Racial Stereotypes in The Longest Yard

            In Living Color: Race and American Culture by Michael Omi explores racism and racial stereotypes in American popular culture.  One of the stereotypes that Omi mentions is a stereotype of black men being physically strong but dimwitted. Omi supported his claim of this racially stereotype with a quote from Al Campanis former vice president of player personnel for the Los Angeles Dodgers on why there were not black managers in baseball at the time, “I truly believe that (blacks) may not have some of the necessities to be, let’s say field manager or perhaps a general manager.” Campanis argued “They are gifted with great musculature and various other things. They’re fleet of foot. And this is why there are a lot of black major league ball players. Now as far as having the background to become club presidents,or presidents of a bank. I don’t know.” This racial stereotype has been played out time and time again in movies and television shows. The stereotype of the physically strong but dimwitted black man is displayed in the 2005 remake of The Longest Yard.

            In The Longest Yard former professional quarterback Paul Crewe is sentenced to jail time for drunk driving and belligerent behavior. Upon his arrival at the correctional facility Crewe learns that the warden has a semi-pro football team. The players on this football team are former college football players that became prison guards to play for the team. The warden pulled some strings to get Crewe sent to his prison with hopes that Crewe could help make his football team better. Crewe  tells the warden that in college they would have a “warmup game” against inferior competition to get the teams confidence higher. The Warden likes this idea and makes Crewe assemble a team of prisoners to face the guards in a game to raise the guards’ confidence.

The character in The Longest Yard that embodies the physically strong dimwitted black man is Switowski. Switowski is played by former MMA fighter Bob Sapp. Switowski is 7 feet tall and incredibly strong. The first time that we are introduced to Switowski he is lifting a bleacher filled with other prisoners. After witnessing his strength, Paul Crewe and his best friend Caretaker recruit Switowski to join their football team. When Crewe and Caretaker are recruiting Switowski it is fairly evident that he is not very intelligent. Switowski’s intelligence level and mannerisms are very similar to those of a child. When they are recruiting Switowski for the team it is revealed that he doesn’t know how to read. Switowki asks Crewe and Caretaker “Will you teach me to football?” The two men agree to teach Switowski “to football” and join the team, he becomes so excited and happy that he gives Caretaker a hug and lifts him right of the ground with ease.  Switowski is portrayed as a very childlike character throughout the movie. Switowski speaks in a very child like uneducated manner. During football practice Switowski is kicked in the helmet by a teammate which breaks his nose. Switowski starts crying and yells “He brokeded my nose!” he then tells Crewe “I don’t wanna play anymore.” Crowe is able to calm Switowski down and reset his nose. After Caretaker tells Switowski his nose looks like a young Michael Jackson’s he exclaims “I love little Michael!” In this situation Switowski’s mood quickly shifted from crying and upset to happy and excited, like a young child. In one scene Switowski is eating cake with his hands like a child would do at their birthday party.

Switowski’s size and brute physical strength make him a very important player on the team. Swikowski is easily the strongest player on the football team. During the game when one of the guards is talking trash to one of Switowski’s teammates. Switowski’s teammate tells him the racist things that the guard had said earlier in the movie and Switowski becomes enraged. On the next play Switowski hits the guard so hard that the guard shits his pants.

Switowski is a perfect representation of the stereotypical physically strong yet dimwitted black man. The Longest Yard is not the only movie that employs the stereotype. Another movie that relayed on this stereotype was the Green Mile. This is just one of the many racial stereotypes that are prevalent in American  popular culture.