As this class ends, I would take this opportunity to claim that it has been a privilege to take part in it. Not only did it help me understand the different elements involved when dealing with race and gender, it also provided me with the tools necessary to better screen the images of the media.
The way the class was set, giving each student an opportunity to give his/her opinion and allowing all of us to have different perspectives through dyads and contributions, has definitely reached my expectations. In fact, this class dealt with important topics such as race and gender and we were so lucky to take this class in an historical moment through primary elections featuring black and female candidates.
The topic of race is mainly difficult to deal with as it always primarily appears uncomfortable. Yet, with the help of the instructor, I could say that all the students have found their way to understanding that race and gender are issues worth debating and debates would help us better probe the different problems this country is facing when dealing with minorities.
One of the most important concepts that I actually came across in this class is the concept of White privilege. White privilege is all around us but I never paid attention to it until we get to it deeper in this class. It helped me understand the frustration of minorities who also have their own privileges as males also have it in relation to gender issues.
Over all this class has been an enriching experience. It definitely helps me use critical lenses as far as the images we are getting from the media are concerned. The media are just giving us what they want to give us, reason why media literacy will stand as an antidote to the negative side of what the media are offering. I will definitely recommend this class to all my friends so that they could benefit from this experience.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
DON IMUS: DEJA VU!
Is Don Imus a racist? It is just not believable. Don Imus, the one in the middle of the big controversy over Rutgers female basketball players did it again. To the questions if he was racist, I did answer by giving him the benefit of the doubt as he apologized and recognized that he was so wrong. I did not really think he was a racist but now after this second blunder it would be difficult for me to give him another chance.
In fact, being a racist is not something that is intermittent, it is something that will dwell for a while in the persona of those who are. Sometimes, they act like they a not racist but it actually turns to a dormant habit that surges in unexpected circumstances.
The reason why I’m pointing it out is the fact Imus did not really need to ask about color. What color is it? This actually is the stupidest question that a media actor can ask ON-AIR. I really wonder if Imus himself know exactly anything about the sensitive topic of race in this country. Why ask about color as anybody can do bad things or good thing. This is not really related to race.
Imus really needed a lot of hours of diversity sessions after his first blunder. The other issue with media and mainly these talk-shows is that they are not professionals. It just happened that they can or think they can talk without really understanding what is at stake every time they say something. Imus is actually just the tip of the iceberg. Rush Limbaugh is also one of those talk show people who are strongly in need of diversity training.
I do think it is in the role of the media owners to make sure diversity in the airwaves is a reality. They need to set tangible guidelines and rules to help things like this not to happen. Anyways, they have to as their audience is dramatically dwindling.
In fact, being a racist is not something that is intermittent, it is something that will dwell for a while in the persona of those who are. Sometimes, they act like they a not racist but it actually turns to a dormant habit that surges in unexpected circumstances.
The reason why I’m pointing it out is the fact Imus did not really need to ask about color. What color is it? This actually is the stupidest question that a media actor can ask ON-AIR. I really wonder if Imus himself know exactly anything about the sensitive topic of race in this country. Why ask about color as anybody can do bad things or good thing. This is not really related to race.
Imus really needed a lot of hours of diversity sessions after his first blunder. The other issue with media and mainly these talk-shows is that they are not professionals. It just happened that they can or think they can talk without really understanding what is at stake every time they say something. Imus is actually just the tip of the iceberg. Rush Limbaugh is also one of those talk show people who are strongly in need of diversity training.
I do think it is in the role of the media owners to make sure diversity in the airwaves is a reality. They need to set tangible guidelines and rules to help things like this not to happen. Anyways, they have to as their audience is dramatically dwindling.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Weekly Media Assignment #3
Articles: Media Charged With Sexism in Clinton Coverage, By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE and JULIE BOSMAN and Age Becomes the New Race and Gender, By ADAM NAGOURNEY
I chose these two articles as they all summarize the main issues in the primary elections. In fact by changing the main theme of the election from race and gender to age, the articles open new avenues of reflections about the nature of the race. The age of John McCain has really become such an issue in these elections that it overshadows the mainstream of conceptions surrounding the candidacy of a man of color and a woman. In fact, these two articles alone are telling us what people should expect in the general elections. Now that Hillary Clinton is out of the race, there will not be a gender issue in November. The race issue dwells as we have a White and Black candidates. Yet the issue of age will be remarkably decisive because everything is all about change. The American people are looking for change in Washington. John McCain has even started talking about change with a different way than Obama.
Media Charged With Sexism in Clinton Coverage: The articles talks about angry Clinton supporters over the way the media portrayed their candidate during the primary elections. Clinton supporters, mainly women, have suggested the boycott of the media and by creating video on a “Media Hall of Shame”. The main objective of the move is to push Barack Obama to address the issue.
Yet the reaction of media actors is that the Clinton campaign has just highlighted a minute part of the coverage that is more sexist for its main argument. For this reason, said CBS Evening News anchor, Katie Couric, reporters does not feel the need to reconsider their coverage of Hillary Clinton during the primaries. The main argument from the reporters is that the Clinton campaign has seen it as an opportunity to its advantage. Some recognized the sexist turn the coverage has taken mainly in the last day of the primaries.
Age Becomes the New Race and Gender: The article starts with the surge of age as an issue during the primary campaign. Gender and race primarily became the focus of the campaign but age, with senator McCain’s 72 years has gradually taken over the important issues of race and gender. On the one hand we have an old McCain, on the other end, Barack Obama with his 47 years adds to the contrast between the two remaining candidates.
Each of the articles deals with a particular issue related to the election. The first article is interested in how the media has used a sexist approach to cover Hillary Clinton. This article is more about the role of the media in politics with the presence of a female candidate. The second article features the appearance of a third element in the race, i.e. age. The article suggest that race and gender issues have primarily appeared to be the main elements of the election but another third important element has emerged in the debate. Both articles are actually real opportunities for the reader to better understand the main issues of this race.
Race and gender are strongly present in the article. Yet gender has been more covered. The first article is all about gender. It talks about how the media have relied on a sexist approach to cover Hillary Clinton. The whole article is dedicated to gender issues. In the second article gender and issue have been taken over by the issue of race. It is only at the beginning of the article that the author talks about race and gender by laying the emphasis on how they are being overwhelmed by age.
These two articles are well articulated with supporting elements to address the main issue of this race. I really liked the second article as it brings insight on the issue of age in the primary elections. Most of the articles over the election did not deeply go over the issue of age. This very important in the sense that it will allow the public to embrace several approaches that would help determine the better candidate for this country in a critical period. There is also a need to recognize that the media have sometimes given Hillary a hard time even if it was not obviously intentional. The race and gender was framed using clichés. Everything revolves around the first woman and the black running for president of the Unites States. These are two categories that have been playing second roles in politics and then came 2008. Race will definitely play an important role in the upcoming elections. In fact, the role of race will be twofold. There will be those citizens who always dreamt of that day to see a black president in the United. Those are the same as those who do not want to miss this historic opportunity to see this country go beyond the issue of race by helping elect Barack Obama. In this situation it will not just about seeing black people voting for Obama but everybody including other races. In fact with black people only Obama cannot win. The second role of race in the election is to show how America will behave in race issues. There will be certainly a lot of people whose vote will be definitely determined by race.
Overall, these elections have so far shown that this country is under favorable circumstances to settle the issues of race and gender that have for years marked the evolution of this country. The world is watching the United States making an important turning point that will influence many future generations not only in this country but in the whole universe.
I chose these two articles as they all summarize the main issues in the primary elections. In fact by changing the main theme of the election from race and gender to age, the articles open new avenues of reflections about the nature of the race. The age of John McCain has really become such an issue in these elections that it overshadows the mainstream of conceptions surrounding the candidacy of a man of color and a woman. In fact, these two articles alone are telling us what people should expect in the general elections. Now that Hillary Clinton is out of the race, there will not be a gender issue in November. The race issue dwells as we have a White and Black candidates. Yet the issue of age will be remarkably decisive because everything is all about change. The American people are looking for change in Washington. John McCain has even started talking about change with a different way than Obama.
Media Charged With Sexism in Clinton Coverage: The articles talks about angry Clinton supporters over the way the media portrayed their candidate during the primary elections. Clinton supporters, mainly women, have suggested the boycott of the media and by creating video on a “Media Hall of Shame”. The main objective of the move is to push Barack Obama to address the issue.
Yet the reaction of media actors is that the Clinton campaign has just highlighted a minute part of the coverage that is more sexist for its main argument. For this reason, said CBS Evening News anchor, Katie Couric, reporters does not feel the need to reconsider their coverage of Hillary Clinton during the primaries. The main argument from the reporters is that the Clinton campaign has seen it as an opportunity to its advantage. Some recognized the sexist turn the coverage has taken mainly in the last day of the primaries.
Age Becomes the New Race and Gender: The article starts with the surge of age as an issue during the primary campaign. Gender and race primarily became the focus of the campaign but age, with senator McCain’s 72 years has gradually taken over the important issues of race and gender. On the one hand we have an old McCain, on the other end, Barack Obama with his 47 years adds to the contrast between the two remaining candidates.
Each of the articles deals with a particular issue related to the election. The first article is interested in how the media has used a sexist approach to cover Hillary Clinton. This article is more about the role of the media in politics with the presence of a female candidate. The second article features the appearance of a third element in the race, i.e. age. The article suggest that race and gender issues have primarily appeared to be the main elements of the election but another third important element has emerged in the debate. Both articles are actually real opportunities for the reader to better understand the main issues of this race.
Race and gender are strongly present in the article. Yet gender has been more covered. The first article is all about gender. It talks about how the media have relied on a sexist approach to cover Hillary Clinton. The whole article is dedicated to gender issues. In the second article gender and issue have been taken over by the issue of race. It is only at the beginning of the article that the author talks about race and gender by laying the emphasis on how they are being overwhelmed by age.
These two articles are well articulated with supporting elements to address the main issue of this race. I really liked the second article as it brings insight on the issue of age in the primary elections. Most of the articles over the election did not deeply go over the issue of age. This very important in the sense that it will allow the public to embrace several approaches that would help determine the better candidate for this country in a critical period. There is also a need to recognize that the media have sometimes given Hillary a hard time even if it was not obviously intentional. The race and gender was framed using clichés. Everything revolves around the first woman and the black running for president of the Unites States. These are two categories that have been playing second roles in politics and then came 2008. Race will definitely play an important role in the upcoming elections. In fact, the role of race will be twofold. There will be those citizens who always dreamt of that day to see a black president in the United. Those are the same as those who do not want to miss this historic opportunity to see this country go beyond the issue of race by helping elect Barack Obama. In this situation it will not just about seeing black people voting for Obama but everybody including other races. In fact with black people only Obama cannot win. The second role of race in the election is to show how America will behave in race issues. There will be certainly a lot of people whose vote will be definitely determined by race.
Overall, these elections have so far shown that this country is under favorable circumstances to settle the issues of race and gender that have for years marked the evolution of this country. The world is watching the United States making an important turning point that will influence many future generations not only in this country but in the whole universe.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
ON THE OCCASION OF TIM RUSSERT'S WAKE TODAY
I wrote this ealier but I did not post it. I just wanted to share it with you guys!
When I clicked on CNN homepage that day, I was just thinking about political news, not really expecting to know about the sudden death of a man of news, Tim Russert. I was really stunned and incapable to click on the link to continue to read the story. America has lost one of his most prominent advocates of balanced journalism; I would say journalism per se.
Tim will be remembered as the one who always endeavored to make political journalism a way to influence and at the same time change Washington for the whole benefit of this country he loved and cherished so much. As a future actor in the media arena, Tim will definitely constitute the mirror with which I will always look at myself to evaluate what I’m doing wrong or right. He will remain a perennial source of inspiration in my future career. During the 17 years he served as “Meet the Press” host he was able to remain unanimously appreciated among all political actors of this country. His fairness and openness to all his guests; regardless of political color, religion and culture will definitely inspire younger generations of journalists in particular; and all the future media actors in general.
Tim was a champion of diversity. In fact he helped a lot of minority journalists jostle their way in a carrier that has never been obvious by providing them with the assurance and tools they needed to reach higher levels. When other journalists remained skeptical about new journalists’ capabilities, Tim always stood as a counselor, an opportunity giver to them. As he said in his book, the most good somebody can do to himself is to believe in himself. Now, as we lost a guide and a man of inspiration, the best way to make his appeal vivid and the best way to remember him is to make his positive attitude, professionalism and fairness our everyday creed. I hope he will remain an opportunity for our own betterment right in the threshold of a fresh career in the media. (RIP TIM).
Monday, June 16, 2008
THE FUZZY LINE OF APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE WHEN DEALING WITH BLACK FOLKS IN THE MEDIA
The primaries have brought important changes in the way information is handled through the media. Not only did the campaign provide an opportunity to probe the relationship between races and genders embodied by the presence of black and female candidates, but it also inaugurated the use of Black language to suit an unprecedented political atmosphere.
The use of Black language in the media has been subject to a lot of controversy as many actors in the corporation do not really understand the language of black people. Many journalists unconsciously hurt people by using the language of black folks on television.
The last blunder in this election season came from fox news. Last week one of the screen text described Michelle Obama as “Obama’s baby mama”. The script exactly read the following title "Outraged Liberals: Stop Picking on Obama's Baby Mama!” It suddenly prompted a lot of reactions from different audiences expressing their anger. The reactions are understandable as “baby mama” is inappropriate to describe somebody who is married to her kids’ father.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “baby mama” stands for "the mother of a man's child, who is not his wife nor (in most cases) his current or exclusive partner." The term has been used mostly in hip-hop lyrics and celebrity magazines.
In this new political atmosphere, one observer notes "this campaign has shown that people are excited to use black language for the first time in presidential politics." It explains the reason why word choice for appropriate language might be a big issue for all those journalists out there that really do not know a lot about black people. Sara Lewis, a faculty member at Yale University School of Art, contends that: "But as they do it, often they're putting their feet in their mouths because they don't fully understand the culture."
This is once again a reason to make newsrooms as diverse as possible to make sure such inappropriate use of language would not be an issue.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Weekly Media Assignment # 2
Local News analysis
· Include the station’s call letters and owner: KOCO 5, EYE WITNESS NEWS 5. Hearst Corporation is the owner.
· Part of a media conglomerate: An affiliate of ABC Television Network. It is owned by Hearst Corporation
· CEO: David J. Barrett
· Date and Time: Thursday, May 12, time not specified, watched from computer.
· Anchors with their race and gender: Maggie Carlo (white female), John Flick (White male), Mark Opgrande (white male), Jessica Schambach (white female), Jiao Jiao Shen (Asian-female), Darrielle Snipes (black female)
· Anchor Jessica Schambach is female
· Reporters in field are White, Asian-Americans, Black
· Include what communities were discussed in the newscast: Report on burglaries in Northeast Oklahoma City in a black neighborhood. They showed another burglary caught in camera and involving two black male, but the anchor said the two burglaries are not related. A house was burning and the owners are black. Two black girls were rescued by neighbors and the only neighbor shown was white. We have also the story of the two Oklahoma girls that were murdered with press conference of OSBI
· A critical analysis/description of the newscast, images, and stories (including stereotypical images/portrayals, language, etc).
I noticed that all the negative news featured black people in action. In fact, the language was appropriate in telling the story. All the reporters in these stories were white. What is striking is the way they showed a previous burglary caught on video which involved two black male. The anchor just said that these two burglaries are not related. I really do not think they needed even to bring the previous burglary up in a completely different story. The other thing is about the fire that destroyed a black guy’s house where they showed a white guy who rescued two girls that were in house when the fire started. It is a very positive image of white people given in this neighborhood.
Reality analysis:
· Name of the program: The Hills
· Objective of the show/goals of the show: an MTV reality television series and a spin-off of the popular MTV show Laguna Beach. It is about the life of Lauren Conrad and her friends after leaving her home in Laguna Beach, California.
· Main characters:
Lauren Conrad: pursues fashion design and works for fashion design
Heidi: Lauren’s former roommate, she works for Bolthouse Productions
· Where can the program be found: cable
· The demographics/audience for this program: Young, middle class white audience
· Executive Producer: Liz Gateley, Producer: Hisham Abed
· When it originated: The season 1 started in 2005-2006
· A critical evaluation of the characters, the images and the program rationale.
heidi is shown as a fool for leaving a great job by preferring to stay with Spencer who is really a mean guy. Jealousy is the main element that can describe Audrina who is leaving that nice house.
What follows this program: I watched it on the internet
Entertainment analysis should include:
· The name of the program. Late Show with David Letterman
· Whether it is a comedy or drama: Comedy
· The main character: David Letterman
· When the program originated: Started in 1982 on NBC and went off in 1993. Letterman left NBC and moved to CBS with the show.
· Where can the program be found: The program can be found on network
· What are the demographics of the audience: The program is being watched by a diverse audience. Mainly a young white audience but other minorities also watch it.
· The plot or synopsis for this program: The program is built on the news. The everyday news is treated with humor. The show has always had guests
· A critical assessment of the characters and the images: Letterman is a very interesting guy who really knows how to entertain people. He has been dragging on the primary elections talking about Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama and McCain. Yet, when he talks about gender related issues you really do not feel any offense. It is shallow and just for the sake of entertainment.
· Who produces the program: Norman Lear and Don Kirshner
· Investigate whether it is belongs to a media conglomerate: CBS is a broadcast television and radio net work owned by CBS Corporation which is acquired by Viacom.
· Who is the CEO: Les Moonves
· The type of advertising that takes place during this program: Auto commercials, Beauty products like lotions, technology such as cell phones.
· Include the station’s call letters and owner: KOCO 5, EYE WITNESS NEWS 5. Hearst Corporation is the owner.
· Part of a media conglomerate: An affiliate of ABC Television Network. It is owned by Hearst Corporation
· CEO: David J. Barrett
· Date and Time: Thursday, May 12, time not specified, watched from computer.
· Anchors with their race and gender: Maggie Carlo (white female), John Flick (White male), Mark Opgrande (white male), Jessica Schambach (white female), Jiao Jiao Shen (Asian-female), Darrielle Snipes (black female)
· Anchor Jessica Schambach is female
· Reporters in field are White, Asian-Americans, Black
· Include what communities were discussed in the newscast: Report on burglaries in Northeast Oklahoma City in a black neighborhood. They showed another burglary caught in camera and involving two black male, but the anchor said the two burglaries are not related. A house was burning and the owners are black. Two black girls were rescued by neighbors and the only neighbor shown was white. We have also the story of the two Oklahoma girls that were murdered with press conference of OSBI
· A critical analysis/description of the newscast, images, and stories (including stereotypical images/portrayals, language, etc).
I noticed that all the negative news featured black people in action. In fact, the language was appropriate in telling the story. All the reporters in these stories were white. What is striking is the way they showed a previous burglary caught on video which involved two black male. The anchor just said that these two burglaries are not related. I really do not think they needed even to bring the previous burglary up in a completely different story. The other thing is about the fire that destroyed a black guy’s house where they showed a white guy who rescued two girls that were in house when the fire started. It is a very positive image of white people given in this neighborhood.
Reality analysis:
· Name of the program: The Hills
· Objective of the show/goals of the show: an MTV reality television series and a spin-off of the popular MTV show Laguna Beach. It is about the life of Lauren Conrad and her friends after leaving her home in Laguna Beach, California.
· Main characters:
Lauren Conrad: pursues fashion design and works for fashion design
Heidi: Lauren’s former roommate, she works for Bolthouse Productions
· Where can the program be found: cable
· The demographics/audience for this program: Young, middle class white audience
· Executive Producer: Liz Gateley, Producer: Hisham Abed
· When it originated: The season 1 started in 2005-2006
· A critical evaluation of the characters, the images and the program rationale.
heidi is shown as a fool for leaving a great job by preferring to stay with Spencer who is really a mean guy. Jealousy is the main element that can describe Audrina who is leaving that nice house.
What follows this program: I watched it on the internet
Entertainment analysis should include:
· The name of the program. Late Show with David Letterman
· Whether it is a comedy or drama: Comedy
· The main character: David Letterman
· When the program originated: Started in 1982 on NBC and went off in 1993. Letterman left NBC and moved to CBS with the show.
· Where can the program be found: The program can be found on network
· What are the demographics of the audience: The program is being watched by a diverse audience. Mainly a young white audience but other minorities also watch it.
· The plot or synopsis for this program: The program is built on the news. The everyday news is treated with humor. The show has always had guests
· A critical assessment of the characters and the images: Letterman is a very interesting guy who really knows how to entertain people. He has been dragging on the primary elections talking about Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama and McCain. Yet, when he talks about gender related issues you really do not feel any offense. It is shallow and just for the sake of entertainment.
· Who produces the program: Norman Lear and Don Kirshner
· Investigate whether it is belongs to a media conglomerate: CBS is a broadcast television and radio net work owned by CBS Corporation which is acquired by Viacom.
· Who is the CEO: Les Moonves
· The type of advertising that takes place during this program: Auto commercials, Beauty products like lotions, technology such as cell phones.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
DIVERSITY ON TRIAL IN THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS
The primaries, with the loss of Hilary Clinton, has prompted harsher critiques about the fact that the political media in this country is strongly sexist and dominated by men and mainly white men. The overwhelming majority of observers of American media, despite efforts to include professionals of color or women by main television channels, argue that “the race was still refereed, scored and narrated by white male commentators, an influential constituency in presidential politics.”
One can notice that there were a lot of talks in the media about the progress made by the United States concerning gender and race embodied mainly by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Yet, “the media continues to employ, groom and promote a commentators corps that is disproportionately white and male.”
Deborah Howell has found that only 12% of the Washington Post guest pieces were from women. Representation of women in the New York Times shows there are a lot of efforts that need to be done to make diversity in the newsroom an actual fact. In fact, “Eight of the ten weekly columnists are men; one is black.”
The disparities are more visible in television. What is most striking is that most anchors during the campaign are women, but when it came to primetime commentators or hosts, they are most of the time men. CNN, FOX and MSNBC are good examples as featured above. Yet, some media have tried to recruit women or black people as commentators and contributors during the primary election season as it was obvious that women and black journalists’ perspectives were much more needed with Obama and Clinton being the main political actors.
As Mister Hight suggested the other day, diversity needs to be nurtured and made permanent in any newsroom. I do think major media outlets must not intermittently promote diversity because of some binding circumstances such as the presence of black and female candidates in the race. Diversity should be made permanent so that there would not be any circumstances that would prompt its reinforcement. Diversity should be the everyday creed of any media outlet that endeavors to promote balanced representation.
Monday, June 9, 2008
REWRITING HISTORY: WHERE WERE BLACK SOLDIERS AT IWO JIMA?
The rivalry between two Hollywood filmmakers has shed light on the issue of minority representation in the media in America. Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood have quarreled over Eastwood’s last two movies about World War II hostilities in Iwo Jima.
Clint Eastwood made two consecutive films about Iwo Jima. The last one is about American soldiers raising and waiving the flag after defeating the enemy. The Battle of Iwo Jima featured the capture of the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese during the Pacicific Campaign of World War II. The battle, known as Operation Detachment was aimed at capturing the airfields of this part of Japanese territory.
Yet not only the movie shows no blacks waiving or raising the flag but also does not include images of black soldiers at all. The main question that might be asked is where were those hundred blacks soldiers who fought in an ammunition company at Iwo Jima.
In fact, Thomas McPhatter, a US Marines sergeant who crawled up the landing beach under a hail of Japanese fire, was one of hundreds of black servicemen involved in the attack.”
Spike lee attacked Eastwood by arguing that "Of all the movies that have been made of Iwo Jima, you never see a black face. This is the last straw. I feel like I've been denied, I've been insulted, I've been mistreated. But what can you do? We still have a strong underlying force in my country of rabid racism."
I do contend that it is a big mistake to make a film off Iwo Jima without showing any image of black soldiers in it. History has revealed that there were actually two different scenes when raising the flag. The first one had black soldiers in it but the picture has never been taken. In fact Thomas McPhatter helped provide the pipe that was used to raise the flag. There are also reports that cameras were turned away when some black soldiers showed up for the picture. Yet, this episode must not be considered a racist fact from Eastwood as he based the story on the way America has wanted it to be known.
Clint Eastwood made two consecutive films about Iwo Jima. The last one is about American soldiers raising and waiving the flag after defeating the enemy. The Battle of Iwo Jima featured the capture of the island of Iwo Jima from the Japanese during the Pacicific Campaign of World War II. The battle, known as Operation Detachment was aimed at capturing the airfields of this part of Japanese territory.
Yet not only the movie shows no blacks waiving or raising the flag but also does not include images of black soldiers at all. The main question that might be asked is where were those hundred blacks soldiers who fought in an ammunition company at Iwo Jima.
In fact, Thomas McPhatter, a US Marines sergeant who crawled up the landing beach under a hail of Japanese fire, was one of hundreds of black servicemen involved in the attack.”
Spike lee attacked Eastwood by arguing that "Of all the movies that have been made of Iwo Jima, you never see a black face. This is the last straw. I feel like I've been denied, I've been insulted, I've been mistreated. But what can you do? We still have a strong underlying force in my country of rabid racism."
I do contend that it is a big mistake to make a film off Iwo Jima without showing any image of black soldiers in it. History has revealed that there were actually two different scenes when raising the flag. The first one had black soldiers in it but the picture has never been taken. In fact Thomas McPhatter helped provide the pipe that was used to raise the flag. There are also reports that cameras were turned away when some black soldiers showed up for the picture. Yet, this episode must not be considered a racist fact from Eastwood as he based the story on the way America has wanted it to be known.
I do think this is an opportunity once again to rewrite a lot of chapters concerning the history of blacks in this country. The media should be at the forefront of this battle to establish truth and fairness as far as historical facts about minorities are concerned. This will be part of the healing process of the wound created by many years of oppression and denial. It is only in this perspective that America will be able to overcome divisive issues over race.
Expectations and Double Standards in the NFL
I was flipping through the channels yesterday, and I ran across the NFL Channel. I happened to notice a clear discrepancy between the amount of players in the league that are asking for contract re-negotiations. Among them was Chad Johnson. Many believe that he and other players like Jason Taylor are clear distractions for their teams. It seems like the only players that have good reason to complain about their pay are the white ones.
Granted blacks are the clear majority in football, I still can't understand why it seems that players of color are viewed as causing trouble when they make efforts to be compensated in greater amounts. I have a problem when I see that white players are viewed as stern business men when they opt out of training camps and practices, and request trades. It bothers me when players of color are viewed as trouble-makers for the same offense. It's almost like the league wants these players to be happy with what they get. Some of this goes along with the fact that player's attitudes on and off the field make the story, but other players with the same, if not a worse attitude, get treated as if they are standing up for themselves.
It makes me sick to my stomach to know that the NFL is using black players to make such a huge profit, only to alienate them in the long run. Players like Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson and Jeremy Shockey, a white player, all have reputations that go further than their action on the field. I get annoyed when Jeremy Shockey is praised for toughness and strength when the other two are constantly chastised for their silly antics or touchdown celebrations. There is a clear double standard for players of color in the NFL.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
I think it’s hard to ignore white privilege or at least refute it. However, it gets lost in the rush of life. We all lead lives of fast paced, high stress and carry with us as we begin the next leg of our lives a pass/fail mentality. I have to assume that I’ve been helped from White Privilege and not even known about it. So I want to stress that’s not to say that it’s a lesser issue and should be forgotten, reading the news and media with discerning eyes can refresh ones’ memory.
At the same time, white privilege affects people of color all across the nation, however here at the university in our small bubble community the idea of Institutionalized discrimination is lesser than on a national scale. At the University, we all share the common bonds of a higher standard of education, diversity and understand. I realize that since I’m white, and its slightly odd for me to ask daily to people of color; “excuse me, have you been discriminated against today?” I wish I could do this without some sort of repercussions. But since I can’t, I cant fully say for certain whether or not I’m evoking the principle of White Denial or am I truly locked into the experiences at the University.
I recently rented a house with 4 of my friends; we had no problem securing the house with paying our money of course. Of the list of white privilege items, McIntosh provided, who knows how I’ve been helped or “overprivileged.” There is a red line under the last word. Hah. I’m scouring my brain for examples of privilege that ive experienced, but I can’t seem to find one. I believe this is because I don’t know everything about the struggles others have to endure. Sure, I can read about these things, but in my personal experience I don’t have examples to focus on in the microscope.
I do believe that I’ve heard dialogs that if examined indicate a sense of superiority. Once again, I have no one close to me that I could discuss problems and concerns on the other side of the fence. I would love to discuss this with anyone, but it’s so hard to strike a conversation of this sort.
I’ll finish with a theory I have that has troubled me, it indicates a superiority and a counter-response. Its called reverse-discrimination, striking huh? While in Spain, I spoke Spanish with everyone. Sure people could discern that I wasn’t a native speaker, but I was proficient enough that they couldn’t tell where I was from, just that I didn’t speak like they did. I’d say I was from the UK. Haha. Anyways, I enjoyed a sense of freedom speaking with almost anyone, continuing to improve my language skills. When I got back in the States, my first day, and my mom took me to EL Fenix. This delicious Mexican restaurant offers the best enchiladas in the world; it also has native speakers from Mexico. I went to the bathroom and I heard Spanish being spoken, so with my friendly Spanish mindset I say discupleme and starting talking to them. They ignored me at first and then replied in English. I was mentally displaced. So I insisted and replied in Spanish, they gave me a grin and I asked them what kind of accent I had and they said Castellano. Kinda joyful to me. Ok basically what I took from this, is that in my home area in Dallas, no white speaks Spanish, while I realize that discrimination is probably a too hard word here, but it’s the notion that when a white guy like me really talks Spanish and not the stereotypical, degrading Spanish that I’ve seen especially towards servers, its not the norm.
I wouldn’t cast judgment on either group, but it’s a sign of stereotyping. One that whites cant speak Spanish and Latinos can’t speak English. And there’s always the sense that Latinos should speak English, sometimes people speak louder in English because they think it will help understand the language. Hah.
I dont get whats going on here.
First Weekly Media Assignment
Where do I stand now?
Yes! Where do I stand now within the race, gender and media imbroglio! This question came through my mind after the first week of class. As a matter of fact, I came to this class with a string of set conceptions concerning the relationship between races and genders in this country. Yet, this first week of class has opened up a broader avenue of opportunity for me to better grasp the main concepts that play within the debates over race and gender.
I really had a general idea of the relationship between races mainly geared toward racism without really paying attention or just knowing the difference between the concepts. The readings were an opportunity to know the difference between prejudice, discrimination and white privilege. Before I took this class, they all fell within the scope of racism, period.
This also can explain the extent to which the white privilege concept is extremely relevant to this class. It helps better understand how races differ in terms of opportunity in this country.
When reading through the 46 conditions that are more linked to skin-color privilege I finally understand how white people are not even aware of the advantage they have over other races.
For instance, in crash, when the white police officer called that black healthcare provider, he even did not know that he was talking to a black woman. It is not until she told him her name (Shaniqua Johnson, a name mostly from blacks) that he knew that the other person on the phone is black. From there the conversation completely turned bitter. This tells us that black people do not have the privilege to choose a name that would actually make them an entire part of this country. A white American has the privilege to get a name that would “sounds more American”. Barack Obama’s name is a vivid example of that privilege. People sometimes judge him just based on his name.
Now after the first week of class, I do know that there are little parameters, generally taken for granted that add up and yield the whole picture of the relationship between races and genders.
After listening to Tim Wise and reading Peggy McIntosh a lot of images are flowing in my mind but I have an example that really explains it all. On April 4th, I had an accident in Oklahoma City. A white girl ran the light and directly hit my car. The car was completely damaged. While we stayed in the car waiting for the police, the white lady that was following me came to us and said: “I was making sure that you guys are doing fine, yet I will stay here till the police comes.” We waited for more than an hour and had to move our cars to the parking lot to make room for traffic. Suddenly the police officer came in and said. “who is driving this car.” “That’s my car sir,” I said.He then suddenly said: “I will give you the ticket”. In fact the officer did not even ask about the circumstances of the accident. I was so irritated that I started yelling at the officer.
Suddenly, the white lady that volunteered to stay till the police came was my savior as she was able to say what actually happened. The other amazing thing was that one of my neighbors who happened to be black was following me and knew about the accident too. Yet when the officer was asking for information I also pointed at my neighbor as a witness. Yet, the officer refused to ask him about what happened. He just trusted the white lady who was there just to help me knowing what would happen without a witness. In this example, two white privileges emanate from the circumstances. First, you are presumably at fault when you are a black person involved in an accident with a white person. Second, white people tend to be trusted by white officers when they want information about an accident they did not witness.
This is one of many examples that have strengthened my belief that white privilege is not a vain word. It does exist. White privilege has been at the core of many measures or laws that govern race relations in this country today. Ignoring its existence adds in to the already lingering issues that prevent this nation to heal itself from years of denial. The white privilege concept should stimulate awareness on both sides, "the dominant race” and other “minorities”.
Yes! Where do I stand now within the race, gender and media imbroglio! This question came through my mind after the first week of class. As a matter of fact, I came to this class with a string of set conceptions concerning the relationship between races and genders in this country. Yet, this first week of class has opened up a broader avenue of opportunity for me to better grasp the main concepts that play within the debates over race and gender.
I really had a general idea of the relationship between races mainly geared toward racism without really paying attention or just knowing the difference between the concepts. The readings were an opportunity to know the difference between prejudice, discrimination and white privilege. Before I took this class, they all fell within the scope of racism, period.
This also can explain the extent to which the white privilege concept is extremely relevant to this class. It helps better understand how races differ in terms of opportunity in this country.
When reading through the 46 conditions that are more linked to skin-color privilege I finally understand how white people are not even aware of the advantage they have over other races.
For instance, in crash, when the white police officer called that black healthcare provider, he even did not know that he was talking to a black woman. It is not until she told him her name (Shaniqua Johnson, a name mostly from blacks) that he knew that the other person on the phone is black. From there the conversation completely turned bitter. This tells us that black people do not have the privilege to choose a name that would actually make them an entire part of this country. A white American has the privilege to get a name that would “sounds more American”. Barack Obama’s name is a vivid example of that privilege. People sometimes judge him just based on his name.
Now after the first week of class, I do know that there are little parameters, generally taken for granted that add up and yield the whole picture of the relationship between races and genders.
After listening to Tim Wise and reading Peggy McIntosh a lot of images are flowing in my mind but I have an example that really explains it all. On April 4th, I had an accident in Oklahoma City. A white girl ran the light and directly hit my car. The car was completely damaged. While we stayed in the car waiting for the police, the white lady that was following me came to us and said: “I was making sure that you guys are doing fine, yet I will stay here till the police comes.” We waited for more than an hour and had to move our cars to the parking lot to make room for traffic. Suddenly the police officer came in and said. “who is driving this car.” “That’s my car sir,” I said.He then suddenly said: “I will give you the ticket”. In fact the officer did not even ask about the circumstances of the accident. I was so irritated that I started yelling at the officer.
Suddenly, the white lady that volunteered to stay till the police came was my savior as she was able to say what actually happened. The other amazing thing was that one of my neighbors who happened to be black was following me and knew about the accident too. Yet when the officer was asking for information I also pointed at my neighbor as a witness. Yet, the officer refused to ask him about what happened. He just trusted the white lady who was there just to help me knowing what would happen without a witness. In this example, two white privileges emanate from the circumstances. First, you are presumably at fault when you are a black person involved in an accident with a white person. Second, white people tend to be trusted by white officers when they want information about an accident they did not witness.
This is one of many examples that have strengthened my belief that white privilege is not a vain word. It does exist. White privilege has been at the core of many measures or laws that govern race relations in this country today. Ignoring its existence adds in to the already lingering issues that prevent this nation to heal itself from years of denial. The white privilege concept should stimulate awareness on both sides, "the dominant race” and other “minorities”.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
BOGGED DOWN IN DENIAL!
There is a big problem related to Hillary Clinton’s attitude toward Barack Obama’s clinching the democratic nomination last night. Observers of the political spectrum have come up with important questions about why Hillary did not recognize Black Obama’s victory on the night he acquired the number of delegates to win the nomination. What is Hillary Clinton really thinking, knowing beforehand the fight was over a long time ago?
In the different scenarii offered by political strategists and commentators, some think that “Hillary will take a few days to bring her campaign to a smooth landing after a long nasty ride.” Others have analyzed Hillary’s attitude as a means to leveraging Obama for a vice presidential spot toward the upcoming elections, which will still allow her to make history as the first female vice-president of this country.
Yet, viewed in another angle, I would say, referring to Tim Wise, that Hillary’s denial of what is obvious is inherent to White privilege. In fact, this campaign was thought to be very short and easy for Hilary Clinton and his Staff in the sense that they never imagine that this nation was ready to embrace a black candidate to be the nominee of the Democratic Party. The seeds of Hilary’s demise were spread in the different caucuses around the nation. His campaign really minimized Obama until Super Tuesday, where his landslide victory appeared as a red signal to the Hillary Camp. The denial continued with the idea of the “superdelegates” having to choose the nominee to the expense of the popular vote because they will never choose a black guy as the nominee. Yet, everyday, superdelegates were rallying the Obama camp giving him later a considerable lead in the last days of the campaign.
Hilary’s denial grew to the extent to which assination was a possibility as she made allusion to the assassination of RFK. Here I’m not saying that Hillary is talking about the probable assassination of Obama, but for the sake of the argument it does strengthen Hillary’s state of Denial.
Hilary’s denial grew to the extent to which assination was a possibility as she made allusion to the assassination of RFK. Here I’m not saying that Hillary is talking about the probable assassination of Obama, but for the sake of the argument it does strengthen Hillary’s state of Denial.
And came the last day of the primary when the whole country was expecting her to be condescending and get away with it by not only acknowledging her opponent’s victory but by supporting him for the upcoming electoral battle. Yet, one can also think that gender issues might be at the core of her attitude as she still wants to be perceived as a strong woman that the Obama camp has to court for support.
Monday, June 2, 2008
What role did race, gender and religion play in the campaign?
What role did race, gender and religion play in the campaign? This question was inspired by Tim Russert’s roundtable after Hilary Clinton’s blunder by mentioning RFK assassination while explaining her reasons to stay in the democratic nomination race. Here it is a good point to make that the question is too general and at the same time very important as it reflects the configuration of the democratic race to the presidency.
The race is at a historical turning point as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton represent two segments of the population of this country that have fought all the way to be where they are today.
Nobody ignores the way freedom for black people was fought in this country; ranging from slavery and the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s to several riots that happened in the early 90’s. Another front for woman rights was already opened in the early 18th century with figures as emblematic as Elizabeth C. Stanton and Susan B. Anthony who harshly fought to get women out of the home.
Yet, despite all the progress and this historical moment, one can look and notice that there is another long way to go to finally make race and gender part of the routine in all our actions and aspirations. To make it clear, let us say that more steps are needed weed out gender and race issues from the orchard this nation has strived to maintain successfully so far.
For this particular blog entry I’m interested in the gender issues mainly made of stereotypes toward Hillary Clinton and women in general. When Tim Russert asked the question about the role of gender and race in the primary elections, I was stunned by a certain number of reactions that really poked the wound that the American people has always endeavored to heal. One of the participants equaled Hillary Clinton’s attitude to victimism or Sharptonism (in reference to Rev. Al Sharpton
Definitely Clinton shows that women are ready to lead this country but some think she uses feminism as opportunism. I do not think that Hilary is covering her limits or blunders by playing the gender card. The issue is that this country has yet to get away from a lot of issues that are still lingering. Hope that this race would be a landmark for this to go beyond gender and race. I do think that the coming general election in November will be a good way to probe the extent to which race and gender issues characterize our way of life.
The race is at a historical turning point as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton represent two segments of the population of this country that have fought all the way to be where they are today.
Nobody ignores the way freedom for black people was fought in this country; ranging from slavery and the Civil Rights Movement of the 60s to several riots that happened in the early 90’s. Another front for woman rights was already opened in the early 18th century with figures as emblematic as Elizabeth C. Stanton and Susan B. Anthony who harshly fought to get women out of the home.
Yet, despite all the progress and this historical moment, one can look and notice that there is another long way to go to finally make race and gender part of the routine in all our actions and aspirations. To make it clear, let us say that more steps are needed weed out gender and race issues from the orchard this nation has strived to maintain successfully so far.
For this particular blog entry I’m interested in the gender issues mainly made of stereotypes toward Hillary Clinton and women in general. When Tim Russert asked the question about the role of gender and race in the primary elections, I was stunned by a certain number of reactions that really poked the wound that the American people has always endeavored to heal. One of the participants equaled Hillary Clinton’s attitude to victimism or Sharptonism (in reference to Rev. Al Sharpton
Definitely Clinton shows that women are ready to lead this country but some think she uses feminism as opportunism. I do not think that Hilary is covering her limits or blunders by playing the gender card. The issue is that this country has yet to get away from a lot of issues that are still lingering. Hope that this race would be a landmark for this to go beyond gender and race. I do think that the coming general election in November will be a good way to probe the extent to which race and gender issues characterize our way of life.
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