Blogging and Class

Blogging is new to me but I can actually say I enjoyed doing it. It is something I will probably continue but most likely not on a daily basis. Blogging made me write more freely and express myself more and really form my opinion on different topics. Today I was watching Martha Stewart and she was talking about blogging. She said she blogs on a daily basis and she learns from other peoples blogs. Martha had several guests on her show today that have their own blogs. I guess for me it was really neat seeing someone like Martha Stewart talk about blogging along with Myspace and facebook.
My blogs may not have always been the most interesting but I felt like I was really able to express myself. That is one thing I have really taken from this class the since of expression. I think I have a greater out look even though the class was short I learn a lot. Each day we talked about something new and explored topics at first I didn’t feel all that comfortable about. I have found myself on several occasions talking about the very topics we discuss in class we family and friends. Like today I spent the day with my mother and growing up with her I think I grew up really knowing my culture. Well today we really talked about stereotypes and different television clips we watched in class. I asked her if she had seen some of them and it just seemed like the conversation went from there. We started talking at all different ethnicity we see on television today.
Class is what sparked this conversation and this class is full of conversation starters and just knowledge every journalist or person in communications should know. This class was really an eye opener and a course I would recommend to others.

Commercials on BET

So my husband and I were flipping channels and she stopped on BET. Commercials were going on and he was about to change the channel and I asked him to stop. I have been paying attention to commercials lately and what commercials come on during what television shows.
Well during this commercial block I saw a Target, Ford Focus and Tide commercials along with previews for BET television show. What I did notice was the Target commercial featured Iman, Debbie Allen, and John Legend all of who are African Americans. I really enjoyed the commercial because this commercial was unlike all the other target commercials that are cheesy and play the song Hello Goodbuys. This commercial was about dreams, the focus was dream in color.
Now for the Ford Focus commercial there were three minority females in the car and the car was equipped with the sync feature and the African American female asked the feature to play Chris Brown. All three females began to dance in the car once Chris Brown came on.
The tide commercial featured a young African American male who just put on a clean white t-shirt, baggy pants and nice new white shoes. He walks into the kitchen where his little brother is eating pizza and he grabs a slice. Well the pizza dripped and he jumped back quick so the sauce did not get on his shoes but it did land on his shirt. The narrator of the commercial said sometime about Chicago pizza. Well the boy used Tide to get the stain out.
I chose to talk about the commercials I saw on BET because I personally have never seen any of these commercials before and I don’t know if it’s just because I don’t watch a whole lot of television or if it is because they have more air time on BET. But I did notice that I have seen different version of these commercials on other stations. This just helped me really realize that different commercials come on during different programs.

Weekly Media Assignment

Name of the Articles: Mincing Up Michelle, Obama Sharply Assails Absent Black Fathers, Politics and Race: History Lessons


The authors of the articles: Maureen Dowd, Julie Bosman, Leonard Garment, Barbara Meister, Michael Meyers, Kathy A. Rogers.

Title of the Articles: Same as name

Why: I choose my articles mostly because the titles were interesting

Summarize: Mincing up Michelle is about Michelle Obama who is the new female being attacked by the Republican Party. Their first main target was Hillary Clinton but now that has shifted since Clinton is out of the race.

Obama Sharply Assails Absent Black Fathers, Senator Obama spoke on Father’s Day at a church on the absence of Black Fathers. The article said this is not a speech that would be given by a white candidate.

Politics and Race: History Lessons
This article consisted of letters to the editor. I take from the articles that each person finds evidence in history to provide and all lead up to the candidate for President, Senator Obama. Also that all the points paved way for a African American candidate.

Perspective: I thought all the articles were very good and each one made a valid point.

Compare: Each article I read dealt with the Obama family. The first on was about Mrs. Obama and the other two about Senator Obama. But when it came down to it all were about race.

Displayed: Yes, in the first article about Mrs. Obama, she is picked not just because she is a Senator Obama’s wife but because she is a woman and to go a step further she is African American. The other article deal with Obama and I see patterns of race.

Media: I personally see the media framing this election on race and gender because this is the first time we have had a female candidate and an African American candidate do so well.

2008: For me it all depends on the individual and I’m a Obama supporter. He seems to appeal to the same thing I do.

Privilege: I saw privilege in the first article on Michelle, there was a remark about the first lady being black.

Closing: I really enjoyed the article and I actually will continue to read the others we were given.

McDonald's

Ok so did not have time for dinner tonight so I went to McDonalds and while waiting in line I was thinking about happy meal toys. Sometimes McDonalds offers two different toys and as a customer you have to identify whether or not your child is a boy or a girl. This bugs me because why do we do this and not even think about it. When McDonald’s promotes a movie they give out one toy to every child in each happy meal. But when McDonald’s give out Barbie’s, Bratz, or Hello Kitty why is it that they give a different toy to a male child such as a G.I. Joe or a Hot Wheel. I know plenty of female children who would love to have a Hot Wheel. Take my little sister for example she is two but she loves cars and she even has her own bag full of Hot Wheels.
The media has put so many stereotypes on toys that it is not socially acceptable for a male child to play with a Barbie or Bratz. If a male child does chose to play with these toys for example they are taken away from the child or the child is told they can not play with these toys.
At work we have a two year old who love the dress up clothes and in particular the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader uniform but one evening when is mother came to pick him up she said he was no longer allowed to wear the uniform. If is hard to tell a two year old he can’t wear his favorite outfit but this is a good example of what is not socially acceptable.
There are so many stereotypes and stigmas about gender roles in the media and it just seems like McDonald’s follows the wave.

Weekly Assignment 2

Local News

I watched a news station I normally don't for this assignment.

KOKH Fox 25
Prime Time News at 9
June 12 at 9 p.m.

The station is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group

The two Main News Anchors are Andrew Speno and Jaime Cerreta
They are both Caucasian and they are a mixed gender team
The news covered the cities of Oklahoma City, Weleeka, and Del City

One thing I noticed was there really wasn't any diversity on the news. Almost everyone they interviewed was a Caucasian male. The only person I saw of color was a man in the capital building.


Entertainment

Fresh Prince of Bel Air
Nick at Nite
June 12 at 10p.m.

Genre: Comedy
Main Character: Will Smith
Orginted:1990
Where it airs: Originally on NBC but reruns are aired on Nick at Nite and TBS
Plot: The television show revolves around Will Smith and the Banks family. Will got in trouble at home and was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel Air.
Assessment: I think the show is funny and show African Americans in two lights. They show Will's uncle who is a successful judge and then Will who is from the "street."
Producer: Warner Brothers (conglomerate)
Commercials: I show a lot of car commercials
Program to follow: Fresh Prince of Bel Air


Reality
Made: Deanna is Made into a Model
Objective: To help a young adult fulfill a goal of doing something unusually for their personality.
Character: Deanna
Found: MTV
Audience: 15-25
Producer: Bob Kusbit
Originated: early 2000's
Analysis: The overall program is entertaining and show young adults they can do anything
Follows: Legally Blonde Search

Keeping up with the Kardashian's

I know what you are thinking someone actually watches that show or maybe your think I'm not the only one who does. Well I have to admit I do watch Keeping up with the Kardashians. This show just flat out makes me laugh. Also I have just realized the Kardashians are "chalked full," of interracial dating.
The reality show itself films the lives of the Kardashian and Jenner household. Kris and Bruce Jenner have eight children and two of the children together, Kendell and Kylie. Kris has Kourtney, Kim, Khole and Robert with the late Robert Kardashian and Bruce has Brody and Brandon from a previous marriage.
Now about the children the Kardashians themselves are half Armenian and then you have their significant others. Kourtney is dating a man named Scott and he is Caucasian. Then you have Robert who is with Adrienne (from the Cheetah Girls) and she is Puerto Rican. Oh and you can’t forget Kim she has been married before to a man named Damon Thomas who was a music producer and he is African American. Kim is currently dating Reggie Bush a NFL Player who is also African American.
Interracial dating is not new to me, well I say this because my mom is Native American and my dad is German. Also my husband’s background is diverse as well he is half African American and half Native American. To me dating Nick was not uncommon. I guess this is because I’ve been around interracial dating and marries my whole life.
I think this is why I haven’t paid attention to the interracial dating on the Kardashians. The show doesn’t bring up the fact that they are in interracial relationships but they do talk about being of Armenian decent. I think that as each generation grows up there are lots of changes that come along with that. Our generation does not seem to be stuck on the fact of only dating within our own ethnicity but dating someone for the person they are.

Barbie

Growing up I loved Barbies!! Every time I went to the store I wanted to leave with a Barbie. I had Barbie cars, furniture and the ultimate Barbie house. My mom even said when I was little I would walk around on my tippy toes so I could be like my Barbie dolls. I went as far as had to be a ballerina Barbie for Halloween.
When I think about it know what kind of message are we sending to children. Barbie fits into the stereotype that all females need to me skinny. The media sends the message of the idea perfect female. This female has to have a small waist and so out of proportion. Magazines always have the small female on the cover or inside feature. What is the media’s obsession with being thin? When I’m standing in line at the store I can’t help but look through magazines and sometimes I do happen to pick up a tabloid. It never fails the cover is usually about who is the skinny celebrity or who is overweight. When watching or looking at anything you will always come across the topic of weight.
But back to Barbies, these dolls have been around for years and the body type has undergone little change. The only thing Barbie has really done is add diversity. Barbie now has friends who are of different ethnicities. Barbie does have a career; she does show young girls that if Barbie can do it you can to. But another think that bothers be is why doesn’t Barbie have children? The only children around Barbie are her sisters. Barbie has become a phenomenon and will continue to be around for years to come and will America continue to over look the Barbie figure or will Barbie’s body type change with society?

White Privilege

I really hadn’t thought about white privilege prior to this week. I have heard of this before but I guess either didn’t listen or cared to pay attention. I think Tim Wise gave a great description with he said he went to a police workshop and within the first 90 seconds he knew there would be a problem. He said he asked the question if they saw an African American male driving a nice vehicle what would be their first thought? They said a drug dealer and what is there first thought when they see a white male in the same vehicle? The response was a spoiled rich kid driving a car that daddy bought.
I hear this and why is it is way? Why can’t this be the other way around? In the presentation the students gave lots of examples and I do see where “whiteness,” is rooted. I see that even though a white person does not have a lot of money they could have more simply because of assets passed down from ancestors.
Sometime when I go in a nice department store I do feel like there are more eyes on me and it makes me feel like they assume I might be a shoplifter. I have never stolen anything in my life but I know they could not possibly know that or even care to. I some times think maybe if I were white this would not be the case and this to me is white privilege.

Will and Grace

I did not start watching Will and Grace until the show's reruns started to air on Lifetime. This television show is about a gay male and his female best friend who are also roommates. To me this is stereotypical because the media also makes the gay male have a female for his best friend. The one thing I can say is on the show there are two males who are gay and the writers did make them different but gave them both a female best friend.
Will is a lawyer who is always longing for a relationship and finally finds that special one for him. Then there is Jack, his character is very stereotyped. He is the flamboyant one on the cast and his best friend Karen is the one with money who in a way takes care of him. Karen has a husband who is never shown but is widely talked about. She also has a Hispanic maid named Rosario. It seems that Rosario is the typical type cast maid. In most television shows the maid or nanny is usually cast by a Hispanic female. Another fact about Rosario is not only is she Hispanic but her character was illegal until she married Jack.
Even though I do view this television show as a breakthrough comedy because the television show itself was on primetime for a few years and at the time this is the only show where two of the main characters were gay. I really did not look at this show in the same light as I do now, but the characters are all pretty much type cast to me. This does not mean in anyway though that is not a good mix for a good television, and don't get me wrong I like this show and think it is pretty funny.

Race and Childern

After leaving class today I had an instant image of my kids. All the different things they say and how street savvy they are, and when I was there age I did not even know half of what they know. I was speaking to another teacher about my four- year who said, "Because I'm black." I was informed her mother uses this expression a lot to explain her point of view on racism. My student at the age of four must believe this is an acceptable response.
Children pick up on everything and I mean everything. When Soulja Boy first came out nearly half of the female school agers knew his song word for word and could break out the dance for you. When watching the video for this song it looks like a dance video and to a group of younger children it’s cool. I decided to look up Soulja Boy on youtube and he even has an instructional video posted. I personally did not know what the phase, "superman," was but I knew it was probably not acceptable. When I found out later I just thought to myself there are elementary students singing this song just because they think it is the cool thing to do not even knowing what they are saying. To me this proves that at a young age the media in this case a music video or song tells them what they should like even if they do not understand.
Today at work I really paid attention to the diversity of the daycare and I heard one of the stereotypes we spoke on in class. "Hispanics having a large family," a father came to pick up is son and was telling everyone his wife is expecting and when he was receiving congrats he said, "Well ya I'm Mexican I have to have a large family."
Images are all around us even though we may not pay attention to them, they exist. I know I really noticed the images today and it really bothered me.