Are Hispanic people still stereotyped in the media?
Absolutely.
Modern Family-a lighthearted comedy, with a wild "Latino Lover" character
One key difference between the Latin stereotypes and stereotypes of other minorities is the degree of negativity associated with it. While the mexican character can be stereotyped as lazy with siestas or the dim witted side kick, most of the time it is in the name of comedy although it is hurtful. What it doesn't do blatantly put to shame an entire race of people like something like blackface might do. Both are quite irresponsible and hurtful, but I feel the are varying degrees of this.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
Spike Lee
Overall I enjoyed going to watch him. I am a fan of his movies while I admit I have not seen all. To be honest however that was not the spike lee I wanted to see. I didn't want to see the actor, producer, even director, I wanted to hear and see what was behind all of that.
His claim to fame is an examination of racial relations and how they pertain to certain aspects of the media. I like how he can get his thoughts about race and crime and poverty out in a beautiful art form, but I'd like to hear more concrete and less abstract versions. I want to hear the sentences coming from his mouth about what is wrong with this country, with life, and I feel we could have learned a lot from him. He did touch on these things however briefly, and I understand appropriate settings, but I can't hide my disappointment.
Moreover the questioning was even more frustrating. How many times can someone rephrase, "I am an aspiring (actor/director/film maker/business tycoon/circus clown)
and I was wondering what advice you have for me?" I was waiting to hear, "From all your studies on racial relations and explorations of issues that transcend nationality, class, status, What is the same mistake we are all making as humans again and again to allow problems like racism, sexism, poverty to exist?"
But then again I didn't have the courage to step up to the microphone, even if I could speak so eloquently, and thus we got to hear about aspirations and Tyler Perry.
Well it was funny.
His message was good, inspiring, and I cannot deny I took positive things from his talk. While he might not have been really talking to my demographic, I understand these problems transcend race, and people can only speak from experience, which his is quite different from mine. I hope his words inspired every young person in the room to overcome any obstacles that may cross their paths. It makes me realize how many less obstacles I, as a white male, have to overcome if I wished to be whatever I wanted, and it is quite sickening. Why I should have more of a chance than any other race or gender is disgusting, and unfair, and perhaps that was the lesson, I, personally, was supposed to get out of his performance.
Awareness and Realization.
I guess the next step is action.
His claim to fame is an examination of racial relations and how they pertain to certain aspects of the media. I like how he can get his thoughts about race and crime and poverty out in a beautiful art form, but I'd like to hear more concrete and less abstract versions. I want to hear the sentences coming from his mouth about what is wrong with this country, with life, and I feel we could have learned a lot from him. He did touch on these things however briefly, and I understand appropriate settings, but I can't hide my disappointment.
Moreover the questioning was even more frustrating. How many times can someone rephrase, "I am an aspiring (actor/director/film maker/business tycoon/circus clown)
and I was wondering what advice you have for me?" I was waiting to hear, "From all your studies on racial relations and explorations of issues that transcend nationality, class, status, What is the same mistake we are all making as humans again and again to allow problems like racism, sexism, poverty to exist?"
But then again I didn't have the courage to step up to the microphone, even if I could speak so eloquently, and thus we got to hear about aspirations and Tyler Perry.
Well it was funny.
His message was good, inspiring, and I cannot deny I took positive things from his talk. While he might not have been really talking to my demographic, I understand these problems transcend race, and people can only speak from experience, which his is quite different from mine. I hope his words inspired every young person in the room to overcome any obstacles that may cross their paths. It makes me realize how many less obstacles I, as a white male, have to overcome if I wished to be whatever I wanted, and it is quite sickening. Why I should have more of a chance than any other race or gender is disgusting, and unfair, and perhaps that was the lesson, I, personally, was supposed to get out of his performance.
Awareness and Realization.
I guess the next step is action.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Defending Disney
Why would anyone defend the corporate giant Disney? Did people feel like it was taking away some part of their childhood to learn some awful truth about people that cared nothing about their well being? Perhaps it is true, maybe some of the people shown in the documentary were looking to much into Disney but the facts are these movies produced unfavorable and hurtful feelings in individuals regardless if we feel the same way or not, shouldn't their feelings be taken into account? Or did people write them off as crazy people with nothing better to do?
Sounds like a massive case of Stockholm syndrome to me. Take it from the Disney CEO himself! "We are not here to entertain people, we are not here to be role models. He are here to make money." Why would anyone defend someone who so blatantly cares not for anyone or anything besides money?
Let's look at Disney in the 30's 40's and 50's. Obvious and extreme racism was found in their movies and cartoons. I find it hard to defend someone against the same accusations when it was so prevalent in their past.
I wish we could get down to brass tacks in the classroom discussions. Whether or not individual people in the classroom found it racist or sexist or not, the facts are that same; some people do. So if these films are making bad reactions to some people, any people, shouldn't we as "well adjusted and intelligent" adults find the fault in that and realize something is wrong with this. Even if it wasn't you, think about the children in Africa watching this. Think about the kids in Asia watching lady and the tramp with poor depictions of slanted-eyed buck toothed Siamese cats.
With such a global presence there must be responsibility. To me, I really don't care if you watched Disney your whole life and turned out perfect, the fact that these films are making people feel bad about themselves; this is my main concern.
I find a parallel in defending America's depiction and use of Native American themes. I have heard people say it is not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. It all depends on if it is hurting the Native Americans, are feelings are irrelevant and frankly blinding to the facts.
The fact that it is hurting children regardless if it hurt us as children should be the only thing we are focusing on. It should be our duty to expose and bring awareness to the faults and racism Disney represents. I wish people could remember, Disney doesn't care who you are. They don't care if you live or die, offend you, or make you self conscience and ashamed to be who you are. Like everyone else they care about money, and i think it is up to us, "well adjusted intelligent people" or at least educated people, to be the ones to stand up to atrocities we find to be hurting others.
Sounds like a massive case of Stockholm syndrome to me. Take it from the Disney CEO himself! "We are not here to entertain people, we are not here to be role models. He are here to make money." Why would anyone defend someone who so blatantly cares not for anyone or anything besides money?
Let's look at Disney in the 30's 40's and 50's. Obvious and extreme racism was found in their movies and cartoons. I find it hard to defend someone against the same accusations when it was so prevalent in their past.
I wish we could get down to brass tacks in the classroom discussions. Whether or not individual people in the classroom found it racist or sexist or not, the facts are that same; some people do. So if these films are making bad reactions to some people, any people, shouldn't we as "well adjusted and intelligent" adults find the fault in that and realize something is wrong with this. Even if it wasn't you, think about the children in Africa watching this. Think about the kids in Asia watching lady and the tramp with poor depictions of slanted-eyed buck toothed Siamese cats.
With such a global presence there must be responsibility. To me, I really don't care if you watched Disney your whole life and turned out perfect, the fact that these films are making people feel bad about themselves; this is my main concern.
I find a parallel in defending America's depiction and use of Native American themes. I have heard people say it is not as big of a deal as people make it out to be. It all depends on if it is hurting the Native Americans, are feelings are irrelevant and frankly blinding to the facts.
The fact that it is hurting children regardless if it hurt us as children should be the only thing we are focusing on. It should be our duty to expose and bring awareness to the faults and racism Disney represents. I wish people could remember, Disney doesn't care who you are. They don't care if you live or die, offend you, or make you self conscience and ashamed to be who you are. Like everyone else they care about money, and i think it is up to us, "well adjusted intelligent people" or at least educated people, to be the ones to stand up to atrocities we find to be hurting others.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Misogyny
Women have always been at a more vulnerable position than men, I think first, if we look back into history, because of the fact that men were bigger, stronger, and probably forced women to do things by force.
Now that we don't live in that type of society misogyny is purely socially constructed. Now that men are in a position where being bigger and stronger is meaningless, men have found other ways to try to "keep women down." I am not sure why men are so intimidated by women that are superior to them in any way but this insecurity is hurtful and is the cause to bodily harm, verbal attacks and any other misogynistic acts you can think of.
By comparison, how we think it is crazy that the first nation to allow women to vote was the isle of man in 1881 and New Zealand in 1893, nations like Saudi Arabia still have no womens suffrage. Even the USSR had womens suffrage, and many countries that got swallowed by the soviet giant gained the right to vote.
How do we break through to men? I am not sure but seeing that documentary certainly opened my eyes even more to the damage that is continuously being done to women. For some strange reason, I feel like top CEO's of fortune 500 companies wouldn't sit the hour to watch that film. Male insecurities are so rampant, especially in big business America, it is pretty hard to get those men to do anything that could be considered morally correct. Taking bailout money and giving your CEO's raises while others are getting fired just shows what type of men these are, but it is not just the top dogs. Misogyny transcends race and class. It happens it all facets of life. I think maybe one of the saving graces could be upbringing. How young men are raised will be a huge factor in fixing this problem.
Another solution would be to see talentless jackasses for who they really are -^
Anything to make a buck says the publisher. Or America in general.
Another reason this problem is perpetuated, might be the lack of responsibility of women. Again, I am not saying this is the victims fault, but this is a collective problem where everyone plays their part. The women acting in those WWE events need to know how this is going to resonate and possibly hurt women everywhere. From personal experience I have seen the lets just say less moral girls of my schools continously putting themselves in unsavory positions, laughing about it, and continuing it to let it happen. What seems like no self respect sometimes makes men, he ones along the same morality level, think it is ok to treat women like that.
It is everyones problem and we all need to fix it.
Now that we don't live in that type of society misogyny is purely socially constructed. Now that men are in a position where being bigger and stronger is meaningless, men have found other ways to try to "keep women down." I am not sure why men are so intimidated by women that are superior to them in any way but this insecurity is hurtful and is the cause to bodily harm, verbal attacks and any other misogynistic acts you can think of.
By comparison, how we think it is crazy that the first nation to allow women to vote was the isle of man in 1881 and New Zealand in 1893, nations like Saudi Arabia still have no womens suffrage. Even the USSR had womens suffrage, and many countries that got swallowed by the soviet giant gained the right to vote.
How do we break through to men? I am not sure but seeing that documentary certainly opened my eyes even more to the damage that is continuously being done to women. For some strange reason, I feel like top CEO's of fortune 500 companies wouldn't sit the hour to watch that film. Male insecurities are so rampant, especially in big business America, it is pretty hard to get those men to do anything that could be considered morally correct. Taking bailout money and giving your CEO's raises while others are getting fired just shows what type of men these are, but it is not just the top dogs. Misogyny transcends race and class. It happens it all facets of life. I think maybe one of the saving graces could be upbringing. How young men are raised will be a huge factor in fixing this problem.
Another solution would be to see talentless jackasses for who they really are -^
Anything to make a buck says the publisher. Or America in general.
Another reason this problem is perpetuated, might be the lack of responsibility of women. Again, I am not saying this is the victims fault, but this is a collective problem where everyone plays their part. The women acting in those WWE events need to know how this is going to resonate and possibly hurt women everywhere. From personal experience I have seen the lets just say less moral girls of my schools continously putting themselves in unsavory positions, laughing about it, and continuing it to let it happen. What seems like no self respect sometimes makes men, he ones along the same morality level, think it is ok to treat women like that.
It is everyones problem and we all need to fix it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)