Race and childrens TV

Race in Children's TV is a huge ordeal in the US with parents trying to raise there children in a non racist way, which is surprisingly a lot harder than it seems, because race is everywhere. I am a nanny and i am surrounded daily with children's programming and i am honestly surprised with how much racist slurs there are in different programs. Whether it be Disney or Thomas the Train there is always a bad guy or someone who is a little slower which is typically reflected on race. I honestly think these shows affect how children look at race and people of different colors because children are so curious about it. I wonder how and if this will change in the future for the better or the worse.

Stereotypes vs. Truth: What are the differences?

This week we read and talked about racism, stereotypes, and colorblindness in the media. At first we always think that in today's society there is little racism left, escpecially being in a culturally diverse atmosphere like UIC. I think what we forget is that racism and stereotypes are still very present if in a more subtle way in our media and in our society. Is there a grain of truth in any stereotype? Maybe, because where else would they come from if not from observation of a certain " type" of people. The problem is when we blanket a whole race or community as a stereotype because a few people who share characteristics with them display certain behaviors. The t.v. clip we watched showed how other races like to blow things out of proportion when they feel like they are being attacked by another race. There are three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth. While it can't be denied the black character was approached by the white characters at first, in the end the black characters told a false of account of what really happened too. The truth is hard to get at when we are looking through the lens of stereotypes because it hits us right where we live. I think that a lot of the time we like to act like race doesn't matter because we either don't want to say it does, or we truly think it doesn't because we never experienced any hatred from another race. In terms of the Treyvon Martin shooting it is obvious that it was nothing less than a crazed racist man just waiting to commit a hate crime. The fact that Geraldo Rivera took sides against his own race and another minority shows how powerful being the " wrong" race can be,and that some will go to any lengths to seem "white".

Racial Profiling

The television series we watched during class was a perfect example of racial profiling and the unintentional and intentional ways we view and judge others. I feel as a society we are continuing to grow and become more advanced as far as equality goes but it is also a big concern of mine that many stereotypes and mistreatment can still take place and will continue to exist. During the show many examples of race stereotyping took place such as the comments made by the three white men. Assumptions about a different colors race although they are not always negative (black men are fast) they can still be offensive and false. It is important for our society to develop a new outlook on the way we view others but the media and our culture teach us to adapt to these stereotypes and they are imprinted in our subconscious. I hope we can continue to grow together regardless of race!

Race to the end

Race is only defined because of society and the way some believe they have superiority over others. I grew up over seas and was immersed in many different ethnic backgrounds and races in an international school. I was raised to believe that we are all just people. I like many others who went to that school were ex pats whose parents had found work over seas. We even had a day called "United Nations Day" were you would wear traditional clothing or apparel customary to your heritage. Race is the line where old traditions are sought to be kept, such as "sticking or marrying to your own kind". If we celebrated more similarities than our differences the world would be more peaceful. Older generations tend to be less accepting of races mixing, but if you look at generations that grew up after civil rights they are much more accepting of races mixing. Those who were born in our generation with hatred for a race are either taught by their preceding/older  generation or took an idea and blew it up out of proportion. Take Arabs or muslims for example, 9/11 was the result of a very small population of all arabs and muslims. Those extremists gave birth to ideas that all arabs are terrorists because they share the same religion or are from the same region. Blacks have been stereotyped to be uneducated and latinos are labeled as gang bangers. But these are just the stereotypical cases. In a few centuries if the human population still inhibits the earth,  races will almost cease to exist. Because they will all have been mixing and everyone will be a part of almost every "race".

Leslie Chow:Too Much Chow

Races have been present in television and other visual medias since they first began.  Whether it be minstrels or just off color jokes, race is a present topic.  As we look at media today, we see it be more brought to light because we find it funny or comical.  The best form of this I think is the character, Leslie Chow, in the hangover movies.  He is a exaggerated form of a Asian and gay guy.  From the first time, we meet him we see stereotypes present and they just keep coming when we learn that he is gay.  These stereotypes can be continued but when does it stop being funny and start insensitive.  I enjoy the Leslie Chow character but some of my friends think that it gives a bad light to the Asian community and the gay community.  At first, I said that they were being too sensitive and should just let it  happen but when i watched the movies more and through more critical lenses, I noticed that they were correct.  It gives a stereotyped view on the Asian population and the gay community.  It also gives more people ammo to throw at the people in these groups.  I find it funny still but i try not to use it in my real life.  The off color jokes are still humorous but we have to watch out when we say these things because it could cause a stir that many people don't want.

Negra: Selling Traditions

Author Diane Negra gives great portal of the obsession that American’s have with ethnic food and traditions found within those cultures. Some of the ideas mentioned in her article are similar to those shared within my family.  Below is a clip that depicts an example of what Negra explains about Latin family and their traditions involving closeness.  It doesn’t seem anything than any other family. You be the judge.

http://youtu.be/ppZ46n8PorQ

GMA and Trayvon Martin

Yesterday I watched a broadcast of Good Morning America with the lawyer of George Zimmerman and one of Zimmerman’s friends named Joe Oliver. In the interview Zimmerman’s friend insists that Zimmerman was not at all, in any way shape or form racist. The interview went on to talk about how there is evidence that supports Zimmerman’s self defense case. The comments under the video reminded me of the topic of colorblind racism and the four frames that are used to display it. There were comments that fit into the frames of naturalization, cultural racism and minimization. One person even went as far as saying that “black people made this whole thing up, just to get attention, because that’s what they do”, which made me think of the cultural racism frame and another comment suggested that “black people are blowing this whole thing out of proportion and using the race card to justify a thug being shot by an upstanding citizen,” which made me think of the minimization frame of colorblind racism. There were even racist comments by black users toward Zimmerman and the fact that the friend that was speaking out on his behalf was black. I was shocked by these comments and it made me realize that racism still exists in many forms and it helped me to better understand the concept of colorblind racism. 

Racist Uproar

Racism plagues humanity, always choosing a new victim, while never ignoring past victims. Since the unfortunate attacks on September 11th, Americans have chosen Muslims, or any person with a Middle-Eastern appearance, as their target. Middle-Easterners are believed to be violent in nature because of the ignorant belief that Islam is inherently linked to violent jihad, however this is almost never the case.

This recently institutionalized racism was made incredibly apparent when Lowes pulled their ads from TLC's All-American Muslim because of pressure from the Florida Family Association. The group said that the show didn't accurately portray muslims because they were not extremists. There has been plenty of backlash from civil rights groups and celebrities which makes me feel like we have come a long way from the days in which racism was blatant in advertisement and media.

TLC stated that they aired this show to combat "preconceived notions" of who Muslims are. The network has chosen to expose the targeted group in order to shift the idea of Muslims being extremists and challenge the institutionalized racism. However, from the backlash from the right wing group, it is apparent that we have a long way to go in America. 

Latinas in American media

I am originally from Brazil. There, I am considered white. Here in the United States, I am considered Latina. For immigration purposes everyone from any country south of the United States are Latinos. Because of my identification with Latinas, their representations in American media have always caught my attention. Jennifer Lopez’ case study done by Maria C. Beltran (2009) is a great example of how Latinas are represented in the media and how they are perceived by the public because of these representations. American media play an important role in shaping public knowledge of Latina women through their representations.

Beltran (2009) argues that American media frequently distinguishes Latinas as “in possession of more body, emotion and sensual passion than their white counterparts” (p. 143). She also suggests that Latinas are represented in the media as “innately sexy, fiery, and/or irresistible” (p. 132). This happened to Jennifer Lopez and still happens to many other Latina actresses. Perhaps the most famous Latina on television now is Sofia Vergara. She plays the voluptuous/sexy/fiery/funny Gloria in the sitcom Modern Family.

Gloria always wears tight pants or skirts and low cut tops that show quite a bit of cleavage. It is clear that there is an exploitation of Sofia Vergara’s body in the show. Also, there is an expectation that she looks and behaves like Gloria in real life because that is how the public perceives Latinas to be. This perception happens because of the way they are represented in the media. People expect to see Sofia Vergara dressing sexy for the Golden Globes or the Emmys. If she does not, then she would be criticized for not conforming to people’s expectations of her.

Some people might argue that Modern Family is critiquing the way Latinas are perceived by the American audience. If so, I would agree. However, I feel that the majority of people who watch the show do not see it that way. For those people, Gloria is depicting a true representation of Latina women. And her depiction is shaping and reinforcing the way the public perceives Latinas.

Reference: Beltran, M.C. (2009). Crossing over the Latina body: Jennifer Lopez and the 1990's Latin wave. In Latina/o star in U.S. eyes: making and meaning of film and TV stardom (pp. 131 - 153). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Colorblindness

Bonilla-Silva's article on colorblindness and racism is one that I've read before, but it always has a pretty profound impact on me. Growing up in the deep south, Baton Rouge, I was raised to be hyper-aware of race and racial issues but they were never discussed openly. There were good intentions behind not talking about it, as if to not call attention to racial problems, but it didn't change the fact that the education system in Louisiana is organized in a way that keeps many aspects of segregation. By not talking about about how students were disadvantaged and stereotypes perpetuated, the situation only got worse, and to my knowledge, public education in Louisiana hasn't gotten any better yet. Just like Bonilla-Silva mentioned in her article, the problems only become worse when we ignore them and pretend they aren't there. How does it help disadvantaged young people when we pretend like their education is equal to everyone else's? This also raises another problem that a speaker who came to UIC last semester, Pedro Noguera, discussed in accordance with colorblind racism: private racism. During the time of the Civil Rights Movement, racial issues were being discussed openly, and it was easy to identify opinions people had about the civil rights movement because everyone was out in the open about: Pro-segregation activists were vocal about their stance, as were pro-civil rights activists. Because nobody's talking about racial issues nowadays or 'fessing up to their prejudices in today's society, we don't know who the racists are. Private racism exists now because of colorblindness and ignoring issues without talking about them.

Racial Profiling

After watching the episode of A Different World, and reading about Trayvon Martin's case, it is apparent that racism still persists in our culture.  Although we feel we have come a long way from the past, we have not, a young African American male can not walk to the store in a hoodie without being suspicious.  Stereotyping and racism has become so ingrained in our society to the point where certain clothing items are associated with certain racial groups.  After reading the article handed out in class I was really upset  for people to almost blame the situation on the fact that Trayvon was wearing a hoodie.  It is upsetting that racism has come to the point that if a young man is wearing a hoodie he is deemed as a threat and could possibly be killed.  Our society needs to recognize how backwards this is, and rather than blaming his actions, or choice of clothing, we should recognize who is a true threat.  It seems like our society has come full circle from the past,  the true threat in our society is the people that are associated with the everyday mundane discrimination of those of color.

Colorblind Racism

After discussing colorblind racism in class yesterday I realized how often the frame abstract liberalism is used in the media.  Abstract liberalism is the concept that everything is equal and everyone can make it if they work hard.  This was acknowledged in the episode of A Different World we watched in class.  During the scene both a white and black character stated that their relatives worked hard to get where they are today.  By having a character from both of the races in the show suggests that both races are being portrayed as equal.  The whole idea of “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” and working hard is seen in other shows as well.  For example, in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will’s uncle is portrayed as someone who has worked hard, established a successful career, and has a nice house.  A similar background is shown in George Lopez featuring a minority who came from a poor background, but worked hard and maintained a successful career.  This frame of colorblind racism seems to be used to make it seem like everyone has an equal chance no matter their race as long as they work hard, however, racism will always be present and never fully go away.          

Sheer ignorance and utter disbelief

A sociology professor of mine told me a story on Tuesday that I haven't been able to let go from my thoughts.

 He was riding a Chicago city bus on his way to a Blue line 'L' stop Tuesday morning.  The passengers from front to back were a mixture of races, colors, ethnicities, and personalities.  Everyone was wearing there own unique clothing style and kept to themselves for the majority of the ride as most rides go.  Sitting up front in the first available seat was a middle-aged (most likely in her 50s/60s) white female who looked quite pleasant at the time.  Nobody thought anything of the woman up to that point in the ride, so at that instance everything seemed to be unfolding normally.  The bus pulled up to the next stop where a group of 5-6 customers were expecting to get on.  The first customer stepped up and walked to the back.  The second, found a seat closer to the front.  The third, same thing.  Eventually, the last customer to get on the bus was a middle-aged black woman in her 40s.  She paid and turned around to find an open seat, but hesitated as her eyes perused the bus layout.  Before she could choose one, the bus started moving quickly and forced her to pick the nearest available seat, right next to the white female.  The white female, now with a very confused/annoyed look on her face turned to the new black customer with an very powerful glare.

"What are you doing?" she asked.  The black woman turned with a puzzled look on her face and said, "What do you mean? I'm not doing anything.  Just sitting, " she replied.
Now with an angry look on her face, the white woman responds, "You can't sit here.  You're not allowed to be up here."
In disbelief, the black woman was at a loss for words.  It can only be assumed her blood was boiling out of disrespect because she didn't say a word in response.  She was speechless.  The white woman just so happened to stand up and get off at the next stop.  It's unknown whether that was her actual destination or not.

If I asked you prior to telling this story whether you thought in 2012 this type of discrimination was still going on, chances are you'd probably say no as I would've, until now.  I am in utter shock and beyond taken aback by this woman's words.  How is it that in today's day and age, people can still be so self righteous, ignorant, and naive?  (for a lack of better words)  The answer is beyond me..

Tom P.

Color blind racism and comedy

This week in class we discussed color blind racism and the frames used to support it.  Color blind racism is a recurring theme in the popular NBC comedy, The Office, more so before Steve Carell left the show.  In several episodes Michael Scot, the manager of “the office” played by Steve Carell, would often say stereotypical or racist remarks to some of his employees.  However, some of these remarks were often over looked by the employees because they considered there boss to rather stupid and ignorant.  Viewers of the show are also not often offended because the remarks or situations are done in a comedic way.  However, in one episode, where Darryl, a black wear-house work obtains a job in management, Michael Scott is offended because that is not the way things are suppose to be.  The way the show lays this situation out is that Michael is not upset because Darryl is black , he is upset because he is a wear-house worker and that mess up the order of how things should be.  However, this part of the program was not very comedic.  In fact it reads more like the frame that racism doesn’t occur anymore because it would appear that Michael Scott is trying hard to ignore the fact that Darryl is black and is focusing more on his professional status.  Although hidden by comedy, color blind racism is very often seen through shows and situations like those of The Office.  Comedy is often used as way to demonstrate racial and ethnic problems that are faced daily in real life situations.

A Different World

The episode in class of 'A Different World' really struck me in a peculiar way. Why, because it shows as a country how far we have come from racism. Is racism still here? Absolutely. Will racism always be here? Unfortunately, yes to some extent. It seems as if the race card (or races battling out for superiority) has always been played out on television, but this episode deliberately and quite heavily (at the end of episode) spoke of blacks and whites fighting for a higher status. Or, maybe it was the white fighting for a higher status and blacks fighting for equality? The television I have watched during this present time period is never this deliberate on the subject of race. In fact, I believe we all agreed in class that you never see television episodes similar to 'A Different World'. It was also interesting how they spelled out the N word at the end of the episode. It was another situation in media where whites had been framed as the superior race. Not only did the situation indicating that whites were superior, but the cop who played as the median between white and black, was also white. It was kinda another way of the media expressing race admonition, stereotypes, and racism.    

Affirmative "BLACtion"

After watching the jail scene in "A Different World" in class yesterday, I thought of the dinner scene in "American History X." Both had white people complaining about affirmative action.  In "American History X," the main character, Derek, listens to his father complain about how black people were hired over white people at his police station because of affirmative action. He even calls it affirmative "blaction" to give it a negative connotation. In fact, the white people actually scored higher than the black people on their tests. This really pisses off Derek's father and gives him a negative view of black people in general. Through his father's stories and beliefs, Derek also begins to think of blacks negatively. I think this scene perfectly shows how racism is not something that has never left our society and probably never will. People will always want to blame others for their misfortunes and scapegoat others. This will ultimately lead to racism and stereotyping. By watching the scene, one can see how the media and people's family and friends can lead others to stereotype or be racist. When a young child hears their parents complain about blacks or use the N word, it makes the child think it is okay to say and think those things. Same with the media. Rappers need to stop using the "N" word in their songs, unless they want that word to be utilized more. By black people saying that word, it could make a child believe it was okay to say that word. Racism and stereotyping need to be stopped alltogether for everyone to be treated equal. Because there will always be close-minded people, I do not think this will ever happen.

Here is the scene from "American History X"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlmQStK68rA

Not only TV shows, but also the news.

Not only do TV shows display acts and thoughts of racism and stereotyping individuals, groups and communities, but the news does as well. During Hurricane Katrina, Caucasians and African Americans were not presented in the same light. Caucasians were seen as taking food to help save their families while African Americans were perceived to be loiters and thieves. Why is it okay to present one community differently than another?

A picture might say 1,000 words, but are you seeing the whole picture or only a fragment of it? The news should be an unbiased source of information for individuals to learn about happenings all around the world. Unfortunately, the news is a bias source of entertainment. Now, this would be okay if everyone had equal access to education and was aware of this situation. Since this is not the case, some people interpret the news to be fact, and that has the potential to be very damaging.

Gran Torino

This week’s discussion focused on race and ethnicity. The one film that I thought of that shows a decent amount of racism and prejudices is Gran Torino. The movie is about a Korean War veteran who really does not have a liking towards anyone. He is very angry and racial slurs are part of his everyday vocabulary. There is an Asian family that lives next door and he calls them derogatory terms for Asians all the time and throughout the movie he calls people racist terms and says things that are offensive to people of different races or ethnicities.  People ignore him for the most part. I feel like this character in the movie is from such a different generation that he does not realize what he is saying is hurtful to these people and could ultimately get him in trouble. People try and use frames to justify the fact he says things, like saying he is old and that’s all he knows; but in reality people are aware of what is going on around them and choose to say the things they do because that is how they feel. In this movie Walt, the main character could be an example of using cultural racism to belittle his Asian neighbors or even possibly minimization because he does not see the big problem with him calling all of these different people racist names.

George Lopez

In “Enlightened Racism,” Jhally discusses The Bill Cosby Show and how the characters are living the American dream. The family and characters are African American and living in a time when racial inequality was prominent. Most African American and minority families lived below the poverty line. Jhally argues that this show and similar show promotes the false idea that blacks and other minorities can make it, and if they do not they have only themselves to blame. These sitcoms provide white audiences with relief of responsibility for inequalities, while distorting the way most blacks lived during that time.

Most television sitcoms are based on the typical family setting of two parents, a son, a daughter, and sometimes a neurotic grandparent. After reading and analyzing Jhally’s article and viewing a similar sitcom in class, I thought of the George Lopez show. The idea of anyone being able to make it is promoted in this sitcom. The Lopez’s are a middle class Mexican family. George had a difficult upbringing. He was abandoned by his father and abused by his alcoholic mother. However, George works his way up to become the manager of Powers Brothers Aviation. Race is mentioned frequently on the show and the characters speak Spanish sometimes.

These sitcoms reinforce Jhally’s idea of the race myth by obscuring the connection between race and class. Rather than focusing on the socio-economic reasons that affect race and class, viewers of this show assume the reason for living below the poverty line is a choice and a result of bad work ethic or lack of motivation. 

stereotyping

In class on Tuesday, we talked about racism and stereotyping.  It was shocking to read about the news of a young seventeen year old getting shot in Florida just because he was wearing a hoodie.  I think it shows how ignorant people can be to other races just because of how they look.  What I found to be crazy was that the man actually thought his reason as to why he shot him was some what being that the boy was wearing a hoodie and looked armed.  After watching a clip of “A Different World” during class, I found it to be shocking that issues that were huge back then are somewhat relevant today, especially with the seventeen year olds murder.   I believe that the neighborhood watch man should go to jail for making an ignorant suspicion over a harmless boy.   

racism, ethnicity, and real estate

Racism and stereotyping have been issues within our society forever. Although the amount of racism in our society has decreased within the past few decades, it still exists in many parts of our world today. Stereotyping plays a big role in racism and in general by itself. An example of stereotyping and racism against ethnicity was brought to my attention recently amongst my family members. My grandparents have gotten to the age where living on their own is no longer sensible. They moved into an assisted living home and since then their condo has been on the market. With the real estate market not doing so well, their condo has not been looked at by too many people, except this one couple. My grandparents are 100% German and strict Catholics. But that is not very obvious just by looking at them. A couple that came to look at their condo walked in, took a look around, and the first thing they said was, "we love this condo... but the people that own it are German Catholics. and we will not buy a condo from those type of people". They made that assumption from the various German artifacts and religious crosses around the condo. My grandparents, who are 95 years old and have seen and been apart of much stereotyping and racism in their day, were really upset when they heard what this couple had said about their home. The fact that just because they did not want to move in because my grandparents are German and Catholic was shocking to me. My relatives suggested taking out some of the items that made this couple come to the conclusion that my grandparents are German and Catholic. But my dad said he would not do this because my grandparents are not ashamed of who they are and of their beliefs. These artifacts should not hinder someones decision to buy a home, let alone voice such negative ethnic comments to the home owners instead of just keeping their thoughts to themselves. This just shows that many people today who may not seem stereotypical or racist may deep down have thoughts that hinder them from making decisions because of other peoples race, ethnicity, or their perceived stereotype.

Color Blindness

I saw an informal study done on the news a few years ago about who landlords would rent apartments to.  The researchers had people of different backgrounds call the landlord over the phone using different dialects and accents and had them say and ask the same things.  When the people called using the African American dialect and a Mexican accent the landlords would tell them that the living space was no longer available.
Whether or not the landlords were aware of what they were doing, racism was obviously at work.  I could not agree more with Bonilla-Silva that Colorblind Racism is an issue and is more detrimental than helpful. Racism is and issue and ignoring any issue it not good.  Most people would agree that ignoring an issue is not a good idea and could only make things worse.  So why does society ignore racism? I know that we want to believe that we are past this but I think everyone could think so something that would show that racism still exists.  I wonder if we made society more aware of the issues still prevalent that we could work together towards improving them or if racism is something that society will never be able to rid of and colorblind racism is just a coping mechanism.  

Our world today...

Race has and always will be something that cannot be passed by; it is something that makes us who we are as individuals and human beings.  Although race can never go away, it can definitely be altered with certain behaviors and mind changes that usually take time.  Even though in our particular classroom, we completely understand and are aware of different races because we live in such a diverse city, many of us fail to realize that this might not be the case in other countries.  There are still nationalities and cultures where people still prefer their sons and daughters to stay in the family and stay with their race.  This is something that is predominant in some countries that they look down upon someone that is dating someone of a different race.
When it comes to the media, we still look at MTV or VH1 and see that when it comes to casting "reality T.V. shows", they still try to mix up the crowd so that the show will be more 'entertaining'.  You will never see a Real World New York with 7 hispanics or 7 Italians.  The producers know that this is a hot topic and that race is always something that will be a part of our lives even if we like it or not, we cannot escape this.
As many people might have already mentioned, when it comes to the recent movie, The Hunger Games, many people were outraged that the producers decided to cast African American actors for some of the parts.  They stated that they only had dark skin in the book but they were appalled at the choices of actors.   I believe that this is completely ignorant and is simply a sign that not everyone has moved on when it comes to the topic of race.

Are we really over it?

Past generations , such as our parents and grandparents, has had race a common constant issue in society. But has these past generations dealt with race to a point where our generation has reached a point where is doesn't even matter? Although race is not highly discussed as an issue in media as it once was in TV shows such as  A Different World I do believe that racism still exists whether more people discuss it or not. Race has become a subject where people are afraid to bring it up and because of this people believe that this generation doesn't see race at all. Not discussing race is in some ways more harmful then the ways past generations discussed it. Race has become this thing where some people are afraid to say something because they may offend another race, but if the subject isn't discussed I don't believe that we will ever get past any kind of racial segregation and stereotypes.

Our generation is more open to different kinds of people than any other generation before, but we are not blind to the past and therefor can not truly say that race isn't an issue with us. Even if it isn't as obvious, media still stereotype races but now makes such comments about other races as a tool for comedy such as the Asian from The Hangover or the token black character from any majority white cast comedy film. We just don't see it as being racist because it is being used as a form of entertainment. Also our parents and grandparents can have a negative influence on us on how we view other races because that is how we were raised. We see what we see and sometimes it invokes a negative stereotype towards a race whether we mean to or not, its what we have been taught. Overall though I do believe that race has become a lesser issue than it once was.

The Race Games

This past weekend was a very important weekend for the film industry. One the years most anticipated films, The Hunger Games, was released in theaters. The movie is based on the books by Suzanne Collins. Along with the movie's release came critique, and amongst those critiques were racial issues that fans appeartly had problems with. The very next day after I attends the night night premiere, many of my Facebook friends started to post comments that fans had about the fact that 3, rather important, characters were black. After reading a number of these comments, I must say that I was shocked that people felt so strongly about this particular racial issue. The main argument was simply that the book failed to effectly portray the character's race. As a result, viewers had very negative critiques that turned into personal attacks against a particular race.

The fact of the matter is that while the book doesn't explicitly reveal the races of the characters, anyone who has actually read the book carefully enough can easily imagine African American characters simply based on Collins' descriptions. The fact that people are making such a big deal about characters being black in this film makes it obvious that people expect race and stereotypes to play an important part in media simply because that's how things are done, and the fact that all three black characters possessed desirable characteristics doesn't fit into media's normality.

Crash

Crash is a 2004 drama film that won the Oscars for "Best Picture." It focused on racial and social tension and connected all the different characters together. The characters came from all kinds of backgrounds and the movie tried to portray people's honest, and usually cruel, opinions of other races. Sometimes the movie became     too overbearing and in-your-face about the message they wanted to come across but their were a lot of sad truths to it as well. This movie had an example for each frame of colorblind racism. The rich black director, Cameron, exemplifies abstract liberalism. He worked very hard to get where he is in his career but at the cost of forgetting  his roots. His wife accuses him of this when she is felt up by a racist police officer in front of Cameron and he does nothing about it. He is terrified of white people and obeys whatever they tell him to do. A white actor in his television show asks Cameron if the other black actor can talk more black to fit the character and Cameron makes them redo the scene.< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsPWAw4kitQ > A perfect example of cultural racism and naturalization is made by a criminal named Anthony. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue8XaSWYDaQ> He talks to his friend, Peter, about the unfair way white and even black people treated them at the restaurant. When he notices  the district attorney's wife grab her husband's arm as soon as she sees them he complains that they're not even dressed like hoodlums and she's simply judging them because they're black. Anthony and Peter still threaten them with guns and hijack their car, despite their acknowledgement of stereotypes made about them. They follow the stereotypes anyways because it's what they believe people expect from them. LAPD officer, Tom, may be the only example in the movie of minimization. He honestly believes that he does not judge people by their ethnicity and even asks to work alone after his partner feels up Cameron's wife. When Cameron is about to get shot by other cops, Tom goes out of his way to talk him down and help him out. However, when he picks up a hitchhiking Peter he realizes how racist he actually is deep down. Tom shoots Peter because he thinks he is reaching for a gun. It's actually very disheartening to watch because viewers want to believe that there are people in this world like Tom who really don't discriminate internally about other people. It's an important topic to discuss about because awareness is the only way it can be fixed.

more then a racial issue

After watching the various media texts about the George Zimmerman  case and  reading Negara’s article about food fetishes in TV, Beltran’s article on the “Latin Wave” and Jalal’s article about the Crosby show.  I thought about how to interrelate these three articles with one media text.  I found a controveral KFC TV advertisement where a helpless Austrian man is trapped at a Jamaican / African American music festival  and he feels very unconformable and out of place. He looks into the camera and says “ever stuck in a awkward situation?” he then pulls out a large bucket of fried chicken and seems to feel better now that everyone else is eating.  I found this very stereotypical and it made me think what the advertising industry has really come to.  This relates to our societies fetish with food and speaking of Australians, on page 69 for instance on Negra’s article portrays the Outback steakhouse which is unhealthy is given a distorted and different image to the public via TV ads.  Making the restaurant look less as a Steakhouse and more of a ranch or vacation spot. Food is also seen at the dinner table of course and many scenes in the Cosby show are in the kitchen for just one reason, American fetishes for food.  Of course race and stereotypes and food can go hand in hand but why is it a bad combination to be put in the media?  On page 3 Halley argues the positive attitude of the Cosby family can distort reality and reinforce the myth that anyone can archive the American dream and have a big home and racial barriers no longer exists.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FftZt-Dw_hQ&feature=related

Hoodies for Justice

Up until last month, a hooded sweatshirt was merely an article of clothing worn by many different people from all walks of life. Hoodies did not discriminate; they were not worn by one specific gender, race, class or ethnicity. The hooded sweatshirt was a universal clothing choice for comfort. In the wake of the death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin, the hoodie has become much more than what it was merely a month ago. The hoodie now represents support for Trayvon Martin during the search for his justice. Several protests and peaceful marches have been organized across the county in support of Trayvon Martin and his family, and a vast majority of these supporters are donning hoodies in memory of him. From NBA players to church congregants to state elected officials in New York, the hoodie is catching recognition and gaining power in the media. With so much support also comes a good deal of negativity. Geraldo Rivera's comments about Trayvon Martin's hoodie and its role in his untimely death sparked a lot of controversy in the media. Besides Rivera, many people also believe that the hoodie is a sign of menace or gang affiliation. Ultimately, the hoodie and what it stands for is entirely subjective. Interpret it as a socially constructed symbol for justice for Trayvon Martin, or view it as an article of clothing that both generates and triggers stereotypes of minorities. Either way, a hoodie did not kill an unarmed 17 year old boy, a man with a gun did.

shows change

As time has changed so has the entertainment that has been on television. Back in the 70’s and 80’s talking down on another race was acceptable to society. As the late 80’s and early to mid-90 came around the so called “minority” stood up for themselves and their rights. Now during our generating of people the topic of race isn’t much of an issue. In fact in my opinion I feel that there are more shows that portray the white race as the struggling race now. Most shows now are about a blue collar couple that is trying to support a family. For example, Grounded For life, Still Standing, and According to Jim are all about simple families with parents with not much education trying to live a semi normal lifestyle. They are trying to raise kids to the best of their ability with the knowledge that they know. I think as the times change they base it off of what parents and families go through. In the next 15-20 years these shows are going to be based off of people like our generation. Parents with an education and having a successful life, but struggle to relate to their children because times have changed and we will be out of the loop of what society views as acceptable.