This can additionally be tied to his whiteness, as certain characters of colour within the film are portrayed as thugs for performing similar behaviour and suffer more severe consequences for their actions (being shot by rival “criminals”). This fact is further proven by his perception in the eyes of others despite his criminal behaviour (car theft and vandalism, to name a few), he is merely viewed as “troubled” or a “delinquent” rather than a felon. The only person of a lower class who is able to “break social boundaries”, so to speak, is Tyler, and it is evident that this is due to his whiteness.
While the film portrays people of colour within the middle-to-upper class (the students of colour attending the art school), any people of colour among the lower class are not able to associate with people of the upper class.
This fact, however, only seems to apply to Tyler himself. The main plot of the film focuses on the fact that while Tyler is of a lower class and lives with foster parents, he is still able to associate with people of higher classes without much question or resistance. In the film, there are a number of both people of colour and white characters, though it is evident in many ways that Tyler’s whiteness gives him advantages that other characters do not possess. Overall, multiple aspects of Tyler’s character, such as his whiteness and heterosexuality, allow him to perform specific behaviours that are regarded as unacceptable when observed by people who do not fit into these distinct categories. His heterosexuality is used to convey a stronger and more dominant character, versus others who are unable to attain the attention of women, who are the looked at as weak. Furthermore, his continuously reinforced heterosexuality emphasises his ability to partake in stereotypically “effeminate” behaviours, such as ballet dancing. Additionally, despite the illegal activities that he participates in and is caught for, he is merely seen as a “delinquent” rather than a criminal due to his whiteness. Firstly, Tyler is a white character who associates with many characters of colour he is able to associate with people from higher classes when black characters are not. In multiple occasions during the film, the main character, Tyler Gage, uses his own privileges to perform certain behaviours that are deemed unacceptable to those who fall outside of these categories. It centres on issues of race and class quite prominently throughout the film, though there are certain instances where deeper analysis is favoured to provide a more profound understanding of the plot of the film.
#WHITENESS OF STEP UP MOVIES MOVIE#
Step Up, starring acclaimed Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan, is a mid-2000s dance movie that captured the hearts of many teenage girls of the time.
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