my local highschool WOULD be the "Redskins"

Almost every Saturday morning my family and I have pancakes for breakfast (whole wheat with dark chocolate chips is my personal favorite, yum!). And yes - we use Aunt Jemima pancake mix. [I just checked the fridge to see if we use her syrup as well, only to find "Mrs. Butterworth's." Woops!] Anyway, it never really fazed me that Aunt Jemima was, well, black. I mean, if you asked me what race she was I would know, but I never really had a second thought about what that meant. When I googled "Aunt Jemima images," I was shocked to see what she used to be portrayed as.

The stereotypical image of the black mammy - especially combined with the type of language used in the blurb - is definitely racist. Just because her image has become more politically correct over the years (she's prettier and lost weight) that doesn't take away from what Aunt Jemima originally stood for. However, the use of race (or gender, lifestyle, etc.) seems to be kind of unavoidable if we're going to use images of people on products or advertisements. I'm not saying that that justifies the racist image of Aunt Jemima. But, for example, wouldn't it also be considered sexist to have an image of a housewife in an apron making the pancakes? Although Aunt Jemima is an obvious example of stereotypical representation in advertisements, others might not be so clear. As a society compiled of many different races, ethnicities, and lifestyles, advertisers are going to constantly try to relate to niche markets. So if representations of people continue to be used, this sort of stereotyping seems almost unavoidable.

With that being said, it's obviously not an excuse for racist representations to be used. So - moving on to Native American sport team names. I personally don't even see why there is an argument here. I mean, if the majority of Native Americans (81% according to the optional-reading article) are offended by these team names/mascots why is it even a question? Whether these sports teams' names are honorable and courageous or racist and disrespectful is not for the white majority to decide. UGH!! I'm actually doing my race essay on Native Americans' representation in the media, and the main theme that I've found is that their story is and has continually been written by the White mainstream society. And this subject of mascots just reinforces that.

I actually live right down the street from my district's high school, and they are the "Neshaminy Redskins." I've heard talk for a few years now that they are going to change that, but I'm not sure if that has happened yet. I'm going to look into that, actually. Speaking of which - redskins is definitely the name that irks me the most. I mean, how can you NOT see the racism in that? Ugh!

Wanting to be a part of the hip-hop culture is something that I can personally relate to. I've pretty much lived in the suburbs all of my life. However, my church/school was located in Northeast Philadelphia. Although that is still quite suburbian, a good amount of my classmates were from more inner parts of the city. Because of that, I was able to experience more diversity than I would if I went to school where I live in Bucks County. Most of the kids that were from the city were a part of this hip-hop culture. Well, they at least walked and talked the part of it. Some of them were black, but most of them weren't. Three or four of these students just happened to be the cutest and most popular boys in our grade, and that seemed to be the case in other grades as well. So starting in 6th grade, it seemed as though my entire school tried to transform into being part of the hip-hop culture.

Throughout junior high and the beginning of high school things just intensified. Rap was everyone's music of choice. All of the boys wore their baggy jeans, diamond earrings, and chain necklaces. The girls wore big hoop earrings and scrunched their hair to make it curly (or just crunchy). And everyone who was anyone had a pair of Timberland boots. On the weekends my group of friends hung out at the Palace roller skating rink, where the truly hip-hop kids hung out. I remember trying so hard to "play it cool" to fit in with them because they were like...celebrities to me. This trend, I guess you could call it, stuck around all through high school. My close friends and I phased out of it just as we entered into high school, but there was certainly a huge majority of my classmates that remained as part of the hip-hop culture.

Okay, so it looks like I went off on a tangent. Woops! I guess I needed to fully remember what those days were like to get where I'm going. When I think back, I can honestly say that the main thing that led to this desire to fit in to the hip-hop culture was the fact that it was part of the counter-culture (although I didn't realize that at the time). As a blonde haired, blue eyed, Christian white girl from the suburbs, it made me feel less like a goodie-two-shoes and more like a cool, rebellious teen. And the more I was in on the popular clothes and music, the more empowered I felt. It was almost like there was a competition between everyone as to who could be the most genuinely hip-hop. It's so weird to come to that realization, but that's really how it was.

Looking back on my particular group of friends and social environment, mostly all of us where white. There were maybe 5 black kids in my grade at school, and even less when we would go to the hip-hop Mecca - Palace roller skating rink. It really was as though the hip-hop culture was transformed into a white institution, at least where I was coming from. But at the same time, there was that knowledge that what we were wearing and listening to was certainly derived from the black community.

I agree with Kitwana that my group of white friends did not want to be black. We didn't have anything against black people - they were in fact the people that we were trying to emulate. But the hip-hop culture (the one that I grew up in, at least) did seem to promote whiteness. Like I said earlier, there were not many black people to counter this, so the hip-hop trend was actually more of a "white" thing.

Okay, so I failed miserably at providing an image or video to analyze. But I really wanted to give my two cents since I've "been there," sort of. One last thing. I few months ago I ran into the cutest, most popular boy from junior high that I mentioned earlier. He looked completely different. His attire was straight out of a Gap ad. I couldn't believe that our "king" of the hip-hop culture from junior high and high school made such a transformation! But then we started talked, and I realized that although his clothes were different, the way he talked and acted was definitely still hip-hoppish. I can't really explain how or why, but it was. I find that interesting because it kind of shows that the hip-hop culture doesn't just lie in what a person dresses like or the music they listen to. It's kind of a whole demeanor or lifestyle. And once again, I think that that comes back to the feeling of empowerment that comes with the hip-hop culture.

Okay, so Hooks article was shocking. But besides the title of the article, it wasn't exactly the language used that I found shocking - it was the realization of how sexualized black women really are. I feel so naive! While I do realize that most representations of black women are very sexual, I sort of assumed that that was the case for all women. But the difference is that while many white woman are sexualized in this way, we are also provided with many *other* images and representations of white women.

Take the music industry, for example. Sure, there are the Britney Spears' and Madonnas who many people would argue are the queens of sexploitation. But then there is a large number of (very successful) white female artists who are considered wholesome, "the girl next door," or even motherly figures - i.e. Barbara Streisand, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, etc. I do think that mostly all women artists are pushed at least in some point of their career to sexify themselves. But - it seems as though white women have more of a choice in the matter than black women do.

My favorite black female music artists are Rihanna, Alicia Keys, and Beyonce, all of which have either been sexualized from the start or moved towards that image as their career progressed. Beyonce was sexualized from the moment she stepped onto the scene as a member of Destiny's Child. She was in her teens at the time. Unlike Britney Spears, who went from the seemingly girl-next-door image to dressing like a dominatrix (literally), Beyonce was portrayed as a sex-symbol from the start. As I've watched her career progress, especially with her most recent performances and music videos, Beyonce's sexualized clothing and (more specifically) suggestive dance moves are certainly in line with Hooks' stance on black female representation. In fact, in the first image below, notice that the members of Destiny's Child are wearing a jungle-woman sort of costume - that exoticism that Hook often refers to.

And then there is Rihanna, who seems to have started out in a much more wholesome way than Beyonce did. If my memory serves me correctly, her first few songs released (when she looked like the first image below) were not entirely successful. However, around the time that Rihanna became more sexualized and had more edgy songs and music videos, her career took off. What is interesting about Rihanna is that her image was not just sexualized, but it was done in a very fantastical way. She became visually appealing in the sense that her sexual presence was extreme and quite bizarre. I feel like that kind of emphasizes Hook's point about the otherness and almost distorted-ness of the black female.

Although the following quote is describing black models, to me it also related to Rihanna's new image: "Reinscribed as spectacle, once again on display, the bodies of black women appearing in these magazines are not there to document the beauty of black skin, or black bodies, but rather to call attention to other concerns....their features are often distorted, their bodies contorted into strange and bizarre postures that make the images appear monstrous or grotesque. They seem to represent an anti-aesthetic, one that mocks the very notion of beauty. Often black female models appear in portraits that make them look less like humans and more like mannequins or robots."

race and comedy, a perfect match?

I really enjoyed reading Acham's article because it was an easy read, and it was related to aspects of media that I am familiar with. Specifically, I can remember Chris Rock's rise in popularity. At the time I was too young to realize the importance of his representation and talk about African Americans. But now that I look back, I realize that he seemed to pave the way for many other black comedians to take on issues of race.

With that being said, Chris Rock definitely took a more blatantly political/ideological stance on race issues. He still used comedy, but he was also like an activist of sorts. Although I am not entirely caught up on comedy these days, it seems as though most comedians still take a strictly comedic stance on race issues. However, the presence of racism against other African Americans is definitely still prominent.

A black comedian that I am familiar with is Katt Williams. If my memory serves me correctly, he often pokes fun at other African Americans. But while I was searching for videos of him on YouTube I came up with a video from Guy Torrey. I must admit I've never heard of him or seen his comedy, but the video I found does seem to provide an example of what I'm talking about.



Interestingly, Torrey makes fun of African Americans by comparing them to white people. He basically says that black people spend their money on things to look good, i.e. a nice car and nice clothes, but in reality they are still poor and living in their grandmom's basement. He also makes fun of white people for the opposite offense: white people are rich and have nice houses but they don't give a crap about what they look like. Although he is making fun of both races, it seems to me that the assessment of black people is more harsh. Maybe I just feel that way because I'm white - I don't know. It just seems more insulting to say that black people are not only bad with money but they also pretend to be more wealthy than they are. And isn't it reinforcing the stereotype of black people being poor and lazy? I would think so. And I feel like many white people, whether subconciously or not, use this type of comedy to support their preconceived assumptions about black people.

I wonder what Chris Rock would think about this type of comedy. I mean, it seems as though he's the first person to admit that there are black people who fit into certain stereotypes. But what about the issue of black comedians sort of reinforcing that? Is Rock guilty of that as well? To be honest, hearing some of the things Chris Rock says and stands for does reinforce some of my own preconceived notions. And to be completely honest, while reading Acham's article I caught myself thinking, "wow, Chris Rock is thinking like a white person." I hate that I thought that - even if for a split second. It really is such a touchy subject. Like, white people making fun of each other isn't even questionable, it's fine. And black people making fun of white people is okay too. It's usually hilarious. But when it comes to black people making fun of each other - well, is our society ready for that yet? Obviously they have every right to do so, but is it in turn making white people think it's okay to hold those views of black people as well now?

Did I do that?!

Reading Coleman's assessment of Blacks in the media has been a very interesting and sometimes shocking experience. I feel naive to never realize how distorted the images of black people in the media are. Watching that documentary in class about black people in film just added to my dismay. No wonder discrimination and prejudice is still present today! And the sad part is that many people don't even realize that they are engaging in racists behaviors and mindsets, and I myself am guilty of this. I'm sure of it.

I liked the second part of the Coleman reading because it was closer to my lifetime, so I could more easily follow what she was saying. I have watched many of the Black sitcoms she spoke about. Shows Family Matter, the Cosby Show, and Fresh Prince of Bel Air were all watched by a large white audience. I mean, I can't say I know statistics or anything, but mostly all of my white friends enjoyed those shows - in fact, they were some of their favorites (my best friend Leah watched Cosby every day, without fail!). I personally would list Family Matters as one of my favorite TV shows, alongside with Full House, Saved by the Bell, and Step by Step. And interestingly, I never really realized that the Winslows were actually black...

So my question is, is the portrayal of black families as being seemingly exactly like white families helpful or harmful to society? I would assume that it could be helpful in the sense that it may have helped break down barriers between blacks and whites. From a young age, shows like Family Matters showed me that not only are black people just like me, but they're even funnier and more fun than my family is.

But at the same time, do these shows portray reality? I really don't know. I'm sure there black families that are like the Huxtables and the Winslows. But they aren't all like that, in the same way that all white families aren't like the Tanners (from Full House). In that sense, we're never going to get a full portrayal of reality through television shows. *But* I do think that there's a difference between getting a realistic view of white people and black people on TV because, well, have we ever really gotten a realistic portrayal of black people through the media? Once again, I don't know. It's actually very disheartening to realize that as a white person, the majority of my ideas about black people are from the media, which, based on the Coleman reading is very distorted.

I find it really interesting that the character who made Family Matters especially popular, Steve Urkel, was a huge nerd. I could be wrong about this, but aren't nerds usually a white stereotype? It makes me wonder if having the character of Steve the nerd was a purposeful move to draw in a white audience. It sure worked for me, because for some reason I thought Steve Urkel was the funniest character ever! And I remember growing up having "did I do that?" being a humorous term often used by my family members (especially my dad...haha, duh dad!). And embarrassingly enough, I actually wrote a fan letter to Urkel and received this postcard in the mail:

Even more embarrassing is that I actually had that picture uploaded on my computer, haha!

Once again, I kind of feel like I have no right making these assumptions because they are just that...assumptions. And sometimes I feel like all the research and expert opinions in the world couldn't really answer my question(s) about race in the media. But at least I'm trying to learn. That's gotta be a step in the right direction, right?

Geez, Louise.

Okay, so I admit it. I really only watched Thelma and Lousie because I knew a (half-naked) Brad Pitt was in it. And for the extra credit points, of course!

But I've got to say, I liked the film a lot more than I anticipated. I always thought it was a chick flick for middle-aged...chicks, but I never realized the political/ideological aspects of it. I found myself really rooting for the two women, especially because they were so royally screwed over by men throughout the film. I mean, even the polite, young Brad Pitt who finally showed Thelma a good time and seemed like he could do no harm turned around and stole their money...then turned them in to the cops. Ugh!

The rape scene was obviously the most difficult part to watch. I caught myself gasping and almost covering my eyes. I don't even have to explain why. I'm sure most women would say that they don't blame Louise for shooting that bastard. I personally would've shot him in the leg or something, but that's just me. I also would've turned myself in right after the shooting occured, but that's only because I have the optomism (or, naivity) to think that the authorities would believe me in saying that he attempted rape. When Louise pointed out that no one would believe them (since Thelma was dancing with him all night, no physical evidence) my heart dropped because I knew she was right. What a horrible, frightening thought.

While I can't condone the decisions the women made after that, I can't at all say that I blame them. It's like, once you've killed a man, why give a crap about anything else? Especially if no one...including your own husband...gives a crap about you. In that sense, I feel like the film itself is like a metaphor for the feminist movement. There's comes a point where we can't just sit around and hope that society will begin treating us as equals. It's no wonder that some forms of feminism have become so radical - it's because of losers like Darryl and Harlan...because YES, those men actually do exist.

I think that the ending was very fitting. Thelma and Louise knew that they had to end things on their own terms. They were never going to get a chance to explain themselves anyway, so why give themselves over to dozens of male police officers? Clearly their actions spoke way louder than any words could have - words that they probably wouldn't have even gotten to say.

"He could be a crackhead"

I'm sure by now pretty much everyone has seen the YouTube video of "Leprechaun in Alabama." It's probably one of the most popular YouTube videos out there. It's even been featured on one of my favorite television shows, The OReilly Factor :):)

The video shows the people of Mobile, Alabama who are convinced that there is a leprechaun in their town. What makes this video so funny is that it seems as though these people truly believe that there is a leprechaun. Their reactions make it easy to make fun of them.

The problem lies in the fact that every single person in this video, with the exception of the male news anchor, is African American. I don't know whether Mobile is a predominantly black town, but the video gives that impression. The video also gives the impression that these people are naive and unintelligent. So is this video harmful to the Black community? It is supporting a previously held stereotype or creating a new one?

It's hard for me to say this about this video because I do find it to be humorous - and that has nothing to do with these people's race. However, I would really like to hear the perspective of an African American person. Clearly this video provides a false representation of black people. Although most people would consider it to be harmless because it's for humurous purposes, I think it would be quite ignorant to assume that this video is not promoting a certain stereotype.

Now, if this exact video included all white people, I would still find humor in it. I also wouldn't be upset that it was giving a particular representation for white people. But - that's easy for me to say because "hicks" or "white trash" are not the typical stereotype of Caucasians. African Americans, however, have constantly battled the stereotype that Barker provided. "Within the west, people of color have often been represented as a series of problems, objects, and victims....unable to think or act for themselves, people of color are not held to be capable of inititating activity or of controlling their own destiny" (264).

Like I said, I really need the perspective of African Americans on this one. In fact, I want to know what they think about their representation in the media in general, whether it's videos like this or the "good" examples like the Cosby Show...