The Last One...

Well, this is my last blog for TV, Minorities and Cultural Diversity and I have to say that of all of the courses I have taken here at BSC, this one was definitely one of the most beneficial. When I signed up for this course, I thought it sounded interesting, but I never expected to learn as much as I have. This class in particular has been incredibly eye-opening and its been great talking to you all on the discussion boards and gaining a better understanding of different cultural issues in the media that I knew very little about just a few short months ago. I am generally a visual learner, so I love classes that involve screenings and such, and I think I can honestly say that every one of the screenings in this class was absolutely fascinating. The class as a whole has made me more consciously aware of stereotypes and cultural limitations in television and has caused me to pay closer attention to the cultural issues present in the media that I use regularly. Anyway... I have thoroughly enjoyed this class and hope to continue learning more about racial and ethnic matters related to media in the future. Good luck everyone!

Stereotyping in "The Office"?

I wrote my final paper for class on the cultural representations in The Office and what those portrayals project to viewers. I originally intended to include a discussion about Grey’s Anatomy as well, but to stay within the assigned page count, there was a last minute change of plans and only The Office ended up in the paper. I love this show and have always thought of it as being relatively diverse, but when I actually stepped back and watched the show from a more critical viewpoint and compared the portrayals of the minority characters to some of the stereotypes discussed in the literature review, I was a little surprised by how many stereotypes there actually were. It seemed like a lot of the minority representation came through guest roles rather than main characters, which I guess I never really paid attention to before and I honestly never really read too much into some of the personality traits associated with characters like Stanley and Oscar for example, but they make a lot more sense now. I don’t know if it is the fact that the stereotypes are a bit shielded by the comedic aspect of the show, but for some reason, I did not pick up on the level of stereotyping until I was actively seeking it out.

What do you guys think? Do stereotypes come across as being less significant when they are used in comedy or do people just not realize what they are seeing?

Tiger Woods and Celebrity Coverage in the Media...

So I know a ton of people have written about this already, but how can I not mention the whole Tiger Woods situation? I mean, its been weeks since the story surfaced and its still all over the media. It seems like every time I turn on the television I hear something about one of his many mistresses, his cancelled appearances, debates over whether his wife should stand by him, questions about the future of his endorsement deals, and about a million other topics related to Tiger Woods. I don’t really understand why so much focus is put on celebrities personal lives in the media. If it were only on shows like E! News and TMZ, that would be understandable, but it seems like entertainment news is slowly infiltrating other aspects of the media as well, to the point where celebrity based stories are made to be just as important as hard hitting journalism. Maybe it is the fact that certain people are perceived as such great role models and when they hit a rough patch, it comes across as newsworthy? I don’t know… what does everyone else think? Why do celebrity news stories, such as Tiger Woods infidelity, get made out to be so important in the media?

Fort Hood Tragedy Raising Questions About Muslim Religion?

One issue that has been a major topic recently and that is somewhat relevant to class is the tragedy at Fort Hood. This is something that has been covered extensively in the media and one thing that I noticed was that many news reports seem to be putting a lot of focus on the shooter’s religious beliefs and the fact that he was Muslim. I read one article that said Nidal Malik Hasan, who is responsible for the shootings had gotten into arguments with his colleagues over religion and may have been ridiculed by some of his peers because of his religious beliefs, which may have contributed to his actions. However, does it seem fair that the media is bringing so much attention to the shooter’s religion as his potential motive for doing what he did? There are many people who follow Muslim beliefs and are not vicious, violent people. Based on everything else that has been said about Hasan, he was obviously mentally unstable and was influenced by more than just Muslim religious beliefs. It is sad that attention is being taken away from those who were victims of this horrible tragedy, and put on the idea that religion was a main motive. It is equally as unfair for those who are good people and just happen to practice the same religion. What does everyone else think?

And the Happiest People on Earth Are...

Okay, so I was just thinking about an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show that I saw last month that set out to find the happiest people in the world and while this does not necessarily relate to race in the media, it was an interesting report about different cultures and what makes people truly content in life. Some of the cities around the world that were chosen as having some of the happiest citizens on Earth included Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, Istanbul and Dubai. However, one that really stood out was Copenhagen, Denmark where people are said to be happier than most others around the world. Oprah went to Copenhagen to find out what makes people in Denmark so happy and discovered that things like unemployment and homelessness are almost nonexistent, healthcare is free, and people actually get paid to go to college… how amazing is that? In addition, people in Denmark are very aware of their effect on the environment and take active steps to make a difference, with many people using bicycles as their main mode of transportation. Most people also avoid all the clutter and live in very simple, serene homes. Geez, how could people living there not be happy? Anyway, I just thought this was interesting because it goes to show how much of an influence different cultures and ways of living around the world can have on those who experience them regularly.

Sammy Sosa is White? What?

I don’t know if you all have seen the images, but there have been pictures on television, online, pretty much everywhere, showing well known baseball player Sammy Sosa with two very different appearances. In the first, Sosa looks just as he did in his MLB glory days. In the second however, his skin looks shockingly white. Supposedly, the change in skin color is the result of a reaction to some kind of rejuvenation process, but there have been no shortage of theories and stereotypical, race related jokes about it in the media... among them, Michael Jackson comparisons and tacky comments about professional athletes and the relation of race to their sports skills. On a different note, someone speaking as a representative for Sosa attempted to explain the new color of his skin by suggesting the lighting at the time the photographs were taken contributed to the confusion. Hmmmm… could lighting really make that much of a difference? I guess anything is possible, but that doesn’t really seem like a logical explanation, does it?

Has anyone else seen this? Any thoughts?

Las Madres...

Of all the screenings shown for class thus far this semester, I think one that really left an impression on me was the documentary Las Madres. If I’m being honest, I actually found this one to be a bit difficult to watch at times because the events being recalled were so shocking, but the film was very eye-opening, to say the least. I had absolutely no idea that such atrocities were taking place in Argentina just a few decades ago. The fact that these people were putting themselves in harms way each time they took a walk down the street was absolutely mind boggling. How can anyone justify kidnapping an innocent person and holding them captive simply because they express views that may be different from the government, or because a few select people feel that they are a threat?

The most powerful moment in the film was undoubtedly the ex naval officers admissions regarding what happened to those who were kidnapped and how, once they were no longer wanted, they would be drugged and thrown from an airplane, or have their bodies cut to fit into an oven and burned, which ultimately drove the unlucky man assigned to this job to reach the point of insanity. The stories told by the mothers in this film were absolutely heart wrenching as well. Nobody should ever have to go through what these people went through, spending each day wondering what happened to their loved ones and whether or not they would ever see them again. At the same time however, the strength that these women displayed was quite impressive. They knew that by fighting back against authority figures and doing what they could to find answers and hold those responsible accountable for their actions, that they were essentially putting themselves in danger, but they took a stand anyway, which took a great deal of courage and was very inspiring to see.

What did everyone else think of the film?

Tracy Morgan Faces Discrimination?

I was watching E! News and heard a story about 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan writing a memoir. Normally I wouldn't think to relate writing a book to a TV minorities class, but one thing that caught my attention was that in the book, Morgan claims that some of his former fellow Saturday Night Live cast members were not very friendly to him during his days on the show. He calls out Chris Kattan and Cheri Oteri specifically, and mentions that they always looked at him differently than some of the others on the show at that they treated him as thought he was beneath them in some way. I mean, obviously, their opinions of him could have stemmed from anything... maybe they didn't like his personality, or maybe they just aren't friendly people by nature, but I couldn't help but wonder whether race had anything to do with the sense of discrimination that he felt from two of his peers. I don't know if I would have even considered the possibilty that race might have been a factor, had I not signed up for this class, but after I saw the story, I was kind of curious as to what Morgan was referring to with his comments. Any thoughts?

Hispanic Students & College Education...

So the supplemental article sent out that pertained to the subject matter of our class, titled “Hispanic Students Aspire to Higher Education but Face Barriers”, talked about college age students of Hispanic descent and some of the potential reasons why Hispanic students are not as likely to follow through with a college education. The article mentions that many of these students believe that having a college degree is not only something they are interested in, it is something that they feel is essential in having a solid career later on in life, yet not as many students actually finish their degree. The possible reasons for this were described as a lack of involvement in the process of advancing education from students’ families, as well as some hesitance to sacrifice being able to provide for their families in order to afford a college education.

While this has obviously been shown to be true of Hispanic students in particular for this article, I think the same struggles often apply to people of other ethnicities as well. I know a couple of people that are different races who have left college because they could not afford to pursue their education and support themselves or their families at the same time. I also know someone who put off going to college for years because they did not have help from their family. The difficulties discussed in the article are significant and seem like things that people of any race can relate to in one way or another.

Chicano History and I Am Joaquin...

Okay, so last week, we started reading the Noriega text and watched the short film version of I Am Joaquin. I have to say that one of the biggest things that I took away from last week was the fact that I really knew nothing about Chicano history, nor had I really even heard much of the term “Chicano” before. Based on the discussion boards, many other people in the class seemed to feel the same way, which I thought was kind of interesting. It seems a little strange that with all we are taught growing up about racial issues in this country (the civil rights movement, for example), that we have no real understanding of Chicano history. I think that this is in some way due to the fact that when we think of the term “minorities”, we automatically assume that it is in reference to African Americans. We don’t think as much about some of the past struggles faced by people of other ethnicities, which seem to be just as important. Getting into the new textbook and hearing the powerful words in I Am Joaquin has made me more aware of the fact that I need to pay closer attention to other race related issues that I had not given much thought to before.

Good and Bad Hair / Burn, Hollywood, Burn...

So… I will admit that I am a bit behind on the blog posts, so I’m going back a couple of weeks with this, but some of the screenings that I thought were kind of interesting were the music videos, specifically Good and Bad Hair and the outspoken Public Enemy video for Burn, Hollywood, Burn.

Good and Bad Hair was really eye-catching because it manages to tackle subject matter that is somewhat race related and can be a personal and sensitive topic for people, but did so in a lighthearted manner. The type of hair a person is born with is part of who they are and should not be something that people are judged on. Nobody should have to feel insecure or self conscious about their appearances or personal characteristics so to see the topic presented in such an upbeat, good natured manner was interesting.

Taking a bit of a different approach, Burn, Hollywood, Burn showcases a hostile opinion of portrayals of African Americans in Hollywood. It references the entertainment industry’s representations of African Americans as slaves, butlers, maids, etc. and shows white actors on screen applying black face paint to portray African American characters, showcasing an obvious disgust with Hollywood and its handling of race related issues on screen. The funny thing about the video is that one of the featured rappers is Ice Cube, who as I’m sure everyone knows by now, has made quite a career in the entertainment industry… A little ironic? I think so.

Racial Tensions in the 40's...

So, I was talking to grandmother the other day and she happened to ask me about school and asked what classes I was taking and I mentioned this class and was telling her about the two films we had seen, Color Adjustment and Eyes on the Prize. Well, this started a conversation on her memories of segregation and the distinct divisions between races when she was growing up in the Midwest, which normally would have been shocking to me, but after seeing both of the documentaries assigned for class, just seemed like more sad reminders of a dark chapter in our country's history.

One of the things she mentioned was that when she attended high school in the 1940's, there was one black man who worked as a janitor at the school and she told me that the teachers had a separate mug just for him in the faculty lounge because nobody wanted to use the one that had been used by a black man beforehand. As if that weren't bad enough, she had said that when she and her friends used to take the late bus home from school, they would see people run from the bus to their homes if there were black men around because they were so afraid of them. This seems crazy to me! Why were people so afraid of anyone who had a different appearance than them? It is so incredibly disheartening hearing about the ways that black people were treated in this country simply because of the color of their skin. I just can't understand what was going through people's heads at the time that made them feel as though they were better than others just because of their race.

Anyway, some of the things that she was talking about really left an impression on me, so I just thought it was worth mentioning briefly...

The Cosby Show...

Okay, so I just finished watching two episodes of The Cosby Show, which I have never really seen before aside from brief clips here and there, and I have to say that I thought the show was fantastic. I ended up watching two episodes from season two because I had trouble finding full episodes from other seasons. It would have been interesting to compare episodes from different years, but both episodes were very entertaining anyhow.

The second episode I chose was called "The Dentist" and one of the things that caught my attention in the episode was the character of Dr. Burns. I thought this particular character was interesting because he kind of turned the tables on one of the stereotypes suggested in Color Adjustment. In last weeks documentary, one of the racial stereotypes mentioned was the portrayal of African American men as really wacky personality types, which I discussed in my last blog entry as well. However, in this particular episode of The Cosby Show, it was the character of Dr. Burns, a white man, who was portrayed as the goofy character that seemed to be meant for easily pulling laughter from the audience. I thought that, as it relates to this particular stereotype, the role reversal was interesting to see. A few weeks ago, I probably wouldn't have even thought twice about this character and I could be completely wrong about this, but having seen the documentary and the explanation of such stereotypes, I thought it might be something worth mentioning.

Color Adjustment...

The second screening of the semester, Color Adjustment, was really quite interesting. One of the most significant things that stuck with me after watching the documentary was the subtle nature in which many shows managed to work certain stereotypes into their storylines that, had they not been pointed out specifically, I never would have noticed. Things such as the portrayal of African American men as goofy, nonsensical characters, or the tendency to refrain from portraying African American women in careers that strayed too far from domestic duties.

The documentary made me think a lot about some of the shows that I grew up with and the ways in which characters of different ethnicities were portrayed. More current television programs seem to be pretty diverse and tend to portray characters of different backgrounds equally. Shows like The Office, Grey's Anatomy and plenty of others are culturally diverse programs that do not typecast characters based on ethnicity. However, I can't say the same for the shows that I used to watch growing up. Having been made more aware of some of the racial stereotypes present in television, I can recall many occasions where such stereotypes came into play. Looking back, I can see plenty of examples in Family Matters, which I used to watch all the time. Whether it be through clumsy Steve Urkel causing trouble, or Harriet and Rachel struggling to establish successful careers, some of the stereotypes are clearly present. Watching Color Adjustment has made me more consciously aware of such stereotypes that I probably wouldn't have picked up on otherwise.

Eyes on the Prize...

Okay, so I know I am a little late with a post on the first screening of the semester, but better late than never, right? I have to say, I found Eyes on the Prize to be a real wake up call. I hate to sound repetitive because I think I may have mentioned something to this effect on the discussion board as well, but I was honestly shocked to see the extent to which racial tensions existed in this country right up through the eighties.

Obviously, one part of the documentary that really left an impression on me was the segment on the busing situation that took place in Boston. Having lived a half hour away from Boston my entire life, I couldn't believe that I had never really learned about the issue before this semester. I mean, yeah I can recall the subject being mentioned briefly by my parents, but I never fully understood the severity of the Boston busing situation. The violence that erupted over the attempt to integrate the school systems was absolutely horrifying to me and the fact that anyone would ever feel as though they had the right to mistreat someone because of the color of their skin or the fact that they wanted an equal opportunity to get a good education is completely unjust. I have heard people in the past explain racial tensions simply by saying, "thats just how it was back then", but as someone who has lived in a highly diverse city for as long as I can remember, I can't even imagine treating someone with disrespect because of their appearance, their culture, or anything of that nature. In my opinion, "thats just how it was back then" doesn't seem like a reasonable justification for what went on.

Anyway, I think that actually seeing a firsthand account of some of the racial conflicts that took place through Eyes on the Prize was an eye-opening experience, to say the least, and is something that I have learned a great deal from.