Watermelon woman and Thornham

Watermelon woman and Thornham

Thornham’s race, representation, and feminist theory allude to the lack of representation that people of color, especially women, undergo in the film industry. As compared to their white women counterparts who are over-represented and overinvested in the film industry, it shows that black women have been neglected in the film world (Thornham, 137). Moreover, through the feminist film theory, Thornham interweaves her notion of the neglect that women of color have undergone, where she states that several films talk about white women while completely disregarding the women of color. The everyday struggles of black women are indicated by the author, where she states that the theory of the black woman is lost in society when her situation of being black is not idealized, thus becoming an oppressed individual in the society (Thornham, 138). This oppression has been indicated not only in the social and economic scenes but also in films whereby, the black woman is highly objectified to controlled and stereotyped images such as the black matriarch and the welfare mother. (Thornham,141).

Cheryl Dunye film is one that talks of the underrepresentation of women of color, especially the directors who play significant roles in the production of any film. Thus, Dunye, through her film, brings out the real issue that women in the top management of films go through. Dunye has analyzed the painted complexities in the film industry through her film watermelon woman, where the issues of class, sexual, and racial identity have been addressed. In comparison, the watermelon film integrates with the works of Thornham’s race, representation and feminist theory whereby, they both assert that there is lack of representation for the people of color in film and as such, has resulted to issues such as marginalization of black people’s gender and sexual orientation.

The portrayal of the African American woman is compared with the white American woman by Dunye. This is shown with the relationship that Dunye (Cheryl)has with a white American woman by the name Diana. Cheryl works at a low-end job in a movie store, and she does not love the job. Diana is a customer where they meet up at the movie store. This clearly distinguishes the race and class distinction between black and white women in America. The woman of color is one who has to put up with the marginalization of economic privileges in the society and is shown through Cheryl’s low-end occupation. Diana, on the other hand, is one with enough privileges that she even has more than enough time to rent and watch movies. Through the roles played by these two women who are the main characters in the watermelon woman film, it indicates the economic struggles that the colored woman has to go through. This coincides with Thornham’s works, where she asserts that colored women have been oppressed in the social and economic spheres of life (Thornham, 138).

Conclusion.

Dunye’s and Thornham’s literal works analyze the kind of struggles that women of color have been subjected to in society. They both analyze their works through the lens of class and race, which indicates that since historical times, black women have been prejudiced and have as well as lacked representation in the film world. Through their analyses, the women have coined their sentiments, which the colored women face in their struggles, such as their sexuality. Therefore, it is through Donye’s and Thornham’s works that the audience gets to understand the underlying issues that women of color go through in their lives.