2/27/09

Racial Stereotypes in the Media

02-26-09- CNN – 10:00 p.m.

Television

Black America 2

The panel discussed how there are not enough black finance bankers and how young black children believe they have to grow up to be a rapper, athlete, or entertainer to be successful. America needs to show the success of African Americans in a different light.

(1) Racial Stereotypes

02-26-09- VH1-10:45 p.m.

Television

Black to the Future 90’s Edition

Panel discussed successful black entertainers; contradicting with the CNN observation.

(2) Racial Stereotypes

02-24-09- ABC- 10:00 a.m.

Television

The View

The ladies of The View discussed President Obama and racial issues

(3) Racial Stereotypes

02-18-09- Human Sexuality- 3523 12:30 p.m.

Class Discussion with Professor Terry Dennison-Huston Huffman

Discussion of racial and cultural impacts on sexuality

(4) Racial Stereotypes

02-24-09- Lifetime- 11:30 p.m.

Television

Will & Grace

Racial stereotypes of Jewish people

(5) Racial Stereotypes

Gender Stereotypes in the Media

02-25-09- Comedy Central- 10:30 p.m.

Television

The Daily Show

Gender discrimination and stereotypes of Hillary Clinton

(1) Gender Stereotypes

02-25-09- Bravo- 12:00 a.m.

Television

Million Dollar Matchmaker

Gender stereotypes of females lusting after rich men

(2) Gender Stereotypes

02-20-09- Advertising Campaigns- 4343- 10:30

Television Advertisement/ Class Discussion

Class discussion on new ads/ discussed the Go Daddy.com Enhancement Ad

(3) Gender Stereotypes

02-23-09- Human Sexuality- 3523 12:30

Class Discussion

Class discussion on gender roles, gender norms, and gender stereotypes

(4) Gender Stereotypes

02-27-09- Glamour Magazine- February 2009

Magazine Article

The article was a self help to women on how to get men to notice you

(5) Gender Stereotypes

Reflections:

I was not surprised that stereotypes exist in the media. I knew stereotypes existed and I knew they were present in the media, but I definitely did not realize how prominent and blatant they appeared. At first, I thought this assignment would be hard. I thought I would have to look through several different mediums to find stereotypes, but it was exactly the opposite.

When my class discussed racial stereotypes I always understood how and why people used them, but I never felt offense to them because they never really effected me because of my white race, but when we turned the subject to gender stereotypes I took personal offense to the female discrimination in the media. It is easy for me to see the gender stereotypes present in advertising. Stereotypes are everywhere in advertising. Stereotypes are something everyone can identify with and when selling a product it is important to identify with the consumer.

I, without a doubt, now understand how continuous images can shape opinions and perspectives. Stereotypes that are continuously reinforced by the media shape the way children perceive races. When a white child is constantly exposed to stereotypes of African Americans their perspectives of that particular race will be skewed. The same thing goes for gender stereotypes. Boys and girls that are exposed repeatedly to the same types of stereotypes form unrealistic expectations for their lives. For example, a girl that is taught that finding a man is the primary goal and beauty the secondary goal becomes consumed with these two things. She will likely have body image issues. In my human sexuality class, my teacher lectured that a young child exposed to several hours of television tend to have more self image issues and low self-esteem than those who see little television.

Links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR5xbvSDLn4&feature=PlayList&p=D5F65736F51FA5C6&playnext=1&index=67

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/

2/13/09

Before watching the Tim Wise video in class I never really gave privilege much thought. I suppose this is due to my particular race and me being the one with the privilege. I now understand the idea of privilege and how it impacts my daily life. I agreed with a lot of what Tim Wise said. I agreed that people with the privilege do not want to give it up; even if it is hurting them too. I also agreed that people are in denial that they actually have privilege; I was one of those people. But, just to clarify, I have never been so torn when watching a video. I felt like I could not form any opinion because I actually saw both sides, and this rarely happens to me. Most of what I disagreed with was the Iraq War comments. Tim Wise is very effective at getting people to think with a narrowed scope. He actually makes you think about you and your responsibilities to society.

The media, without a doubt, portrays stereotypes while reinforcing and supporting privilege. The most popular shows on television take part in emphasizing these stereotypes. It is difficult to flip through the television stations and find a show that directly identifies with a particular race other than white. This in itself is white privilege. It is easy for a white person to find a television show that connects with them personally. Another example of white privilege in the media is in the use of news. Most stories featured in the local news cast or newspapers represent the white race and when people of a different race are interviewed they are viewed as representing their entire race.

I do think people still believe in the one-drop rule. But, without a doubt, I do not think they should. It is not right for us to make snap judgments the race of people. People should be able to identify with whatever race they want. Why would I care about the particular race in which a person identifies? In one of our readings the author talked about how he and his brother identified with different races. I’m not sure how common this is, but I don’t see anything wrong with it.

Reflection:
In regards to a new perspective and responsibility, the video definitely woke me up. I did not agree with everything, but it did make me aware that these things are happening and they are a problem, and we have to change to become a better society. I believe the number one thing people need to do, in order to fix the problem, is take on responsibility. No, I was not taking part in the slave trades nor did I ever own a slave, but it happened and that fact is never going to go away. Realizing it was wrong and seeing how white privilege still exists is the first step in taking responsibility. We have to quit denying white privilege exists and start dealing with the problem because it is impacting all of us.

Links:
This link is an article about the presidential election in regards to Sarah Palin and the white privilege she received. I was never a fan of Governor Palin, but I suppose as a woman I felt a connection with her and respect her to the highest degree. I read this article in astonishment. At this point, I can’t say I agreed or disagreed. I will need some more time to process all of these thoughts.

http://airamerica.com/blog/2008/oct/07/white-privilege-white-entitlement-and-2008-election

The other link I chose is a website contributing to media awareness and how white privilege and stereotypes shape the way we think. More people should be aware of this website, it warns you how dangerous the media can be.

http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/whiteness_and_privilege/index.cfm

Personal Reflection 2/9/09 (Miley Cyrus Racist Photo)

Everyday new celebrity gossip is published in tabloids and is available on the internet. My guilty pleasure is this celebrity gossip. I read all the trashy tabloids and view the online opinions about the latest scandals. But when reading this gossip I have to sort out the facts and find the truth in these stories. This week the talk is all about Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana, being racist against people with Asian ethnicity. Recently, a photo leaked onto the internet of Miley Cyrus and six of her friends posing with a slanted eye gesture.
The OCA (Organization of Chinese Americans) deemed the gesture as offensive and stereotypical. They are demanding a public apology from Cyrus. The OCA has also said the photo encourages and legitimizes the taunting and mocking of people of Asian descent. Cyrus has stated that she intended for no offense to be taken and has apologized if people took the photo out of context, but she has not apologized for actually taking part in the gesture.
I can see how this photo could be interpreted very differently. Some people may look at it and see a group of kids goofing off and making a funny face, and others could see an offensive gesture making fun of an Asian attribute. I believe your opinion on this issue is based upon whether you have ever been the target of a racist action or comment. I have mixed feelings abut the photo; I can see both sides. Maybe she really didn’t mean anything by the gesture, maybe she really was just goofing off, but she should have thought about how other people might perceive the photo. She is a role model for young girls and she has to think about everything she does before she actually does it. She is in the spotlight and should expect to have to live up to a higher standard.

Personal Reflection 2/3/09

Stereotypes are everywhere. Good or bad, it seems as though we as a society can not escape being categorized in some type of classification. The media reinforces these stereotypical images in every way possible. Whether it’s the news, sitcom, magazine, or the ads in which you’re exposed, stereotypes are there and they shaping the minds of our society. Stereotypes are teaching young children that generalizations are now absolute truth.

Being an advertising major I watched the superbowl commercials intently, actually that was the entire reason for me to watch. I thought the ads were pretty good this year; clever, funny and extremely expensive. But the ads, without a doubt, used stereotypical emphasis to get their message across to the audience. One particular ad emphasized the stereotypical personality of a woman and the relationship she has with her husband. The ad was for Bridgestone and featured Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. The ad was meant to show the high performance level of Bridgestone tires, but in reality they portray a common stereotype of men and women. Mrs. Potato Head is shown nagging her husband, talking erratically, and worrying about her appearance while her husband is driving. When Mr. Potato Head almost looses control of the vehicle Mrs. Potato Head’s mouth falls of the cliff, all the while she continues to nag as her mouth falls. Mr. Potato Head gets a chuckle out of the loss of his wife’s mouth; now she won’t be able to nag about his driving. This ad portrayed the stereotype that men overpower women.

I think most ads use some type of stereotype. Ads are trying to do one thing; sell a product. Why wouldn’t they focus on an image that most people believe even if it isn’t true?

This ad used a stereotype, it didn’t harm me and it didn’t even offend me, but when will we decide to look beyond a stereotype and start saying and selling the truth?