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Last week's episode of Parks and Recreation, titled April and Andy's Fancy Party, had a nice illustration of Patricia Hill Collins's concept of controllingimages. Co
ntrolling images are media images that function, whether by design or not, to remind marginalized groups of their position in the power structure and to justify that position to a wider audience, especially to those who are privileged by their position within that structure. Although stereotypes usually function as controlling images, many controlling images are not so widespread that they can be called stereotypes, and many actually seem positive at first
glance. As a case in point, consider the character of Donna from Parks and Recreation. Donna is played by the Black female comedian Retta Sirleaf. In last week's episode, Donna is at a singles event when she is found by Ann Perkins. Ann is played by the biracial actress Rashida Jones, daughter of Quincey Jones and Peggy Lipton. Although Jones is biracial, her character is presented as White on the show. As the singles event unfolds, Donna helps Ann become better at playing the singles game and even lets Ann go after the guy that she, Donna, was eyeing. It's very clear that this is Ann's story, not Donna's, and that the full-figured Donna is there in service to the slim White Ann. Donna's role is hilarious and very well-played by Retta, but it presents an unsettling hierarchy of the social world that deserves continued scrutiny and critique lest we take this hierarchy for granted.
Last week's episode of Parks and Recreation, titled April and Andy's Fancy Party, had a nice illustration of Patricia Hill Collins's concept of controllingimages. Co
ntrolling images are media images that function, whether by design or not, to remind marginalized groups of their position in the power structure and to justify that position to a wider audience, especially to those who are privileged by their position within that structure. Although stereotypes usually function as controlling images, many controlling images are not so widespread that they can be called stereotypes, and many actually seem positive at first glance. As a case in point, consider the character of Donna from Parks and Recreation. Donna is played by the Black female comedian Retta Sirleaf. In last week's episode, Donna is at a singles event when she is found by Ann Perkins. Ann is played by the biracial actress Rashida Jones, daughter of Quincey Jones and Peggy Lipton. Although Jones is biracial, her character is presented as White on the show. As the singles event unfolds, Donna helps Ann become better at playing the singles game and even lets Ann go after the guy that she, Donna, was eyeing. It's very clear that this is Ann's story, not Donna's, and that the full-figured Donna is there in service to the slim White Ann. Donna's role is hilarious and very well-played by Retta, but it presents an unsettling hierarchy of the social world that deserves continued scrutiny and critique lest we take this hierarchy for granted.
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