Native Appropriations Sees “The Lone Ranger” (Now, You Don’t Have To)

It's everything you probably expected.

By Aura Bogado Jul 03, 2013

SPOILER ALERT: Adrienne Keene, over at Native Appropriations, doesn’t like it. But don’t take our word for it, here’s part of her review, which draws attention to the many, many problematic stereotypes featured in the film:

The Lone Ranger fails the Bechdel test. There are not two (named) women, who speak to each other, about something other than a man. The portrayals of the Chinese laborers who built the railroad are super problematic too, they have them in rice paddy hats, and the only time they speak is to tell the bad guys they won’t go in the tunnel because there are "Indian spirits" in there. Then that guy gets shot. The only Black characters are one of Rebecca’s employees (who gets shot defending the house), and the driver/bouncer of the "House of Sin" where Helena Bonham-Carter works. This is also supposed to be Texas, but I can’t actually think of any Latino characters, besides a "Spaniard" (bad guy), and another of Rebecca’s employees.

And that’s just a tiny bit. You can read the review in its entirety here.

Still feel like you want to see the flick? Make sure you take Keene’s Lone Ranger bingo card with you. She was kind enough to create it for "all your cliched stereotype needs."