Post-colonial theory suggests that all media was influenced by colonial times. When European countries lost their empire by the end of world war ii they used the media to instill whatever "dominance" they had left to provide a Eurocentric few that anything that isn't European and white is natural, odd, dangerous, savage, or poor.
According to Paul Gilroy, the UK still struggles with its loss of empire. The nation is going through a mid-life crisis that they used to be mighty and grand but now they lost everything.
The 2020 show Bridgerton is a series set in England during the 1800 Recency period. Instead of having an all-white cast like other previously done Recency period shows (Ex. The Crown), Bridgerton sets itself apart from the colonist view of Britain, by having a huge chunk of the main cast be people of color. This was revolutionary as most films set in this era in England are represented as white/European. Since back then and even to this day people still think of the British high class and aristocracy to be white, so having a royal cast consisting of mostly black and brown people was seen as a subversion of Eurocentric views. They do still confine to "British stereotypes" as the royals and nobles are elite. They might be POCs but they're still British.
A piece of media that conforms to this theory is the 2021 film The King's man, the prequel to 2014 The Kingsman: The Secret Service. This movie's entire plot is about Britain going to war, so they portrayed the Brits as proper, well-dressed, well-spoken, strong military, and very very white. The only POC character in this movie is Shola, an African man who specializes in blades, and martial arts, and is the Wiseman of the cast which is a very post-colonial view of Africa being mysterious, spiritual, and martial in fighting. While Shola is a martial fighter, all the British people use guns regularly. Other countries are also portrayed as barbaric and savage. The first scene was set in Africa which was shown as really dangerous and wild (Via a character dying in the first 10 minutes). The countries of Scotland and Russia were also portrayed as "uncivilized" via the main Villains: Rasputin and The Sheperd, both characterized as wild, dangerous, unhinged, and bombastic. The stereotype of Brits being well-dressed is really instilled in this series via the titles themselves. Since "Kingsman" is a suit taylor shop.
(These are some keywords from my teacher)
Eurocentric - The belief that the European culture is superior to all others
Double consciousness - the internal conflict experienced by subordinated or colonized groups in an oppressive society.
Othering - the practice of representing and defining the colonized natives as inferior to their European counterparts.
Paul Gilroy - a sociologist who contributed to the postcolonial theory
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