Blog 4

It is clear that the difference between Vin Diesel and Senna is based on their own individual experiences. For example, Vin Diesel did not gain acceptance from either worlds (Italian or African American) which was obvious in his short film multi-facial. In his experience, he was viewed as undefinable, casting calls either said he wasn't black enough/urban enough or italian enough. This forced him to embrace his undefinable-ness. He wanted to be recognized for his talent alone, opposed to being categorized by race. It seems as if Vin Diesel embraces this new idea of racelessness, which is ultimately where America is headed. Senna seems to feel more accepted in the African american community, it is true that African American communities have a stronger likelihood of accepting biracial heritage, opposed to white society. I think this is the very reason why she identifies as black, simply because of the welcoming acceptance and because of her strong pride in the culture. The standards of beauty within american films definitely adhere to European-american standards still, which means that despite the range of cultures onscreen, they all still represent those standards. For example, the film The fast and the Furious had primarily asian and latin american women cast, but they were all tall and thin, with symmetrical facial structures and no "exotic features". This is a European standard of beauty and doesn't represent all women of color or the beauty standards within their own culture. Another example is also taken from the Fast and the Furious. Vin Diesel was paired with Paul Walker(anglo-american actor) and they were viewed as a heroic team. The hero/leader of the film was Vin Diesel but he was paired with a white co-actor, whose role wasn't necessarily needed but makes the audience feel more comfortable with an undefinable main character because of his co-partner being white. This is also evident in Eddie Murphy's film Beverly Hills Cop II.