American Movies & TV Series Stereotypes

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American Movies & TV Series Stereotypes - Quiz


Based on the text "Creating or Magnifying Stereotypes" on pages 24 and 25 from the MYP 4 book, and on general knowledge of well-known American movies and TV series, students will become aware of how stereotypical these products of the USA media can be, coveying prejudicial, cultural values.
Obs. : You will be prompted to go over the text on your Student's book when the question is followed by the command "Check your book".


Questions and Answers
  • 1. 

    How much of the European film market is controlled by Hollywood?(Check your book)

    • A.

      Roughly seventy percent

    • B.

      Roughly seventy five percent

    • C.

      Roughly eighty percent

    • D.

      Roughly eighty five percent

    Correct Answer
    C. Roughly eighty percent
    Explanation
    The correct answer is "Roughly eighty percent." This suggests that Hollywood controls a significant majority of the European film market, indicating its dominance and influence in the industry. This level of control implies that European audiences are more exposed to Hollywood films compared to local European productions.

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  • 2. 

     During the U.S. government’s “WAR ON TERRORISM”, what does the entertainment offered by the U.S. try to impose on peoples’ thoughts and opinions?(Check your book)

    • A.

      The idea that terrorism is harmful for humanity.

    • B.

      The American values of democracy and freedom.

    • C.

      The bad side of the cultural aspects of the terrorists’ nation.

    • D.

      None of the answers above are correct.

    Correct Answer
    B. The American values of democracy and freedom.
    Explanation
    The entertainment offered by the U.S. during the "WAR ON TERRORISM" tries to impose the American values of democracy and freedom on peoples' thoughts and opinions. This suggests that the U.S. government uses entertainment as a tool to promote its ideals and beliefs, emphasizing the importance of democratic principles and personal freedoms in countering terrorism.

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  • 3. 

    According to the texts, what kind of stereotypes are conveyed by American movies and TV series?(Check your book)

    • A.

      TEXT 1: Sexism and freedom TEXT 2: Racism and corporate self-centeredness

    • B.

      TEXT 1: Feminism and terrorrism TEXT 2: Afican-Americans are either criminals, clowns or wealthy athletes

    • C.

      TEXT 1: Anti-Arabs stereotypes TEXT 2: African-Americans are either criminals, clowns and weathy athletes

    • D.

      TEXT 1: Anti-Arab stereotypes and African-Americans portrayed as either criminals, clowns and weathy athletes TEXT 2: The absence of images of people of color in American movies

    Correct Answer
    C. TEXT 1: Anti-Arabs stereotypes TEXT 2: African-Americans are either criminals, clowns and weathy athletes
    Explanation
    American movies and TV series convey stereotypes of anti-Arab stereotypes and portray African-Americans as either criminals, clowns, or wealthy athletes. This is evident from the texts which mention these stereotypes specifically.

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  • 4. 

    What about the values and ideas? Which ones are conveyed by American movies and TV series?(Check your book)

    • A.

      TEXT 1: Sexism and corporate self-centeredness TEXT 2: The "American values" of "democracy" and "freedom" / The absence of images of people of color in American movies

    • B.

      TEXT 1: The "American values" of "democracy" and "freedom" / Sexism and corporate self-centeredness TEXT 2: People of color play a secondary role in society

    • C.

      TEXT 1: Sexism and corporate self-centeredness TEXT 2: People of color play a seconday role and they tend to be in the background

    • D.

      TEXT 1: Feminism and terrorrism / Anti-Arab stereotypes TEXT 2: The absence of images of people of color in American movies

    Correct Answer
    B. TEXT 1: The "American values" of "democracy" and "freedom" / Sexism and corporate self-centeredness TEXT 2: People of color play a secondary role in society
    Explanation
    The correct answer suggests that American movies and TV series convey the values of "democracy" and "freedom" as well as sexism and corporate self-centeredness. Additionally, it implies that people of color tend to play a secondary role in society in these media representations.

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  • 5. 

    "The U.S. entertainment industry has plenty of other rotten ideas to offer." Consider the TV series Ally McBeal:Ally McBeal was an American television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002. The series starred Calista Flockhart in the title role as a young lawyer working in the fictional Boston law firm Cage, Fish and Associates with other young lawyers whose lives and loves were eccentric, humorous and dramatic. Despite its success, Ally McBeal did receive some negative criticism from TV critics and feminists for it conveyed strong values of:

    • A.

      Racism

    • B.

      Freedom

    • C.

      Homosexuality

    • D.

      Sexism

    Correct Answer
    D. Sexism
    Explanation
    The correct answer is sexism. The explanation for this is that although Ally McBeal was a successful TV series, it received criticism for its portrayal of women. The show often focused on the characters' appearance and relationships, rather than their professional abilities. This perpetuated stereotypes and objectified women, leading to accusations of sexism.

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  • 6. 

    1.     The Mummy is a 1999 American adventure film written and directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser, and Rachel Weisz, with Arnold Vosloo in the title role as the reanimated mummy. The film features substantial dialogue in ancient Egyptian language, spoken with the assistance of a professional Egyptologist. It is a loose remake of the 1932 film of the same name. USA Today gave the film two out of four stars and felt that it was "not free of stereotypes", as it portrayed:

    • A.

      Erroneous Egyptian stereotypes

    • B.

      Anti-Arab stereotypes

    • C.

      Anti-Blacks stereotypes

    • D.

      None of the answers above are correct

    Correct Answer
    B. Anti-Arab stereotypes
    Explanation
    The correct answer is "Anti-Arab stereotypes". This is because the film was criticized for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Arab culture and people.

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  • 7. 

    1.     HEROES is about a group of everyday people who wake up to realize that they have special powers, and it conveys…

    • A.

      Cultural stereotypes, as the values of the regions where the characters are from are erroneously shown.

    • B.

      Stereotypes of appearance, only.

    • C.

      Gender stereotypes, as the men with special powers far outweigh the women with powers on the show.

    • D.

      None of the answers above are correct

    Correct Answer
    C. Gender stereotypes, as the men with special powers far outweigh the women with powers on the show.
    Explanation
    The explanation for the correct answer is that the show HEROES portrays gender stereotypes by having a significant imbalance between the number of men and women with special powers. This suggests that men are more likely to possess extraordinary abilities compared to women, reinforcing traditional gender roles and expectations.

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  • 8. 

    1.   The TV series Lost, on the other hand, portrays the ________ not as villains, but as heroics, as one of its lead characters, Sayid, possesses a heroic, intelligent and romantic posture.

    • A.

      Arabs

    • B.

      Asians

    • C.

      Native Americans

    • D.

      African-Americans

    Correct Answer
    A. Arabs
    Explanation
    The correct answer is Arabs. The explanation for this answer is that the TV series Lost portrays Arabs as heroes and not as villains. One of the lead characters, Sayid, who is Arab, is depicted as heroic, intelligent, and romantic. This portrayal challenges the stereotype of Arabs as villains and presents a more positive representation of Arab characters in the show.

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  • 9. 

    1.     Which of the following stereotypes from the movie Madagascar is false?

    • A.

      The lion was a puffy, self-absorbed, huge, golden, white boy.

    • B.

      The villainy-ridden behavior of the penguins negatively reinforces the real aggressiveness these animals possess.

    • C.

      The ’’big, black woman’’ - the HIPPO(!) who was always either smoothing out the ruffles in Alex the Lion’s feathers or keeping the Zebra in line. This is a long-standing stereotype of black women in America known as ’’Mamie’’ or ’’Mammy’’

    • D.

      None of the answers above are correct

    Correct Answer
    B. The villainy-ridden behavior of the penguins negatively reinforces the real aggressiveness these animals possess.
    Explanation
    The correct answer is the villainy-ridden behavior of the penguins negatively reinforces the real aggressiveness these animals possess. This means that the portrayal of the penguins as villains in the movie Madagascar does not accurately represent their true behavior in real life. The statement suggests that the penguins are depicted as more aggressive than they actually are, which perpetuates a negative stereotype about these animals.

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  • 10. 

    1.     Clark Kent on Smallville has to be pretty, white, and straight, and being pretty, white, and straight is an oppressive prerequisite for most popular television shows in North America, conveying the exhaustively and inevitably explored stereotype of:

    • A.

      How important a superhero is in our lives

    • B.

      What a superhero, and consequently any person in society, should look like

    • C.

      How people should act to achieve the attributes of a hero

    • D.

      How irrelevant the appearance is when you are a superhero

    Correct Answer
    B. What a superhero, and consequently any person in society, should look like
    Explanation
    The correct answer suggests that the stereotype being conveyed is about what a superhero, and consequently any person in society, should look like. This means that popular television shows in North America often portray superheroes as being pretty, white, and straight, creating an oppressive prerequisite for representation. This stereotype implies that individuals who do not fit this specific physical appearance are not suitable or deserving of being seen as heroes.

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  • 11. 

    1.    The movie Twilight reverses a stereotypical formula, present in most of the films, when…

    • A.

      It shows the female figure as the "aggressor", the one who will put the man and his family in danger, and not the opposite.

    • B.

      It portrays the vampire as someone who possesses self-control over his instincts

    • C.

      It depicts the girl as like many adolescents, who “would die” and “do anything” for their love affair, in order to fulfill their fantasies.

    • D.

      None of the answers are correct

    Correct Answer
    A. It shows the female figure as the "aggressor", the one who will put the man and his family in danger, and not the opposite.
    Explanation
    The movie Twilight reverses a stereotypical formula by portraying the female figure as the "aggressor" who puts the man and his family in danger, rather than the opposite. This challenges the traditional gender roles often seen in films, where men are typically portrayed as the protectors and women as the ones in need of protection. In Twilight, the female character takes on a more assertive and dangerous role, subverting these expectations and providing a fresh perspective on gender dynamics in storytelling.

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  • 12. 

    Which American television drama series portrays Italians as mobsters? A - B -  C -

    • A.

      The Sopranos

    • B.

      The Practice

    • C.

      The X-Files

    • D.

      None of the answers above are correct.

    Correct Answer
    A. The Sopranos
    Explanation
    The correct answer is The Sopranos. The Sopranos is an American television drama series that portrays Italians as mobsters.

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  • Current Version
  • Jul 28, 2023
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team
  • Mar 18, 2009
    Quiz Created by
    Brunogomes
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