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?