EVERYONE is stereotyped!

       This week we discussed about the many stereotypes there are in the world and that everyone has some stereotype. Well, I was watching the move Shark Tale and couldn't help it notice how racially stereotypical it is. There were many negative stereotypes. The main groups being negatively presented are the Italians and African Americans. As you may see in the movie the sharks, which represent Italians, are seen as violent murderers who stick together as a family when it comes to criminal behavior. You can tell it is representing the Italian families because of the names they have, Lino and Luca and their accent. 

       Like I said before, the movie also misrepresents the African community. The protagonist of the movie, Oscar, portrays all of the negative stereotypes that Africans have. Such stereotypes include: joyous, naive, ignorant, and lazy. I also noticed that all of the fishes who were made to be seen as African American had big lips and spoke in ebonics. The reason I noticed this in the movie was because of the disney movie we analyzed, Aladdin, and how it contained many stereotypes about Arabs. I know I am not an exception to stereotypes because I have seen how the media portrays Mexicans in movies. For example, the movie Fun with Dick and Jane. In the movie there is a scene where immigrants are looking for a job and are caught by ICE. All of these stereotypes will never end but to have them portrayed and in a way promoted through movies will never help decrease such beliefs. 

Link: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/10/07/1097089469992.html?from=storylhs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlLMitni4GY

Now I ain't sayin' she a Gold Digger

     This week in class we spoke about misogyny and how rap music has been one of the main promoters of this hatred toward women. Some argued that it wasn't only rap music that demonstrated misogynistic views. They said country and other types of genres do the same except with different words. Others argued that the lyrics have no meaning because they are just for money and fame purposes. I understand both sides of the argument but I believe it goes beyond that. The fact that most "gangsta rap" music has such lyrics which degrade women in so many ways is not easily justified by the fact that other artist do it too or that it is for fame and money. The main point is that it insults women in a general way. If there is anything out there that defines sexism better than misogyny then maybe this type of music is not so bad. Unfortunately, in my personal view I think there isn't. So what I decided to do was look up famous rap songs that many people, myself included, like a lot. Then I looked up the lyrics and to no surprise found many insults toward women and just awful sayings about us.
     The famous Kanye West is known for many great hits but many people ignore the fact that some of his songs are on the "top most misogynistic songs" list. In the song, Jamie Foxx, who sings in Kanye's song, starts the song like this: "She take my money when I'm in need. Yeah she's a trifling friend indeed. Oh she's a gold digger way over town. That dig's on me." I found this very interesting because I can sing every word for this song and never once looked at it in a bad way for me. Now that I analyze the song it disturbs me because it makes us women seem as we cannot succeed on our own and must look for rich men to live off their money. However, I do believe that most people do not look at the songs lyrics and just like it because of the beat. The problem here is that if we do not create awareness of this as an issue then us women cannot complain about sexism. It is contradicting for women to listen to this type of music and then complain about our situation in society. We must put a stop to it. 


Links: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vwNcNOTVzY
           http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kanyewest/golddigger.html

Racist tweets after re-election

         This year's election brought in many racist comments to the social media. As we all know president Barack Obama was re-elected and many republicans were not so thrilled about the news. Most turned to social media such as Twitter and Facebook to express their thoughts. Unfortunately, most were not considerate of others emotions and were very vulgar and racist. That night Twitter and Facebook statuses were filled with the word 'Nigger' and a lot of complaints began to arise the next morning. People guilty of this act were attacked back by Obama supporters and others who did not find the tweets acceptable.

         I can only imagine how many African Americans felt after reading tweets that most hope to never come across. This makes me furious not only because it offends minorities but because i've been in a similar situation. I am aware that social media is a resource most use to express their thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc. freely and that because of that it can be offensive for some. But, I have had the unfortunate event of coming across some pretty mean comments aimed at Mexicans. Most of the comments are very similar to the tweets about Obama. For example when people use the word 'Beaner' to describe Mexican Americans. While most people believe racism is no longer a problem in this time others deal with it on a daily basis. This society still has a long way to go.

Link: http://jezebel.com/5958993/racist-teens-forced-to-answer-for-tweets-about-the-nigger-president?tag=racism 

BANKS feminist ad!

     Banks beer released an ad that to many is very controversial. The ad says "My Brown Ting, My Banks.  Brown never looked so tasty." This ad portrays as offensive because the women used as the model is of brown skin. As we have seen in class latinos are seen with the "latin lover" stereotype. This ad just promotes Latina women as sexual toys. The fact that the model is advertising beer makes it seem as though dark skin women are a fun time for men. This ad is not only offensive to brown skin women but to women in general because the body is the only thing visible in the ad. I dislike this ad very much.
      When I first read this ad I felt very offended because I am a Latina women and i've had many occasion where people see me this way. We are usually seen as a sexual toy and not taken seriously when it comes to things like academics, work, etc. I believe Banks should do a survey and ask women what they think of this ad so that they can understand our point of view and our values. This ad should definitely be removed or modified because not only does the picture say a million words but the headline is very sexist. 

Link:

http://redforgender.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/brownting.jpg

Racist Walmart layaway commercials

            Walmart's commercials have become very controversial recently. In the commercials Walmart promotes the return of layaway for this season. Although this may seem great to some it is offensive to others. The commercials feature both a hispanic women and a black man. In the commercial where the hispanic women is the main character, the idea seems to be that hispanic people being minority cannot afford to pay their christmas gifts and look forward to opportunities like these. In the commercial with the black man the idea is that they are also part of this minority level where they do not have the sufficient resources to buy gifts from Walmart, which is known for their low prices. This commercials portrays and stereotypes all minorities as low class.
             These commercials are very racist in my point of view because they go after stereotypical ideas, that minorities are the low class and cannot afford a place that is known for their low prices. As a minority, this commercial offends me because not only do I see this on TV but I see this in society still. Most believe neither hispanic nor blacks have a better future. People get surprised when I let them know I am middle class because all they see is my skin color. This affects me, and many other people, because we are not given the equal opportunity most get. We get doors shut without given the opportunity to show what we are all about. Walmart should remove this commercial because I believe minorities are a big percentage of their customers. Most would be offended like I was.


Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwZMnVUVXTQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVqD4BZA1Dc

Victory through Unity

        We are constantly arguing about sexual orientation and how it has affected society. In response, many organizations, non-profit or for-profit, have been created. Earlier this week I came by this amazing organization that helps athletes who are part of the LGBT community. The organization is called Athlete Ally and it creates awareness toward athletes who combat homophobic remarks from their coaches, team members, family, fans, etc. This organization also promotes unity and respect from each of the groups mentioned above. I support these types of organizations because they create hope for this misrepresented community. 

       I have many friends who are athletes and are apart of the LGBT community who face horrible situations constantly throughout their life. I can remember the first time my cousin came out and admitted he was gay. My reaction to him was, "but you are a football player!" Like my cousin's situation, most athletes are not accepted to be a part of the LGBT community because they are seen as they role models for children athletes. Now that I know more about this community and I am aware and accept their preferences I am able to support my friends and my cousin. The expectations people have about athletes should not interfere their happiness. It is these organizations that allow those athletes to be children's role models by showing them that no one should be judged for what they believe or for who they are. This is a bigger lesson future athletes need to be taught. 

Link: http://www.athleteally.com

Guest Speaker; LGBT community

         I completely agree with everything professor Lambiase pointed out in class. One of my closest friends is gay and he tells me the difficulties he goes through. One of them is finding organizations/companies that support people like him. He tells me that not many companies or organizations promote their support for the LGBT community. Well, I was surprised to see the ads that professor Lambiase showed us in class. I had never noticed the hidden images or words that some company ads use in order to catch the LGBT community's attention.
       I believe it is great that commercials now involve the LGBT community, but I still think we have a long way to go before fully accepting this community. I say this because most of the images or words that are in the ads and commercials are small and barely noticeable creating the gay vague as professor Lambiase called it. I don't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for the society. Some organizations may not want to loose their publics that don't agree with the LGBT community, but may also want to involve that specific community into their brand, idea, etc. Whatever the justification is I believe we should not be afraid to promote our support for the LGBT community. That way people like my friend will be able to interact with society and its resources in an equal way the heterosexual people do.

Link: http://www.glaad.org/advertising/library/birdhouse-0 (Glaad.org)

Image of women airbrushed from IKEA catalog

       Tuesday IKEA was accused of removing a woman from their furniture catalog. Of course like many I became upset at the gender inequality that still occurs to this day. It is disturbing for me to see how companies that have influence on people undergo such low actions. By allowing this treatment toward women we are saying it is ok for gender inequality and that we do not need to progress from that. Living in a country where freedom is emphasized you would think we could change this sexist view toward women but I can see we have a long way to go.
       I can recall when I was president of my church youth group and many people believed I could not do the job right. In the past the president had always been a man and most thought it would never change until I was elected by the majority, which where most female. Well, when it came to promoting the group my picture on the flyer was removed because our secretary, a male, believed it was not necessary. Thanks to my experience with sexism I can now relate to the woman removed from the catalog. Luckily we do have women who are proving our potential. This gives me hope that some day this world will emphasize equality not only among races but also genders.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/02/world/meast/saudi-ikea-women/index.html?iref=allsearch

The media and the poor

      This weeks reading assignment captured my attention because it was about the little focus poverty has in the media. I agree with Dionne that the poor are not priority in news until they are seen as troublemakers. Most people, if asked, are not aware of the high numbers of poverty that are present in today's society. It is devastating to know that people in most need are not receiving necessary resources because they are not seen, by the media, as important enough for coverage that can bring awareness. Yet, when you do read about the poor it is mainly in a tragic story. Either they hurt someone or they created a problem big enough to damage society.
     So what can we do? You may ask. Well, like Dionne says, "...put an issue on someone's bulletin board, sometimes literally in their kitchen." We might not go to the extreme of their kitchen, but the main point is that we need to remind people that the poor are also human beings and they, like most of us, need support. Reporters should create awareness rather than put a dark light on poverty. I think they shouldn't wait to hear a story about a poor person causing trouble in society in order to classify it as "news worthy." As a future social worker I know that the media can be a great resource to reach potential donors, but it will be a difficult task to do if news agencies continue to neglect the poor.

Link: "Media Do Not Focus on Poverty as an Issue" Race, Gender, and Stereotypes in the Media pg.155-156

No limits in gender

    The reading for Monday was very relatable to me and the career I have chosen. As a Strategic Communication major I have struggled too many times because I feel like I can not succeed in the PR business due to my gender. Women and men are equally represented in this field but the highest positions are dominated by men. This statistic makes women seem as though their knowledge and capacity is only worth for the fun and simple parts of PR. Thus, men are worthy of the higher more critical decision. This, I fear, makes me think I am inferior to men and that no matter what I do, chances of me obtaining a high position are limited.
    Reading about Sally Jenkins, Charean Williams, Gina Miller, Jennifer Floyd Engel, Hillary Clinton, and Sarah Palin has made me realize that there is hope. I admire women who, although told they are not good enough for a "man's" job, still continue with their dreams. They not only accomplish their dream by being one of the few women with high positions but also with successful outcomes during that time. Those outcomes are the evidence that women are as capable as men to achieve great things in whatever field they desire. It is these role models that should motivate us women to not be afraid of doing something most people, men especially, say we are incapable of doing.

Race, Gender, and Stereotypes in the Media, 37-51; 59-70

Bic's pens For Her

   In this article it is obvious women are upset about the Bic company. With this new direction Bic has taken you can see the way women are still portrayed in society. We are seen as superficial and weak. The colors used for these pens make it seem as women only focus on looks and being "pretty." The design is made especially for women's hands, which I personally see offensive because we are seen with no strength what-so-ever. It is a bit exaggerated to say women need a special design for something as simple as holding a pen.
     The reactions these women have shown are not out of the ordinary. Us women are tired of being misunderstood and misrepresented in this society. I believe that Bic should consider their new design and not look at the pen but rather what it is trying to say about women. Living in the 21st century you would think equality is a strong value for society, but with Bic's action it seems that society has not really adopted this value.

http://prdaily.com/Main/Articles/12532.aspx

Class discussion over Moderators article

     In class we discussed about the article "Criticism Greets List of Debate Moderators" and it seemed as though much of the class had different opinions. I would have to agree that the most important quality a moderator should have is experience. Even if all four moderators are of the same background, their experience is what makes the debates successful. Although, I do believe that many minorities in this country will feel underrepresented in the debate.
     I strongly believe it is important that every resident and citizen of the United States feel equally represented during a debate that will have an effect on their lives. How can a person who is relatable to minorities be a moderator if they are not given the opportunity? Experience may be the strongest asset a moderator can have but we will never have change if they are not given that first opportunity. Diversity may not be priority when selecting moderators but it is definitely vital for some people.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/18/us/criticism-greets-list-of-debate-moderators.html