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Discrimination and stereotypes in the media
What is the role of ethnicity and race in the way audiences interpret media messages
Are minorities discriminated against in the media
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“The media serve as a tool that people use to define, measure, and understand American society” (Deo et al., 149). Thinking of the media as a tool for the American people also extends into the realm of race and ethnicity. The United States has had a long and difficult history pertaining to the racial and ethnic identities of the many different people that reside within and outside of it’s borders. That history is still being created and this country still struggles with many of the same problems that have plagued this area since before the founding of the U.S. As stated above, the popular media has a large impact on the way that race and ethnicity are understood by people, especially when considering the prevalence of segregation in the U.S. …show more content…
(Massey, 170). Many Americans do not have regular interactions with people of different identities and so learn about these identities from the media. In this paper, I will analyze the presentation of race and ethnicity in the popular television series Parks and Recreation. The show has received positive ratings, as well as many awards and nominations over the course of its seven seasons. Despite the general approval of the show, my critical analysis of White, Black, Biracial, and Asian/Pacific Islander identities reveal the problems that still persist when it comes to racial and ethnic media representation. To begin with, I will address the whiteness and white identity that is featured on the show Parks and Recreation. For many Americans, whiteness is commonly seen as invisible even though it is ubiquitous.Whiteness is overwhelmingly present on our television and movie screens, and this show is no exception. The majority of the main cast, as well as most of the recurring smaller character roles are played by white actors and actresses. For instance, the Parks and Recreation wiki page shows that there are eleven characters noted as main members of the show. Of these main eleven, seven of the characters are white, two are non-white characters of color, one is half-white, and another is ethnically ambiguous (Wikia). Similarly, the opening credits in the first season feature four out of seven characters that are white and two of the characters of color are half-white. Since the show is so white, whiteness is more likely to be explored in a myriad of ways that give a broad picture of what it means to be a white person. These characters lives are delved into and a white person watching the show is more likely going to be able to identify with at least one of the many white characters. The inclusion of multiple personalities, interests, occupations, etc. allow white people to keep from being pigeonholed as a race. They can be anything they want in the show, which translates to the viewer that whites can be anything they want in reality. The media serves as a tool to help people understand race and Parks and Recreation appears to be perpetuating the same idea that whiteness is a neutral identity. In the next sequence of paragraphs, I will examine some of the non-white racial and ethnic identities that are depicted on the show in order to understand the type of message that is being sent to viewers. Also, I explain how these depictions either harm or help by challenging or reinforcing prevailing ideas of race and ethnicity. As mentioned in the introductory paragraph, media impacts people’s beliefs and attitudes about race and ethnicity which in turn inform their behavior. The representation of a black identity is important for both black and non-black Americans. In her article, Marci Littlefield writes that the way black characters are depicted can be an important factor in a black person’s formation of their identity because the depiction shows them how others view their race (297). Black representation on screen is important for whites and other people of color due to the prevalence of segregation. Many non-black individuals have no regular real world interactions with blacks. The television set and the movie screen become the metaphorical classroom for many people and the lessons given are on race. In Parks and Recreation, Donna Meagle, played by stand-up comedian Retta, is the only ostensibly black lead character. Even though Rashida Jones is half-black in real life, her character’s background is never discussed extensively and her identity will be discussed in the subsequent section. Donna’s character is a tricky one to analyze due to the depiction of her sexuality. According to Littlefield’s article “The Media as a System of Racialization: Exploring Image of African American Women and the New Racism”, the media depiction of black female sexuality has a long racist history (296). For example, black women have historically been portrayed as being hypersexual individuals also known as a Jezebel (Littlefield, 297). English slave traders often times described African American women as having ‘hot constitutions’ and were claimed to be more than willing to prostitute themselves European men (Littlefield, 297). This characterization of black women was used to justify the rape and commodification of their bodies during the nineteenth century (Littlefield, 297). Important to realize is the fact that an opposite characterization of black women’s sexuality has also been used. Black women have often been shown as asexual individuals who are unattractive. Again, this depiction was used as a tool by whites, but in this instance it was to stop racial mixing. Either way, these depictions of black female sexuality have been used against black women. In the show, Donna’s sex life is one of her main storylines even though most of her partners are never shown on screen. Donna is a characterization of the promiscuous black woman that Littlefield writes about in her work. Unfortunately the stereotypical portrayal of blackness does not stop there because another main feature of Donna’s personality is her obsession with material goods. There is a common perception that black people are too focused on expensive items. In the hip-hop and rap scenes, black people are depicted as being overly sexual and obsessed with money. Donna’s character is reminiscent of these stereotypes. Much of her story line relates to her sexuality and her interest in commodities. Her car is one of her prized possessions which is one of her backstory type facts. Although some may argue that there are black women in the world who do have similar sex lives and interests to Donna, the problem lies in the lack of representation. Stereotypes are reinforced when one character is given to represent an entire race. A biracial identity is another tough one to analyze since the character played by Rashida Jones never has her race explicitly discussed.
Ann Perkins, Jones’ character, is supposed to be an ethnically ambiguous person and in reality, Rashida is biracial (Glamour). Leslie Knope, the white protagonist of the series, frequently uses words like ‘exotic’, ‘tropical’, and ‘ethnically ambiguous’ when complimenting Ann. The ‘compliments’ also act as the only instances where race is spoken about in reference to Ann’s character. One would believe that Leslie’s constant complimenting of Ann is beneficial to viewers with a biracial identity, but there are some serious problems with Leslie’s behavior. There has been an historical and recent fascination with ‘mixed’ children. This fascination has crossed over into fetishizatoin of biracial or mixed children and people. Biracial people are seen less as people and more as a kind of spice that bell hooks mentions in her work “Eating the Other: Desire and Resistance” (21). They are something that helps liven up the blandness of the pervasive white culture. Another harmful aspect of Ann’s depiction relates to her class. In Edison’s work, she notes that “biracial individuals living in a middle- and upper-class environments are more likely to be perceived as biracial (rather than black) than those living in working- and lower-class environments” and that “‘color blind’ portrayals of middle- and upper-class Black and biracial characters support the notion that race no longer matters (at least for middle- and upper-class people)” (Edison, 302; 304). Ann’s character is a successful college-educated nurse which is not problematic until one realizes that her race is never truly discussed. This feeds into the stereotype that race does not matter and that all people in the U.S. have the same opportunities. Again, the lack of racial representation leaves one character the duty of depicting a whole group of
people. Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) identity is another racial identity that is problematic in Parks and Recreation. Tom Haverford, played by Aziz Ansari, is the only main character that is Asian. In light of this fact, it is not difficult to understand why the tokenism of AIPA casting is highlighted in “Framing”: Race in Prime-Time Television. Even though AIPAs makeup about five percent of the total U.S. population, only 1.3% of all leads in both the films and television shows studied had this identity (Deo et al., 151). As stated before, the lack of characters of color result in television shows and films depicting racial stereotypes. One of the main stereotypes of Asian characters is that of the model minority. The myth of the model minority centers on the idea that all Asian americans are naturally intelligent and well-off financially. They are depicted as holding advanced degrees, leading successful careers, and being of a higher social class (Deo et al., 146; 152). Tom embodies this stereotype as he is a college-educated government employee, an entrepreneur, and financially stable. The stereotype is harmful to both APIA’s and other minorities. APIA’s do not all have the same background and come from vastly different geographical areas for vastly different reasons. Some imigrate to America in order to flee from violence and some others come to work in competitive fields. The myth lumps all APIA’s together, which ignores the struggles that many face in America. In like manner, this myth harms other people of color because it is used as evidence that non-white individuals can succeed in the U.S. In other words, if APIA’s can succeed, then every other minority can if they try hard enough. Instead of institutional racism being addressed, the blame is placed on the nature or the culture of the people. In addition to this stereotype, the undesirable male APIA which depicts the character as “effeminated, nerdy, weak, non-agressive, asexual, or sexually deviant” is apparent in Parks and Recreation (Deo et al., 154-155). Tom is shown in the very first episode of the series hitting on Ann Perkins even though he later points out that he is married. Ann completely rejects him and similar instances of Tom being rejected by women are featured throughout the show. So much so that being rejected by women becomes part of his identity. Adding to this rejection, Tom also is shown as being too into ‘feminine’ activities and hobbies. He enjoys shopping and dressing well, and is often referred to as a small or weak man. Once again, a person of color is stereotypically depicted on the show. In conclusion, the racial and ethnic depictions featured in the television series Parks and Recreation are far from perfect. Even though the show has received positive reviews and many awards, the shows has problems with stereotyping and othering characters of color. Many of the problems stem from the fact that one character is used to represent an entire racial or ethnic group identity. As a whole the show is overwhelmingly white with a myriad of depictions of white characters that show the audience that white’s can an be anyone they want. White characters do not become stereotypes like the characters of color because they are more represented. Even though the show is no longer running, this racial and ethnic analysis of Parks and Recreation can help change the future of television and other media so that stereotyping and pigeonholing characters of color can finally come to an end.
. . She grew up in a black neighborhood that was one of the poorest and most dangerous in the country; I grew up in a safe, quiet middle-class neighborhood in a predominately white city and went to high school with a total of two black students. I was a science journalist who referred to all things supernatural as “woo-woo stuff”; Deborah believed Henrietta’s spirit lived on in her cells” (p. 7). Here, Skloot tells us where herself and Deborah Lacks are from and their feelings about “supernatural” occurrences. Skloot draws a contrast between the backgrounds and sentiments of herself and Deborah to demonstrate the differences that upbringing and environmental influences can arouse in two people; Skloot introduces the dynamic of race to demonstrate that race and economic status were, and still are, prevalent issues in relation to the success of two racially different groups.
Media shape the perception of our society and have a different of framing in choosing the story for our society. Media framing had effect on how the stereotype perception of Latino in the reality. The information had differentially distributed and affects the non-Latino in how information being processed. Society will most likely to believe that Latinos reflect the images, characters, and stories exposed in news and entertainment media.
39 Wilson, Clint and Felix Gutierrez. Race, Multiculturalism, and the Media: From Mass to Class Communication. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, 1995: 45.
In D. W. Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation the interactions between black and white characters represent Griffith’s view of an appropriate racial construct in America. His ideological construction is white dominance and black subordination. Characters, such as the southern Cameron’s and their house maid, who interact within these boundaries, are portrayed as decent people. Whereas characters who cross the line of racial oppression; such as Austin Stoneman, Gus and Silas Lynch, are portrayed as bad. Both Lynch and Lydia Brown, the mulatto characters, are cast in a very negative light because they confuse the ideological construct the most. The mixing of races puts blacks and whites on a common ground, which, in Griffith’s view, is a big step in the wrong direction. Griffith portrays how the relationship between blacks and whites can be good only if the color line and positions of dominance and subordination are maintained. Through the mulatto characters he illustrates the danger that blurring the color line poses to American society.
When she first is confronted by the problem or race it hits her with a thump. Bob takes Alice to dinner where she states, “I don’t want feel like being refused” (55). Alice does what she can to avoid the face of racism. She lacks the integration within the different community, which gives her a one-path perspective. While going to the restaurant with Bob, he asks, “Scared because you haven’t got the white folks to cover you” (55)? She doesn’t have the protection of her friends or her parents to shy away from the truth of her being African American. She is hiding behind a mask because she’s passing as white. She’s accepting the assumption that she belongs to their culture. When she goes out, “with white folks the people think you’re white” (60). But, when she goes out with Bob there is nothing to hide behind. She’s confronted with the truth. Already feeling low about the restaurant, and getting pulled over by the cops, she uses her wealth to get out of the situation. She says, “I am a supervisor in the Los Angeles Welfare” (63). The power of her family shows that she be treated better by the cops and others in the
The minorities are vulnerable to the media because the minorities are shot and killed by the police. In the case of Michael Brown, who is a minority, being that he is a young black male, who allegedly was walking illegally in the middle of a street was shot by Darren Wilson a white police officer. In the accounts of what transpired Wilson the police officer said that Brown attacked him in his car, but an eyewitness alleged that brown was shot while holding his hands up in the air and was unharmed(“Police Brutality”). However the headlines in the media are emphasizing race, black vs. white, which is a controversial topic due to the history of black and white people. Do to events like slavery and segregation, yet the media seem to play on race instead of facts. Next, People don’t process or take in the truth. For example, in the case of Eric Garner, people bypass the part of Eric selling illegal cigarettes and all people hear is the Eric was put in a choke hold. The media realize how to exploit the minority faults. For instance the minorities have a low literacy rate. That means a most of the minority population don’t know how to read and write. The media know how to use their power to get an emotional reaction without providing a considerable amount of information and that can cause people to make irrational decisions. Lastly, how the media is affecting minorities because what
The practice of racial stereotyping through the use of media has been used throughout contemporary history by various factions in American society to attain various goals. The practice is used most by the dominant culture in this society as a way of suppressing its minority population. The Republican parties use of the Willie Horton image in the 1988 Presidential campaign, is a small example of how majority groups have used racial stereotyping in the media as a justifiable means to an end. The book Unthinking Eurocentrism by Stam and Shohat supports this notion when they write “the functionality of stereotyping used in film demonstrates that they (stereotypes) are not an error in perception but rather a form of social control intended as Alice Walker calls “prisons of image.”(1)
In the story, “Recitatif,” Toni Morrison uses vague signs and traits to create Roberta and Twyla’s racial identity to show how the characters relationship is shaped by their racial difference. Morrison wants the reader’s to face their racial preconceptions and stereotypical assumptions. Racial identity in “Recitatif,” is most clear through the author’s use of traits that are linked to vague stereotypes, views on racial tension, intelligence, or ones physical appearance. Toni Morrison provides specific social and historical descriptions of the two girls to make readers question the way that stereotypes affect our understanding of a character. The uncertainties about racial identity of the characters causes the reader to become pre-occupied with assigning a race to a specific character based merely upon the associations and stereotypes that the reader creates based on the clues given by Morrison throughout the story. Morrison accomplishes this through the relationship between Twyla and Roberta, the role of Maggie, and questioning race and racial stereotypes of the characters. Throughout the story, Roberta and Twyla meet throughout five distinct moments that shapes their friendship by racial differences.
According to Poverty & Prejudice: Media and Race, co-authored by Yurii Horton, Raagen Price, and Eric Brown, the media sets the tone for the morals, values and images of our culture. Many whites in American society, some of whom have never encoun...
I also researched instances of counter actions taken by Asian Americans to protest against these negative images. My research also has examples of Asians that have succeeded in breaking through the racial barriers in the media. The results show that even though racial stereotyping still exists in various forms of mass media, there are signs that show noticeable improvement in allowing a more balanced image of Asian Americans. Statement of the Problem There are close to 12 million Asian Americans living in the United States (U.S. Asian, 2000). Asian Americans are considered one of the fastest growing minorities (Pimentel, 2001).
In many ways, the media must be involved in ethnic and racial issues. The media is to provide the public with information useful to them. The media is on the public’s side. Racial stereotyping is a problem that is out in the public. Drugs, teen pregnancy, child abuse and rape are also problems that affect the people of the world everyday. The media has a job to make these issues aware to the people and possibly put together a form of solutions. Some ways of addressing issues are blunt and harsh but so are the problems. I don’t think the media can address the issue of racism without stepping into a stereotype somewhere but I also believe the media is obligated to address the obvious false stereotypes and offer ways to terminate them as well. American History X is a movie that directly addresses the issue of race and deals with some very serious issues in a small town. There are a group of white kids that have been influenced by Adolf Hitler’s beliefs and they are very hateful toward blacks, Jews, and any other race that is different than theirs. They all have Nazi signs tattooed on their bodies and their heads are completely shaved. There are very negative viewpoints in the first half of the movie toward blacks and Jews. The “N” word is used very freely and many of the actions of each group is quite accurate. Although this movie is very harsh and straight forward, their is a great amount of truth in all of the actions of each cultural group. One of the young white men witness a black man breaking into his truck and the black man ends up murdered in a very cruel manner. The movie is a lesson. A lesson about reality but also about how wrong reality can be. After spending years in prison, the attitude of this man is different toward black people and he has a hard time relaying this new attitude to his little brother back home and to the friends he had before going to prison.
One of the greatest exports of American culture is American media. American media is one of the most widely distributed and consumed cultural forms from the United States. This means that not only do Americans consume large quantities of their own media, but many other countries in the world consume American media, too. People in other countries will not interpret or understand the media in precisely the same ways that Americans will and do, nonetheless, many aspects of American culture and American reality are communicated to numerous viewers as part of the content in the media. The media is an important tool in the discussion of race, class, and gender in America. It takes a savvy viewer to discriminate between and understand what media accurately represents reality, what media does not, or which aspects of experience are fictionalized, and which elements ...
Wilson, Clint C. et al Modern Racism, sexism, and the media: the rise of class communications in multicultural America
Goodman, Mark. "Chapter 8: The Media Contribution to Racism and Sexism." Mass Media and Society. Mississippi State University, n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2013.
Race Televised: America's BabysitterAt some point in the course of human events, America decided that the television was their Dali Lama, their cultural and spiritual leader. Overlooking its obvious entertainment based purpose, Americans have let the television baby-sit and rear their children. I do not recall a manifesto from the television industry, but society put television in a role it does not have authority in. The only thing television set out to do was provide the passive entertainment American society wants. True, television does not accurately reflect race in America, but it is not the job of the television industry to do so. Too much importance has been put on television to provide guidance and information that American society has grown too lazy and too indifferent to find for themselves.