White privilege is everywhere
The first question that caught my attention, was "How is outlaw status justified?" I immediately started thinking about Thelma and Louise, and how the main charcters are not treated as dangerous criminials but as defenseless white women that only need help from their male counterparts, as well as the police, to save them from a life of running on the road. Their outlaw stastus is only justifed because it makes the audience feel sorry for these women, both of whom are rape victims. We know their pasts and therefore, we can understand why they are on the run. However, the women in Set it Off are not offered help, but chased after with anger. The audience does not have a clear idea of the women's past and all we know is that each woman has their own reason for committing these armed robberies. Now since these four women are from the "hood" they are seen from the start as poor and aggressive. Their outlaw status is justifed by their desire to want better for themselves, especially economically. However, due to the use of guns and the aggression that each woman developed by the last robbery, its easy to see how some people watching the movie may not feel that these women are not justified. There is no good way to look at it. How can we accept one and not the other? But as we discussed in class, I believe the "white privilege" held a large impact on the women in Set it Off. I continue to believe that if Set it Off was about 4 white women trying to get out of poverty by robbing banks, they would be treated differently, probably with more sensitivity.
I paid close attention to the main cops in each movie. So I had to comment on the question, "How does the role of the white cop function in the narrative?" We could see how the cop in Thelma and Louise treated both women as respectively as possible and actually showed care and concern for their well beings. He tried to save them in the end and was not successful. I really don't believe that, if these women weren't white, they wouldn't recieve the same treatment. I think its safe to say that with white priviledge comes a more respectful response to crimes from the white cop as well as the other law enforcement agents; respectful meaning a less aggressive approach. Of course we see the complete opposite in Set it Off. The white cop performed in a manner which is much more realistic in society, but especially within the African-American community. There is no peaceful conversation when he was talking to Frankie at the bank in the beggining or with Cleo when he took her downtown for the police line-up. The only time we saw this white cop with any sensitvity toward the women is when Stoney's little brother is killed and during the last robbery the women attempted to pull. So, in this case, comparing these two road films, I feel that the white cop role played in each movie, was exactly on point. I can believe that white cops would act the same in reality as they did in each movie because of the racial differences between the characters in Set it Off and Thelma and Louise.