Stereotypes In The 8 Mile

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The film 8 Mile by Curtis Hanson uncovers the uneasy truths about a determined white rapper eager to make a name for himself and improve his life. Real life recoding artist Eminem plays Jimmy Smith Jr., also known by his stage name Rabbit. He is the main character of the film, which is a semi-autobiographical, basing the film off of some of the actual events from his early life. The film follows his struggle to be acknowledged for his lyrical talent. Additionally, it shows his struggle with his difficult home life while trying to survive in a lower socio-economic environment. An analysis of this movie reveals the processes and stereotypes of class, race, and segregation.
The film takes place in Detroit, Michigan, a city that is losing
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This is because his whiteness makes the others think he doesn’t belong in rap, especially when he is at his first battle at the shelter, a local freestyle gathering. When Jimmy is on stage the rowdy crowd and opposing rappers attack him mentally and he ends up being lost for words. There is also a scene in the movie where Jimmy and his friends get into a fight with the rival gang, the “Free World” who’s comprised of all African American rappers. Jimmy’s masculinity is attacked when his new girl Alex leaves him for Wink, who’s in the rap business, but belongs to the rival gang. On top of that, Jimmy’s mother and boyfriend tear him down about his manliness and efforts to make a better life for …show more content…
To start, Jimmy is wearing gray while his opponents the Free World are all wearing black. He then goes on to rap everything that his opponent would use to degrade him about being white like saying “ I am a bum, I do live in a trailer with my mom”. When he gets to his last opponent Papa Doc, he calls him out for being not what everyone thinks he is. He says “gangsta? His real name is Clarence, and Clarence’s parents have a real good marriage”, playing on the stereotype of lower class African Americans not having a stable home. After all is said and done, Jimmy hands him the microphone and Papa Doc freezes up just like Jimmy did in the first battle reversing their roles not only in this situation but also within racial stereotypes. The crowd goes crazy for Jimmy as he wins his first battle at the Shelter. Finally those around him in the rap community can recognize him for his talents, but it doesn’t mean this is an all happy