Albino bias

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Albino bias^[1]^[2]^[3] refers to the societal prejudice and discrimination against people with albinism and, in particular, the negative depiction of people with albinism in movies and fiction. Research has established that people with albinism are not physically or mentally different from other people, apart from differences in pigmentation and vision. See Albinism for more information.

The "evil albino stereotype"^[4] is a villain in fiction who is depicted as suffering from albinism (or displaying physical traits usually associated with albinism even if the term is not used), with the specific and obvious purpose of distinguishing the villain in question from the heroes by means of appearance. Traits of albinism commonly associated with the evil albino stereotype include pale skin, platinum blonde hair, and blue or red eyes. Notably absent from most depictions is impaired vision, which is experienced by a significant portion of real people with albinism.^[5]^[6]

1 History
2 In popular culture
- 2.1 Villains
- 2.2 Subjects of ridicule and "freaks"
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

The "evil albino" archetype may also have its roots in folklore and mythology. For example, the evil Yuki-onna of Japanese legends is described as a very pale woman, although this is probably because she is a snow spirit. Some cultures in Neolithic Eastern Europe also depicted Death as a pallid woman with light hair.^[7] Fear of vampires and other legendary undead with a deathly pallor, especially in European folklore, could also have contributed to albino bias. The phenomenon may also have been influenced by an introduction of attitudes towards people with albinism in Africa or Jamaica, where those with that condition are sometimes regarded as cursed. Dermitologist Dr. Vail Reese theorizes that albino bias may be part of a broader Hollywood pattern of equating or at least linking skin disorders and appearance problems with villainy.^[8]

Another explanation may be sought in respective ideals of beauty - most "evil albinos" appear in works of fiction from the West. In fiction from Japan, whose ideals of beauty call for as pale skin as possible, characters with albinism or associated traits are more frequently sympathetic [1] than in Western fiction [2]. This is not to say that Japanese popular culture has not depicted "evil albinos". However, such characters in Japanese fiction are often bishounen (pretty-boy villains) whose beautiful appearance is used for a cognitive dissonance effect against their moral evil. Use of albinistic features to indicate villains in Western film appears to have begun in the 1960s, and may be related to the popularity of tanning (and thus a decrease in pale skin being seen as attractive) in this period.^[9]

The stereotype has become sufficiently well-recognised to attract satire. In The Big Over Easy, author Jasper Fforde includes a protest against it by "the albino community" among his imaginary news clippings, most of which satirize stock characters and hackneyed plot devices.

One of the oldest perceived literary examples of albino bias was H.G. Wells's depiction of the main character in his 1897 science-fiction novel The Invisible Man. The character was able to become invisible using his scientific discoveries only because he already lacked natural pigmentation; he subsequently became mentally deranged, an "albino villain".

More than a century later, albino bias has persisted in the literature and movies. For example, the 2003 Warner Bros movie The Matrix Reloaded featured two sociopathic characters with pale skin and white hair frequently interpreted to be albinos despite studio declarations that they are not.^[6] Positive depictions of albinos in mass culture are rarer, though one example is the 1995 film Powder which depicts an exceptionally gifted young albino and the cruelty he endures because of his differences from "normal" people. In recent years, the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation (NOAH) has spoken out^[4] against albino bias in the United States. Albinistic actor Michael C. Bowman, of Me, Myself and Irene, has said, "Kids all over this country are being affected in a very negative and harmful way because of the sloppiness and laziness of a writer in Hollywood."^[6].

[edit] In popular culture

Note: These lists do not include fantastic characters such as alien races (e.g. in Stargate: Atlantis, or I Come in Peace, or the bald, pale female alien supporter of Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode II), the undead (e.g. Nosferatu and various other filmic vampires, or Solomon Grundy from Green Lantern), magical beings (e.g. various anime/manga and game characters like Albedo Piazzolla and Wilhelm in Xenosaga, or Ramirez/Zelos in Skies of Arcadia), the genetically altered (e.g. the bleached-looking Asian in Die Another Day, or the zombie-like virus sufferers in The Omega Man), or superhero mutants (e.g. "La Lunatica", in X-Men 2099, or "Punk Rocket", in Teen Titans), whose appearances seem to mimic or echo that of albinism, but from causes other than albinism. However, some^[9]^[10] do include such characters in the overall category of the "evil albino" stereotype, because the difference is often lost on the audience.

A number of movies, books and other works have been criticized^[4]^[5]^[9] for albino bias, as they associate the uncommon features of albinistic people (pale skin, white hair, and unpigmented eyes) with danger, terror, or criminality. Less frequently they are depicted as the harmless butt of jokes and ridicule, as maladjusted and undersocializled, or as "freaks".^[9]^[10] Most rarely of all, they may actually be portrayed positively, even heroically.

[edit] Villains

The most common (and frequently inaccurate) depiction of people with albinism in fiction^[5]^[6]^[9]^[10] is that of the inimical, violent villain, especially the hitman, assassin, or crime boss.

"Snow" (played by Billy Drago), in Vamp (1986)^[11] (He is the violently-inclined leader of a street gang composed of albinistic people and others with appearance problems. He meets a violent end.)^[9]
"The Twins" (played by Adrian & Neil Rayment), in The Matrix Reloaded (2003)^[12] (Considered by detractors^[5] to be the highest-profile case of "evil albino" bias to date, though said by producers^[6] to not be intended to be taken for natural albinos. They are nearly-unstoppable assassin henchmen of another bad-guy character. Almost universally referred to^{[citation needed]} in the press and fan writing as "the Albino Twins", whatever the intent of the studio.)
Bosie (played by Charlie Hunnam)^[13], in Cold Mountain (2003).^[14] (He is a vengeful, implacable killer in the US Civil War era.)^[9]
The Über-Morlock (played by Jeremy Irons), in the 2002 film version of The Time Machine.^[15] (He is a genocidal far-future dictator and cannibal. Earlier adaptations depicted the Morlocks as quite inhuman, but in this one, Irons's character is clearly human and albinistic.)^[9]
Mr. Joshua (played by Gary Busey; see also next entry), in Lethal Weapon (1987).^[16] (He is a seemingly psychopathic hit man, conflictingly described as "legally blind" which could have been accurate, but shown to be an excellent marksman, which would not be.^[9] He was specificaly referred to as "albino" in the film).
Joseph (ironically, played by Jake Busey; see previous entry), in Contact (1997).^[17] (He is a religious nut turned suicide-bomber).^[6]
Grahame Coats, in Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys (published 2005; ISBN 0-06-051518-X). (Quote: "If you happened to see Grahame Coats and immediately found yourself thinking of an albino ferret in an expensive suit, you would not be the first.") (See main article for further sources.)
"Dragon" (played by Thayer David), in the The Eiger Sanction (1975).^[17] (An underworld kingpin also described as being unable to stand light and requiring frequent blood transfusions; cf. "The Albino" in Princess Bride.)^[9]
"Albino" (played by the genuinely albinistic Victor Varnado), in End of Days (1999)^[18]. (The character is a menacing "servant of Satan" who meets a grisly death.)^[9]
"Whitey" Jackson a.k.a. "The Albino" (played by William Frankfather), in Foul Play (1978)^[19] (Another heavily-armed killer, this time in a comedy.)^[9]
"Tombstone", in the Spider-man comics (An African-American with albinism, he is a mob hitman.) (See main article for sources.)
"The Albino" (played by Mel Smith), in The Princess Bride (1987).^[20] (He is an Igor-like henchman and torturer, depicted as diseased.)^[9]
Moke (played by Dar Robinson), in Stick (1985)^[21] (a ruthless criminal, who likes to shoot people in the back)^[6]^[9]
Judge Holden, in Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian (published 1985; ISBN 0-394-54482-X). (Since there is no historical evidence to suggest that the non-fictional Holden was albinistic, McCarthy's novel, in which Holden is a wanton mass-murderer, is a blatant case of "evil albino" stereotyping.) (See main article for further sources.)
"Albino" (played by Warrick Grier), in Freefall (1994).^[22] (who drugs the film's heroine).^[9]
Mark Purayah (Mark II) and Mark Parchezzi (Mark III) ("the Albinos"), in Hitman: Blood Money (released 2005).^[23] (They are clones of an unseen Mark I, and all are assassins.) See main article for additional sources.
Otis B. Driftwood (played by Bill Moseley), in House of 1000 Corpses (2003).^[24] (but who, despite being played by the same actor, in the discontinuitous sequel The Devil's Rejects (2005)^[25] has a normal skin tone, perhaps in response to the issue. He leads a clan of psychopathic backwoods serial killers.) (See main article for additional sources.)
Griffin, the main character of The Invisible Man (published 1897) by H.G. Wells. (He is of questionable sanity and a thief by nature.) (See main article for additional sources.)
The Autumn Brothers, in the Jonah Hex comics. (Half-human villains for the main character to fight, they were thinly-disguised caricatures of real-life albinistic musician brothers, Edgar and Johnny Winter, who filed a lawsuit.)^[26]
"The Klingon Albino" from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Blood Oath".^{[citation needed]}
Lung Tien Lien, in Naomi Novik's Temeraire manga series. (See main article for sources.)
Various characters may or may not be intended to represent albinistic villains (not enough material has been published about the characters to be certain), especially in videogames and anime. A few examples include "The Sorrow" in Metal Gear Solid 3, Arthas Menethil in Warcraft III, Lord Mei-Oh in Tenchu, Lloyd in The Legend of Dragoon, Ghaleon in Lunar Silver Star Story, Alexei Nachrade in Soldier of Fortune II, Sugin Tou in Rozen Maiden, Dr. Kirk Langstrom in The Batman, the "Nordic Man" thug played by Tobin Bell in The Firm,^[9], Hiead Gner in Pilot Candidate, Vergil in the Devil May Cry games (whose twin brother Dante is the player-controlled hero), Jacobim Mugatu (played by Will Ferrell) in Zoolander (more likely a hair-bleaching fashion victim than albinistic), and the unnamed killer of O-Ren's parents, in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003).^[27]

[edit] Subjects of ridicule and "freaks"

"Whitey" (played by Robert Englund), in Buster and Billie. (He dyes his hair black to disguise his condition, but is known by a derogatory nickname, which he even wears on a silly hat.)^[9]
Casper, a.k.a. "Whitey" or "Q-Tip"^[6] (played by Michael C. Bowman), in Me, Myself and Irene (2000).^[9] (His alleged real name is as mocking as his nicknames. He is the subject of good deal of ridicule, though accurately depicted as having vision problems, and is a vital friend of the main characters. The genuinely albinistic actor "somewhat regrets" taking the role: "I worried that it was sending the wrong message."^[6])
"Whitey", in Nobody's Fool^[9]
The detective, in What's the Worst that Could Happen? (197?). (Like the bad guy in Foul Play, he wears all-white suits that do nothing but accentuate his unusual appearance in a cartoonish way.)^[9]
The hermaphrodite, in Federico Fellini's Satyricon. (As with the villains in The Princess Bride and The Eiger Sanction, the flimic depiction inaccurately links albinism with other disorders.^[9]