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Examples Of Ageism In The Movie Crash

Decent Essays

The much applauded and critically acclaimed film, “Crash” (2004) directed by Paul Haggis is a film which appears to want the viewers to observe themselves and their world inversely. This film presents a truthful representation of race relations, racial discrimination, and social and cultural tensions in modern American society. It shows the stereotypes and racial myths that still occur today and continue to create racism. The film presents the intricacy of the relationships between diverse social groups and about the effects of discrimination on the everyday life experiences of a number of people. More specifically, the movie touches on three different types of discrimination. First and foremost, it deals with racism. Next, it depicts …show more content…

Although ageism can be a discrimination used against all ages, it is more typically seen among the senior population. Societal norms ostracise seniors, treat them with contempt, make them feel unwanted and otherwise take a broad view as if they were all the same. Throughout Crash, we witness one form of ageism during the scenes between Officer Ryan, the insurance company, and his father. Officer Ryan’s father is very sick and is in the movie depicted to be in poor health. The father his has been diagnosed with a Urinary tract infection, although the son believes otherwise, and would like to get him further help. The son has a great deal of trouble convincing the insurance company to help his father more so than they have. Officer Ryan decides enough is enough and visits the Insurance company himself, after having a heated discussion earlier with their mid-thirties employee named Shaniqua. During the scene where Officer Ryan is speaking to Shaniqua in her office, she too discriminates against his father’s age with a comment ‘’Well, if he was here, then I could do something’’, implying he is too old to do so, thus discriminating the father for his lack of mobility due to his age. Not only do we witness discrimination between these characters, but Shaniqua takes it to another level by introducing systematic discrimination against the father’s age. Unfortunately, this theme wasn’t one of the last forms …show more content…

Racism involves both prejudice and discrimination founded in social opinions of hereditary differences between individuals. Crash has many examples of racial stereotyping and prejudice. For example, one of the many times racism was portrayed during the movie was in the scene between Graham, a black officer and his Hispanic police partner, Rita. The two seem to have a relationship outside of work in addition to being partners at work. At one point they are in bed together and the phone rings. Graham answers it and tells his mom that he call her back later because he is preoccupied with a white woman. Rita, of course, gets mad at this because she is not Caucasian, she is Puerto Rican. Graham assures her the only reason he said he was with a white woman was because it would make is mom more irritated than if he would have said he was with a Hispanic woman. Graham first disrespects the validity of Rita’s identity, assumes that Hispanics are above Caucasians, and then actually appears to be uniformed of her origins at all. This is just one of many prime examples throughout the film. Although this example is much less violent and rude than other scenes throughout the film, nevertheless, it is as offensive as the other

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