Lost Cause Ideology in American Cinema: How Film Molded American Society

This project examines the ways in which racial stereotypes and misrepresentations of people of color in America, specifically Black people, were constructed and continue to be upheld by the White person's nostalgia for the Old South (pre Civil War) through Lost Cause Ideology and the theoretical frameworks of desire, jouissance and hauntology. I will be analyzing this topic through the lens of American cinema and the impacts of film as a mass medium beginning in the early 20th century through the present day. Through this I am explaining how the mass consumption of films that promote a white hegemonic ideal as "American" correlates directly to how society as a whole perceives people of color as well as how it allows for racial biases to be upheld in almost every aspect of life (structurally, institutionally and individually). With this project I intend to research an aspect of racial bias through a medium that is interesting to me as well as hopefully start a conversation surrounding this topic. I think it is important to try to understand the origins of racism in this country and the ways that it has manifested itself throughout media history and continues to do so as mass media becomes more and more prevalent. I would hope that this project initiates meaningful and informative conversations surrounding race within the medium of film. I think it is so important for us, as mass consumers of media, to be able to take a step back and think critically about the messages that are being portrayed to us regarding the hegemonic idea surrounding race in America and how we, as a collective and individuals, internalize these messages and then either reinforce, endorse or reject them in everyday life.