"if anyone around here should be scared, it's us"

In chapter 11, "Representations of Whiteness in the Black Imagination" of "Race and Representation," bell hooks explains that black people perceive white people in a particular way, sometimes based on stereotypes- pointing out that white people often don't understand that they aren't judged by black people. For hooks in particular, she associated white people with thoughts of terrorizing and threatening individuals. She described a reoccuring experience during her childhood of walking from her black neighborhood into a white neighborhood to reach her grandmother's black neighborhood. Walking through the white neighborhood was always a terrifying experience for hooks. She felt that every white person was looking at her with hate and she felt like she did not belong. bell hooks explained that even now, she experiences these same feelings towards whites in experiences such as when she is interrogated in an airport where her dark skin makes her appear "suspicious" to the white security guards. "I learned as a child that to be 'safe,' it was important to recognize the power of whiteness, even to fear it, and to avoid encounter," hooks said (175). hooks also explained that white guests and speakers at a conference where she spoke could not understand why a black woman would be intimidated by the white people in the room.
bell hooks' accounts showed me a perspective that I have rarely seen. It reminded me of the part at the beginning of the movie "Crash" when two black men notice a white couple walking down the sidewalk. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MprFd8p9X94 Starting at 7:35 of the video clip, Sanda Bullock's character nervously holds tighter to her husband's arm as they pass the two men. One of the black men points out that, in fact, they should be the one's who feel threatened, because they are two black men surrounded by all white people. "If anyone around here should be scared, it's us," he says. Now that I have had a chance to think about it and to see some different perspectives, it must be more common than I realized for whites to find blacks threatening, and for blacks to find whites threatening. It's difficult for either to understand the other's perspective. In hooks' story of the conference she attended, she met a couple including a black woman and a white man. This man gained a new perspective from living with this woman, and hooks said that he could understand "how racism works."

the standards for blacks and whites in commercials

In an article titled "Advertising Whiteness" which explained a study conducted on the representation of whites and blacks in television commercials, Entman and Rojecki found a great disparity in the portrayals of whites and blacks in prime-time t.v. commercials. For example, white characters are more likely to be in commercials for expensive or luxury items, while black characters may not be included at all in this genre. Black characters are more likely to be found in commercials for necessities and less expensive items. Additionally, the study showed that: "White characters in commercials were about three times more likely to appear in contact with each other or with viewers than Blacks" (168).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gUlCXxyVj0# This commercial, for example, shows a white couple who are affectionate. The couple kisses after she receives gold jewelry- hence the tagline: "every kiss begins with Kay." I was unable to find a Kay commercial with a black couple-- it may exist, but the difficulty that I had finding one shows that it is not as common as the commercials with white couples. This may be due to a few things that this article pointed out: White characters are more likely to be shown in close contact with each other, such as kissing, and the study "suggests advertisers' belief that many in the White audience remain troubled by images of contact with Blacks" (172). Also, the company may have chosen not to include black characters in its commercials because they are not typically used in promotions for expensive items like diamonds or gold jewelry and it might seem out of place, like the study stated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C7lyLaGvqE&feature=related This compilation of several commercials for Zales jewelry includes one clip of a black couple- the woman reaching over and hugging the man. These two were the only black characters included in the rest of commercial, or any of the other variations of the commercial. This suggests that black characters are an exception to the typical image of couples in the jewelry commercials.

news clips of civil rights movement: did they influence viewers?

In "Media and Minorities," Larson describes two ways that the media coverage of the civil rights movement was interpreted. In general, media coverage of protests is typically brief. It focuses on either the violence or energy of the crowd but does little to explain what they hope to accomplish. Coverage of the civil rights movement focused on images of conflict during protests, in some ways encouraging stereotypes of blacks as aggressive, but they did not interview black protestors for their opinions or motives. In news coverage, the reporters often interviewed white people for their perspectives on the movement. One interpretation of the news coverage was that the images that were captured of white policemen violently abusing black protestors directly influenced individuals and important politicians to end segregation. However, Larson pointed out that if one looks at events and results of media coverage more realistically, there was not necessarily a strong connection between media coverage and the changes in opinions. For example, Larson says, "It was in the South, where the newspaper and local television coverage was least supportive of the movement, that attitudes changed the most during the late 1950's and early 1960's" (159). Changes in oppinions of the politicians and others did not tend to correspond to the timing of news coverage or to where news coverage was more supportive of the movement; Changes appeared to be independent of the influence of media news coverage.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYqsJizN4gI
This series of clips from television covering the civil rights movement are interesting as the coverage deals with segregation. In the beginning of this video, you see white women protesting what I assume was the integration of black children into this white school. As the chapter mentioned, the news featured the opinions of the white individuals, holding the microphone to their mouths and listening to their perspectives of what was happening. One of the women claimed that this wasn't a matter of segregation, yet she carried a sign and did not allow her children to attend school that day. The news lacked objectivity in this type of coverage, because if they had asked the mothers of black children for their opinions about what was happening we would have heard something different. It appears that this white woman's perspective may have been in the best interest of the television station- the view being that segregation wasn't the issue but it is just inconvenient to expect black children to integrate into different schools. This keeps things "simple" and avoids controversy- they don't have to face the real problem facing America by not allowing it to become personal and this may have been the method that some news stations chose to use.

minorities are illegal immigrants...

Larson’s “Media and Minorities” describes the limited representation of Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans in the news media. Hispanics, in particular, are only covered in one-percent of the news, according to studies of the 1990’s. Often, Hispanics are only covered in the news if there is a story depicting them as criminals or illegal immigrants. Perhaps because of a limited understanding of minority groups, there is also a problem of violent representation of Native Americans. Early media coverage of Native Americans depicted violence and aggression towards whites, representing them as savage warriors. These stereotypes still hang on in some ways, but it is now common for them to be portrayed as general problems or nuisances to American society.
There is rarely a distinction made between the various groups of Hispanics, who could be from a number of countries. Hispanic individuals are often immediately associated with immigrant stereotypes. This immigrant-stereotype is also common for Asian Americans in news media. The reason that Vietnamese-American received the majority of Asian-American coverage in New York Times over the course of 60 years was because of stories about Vietnamese immigrants.
This news story, for example, made it to the Oklahoma City news – it involved the question of policemen stereotyping Mexican’s as illegal immigrants and a Mexican man who is not a U.S. citizen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbgZKwytWL0
It is interesting because they do interview the Mexican man, Rivas, who was arrested, as well as his attorney, but does the white policeman’s statement outweigh theirs? The story does not come to a definite solution because the journalists cannot find proof that this man is or is not employed in the U.S. In the case of this news story, I am wary of both sides: the policeman says they won’t target Mexican license plates because “that would be profiling,” but I have trouble believing that. I agree with the attorney that police probably keep a close eye on cars driven by Mexicans, assuming that they would be illegal immigrants. Then again, it also sounds pretty suspicious when the man says “his brother” has a job at ‘Johnny Carinos’, not him. The news coverage leaves a feeling of mistrust for this man because the viewers are left unsure of his honesty or his status in our country. With limited coverage of Mexicans, news like this may leave viewers with a single impression of them.

the news coverage of the O.J. Simpson trial and other black crime

According to chapter 7 of Larson’s “Media and Minorities,” journalists have control over what is included in or excluded from the news and the angle that stories take. Minorities are often represented as violent or the cause of problems, or their difference compared to whites may be emphasized. While stereotypes are not as obvious as they once were, they can be found in the headlines and tone of news stories. Issues are often defined as having two distinct sides, dismissing the complexities of reality. In this way, minorities are typically represented as “good” or “bad” characters to the news stories rather than complex individuals. Because few minorities are represented in media, a minority may be expected to bear the responsibility of representing his entire race.
African Americans in particular are typically represented in media as criminals or athletes, according to chapter 8 of Larson. When blacks are involved in crime or violence, the news media treats this as a typical occurrence, while a white criminal’s behavior is described as out of the ordinary or unexpected.
Chapter 8 emphasized that the media often represents blacks as victims of poverty or difficult pasts. If a black individual is portrayed in a positive light, he is a success story for having overcome the difficulties of his life. This tactic was used by media during O.J. Simpson’s famous murder trial. Simpson was described as rising above the poverty of his childhood to become rich and successful then returning to the violence that influenced the beginning of his life.
According to Lipsitz’s “The Greatest Story Ever Sold: Marketing and the O.J. Simpson Trial,” media also took advantage of the entertainment qualities of the O.J. Simpson trial. The trial had all of the qualities of a popular television drama, including an athlete, actor, and celebrity being charged with murder, court room scenes, and various tangible pieces of evidence.
I think it’s incredible how much money all of the t.v. networks, magazines, etc, (and even Simpson himself) made off of this murder trial. The scene of Simpson trying on the gloves, which were some major pieces of evidence in the trial, emphasizes how similar this trial was to a fictional trial in a movie or novel. The trial had the attention of viewers throughout the country who may not have normally been so interested in a trial. It’s likely that the media was so quick to become involved in this trial because it was another instance of “a violent black man,” an image that was already common in the media. I wonder if the trial would have been the biggest news story if Simpson was a white rich man instead of a black celebrity. Another added factor may be that Simpson’s wife was white, so it was an interracial marriage. The factors of race in the case may have added to the fame that this trial received.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VssuCNMjgBg&feature=related

the representation of black politicians in media

Chapter 16 of Stephanie Greco Larson’s “Media and Minorities” is called ‘News Coverage of Black Candidates and Politicians’ discussing the amount of coverage black politicians receive compared to white politicians and the type of coverage they are given. There have been a number of studies conducted in an attempt to find meaning in comparing the coverage of black politicians to white politicians. In the 1970’s, one study found that in newspapers, “black candidates received significantly more coverage in longer articles than whites; however, white candidates’ coverage was more likely than blacks’ to be prominent” (203). Between the years of 1967 and 1990, black politicians in campaigns for mayor got more coverage, especially prominent coverage, compared to white politicians. In the late 90’s, no difference could be found between the coverage of white and black politicians in newspapers. Looking at newspapers in the 1970’s again, the tone of the stories about black candidates were taken into account and found that, “18 percent was coded as ‘negative’ or ‘unqualified negative,’ compared to 15 percent of the whites’” (206). Black representatives in the U.S. House believe that they are not taken as seriously by the press as white representatives are. Also, a survey revealed that two-thirds of black politicians believe that they are treated differently by the press than white politicians. Then again, white candidates claim that black candidates are favored by the press because they are black and the press doesn’t want to come across as racist.

From Dec. 10, 2007 to Nov. 10, 2008, Obama’s picture has been on eleven TIME magazine covers while his opponent McCain’s picture has been on five TIME magazine covers. It’s interesting, but along with the rest of the press given to the election it is difficult to say that any amount of coverage or type of coverage leading up to the election can be attributed to Obama’s race or McCain’s race. I wonder with any of the other studies whether they tell us anything significant, because, for example, the difference between 18 and 15 percent in the study of newspaper coverage is a close percentage and the difference could be due to a number of factors that were not taken into account when the study was searching for discrimination against race. On page 210 of Larson’s book, it said, “Blacks are also stereotyped as ‘novelties’ because whiteness is assumed to be the ‘norm,’ which makes racial minorities the exception,” so the amount of coverage that the black presidential candidate received could be the press’ interest in such a ‘novelty,’ or it could be a double standard, such as claimed by white candidates in Larson’s chapter. The coverage of black politicians is hard to keep track of, because you can’t prove that any coverage is the result of a politician’s race and there are various other factors that influence media coverage.

the portrayal of Native Americans in television

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP7JHo-pX28&feature=related

In this series of Mad TV skits, a black actor portrays a Native American character named Eddie Thundercloud. The skits depict Native Americans through countless racist stereotypes including the use of a bad accent, generic “Indian” clothing, and a teepee. The skits make reference to alcoholism and drug addictions among Native Americans, and to low-paying Casino jobs that many Native Americans have resorted to. In one particular instance, he mocks Native American languages, and the dialogue of the main character and his “supporters” implies that Native Americans are violent. The scenes where Thundercloud is naked reinforce the stereotype of Native Americans as savage. While these skits were presented as part of a comedy show, it is an example of stereotypical treatment of Native Americans which was described in Chapter 4 of Larson’s “Media and Minorities” as a technique that “…haphazardly combines different tribes’ dress, religious rituals, speech, and physical stature to create a hybrid Hollywood Indian” (46). Being specific to no tribe of Native Americans, it creates a single outsider’s perspective of the entire ethnicity of people disregarding the distinct cultural differences that exist between them. One of the main issues that Larson points out about the portrayal of Native Americans in film is that they typically use a white main character’s point of view to tell the story. In the case of these skits, the Native Americans are imitated based on the views that African Americans and whites have of them.

fresh prince and black complexity

A Fresh Prince episode that I remember being particularly dramatic included Uncle Phil, Will, and Carlton being pulled over by a white cop. I wasn’t able to find this episode on youtube, but they were given a ticket even though they weren’t driving over the speed limit. Will believed they were pulled over because they were three black men driving slowly in a car, looking suspicious to the apparently racist white cop (they were actually going slow looking for their exit). Carlton didn’t recognize any racism in the situation, convinced that the cop was just being precautious and doing his job. While some comedic relief was included in the episode, it mainly addressed the issue of racism. According to Will, if they were three white men in the slow-moving car, the cop would not have pulled them over- or would have kindly asked them if they needed directions. Instead of creating a feel-good conclusion, the episode remained open-ended.
One of the black shows that arrived on television in the 80’s, Fresh Prince of Bel Air is a perfect example of a “dramedy,” which Zook described in “The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television.” It is a sitcom that is known for being humorous, but also includes developed characters and deep story-lines. Zook called this black complexity, and described it as the reason that Fox cancelled many of its black television shows in the 90’s. Fox cancelled these shows in 1994, tried targeting white male audiences and failed, and then other t.v. networks began picking up the black television shows and black producers/writers that Fox originally had. When new black t.v. series were developed, however, they included less complexity by avoiding touchy issues.
I appreciate that shows like Fresh Prince did include relevant issues. Even though I am not part of the African American community, I can appreciate that these topics are important and I also enjoy the episodes- they make me look critically at things that people are still dealing with. It is also realistic that the characters should be so developed (making them especially likeable)- they are funny much of the time, but they can also be angry and serious.

racism can seem natural in media

Inferential racism, according to "The Whites of their Eyes" by Stuart Hall, is when we say, "that's just the way these people are" and make a judgement without taking into consideration that that these may be racial assumptions and are often untrue. From this perspective, if a few people of a certain race behave or speak in a certain way, they draw an immediate conclusion that everyone of their race fits this category- lumping them all together according to assumptions about their race. Often, especially in media, whites are the dominant group from which others are judged. In this way, there are three main racist images that characters assume in movies or television. The "slave-figure," the "savage" or "native," and "the clown." Fez from that 70's show is an example of a "native" image- he is a Mexican immigrant while the other characters are all "average" white Americans. Although his character is satirical, we tend to agree with his behaviors and say "yeah that's the way they are!" while we laugh as his antics. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnFT5n6hDvA This scene is Red teaching Fez how to pronounce the word "America" and how to generally be an American. It's a form of inferential racism because we watch this and may assume that this is a valid representation of an immigrant- someone who lives in America but cannot say the word and comes across as less intelligent than other white Americans.

constructing identity through role models and media messages

In Chapter 10 of Media, Gender and Identity, Gauntlett describes how role models and self-help books influence individuals' identities. He describes six types of role models, including individuals in the public-eye who are successful, have triumphed over difficulties, have challenged stereotypes, are wholesome, are an outsider, or are a family role model. One of Gauntlett's examples is the Spice Girls who were hugely popular during the 90's. Role models mainly for girls or female teens, the music group emphasized feminist ideas of freedom and self-confidence, emphacizing the term "girl power." He mentioned that their outspoken positions of empowering girls and women were more visible in their interviews than in their actual song lyrics, but they still made an impact on many fans. one particular example of a role model for male teenagers was David Bowie (and other musicians and musical groups this particular teen listened to) who made a positive difference in the life of a young teen who struggled with his realization of being gay and different from the guys he went to school with. Some "role models" are considered positive, while others are criticized by audiences, but nevertheless they can have an impact on the identities of their listeners, viewers, or fans. Gauntlett also discusses self-help books, pointing out that even though a majority of people do not necessarily read self-help books, "the ideas in self-help books 'trickle down' into popular culture" (237). A well-known example is the book 'Men are from Mars and women are from Venus,' which actually reinforced old gender stereotypes by insisting that the genders are not similar and are not equal. Gauntlett argues that self-help books are evidence of what a society believes the identities of individuals should be.

In chaper 11, Gauntlett summerizes the entire book, making the point that "mass media is a force for change" (248). In general, mass media has changed female identies by empowering them and has changed male identities by questioning traditional masculinity and encouraging emotions (for example). There are lots of contradictions throughout mass media and culture so that it is difficult to make sense of all the messages, but it also offers a wide range of options.

I agreed with Gauntlett's aside that the Spice Girls were outspoken in their effort to promote "girl power" but their message was less evident in their lyrics. I remember when they were popular with me and all of my girl friends, but I couldn't think of lyrics that were particularly feminist or empowering. For many of the songs, I didn't understand at the time what the lyrics meant but I just knew they were fun to listen and dance to (I was also about 9 or 10 when their CD's were coming out). This didn't stop me from looking up to them, in a sense, because they could wear funky clothes and crazy hair styles but be confident and talented (by my standards). In a way, their message was conveyed in how they carried themselves and expressed individuality. Before reading some quotes from the Spice Girls members, I had never heard one of their interviews, but I could have guessed the kinds of things they would say- like "be yourself," "you can do it," etc.

"you the man! well, sort of."

Katherine Bartnett criticizes the characterization of Disney's female heroine Mulan in her essay, "Destructive and Constructive Characterizations of Women in Disney's Mulan." One of Bartnett's main arguments is that Mulan depends on the dragon Mushu's assistance in everything that she accomplishes. She argues that Mushu's actions enable Mulan to enter the army, choose her "male" name, give their group the chance to fight a battle, light the canon that deterred the Huns, and destroy the enemy in one of the final scenes. Bartnett says, "When Mulan thinks independently and acts upon her ideas, that action is followed by or paired with some intervention by Mushu, thus making Mushu a necessary element for Mulan's success" (188). She questions Disney for not allowing Mulan to accomplish any of these tasks without the help of a male character. She does, however, praise Mulan for her creativity and ability to develop solutions to immediate situations. Mulan takes on the role of a leader in scenes such as where she and the men sneak into the palace. Bartnett emphacizes that the plotline of the movie begins because of Mulan's love and concern for her father and her decisions are based around this man. Bartnett would have liked to see Mulan's actions and abilities more set apart from a dependence on and a need to please men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puMcKsXoWjc&feature=related

During this scene from the movie Mulan, Mulan starts an avalanche to over-take the Hun army. Bartnett critiqued this scene for allowing Mushu to light the canon with his breath instead of Mulan being able to light it with her own effort. However, I interpretated this scene as an example of Mulan's quick thinking- Not Mushu or any of the men in the army thought of a solution bigger than fighting the Huns with swords. Mulan saved their small army from the attack, and then (in this part of the scene in the YouTube clip) Mulan saved their Captain from the avalanche of snow. Although it's pretty unrealistic- her horse is running on top of the rushing snow and she lifts this man with one arm- the Captain would have died without her help. Mushu was a part of this scene as well, but he couldn't save anyone from the avalanche (except the cricket). Mushu is just a side-kick to the main character, he is always present in the scenes to move along the plot and to add comedic relief. I don't think Mulan is dependent on the men any more than the men are dependent on her!

How media makes girls hate themselves

Despite what they may be taught at home, adolescent girls soak up what the mass media reinforces as ideals for young women. According to Kilbourne in “The More You Subtract, the More You Add,” advertisements, especially in magazines targeting teenage girls, emphasize physical beauty and thin bodies and suggest that maintaining physical attractiveness will bring girls control and success in their lives. In “Who(se) am I?,” Perry explains that the physical standards for African-American women are different from the thin, pale models idealized by white Americans. African-American women are often compared to singers and celebrities with curvy hips and a round butt, big breasts, but thin arms and legs; It is a different body-type, but much of the same struggles exist for young women trying to emulate these models. Self-hatred is common among adolescent girls, and according to Kilbourne, some ads are “intended to arouse anxiety and affect women’s self-esteem” (262). On one hand, media is encouraging women to be independent, but at the same time they are restricted by their diets, exercise routines, and other efforts necessary to maintain their “ideal” appearances. Kilbourne described the effect of many ads that encourage women to stay quiet and let their appearances speak for them and have an impact on others. This idea is common in makeup ads, perfume ads, and clothing ads and it teaches young women that their thoughts and intelligence are insignificant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc-9fbrrHJ0&feature=related
I wouldn’t consider this Old Navy commercial a negative influence on adolescent girls, but it does reinforce certain ideals for young women. Each of the models in the commercial is slender and flawless, and they portray young women as delicate and innocent or playful. The models appear almost childlike as they hide in the curtains, skip up the stairs, and dance around the room. The commercial may encourage young women that to be feminine by being silly and flirty to attract attention, as well as to strive for the thin figures of the models.

women zero-in on the models- not the fashion

In Diana Crane's "Gender and Hegemony in Fashion Magazines: Women's Interpretations of Fashion Photographs," a study was conducted in which women responded to photos from fashion magazines. Interestingly, the women spent more time discussing the appearances of the models or their facial expressions and hardly took the actual fashion they were modeling into consideration. For the most part, the women were concerned with whether or not they could relate to the woman portrayed in the photo. If she was very tall, extremely skinny, and unhappy looking (for example) the women said they disliked the photo and could not relate to someone like that. The African Amercan women participating in the study were particularly turned off by certain models and fashions, saying that the fashion industry was targeting white women, and the styles and the models were not representative of the body-types of African American women. Based on comments made by the women, they did not take fashion magazines seriously- they did not base their own sense of fashion off of them, they found the images unrealistic, and as one woman said: "...It's not really a woman's point of view. It's what a woman thinks a man wants to see or something like that." Facial expressions and personalities of the models were important to the women; they admired photos that looked "like me", or if the model looked happy or confident. All the women came to the same conclusion when they saw photos of ambiguous-looking women (model with a manly-body type in a dress; model wearing a sloppy combination of men's clothing; etc)-- they hated it.

This is a photo from vogue that I found on google images- so I'm not sure what issue this would have been in- but the model's position, face, and porcelin skin really caught my attention. Her position lying on the bed is very submissive and suggestive- her eyes are barely open but looking at the camera and her lips are parted. Between her skin and her makeup, the model resembles a doll, suggesting a child-like image. I think the women in the study would see this photo and say that the model looks helpless and sexualized- even though the dress she is wearing is not revealing! Her body is mostly covered, but her attitude and body language are all it take to portray her as a sexual object.

cosmo girl

Helen Gurley Brown is the woman who was behind the image of the Cosmo Girl, an image she invented when she became Cosmopolitan’s editor-in-chief in the 70’s. According to Ouellette in “Inventing the Cosmo Girl,” Cosmo, which targeted white heterosexual women, mainly portrayed females as sexy, pink-collar workers. Generally a part of the working class, the female readers were encouraged to act the part of being in the upper class so they can become the kind of women that rich men are attracted to. If a woman wasn’t particularly attractive or socially savvy, Cosmo encouraged her to change her style and her image so she could impress people (namely these wealthy men). If the readers acted and looked a certain way, the idea was that no one would suspect they were from a lower, working class.


I looked through this month’s Cosmo magazine, and I didn’t easily find what was described by Helen Gurley Brown. There wasn’t so much content on the social status or jobs of the women, but it is mostly sex, relationship, and makeup advice. I could hardly get away from all of the ads in Cosmo- probably half of the pages are ads- and this is opposite of Ms. magazine which is the only women’s magazine that I know of that is ad-free and supported by readers, because it was so challenging to find ads that did not demean women or companies who wanted their ad to target a female audience.
Cosmo didn’t necessarily address the topic of striving toward success or wealth, until one article that stood out to me titled, “Be the Smartest, Sexiest Girl in Town.” Based on an interview of the author of Sex and the City, it gives advice on how to look stylish and appropriate to impress people at work, how to move up in your job, and what to expect from romantic relationships. Hitting a few different topics, overall the three pages targeted an audience of working women who depend on their own confidence and ability to be successful, but who also need relationships in their lives. So, based on this article, the Cosmo girl is still a symbol for a sexy, working woman, but now she isn’t looking for a man to pull her out of the lower class but she can use her own style and attitude to impress her superiors in the workplace and be promoted.

male aggression and homosexual overtones

British football hooliganism became a trend in the 80’s and it involved the extreme violent behavior of groups of men who initiated riots at sporting events. This is one example of a category of men that supports hypermasculinity, according to “ ‘Hooligans, Studs, and Queers’: Three Studies in the Reproduction of Hypermasculinity.” Hooligans were white men, mostly targeting individuals of other ethnicities, and their dangerous behavior was knowingly the object of much media attention. Katz mentioned in section 24 of “Gender, Race, and Class in Media,” that having muscular strength and domination and exerting violence gives men a sense of confidence. Bill Buford in “Hooligans, Studs and Queers”, who studied this group of men, noted that their pre-riot excitement and energy during riots was comparable to sexual thrill. The men got satisfaction from the violence as well as the closeness with the other men in their group.
In sports, the black male athlete became an image of being “physically tough, socially stoic, and personally cool and detached” (203). Sexy, violent depictions of black athletes that became common were not supporting the black community who could have used encouragement of positive role models and help in moving away from racist stereotypes.
Coaches and athletes never expect anyone on their team to be gay, otherwise behavior like showering together, or touching each other wouldn’t be acceptable in the locker room or on the field. There are suggestions of homosexuality all throughout a sport like football, however. The players and coach use sexual metaphors and language in discussion of playing against the other team. They wear tight pants but aren’t afraid to touch each other’s butt. Men use violence, such as the violence against the other team during a football game, to “prove” that they are not homosexual or have any thoughts of it towards another guy. Even men who are homosexual began embracing the ideal of hypermasculinity by striving for muscular, athletic, and ultimately perfect bodies.

“Homoerotic” behaviors and attitudes become clear even in this short commercial for Iowa State football. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDK5PlXWpys It depicts common behaviors including getting dressed and undressed right next to each other and pulling each other’s face close to their own and patting each other. It also gives a glimpse of male narcissism by having a shirtless, muscular man standing and looking into the camera. None of these things seem out of place in a promo for football, and this emphasizes that these behaviors are accepted in this particular environment.

what men identitify with

Men’s magazines vary between Loaded or For Him Magazine which include seductive photos of women and topics like drinking and football, and Men’s Health magazine which writes about physical health, psychology, and relationship advice making it comparable to women’s lifestyle magazines. The different magazines are similar in the sense that a number of men’s magazines use irony and humor in their articles, so that it doesn’t scare readers off by taking itself too seriously. Irony can draw in readers who may have some insecurities and real questions about the topics without making them uncomfortable. A general problem with men’s magazines can be when they make a complete distinction between men and women, as if no similarities exist, and create broad generalizations. In some cases, these magazines are criticized for promoting the independence of men (like, we don’t need women-type attitudes), or for portraying semi-naked women on the pages. The funny thing, Guantlett points out in this chapter, is that women’s magazines can include all of these things without being criticized. Women’s magazines encourage readers to be independent and not depend on relationships with men, and the readers shamelessly admire photos of attractive, shirtless men.

http://www.menshealth.com/mhguys/matthew_mcconaughey.html

Men’s Health features the advice from its cover guys. Matthew McConaughey was featured on the cover of the March ’08 issue of Men’s Health, and he shares his perspective of what it means to be a man. He is 6 foot, in his late thirties, and unmarried. He talks about working out and hanging out with his guy friends. According to Men’s Health, he has the authority to tell other men what a man should be like: “McConaughey admires men who don’t fear scrutiny over the things that ought to come naturally: wooing beautiful women, partying, surfing, even kicking around with your friends.” This promotes an ideal man as heterosexual, athletic, fun and sociable. McConaughey also suggests that the ideal is to be both physically in-shape and mentally confident and down to earth.

male shoppers

Breazeale describes Equire Magazine’s efforts to create an identity for men as consumers, in the article “In Spite of Women.” When women began taking on jobs and earning a living for their family, male identities were changed. Esquire attempted to create a place for men in the markets of food, home décor, and liquor. Criticizing female approaches to these things gave men an incentive to do it their way, to buy the food for a satisfying meal, add comfortable furniture to their living room, or buy drinks for parties that will be enjoyed by their friends. Esquire included seductive pictures and drawings of women to their pages to maintain a heterosexual image of their male readers- they were wary of the shopping and decorating implying that the readers were gay.
I saw a commercial on t.v. this week of a man eating soup in the kitchen when his wife walks in (but the clip is not on youtube yet…). It came to mind while I was reading about consumerism and targeting male shoppers. In this case, the man in the commercial is eating Progresso soup and saying that it is so chunky and meaty – it’s manly! And his wife, the knowledgeable shopper, points out that it is actually only 1 point on Weight Watchers. He’s a little thrown off by this, but he insists again that it is a manly soup to be eating. The hope is, I suppose, that a man who sees this commercial will think about Progresso if he’s doing a little shopping in the grocery store, and he’ll think, “This is something I can buy, and it has meat and it’s not wimpy like Italian Wedding soup (for example)”. I think this was an attempt by the advertisers to reach out to men and encourage them to shop, instead of leaving that to their wives.

the new man

The 80’s were the true beginning of media affecting men through representations and commercialism, according to John Beynon in “The Commercialization of Masculinities.” Beynon goes on to describe how the “man” changed through the decades, from around the 50’s until the 90’s (as current as this article goes). Before the 80’s, men were typically understood to be hard-working men supporting their family, with whatever appearances and clothing choices went along with that. The 80’s, however, introduced the yuppie when men were portrayed fashionably and attractively through media. An “ideal man” image emerged, but by the 90’s “Loaded” magazine came out and men were depicted as just looking to have a good time. It was a casual, we’ll do whatever we want, kind of emphasis and many young men could relate to the magazine. Beynon emphasized points made by writers such as Mort, Nixon, Edwards and Christian, but overall a single description of what media’s “new man” has become over the years cannot be pinned down.



I might as well stick with the “King of Queens” theme and describe how Doug is an example of ‘the new man.’ Beynon points out that there is no real agreement on what the new man is, but I’ll go ahead and say that there are a bunch of different “new men” portrayed in media. Doug is an example of a 90’s type of man who doesn’t necessarily care about how he looks, he has a sense of humor and likes to joke around, he likes hanging out with his guy friends and playing sports, and some of his hobbies include watching t.v. and snacking. He has an attractive wife, a job, and a house. It pretty much seems like he has everything a “new man” could want- which, in his case, definitely does not include fancy clothes or other things suggested by the media of earlier years. Doug is also similar to the men that Christian studied who live non-sexist lifestyles. He is pretty contemporary in his view of women and in the way he treats his wife Carrie. This new man seems like someone who a number of men in his generation could relate to.

exercising power and resistance

Foucault’s theories of power and ethics were described in chapter 6 of Gauntlett. Foucault describes power as something that is exercised, rather than as something that is held by an individual. It is found in relationships and nearly everywhere, and it is more complex than just labeling an individual or a group as powerful. Power causes things, or brings about something new, because when power is exercised, resistance is also exercised in some form or another. Foucault’s perspective on ethics is that they exist on an individual level; They are an individual’s standards for himself. ‘Technologies of the self’ is what an individual does about his own ethics.
Chapter 7 deals with the “queer theory,” which is an approach to sexuality and identity. One of the main points was that identity changes because it is developed through social and cultural things that you express. Judith Butler argues against feminism, which, she points out, creates a definite distinction between men and women. Butler says instead that an individual has a body, an identity, and desires and these aspects may or may not connect in a particular way that our culture would expect. Gender is not something we have, but it is how we behave and express ourselves.
The beginning of this episode of King of Queens shows an ordinary interaction between a husband and wife having a conversation over dinner. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Srh0Nl4Stm4
Even in a typical conversation, there is power being exercised and resistance to the power being exercised. In this case, Carrie asks Doug to walk over to the other table to confront a man who is staring at her (and making her uncomfortable). She is exercising power at this moment, and Doug resists by saying “Yeah, I never agreed to that.” Power is exercised again when Carrie insists that Doug stand up for her. Doug’s reluctency as he stands up and goes across the room is an additional exercise of resistance. The exercise of power brought about Doug’s conversation with the wig man, which could be considered positive that they found out why he was staring at Carrie, and maybe negative because Carrie later got a really bad haircut to sell her hair to this person’s company.

That's just wrong.

Chapter 5 of Gauntlett explains the position of Anthony Giddens on society and self. Gidden’s theory of structuration is that social life should be studied at both the micro and macro levels because both influence the overall structure of society. The structure is created by the repetition of actions, and it is possible to be changed. Social structure is maintained, for the most part, by the expectations of “other people” in society. According to Giddens, self-identity is established by keeping a consistent “story” about oneself and is defined by things that we own. Giddens believes that choices we make determine our society, our lifestyle and our identity.
This episode of Two and a Half Men is a great example of how we are easily disturbed when someone goes against social codes. There are some things we don’t even question, such as: a woman should not date her son’s ex-girlfriend who has become a man. Or anyone her son has previously dated. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QmM7DA_Bk
Anyone in our culture would agree that this is inappropriate simply because it is not normal to our society. Maybe there is a culture somewhere that considers it okay for parents and sons or daughters to have relations with the same people…but I can’t think of any. The point is that it is unexpected behavior and people are surprised by it and don’t know how to react. In the case of this sitcom episode, it is intended to be funny just for the sake of how ironic and strange the situation is. Initially, it is odd that their mother would date someone half her age, and then it is disturbing that she is dating the same person who Charlie dated. A social structure can be changed by individual acts, but it would be a long time before certain things would be considered an acceptable part of society.

the front cover of newsweek

According to Gauntlett in Chapter 4, from 1990 on we saw changes, some improvements, in gender portrayal in media texts. A main example he gave was the sitcom Friends, which centered around a group of friends consisting of three men and three women. The depictions of the characters were pretty widely accepted as fair representations. Gauntlett pointed out that a recent method of avoiding gender stereotypes is to develop characters more deeply through the plot over the course of a series. Issues still exist, such as some programs that exclude females or have one “token” female character, while other programs may take the other extreme by favoring the women and belittling male characters. When it comes to recent shows and films including gay or lesbian characters, it has occurred very gradually. To avoid controversy, advertisers pulled out from t.v. shows that first included homosexual content. Even becoming more acceptable, there are few gay characters included while the majority of the characters remain the same as before.

The Newsweek issue that is available in the library right now has the words “What Women Want” written in red lipstick. The cover story is about Palin and generally about women in politics. It was a long article, so I just glanced at it- but the cover struck me after reading this chapter. For one thing, “What Women Want” is the title of the Mel Gibson film discussed in this chapter for its broad generalizations made about women. The cover also makes an immediate connection between women and cosmetics, indicating a basic perception of women. I thought about the cover, and I decided that the design might be ironic. It could be intentionally stereotypical; mimicking some of the attitudes expressed when women first entered politics years ago, and pointing out that red lipstick and chick-flicks is what some people still see when they look at a female politicians.

keeping feminists happy

“Difference of opinion and interests appear to exist among women also, and are not a male preserve,” Zoonen explains in “Feminist Perspectives on the Media.” There are three different divisions of feminism, and their ideas often conflict. Feminists agree that women are not treated or portrayed equally, but liberal feminists believe women and men could be equal, while radical feminists believe women are different and should be set apart from men. Socialist feminism encourages women to be employed and also encourages both men and women to have household responsibilities. They all seem to agree that the portrayal of women in media should be improved, but also that separate feminist media texts should be produced. Zoonen makes the critique that the empowerment-of-women ideal that feminists encourage actually suggests that women need to strive to reach the level of men. Zoonen also criticizes radical feminists for creating a separate society of women that thinks it is elite, while they disapprove of the patriarchal society which does the same thing with men. Feminists often blame media for stereotypes, but there are disparities between reality and what is seen in the media.


Is Sex and the City socialist feminism media? Although each of the four women has her downfall, they are overall represented as intelligent, beautiful, and reasonably successful. They have the freedom to enjoy the nightlife of the city, to hang out with their girl friends, and to date whoever they would like. Despite the fact that their relationships with men are often the center of discussion when they are together, they are not tied down to a husband or a household of children. Radical feminists might object that the characters do not “cut off all ties with men and male society.” Over the course of the series, a radical feminist critique of the show might be disappointed that marriage becomes the goal of the ladies’. In the case of this series, I would say that the women are not striving to “live up to the standard of men,” but that they are proud of their femininity. I think the show represents these women without comparison to men. Then, this brings up the argument of why the roles of men in these shows aren’t studied or critiqued, or why no one objects if a man is portrayed in a particular way.

mommy magazine

Guantlett describes the representation of women in media, especially in movies, as progressing very gradually from the 50’s to the 80’s and 90’s. By the 80’s, Gauntlett describes in “Media, Gender and Identity,” some movies had strong female characters and some more contemporary portrayals of men. But for the number of years that went by, there remained a number of classic stereotypes of women.
By the 60’s and 70’s some women’s magazines were going beyond the original magazines that were designed for housewives. Ms. and Cosmopolitan were including articles on politics and various issues, and were encouraging women to be sexy and confident.
Good progress, but the same stereotypes from earlier years were, and often still are, returned to for advertisements especially, which target women for home products and men for outdoor equipment, for example.

I paged through a current issue of Parents magazine, glancing at all of the ads. If the ad had an adult in it- it was a woman. The ads were for dryers, cleaning supplies, hair products, wrinkle cream... advertisers clearly expecting the audience to be women at home. The thing is that I expected it to be much more realistic- it is 2008- and include an even representation of moms and dads. It's not called Mothers, it's called Parents, but they still expect the woman to be reading the magazine not the man. Finally, I found an ad with a father. A State Farm ad with a young dad holding a baby. The tagline read "You know where Dude meets Dad? I'm there." It was the only ad with a man actively being a father, but then I started thinking- this might STILL be targeting women. He is young and attractive (he has scruff on his face, a tattoo on his arm, and a wedding ring), so I couldn't help stopping to look at the ad and think "how sweet, look at him with his baby." Then the ads continued with more women's hair products and kitchen appliances.

stay at home?

According to “Introduction: The Symbolic Annihilation of Women by the Mass Media” by Tuchman, women have been misrepresented throughout media history. In television and movies, there are few female characters and limited roles in which they are portrayed. Women tend to be represented as housewives and mothers who are content to remain in the home. Other representations include being secondary to male characters, such as being the romantic interest or needing to be rescued. In newspapers and magazines, Tuchman believes that such stereotypes are maintained for the sake of reaching the widest audience to benefit advertisers and sales. If women continue to be encouraged to stay in the home, they may not strive to find employment.

Laverne and Shirley created a new representation of women when the series came out in 1976. The main characters of the show weren’t men- they were women. The two women weren’t married and they didn’t have children- they were single women sharing an apartment and working at a beer brewery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRmKzxhMzwo

Maybe for the first time, independent young women were represented on television. Laverne and Shirley earned their own money, they were each opinionated and had distinctive personalities, and there were probably a number of young women who could relate to these characters. I enjoy Laverne and Shirley episodes because they are funny and I can relate to the interactions between the roommates and their friends (probably because I am twenty and single- a little younger than them but still able to relate). The only thing that this series did not defeat is the stereotype that women are ultimately defined by men. Various plotlines include Laverne or Shirley dating men and hoping that something will finally work out with one of them. Of course, this is typical of young women, but then the show almost falls under the stereotype of “woman works/supports herself only until she gets married and has children.”

fairy boys

The first chapter of Gauntlett’s “Media, Gender and Identity” discusses the roles of men and women in our society. At this point, men and women have equal rights but this means that individual roles are undefined. Men used to fill the role of the provider and head of the family, and they were encouraged to be reserved and keep emotions hidden. Women were recognized as housewives and mothers, and they were expected to submit to men. These roles have changed throughout most of the society, but even now women do not have the same work opportunities as some men. Men need to find a new role if women do not entirely depend on them, so they are often encouraged to have a closer relationship with their families.
In chapter two, Gauntlett criticizes media effects studies, saying that the study tries to force a connection between violent media and violent behavior when there may not be one. He also says that the media effects studies can focus more on the media text than on the particular individual. The studies may also take a scene of violence out of context and judge it without finding meaning in why it was in the movie and a part of the plot.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kh5LAJs3I8
This episode of Everybody Loves Raymond addressed the gender roles of boys. Boys don’t know how to be fairies. Girls were probably their competition when they tried out for the play and didn’t make the cut. Ray tries to teach the boys how to be graceful because they only know how to act like screaming monsters or airplanes. As pointed out in the chapters, boys are often taught how to be “masculine” early, and young girls would be taught how to be graceful and lady-like. I can see each theory, chromosomes or instruction influencing behavior of the genders, being logical because in addition to being raised a certain way, boys may naturally be more aggressive than girls. The best part of this scene is the end when Frank walks in because he expresses what the audience may have been thinking: “Holy crap.” The assumption is that fathers don’t raise their sons to prance around wearing fairy wings. They might turn out, you know, different from other guys. In this case, Frank believes that if you teach them one way, that is how they will be. Ray seems less worried about threatening the masculinity of his sons. Maybe it’s a better idea to be laid back because shoving the whole “gender identity” thing down the kids’ throats (like, not letting a boy touch a doll) might infringe on the fun years of being a kid.

"i feel like the most free woman in the whole world"

In Chapter 5 of "Gender, Race and Class in Media," James Lull defines hegemony as "the power or dominance that one social group holds over others." In our society, that often refers to the uppper class, who tends to be dominant over the poor, some minority and religous groups, and others. This dominant social group emphacizes particular lifestyles and values. Hegemony works when the society is cooperative and follows the ideologies that are being promoted. It reaches a point where hegemony just seems natural and the dominant ideas are accepted.

There are two levels of hegemony in this news piece on a polygamist sect in Texas, which was featured on Good Morning America. The hegemony of mainstream American culture over the polygamist society allowed our authorities to enter the compound and take custody over children. This would never have occured in reverse, with a polygamist group entering one of our homes, because our society is dominant over their's. Another level of hegemony is evident through what we know about the men in such polygamist groups having control over women and children. The women have clearly reached a point where they simply follow ideologies of the men who control the compounds. These women being interviewed could be a good example of individuals who have not resisted the influence of the dominant social group (the leaders of their religion). The question is why haven't they resisted, even when they are no longer in the compound, and it could be a number of reasons. Their responses and facial expressions during the interview seem rehearsed and strangely unnatural.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVGK2Aa4uEk

they tell us what we want

“Ideologies and Power” by Branston and Stafford describes how power in society determines what values and ideas are “universal.” According to our society, there are certain things we should believe and particular goals we should have. The Marxist perspective is that the dominant ideas of society are developed in the best interest of the upper class who wields the power, disregarding the input from the working class. According to pluralism, the ideas and values found in media are not controlled by political or social power, but they reflect the views of the majority.

A dominant idea in our society is that we should have new gadgets. There are tons of commercials for iPods, Blackberrys, and other gadgets or accessories. The persuasion goes beyond television or the internet when I see someone using one of these and I notice it.

Even though I don’t actually think to myself, “This is materialistic,” I often find myself wishing I had a more expensive cell phone, for example. No matter what phone I had, I would still do the same things I do now (call some people, text a few times a day), but it doesn’t stop me from wishing for something different. We probably never stop to think that these thoughts are encouraged by the influential people in our society who are affected by how much money Americans keep spending.

blackberry commercial

In Douglas Kellner’s article “Cultural Studies, Multiculturalism, and Media Culture,” he explains the many aspects of interpreting media. Kellner says, “Learning how to read, criticize, and resist socio-cultural manipulation can help empower oneself in relation to dominant forms of media and culture” (10). Some individuals follow mainstream culture, while others are a part of subculture groups who resist the mainstream. Cultural studies involve studying production and political economy of a media text, using textual analysis, and taking note of audience reception and use of media culture. Different forms of media, such as television and music, follow particular, standard guidelines and it is useful to realize this when analyzing something. Textual analysis involves interpreting meanings from media texts based on who is using the media text and what kind of people or situations are depicted in the media text. Understanding audience reactions to media texts requires the reactions of audience members and the effects of the media upon them.

An example of a media text that can be studied is a television commercial, in this case an advertisement for T-Mobile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2jje8MS0Nw
A commercial is produced according to an allotted amount of time, in this case about thirty seconds. The advertisement must be squeezed into a few seconds in between programming and other commercials, so the producers make the most of the space. This calls for quick characterization of the people represented in the ad. After a few seconds, we know that the man and the woman are a couple who are probably married, and the woman is dragging him around to a bunch of stores while she shops. The hope is probably that people watching the commercial can either relate to the woman buying shoes and jewelry or to the man who is not enjoying the experience. The humor of the commercial is in the man’s inability to ever say the right thing so his wife constantly disagrees with him. This commercial depicts women as independent and slightly irritating. The woman is given crazy curly hair, an annoying voice, and she talks for her own benefit. Men are depicted as more passive (she disagrees with him… “Great.”), and also more laid back in appearance (messy hair and scruffy beard). He finally catches on to his wife’s patterns in the last scene and says the opposite of what she expects, but it implies that it took him a while to catch on. There is one other man who makes an appearance in this commercial, and he is depicted as a homosexual. He speaks in a distinctive tone of voice and has thick lips (“Wedge.”), clearly stereotyping him as gay. This makes another point that if a man is not gay, he would not understand the woman’s fashion dilemmas.
The commercial is probably trying to say that with the T-Mobile phone you can’t make a wrong choice (Red or blue blackberry? Either way, he gets it right). The audience reception of the commercial and the message would differ depending if the viewer sympathized with the man or woman, if he thought it was entertaining or just stupid, and if he was convinced to buy the product. The company won’t be selling the product to anyone who is offended by an advertisement, or even annoyed by it. Based on a couple of comments left on the youtube clip of the commercial (I don’t know who takes the time to do that), audiences find the ad humorous. They like the way the actor talks, or they like the concept.

and the role continues

Giroux’s article “Are Disney movies good for your kids?” criticized the Disney company based on its depictions of certain ethnicities and of genders in its children’s films, as well as the consumerism encouraged through the Disney theme parks, and countless products and toys. Giroux claims that Disney is insensitive in the way it portrays individuals of various races in the films. Aladdin is based in the Middle East, Pocahontas represents a Native American woman and her tribe, and The Jungle Book takes place in India. Disney films use a variety of characters in their films, but Giroux argues that most include offensive racial stereotypes. In addition to race, Giroux focuses on the roles that women play in Disney films. In general, he recognizes that female characters all hold a single objective, which is to win the affections of a prince or other man so that they may become his wife.

Giroux’s point about the depiction of women in Disney movies is particularly easy to see in countless popular films. Every Disney movie that first comes to my mind includes the “fairy tale ending” which includes the marriage of the male and female main characters. This is true in the final scene of The Little Mermaid, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plfn52bPbi0
As well as in Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Tarzan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the list goes on.

There are lots of examples of this same plotline in movies that target children, as well as ones that target older audiences. In Disney’s Pirates of the Carribean, a film that many different ages can enjoy and that is not necessarily recognized as being Disney, there is a typical “boy falls in love with girl” ending. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbkKpjgnMVE
The whole plot is not based around Elizabeth’s desire to be married, but her interest in Will and her engagement to Norrington is a major sub-plot. Even without the animated princess story of many Disney movies, this film still holds many of the same characteristics. Although Elizabeth is portrayed as a strong-willed individual, she is still in the role of a female who needs to be rescued by a male (her future husband). And of course, she is tall and beautiful. Despite the complexity of the plot and the focus on some other characters, I believe a number of viewers would have been terribly disappointed if Elizabeth and Will hadn’t become a couple by the end of the movie.

type characters: the beauty is dumb

Dyer made it clear in ‘The Role of Stereotypes” that stereotypes claim that there are distinct markers between certain kinds of individuals, whether it is by race, class, or another situation; however, in reality, these distinct differences do not exist. Who can accurately judge the differences between people by their appearance or speech, as we do in television and other forms of media? Stereotypes are basic, easily understood ways of defining people. Dyer said that stereotypes “insist on boundaries exactly at those points where in reality there are none.”
In media such as movies or television, Dyer says, ‘the type’ is often used, which is a one-dimensional character who basically just represents a stereotype. A novelistic character is one who is more complex and more deeply developed, which is ultimately a more realistic representation of an individual.

Type characters are often the dumb blonde, the jock, the nerd, the outcast, and so on. In a lot of shows, they try to give another angle to a type character, by giving them a sensitive side or another angle to add depth. In the TV show “Beauty and the Geek,” all of the contestants are stereotypes. The guys are all socially awkward geeks, while the girls are beautiful but stupid. The show tries to alter the stereotypes, but once the label is there they are all mostly type characters. The girl in this clip for “Beauty and the Geek” is a perfect example of a dumb blonde stereotype and that is exactly why they used her for the show. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1Wk79MFMV8

Even though it is a reality show, I think we can assume that much of it is scripted. So, is it true that there are no distinct boundaries like the ones assumed in social stereotypes? Everyone they picked for “Beauty and the Geek” seems to fit perfectly in the geek and the dumb blonde (or brunette) stereotypes even though they are not fictional characters. I think that through the people they chose and how they told them to behave emphasized the differences between them, making the stereotypical boundaries seem fairly realistic.

Fez

I read the article called “Considerations of Media Effects” and learned that individuals can be influenced by media to perceive others according to stereotypes, even when it conflicts with their personal beliefs. It’s true that we can find ourselves thinking in stereotypes even though we would not consider ourselves racist or prejudiced against certain groups. If we are shown something that stereotypically represents a group of people, we recognize it and can be convinced that it pertains.
Gorham said that the stereotyping of blacks, for example, is recognized by nearly everyone, because we have been exposed to the stereotypes through the media, but “Low-prejudiced individuals actively try to suppress it.” In our society, many people are likely to strive for “political correctness” and avoid stereotypes, but stereotypes can still influence their thinking.

Fez, from That 70’s Show, is an example of racial stereotyping in contemporary media. As far as the “ingroups” and “outgroups” that Gorham mentioned in his article, in some ways Fez is the outgroup while the other five friends are the ingroup. Fez speaks with a lisp and a bad accent, and is often in a scene for comic relief. He is the token Hispanic character, while the others are just “average” white teens. The show often refers to issues such as immigration or cultural differences. Just a few seconds into this compilation of Fez clips on YouTube, and it’s clear that stereotypical humor is often used. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzIj66Y5DqQ&feature=related

The interaction between Fez and his friends emphasizes how stereotypes are used against the minority (in this case, there is only one Hispanic in their group and probably very few Hispanics in their town), making the majority feel superior by pointing out the differences between “them” and “us.” Gorham said, “…Members of dominant social groups interpret information in ways that support their superiority and, by extension, reinforce the subordinate position of minority groups.”

So, even though I’m saying that the sitcom discriminates against the only Hispanic character, I have to be honest and admit that I find it entertaining. I can try to excuse it and say that it never seems like the characters intentionally try to hurt or demean Fez, and the actor is purposefully making his character goofy so we are supposed to laugh, but should I be laughing at “the reasons why I, Fez, should be allowed to stay in your great country”?