At first look, it’s straightforward to discredit White Chicks as one other gimmicky comedy from the Wayans, crammed raunchy humor, and “childish flatulence jokes and pretty apparent gags”1. Coarse, raunchy language is unfold all through the movie, intertwined with racial humor. Farts account for most of the plot turns, but the Wayans make the most of humor to they’re benefit. The Wayans’s movie makes use of humor to gloss over harsher subjects, and realistically touch upon society and race roles. With the usage of make-up the Wayans show anybody may be something.
May it even be that by way of the portrayal of “white chicks”, the Wayan brother’s are in a position to convey a message about efficiency and race?
White Chicks, launched in 2004, was directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written by Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Marlon Wayans, with the latter two starring as the primary characters. The movie begins with Kevin Copeland and Marcus Copeland (Shawn and Marlon Wayans) disguised as outdated Caribbean males making an attempt to take down a drug group that sells medication inside ice cream containers.
A gunfight so1on pursues, and it’s found that the containers contained ice cream. Moments 1 Lehmann, Megan.
“Slight Chicks” later, 2the drug d3ealer arrives to see the shop in shambles, and shortly escapes. Kevin and Marcus are given a closing probability to stay within the FBI, with a brand new process of defending the wealthy heiresses Brittany and Tiffany Wilson from a kidnapping scheme. On the best way to the Hamptons, the group is concerned in a minor accident, with the sisters receiving minor cuts on their faces. The Wilson sisters refuse to go away the lodge as a result of their appearances. In an try to save lots of their jobs, Kevin and Marcus resolve to go undercover because the Wilson sisters with the Helpance of heavy prosthetic make-up.
On the lodge, Kevin and Marcus get acclimated to the Hamptons, in addition to Brittany and Tiffany’s finest buddies, Karen, Tori, and Lisa. In addition they grow to be acquainted with their enemies Megan and Heather Vandegeld. Whereas pretending to be the Wilson sisters, Kevin and Marcus endure a troublesome strategy of attempting to be males, Marcus for his spouse, and Marcus for his new love curiosity, Denis Porter. Whereas attending the “white” celebration, they cease and seize mastermind behind the kidnapping schemes. The Wayan brothers grew to become the Wilson sister’s by way of he use of physique paint, make-up and layers of prosthetic masks, a course of that took 5 hours 2.
This course of is a contemporary tackle whiteface, during which an individual wears theatrical make-up so as to seem like a white particular person. White face is completely different than black face during which white face is finished whereas white persons are in energy, and the ability holders free nothing. White face has been employed since 19655, and has been used most notably by Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Lenny Henry, and others. As a substitute of limiting themselves with solely theatrical make-up, the Wayans employed rubber prosthetics. Nevertheless, the rubber prosthetics 2 32. Wayans Remodel for ‘White Chicks’” Fox Information.
VILLAMARIN 2. render their faces all however motionless, and the blue contact lenses give them a vacant zombie look, o4ne which is “scarier than something in ‘Scary Film’ and ‘Scary Film 2. ” three After bodily showing like white girls, they needed to act like white girls so as to fully rework into the Wilson sisters. In an effort to put together, they watched films comparable to “Clueless” and “Miss Congeniality”, and studied the mannerisms. As soon as Shawn and Marlon “white up” they’re in a position current their critique on “White America”, by over exaggerating their newfound quirks and abusing their new privileges.
Kevin and Marcus carry out whiteness with a way of entitlement, evident by their new type of language, conduct, gestures, and judgment. In direction of the center of the movie, as soon as Kevin and Marcus have deceived everybody and are embraced by the Wilson sister’s wealthy buddies, they’re all headed to the mall in a BMW convertible. On the best way to the mall Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” comes on the radio to the delight of all of the wealthy buddies. Reiterating, “that is our jam”, and giddy with pleasure, Brittany and Tiffany are seen confused and considerably scared within the backseat.
Every woman has her personal distinctive choreography to the tune, however all of them sing alongside, except the Wilson sisters. When it’s Brittany and Tiffany’s flip to sing the subsequent verse, they butcher the lyrics, forgetting the vast majority of the phrases, and earn a “C-“ from the group. The radio station is then modified, and the Infamous B. I. G ‘s Realest Niggaz Feat. 50 Cent & Eminem is heard enjoying, a lot to the delight of Kevin and Marcus, who start to sing alongside, and act that their white buddies discover offensive; Karen: “Guys I cant imagine you stated that. ” Tiffany: “Stated what? ” 43. Kehr, Dave. “White Chicks (2004). ” The New York Instances. VILLAMARIN three Karen: “The N-word” Brittany: “So…
No one’s round” All of the white buddies have a look at one another; there’s a tense second of silence, serving to find out the racism or anti-racism of the ladies, however quickly the ladies smile and start to rap in unison “Don’t try to act such as you don’t really feel a nigga”. Nobody argued the usage of the time period “nigga”, every complicit with their racism so long as it’s out of earshot of black folks. On this situation every particular person is appearing. Kevin and Marcus are appearing as white females, and what their notion of white girls is.
The three buddies, Karen, Tori, Lisa, are “appearing” as in the event that they’re not racist, evident by their stunned response when Brittany and Tiffany stated the N-word. Mockingly, all of them knew the lyrics to the tune, discrediting the unique disbelief and false ethical shock. Nevertheless, solely Kevin and Marcus are actually appearing, and performing race. In line with Andrew Kelvan, the concept of a efficiency is all the time being “conscious”. Kevin and Marcus are actually performing, they’re conscious of the best way they speak, their mannerism, they’re voices, all need to be “white” and “female”.
There’s clearly a language distinction between Kevin and Marcus, and their white buddies. By exaggerating the variations between black and white languages, comparable to with the repetition of Brittany’s catchphrases (“I’m so frickin’ pissed” and the time period “bitch match”, to call just a few) go away the black audio system at a crossroad; both they provide up their colloquialisms, and danger alienating from their friends, or they danger remaining “ghetto”5. In an analogous means, by reinforcing the variations between races leaves blacks within the place of making an attempt to be white sufficient or show they’re black sufficient. 55. Younger, Vershawn Ashanti. “Chapter 1. ” Your Common Nigga Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity VILLAMARIN four.
By way of their performances as white females, the Wayans are in a position to produce a “shock of being seen” 6. The Wayans’s are portraying white chicks to the very best of their information, but in addition go away room for critique. The over exaggeration helps the particular person seeing; it triggers a strategy of self-awareness. The witness can passively topic him or herself into it or can course of it as meals for thought. On this case, the witness is White America. The Wayans’s make the most of the shock of being seen as an imitation as revenge.
Audiences take pleasure in seeing whiteness portrayed as nothing greater than a efficiency, seeing as how they’re nonetheless in energy and lose nothing. White Chicks serves because the Wayans brother’s perspective on white society, serving as their tackle white tradition. As a substitute of re inscribing white normality, or white energy, Wayans challenged anti-black racist stereotypes whereas confronting white privilege. White Chicks over exaggerates white tradition, and society, by placing a spin on black face; on this case the Wayans brothers carried out what they understood to be whiteness. The viewers is ready to see the privilege Kevin and Marcus obtain as soon as they’re perceived to be white chicks.
As Brittany and Tiffany, Kevin and Marcus carry out whiteness with a way of entitlement, evident by their new type of language, conduct, gesture, and judgment. 6 Njami, Simon. “The Shock of Being Seen. ” VILLAMARIN 5 Works Cited Lehmann, Megan. “SLIGHT ‘CHICKS’ – WASHED-OUT SCRIPT SINKS WAYANS’ DRAG COMEDY; ‘WHITE’ LACKS COLOR. ” New York Publish. 23 June 2004. Net. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://nypost. com/2004/06/23/slight- chicks-washed-out-script-sinks-wayans-drag-comedy-white-lacks- coloration/>. “Wayans Remodel for ‘White Chicks’” Fox Information.
FOX Information Community, 23 June 2004. Net. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://www.foxnews. com/story/2004/06/23/wayans-transform-for- white-chicks/>. Kehr, Dave. “White Chicks (2004). ” The New York Instances. 23 June 2004. Net. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://www. nytimes. com/film/assessment? res=9400E6DE1039F930A15755C0A9629C8B63>. Younger, Vershawn Ashanti. “Chapter 1. ” Your Common Nigga Performing Race, Literacy, and Masculinity. Detroit: Wayne State UP, 2007. Print. Njami, Simon. “The Shock of Being Seen. ” The Shock of Being Seen. 1 Jan. 2008. Net. 17 Mar. 2015. <http://www. fondation- sindikadokolo. com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/the-shock-of-being- seen_njami_en. pdf>. VILLAMARIN 6.