The "For What It's Worth - Your Thoughts" blog on "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was a father summing up his thoughts on the very controversial subject of his daughters impending interracial marriage. Their particular problem was a national problem of perceiving a marriage outside of race and social status as extremely detrimental to the human race. The movie showed interracial marriage at a micro-level by watching the parents and friends close up reacting in a final positive way when a large percentage of American's were prejudice. Since it was a positive approach, the movie shows the Structural-Function Approach which believes society is complex and all parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. In this case the children ended up with the support of strong traditional parents. In the 1960's men were considered the head of the household and in this movie the white patriarchal father made the final decision to support the children while his wife and the other two parents sat quietly listening. After careful searching thoughts combining his strong liberal beliefs in line with his own personal family, he knew it was not necessary for John and Joanna to ask for parents approval because they were both educated capable adults and he trusted their love for each other would protect them from coming opposition. I feel this movie was an asset to the civil rights movement even though it was idealized. Grandma005
The patriarchal mindset displayed by the fathers, perhaps the most dominant part of the film, was probably the easiest to recognize because of the time frame and the setting for this film. I agree that the summing up of Mr. Drayton brought to the forefront of this film the core of what was trying to be relayed to the American public. The growing changes for the new generation of people who were beginning to learn that the only differences between each “race” was how we were taught or raised to “see” each other without looking for ourselves. Patriarchal, social and racial teachings were what was expected of most of the population during the early 40’s, 50’s, and into the 60’s and early 70’s. in the film, we see two families coming to terms with one of the key issues for this time frame. I agree with your statement about the Structural-Function Approach theory, especially at the time that this movie was done. We were heading into a terrible conflict in Vietnam, which many did not believe we should be doing, and at a time when the interracial marriage laws were being questioned and contested by many of the younger generation. With the support of strong traditional parents the children would have a more solid foundation on which to build their future together regardless of those who would oppose them. The film gave the public hope for the ongoing struggles of the civil rights movement, and yes, though it was idealized. But isn’t this what Hollywood is all about anyway? Seoulman005
From this portion of the film I believe the one important aspect was that the entire scene was being dictated by the Caucasian male, which I also decided to address in my comment. It was easily identified, because the director chose to focus on him, but what I find to be the most essential was the the behind the scene impact of the individuals in this scene. In other words, it took the audience to read between the lines to see who really made the decision for the marriage to go forth, and that was the mothers of the couple, Joey, and John. This has a form of symbolism, because this shows that one man cannot act on any vital decisions by himself. It takes the corporation and willingness of of social classes to put forth an effort to deliver opinions. This can be compared to voting in the African American communities within Peoria community, especially those who reside in the 61605 area code. There are approximately 11,000-12,000 individuals who reside in the area, yet only about 1,000, if that, actually take the time to vote. But long behold, the majority complain of implications that have take place. People fail to realize that voting is the voice, and if you do not vocalize your opinion then you cannot complain about to final output. The young couples parents, Joey, and John all decided, individually, to take a stance against the ignorance and stubbornness displayed by the couple's’ fathers, and as a result everything worked out in the couples favor.
The atmosphere presented in this film gave us insight into how the world was changing, during this time frame, and how challenging it was for those who had been, raised and taught, how to behave in society with regards to one’s station in life. Suddenly, the younger generation is beginning to question the standards that, for years, had been the norm for the older generation. WITHOUT QUESTION, because this was the way it was when they had been raised. Seeing the patriarchal mindset of both fathers showed us that this was how they believed society expected them to react and respond to the situations that would confront them as they became the “head” of the house, the “man” of the family, or the “man” in charge. We can see how being brought up believing that our lot in life has been predetermined for us due to our race, ethnicity, station and because this is how it “was” could make any man feel unprepared to understand that our children are going to be different than us, because they are not us. Mr. Drayton came to understand this when he finally opened, not just his eyes, but his mind as well. Both sets of parents had been brought up to be proud of their heritage, but with respect to what had been taught them by their parents, but they too, had also questioned the norm. Mr. Prentice told John that he was a mailman and walked all those miles so that his son would have a better life. Tilly told John that she had raised Joey and would not stand by and watch her be used by someone who was just trying to “rise above his station”. We saw so much of the socially deviant behavior from both sides of the argument, not only because of the “pigment” challenge for what each race would say about the other, but how they were worried what the opinions of their own race would be. Families was analyzed in this film with respect to how the parents reacted to the situation. The Drayton’s had raised Joey to be open minded with the ability to look at the situation with an open mind and without seeing any barriers. The Prentices’ had raised John to be a man, who was willing to stand up for what he believed and disregard any thoughts to the contrary. This film portrayed the difficulties that confronted the generations at this time period and how important it was to be open minded and willing to accept that there was a change, in the world, for the better. Seoulman005
This particular scene in the movie is the father coming to grip with the couple decision to get married and accept one another for what their ability to love one another. The individuals in this video all felt one way or another about the couple decision to date and get married however this particular scene is where the father telling them although he dont agree with it he's willing to accept their decision to continue to love one another, however in those days interracial dating was frowned upon no matter what the couple race was so it was up to those individuals to continue to fight for one another to their family and community have. Of course both patriarchs of the families was in agreement as well as both matriarchs of the families agreed to accept their child decision it's unfortunately that alot of people really dealt with those results and some have been shun away from their family, friends, and communities because of their decision to continue to love one another, and of course not only did black and white faced the situation but Chinese woman bringing a Caucasian male home or black man bringing an Indian lady home. I personally think I even back at the time when view diviant would like now accepted any interracial dating couple. Like the old saying goes you can't help who you fall in love with.Leathas005
Yes the father definitely had to come to grasps with the fact that his baby girl was going to marry an older black man. Joey’s mind was definitely made up before she even came home to tell her parents. Yes in the beginning the father was so against them being together and getting married. Well actually both fathers was against the marriage, and both mothers were all aboard. The mother’s know how it is to be in love. I feel he was so against it because for one it wasn’t socially acceptable. The second reason I feel he was against it is he knew what problems they will be up against when society sees them together. Yes I will definitely agree with you back in those day interracial love was frowned down upon. It is sad when someone’s family shun’s them out due to the fact that their in love with another race. You would think that your family will always have your back when no one else will. Back in thoses day I could see how biracial dating could be considered deviant because wasn’t the norm. Cupcake005...
This scene was the turning point in the movie, and it also was a microcosm for the switching of mindsets in our society. It also shows how different generations can (and will) effect each other. Before, the father was stern with his opinion and up until the very last second, he said he wasn’t going to allow the marriage. John and Joey were persistent with their opinion, and with enough conversation and time, they got what they wanted. Mr. Drayton finally let the couple marry. This is what can happen with deviant behavior in society, it could almost be seen as exposure theory. The more someone is exposed to an unknown element, the more comfortable they become with it. If you look at our society you can see that we newer generations have used this consistently in order to demand reform—take a look at the gay rights movements, along with the feminist movements. They have come farther than the creators probably ever imagined because of the persistent deviant behavior as well as the acceptance from the oppressors (today this looks like law reform to favor the growth of these rights movements). I believe that, in a way, Mr. Drayton ended up being outvoted and he also realized that he was wrong. I believe that it must have taken a lot for him to admit his initial reaction to the situation was not what he was going to stick with, as it was ‘old-school’. We see character development in Mr. Drayton throughout the movie, which is where his ultimate decision comes from. During the time this movie was created, it was probably very controversial, as opposed to now, as newer generations may think it’s a bit silly that these people are arguing over skin color today. It is even sadder to think that some people still think like this today. Puppies005
Yes, stereotyping and prejudice still exist today but I have seen a change from 1967 to now. In the 60's there were people that did not marry out of their religion such as (Jewish to a gentile) or ethnicity(German to Irish). The melting pot is continuing. Ancestry.com is advertising that they will tell you who your ancestors were. I came across an interesting fact in our Race chapter that the US Census Bureau states that in 2044 our countries minority will be the majority. Hopefully with time we will all be just thought of an humans and celebrate our idiosyncrasies. grandma005
Great point of view I agree that this particular scene can be defined as being deviant especially in those days where most of society was against interracial dating also many people still didn't have respect for blacks. The scene was very important turning point in the movie as well as real world society as so many people views of others didn't match what they knew of that particular culture plenty of people just listened to the stereotype of society and hadn't never interacted with one another to get to know that person for themselves. Fortunately just like the patriarch had an pivotal moment to accept his daughter and her choice to date outside of her race, so has some people in society has for the simple fact racism is a learned behavior people are not born that way. Leathas005
The differences in generations will always affect others. We see it all the time today. My parents will say to me “back in my day we didn't have…” hinting at that this generation is lazy. I would sometimes agree with that. This generation has a lot of tools at their hand to help everything. We still do see prejudice and stereotyping today. Unfortunately I see it mainly amongst the minorities. We are taught at a young age to treat everyone the same and treat everyone with respect. But does that always happen? It is sad to see that it doesn't all the time. PAWW005
Racism I feel is one of the main issues of this movie. Joey being a white woman and John is clearly a black man causes so many problems. In the 1960’s biracial love was unheard of and absolutely forbidden. This was very unacceptable to society. Back in this movie’s time black and white people were put in different classes. In the 1960’s black people were of the lower class and would never be put on the level with white people. Lil Joey bless her heart she doesn’t see color she doesn’t see the big difference between her and John that everybody else see’s. Joey definitely wasn’t raised to see color but like her mother in the movie said that she wasn’t told not to date one either. It’s very interesting that John could see how uncomfortable people were that he was with or even being that close to a young white woman. John knew that it would be a big problem for either family to accept the fact that they were both of different races, and they wanted to get married. I learned from the movie that in the 1960’s there was a lot of same race racism. I guess racism comes in many forms definitely back in that day and time and still even today. Back then black and white love wasn’t socially acceptable in society. Nowadays biracial love is more the norm in society. It is very socially acceptable to have two people of different races together and form a unity, a family, a home. Cupcake005...
In this portion of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner we see that Mr. Drayton may be coming to his senses on how he feels regarding his daughter and John’s relationship. He was able to make the comparison to how he felt towards his wife, and how he believes that is how his daughter and John feel about each other. Throughout this time period we saw that a lot of families were so against white people and African Americans dating let alone getting married. But it seems that people may forget how they felt for their significant other when they were against interracial relationships, and certain people just felt uncomfortable with it. We saw in the movie that Joanna was completely accepting of her and John’s relationship, but it seemed like John was a little uncomfortable with the situation. In this movie it was nice to see that both Joanna and John had supportive parents who were always their throughout their lives. The difference in generations definitely had an impact on the opinions of Joanna and John’s relationship, however, both sides were very supportive and maybe during this time period very supportive parents was lacking. Either way, interracial relationships wasn't the norm and It’s a great thing that that has completely shifted now. PAWW005
I don't believe the father's were racist but knew that because of the racism during those days would cause them two a problem. It was the highlight of the movie because they saw the two were truly happy and in love and that is what mattered the most. Do to the power of society it made them think the Joey and John decisions were not rational because of what society stated what was right and wrong in those days. Joey and John didnt see race they only felt attraction, affection and love for eahother. John understood more so then Joey how both parents would react to the marriage. As with Joey she didnt understand what the big fuss was about. John went about it the right way but asking her parents for permission and not just doing it. I think this scene opened the door for going outside of the norm of what was and wasnt exceptable back then. 12mc-005
In this clip of the movie joey's father is finally is coming to realization that her and john are together. in my opinion because joey and john were young they didn't see color and the issue of being together. John got the concept of the reactions and looks and so forth they were going to get based off their color, however joey was so in love with john that's all she cared about and couldn't understand what the problem was. Eventually the realization of what was happening sat in and the parents knew that they couldn’t stop it because they were both so in love. Even though this would be considered very deviant behavior and unexpectable behavior they broke the norms of society and did it anyways. While breaking the norms they had supportive parents that were willing to stand with them and support them through the whole process. Which you would need a support system because in that time era this was looked upon not only black and white but other races in other countries as well -kyw005
When we first watched the movie I thought the same as you: that Joey was so in love with John she couldn’t see their color difference. But maybe we are not giving her the credit she deserves. Yes, her parents did raise her to not treat people any different just because of their skin color, but she still would have been exposed to those opinions and thoughts. Maybe Joey knew they would face a lot of problems and understood what the difference in their skin color meant to other people. Maybe she just didn’t care, because the only people she wanted validation from are her parents. By the way she kept reassuring John that her parents would love him, it was obvious she has a lot of faith in them that they only care about what makes her happy. Spoopy005
Until this point in history our different cultures each had their values in society and even though we like to think that we are comfortable with our norms. Each culture changes for the better there for changing our society as a whole and becoming the society that we are today. The fathers in this film were more concerned of the cultural lag that our society was facing at the time or that was going to be facing for well into their future in that some people wanted to stay comfortable. Some wanted to improve their own way of life, and others went for what they wanted no matter how much culture shock they could instill on the rest of society just as long as they were happy. Even those that think there race is supreme I’m sure have aided in the change of our culture such as diffusion, as I am sure everyone has ate a taco because really when it comes to food the only way you can call it American is if you cook over a grill/fire. We learned that socialization happens in a variety of areas which is bound to change every culture the more each individual cultures interact with one another. Our families groom us into their values until we start to interact with the world, so as change happens in a family the younger generation is exposed to these changes. Culture change of this period in time led to multicultural schooling, in that not only are different cultures started to mingle but the subjects in the schools started to change to incorporate the cultures. Peer groups have also added to our socialization in that many kids of different cultures get to interact in after school programs. We also have mass media allowing people from around the globe to interact with each other which now we can interact with the different cultures without leaving our house. So yes the fathers had many things to worry about but after 60 years all those worries they had are no longer the issues that they had been. In this movie Sidney promoted a very dignified race as he was a very successful doctor who was presenting lectures and working in a different country. It was his ethnicity that people were prejudice of even though he was very successful he was still labeled as an African-American. In that period of time the fathers had every right to be worried of all the discrimination that was to occur and for both of the off-springs because she chose to be with a black man. They knew that their grandchildren were going to be a product of miscegenation and among the first of their time. Due that a formal proclamation to end segregation had been issued only a few years prior to the couples engagement, that in my opinion shouldn’t be that short as they only were engaged right after meeting each other. African-Americans had been assimilating the Euro-Americans for hundreds of years and the only thing keeping the two cultures from being equal was of the segregation, other than that the two cultures were practically the same. BHL005
From this assigned Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner exert, the viewer can basically give others a rough outline of what the entire film comes; which I believes speaks volume. As an individual who is currently taking a Film class, the director has done a fine job of drafting cast, composing lighting, and manipulating literature in order to get certain areas of focus across. From this portion of the film, I've found societal norms to have been broken, social classes to intertwine, and an alteration of initial individual opinions. First, the father of Joey has taken the initiative to break the status quo during this portion of the film. By doing so he has torn down the walls set by society, which ultimately leads toward a more influential community. This is essential due to the relevance of segregation and discrimination during the 1960s era. As a well-privileged, Caucasian male, Joey’s father is made aware of the impact of which he has on the two young lovers as Joey’s father and John’s, soon-to-be, father-in-law. As a result, Joey’s father was forced to remove himself from the racial pedestal of which his was involuntarily placed on. Which then leads to my second point, the visual display of two separate social classes being broken down. I find this to be important, because this process was initiated by an individual of importance, according to 1960 societies, which speaks volumes. Ultimately showing how if people do not decide to take a step towards change, the lives throughout communities will not change for the better. In this case, the better of civilization is integration and acceptance. Finally, Joey’s father was forced to change his view on the idea of his daughter’s interracial commitment due to the passion he was exposed to. As a male, it was seen that what a male says is how it shall go, but this was not the case. Joey, along with the assistance of her mother, was sure to convince the father of the love that was taking place at this moment. As a result, the father was forced to see the accuracy behind his child’s relationship. The father was also remind that he is exactly that, a father, and as a father it was his deputy to insure his child’s happiness. As parent it is important to realize the impact of which you create within your child’s lives. This can be approached differently, because it ultimately depends of which type of a set decides to be, authoritative, permissive, or authoritarian. Studies show that couples who have chosen the have authoritative parenting style have had the healthiest, impactful relationships with their children. Permissive parenting allows you children to be free-willed, and allows your children to do whatever he or she pleases. Authoritarian parenting can lead to children being sneaky or conniving due to parents being too strict, overprotective, and by the book. Whereas, authoritative parenting shares qualities of both permissive and authoritarian parenting providing a healthy balance of each parenting style.
You have excellent points as the world cannot change for the better if a culture can’t get out of their norms. It is a hard concept to change when we like to do things that seem comfortable and easy as we have had our values instilled on us for such a long time. Even small concepts seem to be challenging at first, as I use to cuss like a storm but felt the need to change as I was having kids and I felt that such language made me sound less intelligent. Something this small took days as I kept finding myself using the language without even realizing it, but like culture and society I persevered and changed after I kept trying. As far as the parenting goes I would be open minded to the 3 as every child is different and you never know what kind of friends your child will make. So to me it would make sense that each might have to be used at least once, kids always try to push our buttons as they know us better than anyone else. They study us as they grow test us to see what they can get away with and if you give them a sip realize that you just put the cup in their hands and they drank all your soda. BHL005
One of the major issues in this film is that Joey is a young white women and that John is a young African American. Joeys parents said stated earlier in the movie that they taught their daughter to love and accept anybody no matter what their race is. As you can obviously see that they never thought that Joey would bring a African American home and announce that they are gonna go get married. Both of her parents thought she was crazy. In this case she was said to be deviant. This was not a norm for any child to come home after meeting a guy for a few days and saying that they are going to get married. In this clip I think that Joeys dad realized that love is love. No matter the color, the size, the shape or the age. He states that "Joey and Johns love is no different then him and his wife love". Here is when he comes to the realization that they are gonna get married rather he likes it or not. That they love each other and there is nothing that him, his wife or anyone else can do to change it. He figures out that if he keeps denying Joey that it can really effect their relationship as father and daughter. Its sad to think that in the pass many parents has lost relationships with their kids because of who they have choose to marry. We as a nation do not accept the change that society is going through. We like the norm and are comfortable with it. Reason why we hate change. Its only until we realize that change is inevitable that we accept it and start to be okay with it. This might take months or even years but eventually we as a nation will understand it and accept it. Hawk005
The whole situation i agree, was considered deviant to most of the characters shown in the film. The only ones who did accept were the younger ones and the reverend, whose job is to accept anyone. It gives you an idea on how the societies of their time were changing. The older people all had problems with the twos' decision or plan if you would call it. This demonstrated the older peoples views; of racism, agism, sexism, religion and more. The ones who had come to accept were the opposite and less judgemental. the movie just played a huge role and showing the conflict of both societies being involved with eachother. purplehearts005
through mostly all of the film, there are many conflicts that the modern day society would point out. The characters are acting out and demonstarting patriarchy, racism, sexism and more. it is amazing to see that through most of the movie, the daughter doesnt really fall in too much with any of those issues. The father plays a big part in the movie. He is conflicted the whole film and even though it was said to make the decision any ways, it was up to him if his daughter was going to get married to the doctor. The parents of the other family didnt really have too much of a say it seemed. Everyone expressed their opinion on it but at the end of the day, the father seemed to have the upper hand. As the Caucasion head of the family who seemed to recieve the most respect no matter the credibility of the other males in the movie. All the way to his speech, her father made the most important impression on the other characters and their way of viewing the situation in this movie. He was outvoted and perhaps the children would have done whatever they wished to anyways but it was cool to see the other characters stand up and put their own foot down. purplehearts005
I agree they did display a great deal of patriarchy and racism. Joey only wanted to be happy she didn't see all the negativity in play. The father was very controversial in the situation. At the end of the day they were awaiting the fathers approval to get married. I agree that he also possessed the power because in those days race played a big role in everything and he made the lasting impression on the matter.12mc-005
Many may consider a large portion of the film, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" to be a piece of media that once focused on a tense period of time where the United States was rapidly changing, now serving only as a reminder of past transgressions to be utilized as a learning tool. However, all that aside, I believe that shameful as it may be - the United States in particular is still actively working through some of societies shortcomings as depicted in the movie. This scene in particular I believe highlights a recurring theme regarding who truly has the final say in most decision making. It should come as no surprise that all of the onlookers, those who've been passively and directly sharing their positions on the situation at hand, are expected to gather round and hear the decision of the deciding party - the elderly white male. With the standing majority of Congress being white males over the age of 65, and the House of Representatives majority being white males over 50 (Marcos 2016), I can't imagine this came as a surprise to any of us today. Recurring themes of racism, ageism, and sexism are all on full display in this scene where the group collectively defers to the oldest, white male. Though I believe the argument could possibly be made that because he was the father of the bride his say mattered all the more, I believe that in this instance it was a model example of just who at the time, and potentially even today, has the final say. 35G005
In this excerpt from the movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, Mr. Drayton is finally realizing the love that Joey and John have for each other and is definitely gave a different turning point for the movie. Throughout the movie, the thought of the interracial couple being together was considered very deviant and showed how society really viewed that situation during that time period. I believe Mr. Drayton had to be exposed to the situation with the talks he had with the others and John himself, to open his eyes more and be more comfortable. Today, society has changed a lot and is more comfortable with people loving who they want while back then, it was actually a controversial topic like Joey and John’s situation. With different reforms and different movements, society has become more open minded compared to back then like the movie shows. Mr. Drayton had the final and biggest decision to make of them all when it came to accepting the marriage or not and really showed how big patriarchy was back then. When he finally shared his opinion, I believe the whole mood of the movie changed seeing that he realized he was wrong for trying to deny his daughter the right to love a black man. His final decision I can imagine was probably still very controversial for some people because not all people think like that or would’ve made that decision, especially during that time. -Pizza005
This was definitely my favorite part of the movie just simply because Mr. Drayton told everyone in the room how he felt. Something we were all guessing but couldn’t quite pin point it exactly. Starting with John by saying his family would face many challenges brought upon them by their own fellow countrymen. But also by finally giving John his blessing by simply saying “you wouldn’t get any challenge out of me”. Then moving on to John family only to explain why he was ok with the wedding. And that is because he sees the love that John and Joanna show for one another in such a short time they have been together. He knows that they feel the same way that he feels for his wife. Knowing that kind of love never dies is the main reason he is ok with his Daughters very surprise filled engagement. He also points out what I believe is the whole point of the movie and that is other people’s opinion do not matter when it comes to making you happy. Like honestly the article is called “for what it’s worth” meaning for what someone’s opinion is worth to you is up to you. It could mean the world or it could be a bunch of fubar. The beautiful thing is as long as both John and Joanna agree to support each other throughout their marriage they will conquer any situation they might face in the future due to their love interest. Bikemaker005
The "For What It's Worth - Your Thoughts" blog on "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" was a father summing up his thoughts on the very controversial subject of his daughters impending interracial marriage. Their particular problem was a national problem of perceiving a marriage outside of race and social status as extremely detrimental to the human race. The movie showed interracial marriage at a micro-level by watching the parents and friends close up reacting in a final positive way when a large percentage of American's were prejudice. Since it was a positive approach, the movie shows the Structural-Function Approach which believes society is complex and all parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. In this case the children ended up with the support of strong traditional parents. In the 1960's men were considered the head of the household and in this movie the white patriarchal father made the final decision to support the children while his wife and the other two parents sat quietly listening. After careful searching thoughts combining his strong liberal beliefs in line with his own personal family, he knew it was not necessary for John and Joanna to ask for parents approval because they were both educated capable adults and he trusted their love for each other would protect them from coming opposition. I feel this movie was an asset to the civil rights movement even though it was idealized. Grandma005
ReplyDeleteThe patriarchal mindset displayed by the fathers, perhaps the most dominant part of the film, was probably the easiest to recognize because of the time frame and the setting for this film. I agree that the summing up of Mr. Drayton brought to the forefront of this film the core of what was trying to be relayed to the American public. The growing changes for the new generation of people who were beginning to learn that the only differences between each “race” was how we were taught or raised to “see” each other without looking for ourselves. Patriarchal, social and racial teachings were what was expected of most of the population during the early 40’s, 50’s, and into the 60’s and early 70’s. in the film, we see two families coming to terms with one of the key issues for this time frame. I agree with your statement about the Structural-Function Approach theory, especially at the time that this movie was done. We were heading into a terrible conflict in Vietnam, which many did not believe we should be doing, and at a time when the interracial marriage laws were being questioned and contested by many of the younger generation. With the support of strong traditional parents the children would have a more solid foundation on which to build their future together regardless of those who would oppose them. The film gave the public hope for the ongoing struggles of the civil rights movement, and yes, though it was idealized. But isn’t this what Hollywood is all about anyway? Seoulman005
DeleteFrom this portion of the film I believe the one important aspect was that the entire scene was being dictated by the Caucasian male, which I also decided to address in my comment. It was easily identified, because the director chose to focus on him, but what I find to be the most essential was the the behind the scene impact of the individuals in this scene. In other words, it took the audience to read between the lines to see who really made the decision for the marriage to go forth, and that was the mothers of the couple, Joey, and John. This has a form of symbolism, because this shows that one man cannot act on any vital decisions by himself. It takes the corporation and willingness of of social classes to put forth an effort to deliver opinions. This can be compared to voting in the African American communities within Peoria community, especially those who reside in the 61605 area code. There are approximately 11,000-12,000 individuals who reside in the area, yet only about 1,000, if that, actually take the time to vote. But long behold, the majority complain of implications that have take place. People fail to realize that voting is the voice, and if you do not vocalize your opinion then you cannot complain about to final output. The young couples parents, Joey, and John all decided, individually, to take a stance against the ignorance and stubbornness displayed by the couple's’ fathers, and as a result everything worked out in the couples favor.
DeleteS&D005
The atmosphere presented in this film gave us insight into how the world was changing, during this time frame, and how challenging it was for those who had been, raised and taught, how to behave in society with regards to one’s station in life. Suddenly, the younger generation is beginning to question the standards that, for years, had been the norm for the older generation. WITHOUT QUESTION, because this was the way it was when they had been raised. Seeing the patriarchal mindset of both fathers showed us that this was how they believed society expected them to react and respond to the situations that would confront them as they became the “head” of the house, the “man” of the family, or the “man” in charge. We can see how being brought up believing that our lot in life has been predetermined for us due to our race, ethnicity, station and because this is how it “was” could make any man feel unprepared to understand that our children are going to be different than us, because they are not us. Mr. Drayton came to understand this when he finally opened, not just his eyes, but his mind as well. Both sets of parents had been brought up to be proud of their heritage, but with respect to what had been taught them by their parents, but they too, had also questioned the norm. Mr. Prentice told John that he was a mailman and walked all those miles so that his son would have a better life. Tilly told John that she had raised Joey and would not stand by and watch her be used by someone who was just trying to “rise above his station”. We saw so much of the socially deviant behavior from both sides of the argument, not only because of the “pigment” challenge for what each race would say about the other, but how they were worried what the opinions of their own race would be. Families was analyzed in this film with respect to how the parents reacted to the situation. The Drayton’s had raised Joey to be open minded with the ability to look at the situation with an open mind and without seeing any barriers. The Prentices’ had raised John to be a man, who was willing to stand up for what he believed and disregard any thoughts to the contrary. This film portrayed the difficulties that confronted the generations at this time period and how important it was to be open minded and willing to accept that there was a change, in the world, for the better. Seoulman005
ReplyDeleteThis particular scene in the movie is the father coming to grip with the couple decision to get married and accept one another for what their ability to love one another. The individuals in this video all felt one way or another about the couple decision to date and get married however this particular scene is where the father telling them although he dont agree with it he's willing to accept their decision to continue to love one another, however in those days interracial dating was frowned upon no matter what the couple race was so it was up to those individuals to continue to fight for one another to their family and community have. Of course both patriarchs of the families was in agreement as well as both matriarchs of the families agreed to accept their child decision it's unfortunately that alot of people really dealt with those results and some have been shun away from their family, friends, and communities because of their decision to continue to love one another, and of course not only did black and white faced the situation but Chinese woman bringing a Caucasian male home or black man bringing an Indian lady home. I personally think I even back at the time when view diviant would like now accepted any interracial dating couple. Like the old saying goes you can't help who you fall in love with.Leathas005
ReplyDeleteYes the father definitely had to come to grasps with the fact that his baby girl was going to marry an older black man. Joey’s mind was definitely made up before she even came home to tell her parents. Yes in the beginning the father was so against them being together and getting married. Well actually both fathers was against the marriage, and both mothers were all aboard. The mother’s know how it is to be in love. I feel he was so against it because for one it wasn’t socially acceptable. The second reason I feel he was against it is he knew what problems they will be up against when society sees them together. Yes I will definitely agree with you back in those day interracial love was frowned down upon. It is sad when someone’s family shun’s them out due to the fact that their in love with another race. You would think that your family will always have your back when no one else will. Back in thoses day I could see how biracial dating could be considered deviant because wasn’t the norm. Cupcake005...
DeleteThis scene was the turning point in the movie, and it also was a microcosm for the switching of mindsets in our society. It also shows how different generations can (and will) effect each other. Before, the father was stern with his opinion and up until the very last second, he said he wasn’t going to allow the marriage. John and Joey were persistent with their opinion, and with enough conversation and time, they got what they wanted. Mr. Drayton finally let the couple marry. This is what can happen with deviant behavior in society, it could almost be seen as exposure theory. The more someone is exposed to an unknown element, the more comfortable they become with it. If you look at our society you can see that we newer generations have used this consistently in order to demand reform—take a look at the gay rights movements, along with the feminist movements. They have come farther than the creators probably ever imagined because of the persistent deviant behavior as well as the acceptance from the oppressors (today this looks like law reform to favor the growth of these rights movements). I believe that, in a way, Mr. Drayton ended up being outvoted and he also realized that he was wrong. I believe that it must have taken a lot for him to admit his initial reaction to the situation was not what he was going to stick with, as it was ‘old-school’. We see character development in Mr. Drayton throughout the movie, which is where his ultimate decision comes from. During the time this movie was created, it was probably very controversial, as opposed to now, as newer generations may think it’s a bit silly that these people are arguing over skin color today. It is even sadder to think that some people still think like this today. Puppies005
ReplyDeleteYes, stereotyping and prejudice still exist today but I have seen a change from 1967 to now. In the 60's there were people that did not marry out of their religion such as (Jewish to a gentile) or ethnicity(German to Irish). The melting pot is continuing. Ancestry.com is advertising that they will tell you who your ancestors were. I came across an interesting fact in our Race chapter that the US Census Bureau states that in
Delete2044 our countries minority will be the majority. Hopefully with time we will all be just thought of an humans and celebrate our idiosyncrasies. grandma005
Great point of view I agree that this particular scene can be defined as being deviant especially in those days where most of society was against interracial dating also many people still didn't have respect for blacks. The scene was very important turning point in the movie as well as real world society as so many people views of others didn't match what they knew of that particular culture plenty of people just listened to the stereotype of society and hadn't never interacted with one another to get to know that person for themselves. Fortunately just like the patriarch had an pivotal moment to accept his daughter and her choice to date outside of her race, so has some people in society has for the simple fact racism is a learned behavior people are not born that way. Leathas005
DeleteThe differences in generations will always affect others. We see it all the time today. My parents will say to me “back in my day we didn't have…” hinting at that this generation is lazy. I would sometimes agree with that. This generation has a lot of tools at their hand to help everything. We still do see prejudice and stereotyping today. Unfortunately I see it mainly amongst the minorities. We are taught at a young age to treat everyone the same and treat everyone with respect. But does that always happen? It is sad to see that it doesn't all the time. PAWW005
DeleteRacism I feel is one of the main issues of this movie. Joey being a white woman and John is clearly a black man causes so many problems. In the 1960’s biracial love was unheard of and absolutely forbidden. This was very unacceptable to society. Back in this movie’s time black and white people were put in different classes. In the 1960’s black people were of the lower class and would never be put on the level with white people. Lil Joey bless her heart she doesn’t see color she doesn’t see the big difference between her and John that everybody else see’s. Joey definitely wasn’t raised to see color but like her mother in the movie said that she wasn’t told not to date one either. It’s very interesting that John could see how uncomfortable people were that he was with or even being that close to a young white woman. John knew that it would be a big problem for either family to accept the fact that they were both of different races, and they wanted to get married. I learned from the movie that in the 1960’s there was a lot of same race racism. I guess racism comes in many forms definitely back in that day and time and still even today. Back then black and white love wasn’t socially acceptable in society. Nowadays biracial love is more the norm in society. It is very socially acceptable to have two people of different races together and form a unity, a family, a home. Cupcake005...
ReplyDeleteIn this portion of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner we see that Mr. Drayton may be coming to his senses on how he feels regarding his daughter and John’s relationship. He was able to make the comparison to how he felt towards his wife, and how he believes that is how his daughter and John feel about each other. Throughout this time period we saw that a lot of families were so against white people and African Americans dating let alone getting married. But it seems that people may forget how they felt for their significant other when they were against interracial relationships, and certain people just felt uncomfortable with it. We saw in the movie that Joanna was completely accepting of her and John’s relationship, but it seemed like John was a little uncomfortable with the situation. In this movie it was nice to see that both Joanna and John had supportive parents who were always their throughout their lives. The difference in generations definitely had an impact on the opinions of Joanna and John’s relationship, however, both sides were very supportive and maybe during this time period very supportive parents was lacking. Either way, interracial relationships wasn't the norm and It’s a great thing that that has completely shifted now. PAWW005
ReplyDeleteI don't believe the father's were racist but knew that because of the racism during those days would cause them two a problem. It was the highlight of the movie because they saw the two were truly happy and in love and that is what mattered the most. Do to the power of society it made them think the Joey and John decisions were not rational because of what society stated what was right and wrong in those days. Joey and John didnt see race they only felt attraction, affection and love for eahother. John understood more so then Joey how both parents would react to the marriage. As with Joey she didnt understand what the big fuss was about. John went about it the right way but asking her parents for permission and not just doing it. I think this scene opened the door for going outside of the norm of what was and wasnt exceptable back then. 12mc-005
ReplyDeleteIn this clip of the movie joey's father is finally is coming to realization that her and john are together. in my opinion because joey and john were young they didn't see color and the issue of being together. John got the concept of the reactions and looks and so forth they were going to get based off their color, however joey was so in love with john that's all she cared about and couldn't understand what the problem was. Eventually the realization of what was happening sat in and the parents knew that they couldn’t stop it because they were both so in love. Even though this would be considered very deviant behavior and unexpectable behavior they broke the norms of society and did it anyways. While breaking the norms they had supportive parents that were willing to stand with them and support them through the whole process. Which you would need a support system because in that time era this was looked upon not only black and white but other races in other countries as well
ReplyDelete-kyw005
When we first watched the movie I thought the same as you: that Joey was so in love with John she couldn’t see their color difference. But maybe we are not giving her the credit she deserves. Yes, her parents did raise her to not treat people any different just because of their skin color, but she still would have been exposed to those opinions and thoughts. Maybe Joey knew they would face a lot of problems and understood what the difference in their skin color meant to other people. Maybe she just didn’t care, because the only people she wanted validation from are her parents. By the way she kept reassuring John that her parents would love him, it was obvious she has a lot of faith in them that they only care about what makes her happy. Spoopy005
DeleteUntil this point in history our different cultures each had their values in society and even though we like to think that we are comfortable with our norms. Each culture changes for the better there for changing our society as a whole and becoming the society that we are today. The fathers in this film were more concerned of the cultural lag that our society was facing at the time or that was going to be facing for well into their future in that some people wanted to stay comfortable. Some wanted to improve their own way of life, and others went for what they wanted no matter how much culture shock they could instill on the rest of society just as long as they were happy. Even those that think there race is supreme I’m sure have aided in the change of our culture such as diffusion, as I am sure everyone has ate a taco because really when it comes to food the only way you can call it American is if you cook over a grill/fire.
ReplyDeleteWe learned that socialization happens in a variety of areas which is bound to change every culture the more each individual cultures interact with one another. Our families groom us into their values until we start to interact with the world, so as change happens in a family the younger generation is exposed to these changes. Culture change of this period in time led to multicultural schooling, in that not only are different cultures started to mingle but the subjects in the schools started to change to incorporate the cultures. Peer groups have also added to our socialization in that many kids of different cultures get to interact in after school programs. We also have mass media allowing people from around the globe to interact with each other which now we can interact with the different cultures without leaving our house. So yes the fathers had many things to worry about but after 60 years all those worries they had are no longer the issues that they had been.
In this movie Sidney promoted a very dignified race as he was a very successful doctor who was presenting lectures and working in a different country. It was his ethnicity that people were prejudice of even though he was very successful he was still labeled as an African-American. In that period of time the fathers had every right to be worried of all the discrimination that was to occur and for both of the off-springs because she chose to be with a black man. They knew that their grandchildren were going to be a product of miscegenation and among the first of their time. Due that a formal proclamation to end segregation had been issued only a few years prior to the couples engagement, that in my opinion shouldn’t be that short as they only were engaged right after meeting each other. African-Americans had been assimilating the Euro-Americans for hundreds of years and the only thing keeping the two cultures from being equal was of the segregation, other than that the two cultures were practically the same. BHL005
From this assigned Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner exert, the viewer can basically give others a rough outline of what the entire film comes; which I believes speaks volume. As an individual who is currently taking a Film class, the director has done a fine job of drafting cast, composing lighting, and manipulating literature in order to get certain areas of focus across. From this portion of the film, I've found societal norms to have been broken, social classes to intertwine, and an alteration of initial individual opinions. First, the father of Joey has taken the initiative to break the status quo during this portion of the film. By doing so he has torn down the walls set by society, which ultimately leads toward a more influential community. This is essential due to the relevance of segregation and discrimination during the 1960s era. As a well-privileged, Caucasian male, Joey’s father is made aware of the impact of which he has on the two young lovers as Joey’s father and John’s, soon-to-be, father-in-law. As a result, Joey’s father was forced to remove himself from the racial pedestal of which his was involuntarily placed on. Which then leads to my second point, the visual display of two separate social classes being broken down. I find this to be important, because this process was initiated by an individual of importance, according to 1960 societies, which speaks volumes. Ultimately showing how if people do not decide to take a step towards change, the lives throughout communities will not change for the better. In this case, the better of civilization is integration and acceptance. Finally, Joey’s father was forced to change his view on the idea of his daughter’s interracial commitment due to the passion he was exposed to. As a male, it was seen that what a male says is how it shall go, but this was not the case. Joey, along with the assistance of her mother, was sure to convince the father of the love that was taking place at this moment. As a result, the father was forced to see the accuracy behind his child’s relationship. The father was also remind that he is exactly that, a father, and as a father it was his deputy to insure his child’s happiness. As parent it is important to realize the impact of which you create within your child’s lives. This can be approached differently, because it ultimately depends of which type of a set decides to be, authoritative, permissive, or authoritarian. Studies show that couples who have chosen the have authoritative parenting style have had the healthiest, impactful relationships with their children. Permissive parenting allows you children to be free-willed, and allows your children to do whatever he or she pleases. Authoritarian parenting can lead to children being sneaky or conniving due to parents being too strict, overprotective, and by the book. Whereas, authoritative parenting shares qualities of both permissive and authoritarian parenting providing a healthy balance of each parenting style.
ReplyDeleteS&D005
You have excellent points as the world cannot change for the better if a culture can’t get out of their norms. It is a hard concept to change when we like to do things that seem comfortable and easy as we have had our values instilled on us for such a long time. Even small concepts seem to be challenging at first, as I use to cuss like a storm but felt the need to change as I was having kids and I felt that such language made me sound less intelligent. Something this small took days as I kept finding myself using the language without even realizing it, but like culture and society I persevered and changed after I kept trying. As far as the parenting goes I would be open minded to the 3 as every child is different and you never know what kind of friends your child will make. So to me it would make sense that each might have to be used at least once, kids always try to push our buttons as they know us better than anyone else. They study us as they grow test us to see what they can get away with and if you give them a sip realize that you just put the cup in their hands and they drank all your soda. BHL005
DeleteOne of the major issues in this film is that Joey is a young white women and that John is a young African American. Joeys parents said stated earlier in the movie that they taught their daughter to love and accept anybody no matter what their race is. As you can obviously see that they never thought that Joey would bring a African American home and announce that they are gonna go get married. Both of her parents thought she was crazy. In this case she was said to be deviant. This was not a norm for any child to come home after meeting a guy for a few days and saying that they are going to get married. In this clip I think that Joeys dad realized that love is love. No matter the color, the size, the shape or the age. He states that "Joey and Johns love is no different then him and his wife love". Here is when he comes to the realization that they are gonna get married rather he likes it or not. That they love each other and there is nothing that him, his wife or anyone else can do to change it. He figures out that if he keeps denying Joey that it can really effect their relationship as father and daughter. Its sad to think that in the pass many parents has lost relationships with their kids because of who they have choose to marry. We as a nation do not accept the change that society is going through. We like the norm and are comfortable with it. Reason why we hate change. Its only until we realize that change is inevitable that we accept it and start to be okay with it. This might take months or even years but eventually we as a nation will understand it and accept it. Hawk005
ReplyDeleteThe whole situation i agree, was considered deviant to most of the characters shown in the film. The only ones who did accept were the younger ones and the reverend, whose job is to accept anyone. It gives you an idea on how the societies of their time were changing. The older people all had problems with the twos' decision or plan if you would call it. This demonstrated the older peoples views; of racism, agism, sexism, religion and more. The ones who had come to accept were the opposite and less judgemental. the movie just played a huge role and showing the conflict of both societies being involved with eachother. purplehearts005
Deletethrough mostly all of the film, there are many conflicts that the modern day society would point out. The characters are acting out and demonstarting patriarchy, racism, sexism and more. it is amazing to see that through most of the movie, the daughter doesnt really fall in too much with any of those issues. The father plays a big part in the movie. He is conflicted the whole film and even though it was said to make the decision any ways, it was up to him if his daughter was going to get married to the doctor. The parents of the other family didnt really have too much of a say it seemed. Everyone expressed their opinion on it but at the end of the day, the father seemed to have the upper hand. As the Caucasion head of the family who seemed to recieve the most respect no matter the credibility of the other males in the movie. All the way to his speech, her father made the most important impression on the other characters and their way of viewing the situation in this movie. He was outvoted and perhaps the children would have done whatever they wished to anyways but it was cool to see the other characters stand up and put their own foot down. purplehearts005
ReplyDeleteI agree they did display a great deal of patriarchy and racism. Joey only wanted to be happy she didn't see all the negativity in play. The father was very controversial in the situation. At the end of the day they were awaiting the fathers approval to get married. I agree that he also possessed the power because in those days race played a big role in everything and he made the lasting impression on the matter.12mc-005
DeleteMany may consider a large portion of the film, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?" to be a piece of media that once focused on a tense period of time where the United States was rapidly changing, now serving only as a reminder of past transgressions to be utilized as a learning tool. However, all that aside, I believe that shameful as it may be - the United States in particular is still actively working through some of societies shortcomings as depicted in the movie. This scene in particular I believe highlights a recurring theme regarding who truly has the final say in most decision making. It should come as no surprise that all of the onlookers, those who've been passively and directly sharing their positions on the situation at hand, are expected to gather round and hear the decision of the deciding party - the elderly white male. With the standing majority of Congress being white males over the age of 65, and the House of Representatives majority being white males over 50 (Marcos 2016), I can't imagine this came as a surprise to any of us today. Recurring themes of racism, ageism, and sexism are all on full display in this scene where the group collectively defers to the oldest, white male. Though I believe the argument could possibly be made that because he was the father of the bride his say mattered all the more, I believe that in this instance it was a model example of just who at the time, and potentially even today, has the final say.
ReplyDelete35G005
In this excerpt from the movie “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”, Mr. Drayton is finally realizing the love that Joey and John have for each other and is definitely gave a different turning point for the movie. Throughout the movie, the thought of the interracial couple being together was considered very deviant and showed how society really viewed that situation during that time period. I believe Mr. Drayton had to be exposed to the situation with the talks he had with the others and John himself, to open his eyes more and be more comfortable. Today, society has changed a lot and is more comfortable with people loving who they want while back then, it was actually a controversial topic like Joey and John’s situation. With different reforms and different movements, society has become more open minded compared to back then like the movie shows. Mr. Drayton had the final and biggest decision to make of them all when it came to accepting the marriage or not and really showed how big patriarchy was back then. When he finally shared his opinion, I believe the whole mood of the movie changed seeing that he realized he was wrong for trying to deny his daughter the right to love a black man. His final decision I can imagine was probably still very controversial for some people because not all people think like that or would’ve made that decision, especially during that time. -Pizza005
ReplyDeleteThis was definitely my favorite part of the movie just simply because Mr. Drayton told everyone in the room how he felt. Something we were all guessing but couldn’t quite pin point it exactly. Starting with John by saying his family would face many challenges brought upon them by their own fellow countrymen. But also by finally giving John his blessing by simply saying “you wouldn’t get any challenge out of me”. Then moving on to John family only to explain why he was ok with the wedding. And that is because he sees the love that John and Joanna show for one another in such a short time they have been together. He knows that they feel the same way that he feels for his wife. Knowing that kind of love never dies is the main reason he is ok with his Daughters very surprise filled engagement. He also points out what I believe is the whole point of the movie and that is other people’s opinion do not matter when it comes to making you happy. Like honestly the article is called “for what it’s worth” meaning for what someone’s opinion is worth to you is up to you. It could mean the world or it could be a bunch of fubar. The beautiful thing is as long as both John and Joanna agree to support each other throughout their marriage they will conquer any situation they might face in the future due to their love interest.
ReplyDeleteBikemaker005