This PDF article was written by Christopher Knaus a professor of African American Studies in the University of California. At first, The Lord of the Rings seems like nothing more than a movie depicting the battles between good and evil. Are these films subliminally racist and biased towards women? Knaus points out several ideologies that appear throughout the film. According to Knaus, during the entire trilogy "there are only two significant roles played by women, and these are both, true to Hollywood form, highly sexualized." Some of the few non-Caucasian characters are portrayed as a "blend of stereotypes from India (Tamil? Hindu? Muslim?)", while the "Roma (although the stereotypes appear rooted in a derogatory Gypsy image... almost resemble ninjas." The article goes onto compare the film to American imperialism and how the war between "white people" and "evil non-human races... [coincides] with Western imperialism and American colonialism." Does Lord of the Rings really promote white supremacy and bigotry towards women?
