Watchmen (2019): Is it an African-American superhero narrative or another traditional way to present racism?

Abstract

There have been many studies on race relations between African-American and White-American or Asian-American and White-American. However, there are few studies regarding the portrayal of these three races in media, such as film. The purpose of this study is to expose the Watchmen (2019) television series’ African-American superhero narrative and its racial relationship between white Americans, African Americans, and Vietnamese Americans (Asian Americans). In the United States, recent race relation is considered better than in the past, as proved by Obama serving the country for two terms, but the media is still preserving each race’s labels. This study argues that this series is proof of racist behavior in media. This qualitative study uses narrative and non-narrative to analyze the data gained from the series. This television series, uncommonly, shows the White-American as the villain while the African American as the hero, which makes this series worth analyzing. The series finally attained a complex racial relationship when a Vietnamese-American character was introduced. Racial stereotypes are frequently depicted in popular culture, including movies and television shows. Consequently, it is interesting to investigate its intricacy in light of white supremacy. This series presents several shots and events indicating a racist community, even from the very beginning of the series. Thus, this study argues that the series does not portray White-American as a villain but perpetuates the stereotypes of African-Americans and Asian-American.