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SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 1

SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION

Morgan Yates

Xavier University of Louisiana


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Abstract

Representations of African-American women in Black directed and or casted films attempting to

achieve the American dream have been a heavily critiqued area of discussion. Stereotypical roles

and representations of African American women in cinema have recurred throughout our history.

In the media, specifically through Black films, there is a preconceived portrayal about how Black

women are expected to achieve the American Dream. This portrayal takes place by way of

finding romance and/or crime through gaining an education. However, even if they do gain

success through education, they lack other aspects of this desired “American dream.” This

research will examine the connection between Black film’s portrayal of Black women achieving

success by analyzing the 1996 drama, ​Set it Off . In addition to explaining how these implications

continue today, and how it affects the African American community. In order to collect

information for this research, I used the qualitative method focusing on media ethnography and

case studies. Through this method, I intend to discover that Caucasian Americans negatively

interpret the portrayal of Black women and use this portrayal to judge the race. Also, I expect to

find that the perception of White Americans has transcended, and affected the way African

Americans view Black women.


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Introduction

Media plays a significant role in our society, culture, in business, and on the

world-at-large. Media has a profound influence on the behavior of an audience, it affects the way

society thinks, how society responds, and the way society communicates. As a form of media

that drives over a billion dollars in revenue annually, it is only evident that film has a direct

impact in our community. I gathered an idea of how White high school females interacted with

each other by watching Mean Girls-- a film about middle class high school girls dealing with the

everyday pursuit to be popular, I perceive that Whites girls with blonde hair are dingy sluts, and

that White successful men typically divorce their first wives for their secretaries or receptionists

based on what is portrayed in films. Though these portrayals do not completely depict the

lifestyle of every White high school girl or every White successful man, this is how they are

portrayed in film and television, therefore, influencing my perception of them due to my limited

interaction with the majority race.

This perception leads to the purpose of my research. My goal was to discover the

portrayal of African American women in film on their quest in obtaining the American dream

and the perception of the majority race based on this depiction. I define the American dream as

the ability to obtain happiness. For some people, happiness includes financial stability, having a

family, and or achieving personal measurable success. I developed three primary questions to

gather data for my research which were: what exactly is the portrayal of Black Women in Black

films? How do White Americans interpret the portrayal of African American women in Black

films and how does their interpretation affect their perception of Black women? How do Black
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Americans view their women based on their depiction in American made films and how does

their interpretation affect how they see Black women?

This research is significant because though the United States is desegregated, the

different ethnicities tend to stay within their own communities, and tend to ​rarely interact with

races outside of theirs. A recent study conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute

showed that 91 percent of the average white American’s closest friends and family members are

white, and just 1 percent are black. When asked to name closest friends and family members, 75

percent of white Americans didn’t name even one person who was not white (​Gebreyes,2014​).

Because of the ​limited interaction, races are forced to rely on what is viewed on television, film,

and other media mediums to develop an idea of races they aren’t familiar with. In 2015, White

Americans made up the majority of the population (62%) and 60% of them were categorized as

moviegoers . If Black women are depicted as sexually explicit or as Jezebels, angry and

aggressive defined as the Sapphire, and stern maternal figures are depicted as the Mammy then

that is how other races will perceive them. Because of this depiction, White Americans -the

majority race and the discussed race- will have a negative perception of Black women. Because

White people have a negative perception of Black women, this in return will influence Black

Americans to believing this perception and overall affect the way Black men view black women

and how they (Black women) view themselves. The theory is how people perceive us is how we

perceive ourselves.

Methodology

The purpose of my research is to evaluate how Black films portray African American

women during their quest to obtain the American dream. When analyzing this topic, I
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specifically reviewed the 1996 Black produced film ​Set it Off​. To gain a better perspective of this

cinema, I developed three research questions that I wanted to answer to have complete

understanding of this portrayal and the perceptions that were included. These three questions

were: What exactly is the portrayal of Black Women in Black films? How do White Americans

interpret the portrayal of African American women in Black films and how does their

interpretation affect their perception of Black women? As Black Americans, how do we view our

women based on their depiction in Black films and how does our interpretation affect how we

see Black women?

I used the qualitative method to discover answers to these three questions. The strength

of qualitative research is its ability to provide complex textual descriptions of how people

experience a given research issue. It provides information about the “human” side of an issue –

that is, the often contradictory behaviors, beliefs, opinions, emotions, and relationships of

individuals. Qualitative methods are also effective in identifying intangible factors, such as social

norms, socioeconomic status, gender roles, ethnicity, and religion, whose role in the research

issue may not be readily apparent. Quantitative methods can help interpret and provide a better

understanding of the complex reality of a given situation and the implications of quantitative data

(Lincoln 2000).

I began my research by using the media ethnography approach to the qualitative method.

The emphasis on an ethnographic approach is to focus on an entire culture or demographic

(Lincoln 2000). With this approach in mind, I began observing and taking notes/reflecting on ​Set

it Off​. I chose ​Set it Off ​as my primary source because it portrayed four women from similar

economic backgrounds, however, the film achieved to depict several stereotypes. I began
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watching the film once a week for 11 weeks to fully gain a detailed understanding of the various

themes taken place in the film. The purpose of watching this film was to answer my first

question which focused on discovering the portrayal of Black women in Black developed films.

While watching this film, I ensured that I did not encounter any distractions that would alter my

perception of the film or cause me to miss any information. During the film, I took notes on how

the women were portrayed in regards to their body language, word choice, their actions, but most

importantly, how their character aligned with the preexisting Black female stereotypical

characters. Each time after watching the film, I compared the notes that I previously took to the

current. Each time, I realized I learned more and more about the complexity and the dimensions

of the characters.

In conjunction with observing ​Set it Off​, I also reviewed case studies to conducted

research on the stated topic. Case study research excels at bringing us to an understanding of a

complex issue or object and can extend experience or add strength to what is already known

through previous research. Case studies emphasize detailed contextual analysis of a limited

number of events or conditions and their relationships (Soy 1997). To determine which case

studies were appropriate for my topic, I decided to use keywords such as “African American

Women’s Portrayal in film,” “White American’s Perception of Black Women” “Black

American’s Perception of Black Women” and “How Black Films Affect the Black Community.”

I primarily used the Google Scholar database and the online Xavier University's library to find

the resources. My goal with researching these articles were to answer my remaining two

questions dealing with the perceptions of Black and White Americans in relations to the

portrayal of African American women in Black film. When reviewing the case studies, I denoted
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all information pertaining to my research topic. I compared and contrasted the information

gathered to each source to determine what data was most consistent and prevalent to my

research.

I chose to use the qualitative method to conduct my research because I wanted to

understand why certain ethnic groups reacted or perceived Black women in a certain way.

Because these perceptions are not hard statistical facts, rather just feelings and opinions, it was

more conducive to use the chosen method. Unlike other qualitative research methods, I did not

decide to conduct focus groups nor in-depth interviews simply because I did not want the

information to be biased. In order to collective accurate qualitative data, one of my targeted

audiences would be White Americans. Since I am an African American women which is also the

demographic for my topic, I did not want my research to be jeopardized by my targeted audience

in case they feared to offend me. Therefore, I thought it to be best to review case studies that

readily included in-depth interviews and other sources that are comparable to my topic.

Conclusively, I was able to collect meaningful and useful data with the qualitative

method. Through my research, I not only obtained a better understanding of the stereotypical

Black female characters in film but I was also able to observe it and analyze it through watching

Set it Off.​ As stated previously, the consistent observation of this movie allowed to me further

evaluate the characters and the preconceived idea of the Black female stereotype. By reading and

evaluating various case studies, I was able to gain an understanding of how films like ​Set it Off

affect the perception of Black women in the eyes of Black and White Americans.

Literature Review
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African American directed and written cinema portrayed Black women in three

stereotypes: the “Jezebel” which depicted Black women as sexually provocative, the “Sapphire”

which depicted Black woman as overbearing and undesirable to men, and the “mammy” which

showed Black women as a servant figure (McCray 2011). This stereotype continued to

transcended in later Black films, one in particular is Set it Off. The 1996 drama ​Set it Off,

directed by F. Gary Gray and written by Takashi Bufford and Kate Lanier, followed the lives of

four African American women who experienced tragedies causing them to crave two things-- the

desire to leave their impoverished beginnings and money (Ebert 1996). The film takes you

through a short time span of their lives where they plan and execute a string of bank robberies in

response to intersectional hardships of being Black, poor, and female living in Los Angeles, Ca.

(Ebert 1996). I will examine the history of the stereotypical African American female caricature

portrayed in film and these representations align with the main characters in ​Set It Off ​.

The Introduction of the Stereotypes of Black Women in Film

Seductive, alluring, worldly, tempting, lewd, promiscuous, even predatory, were all

descriptive words that characterized the stereotypical African American female, “Jezebel”

(Pilgrim 2008). The Jezebel stereotype can be traced back into the slavery-era. It was used to

justify the sexual relations between white men and black women. The belief was that Black

female slaves initiated sex with their White owners because the women possessed an

uncontrollable urge for sex and they were not attracted to Black men, however, today, we know

these relationship took place due to the slave owners raping their slaves (Pilgrim 2008).

In the 1915 movie ​The Birth of a Nation ​, Lydia Brown was a mulatto character. She was

the mistress of the white character Senator Stoneman. Lydia is savage, corrupt, and lascivious.
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She was portrayed as overtly sexual, and she uses her "feminine wiles" to deceive the formerly

good white man (Pilgrim 2008). By the 1970s, the new caricature that became more prevalent in

American cinema was the Jezebel. This new stereotype was popularized in films now labeled

blaxploitation movies (Pilgrim 2008). A few examples of this portrayal would be in the

following movies: the 1974 film ​Foxy Brown ​where African American actress Pam Grier goes

undercover as a whore to get revenge on whites who victimized her loved ones, the 1986 film

Mona Lisa ​in which Cathy Tyson (the niece of actress Cicely Tyson) earned her first major role

as a sophisticated call girl, the 1987 film ​Angel Heart in which Lisa Bonet played a character

who engaged in a sexual scene so graphic that the film nearly received an X rating, and the 1989

film ​Harlem Nights ​in which Lela Rochon played a prostitute so skilled that a white lover calls

his wife on the telephone to tell her that he is never returning home (Pilgrim 2008).

The second stereotypical African American character-- the “Sapphire” is often

characterized as rude, loud, stubborn, aggressive, and combative. The stereotype Sapphire was

based on a character from the 1950’s TV show ​Amos & Andy​. The character of Sapphire was the

angry, hostile, nagging wife of a dishonest, lazy and pretentious African American man named

Kingfish. The central feature for their relationship was Kingfish’s pursuit of flawed schemes to

get rich, his inability to provide for his family, and refusal to take ordinary work (Pilgrim).

“Sapphire and her mother were aggressive in their response to him, which consisted of complete

contempt and disregard. Both of these women were presented as the successful but angy

breadwinners” (Pilgrim 2008). She would be known as the modern day “Angry Black Woman”

(Pilgrim 2008). “The Sapphire caricature is a harsh portrayal of African American women. It is
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also a social control mechanism that is implemented to punish black women for violating the

societal norms of being passive, servile, non-threatening, and unseen” (Pilgrim 2008).

The final African American stereotype for women is the “Mammy”. From the 1800s

through the 1900s, Black women were often portrayed in popular culture as the Mammies which

were women who were the dominant figure in their households and were given permission to

rear and discipline white children whom they watched over (Pilgrim 2008). The Mammy was

perceived as being a maternal, obese, non threatening, deeply religious, and unattractive woman.

“Even though the mammy is well loved and has considerable authority with her white family,

she still knew her place as a servant” (Pilgrim 2008). In 1939, Hattie McDaniel was the first

black person to win an academy award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy in

Gone With The Wind​. In the film, Mammy plays a stern maternal figure to her slave owner’s

child (Pilgrim 2008). A few films and television series that depicted Mammy characters were the

1970’s series ​Good Times depicting Florida Evans, and Nell Carter in the 1980’s series ​Gimme A

Break​. Both characters in these shows were large, deep brown in color, self-sacrificing, loyal,

and humble (Pilgrim 2008).

The Stereotypes Depicted Through Set it Off

Cleverly, the characters in ​Set it Off ​represent a mixture of stereotypes that represent

African American women in Black film and are not just one dimensional. Stoney is a

multi-dimensional character. She plays a maternal role in the way that her responsibilities were

to take care of her younger brother both financially and emotionally since their parents died

when they were younger. Though Stoney wanted to get out of the hood, she put her own

objectives aside, and focused on getting her brother into UCLA so he would have a better
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lifestyle. Though working as a Janitor for Luther’s Janitorial service, Stoney hosted and

sponsored a graduation party for her brother though she didn’t have the financial means.

Stoney was also motherly and protective of Tisean when Luther called her a broke bitch

and threatened to fire Tisean simply because she asked to be paid in cash. Stoney once again

demonstrated her maternal instinct when she immediately defended and comforted Tisean when

the Child Protective Service representative doubted her ability to financially provide for her

child. Because of her maternal and protective instinct that transcends from her bloodline to her

friend, she has “Mammy” characteristics.

These characteristics are what drove her to cross the prostitution boundary by having sex

to receive money for her brother to attend college. In the film, Stony asked Nate, a local car

salesman, for a job to raise enough money for her brother’s college fees. When he seemed

reluctant to give Stoney the job, she then asked for money instead. Nate responded by asking

what she was willing to do for the money (McCray 2011). Though shocked by his response, the

film continued and showed Stoney laying under Nate with moaning and sexual sounds. It was

apparent that the two were having sex in exchange for money (McCray 2011). Stoney transitions

to another sexual relationship with Keith, a corporate banking manager at a local Los Angeles

bank. The two met while Stoney scoped out the bank where he worked and they began dating.

After a few dates, Stoney and Keith had sex (McCray 2011).

On the contrary, during the sex scene involving Nate and Stony, we saw that Stony was

not happy with her decision, hence, she was nearly in tears during the interaction. However, she

made a moral sacrifice to support her brother. In regards to her relationship with Keith, her

intentions were not to use Keith to advance herself financially. Instead she felts as if she was
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blessed to receive a good man that cared for her and happened to be wealthy. Though, Stony’s

sexual interaction with Nate was an economic exchange and her relationship with Keith was a

result of love which lead to intimacy, many would still argue that Stony portrayed characteristics

of the Jezebel stereotype by having sex with two different men in a short window of time

(Pilgrim 2008).

In the film, Frankie (Vivica A. Fox) is portrayed as the Sapphire. ​Set it Off ​begins with a

robbery at a bank that Frankie where Frankie was a bank teller. Unfortunately, Frankie was an

associate to one of the men who robbed the bank. Because of her affiliation with this man, her

employer suspected that she was involved in some way and fired her.

As a result, Frankie became very angry and transformed into the angry Black woman

stereotype. Throughout the film, she makes comments about bombing the banks and once

complained that after working at the bank for two years she couldn’t receive a letter of

recommendation which reduced her opportunity to receive another job. She encouraged the idea

of robbing the bank because she felt entitled to take from a system that unfairly unraveled her

life. Eventually, her friends were able to land her a job at Luther’s Janitorial service company.

However, she was not appreciative and complained with rage about how the job was not ideal for

her.

After the women’s first robbery in which Tisean bails on them, Frankie told her that she

didn’t work to get the stolen money and therefore would not receive any. After Tisean begs for

the money, Frankie quickly apologizes and said she was not angry with Tisean just with the

unjust situation of being fired.


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Lastly, Cleo (Queen Latifah) is portrayed as the mammy stereotype. Though portrayed as

the hard core, masculine figure in a homosexual relationship, Cleo is extremely maternal and

protective of her friends. When Stoney’s brother is murdered by the police officers, Cleo

comforts Stoney for the two days she was grieving and offers Stoney to live with her while she

was dealing with her brother’s death. When the CPS representative told Tisean she was an unfit

mother due her son digesting chemicals at her work place, Cleo immediately defended Tisean

and told the worker that they( the four women) were all watching the little boy and that it wasn’t

Tisean’s fault. After the social worker told Tisean the only way to get her some back in her

custody was to show that she could finanical support him, Cleo grabs Tisean, looks her sternly in

the eye, and says “you know what you have to do.” When Tisean murdered Luther, Cleo

attempted to protect Tisean by threatening the White woman who witnessed the entire act which

nearly caused her to be incarcerated.

The final maternal and most significant act was when Cleo sacrificed her own life to save

Frankie and Stoney. After being caught during their third and final bank robbery, the women

attempted to flee from the police officers. However, when they realized they were trapped and all

three of them would not be able to escape, Cleo told the two women to exit the car and she

would meet with them later which was impossible due to a mob of police cars and helicopters

swarming her surroundings. Cleo gave Stoney one last hug and told she and Frankie to be safe.

Analysis of Pilgrim and McCray

In conclusion, after examining articles from Pilgrim and McCray, it is apparent that the

Jezebel, Sapphire, and Mammy stereotypes were prevalent in ​Set it Off​. Though these characters

weren’t identical to the original stereotypes, they still resemble these characteristics. For
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example, the original Jezebel was viewed as being a sexually explicit woman who dominated

men with her sexuality, though Stony is not sexually dominating, she does use her sexuality to

get what she wants. However, it is also observed that a character can possess more than one

stereotype. Some may also argue that Stoney’s sexual favor was due to her maternal love for her

brother which reiterated her Mammy qualities. Through this film, it is understood that the

stereotypes discussed have not vanished but have been altered to fit in a more contemporary film

platform.

Though the two articles discussed different topics, they resembled each other greatly

when discussing the relation of Black film stereotypes and how they are present in current and

past Black movies. However, they differed in the way that McCay examined the roles of Black

Millennial Academy Award Winning Actress in which information was discovered that the three

stereotypes are not only viewed in Black films but many mainstream films. I found this to be

very disappointing because this portrayal alters the way White America views African

Americans. McCray further explains that “‘persistent and repeated negative images of black

women in film can be detrimental to the group generally, and to black women specifically’. This

statement reflects the idea that a constant reinforcement of stereotypes will strengthen popular

belief and generalize African American females a certain way (McCray 2011.’” Also, it seems as

though White America is capitalizing off of your poor reputation. While Pilgrim’s article focuses

on the history behind the stereotypes Jezebel, Mammy, and Sapphire with an emphasis on Black

film.

Findings

The Love Story: Stoney and Keith


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Unlike the other women, Stoney was given a different avenue to achieve her American

Dream which came in the package of an affectionate but short lived relationship. Though

originally agreeing to commit the robbery with her friends, Stoney knew that a life of crime was

not going to get her out the hood. Though extremely reluctant to dive into a relationship with

Keith, a wealthy corporate banking manager, she eventual realized that was a prospective option

for a better life.

Stoney spent a significant portion of her life parenting and financially supporting herself

and younger brother due to the death of their parents at a very young age. Once her brother

graduated from high school, she thought she was one step closer to escaping her impoverished

beginnings. Stoney’s character was introduced at the beginning of the film when she was at her

brother’s graduation party that she hosted and sponsored. During the party, her brother sadly

informs her that he will not attend UCLA because he was not given a scholarship to attend (Gary

1996). Immediately, Stoney tried to figure out how to help her brother. “Don’t worry about it

Stevie. I will take care of this. You are going to UCLA,” Stoney expressed though without a clue

how she would gather the necessary funds (Gary 1996). The audience later views Stoney having

sex with Nate, a local car salesman, in exchange for money or an advance as Stoney described.

Unfortunately, Stoney’s brother never used the money she earned for him because he was killed

by police officers due to a mistaken identity case. Two days after her brother’s death, Stoney was

sobbing and screamed to her friends “I just want to get out of here! I want to go, I don’t want to

live here anymore,” in reference to her impoverished neighborhood and poverty in general (Gary

1996).
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In order to put their plan in motion, the four women visit a local bank. While Stoney

scoped out the bank, Keith introduced himself to her and asked if she was interested in going on

a date with him. During their first date, Keith and Stoney established their differences. “I know

you are accustomed to those hard neck men,” Keith told Stoney (Gary 1996). “Well you are

probably from harvard and all,” said Stoney (Gary 1996). “Even if I am from Harvard, I still

have to eat so take me to a restaurant in your hood,” Keith told Stoney (Gary 1996). While at the

restaurant of Stoney’s choosing, Keith explained his career background which included him

working on Wall Street. He followed and ask Stoney if she visited New York, or anywhere

outside of Los Angeles, and her response was no (Gary 1996).

Before the second robbery, Stoney and Cleo had a discussion about their future. “I want

to be someone that doesn’t have to rob banks for a living,” Stoney expressed (Gary 1996). “I

want to just get enough money to permanently leave this lifestyle behind,” she added (Gary

1996). “Stoney, you could live in the suburbs somewhere. You can be something more, I will

never be anything but a hoodrat. You have a future, I just live for today,” Cleo responded (Gary

1996).

Though they came from a different background, Stoney and Keith were attracted to each

other. He knew that she was not privileged and therefore, tried to make her feel special. On their

second date, Keith cooked her a mexican dish. “Since you don’t travel much, our dates will

consist of me cooking you specialty dinners from other parts of the World,” Keith said (Gary

1996). Finally, Keith asked Stoney to attend a work-related dinner with him in which he

introduced her to all the banking executives (Gary 1996). Keith commented on a remark made

my Stoney recently in the film about her feeling caged. “Do you feel free now,” Keith asked
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(Gary 1996). “It’s not mine, I am borrowing piece of your life. Your friends all own banks,

where I am from, we are lucky to own bank accounts. I just want to get up and move forward

with life” Stoney responded (Gary 1996). Keith offered for her to live her life with him for a

while to see how well she could adjust. At the end of the night, the couple have their first sexual

interaction (Gary 1996).

Because of Stoney having a different outlook on life planning for a future, she was the

only one that survived the police chase. Stoney watched Frankie get shot to the ground as she

traveled to Mexico to escape her past. When she arrived in Mexico, she had flashbacks on all of

her happy moments with her friends and her younger brother as tears ran. Before the film ended,

she called Keith for a final goodbye. “I am glad you are okay,” said Keith (Gary 1996). “I am

thank you,” were the last words Stoney spoke to Keith. The film concluded by her driving off

over the coast of a beautiful ocean (Gary 1996).

A Mother’s Story: Tisean

The main characters in ​Set It Off ​decided to partake in the burglary spree for different

reasons. All the women experienced some sort of tragic event in their lives which caused them to

seek obtaining money to solve their problems. For Tisean, a timid mother who found it difficult

to care for her infant son due to her limited financial budget, her reasoning for participating in

this criminal act was to present herself as a financially fit mother.

Tisean’s character is introduced along with Stoney and Cleo during Stoney’s younger

brother’s graduation party. Tisean is viewed holding her son while mingling with her friends. It

is apparent that Tisean was an affectionate and dedicated mother (Gary 1996). However, her

dedication was not solely because of her love for her child but also because she couldn’t afford a
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babysitter. While at her janitorial job, Tisean pleaded with her demeaning employer Luther about

paying her in cash, so taxes would not be removed from her salary. “Luther, I thought you were

going to start paying me under the table. They are taking taxes out of my check. If they keep

doing this, I won’t be able to pay for a baby sitter. Please please Luther,” she whined (Gary

1996).

Her struggle to be a good mother while facing financial difficulties continued to be a

burden. A few scenes after her interaction with Luther, Tisean brought her son to work with her

due to her inability to afford a sitter (Gary 1996). Unfortunately, during his stay, he digest

chemical poison which caused him to be rushed to the hospital. At the hospital, Tisean is met by

a Child Protective Service representative who told her she couldn’t see her hospitalized child

(Gary 1996). To add insult to an injury, the representative told Tisean that her child would be

released into CPS custody once he is released from the hospital due to her negligence (Gary

1996). As expected, Tisean reacts frantically and pleads for her child to be released into her

custody. “I’m going to die without my baby. I didn’t have the money for a sitter, what am I going

to do, how am I going to get this cash,” Tisean asked the social worker (Gary 1996).

After facing the possibility of never regaining custody of her child, Tisean reluctantly

agreed to the proposed idea of robbing the bank. When the time came to conduct the first

robbery, Tisean cowardly scurried from the scene. Because of her failure to commit to the

burglary plan, Frankie refused to share the stolen $12,000 with Tisean. As a result, Tisean cried

to Frankie saying, “Frankie, please, I really need that money (Gary 1996).” The success of the

first robbery motivated Tisean to participate in the second burglary in which the women stole

over $200,000-- affording the women $75,000 each. With this success, the audience viewed
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Tisean celebrating and throwing money in the air. “I can finally get my baby back,” Tisean told

her girl friends (Gary 1996) .

Unfortunately, Tisean’s efforts were not rewarded. The morning of the women’s third

and final bank robbery, Tisean visited her baby at the CPS housing facility and hugged and

kissed him for the last time, a fact she didn’t know at the time. “Do you think I will be able to get

my baby back, do you think the court case will go well tomorrow,” Tisean asked the social

worker as her child was removed from her arms (Gary 1996). On this very day, Tisean was the

first to be killed during the final burglary and unfortunately never saw her child or regained

custody of him.

Materials and Greed: Cleo

On the contrary, Cleo was motivated by greed and materialistic objects. Her main

purpose for committing the illegal act of robbery was so she could get rich quickly to afford the

flashy cars for herself and seductive clothing for her girlfriend. As the film developed, Cleo’s

character does as well. Within the first few scenes, Cleo and her posse (Tisean, Frankie, and

Stoney) are gathered one afternoon outdoors in their neighborhood drinking and having a good

time when one of their community friends drove by and asked Cleo when was she going to

remodel her car. The group of girls chuckled and Stoney sayed, “Cleo you have been fixing this

car up since the seventh grade (Gary 1996).” Cleo responded by saying, “One day, I am going to

have it just the way I want it,” Cleo continues by referring to the robbery which caused Frankie

to lose her job and suggested they should rob banks as well to get quick cash (Gary 1996). “Yall

knew Lorenzo got away with stealing $25,000. If that drug head ass could get that much, we

could get more than him,” Cleo tried to her persuade her friends (Gary 1996).
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After endless persuasion from Cleo and Frankie, Stoney and Tisean eventually agreed to

burglary. After their first robbery in which they earned $3,000 each, Cleo was the most excited

out of all the women and was viewed jumping for joy because of the amount of money she

acquired. Because of her passion for materialistic items, Cleo did not waste any time spending

her money. Her three friends find her at home one day receiving a lap dance from her girl friend

who was wearing new and expensive lingerie. “Cleo, you have not been to work in weeks. You

are going to loose you job. You den spent all your money on new clothes and this damn car. I bet

you ain’t got shit left,” Frankie exclaimed (Gary 1996). “You were supposed to keep up

appearances. You were supposed to keep going to work. $3,000 ain’t gonna do nothing for you,”

Stoney told Cleo (Gary 1996). “Nah, I ain’t got nothing left, so we just gonna have to rob

another bank. I ain’t going back to work with that punk Luther,” said Cleo (Gary 1996). Stoney

responded and told her that she only agreed to one robbery, therefore, she was not robbing

another bank. Cleo stood up aggressively and shoved a gun into Stoney’s face and threatened

her. “You ain’t gonna leave us now that you got some money. You gonna do this robbery (Gary

1996).” The lack of financial responsibility and unwillingness to earn her wages lead to Cleo’s

death. She was one of the three women to die during the hasty police chase after the last

burglary.

An Angry Black Woman’s Revenge: Frankie

Though Frankie’s motivation to rob the banks stemmed from her financial need, it is

evident that her rage from losing her job played a major role in her decision as well. Frankie,

unlike the other women, had an above minimum wage paying job as a bank teller. However, due

to her affiliation with Lorenz --a neighborhood associate who robbed the bank Frankie worked
SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 21

at-- Frankie was fired from her job after receiving a promotion weeks earlier. “ I almost got my

head blown off by working at your tired ass bank and now you are going to fire me,” she

screamed in rage at her employer (Gary 1996).

Frankie’s anger continued when Cleo mentioned they should begin robbing banks to

make quick cash. “We not gonna rob the bank, we gone blow the shit up,” Frankie laughed with

a serious undertone (Gary 1996). However, her laughter quickly subsided when discussion about

robbing the bank became more and more prevalent. Not only was Cleo trying to persuade her

friends but Frankie became a culprit with Cleo. “Yall, this could be the perfect crime. We are

going to get away with this. I know everything about banks and how they operate, we could do

this,” Frankie urged (Gary 1996). “We are just taking away from a system that is fucking us over

anyway,” Frankie added (Gary 1996).

“What is the procedure when you have a gun in your hand,” asked Frankie as she held a

gun to Detective Stodes’s head (Gary 1996). It’s over she added just before attempting to run

from a police mob and being shot down to her death.

Discussion

Stoney

Stoney’s character represented an African American woman who was forced to give up

her childhood and raise herself and her brother due to her parents dying at a young age. Because

of her having to financial support and parent her brother, Stoney missed out on the opportunity to

attend college due to the lack of financial assistance and responsibilities. She and her brother also

lived in a poverty-stricken neighborhood because of Stoney’s economic class which was also a

result of her limited opportunity. Stoney had a significant desire for a better life and didn’t mind
SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 22

working for it, however, she was not afforded the opportunity. When she began dating Keith, she

knew he would provide her away out of the hood, however, she couldn’t fully indulge in the

relationship because of her criminal lifestyle.

Stoney’s character falls in quadrant four of the Johari Window, ​a theory used to better

understand interpersonal relationships and relationships with other,​ because she was a mystery to

bother herself and others. Stoney knew she was not a criminal and the robbery spree was

immoral and wrong, however, it was the only way at the time that she could escape her

impoverished lifestyle. Detective Stodes also knew Stoney was not a criminal, but had fallen on

tough time, which is why she participated in the robberies. Keith knew Stoney was from the

hood, but he knew she wanted more out of life. Stoney’s place in society was unknown. Her

aspirations exceeded an impoverished lifestyle, however, she didn’t have the financial means nor

the opportunity to fit into an middle or upper class society. Stoney’s situation relates to most

Black Americans today who are in the middle. They aren’t rich and they are poor, they don’t

have advanced degrees but they have more than a high school education. By definition, they

would fit in the middle social and economic classes, but yet, limited resources are allocated to

this class. The United States system is designed to where there is no place for a person or family

in the middle.

Tisean

Tisean was a good mother who loved her child and went through extraordinary measures

to protect and provide her for son. Tisean fell into quadrant two of the Johari Window in which

she knew qualities about herself that were unknown to others. She knew her worth and ability to

provide for her child, however, because she experienced financial difficulty as a single mother,
SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 23

she was deemed unfit by CPS who didn’t perceive her to be capable due to her financial

struggles.

In 2013, eight out of every 100 children in Los Angeles County-- in which the fictional

film was filmed-- were black. And 29 out of every 100 children in foster care are Black. And

when black children go into foster care, they get stuck there 50 percent longer than children of

other races (Baeder 2013). Researcher Brett Drake of Washington University in St. Louis' school

of social work said that poverty is the strongest factor correlated with foster care. The detriment

with these statistics are that a large percentage of Black children are growing up without their

biological families due to poverty, a factor that many uneducated and unemployed African

Americans can’t control.

Cleo

Cleo’s character represented an African American woman that desired finer things in life,

but did not possess the financial means to obtain it. Because of the lack of financial security,

Cleo decided that a life crime and theft was the only way to obtain her luxury items. Also,

because she was not accustomed to the finer things in life, she became greedy once she acquired

it.

In the Johari Window, Cleo fell into region 1 in which she knew traits about herself that

were also known to others. Though Cleo had the opportunity to provide financial stability for

herself through a legal occupation, mentally she felt that she was less than adequate to do so.

Therefore, she settled into a life of crime with no regard of future consequences. Detective

Stodes knew Cleo appreciated the value of luxury cars, but couldn’t afford it due to her extensive
SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 24

criminal record for vehicle theft. This knowledge made Cleo an easy target by the detective

because he knew bank robbery would afford her the material items she desired.

Illegal activity has a significant impact on the African American community, especially

those who are considered unemployed. Since the late 1980s, the African American

unemployment rate averaged about 2.2 times that of Whites. In 2015, the jobless rate for Whites

was 6.6 percent and 12.6 percent about Blacks (DeSilver 2013). Many unemployed African

Americans turn to crime to maintain and/or obtain their desired lifestyle. Because Whites,

especially White police officers are aware, they tend to target low-income African Americans

which leads to mass incarceration within this demographic. Also, because the media covers a

significant portion of Black crime stories, Whites perceive the race as being dangerous and

consumed with thugs.

Frankie

Frankie’s character would be viewed as having “The Sapphire” characteristics also know

as the mad Black woman trait. Though Frankie was perceived to be angry and revengeful, her

emotions were warranted due to the unfair treatment at her workplace. Frankie worked hard for

the opportunity to work as a bank teller, a job that superseded her other friends and

neighborhood associates in regards to wages earned. When she received this job she did not take

advantage of the opportunity by slacking off and not performing her task --which is the

stereotypical working behavior for Blacks, but she worked exceptionally hard. She explained to

her employer that she clocked in earlier every morning and left after closing hours every day, she

counted over $200,000 in cash manually, and she completed all assignments to the best of her

abilities (Gary 1996). However her explanation was not enough, her employer showed no
SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 25

compassion when he fired her without probable cause and told her sternly to calm down when

she became emotional.

When examining Frankie’s character it is important to keep intersectionality in mind, she

is a poor, African American women who was given the opportunity to make a better life for

herself, but that opportunity was stripped because of her living environment/association. The

third region of the Johari Window is labeled the hidden area or the facade. This section

represents a person’s knowledge about themselves that others don’t know. This region relates to

Frankie’s story in particular because her employers don’t understand why she has become frantic

due to losing her job. In their mind, she could simply find a replacement job which would be

completely accurate, if she were white. However, the fact that she embodies all of the layers of

oppression recently mentioned, limits her ability to regain employment which is an occurring

conflict that Frankie is aware of. Though Whites don’t understand this because they don’t

encounter as many layer of oppression due to them being the majority race.

Her emotionalism was misunderstood as anger which is common when White Americans

perceive African Americans. Through Frankie’s storyline, it is apparent that White Americans

don’t expect Black women to feel disappointed or hurt. Being sad or grieving is not an option for

Black women unless the label of angry Black woman is associated with their character. A white

woman’s emotional reactions, regardless of how outlandish or inappropriate, are perceived

differently than those of black women. When white women express their emotional state, it is

perceived as a “bad hair day” or perhaps, a hormonal imbalance (Cadet 2013). When a black

woman does the same, her behavior becomes who she is in the sight of others. She is assumed to

be easy to trigger and difficult to control (Cadet 2013). This unfair treatment poses a significant
SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 26

impact on African American women. By Black women not being able to voice their concerns

with the fear that they will lose their jobs or someone that is significant to them, limits the

personal power that African American women posses and diminishes the progression of this

specific demographic. Not only does the angry Black woman label strip African American

women of power, but it also tells them they don’t belong and that their feelings don’t matter.

Unfortunately, anger has become what Black women exploit, bowing down to express it or

bending over backwards to deny it (Cadet, 2013).

Conclusion/ Summary

The African American casted film, ​Set it Off,​ depicted four women in pursuit of obtaining

the American dream. Though the American dream meant something different for each woman,

their goal was to achieve happiness and they thought that money would help them accomplish

this goal. However, the film ends with the death of three out of four women. Tisean never

regained custody of her child, therefore, never achieving her American dream. Cleo

accomplished her dream by having the financial means to purchase luxury items, however, it was

short lived. Frankie who satisfied with simply getting revenge never found true happiness.

Lastly, Stoney the only remaining character, achieved her goal by escaping her impoverished

lifestyle and neighborhood. However, it was at the price of missing out on the possibility of true

love and leaving everything and everyone she knew behind.

By reviewing​ Set it Off​ , it is apparent that the negative stereotypes of African American

women that were developed during slavery and depicted in Black film beginning in the 1970s

continues in film currently. However, to reduce the negativity of these stereotypes, film writers
SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 27

have either combined stereotypes and/or have added other positive characteristics to diminish the

significance of the negative caricatures. Because these stereotypes still remain in film today, they

continue to impact the way White Americans perceive African American women. The perception

stems from the limited interaction with Black women and the idea that all Black women

represent what is portrayed in film. In return, African American women are disadvantaged

because of this portrayal. Until Black films change the stereotype depicted of Black women,

White Americans will continue to view Black women as angry, sexually explicit, and stern

maternal figures.

References

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up in L.A. foster care. Retrieved April 28, 2017, from

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SET IT OFF: REPRESENTATION OF CRIME AND PASSION 28

Cadet, D. (2013, August 26). Black Single Mothers Are 'Biggest Impediment' To

Progress, Journalist George Will Says (VIDEO). Retrieved April 28, 2017, from

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24.html

Denzin NK, Lincoln YS (2000). Handbook of Qualitative Research. London: Sage

Publications.

DeSilver, D. (2013, August 21). Black unemployment rate is consistently twice that of

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Gray, F. G. (Director). (1996). ​Set it off​ [Motion picture on DVD].

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Johari Window: A Model for Communicating to Each Other : The Journal of Perinatal &

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McCray, T. (2011). Examining the Roles of African-American Academy Award Winning

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Pilgrim, D., Dr. (2008, August). ​The Sapphire Caricature (Doctoral dissertation, Ferris

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Pilgrim, D., Dr. (2008, April). ​The Jezebel Caricature (Doctoral dissertation, Ferris State

University, 2008) [Abstract]. Retrieved from http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/jezebel/

Soy, Susan K. (1997). The case study as a research method. Unpublished paper,

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Vanzant, I. (2016, September 08). ​The Myth Of The Angry Black Woman​. Retrieved April

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