful stereotypes.

Fanon emphasizes the agency and resistance of the colonized in confronting oppressive systems and harmful stereotypes, and believes in resisting oppressive systems through asserting agency and refusing to internalize harmful ideology. Fanon argues that despite the pressures to assimilate into white society, the young Antillean demonstrates agency by refusing to fully internalize oppressive structures. He describes how the Antillean navigates between familial and societal expectations, ultimately rejecting the notion that Blackness equates to savagery and inferiority. Fanon's assertion that "the Negro recognizes the unreality of many of the beliefs that he has adopted with reference to the subjective attitude of the white man." (5) highlights the colonized individual's capacity to resist and challenge harmful ideologies. This resistance, as depicted by Fanon, is integral to combating and overcoming stereotypes.

hooks emphasizes the agency and resistance of black female spectators in confronting oppressive systems and harmful stereotypes through cinema. She introduces the concept of the "oppositional gaze," developed by black women in response to the lack of positive representation and the perpetuation of degrading stereotypes in mainstream films. According to hooks, this resistance involves actively disrupting dominant structures, as stated: "Even in the worse circumstances of domination, the ability to manipulate one's gaze in the face of structures of domination that would contain it, opens up the possibility of agency." (6) She explains how black female spectators found pleasure in resisting the uncritical consumption of these images, primarily focusing on confronting issues of race and racism through critical examination.

Lorde believes that recognizing and embracing differences are integral components in confronting oppressive systems. Lorde advocates for viewing these differences not as sources of separation and suspicion, but as catalysts for transformative change. Lorde thinks that "difference must be not merely tolerated, but seen as a fund of necessary polarities between which our creativity can spark like a dialectic." (7) Lorde challenges the conventional notion that oppressed groups bear the responsibility of educating their oppressors, denouncing it as a diversion of energies. Instead, she calls for marginalized communities to concentrate their efforts on "redefining ourselves and devising realistic scenarios for altering the present and constructing the future." (8) This approach, according to Lorde, empowers marginalized groups to reclaim agency over their own narratives and resist harmful stereotypes autonomously, rather than relying on the goodwill of their oppressors.

Stam and Shohat argue that "spectators themselves come equipped with a 'sense of the real' rooted in their own experience, on the basis of which they can accept, question, or even subvert a film's representations." (9) They show how marginalized groups have actively protested and challenged stereotypical portrayals of their communities in films, demonstrating their ability to exert pressure on the media and influence subsequent productions. The reading also shows how spectators from oppressed groups can "look beyond caricatural representations to see the oppressed performing self" and even "enjoy what they know to be misrepresentations" by understanding the circumstances that led to such portrayals. 

Section 3:

The scene from “This Extraordinary Being” (00:23:50 - 00:27:00) depicts Will Reeves, urged by his wife June Abar, to embrace the hooded figure he created saving a white couple, using the same mask his corrupt police colleagues used to torment him. This marks the beginning of his journey as the vigilante Hooded Justice. This scene resonates with ideas explored in the four readings, illustrated by Will's quest for justice in a society where every aspect of his identity works against him, with Angela's presence in the scene, transitioning with Will, underscores that this history is also hers.

In the scene, we witness Will Reeves' transformation into one of the first black vigilante heroes in the world of "Watchmen." June convincing Will to conceal his racial identity mirrors the themes discussed by Fanon in "The Negro and Psychopathology." Fanon explores how Black individuals internalize negative stereotypes and struggle with their racial identity in the face of societal pressures. Will's efforts to conceal his race to gain acceptance as a hero resonate with Fanon's depiction of the psychological impact of racism on Black individuals. Will's struggle reflects the deep-seated societal norms and prejudices that force him to navigate a world where his identity is viewed as a barrier to acceptance and legitimacy. Through Will's journey, the episode highlights Fanon's insights into the internalized oppression experienced by Black individuals and the lengths to which they must go to navigate and resist oppressive systems.

While Will is transforming into the Hooded Justice, June holds a mirror to Will's face, revealing the white paint of his vigilante mask. However, instead of seeing Will's reflection, we are confronted with Angela's gaze, adorned with the same paint. This visual shift symbolizes Angela's deep connection to her grandfather's struggles and the enduring legacy of oppression that transcends generations. The pain and racism Will endured, culminating in his transformation into the Hooded Justice, is shown not only to be an event of memories that Angela is experiencing through the drug Nostalgia, but as an inherited past for Angela, shaping her present-day fight for justice. In this way, Angela's journey becomes intertwined with her grandfather's, as both confront systemic racism and corruption within society. This echoes bell hooks' notion of women challenging harmful stereotypes, as Angela embodies the resistance against oppressive forces that seek to marginalize and diminish Black women's identities. Angela's ability to experience her grandfather’s legacy as the Hooded Justice allows her to understand her family’s history fighting against systemic racism and injustice, therefore giving her the power to then fight the same battle in present time, mirroring hooks' emphasis on empowerment and self-representation. Angela refuses to conform to societal expectations and instead takes control of her narrative, reclaiming her agency in the fight for justice. This aligns with hooks' advocacy for Black women to actively resist oppressive narratives and assert their own identities. Angela's journey, therefore, serves as a continuation of her grandfather's legacy, embodying the resilience and determination that hooks celebrates in Black women's resistance narratives.

Although the scene is focused on Will Reeves, his wife June emerges as a shining figure, who becomes one of the few to demonstrate a deep understanding of the significance of his actions, particularly his decision to adopt the persona of the Hooded Justice. Rather than conforming to the stereotype of a passive housewife, June actively engages in pivotal moments and decisions alongside Will. Her active involvement, particularly in this scene, forces Will to confront his own motivations and provides a clear voice of reason in his life, serving as his main supporter in his fight against racial injustice and corruption. This portrayal aligns with Audre Lorde's concept of Black women in the media, as it challenges traditional stereotypes by depicting June as a strong, independent woman who plays a central role in shaping her husband's journey and confronting systemic oppression. Lorde argued that mainstream narratives often fail to acknowledge the diverse experiences and contributions of Black women, relegating them to narrow and limiting roles. June defies these constraints by actively participating in important decisions and conversations, challenging Will's perspectives, and providing crucial support in his fight against racial injustice and corruption. Her character serves as a powerful example of the strength, resilience, and agency inherent in Black women, aligning with Lorde's call for more nuanced and empowering representations in media.

This scene serves as an overall commentary on the prevalent stereotypes that Black individuals encounter in mainstream media, echoing the sentiments expressed by Stam and Shohat regarding representation struggles. Will's evolution into Hooded Justice serves as a departure from traditional hero archetypes, presenting viewers with a new portrayal of heroism and justice. The scene touches into the intricacies of identity, shedding light on the formidable challenges faced by Will as he grapples with his concealing his racial identity within a predominantly white society in order to help them. This exploration underscores the complexities of serving a community that often marginalizes and rejects him, providing viewers with a strong portrayal of the systemic barriers and societal biases that Black individuals confront daily. In this context, the scene aligns with Stam and Shohat's advocacy for a media landscape that embraces diversity and inclusivity, emphasizing the need for narratives that accurately reflect the multifaceted experiences of marginalized communities.

The scene from “A God Walks into Abar” (00:17:30 - 00:20:50) depicts Angela assisting Jon in selecting a new identity from fallen soldiers, a moment that shows the themes explored in the four readings. Angela's decisive and proactive demeanor in guiding Jon's identity choice illustrates her strength as a character, echoing elements discussed in the readings. However, her apprehension in selecting a black body for Jon underscores the harsh reality of racial identity, highlighting the complexities and challenges faced by black individuals in society.

The internalization of negative stereotypes associated with being a black individual, a concept Fanon explores, was evident when Angela hesitated to present the body of Calvin Jelani, a black man, as a potential option for Jon to embody. Angela's hesitation to present Calvin Jelani's body as an option for Jon to embody reflects the concept explored by Fanon regarding the internalization of negative stereotypes associated with being black. This hesitation suggests Angela's awareness of the challenges and discrimination faced by black individuals in society, fearing that Jon, as a previously white man, might not fully grasp the complexities of racial identity. Moreover, Angela's concern for Jon's safety and the potential backlash he could face as a black man underscores the enduring racial tensions and injustices prevalent in their world. Angela's hesitation highlights her attempt to navigate the balance between protecting Jon and confronting the realities of racial identity, echoing Fanon's exploration of the psychological impact of racism on individuals.

Angela's role in formulating a strategy for Jon's integration into society using a deceased identity, coupled with her silent desire for him to adopt a black identity despite hiding it due to an awareness of the hardships faced by black individuals, illuminates her intelligence and profound awareness of societal dynamics. In this context, Angela's actions resonate with the insights offered by bell hooks and Audre Lorde, who delve into the intricate relationships between power, identity, and resistance. Angela's approach to navigating Jon's potential racial identity aligns with hooks' emphasis on the importance of self-awareness and critical consciousness in challenging oppressive systems. By recognizing the complexities of race and gender in societal structures, Angela demonstrates an awareness of the intersecting power dynamics that shape individual experiences. Angela's portrayal serves as a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of black women, echoing hooks' vision of empowerment through critical engagement and resistance. Angela's contemplation of Jon's potential transformation into a black man also resonates with Audre Lorde's exploration of intersectional identities and the redefinition of difference. Lorde emphasizes the importance of recognizing and embracing differences among marginalized groups, advocating for collective action to resist oppressive systems based on race, gender, class, and sexuality. Angela's hesitation to present a black identity to Jon reflects Lorde's call to acknowledge the complexities of identity and the challenges faced by marginalized individuals. It underscores Lorde's assertion that difference should be embraced as a source of strength rather than a cause for separation. Through Angela's internal conflict, viewers are reminded of Lorde's vision of empowerment through self-awareness and collective struggle, highlighting the transformative potential of embracing diversity and difference in the fight against oppression.

Stam and Shohat's theory on media stereotypes sheds light on the tendency to reduce marginalized groups, particularly black individuals, to simplistic caricatures, perpetuating fixed and oversimplified images that fail to capture the richness of their experiences. In contrast, Watchmen stands out for its commitment to portraying the complexities of being black authentically. The scene featuring Angela's hesitation in selecting a black body for Jon serves as a prime example of the show's departure from these stereotypes. Rather than conforming to the trope of black characters as expendable or peripheral, Angela's contemplation acknowledges the weight of racial identity and the intricate historical context surrounding it. This refusal to succumb to stereotypes not only adds depth to the narrative but also underscores the show's commitment to challenging mainstream media's simplistic portrayals of race. Through its depiction of characters like Angela, Watchmen encourages viewers to engage critically with the multifaceted nature of identity, aligning with Stam and Shohat's call for more authentic representations of marginalized experiences in media narratives.

Conclusion: 

Watchmen via the readings by Fanon, hooks, Lorde, and Stam and Shohat show how each of their themes and perspectives intersect and diverge in meaningful ways. The series navigates the complexities of race, gender, identity, and power dynamics, offering fresh portrayals that challenge stereotypes and invite viewers to critically engage with issues of representation and oppression. Through the scenes of Will Reeves becoming Hooded Justice and Angela assisting Jon in selecting a new identity, the show confronts the psychological and social repercussions of racism, sexism, and stereotyping of black individuals. These scenes resonate with Fanon's exploration of the internalization of negative stereotypes and the struggle for genuine self-realization, hooks' advocacy for critical viewing practices that resist oppressive narratives, Lorde's call for recognizing and embracing differences to confront oppressive systems, and Stam and Shohat's critique of oversimplified representations in media. The series acknowledges the complexities and challenges faced by black individuals but also empowers its characters to resist and redefine their identities in the face of systemic oppression. 

Citations:

Frantz Fanon, "The Negro and Psychopathology," in Black Skin, White Masks, trans. Charles Lam Markmann (Grove Press, 1952), 113.

hooks, bell. "Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." In Black Looks: Race and Representation, 115-131. Boston, MA: South End Press, 1992. 311.

Lorde, Audre. "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House." In Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde, 110-113. Berkeley: Crossing Press, 2007, 110.

Shohat, Ella, and Robert Stam. "Stereotype, Realism, and the Struggle Over Representation." In Unthinking Eurocentrism: Multiculturalism and the Media, edited by Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, 277-309. London: Routledge, 1994, 214.

Frantz Fanon, "The Negro and Psychopathology," in Black Skin, White Masks, trans. Charles Lam Markmann (Grove Press, 1952), 115. 

hooks, bell. "Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators." In Black Looks: Race and Representation, 115-131. Boston, MA: South End Press, 1992. 308.

Lorde, Audre. "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House." In Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde, 110-113. Berkeley: Crossing Press, 2007, 111.

Lorde, Audre. "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House." In Sister Outsider: Essays and Speeches by Audre Lorde, 110-113. Berkeley: Crossing Press, 2007, 115.