White heroes and princes of the East : A Critical Discourse Analysis of the representational practices of Whitewashing

Abstract: Whitewashing entails the practice of whitening or altering an historical or fictional characters of colours with the casting of white actors. The lack of diversity in today’s media landscape highlight the importance of problematizing such representational practice usage and effects. This study therefore examines the discourses and meanings found in whitewashed characters from selected scenes in the films Dr Strange and Prince of Persia. The study used the theoretical approach of Richard Dyers “Whiteness”, Edwards Saids “Orientalism and Stuart Halls “Representation and Stereotype “to gain a diverse perspective on the practices of representation. The applied methodological approach of Fairclough Critical Discourse Analysis enabled hidden and unspoken messages to be brought forth and discussed accordingly to the theoretical frames. The study found that the “whitewashing” is an excursion of symbolic power in which it is used to ultimately maintain and produce whiteness as the norm.