Toni Morrison and bell hooks - Society and the Media
analytical Essay
1074 words
Toni Morrison and bell hooks - Society and the Media
There is a lot of misrepresentation of the black society as a whole in the media. The reason that this is true is because the mostly white society accepts this and prolongs s this misrepresentation in the media. Toni Morrison and bell hooks share some of the same ideas on sexism, racism and conformity. This American society is made up of mostly whites. The whites have an extreme effect on how the stereotypes of today relate with media.
Sexism is a current issue that happens everyday. It is supported with the stereotypes that area ready preconceived and we just go along with them. In hooks analysis of Lees movie she explores how Carolyn is the care take she is the mother so that is her job. As hooks says. "Sexist/racist stereotypes of gender identity in black experience are evident in the construction of these two characters. Although Carolyn is glamorous, beautiful in her afrocentric style, she is portrayed as a bitch goddess"(hooks 103). She is the dominate on in the house hold because it is considered to be her job as the female. The father does not do much of anything to support her. He is not responsible for actions because he is an, "artistic, non-patriarchal mindset; he cannot be held accountable."(hooks 104). This is because the society say that it is O.K. for the man to do this and it should be accepted.
While Carolyn was near death Carolyn talks to her daughter and, "Troy is given instructions as to how she must assume the caretaker role. Contemporary feminist thinkers are calling attention to the girlhood... No one in the film is concerned about the loss of Troy's girlhood, though her brothers remain free to maintain their spirit of play"(bell 104). So instead of the mother asking the father she goes to her ten-year-old daughter and instructs her that she is now the caretaker compared to her older brothers or her father. This is confusing, wouldn't the oldest take care of the youngest. I guess not, I think this is a prime example of sexism. Taking her girlhood away, because it is a woman's job.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that toni morrison and bell hooks share some of the same ideas on sexism, racism, and conformity. the whites have an extreme effect on how the stereotypes of today relate with media.
- Analyzes hooks' analysis of lee's movie, where she explores how carolyn is the caretaker, the mother, and the dominant female in the house hold.
- Analyzes how carolyn talks to her daughter while she was near death and tells her how she must assume the caretaker role. contemporary feminist thinkers are calling attention to the girlhood.
- Analyzes how morrison believes that there is sexism in the media, but it is not identical to what bell thinks.
- Opines that the media is heavily engaged in race talk. crooklyn was not taken seriously because it is a black family that is in crisis. the greek immigrant man is not considered white until he scorns the black.
- Opines that racism and sexism in the media is because that is what is accepted. the society of whites has had the rest of the society conforming to their ideas.
- Opines that our society, which is made up of mostly white people, has an extreme effect on what our media does.
Related
- opinion
- analytical
- argumentative
- Personal Narrative: My Family Cultureopinion essayIn an interview I composed with my mother, I asked her “What were some challenges you had to face being a black woman in the south” which she replied “As a black woman, it was hard because you would be considered last on the totem pole, and we were seen as stereotypes such as barefoot and pregnant.” It hard to challenge these thoughts which Collins described as “controlling images” that society puts on you because of your race or sexuality (pg.1). The author Rhoda Jeffries touches on some black women struggles in her article Editor’s Introduction: Fortitudinous Femininity: Black Women’s Resilience in the Face of Struggle when she says “Jeffries and Jeffries further explore the role of mentoring among Black women and challenge mass media to carefully craft images that positively depict African American women in the various roles they play in “Mentoring and mothering Black femininity in the academy: An exploration of body, voice and image through Black female characters.” (p.82) Media has a huge impact on society, which is because of what people see on television or read on social media, since people aren’t use to or don’t understand something they tend to place it on a certain race or
In this essay, the author
- Explains that they wanted to learn more about their own family culture, and how spirituality played a role in their family choices.
- Opines that traditions are important in any family because they help to pass down knowledge, material objects, or even traits. in nataka moore and tiffany mcdowell's article, parents raise their children with encouragement to meet life challenges.
- Analyzes how rhoda jeffries touches on some black women struggles in her article fortitudinous femininity: black women's resilience in the face of struggle.
- Opines that spirituality is important to their family and self because it gives them hope and something to believe in. their mother taught them how spiritual needs play a major role in their lives.
593 wordsRead More - New Form of Black Controlanalytical essay...ups of people can be reduced to mere negative depictions or categorized in unflattering ways which may then be accepted by the majority and possibly minority cultures as fact. So the media is not only hurting these individuals, but it is also distorting the “majorities” views of minorities as well by keeping these negative stereotypes prevalent. I honestly feel that there are only a few factors that are plaguing African Americans in our modern day society, and It all goes back to the ideology of inferiority, race, discrimination, prejudice, and the media. Although I neglect to mention the significant role the media plays in the bulk of my research paper, I am quite confident in saying that it has a negative part to play in this new caste system America has developed. Nevertheless, Blacks continue to weather the storms of oppression and will continue to persevere.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the american criminal justice system has two primary and possibly conflicting objectives: preventing and controlling crime, and achieving justice.
- Explains that the criminal justice system in america has been largely designed to control or police african americans more frequently and with specificity than any other racial group or ethnicity in the us.
- Analyzes michelle alexander's book the new jim crow: mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness.
- Argues that the criminal justice system of the united states has effectively reincarnated a racial caste system designed to suppress minority accession, participation, and success in american society.
- Analyzes alexander's argument that historical racial caste systems including slavery and subsequent jim crow laws were codified and institutionalized to "control" the upward mobility of african americans in our country.
- Analyzes how the argument that the criminal justice system is designed with an ulterior motive with regard to people of color, and specifically african americans, begs questions about how america’s criminal system got this way.
- Explains that since the early colonial era, repression has always been in the name of policing and ensuring law and good order for these racial minority groups in american society.
- Explains that as southern colonies developed an agricultural economic system, slave trade became indispensable to keep the economy running. the "fear" of insurrections and riots led to organized groups of vigilantes.
- Analyzes how michelle alexander (2010) believes that the main cause of these reactionary measures was the fears of what colonist's referred to as beacon’s rebellion.
- Analyzes how elites realigned the societal hierarchy with the aim of maintaining their stability, dominance, and social status. they engendered "white privileges", which effectively codified a new social norm.
- Explains that the new social order created and the powers based on race meant that poor whites suddenly had a direct and personal stake in the existence and sustainability of the race-based system of slavery and repression
- Analyzes how arhi uexurini (2012) makes reference to the establishment of this new social order when he cites sally e. hadden’s book slave patrols: law and violence in virginia and the carolinas.
- Explains that'slave patrols' had full power and authority to enter any plantation and break open negro houses or other places when slaves were suspected of keeping arms.
- Analyzes how alexander's book highlights the undercurrents of white supremacy and the justification of racial biases towards people of color.
- Argues that the racial caste system of slavery lasted about four centuries in america, but the idea of white supremacy only magnified its existences in society over time.
- Explains that white southern plantation owners had to develop a new form of racial control in the country because they feared that blacks might reciprocate the harsh behaviors they inflicted on slaves.
- Analyzes how the so-called black codes were aimed at limiting the economic and physical freedom of the formerly enslaved. they were short lived, but gave way to another form of racial control.
- Analyzes how jim crow laws furthered the maltreatment of blacks in the u.s. by creating racial segregation laws.
- Analyzes how alexander's racial caste system is based on the 1980s "war on drugs". mauer and king argue that drug offenders in prisons and jails have increased 1100% since 1980.
- Argues that african americans serve almost as much time in federal prison for a drug offense (58.7 months) as whites do for violent offenses due to racially disparate sentencing laws.
- Analyzes how the criminal justice system honestly believes that blacks engage in more criminal behavior.
- Argues that blacks might be receiving harsher sentences regarding drug charges due to their legal representation or lack thereof.
- Analyzes how disadvantaged people can be convicted without having legal representation, and how people plead guilty to crimes they didn't commit because of fear of mandatory sentences.
- Explains that poor blacks are going to take the plea deal, comparing it to what could happen if they were found guilty and sentenced to the maximum amount of time they could receive.
- Questions whether anyone is paying attention to the connection here. chin (2013) states that numerous scholars suggest that there is a correlation here and that african americans and other people of color suffer disproportionately because they can’t afford access to high-quality representation.
- Questions whether the war on drugs actually achieved its original task, which was to get rid of the major drug kingpins and destroy the ill-legal drug trade empire.
- Analyzes how alexander's argument regarding mass incarceration in the u.s. seems credible, but she wasn't the only citizen who viewed the system in such a manner.
- Describes how they felt systematically being brainwashed to look at most individuals in impoverished areas of detroit michigan as suspects.
- Opines that the media has a negative role to play in the new caste system america has developed.
3124 wordsRead More - African American Stereotypes Essayanalytical essayFor as long as I could remember plenty of races are being stereotyped, but African Americans are one of the most frequent racial groups stereotyped against. African Americans have been portrayed on television and other forms of media unfairly and unrealistically. Movies and TV shows have played a major role in stereotyping African Americans, mostly reflecting them as being less intelligent, more vulgar, poor, uneducated, and more violent than other ethnic groups. African Americans have been perceived to be someone they are not in the media, history, and in everyday life. Although some stereotype portrayals made about Africans Americans may have some truth to them many on the other hand are harmful and inaccurate. Africans Americans are mainly in the spotlight of the news, when involved in crimes. When an African American becomes successful they are glorified, and seen as the person who made it and got out the “hood”, as if all black people are poor and living in rundown neighborhoods. Television networks depict whites as the perfect family with no problems and blacks with a household with only one parent and a long list of problems. Many African Americans believed that in order to be successful in the media industry they had to portray themselves as being idiotic and lazy. African Americans are mainly portrayed in the media as a pleasing aspect. Rather than focusing on the positive and good side to African Americans, the media would rather on the negatives. One of the main reasons why it is so easy to target an African American is because; it is so much harder to point the finger at a more dominant power ethnic group, Caucasians. I think this alone tells us a lot about where our society is and that racism still does exist.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that african americans are stereotyped unfairly and unrealistically on television and other forms of media. they are perceived as less intelligent, vulgar, poor, uneducated, and violent than other ethnic groups.
- Analyzes how "good times" dealt with a low-class african-american family. james evans sr., the father in the show, worked hard to support his family of five.
- Explains that "the cosby show" was little different from the sitcom "good times" but the importance of family and hard work was illustrated. cliff huxtable worked in the medical field and his wife claire was an attorney.
- Analyzes how the banks family was wealthy and instilled great ethics and morals into their three children's lives.
- Analyzes how "good times" and "the fresh prince of bel-air" drastically changed the way african americans were portrayed in the media.
- Narrates how their grandfather and grandmother were forced to leave school and work as housekeepers to support their family financially. they were traumatized by their experiences in the south and became abusive towards their grandmother.
- Explains how their grandmother, like cliff and phil, instilled the importance of an education into her children. she graduated with their bachelors in social work, doctrine in theology, and a star athlete from umass.
- Analyzes how different heuristics, such as availability and representativeness impact the way we process messages about african americans in the media.
- Opines that african americans are discriminated against and stereotyped more than any other race. discrimination was a common topic in the 1900’s and many shows dealt with this topic.
1417 wordsRead More - Impact Of Mass Media On Black Menanalytical essayThe mass media being one of the greatest influencers of public perceptions, their false portrayal of black males significantly impacts how the public perceives and behaves toward them, how black males see themselves as well as their the opportunities and achievements. But the mass media canbe part of the solution. Of course, the responsibility is not the media’s alone. But the media, as the public looking glass, can and should show the full spectrum of the lives of black men and boys.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the impact of media on the lives of black men and boys in the u.s.
- Opines that the mass media, as the public looking glass, can and should show the full spectrum of the lives of black men and boys.
- Explains how colorofchange organizes people-powered campaigns and works with industry leaders to create a more honest and less harmful media landscape.
- Explains that african americans have made remarkable progress in toppling legal segregation and discrimination, accessing economic and educational opportunities, and participating in our political process.
- Opines that media perpetuates harmful narratives that shape the implicit or explicit biases of their audiences. this includes discriminatory hiring practices, biased treatment in courtrooms, and brutal treatment by police that took the lives of unarmed black people.
- Analyzes how black youth are demoralized by negative, dehumanizing stereotypes displayed on a nightly basis by local news stations.
- Explains that an opportunity agenda 2011 report states that the media is having a negative impact on black perceptions of self and leading to biased public attitudes about blacks that affect life outcomes.
- Explains that mainstream media portrays african-american youths as criminals, crime victims, and predators. these stereotypes can create a racially charged atmosphere that results in violence, such as the shooting death of teenager trayvon martin.
- Analyzes how media coverage of the february shooting of martin, 17, by neighborhood watchman george zimmerman, exemplifies negative treatment of black youths in the media.
870 wordsRead More - What Are The Stereotypes Of African American Stereotypesargumentative essayIn conclusion this was a dark part in American history and a part that America would like to forget but the stereotypes are still there even today but people choose not to look or say anything about it. Today African Americans are portrayed as gang bangers and thugs who love white women. When you research into this you might be left with yourself thinking as to why do the television people put stereotypical and demeaning stuff like this on television and I guess it’s a question that will never be answered.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that african americans have been subject to cruel, demeaning, and shameful stereotypes in the media for the longest and it needs to be stopped.
- Explains the different "types of negro's": jim crow, zip coon, wench, jezebel, pickaninny, etc. these stereotypes were passed on from the minstrel era to television and film.
- Explains that black face was a theatrical device used to portray black people dating back to colonial america. the most famous black face performance was shakespeare's othello.
- Explains that minstrel shows were a form of entertainment for white audiences for years. they included imitating or demeaning black music, dance, and skits based on the ugliest stereotypes of african american slaves.
- Analyzes how the minstrel era led to the death of black stereotypes in movies, such as birth of a nation, which made the klu klux klan look like hero's while the african americans looked like rapists.
- Concludes that african americans are portrayed as gang bangers and thugs who love white women.
982 wordsRead More - To Kill A Mockingbird Stereotypes Essayanalytical essay”Representation” is the way symbols are used to communicate within society to express ideas, which have certain meanings (Luther, 2012). African Americans in particular have been represented negatively throughout the course of history in a variety of different media fashions. Stereotypes of African Americans are frequently conveyed in music, news coverages, magazines, and even films (Lemons,
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how to kill a mockingbird sheds light on the portrayal of african americans in movies, and how stereotypes can greatly impact the lives of those who are not of the caucasian race.
- Explains that representation is the way symbols are used to communicate within society to express ideas, which have certain meanings.
- Analyzes how african americans have struggled to maintain a favorable image within the media in american culture. they are often sexually objectified in media such as music and movies when an emphasis is put on their bodies.
- Explains that the negative portrayals of african americans in movies date back to 1915. the movie birth of a nation featured caucasian actors who played african american roles by painting their faces black.
- Analyzes how the movie, to kill a mockingbird, teaches the audience about stereotypes and the problems that exist between races. scout learns to put herself in someone else's shoes.
- Analyzes how atticus, scout's father, taught his children not to kill mockingbirds with their air rifles. tom robinson, the african-american accused of raping a white woman, was convicted.
- Analyzes how atticus knew that he would not win his case, even if tom was innocent. he understood that african americans had no say when it came to their word against a white man's.
- Analyzes how tom's conviction of a crime that he didn't commit shows the flaws in the justice system, and that racism can be detrimental to the lives of those who are victims of it.
- Analyzes how the film emphasizes the importance of not judging someone based on what they look like, but off of who they are as an individual.
- Analyzes how the negative portrayal of tom robinson in the movie enlightens the other characters about how wrongly african americans can be portrayed because of stereotypes created by those who have hatred towards blacks.
- Opines that stereotyping groups can be detrimental to people who are actually good individuals, and if we want peace between people of different color, we have to push past stereotypes to learn who people really are on the inside.
1452 wordsRead More - Stereotype in Mediaanalytical essayMedia helps spread stereotypes. Whenever you turn on the television to watch the news or your favorite show, you will find stereotypes everywhere. Even if portraying the stereotype is not intentional, they are there. An example would be the usual story on a crime scene on the news. News channels will show the suspect and talk about what happened, but what they do not know is they are spreading stereotypes. People will view that race or gender as dangerous. Many reportings of African Americans stealing or killing are shown on the news thus creates the stereotype that all African Americans are criminals, which is one of the stereotypes that we have today. Even advertisements use stereotypes like in a Pillsbury commercial, a blonde woman was reading a cookbook and the instructions said separate the eggs. The woman literally separated the eggs by putting one egg in a corner and one on the table. After that is said “ready to bake” and “foolproof”. It implies that blondes are dumb, just like how
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how judith ortiz cofer uses latin women as an example of a race that is affected by stereotypes.
- Analyzes how media helps spread stereotypes, such as the usual story on a crime scene, but people view race or gender as dangerous. many reports of african americans stealing or killing are shown on the news thus creating the stereotype of criminals.
- Analyzes how feng 2cofer's example of latin women in advertisements shows how they are attractive and easy. stereotypes are born from the media and will constantly spread.
- Explains how the media spreads stereotypes and corrupts their minds. they say that people around them are influenced by the stereotype of asians.
- Analyzes how society uses stereotypes to create a larger impact on people. white supremacy led to segregation of african americans and the ku klux klan.
- Opines that stereotypes create a biased society in which we think only based on race, but the media is necessary in our society.
789 wordsRead More - The usage of media is huge in nowadays. People rely on different kinds of media to receive information in their everyday life because they are thirsty for the diverse and informative content. However, inaccurate portrayals of people from different races always appear in the media and audience will exaggerate those portrayals by their inflexible beliefs and expectations about the characteristics or behaviors of the portrayals’ cultural groups without considering individual variation (Ting-Toomey and Chung, 2012); in fact, it is also called as stereotypes. According to a study by the Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism at San Francisco State University (Stein, 2012), racial stereotyping continues to occur in media and the mainstream media's coverage of different cultural groups is full of biased reporting, offensive terminology and old stereotypes of American society. It specifically emphasizes that majority of the stereotyped characters in media will only bring out the dark side of their cultural groups which many of them might not be true, especially for the portrayals of black community: African American.
In this essay, the author
- Explains gerbner's cultivation theory that media portrays stereotyped characters as outgroup members, leading to negative attitudes towards african-americans.
- Analyzes how hurwitz, peffley, and sniderman's experiment showed that heavy representation of african-americans in crime news would affect the behavior of audience when they are facing them. both behaviors are leaded by perceptions and attitudes toward stereotyped portrayals in media.
- Explains that it is mandatory for audiences to participate in all parts of the program, which includes watching a television drama, reality show, or being live audiences.
- Explains that the television drama will broadcast once a week and every episode of it will run 45 minutes. the reality show will last 1 hour and 15 minutes on television but if the participants are asked to be the live audiences, they can expect the entire show to last about 4 hours.
- Explains that the intercultural training program will be divided into two parts: television drama and reality show.
- Explains that each character will be placed with a unique profile that full of unusual characteristics of their demographic backgrounds. the characteristics might not have to be wrong or weird, but they are aimed to demonstrate another side of particular cultural groups.
- Explains that a reality show of presenting real african-americans is the second part of the training program. it aims to educate audience through interaction, but not just demonstration.
- Explains that participants will be asked to fill out a survey to evaluate the effectiveness of this intercultural training program. they will understand the harmfulness of stereotypes of african-american in the media and apply the correct perceptions, attitudes and behaviors toward this cultural group in reality.
- Argues that racial stereotypes in media are negatively affecting how people view african-americans step by step as the media keep portraying them by using atrocious depictions, like aggrieve, violent, criminal and so forth.
- Explains bryant, jennings, thompson, susan, and finklea, bruce w. fundamentals of mass media effects.
- Analyzes how racial stereotypes in media negatively affect people's perception, attitude, and behavior toward african-american in the reality.
- Explains that racialized crime coverage reinforces the stereotype that blacks deserve impecuniousness.
- Explains that an intercultural training program is needed to alter people's negative perceptions, attitudes and behaviors toward african-american through education.
- Explains that media images as positive and negative exemplars of race: evoking obama or video game characters changes outcomes for black men.
- Explains that television use, stereotypes of african americans and opinions on affirmative action: an affective model of policy reasoning.
3152 wordsRead More - Free Essay - The Token Black Guyopinion essayModern culture, especially that perpetuated on MTV, has given many suburban white kids the idea that they are oppressed by some business-like aristocracy. That may be true in a way, but in another, it is puzzling that the reaction has been for many middle-class Caucasian youth to adopt black culture as their own. And as far as media perception of black people, I really don't fit that mold. I am very in touch with my culture, heritage and race. And I take a great deal of pride in it. But because I don't fit the stereotype that even white kids are now trying to emulate, it sometimes puts me at odds with my own perception of my race.
In this essay, the author
- Describes their role as 'the token black guy' after watching scrubs and thinking about the small number of black students at their school.
- Opines that they have never had problems with people because they were white, but there have been those who've had issues with me because i'm black. they say that their parents make fun of them for using big words.
- Analyzes how people use slang and gestures typical of urban african-american youth, and expect them to reciprocate. white kids think they can use the "n" word around them.
- Opines that it is puzzling that many middle-class caucasian youth have adopted black culture as their own.
- Opines that being black gives judgmental people an immediate idea of who they are, which can't be helped. they've grown enough as a person to be able to deal with it.
466 wordsRead More - Blacks and the Mediaanalytical essay... model for how the entertainment and media industries depict black people must change. Despite the progress that blacks have worked toward since the days of slavery, society continues to give in to the monetary benefits of producing self-disparaging entertainment and media. It is not only up to the directors, editors, producers and writers to establish this change, but it should also be the demand of the people, or the consumer. If the images of black people in the media are improved the outlook within the community will improve as well. Not only will positive goals and achievements become more realistic for black people if the media outlets discontinue their practice of equating blacks with aggression, lawlessness and violence, but a greater good will also result for whites, which would be represented by a true autonomy and equality in American society.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that blacks are victims of an industry that relies on old ideas to appeal to the majority.
- Analyzes how charles w. chesnutt illustrates the thoughts that whites had of and used against blacks, which are still prevalent in public opinion and contemporary media.
- Explains that in poverty & prejudice: media and race, the media sets the tone for the morals, values, and images of our culture.
- Explains that black entertainment television, created to empower black people in a predominantly white media, has strayed away from its roots and marketed its programming to mimic and compete with other stations for ratings.
- Analyzes how black-owned stations like bet have succumbed to broadcasting demeaning images that directly impact the black consumer because of its credibility.
- Analyzes the stigma attached to how a black person is treated when faced with the law and the perceptions of white and black relations in accordance to that stigma.
- Analyzes how the stereotype of the black male as a criminal element in society is an obstacle to greater racial harmony and the elimination of discrimination and racism in the united states.
- Opines that the present model for how the entertainment and media industries depict black people must change in order to secure a future without racism and discrimination in american society.
1274 wordsRead More