In her essay “Revolutionary Attitude,” bell hooks says that the “mass media of specific images, representations of race, of blackness” are directly related to the racial domination in our society (hooks, 1992, p. 2). Hustle and Flow, a 2005 film written and directed by a White man and produced by a Black man, exists somewhere in between stereotypical and unique in its portrayal of African-Americans and African-American culture.    

It is a habit among most parents to assume that teen movies are harmful in their portrayal of teens. On one hand, some films do depict teenagers as sex- and drug-obsessed individuals with destructive habits. It is the fear of parents that these films may encourage these habits in impressionable teens. While this may be true, it is also true that teen movies are capable of illustrating the consequences of these behaviors. Teen movies can also support contemporary research showing that teens are not as destructive in their decision-making as their parents may believe. An example of a film like this is the 2007 comedy Superbad, which exhibits the complex relationship between the portrayal of teens in movies and their behavior in reality.