Things I could write a lengthy essay on
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If I had more leniency at Geneseo, these would be a few topics that I would most definitely dive into if I had the time. Who knows! Maybe these will become summer projects.
As an English Literature major, I am not required to take a senior seminar to fulfill my graduation credits. But there are so many things that I would love to research on my own time at some point in my academic career. Here are a few topics that I would love to write a lengthy essay on.
WWE and their portrayal of wrestlers of color.
If you are a regular reader of The Lamron, you may already know that I love to talk about World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). I make sure to include things I like and dislike about the company and how they treat their employees. One issue I have continued to have with WWE is the way they portray wrestlers of color to the WWE Universe. There are far too many stereotypical and offensive depictions of marginalized groups being communicated through certain superstars.
Cryme Tyme was a professional wrestling team that consisted of Shad and JTG, complimented by an “over-the-top” parody of stereotypical thugs with a theme song that highlighted some of their favorite illegal activities. Another is Mexicools, which consisted of a trio of insanely talented Hispanic wrestlers: Super Crazy, Juventud, and Psicosis. They were introduced to the WWE universe wearing overalls while cruising on lawnmowers tagged with the Mexican flag. These are only two of many examples of this happening. There are far more— way too many.
A lot of these wrestlers are extremely talented, but because of their damaging characterization, it rarely won over audience members. WWE depended on cliché depictions of wrestlers based on their race and ethnicity, which are harmful ways to view anyone. In some cases, it worked in their favor. Superstars like Eddie Guerrero, whose slogan was to “Lie, Cheat, and Steal,” won over the universe until his untimely death in 2005.
I want to discuss the harmful portrayals that are tied to the names of these superstars, regardless of whether they had a large following or not. Understanding where these stereotypes came from and why they continue to resurface in some of the most popular media platforms is important if we want to prevent these patterns from happening again.
The Twilight (2008-2012) series and how they depict Indigenous men.
I cannot deny my love for the Twilight (2008-2012) movie franchise. As someone who has not read all of the books, I want to shine a light on the movies as they are more popular than the books. Twilight (2008-2012) truly changed the game for so many people, and it is still something I love to consume, even with all of its theatrical flaws. When I rewatch the movies, however, I come to this uncomfortable realization that there is something deeply wrong with the writing of Indigenous characters.
Throughout the movie franchise, there are repeated instances where the men of the Quileute tribe are perceived as violent individuals who cannot control their emotions; they often lash out at other characters, like Bella Swan. Stephanie Meyer, the author of the popular series, did not have permission to use the Quileute tribe's history and culture in her book series; even then, the tribe received no monetary compensation despite Meyer’s use of harmful tropes.
Despite the franchise’s popularity, it is extremely difficult to avoid its flaws when it’s right in your face. Audience members can still enjoy these films in good faith, but they should also consider how these narratives can be harmful to the Indigenous community, who account for around 1.3 percent of people living in the United States.
LGBTQ+ people have always existed
This recurring idea that homosexuality is ‘taking over’ is an extreme misconception that is backed up by unreliable research and observation. Recently, homosexuality has been treated like a contagious disease that one can catch by being in the vicinity of one queer person. News flash: this is not the case.
Within every culture’s history, queer people have always been there, we just have not learned about them yet. Same-sex marriage, transgender people, and those who fit outside the male-female binary have, and always will, exist.
Queer people should not have to keep having to prove their existence, let alone prove that they have a right to exist. LGBTQ+ figures should continue to have their stories shared in the classroom. If anything, they deserve to be a regular part of our historical curriculum. We cannot ignore the fact that LGBTQ+ figures also played a massive role in how our society is shaped today. We should be highlighting this— we should be celebrating that fact.