Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The RV White Trash


OK... so as a lot of us already noted, based on the Price article about the White Trash stereotype, this stereotype is constantly recreated in different kinds of media, such as literature or movies. And every time a character/characters are created according to this stereotype, they exhibit the same characteristics and they act the same way. But I think that I agree with the argument that Butsch poses, saying that the reason why these stereotypes, whatever they are, are constantly re-created, is because it makes it easier for the producers to have a character that the audience will already know, and not a lot of time would have to be deducted in order for the character development.

One of my favorite examples of the White Trash Stereotype, is the Gornickes family in the RV (2006). They travel in their RV throughout the country, and that's why their children are home schooled. Below is a clip from the movie, that perfectly mirrors the way that the Gornickes represent the White Trash stereotype.



Here are the reasons why the Gornickes are perceived as the White Trash by the Munros:
  • a "hippy" name of the Gornickes daughter
  • the Gornickes speak with a heavy accent that is often ascribed to the White Trash stereotypical characters
  • Bob suggests that the only reason that the Gornick's wife can make money while being a stay at home mom, is through being a hooker
  • the Gornickes are seen as stupid and primitive when the daughter of the Munros is offered deer organs to eat for dinner
  • the Munros try to leave the dinner and the Gornickes company as soon as possible, because they think that the Gornickes are too simple and "hippy"
  • the singing that the Gornickes perform at the end of the scene is viewed by the Munros as weird

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