Race, Gender and the Media: Week 8

I’ve never much cared for rap or music videos of any musical genre. I wasn’t surprised by what we watched in class, but it still makes me sick.

Thank God for the few and far between instances, like the TLC video. Too bad it’s not enough to break up the loud and blaring message girls get from society that drown them out. Parents have to be active in making sure their children get the correct message.

I’m glad mine were. I hope I’m able to get it across to my daughters, my little sister, and my niece and nephews. And any other children I come across.

Race, Gender and the Media: Week 7

“The More you Subtract, the More you Add,” freaked me out.

It’s amazing how I’ve been surrounded by ads like these my whole life, but never looked beneath the surface of “they’re using sex to sell.”

I’m so scared to raise two daughters in this society. And what’s even scarier, is that the U.S. probably has one of the least masogynistic societies in the world.

The British watch advertisement she talks about in this article? Makes me shudder.

Race, Gender and the Media: Week 6

I really enjoyed the class presentations. My favorite one was Ashley’s presentation about the gay club raids in the 60′s versus the ones in Fort Worth this last summer. I thought the differences between the coverage were a positive change, and show we’ve come a long way in a relatively short time.

Race, Gender and the Media: Week 5

Just by sheer coincidence, I happened to read the entire book, “Blink,” by Malcolm Gladwell last fall. I loved it. And this story about the auditions behind the curtain was one of my absolute favorites.

The whole dichotomy of the subconcious’ innerworkings is fascinating. It’s unbelievable to see how much of one’s thought process is ingrained by our socialization.

I think it would be really great if all job/school interviews and such were “behind the curtain,” if you will. People have subconcious leanings that are outside of their control. For example, non-Americanized, non-white names can be an immediate subconcious red flag for a potential employer.

People tend to pick things they can relate too. So what about having numbers on job applications rather than names? I know that in choosing doctors, when you don’t have much more than a name to go on, I go for American sounding names. Not because I’m consciously racist (I have got some serious white guilt) but because I just feel more comfortable with that choice.

Race, Gender and the Media: Week 4

The “Queen Bee” article has me thinking about why I myself sometimes feel sexist toward women. Both of these women must be intelligent and hard working, or they would not have made it as far as they did in this highly competitive industry. Contrary to popular belief, it does take more than a pretty face to make it in broadcast.

I know they had no control over what was written in the article itself, or how it was written, but they could easily have said, “look, I’m a professional and you will not portray me as a sexual object or put me in some silly, contrived pose.”

I’m angered by the fact that they allowed themselves to be photographed the way they were. I feel it is these actions (and in this context, this is one of the most minor violations women make) that make me have to work that much harder to gain respect from my male counterparts.

These stereotypes exist for a reason. It’s self fulfilling prophecy. And it drives me crazy. Women that are serious about being taken seriously have to break all kinds of ground and put up with all kinds of harrassment because of those who perpetuate the perception of females as vain, shallow sex objects, who are either dumb or manipulatively conniving.

If all women would step up and act like responsible and intelligent citizens of society, this problem would be quickly eradicated. You can only blame (white) men for so much. At some point, women (and minorities in similar situations) need to accept the cards they were dealt and take the responsibility upon themselves to break the cycle.

Race, Gender and the Media: Week 3

The examples of sexism toward women in the media that we saw and discussed in class this week are what scare the living hell out of me when it comes to raising my two kids. Who both happen to be girls.

I do believe family is the most important function of the forming of a person’s character, and in that respect I don’t worry too much. My daughters have an amazing, doting father who loves them to pieces. 

And I am a strong-willed, independent woman with loud opinions I just can’t keep to myself, much less from my girls as they get old enough to discuss issues.

But as an intelligent, feminist adult even I am unable to keep these images and depictions of women from altering my self-perception. It disgusts me, but it’s true.

And if I have to fight off the affects of the media portrayl of women I can only imagine the toll it will take on impressionable young girls and teenagers.

Forty percent of nine and ten-year-old girls in this country have tried to lose weight? Go freaking figure.

Race, Gender and the Media: Week 2

I thought the exercise we did in class in which we were to group up with people who we thought were “like us” and then merge that group with one that was not “like us,” was enlightening.

Even after we merged, everyone in our group was a woman. I thought that was a little telling. Another thing I found interesting was within myself. When we were to find someone “like us,” I did look for other women, but race was not on my radar at all.

I’m a tomboy, and I was hunting for other women who, like me,  seemed to put less time into their appearance. I had a hard time finding any. I’m married with two children and have had people ask me whether I’m a lesbian several times throughout my life.

I noted, with irony that I was grouped up with a few women who said they were, in fact lesbians. I think it’s interesting that so many women feel the need to put as much time into hair and make up as they do.

I actually got in trouble at one of my past jobs for my refusal to wear makeup. I said if the men who worked there weren’t required to, I shouldn’t be either. I wasn’t there much longer after that.

Just some random thoughts.

Race Gender and the Media: Week 1

Wow. So much to think about already. The first thing I have to say is, the stereotyping and discrimination is getting better. It may not seem obvious outside of a university setting right now, but it is. Just look at our class. It’s so diverse, and everyone gets along. We were all sympathizing with one another’s cop stories. This has not really been the case in the past, due to the mass majority of students and even uneducated American citizens being white.

At the end of last semester, a group of students in my class decided to grab lunch together. In this group, there was an Indian woman, a Jewish man, a Muslim man, one hispanic man and one Catholic hispanic woman, a woman who is half black and half white, and two white women. Over lunch we discussed our cultural differences with a great interest and respect for one another. This is something to be proud of. Our society gets more tolerant with every generation.

On another note, I really liked the Austin TV station’s experiment. I feel like citizens would come away from a newscast with a much more positive impression if reporters didn’t capitalize from every rape and murder that doesn’t still have a public safety concern.

What important issues are facing the city council? How about a positive story about a small business owner who opened during a recession and managed to make something of it their first year in business? (I’m sure if someone looked hard enough they would find it.)

I hope to be a news director someday, and if I make it, I want to be very discerning about the stories I choose to tell. Hopefully logistics, time constraints, and all important ratings don’t get in  my way.

Soundslides—family football

Decision ’08 news Web sites

So I’ll probably get myself in trouble for doing this, but I’m a radio girl, and NPR is probably the top radio news source in the country. KERA held a special place in my heart during the 2008 presidential election, so I’m going to break ranks by talking about their Web site during the election, rather than a paper.

I’ve been addicted to U.S. politics for going on five years now, and I’ve been a faithful public radio listner for just as long. There’s a quality about radio that’s almost poetic, and old timey that captures my heart. But because its only an aural medium, a station’s Web site is all the more important.

The last presidential election particularly intrigued me, because both candidates are competent men who really seem to have the best interest of the country at heart, regardless of their political ideology.

Last year we lived with my brother-in-law, and election night consisted of two of my in-laws arguing ignorantly on either side of the isle in front of the TV in the living room. So I snuck off into my room, turned the radio tuner to my trusty 90.1, and got on-line to watch the states change colors on the map.

I know the political map of the U.S. with states coming in red and blue is cliche and overdone, but it’s the most exciting interactive tool that could be used during the election.

I had read The Audacity of Hope several months before the election, and Obama had me at the first chapter. Say what you will about him but the man has a great gift of inspiration.

Watching the states turn blue, one after the other — and states that hadn’t been blue in decades if ever—while listening to the wall to wall election coverage over the airwaves was an amazing experience.

When they called it, I got goose bumps and teared up. Given the circumstances this was not an uncommon reaction to the results, but I’m not a very emotional person. I know the outcome itself was something to be touched by, but something about the way I recieved the information, the atmosphere between the radio and the interactive map on the Web site really made it special for me.

USA Today and other news organizations may have had more interactive outlets, but sometimes bells and whistles distract and are too much. The simplicity of the map and the audio was beautiful and touching, while efficiently delivering the information it was created to deliver.