Do the Right Thing (1989) by Spike Lee depicted an important social problem of the time: interracial rivalry. The film was one of many ghetto action films made during the era. In the article “Producing Ghetto Pictures” by Craig Watkins, he states that the films in the ghetto cycle devoted much of their plot to that of the relationship between poor young black males and the ghetto (170). of those who live on a block in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, where Sal's famous pizzeria is located. Racial and ethnic hatred is shown through the characters who frequent the Italian restaurant. Sal's son Pino wants to move the Pizzeria to their neighborhood away from his father's black clientele, whom he despises. In Mark Reid's article, “Black Comedy on the Verge of a Breakdown,” he states that Pino celebrates a system of ethno-racial apartheid in which racial and ethnic groups remain in their respective neighborhoods” (101). In response to his son's backhanded request, Sal says, “What if this was a black neighborhood, what if we were a minority? I've never had a problem with... [these] people. I don't even want any, so don't start any. This is America." It's ironic because Pino's favorite people are black, but he doesn't see them that way. It's as if he contradicts himself. Pino's brother Vito does not agree with his brother's racist ways, but Pino forces him to accept racism. Reid goes on to say that this behavior is characteristic of those who join violent mobs because they do not support violence, yet they give in to it (101-102). It resembles peer pressure, except on a larger scale. The climax of the film is when Buggin' Out and R... middle of paper... a successful middle class guy... makes a movie in what essentially says... to... lower class blacks : "Well, you won't get justice." They are out there to get you. It's you against them. And this is what they do'” (105). This film is a direct example of how the media influences members of society. This refers to the saying about the butterfly that flaps its wings and causes a hurricane on the other side of the world. In a way, this film is a realistic look at the racial animosities of the period. Works Cited Reid, Mark A. “A Black Comedy on the Verge of Collapse.” Redefining the black film. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1993.Watkins, Craig. “Produce Ghetto Pictures.” Representing: Hip Hop Culture and the Production of Black Cinema. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1998. 169-195. Do the right thing, I say. Spike Lee, 1989.