Reflection

With the first test being administered today, I have given a lot of thought to all the issues and topics we've covered over the semester. It's unfortunate to say, but I have been disappointed to talk about all of the negative stereotypes and struggles that women and minorities have had to face throughout history. Obviously, I knew of most of the injustices certain groups have had to face over time, but it's not until you look a layer or two deeper that you realize the hate that usually goes along with these injustices. I do think things today have improved ten-fold; however, anyone who thinks we are even close to equality would be mistaken. We have a long way to go.

Music in Popular Culture

“Just a Girl” –by No Doubt

Song was released as the lead single of the band’s third album, Tragic Kingdom, in 1995. The song itself is written about Stefani’s exasperation over female stereotypes, portraying women as weak and in need of a man to look after them. This is evident from lyrics such as:

“Take this pink ribbon off my eyes

I'm exposed

And it's no big surprise

Don't you think I know

Exactly where I stand

This world is forcing me

To hold your hand"

“Cause I'm just a girl, oh little ol' me

Well Don't let me out of your sight

Oh I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite

So don't let me have any rights”

I think this song holds a very significant place in pop culture because it’s rare that a song about such female empowerment would have the success this one did, especially in 1995. It was the lead single for the album, it made the Billboard Hot 100 list at #23.

Television

I was glad we were able to watch a couple of clips from Mad Men today in class. The show presents an extremely accurate portrayal of gender and race relations in the 50s and 60s – either fortunate if looked at for the purposes of the class or unfortunate if you look at it for its historical value in demonstrating how race and gender relations used to be.

We can hear all day long all of our lives how things used to be in the 50s and early 60s, but this show does a good job of depicting it in color, in a more modern TV show with more modern actors and actresses that we, as a society, can identify with more. I think that brings the issue a little closer to home than it would be to people otherwise – especially younger generations.

When we talked about the most common concerns surrounding the effects of TV, I was not surprised by most of these. Of course violence, sex, unrealistic images, gender and racial stereotypes, etc. have always been on the list – and of course will be more amplified when talked about children. Hopefully some of these concerns will change over the next few decades, specifically for women and minorities, because it’s honestly ridiculous to be dealing with such stereotypes in the 21st Century.

Another representation issue that should change in the next few years is that of gay characters on TV. In 2011, there were 33, which might sound like a lot but comparing that to the percentage of people in the country who are gay, it’s not really that much. Plus, it seems like most of the shows were gay characters are main characters are targeted at younger audiences for the most part. It’s not likely to see a gay main character in a show for older audiences.

Advertising

Advertising throughout the years, as it relates to gender and race, has been very similar to our previous discussions on stereotypes unfortunately. Women in ads early on were portrayed as unemployed, incapable of decision making, passive, weak, emotional and dependent of men. They also slowly became more and more thin and were portrayed more in the home than outside.

Ads over time have shown us what to wear, how to look (thin), women are objects, sex sells, female subordinate to male, violence is ok and female dismemberment. By female dismemberment, I mean showing only parts of the female body - not the whole - to sell products, largely using women as sex objects without a brain or personality. Females are also shown as being there only for male gaze, and photoshopped to death to make images appear even more unattainable.

The effects of this are deep-reaching in society for women and young girls. These types of ads directly result in eating disorders, lack of self esteem, violence against women and little girls/women being seen as sex objects or body parts.

When discussing ethnicity and minority groups, the results are similar. Stereotypes are used heavily: Unlce Ben’s Rice, Aunt Jamima syrup, Frito Bandido, Red Man Chew, Asian laundry-doers, Taco Bell Chihuahua, Native American car and team names, Asians and marital arts and portrayals of lazy shiftless Mexicans.

Sadly, learning of these details and stereotypes in ads didn't really surprise me for the most part. We are all kind of aware of them on a certain level, and crazy enough, we all seem to live with it.