BLAXPLOITAION.

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  • Author(s): Henry, Tanu T.
  • Source:
    Footsteps. Nov/Dec2004, Vol. 6 Issue 5, p28-29. 2p. 2 Color Photographs.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      BLAXPLOITATION films; AFRICAN Americans in motion pictures; NATIONAL Association for the Advancement of Colored People; MOTION picture industry; RACE discrimination
    • Subject Terms:
      UNITED States
    • Abstract:
      This article focuses on the use of the word, blaxploitation to describe a type of film popular in the 1970s. The term blaxploitation unites the words black and exploitation. It was coined by the Hollywood trade magazine Variety to describe a type of film popular in the 1970s. As the term implies something negative, it is not surprising that middle-class blacks and groups such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People organized protests to criticize these movies for their representations of African Americans. The African American actors featured in blaxploitation films dressed in the most outlandish fashion styles of the day and spoke in a hip, colorful, jazzed-up street slang. Despite the harsh criticisms, the movies attracted large audiences, and they continue to enjoy commercial success in video and DVD sales today.