Stereotypes in a not-so-funny film

Night School is a film starring Kevin Hart (Teddy) and Tiffany Haddish (Carrie) where Teddy is a high school dropout in a relationship with a wealthy girlfriend (Lisa). Lisa is then proposed to by Teddy which pressures him to become more financially stable. Teddy is prompted to get his GED when told he could potentially work as a financial analyst. While going back to school, Teddy lies to Lisa saying he already started his job as a financial analyst. Carrie is portrayed as the uncanny teacher who speaks provocatively, fulfilling the stereotype of a “mouthy, sassy, black woman”.  

The film seeks to provoke comedy in the stereotype of a black man (Teddy) being portrayed as undereducated and lazy. The controlling images in this film result in the audience’s exposure to common stereotypes surrounding the black community. The film also invokes a harmful view of the role of men in today’s society. The film’s patriarchal view that Teddy has to lie about his job as a financial analyst because his girlfriend makes more money than him is a reflection of society’s pressure on men to be the ones to claim wealth and success. This film also reflects men’s fragile masculinity when it comes to women being seen as a threat when they make more money.