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Chris Harihar COMM.375 Section 5 Assignment 3

9 Pages - 10 With Bibliography

King Kong: A Tool for Racist America?

 Them racist people call us monkeys, They call a black man an ape,
 They say we resemble gorillas when we gain weight, They say we three-fifths of a man,
 Get it straight, Papoose educate, At the same time they release the movie King Kong
 where they kill a black ape, They kill Tookie Williams out in California State,
 Am I jumping to conclusions, or is it fact proven, That they use movies to imitate what they doing.

-- Papoose (“Broken Dreams”)

King Kong was not merely about a tremendous gorilla that loved and lost. The original film from 1933, as well as all the revamped remakes it spawned years later, is much more than your average love story. It is a captivating motion picture that ultimately rests upon the bed of racism. The film is built upon demonizing black males and the larger African American community through the use of an effective metaphorical representation. King Kong, the figure of a giant monkey, is that metaphorical representation, as racist whites throughout American history have used the metaphor of the monkey to constantly signify blacks, and more specifically, black males. Research and analysis of the original King Kong film clearly shows that the racial unrest of the time period of the original release was ultimately reflected within the film’s content. The film’s plot also centers around implicit sexual imagery, and acts as a social commentary in relation to interracial relationships (specifically black males and white females). These racial subtexts are communicated through the use of a racist, metaphorical representation of black society (i.e. King Kong, an ape). It is important to stress that these three factors are related and interdependent. Together, they shed light on the racist nature of this popular motion picture.

Before speaking on the actual content of the film, one must understand the social and cultural climate (history) from which it was conceived in order to understand the mindset of the creators and the receptive public. Once the historical context is established, it can be compared and analyzed in relation to the film’s content, allowing the foundation to be built for the racial metaphor in question. The time period from which King Kong was birthed is especially prevalent, as it was a time of social and racial unrest.

The original King Kong was released in 1933, as it became a significant piece of the larger social climate, a climate which was experiencing unparalleled social change in terms of race and race relations. This was during a time where the Great Depression (started in 1929) had already caused insurmountable damage to the fabric of industrialized society, dismantling the everyday lives of all American citizens. As the Great Depression continued into the 1930’s, the black community in particular began to suffer as race became an economic issue as well as a social issue. “By 1932, approximately half of black Americans were out of work. In some Northern cities, whites called for blacks to be fired from any jobs as long as there were whites out of work. Racial violence again became more common, especially in the South. Lynchings, which had declined to eight in 1932, surged to twenty-eight in 1933” (Library of Congress). As a result of the Depression, racism and ethnic stereotyping – already prevalent – continued to develop at an alarming rate.

The country encountered other strong social movements as well, including the Race Riot of 1919 (lasted from July 27th to July 30th). The riots occurred primarily in Chicago’s Black Belt, which was noted for its large black population, and only ended after the National Guard was deployed to end the violence (Wikepedia). A strained relationship between migrating blacks and the white families that already lived within the Chicago area is believed to have sparked the racial conflict as both communities began to compete for employment and housing. Also, many black Americans who had fought in World War One (ended in 1918) had now returned to America with a new sense of democracy, and were willing to fight against a disheartening social climate. W.E.B. Dubois termed this returning group of black veterans, the “New Negroes” (Wikepedia). This movement by the black population fought against social realities and proved they were not ready to be complacent, which actually began to frighten the more powerful white community. As stated by author David Rosen, “What was most significant about these riots was their widespread occurrence (six major riots, twenty other racial disturbances in the summer and fall of l9l9) and the fact that blacks were fighting back, as indicated by the Chicago statistics on number of whites killed and injured, which is cited as a major factor in accounting for the particularly violent character of the riots” (Rosen).

During this period of American history, two more developments occurred which continued to heighten levels of racial tension to an unprecedented degree. First the Ku Klux Klan, known for their strong anti-black sentiment, had become a prominent cultural force for white America, as it established itself as a dominant voice within a racially implosive environment. In the 1920’s, the amount of members within the organization peaked, boasting millions of followers and fifteen-percent of the eligible population (Wikepedia). “Although the wave of rabid racism may be considered to have abated somewhat in the late twenties, it is incontestable that the nation was still affected by the same racial preoccupations. In March of 1931 the infamous Scottsboro Boys case began, in which nine black youths were accused of raping two white girls” (Rosen). This rape case proved to another catalyst in an already racially charged social setting.

The case allowed the taboo and forbidden subject of sexual relations between the black and white communities to step into the forefront of the racial debate. As stated by David Rosen, “Miscegenation, of course, was and continued to be an idée fixe with the Klan and white racism in general, the protection of white women viewed as a major part of the task of saving ‘white civilization’” (Rosen). Miscegenation, or interracial relationships of a sexual nature, was an extremely important social aspect in relation to the King Kong metaphor. Anne Darrow, King Kong’s love interest within the film, is a beautiful, white female while Kong himself is an uncanny brute, equipped with extremely dark skin and a lust-filled heart. This symbolic representation of Kong as a looming, black figure, unable to control his sexual desire for white women, is reminiscent of the majority of the white community’s outlook regarding the Scottsboro Boys case.

One particular scene of the film which is essential to this racial-sexual construct is the climactic ending. In one of the most memorable sequences in the history of film, King Kong lustfully kidnaps the beautiful Anne Darrow, climbing to the top of the Empire State Building and battling a number of fighter planes before falling to his death. There is a deeper discourse embedded within this over-the-top ending, as it utilizes implicit and explicit sexual imagery in order to communicate a racially driven message about the sexuality of black males. The scene plays on the common depiction, especially in 1933, of the black male as a “sexual monster,” whose aim was to corrupt pure, white women. Here, “…we have a giant ape (literally a huge, hairy monster) and his unrestrained, headlong pursuit of a ‘blonde,’ that archetypical Hollywood sex-object, ending on top of the world’s foremost phallic symbol. The sexual theme touches on the standard racist myth of the black male’s exaggerated sexual potency, and the complementary notion of his insatiable desire for white women” (Rosen). This stereotype was widely accepted by white society, especially after the Scottsboro case occurred. Whites felt as though they had to protect their white women from the black male, a sexual savage.

All of these social factors occurred during the time period of or leading up to King Kong’s release. Therefore, they are relevant to the content situated within the King Kong text. Reality is often reflected within the content of its media messages and the King Kong film was no different. It too reflected the reality of the times by expressing white America’s troubled relationship with black society. The Great Depression, Riot of 1919, mounting popularity of the KKK, and Scottsboro Rape Case, all proved to shape the racial climate, and develop white society’s newfound economic, social, and sexual fear of black America. This ultimately increased racial tensions between the two polarized groups. When discussing the racial depictions embedded within Kong’s imagery, James Pinkerton, a Newsday columnist, makes reference to the historical context of the film, stating that, “…outright invocations of white nationalism… were politically unacceptable, even in the '30s, and so the same race-conscious sentiments were encrypted into allegory - in print or on celluloid” (Pinkerton, CommonSense). The film represents black society through the figure of King Kong, presenting him as the metaphorical representation of a single black male, or more specifically, the “New Negro”. His violent actions are deemed threatening by the civilized, white society around him, especially when he enters the industrialized city of New York. This group, representative of white society at the time of the film’s conception, feels apprehensive and threatened by the power of Kong (i.e. black society). Their apprehension turns to fear, and in order to maintain order, his death is viewed as an eventual necessity. The premise of the film is founded on the historical context from which it was birthed, as the parallels between the racial atmosphere of the times and the King Kong allegory, are ultimately too similar to deem coincidental.

Nevertheless, one may argue that although the film may share similarities to racially driven events occurring during and before its release, the central character is still a mythological figure, a twenty-five foot monkey and nothing more. It is a horror-love story and a tragic one at that. However, these cynics fail to realize the more explicit features involved in the King Kong-black male allegory, such as the physical portrayal of Kong as an ape or a monkey. When the physical representation of King Kong is coupled with the historical context of the times, together they strengthen the concept of Kong as a racially constructed symbol of black America.

In order to understand the general concept of the King Kong-black male parable, one must also examine the physical representation of Kong as a giant monkey or gorilla. Charles Darwin’s (1809-1882) Theory of Evolution gave birth to the concept of the monkey as being the cornerstone for the human origin. This theory champions humans as evolved versions of monkeys, establishing a level of human superiority and complexity in relation to this lower species. Evolution is development and progress, providing the human species with physical, mental, social, and emotional capabilities that are seemingly unmatched by the monkey or the ape. Here, Darwinism does not merely suggest that evolution has occurred from monkey to man, but it also becomes a social tool for the race of man. From this evolutionary vision, one can easily assume that man is seen as ultimately superior to the monkey. Humans are automatically deemed a complex life-form, multifaceted in every possible way; therefore, making them better than the simple, primitive organism they evolved from (the monkey). Therefore, “the ape often functions as a most appropriate anthropoid symbol of ‘lower,’ ‘animal’ instincts” (Rosen). This scientific theory has since been adopted by white society and transformed into a tool of racism, bigotry and social hegemony.

Establishing the subhuman depiction of the monkey is an important aspect of racial culture and a tremendous piece of the King Kong allegory. Throughout America’s civil history, racist whites have used the metaphor of the monkey to signify blacks and the African American community. The portrayal of blacks as monkeys has been an affective stereotypical tool for the white population, as it draws upon the supposed resemblance between physical and mental attributes (all unfounded) of the “typical black male”, with that of the primitive ape. This metaphorical representation of black society is still prevalent even today. In May 2005, a news story reported by WXIA-TV in Atlanta, Georgia stated that a local business owner had hung a “giant stuffed monkey doll” atop a nearby crane. The doll’s face, hands and feet were painted black and the doll’s body was adorned with a “Confederate battle flag” (also seen by many as a racist symbol in Southern America). The local community, which the business owner was a part of, called for the removal of the display, citing its racist nature. Neighbor Kathy Flowers stated, "He should know that in the days of the Ku Klux Klan, the monkey was used as a symbol of the black man. So what it said to me was, we're going to lynch the black people. That's exactly what it said to me" (Leslie, 11-Alive). The symbolic portrayal of black males as monkeys or apes is clearly still a social issue. King Kong demonstrates this, as it is an explicit depiction of this symbol, and a text where the story “…touches the raw nerve of the Darwin-based association between black men and apes” (McKenzie, TimesOnline).

Once the historical context of the times, its relationship to the film’s premise, and the metaphorical representation of black society have been determined, a closer analytical look at important climactic events within the film’s storyline, can be used to further critique the implicit and overtly explicit racism within King Kong. The general plot of the film and a few scenes in particular, seem to communicate the white community’s social understandings of its relationship with black society, especially during that time period.

The film is layered with a discourse of racism that cleverly plays with the concept of the black man as an ape. Kong is supposedly located on the remote, Skull Island, which is unknown, uncultivated and above all uncivilized territory to the white men who seek him. They long to attain footage of the monstrous creature and simultaneously protect the fair Miss Darrow. However, while in pursuit of Kong, the film is destroyed and in order to salvage their monetary illusions of grandeur, the men must capture Kong and bring him to America for the entire world to see. Once Kong is subdued, character Carl Denham shouts, “We'll give him more than chains. He's always been king of his world, but we'll teach him fear. We're millionaires, boys. I'll share it with all of you. Why, in a few months it'll be up in lights on Broadway: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World” (IMDB).

These few lines of scripted speech are very telling of the story’s premise. An enormous, dark ape, a symbol of black society both then and now, is forcefully imprisoned and taken from his native land for the economic benefit of the white man. This is the basic story of the film King Kong, a powerful story the majority of American society would like to forget. The similarities between America’s intimate relationship with slavery and the major climactic elements of the King Kong film are remarkable. However, “any movie that features white people sailing off to the Third World to capture a giant ape and carry it back to the West for exploitation is going to be seen as a metaphor for colonialism and racism” (Pinkerton, CommonSense). The Emancipation Proclamation halted slave labor and was issued by Congress in 1862, only seventy one years prior to the release of the original Kong film. This may have had bearing on the film’s conception, and reception, as the public sector was still racially segregated and blacks were often deemed the lesser of the two races by a dominant white community. In fact, “it doesn't require too great an exercise of the imagination to perceive the element of race in KING KONG. Racist conceptions of blacks often depict them as subhuman, ape or monkey-like. And consider the plot of the film: Kong is forcibly taken from his jungle home, brought in chains to the United States, where he is put on stage as a freak entertainment attraction” (Rosen). The social history of the times continues to be conveyed within the film’s plot, storyline and script, unfolding as a series of metaphors, racial stereotypes and ethnic contexts in relation to black culture (and history).

Skeptics may continue to argue that the film is not racially layered, and is “just a movie”. However, it seems that in order to fully understand a film’s message, the subtexts embedded within the surface message, must be taken into account. After analysis of the film, three important points pertaining to the implicit racism within it are made clear. First, the time period of the original release was full of racial unrest, ultimately being reflected within the film’s content. Second, the film’s plot, already affected by the reality of its time, centered around implicit sexual imagery, and acted as a social commentary in relation to interracial relationships and their social implications. Lastly, the racial turmoil of the times was communicated through the use of a timeless, metaphorical representation of black society (i.e. a monkey). These factors combined establish the racist and layered message, embedded within King Kong.

If This Strikes You... Think Further

James Pinkerton, Newsday Columnist said the following in relation to the new Kong film:

 But if the movie is so loaded with race-charged imagery, why isn't it being protested?
 Why aren't we seeing pickets and boycotts? Perhaps it's because today, as people look around the world,
 they see that most political strife is, in fact, ethnic strife. Folks like to say that "diversity is our
 strength," and they resolve to fight racism, but every day's news reminds us that ethnic conflict
 lurks in the human heart.

• Note - I lost a few of my sources after I reposted my paper. I'll have the works cited up later tonight, I just have to find all these sources again. Sorry.