The language of the ethnic or "racial" "other" as depicted by the apes is an old and well adaptable tactic. Throughout the 1990's , and even to some extent today, racial profiling continues, many instances depict the perpetrator as a violent animal, even suggesting gorilla or ape- like. This was the case in a courtroom in New York as prosecutors described a 1992 white male accused in the shooting at Jefferson High School who had killed two African American students. It has been habit for some time to portray accused killers as non human animals in some fashion, in order to place emphasis on their violent nature. Rodney King was likened to a "monster" by Los Angeles police, as they attempted to justify how he was brutalized. The officer actually described the trip into an African American neighborhood on a domestic dispute call as being like a scene out of "Gorillas in the Midst". Also in 1992, a high ranking mental health official of the Bush administration linked inner city violence to the aggressive nature of male rhesus monkeys. There is a definite, historical pattern, one that solidifies Apes as a good reflection of human behavior towards one another as humans in contemporary society. Apes reflect the hatred humans have for one another , for those of other ethnic groups, and reflect that hatred between groups that exists even on subtle levels.
Just as Apes first appearance on the US cultural landscape was preceded by and coincided with the increased awareness of "racial" conflict and a need for cultural responses to make sense of it, public discussion of "race" and of current and historical racism in the US has substantially increased since the 1990's. This has been further heightened by such incidents as the Treyvon Martin shooting in 2012 and the racial unrest in Ferguson, Missouri during the summer/fall months of 2014. There is a continued need to review these strong messages in Apes, since "racial" violence remains a staple component of US culture with respect to both domestic and foreign affairs. The Rodney King trial also illuminates the great ongoing need for attention to the messages in Apes via the entire dehumanizing process King was subjected to during the trial of the officers who were accused of the beating, followed by their acquittal. This all speaks to the persistence of "racial" bigotry, oppression, and violence that still dehumanize and deform the culture overall.
The old standby of scapegoating continues to be reinvigorated as white fears of being overrun by foreigners and minorities continue to be fanned while the powerful and wealthy, still quite dominant white hands that manipulate the economy remain largely invisible, all this despite the election of an African American president in 2008, for he has also been victimized and demonized out of fear. Biased motivated crimes against cultural outsiders like African Americans, Hispanics, even homosexuals , continues to rise. It is no secret that "race" is still a deep cultural problem, a problem that has demanded increased public attention.
The stories the US has told throughout its history , the actions it has taken regarding "race" demonstrate how difficult it is for its people to believe , or even imagine otherwise. That there is reason to fear difference, that difference must be eliminated. The fictional stories written in books, movies, or for television, and the real life stories written on the streets, the courtrooms, and voting booths are all a part of the limiting mythology and a history that maintain that differences cannot be accepted and must lead to the end of that which is different.
Like all contemporary mythos though, Apes provides an opportunity to rethink human history, the culture of the US, and human experiences past and present, and encourages critical thinking about different possibilities, the reimagining of the culture, and to transform present realities. Such mythos aids in the development of what is possible. If humans can make the implicit meanings and values explicit, if they can recognize as choices that is taken for granted and identify the hidden political assumptions, then that which is disguised fiction can aid in the future rejection of assumptions and to the embracement of new ways of thinking and of doing. Apes as contemporary myth is a means to cultural change via its timeless messages regarding "racial" conflict. It is time to begin to rewrite the stories that depict the political realities of today and alter the future for the better.
Given that the language of the Apes saga has not been exhausted and given that there is both an increased recognition of "racial" problems and a need for cultural responses to them, then it should come as no surprise that the Apes sage continues, and continues to be remade in order to maintain the mythos and spread it throughout the culture as a whole. There is a great need to continue to illuminate the meaning and messages of Apes as it continues to act as a viable vehicle with which to explore the dangers of ongoing "racial" conflict.
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