If the 1950's are Truly Gone, Why Isn't Progress Up on the Screen?

Miss Representation breached a topic in my mind that I haven’t, until now, been able to discuss. I've always found the feminine role in American mass media to be horribly under representative of our society. A few weeks ago, a professor introduced me to an interesting "test" first shown in a comic published by Alison Bechdel. The "Bechdel Test," as it has come to be known in the cinematic world, requires three criterion for a film to pass-- 1.) The film must have at least two women in it. 2.) Women must talk to each other in the film. 3.) Their conversation must be about something other than a man. The number of films that fail to pass the test is shocking (The Social Network, The original Star Wars Trilogy, The entire Lord of the Rings series, just to name a few). It isn't even the fact that so many movies fail to pass this test that shocks me, but more so that fact I didn't even notice it. American media's representation as the female character's status being little more than the object of the male's desire has come to exists as the status quo. This incredible under representation of strong female characters who desire more than just male affection presents a massive problem. Children come to emulate those who they idolize, and cinematic characters often fill those roles.

An earlier post mentioned the increasing percentage of women with psychological problems as a result of their self-image. As they said, this is largely a result of the unobtainable standard in which the feminine form is presented in mass media. Take a moment and try to think of film that presents an objectively physically unattractive woman obtaining the affection of an objectively physically attractive male. Off the top of my head, I can’t. I have no problem, however, coming up with a film in which the schlubby guy gets the girl in the end. Yes, the answer is anything with Seth Rogen. This contrast highlights the objectification of women in mass media by showing society’s approval of a woman judging a man for more than his appearance. However, it also highlights the disapproval of dominant, intelligent, powerful female figures being portrayed for the masses to see. Does male society see these characters as a slight to its masculinity? If the traditional gender roles of the 1950’s are gone and society claims to view men and women on the same plane, why aren’t they presented in such a manner in mass media?

Overemphasizing Race

A very prevalent issue in America’s recent past and today is the tension that exists in the post-civil rights era about how far we have really come in terms of equality and racism. Racism is still an extremely prevalent problem today and should be addressed as such. But at the same time one could argue that calling attention to this issue can, if not done in the right way, be detrimental to the cause of equality simply by calling attention to it. In Obama’s speech that we watched in class, he talked about how the press may be overemphasizing racial division. Is scrutinizing the role of race part of the problem?

It is undeniable that there are still racial issues in the United States. There are a lot of people who have somehow managed to retain a racist ideology even amidst all the strides that have been taken (but hey, there are also people who think the holocaust didn’t happen). However, the way that these racial issues are navigated is just as important as addressing the issues themselves. I thought the reading by John McWhorter was very fitting for this topic. He talked about African-American self-sabotaging and how to avoid perpetuating inequality. Racial issues always need to be addressed tactfully, to avoid presenting the wrong idea, overgeneralzing, and creating conflict. McWhorter talks about the perpetuation of victimology of African-Americans, separatism, and anti-intellectualism.

The hypersensitization to racial issues definitely a problem in itself. If racial issues are not overemphasized is will downplay their importance. I saw an interesting episode of South Park relating to this idea. While South Park is neither accurate nor politically correct, I thought one point that they made was worth thinking about. In the episode, the historical flag of the town of South Park was a depiction of a black man being hanged, amidst a small crowd of white men. Chef (a black man) was crusading to have the flag changed because of how obviously racist it was. He was met by opposition from people in the town who wanted to preserve the historical integrity of the flag. They decided to leave it up to the debate of the 4^th grade class to decide whether or not to change the flag. The group of children who were arguing in their debate not to change the flag said that it shouldn’t be changed because it was historical and people have always killed people. After which, everyone realizes that the children arguing for that side of the debate didn’t realize the flag was racist. They hadn’t noticed the color of the men on the flag’s skin, and didn’t understand why it made a difference. Although South Park may not be the most credible academic source, I still think the message is worth considering. If race is not closely analyzed as a problem, it may become less of one.

Music: How it unites us and divides us all at the same time

Music is one of the rare things in life that can unite people of all shapes and sizes. Present in nearly all societies, music has been an integral part in improving race relations throughout history. Many societies have used song and sound as a way to rejoice, mourn, and even to extend friendship to another people who may not be able to communicate effectively through words. Music is truly a universal language. Throughout the evolution of music in the U.S., there have been artists who have transcended not only the music industry but also the social landscape of the country. Singers like Diana Ross and Lionel Richie garnered such public adoration for their music, which in a way caused historically black music to come together as American music. People of all shapes and sizes liked these singers, which lessened the polarization of the music genre as a whole. There was not just music for black people and music for white people. R&B started to unite us. With the immense current popularity of hip-hop, I believe the same kind of evolution can happen now.

The large following of hip-hop makes it a perfect catalyst for social change. There are little things that can compete with the amount of public attention hip-hop receives (I would have to say sports has a legitimate claim to the most attention in our society). The common ground we share when listening to the same songs and artists can unite us. In a way, it just points out simple commonalities of which all of us can be apart. It is through these artists that we, the listeners, can feel more connected with other listeners as we both share the appreciation of a specific type of music. In order to gain a better understanding of people around you, you must first be able to see into the lives of others. And I think hip-hop allows many people to see not only into the lives of the people rapping the songs, but also into the people that have experiences similar situations. Yet at the same time that much positive can come from hip-hop, I think we must be very weary on the affects lyrics can have. I see a potential divide among listeners who have actually have endured violence and gangs and those who have not. The lyrics can accentuate differences between the rich boy who listens to hip-hop and attempts to act thug, and guys who grew up encountering the situations that are so often described in rap songs. I don’t think that rich guy truly understands what the lyrics can mean to people. They are not always just witty, comedic rhymes to everyone. When some people ignore this fact, it shines light on the differences that still remain in our society.

Unseen Privileges

In her article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, Peggy McIntosh discusses the way in which racism was taught in her school. She states

“As a white person, I realized I had been taught about racism as something that puts others at a disadvantage, but had been taught not to see one of its corollary aspects, white privilege, which puts me at an advantage”.

After reading that, I realized that is the way racism was taught in my school as well. Teachers never discussed the consequences racism had for white citizens because, for the most part, those consequences were positive. McIntosh goes on to write about the dominance white privilege still has in today’s society, and after reading her list, I was surprised at how many aspects I could apply to my own life.

I was most surprised to find out that number twenty-five on the list was so easily applicabe. It reads, “if a traffic cop pulls me over or if the IRS audits my tax return, I can be sure I haven’t been singled out because of my race.” Over the summer, I was pulled over for speeding. While I did receive a pretty hefty fine, the police officer neglected to ask me for my license and registration. I was the one who thought to hand him my license, but to this day, that police officer does not know if my car was insured or not. He was under the assumption that because I am a white teenaged girl, my car must have been insured and all of my paperwork must have been up to date. At the time, I did not think anything of it, but looking back I find it strange that as an officer of the law he would make those assumptions and not ask me for all of the information that he needed.

There is one more number on the list, number forty-six, that I want to address: I can choose blemish cover or bandages in “flesh” color and have them more or less match my skin. Even though it sounds trivial, it is true. When you go to a drug store to get “flesh” toned band aides, or “nude” make up, the color always matches light skin. There is no alternate “nude” choice for people of other races. It is a subtle way of perpetuating white dominance in today’s society, and many people don’t even realize it is happening.

White privilege is still a very real occurrence. Here is a link to the article http://nymbp.org/reference/WhitePrivilege.pdf I strongly encourage you to read it. Which parts of the list do you find the most surprising or applicable, and what are your thoughts of the white privilege that still dominates our society?

Bubble It In

I am quite torn on the issue of affirmative action. I find myself agreeing with the arguments on both sides of the issue. I believe in the equality that affirmative action policies are trying to create however I am not sure it is the most effective solution to pursue, nor do I believe that it should be the only solution that is supported by the government. As we have discussed all semester, the situation we find ourselves in today is in all ways a product of the historical development of this country. There is plenty of research that shows that students who are supported by a generation or generations of college educated adults are more likely to pursue a college education. Additionally, individuals with a college education are more likely to be employed and or ‘earn’ a higher salary than individuals who do not possess this distinction. Lastly, at this point in time, it is quite clear to me that the “American Dream” is a myth. Hard work, while it is a very valuable skill and certainly can assist one in upward mobility, cannot make up for all other shortfalls or lack of opportunity an individual might be faced with overcoming. To reach a place where all children in the United States have equal privilege and opportunity to obtain a college degree, among other things, we must be doing more than just focusing on the admission rates into institutions of higher learning.

When it comes to Affirmative Action, I understand the need for our society to overcome admission and hiring biases that are the result of a legacy of violence against and oppression of minorities. I do wonder however how minorities, specifically African Americans feel about this policy. Are they in support of it or do they perceive increased racial tension or a doubting of their abilities within school or the workplace?

In thinking about the Affirmative Action policies in the United States I began to wonder how other countries navigate these waters. I did a little digging and found a lot of valuable information about similar Affirmative Action policies within other countries. Below I share a few quick summaries with you.

Canada: The Canadian Employment Equity Act states that employers in federally-regulated industries have to give preferential treatment to four designated groups: Women, people with disabilities, aboriginal people, and visible minorities. For example, in most Canadian Universities, people of Aboriginal background normally have lower entrance requirements and are eligible to receive exclusive scholarships.

Japan: In Japan, it is illegal to include sex, ethnicity, or other social background in criteria of the entrance exam used for admission to universities and all government positions.

You Can't Be What You Can't See

We have spent a great deal of this semester discussing the representation of African American individuals. From mestral plays, to slaves at auction, to individuals in non-violent protests during the Civil Rights movement, to more modern day representations in hip hop and pop culture (just to name a few). Recently I attending the screening of Miss Representation, a documentary film focused on the role of mainstream media in contributing to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. This film could have easily been about the under-representation of African Americans in positions of power and influence in America, for every one of their main points addressed this population as well. On the website a scrolling advertisement reads “You Can’t Be What You Can’t See”. This point was addressed in class discussion about the homogeneous nature of personalities and images that are presented in hip hop music about the roles of men, women, and African American men and women. When we are confronted with singular images and constructions of what it means to be black, to be male, to be female in main stream media, it is no wonder that Americans are struggling to be comfortable with their own unique identities.

Another point that hit home for me in this film was the discussion of the co modification of women. Similar to the process we discussed concerning the co modification of slaves, women are often treated as objects in main stream media. There is a profound lack of media literacy within this society and while there are clearly other pressing problems, this is not a bad way to start. It is becoming more and more important everyday that young and impressionable groups of people are able to see many different representations and embodiments of femininity, masculinity, ethnicity, and sexual orientation among other characteristics of diversity.

This film explicitly illustrated the effect the media has on a woman’s ability to see herself in a leadership position. This reminded me of the women interviewed in the film “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” who were perpetuating the stereotypes of bi***es and hoes as described with the lyrics of popular hip hop music. I think the same mind set and phenomenon could apply to many African American individuals who also do not have anywhere near enough representation of powerful (African American) individuals present in main stream media.

It is crucial to the health of our society that we understand how the media and the behind the scenes decisions affect to way specifically gender and race are represented in the media and how this impacts our culture. In many cases the media communicates and teaches stereotypes that only perpetuate the problem.

Hip Hop: A Cultural Aspect, A Way of Life

From the birth of this music genre, Hip Hop has always been used as a way for people, men especially, to tell a story. Whether it was Old School Hip-Hop, New School Hip-Hop, Golden Age Hip-Hop, or Gangsta Rap Hip-Hop, they all provided a lens for which to view their struggles and perspective of life. After Gangsta Rap was added as a new branch of hip-hop, it stole the media spotlight, and quickly changed how the public/fans viewed it. Gangsta rap hip-hop has been accused of glorifying violence, misogyny and homophobia, portraying men as hypersexual beings, and giving them a false since of power. Despite the negative influences gangsta rap exude, it was and still is the most lucrative of them all. Most rappers of this genre appeal to be hardcore and rich through their lyrics. This alone attracts other men, as well as women to their music. It seems as though being hardcore or being a “thug” validates one’s humanity, and deem them as “being real” in the society. Rappers such as 50 Cent, Tupac (R.I.P.), and Notorious B.I.G (R.I.P.) all rap about their life and actual hardships they had encountered; they all had been shot in the earlier years of their life. So, it was not as hard for them to gain respect from their fans because their lyrics literally reflected their life story. Though they gained the respect of their fans, they also influenced them negatively with the constant violence and degradation of women. In particular, many young men begin to directly relate to this lifestyle because rates of murder and rape skyrocketed. They began to look at women as animals and lower than human beings because they refer to them as b**ches and h**es, and only desire them to be half-naked in their videos. Not to mention, gangsta rappers consistently rap about how they are disgusted by homosexuals as if they are another species. So who’s to blame, the rappers, the media, or the industry as a whole? In my opinion, they all have a fault in how hip-hop has shifted and influenced its fans because one could not function without the other. I think they just sacrifice portraying the image of a positive person to gain more monetary value because that is what sells the most. After all, some just may be greedy, but some rappers just may be trying to attain a better life for himself as well as his family.