Popular Culture Review Vol. 10, No. 2, August 1999 | Page 54
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Popular Culture Review
son to the other characters, Gloria is presented as having less sex appeal, thus
contributing to the asexual image of the matriarch.
A second and very disturbing controlling image in the movie is the image
of the Jezebel. Although the movie is centered around the characters’ search for
relational satisfaction, the sexual encounters of the various women in Waiting to
Exhale perpetuate the image of the sex-craved African American woman. Charac
ters Savannah and Robin sacrifice relationship for sexual encounters with men
who are either commitment-phobic or not “marriage material.” Instead, the char
acters experience a total of four sexual encounters with four men throughout the
movie (two per character). While such brief escapades may appear mild or moder
ate in comparison to mainstream “relationship” movies. Waiting to Exhale is in a
unique position as it is held to a double standard to which other movies are not.Thus,
natural aspects of the male-female relationship are distorted and further perpetuate
the allegations about African American men and women’s “preoccupation” with
pre-marital and adulterous sex. If a comparison were made, it is plausible that
mainstream movies are the primary perpetrators of the very image that is typically
ascribed to African Americans. Although the characters present various aspects of
their individual identities as women balancing career obligations and their desires
for satisfying romantic relationships. Waiting to Exhale encompasses a dialectical
tension relative to realistic portrayals and entertainment as escape. Unfortunately,
the controlling images of matriarch and Jezebel overshadow the relational compo
nent of their identities.
Set It Off, on the other hand, embodies the controlling images of matriarch,
Jezebel, and welfare mother as it attempts to tell of class, race, and gender oppres
sion through its four characters. Similar to Waiting to Exhale, Set It Off perpetuates
the stereotype of the matriarch in subtle nuances embedded in the character Stoney.
On several occasions, Stoney takes on the role of mother as she provides nurturance
for her younger brother after her parents’ death and for her “sistahs” as they deal
with their respective crises. Stoney attempts to provide emotional support as she
bolsters her friends’ self-esteem and security through their friendship. Though un
spoken, Stoney serves as the moral guide for the women as they contemplate their
decision to engage in criminal activities (i.e., bank robbing). Unlike Gloria in Wait
ing to Exhale, Stoney is very petite, physically attractive, and attuned to her sexual
identity. This character possesses a quiet strength that is contrary to the stereotypic
image of the matriarch ingrained in the psyche of many.
The controlling image of Jezebel is also contained in the character Stoney,
specifically when she chooses to provide sexual services for a man in exchange for
money so that her brother can attend college. After the exchange, Stoney’s counte
nance changes as she acknowledges this moral compromise yet actively works to
maintain her self-respect and dignity by keeping this indiscretion to herself Simi-