Last Word

When I enrolled in this class last semester, I thought I was just taking another journalism elective. I had no idea that this class would make me think about the world that it has. This class has truly provoked more questions in my mind than I had ever intended to think about. I find myself constantly critiquing the media and looking at it in a whole new light.

I always thought that the media was a bit biased in terms of gender and ethnicity, but until this class, I had no idea what the extent of that was. It is mind-boggling to me that we live in a society that is acceptable of this behavior. Behavior that lets images of the unattainable perfect woman set the "norm". Behavior that allows the advertising world to only feature white models and once in a blue moon feature black models, which are, in most cases, celebrities.





This class has not only made me realize these common stereotypes that society is faced with everyday, but it has also made me think about what I will be able to do as a future media professional. As media professionals, it is our job to make sure the world knows what is happening, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, etc. It is upsetting when you turn on particular news channels, read different newspapers or even visit specific Web-sites and get extremely biased news. You know there is a problem when broadcasts only focus on stereotypical matter to make a particular race look better instead of focusing on what is actually happening in the world. That is what news is; it should be completely unbiased and needs to simply be the facts. I hope to someday make an impact on the way the media is perceived. As of right now it is obvious that there are still many stereotypes in the media world that need to be worked on. There needs to be more diversity of broadcasters, more diversity of positive stories in the news and there needs to be a better representation of gender in the news. As a future media professional I will try my hardest to work towards this goal; a goal of better diversifying the media as well as getting negative stereotypes to go away. If every person that took this class this semester strives to reach this goal as well, we could truly make a difference in the world.

Blogging has definitely been a difficult task for me to be completely honest. I'm not quite sure whether it was the blogs themselves or the 12 o'clock on a Friday night deadline. I always did them on time but there were certainly times when I was sprinting down the hallway at 11 p.m., already dressed to go out for the night, trying to do a 600 word blog in less than an hour. In retrospect, I enjoyed the blogs. They caused me to think about topics I might not have otherwise thought about. I especially liked reading my fellow classmate's blogs and responding to them. Some people had similar opinions and some were very different. Either way, I learned a lot from them and they made me think deeply as well. I was most surprised by how thought provoking certain classmates blogs were. I am proud to say that I am going to graduate with these students. I also enjoyed reading comments that people left on my previous blogs. It made me feel accomplished that others respected my thoughts and words. That was maybe one of favorite parts of the class. :)

Overall, my opinion of this class was great. I think that as upcoming media professionals, this was a great class to take. We all need to be familiar with race and gender. They are popular topics that need a lot of attention. I gained a lot from this class and I am thankful for what I am going to take away from it.

Hip Hop in the Media

Personal Understanding of Hip Hop:
Hip Hop, to me, is not only a genre of music but also a lifestyle. Hip hop can be music, dance, culture, fashion and, in general, a way of life. Hip Hop music allowed artists of the late 80s and 90s to express themselves culturally and politically.

Urban Dictionary Meaning of Hip Hop:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hip+hop

SONGS:
"Sunshine" by Mos Def
"U.N.I.T.Y." by Queen LaTifah
"Warm It Up" by Kriss Kross
"Gettin' Up" by Q-Tip
"Back Then" by Mike Jones

MUSIC VIDEOS:
"Can't Truss It" by Public Enemy
"It's Tricky" by Run DMC
"Kiss Me Thru The Phone" by Soulja Boy Tell'em
"Closer" by Ne-Yo
"Fight for Your Right" by the Beastie Boys

RADIO STATIONS FEATURING HIP HOP:
WILD 104.9
POWER 103.5

HIP HOP IN THE MEDIA:
The Gatorade G Commercial utilizes a hip hop song with famous athletes as the faces of the campaign. It's a great ad done in black and white. The use of the song along with the athletes is very eye-catching and inspiring. It almost has the ability to "pump you up."
Gap Khaki Commercial features many hip hop dancers dancing while wearing the Gap Khakis. It's creative and energetic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_A_bxovgF0&feature=PlayList&p=34AF8DF3E6E23DB5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=35

There are many things that I believe Hip Hop has brought to mainstream pop culture. Along with the word "bling," other words such as grill, bootylicous, crunk, phat, tight, dope and the enunciation of words in general.



I also think that hip hop has greatly inspired fashion trends not only during the hip hop peak but in today's culture as well. On a daily basis you can see kids sporting Nike high-tops with their shoe laces undone and baggy pants. Some of the most popular musical artists are hip hop and rap artists like Lil Wayne, Bow Wow, Young Jeezy, Snoop Dawg, Eminem, 50 Cent and many more.

After talking to my parents, I discovered that they primarily listened to Classic Rock. They loved Tom Petty, Elton John, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkle, and many others. Their choice in music has greatly inspired my love for classic rock. They have passed down their love for classic rock to me. They say that they never listened to hip hop but also said that hip hop wasn't around during their time therefore they have no interest in it today. Both my mom and my dad said that they don't want to listen to today's rap because they think it is derogatory towards women and inappropriate. I agree with them to an extent but I also see the other side.

I believe that the hip hop culture has the ability to inspire every type of person. The catchy lyrics and the play on words are always so fantastic. I am not one that listens to hip hop on a regular basis. To be quite honest, I don't really listen to hip hop at all. However, one thing that I love about hip hop music, and the culture in general, is the passion that the artists and performers have for their craft. It truly is inspiring. After watching all of the music videos and listening to the songs, you can tell that they aren't just making another record or music video for the fame and money, rather, they want to have their voice heard and inspire people. And I believe that hip hop can do just that.

However, I sometimes feel that present day hip hop can be degrading towards women. Some of the music videos I watched were exploiting women's bodies in ways that I believe are unnecessary. I just don't see why all of these artists think that it is necessary to use half-naked women in every video. Like I said, I don't listen to hip hop very much so maybe that is just a misconception that I have but in my opinion, they could get their message across without the typical "music video girl."

I think that hip hop is a phenomenon that will be around for years to come. It truly has shaped modern culture and will continue to do so.

Race and Gender in Advertising

Throughout the week I encountered many gender and racial stereotypes in common media. I was surprised to see how many negative stereotypes we are faced with everyday as well as the lack of minorities in the media. Below is a list of ten advertisements that are negative stereotypes. The numbers with ** next to it depict the ads I feel were the most important to discuss in depth.

**1. While looking through an issue of Cosmopolitan, I came across an ad for an emergency contraceptive pill. The ad has a woman of color with a slight smile on her face. Next to her picture are the words "if last night didn't go as planned." I found it to be ironic that this was the first ad in the magazine that didn't have a white woman as the focal point and it was also the only ad dealing with unprotected sex and the photo was of a black woman. I think this gives off the wrong idea. It is almost as if they are saying that colored people are never prepared for anything, but not to worry because they can always take their product. I was irritated, to say the least, after looking over this advertisement.

2. In Shape magazine, there was an ad for a teeth whitening product that read "Maximize the white." The picture was of two beautiful, young white girls with perfect teeth. The title itself is sickening.

**3. During a television commercial for Physician's Formula make-up, the ad used a "Brady Bunch" themed message. The commercial had 6 young women before the make-up looking not so pretty and then they put on the make-up and were transformed into beauties. Of all the women, not one was black and only one was Asian. The asian women was hardly even noticeable as Asian. She had very light skin and subtle Asian features. This sets a bad example, in my opinion. If I were a black girl watching this and it was noticeable that there were 6 pretty women on the screen and not one of them was of my coloring, I would be offended and probably not want to buy their product. It is sad to me that you have to search for other races in advertising.

**4. I found the ad below in a recent issue of People magazine. The ad is for Gardasil. Gardasil is a vaccine that can protect women from cervical cancer and other HPV diseases associated with sex. The ad is a picture of a very young woman of Asian descent. As we learned in class, Asians are often associated with promiscuity and sexuality. In oder to get the diseases that the vaccine protects you from, one must be sexually active. In this ad, and in another one like it that has a black girl on the ad, it is showing the audience that these girls are sexually active and very young. This type of behavior isn't always accepted by our society. I have a hard time thinking that they would ever choose a young white girl as the model.



**5. In a Women's Health magazine ad, there is an advertisement for women in the U.S. Marines. The ad is of a black woman Marine in somewhat of a fighting position and she seems to be controlling the group that is sitting below her. This ad stuck out to me because she almost appears "beastly." As the class discussed Serena Williams, I feel this woman is depicted along those same lines. She is not portrayed as the pretty model but she is the controlling, intense and forceful model. Once again, I don't think this ad would have used a white model.



6. While looking through 2 issues of Shape Magazine, I never once came across a "workout section" that had a woman of color as the trainer. In 2 magazine there was a total of 7 workout sections. That is a horrible statistic. If I was a woman of color, I would be upset.

**7. In a Dolce and Gabanna ad I found in GQ Magazine, there is a picture of four half-naked white men in perfect physical condition. Not one of them is of color and not one of them isn't what a girl would call "perfect." The ad is supposed to be for a men's clothing line but the only thing the audience notices is the men's attractiveness. It is bad advertising because unless one cared enough to do anything other than look at the men, they would never even know what the ad was for. It also shows men that read the magazine that this is what they all should strive to look like. It sets a horrible example, just as magazine ads with sexy women set a bad example for young women.



8. During a music video for a Keri Hilson song featuring Lil Wayne called "Turnin me on," there are only black female dancers. The dancers are extremely sexual and dressed very promiscuously. It is stereotypical to place black women in sexual music videos. It is also ironic that no white women were in this video because people consider white girls to be "angelic" and "superior."

9. In a Popeye's Chicken commercial there was a black family eating their chicken around the table discussing how they were so excited that Popeye's had lowered some of their prices and gotten a value menu. It was almost as if they were saying that black people love chicken (common stereotype) and they can only afford cheap fast food.

10. In a recent Victoria's Secret commercial, there were 5 featured models who were all white. They were all very beautiful and sexy. As this class gets further into the semester, I always pick up on ads where white women are the only ones considered sexy and black women are usually not even acknowledged.


Thoughts:

This was another eye-opening assignment that we were given in this class. I am always apprehensive before I begin but I always end up learning so much throughout the process. I was proven correctly that there would be a substantial difference between the number of positive ads with white girls and the number of negative ads with colored girls. There were many more positive ads with white people, especially ads with beautiful white women. White people were always the featured models in ads relating to beauty and health and colored people were used regarding things such as unprotected sex.

As a society, and members of the media, we need to become aware that this is wrong and extremely stereotypical. There needs to be a good balance in society. That's what makes it work.

News and the Media

1. Who determines the news or sets the agenda?

According to the videos, the government is the key contributer to what sets the agenda. Along with the government, money and big corporations also contribute to the setting of the agenda. The "Buying the War" series points out that before America entered the war, criticisms of the war were dismissed and seen as unpatriotic.

2.Why do we need a media that specifically represents difference interests of people of color?

I believe that it is important that the media target all races and genders. It should be the interest of all forms of media. It would be an unfair society if only "white" people had targeted media. However, it appears that that is the case in today's society. Although the media may be targeted towards a white society, there are other factors that need to be looked at, too such as gender, economic status, religion, etc.

The media needs to focus on targeting all types of people, races and beliefs. It is crucial to do this in order to have a well-structured society. The media also needs to focus on their target population. If a news medium is in a highly Latino populated area, they should focus on values that are important to Latinos. The same should be said for a black or white community.

3.How was the war initially reported by the media?

When the war first began, America was all about "patriotism." America practically saw the war as a necessity to protect the values and beliefs of American society as well as the safety of the American people. Those who didn't believe in the war were seen as unpatriotic.

4. What has the media covered recent social protests? Jenna Six – Proposition Eight

Although there were many protests regarding Prop. 8, only a few were given media coverage. Most of the other coverage came from non-traditional media sources.



5.Was the media beneficial for the Civil Rights Movement?

I believe that the media was extremely beneficial for the Civil Rights Movement. It was one of the first publicly televised and reported events in U.S. history. Americans from all over had the ability to see what was happening to blacks and the hardships they were going through. However, whites also got a lot of attention from the media during the Civil Rights Movement as well. For example, when whites were seen taking part in the movement and were getting scrutinized for it.



6. Your thoughts and reflections on setting the news agenda, minority media and reporting the war.

I personally believe that the media is controlled by who is willing to spend the most money, not necessarily what is the most newsworthy. Media look for stories that are going to bring a lot of attention. This means stories that are very dramatic as well as stories that will bring sympathy. It is unfortunate to me that the media works this way.

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern at a big television station in Tulsa and got to see first-hand what happens at the assignment desk. There were many occasions that I would sit at the desk and think I found something newsworthy but would be turned down, not because it wasn't a good story, but because it wouldn't bring a lot of viewers.

I have always been very proud to be an American but this class has made me question some of our so-called values. It is sad for me to discover how much racism still occurs in our country. Media needs to react to all races, not just whites. Media needs to cover news that are relevant to the location, which means forget race in general.

Like I mentioned earlier, at the beginning of the war, the coverage was patriotic and positive. As the war began to not go as planned, war coverage changed as well and the reporting on the war became more negative and focused more on the death totals rather than the patriotism that was seen at the beginning. I wouldn't say that is a bad thing, however. I think it is evident that that was going to happen. If something is going well in a country, the reporting will be upbeat. On the other hand, if something is wrong or not looking good, the reports won't be as positive.

Racial and Gender Stereotyping

2/20 9am
TV--Ellen DeGeneres
Scarlett Johanson plays a character in "He's Just Not That Into You" that is part of an affair. On the show to promote movie and played that clip.
Gender Stereotype

2/21 11:45am
CMT--Toby Keith Video "As Good As I Once Was"
He plays a character that picks up twin girls from the bar.
Gender Stereotpye

2/21 9pm
Film-- Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
One white girl attempts to dance at a Cuban club and everyone stares at her.
Racial Stereotype



2/22 11:15am
Poster--Adams Tower
A flyer for a Hip-Hop class with pictures only of black people.
Racial Stereotype

2/22 7pm
TV--ABC Oscars
Best Actor/Actress category only comprised of caucasians.
Racial Stereotype

2/23 6pm
Radio--KJ103
DJ talking about the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident.
Racial Stereotype

2/24 10:40am
Magazine--US Weekly
Ad for denim showing a half-naked woman posing in jeans only.
Gender Stereotype

2/24 5:30pm
TV--ESPN SportsCenter
Only male broadcasters on the show.
Gender Stereotype

2/25 2:30pm
Magazine--An older Vogue that I found at my work
Cover has Gisele Bundchen and LeBron James. She is wearing a beautiful dress and he is wearing athletic gear and holding a basketball.
Racial and Gender Stereotype



To be completely honest, I was very nervous to begin this assignment. I didn't think I would be able to find enough stereotyping. I was proven very,very wrong. I knew that there was a lot of stereotyping in today's society but what I wasn't aware of was how much I would see on a daily basis, especially when I was looking for it. I actually had a hard time only using two per day. It seemed that everywhere I looked I could find some form of racial or gender stereotyping. I came to the conclusion that if you're out to look for it, you can find it almost anywhere.

I know that from personal experience, I try not to make stereotypes of people on a regular basis. It can be hard to do sometimes but I am actively trying not to. Race, Gender and Media is also helping me realize what stereotyping can do to society and is helping me make an effort to be more cautious of my thoughts and opinions. In social experiences, stereotyping can become awkward. For instance, I was in the car with a friend that is black when I heard the horrible stereotying that was being said of Chris Brown. It was very uncomfortable and sad to be seated next to my friend during that circumstance. I can only imagine what was running through his head.

After a week of constantly looking for racial and gender stereotyping, I became very aware of what was happening, and what will continue to happen to our society. It really made me think about what it means to be a young woman in the world today. It also all begins to make sense. I think I have always been aware that it was OK by society if men didn't have the perfect body and women are criticized if they do not. Looking for gender stereotypes has made me believe that that is the case even more. My concern is that "sex sells" and if advertising agencies continue to follow that rule, these stereotypes might only get worse.

We need to teach our children that stereotyping is not a good thing and that people should be open to every gender and every race. If we all make an effort to lay of the stereotyping, our society could make some great changes.

Extra Credit Big XII

After spending quite a bit of time researching schools in the Big XII that have race-based admissions, I only found a few.

The University of Texas does ask for your ethnicity on the application.

The University of Kansas does not affect your admission, but filling it out is optional.

The University of Colorado says that it is optional to check the box as well.

The University of Missouri is optional for ethnicity and for gender as well.

The University of Texas was also optional.

Kansas State University did require the applicant to give ethnic information.

Oklahoma State University does not require ethnic or gender information.

Those were the only schools I could find race-based admission information on. To be honest, I'm glad OU does not have information online about whether or not were are race-based. I think that one's race or gender should have nothing to do with admission. Schools should accept students based on their applications, involvement and grades, not on the color of their skin. I think it would be disrespectful to a lot of people to admit people into a school simply on the color of their skin. I am happy that all but one of the schools I found information on were not race-based admission colleges. I hope that is because America is working towards a more accepting society. 

Miss March Extra Credit

Coming out of class on Monday night I was very interested in gender stereotyping. When I heard about an opportunity to see a movie that was about being a Playboy bunny, I knew I had to see it in order to learn more and see more stereotyping. Little did I know that there would be such an abundance of it in one movie.

"Miss March" was a funny movie. I laughed a lot but at the same time I was quite disgusted in the way women were portrayed throughout the entire film. Parts of it were even very crude and uncomfortable to watch being a woman myself.

The movie was about two young guys who have been great friends for a long time. One of the boys goes into a coma for four years and during those four years his girlfriend becomes the March centerfold of "Playboy." That, in and of itself, is very stereotypical of the type of girl that these boys would date. She was a dumb blonde and probably did not have much self-confidence. 

His friend, Tucker, also had a girlfriend in the movie and for her birthday he bought her a stripper pole to use. The girlfriend took the stripper without any hesitation. That insinuates that all girls would like to have stripper poles in their bedrooms, which is definitely not the case. 

A friend of the two boys brings about the most gender stereotyping in the movie. Their friend is a rapper who makes very derogatory music videos. His song titles are even too horrible to name. One of his videos show a bare chested woman bumping and grinding and showing no morals. I was extremely offended by that because I believe that women are better than that and that girls should not resort to doing that type of work.

The rapper brought the two friends on his tour bus and on the bus there were a lot of promiscuous women. At one point, the rapper told one of the girls to go have sex with Tucker and she nodded and went. She was letting some man tell her what to do and control her. It was, in my opinion, the saddest part of the movie.

Once the friends made it to L.A., they arrived at the Playboy Mansion. The mansion was full of blonde bimbos with little dogs and a ton of pink. None of them seemed to portray intellectual women. In fact, there were no women in the movie that were portrayed as "smart" or "intellectual." Every girl was seen as dumb and easily convincible. 

Although the movie was funny, I would never see it again. It was extremely crude and offensive toward women. It's goal was to show how dumb girls are and that all they are good for is looking good and being sex symbols. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Hit or Miss: Grammy Style

This past Sunday night I got to watch one of my favorite television shows of the year--The Grammy's. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards not only bring out the most talented musicians of the year, but also the greatest fashion of the year. As a lover of both fashion and music, it is easy to say that I love this night. 

Usually the Grammy's bring about some crazy fashion trends, but this year I was pleasantly surprised with how well I thought most attendees came dressed. From Carrie Underwood to Leona Lewis, "high-fashion style" was the theme of the evening.

Carrie Underwood looked as gorgeous as usual wearing a beaded gold Zuhair Murad gown that really complimented her skin tone and hair. With beautiful diamonds and a fabulous gold clutch, Carrie's look really was "classic."

Another favorite of the night was Kate Beckinsale. Although she is not a musician, she presented a Grammy and coincidentally had one of the best dresses of the entire evening. The fitted black bodice with a mermaid train was spectacular. It showed off her every curve in ways that most women dream. She made the perfect decision to wear her brown ha

ir down and lightly curled. Her entire appearance was breathtaking. With a look this good worn to the Grammy's, I can only imagine what she will look like next month at the Oscars. 

Although I mentioned that I was pleased with most of the fashion this year, there were some exceptions. Before I begin on the next victim, let me first give this woman props for attending. M.I.A. was due to give birth on the very same day as the Grammys and still came. She not only attended, she performed! However, there are no longer any excuses to be given to pregnant women; there are beautiful maternity gowns these days that need to be worn! M.I.A. showed up in a dress that looked as if it should be worn in a stage production of "The Wizard of Oz" by the munchkins. Not to mention that she wore her dress with high-top sneakers. 

As stated earlier, I really was impressed by the red carpet this year. I think fashion is really exciting and I always look forward to seeing the latest trends. Now it's time for the Oscars! 

Media Literacy: My Opinions

In the following blog I address the Seven Debates associated with the article "The Seven Great Debated in the Media literacy Movement" by Renee Hobbs.

Should media literacy education aim to protect children and young people from negative media influences?

No. I do not necessarily believe it should be aimed to protect from negative media influences. However, I believe that the teachers and parents of the children should limit the range of information the children will be exposed to.

Should media production be an essential feature of media literacy education?

Yes. I believe that media production should be essential for media literacy education. I know that from personal experiences that I tend to learn more when I am engaged in something creative rather than having a person simply telling me what to do.

Should media literacy focus on popular culture texts?

On this question I have differing views. I believe that in this day and age 

children will learn more if they have entertaining subjects that they can relate to. Often times, it can make their learning experience more fun and in return, they might pay more attention. However, I also see the relevance in teaching with traditional texts because traditional texts have a lot of good insight to offer students on a wide variety of subjects.

Should media literacy have a more explicit political or ideological agenda?

No. I disagree with this very much. Media literacy is meant to teach media literacy, not persuade children to think or behave in any certain way. There should never be anagenda when teaching media literacy.

Should media literacy be focused on school-based K-12 educational environments?

Yes, media literacy should be focused on K-12 educational environments. Children in school are in the ideal setting for media literacy education. Giving them the propereducation at a younger age will greatly help them in their futures.

Should media literacy be taught as a specialist subject or integrated within 

the contexts of existing subjects?

I think that media literacy should be integrated within the contexts of existing subjects because I think it is more relevant and efficient for not only the students but the schools as well. If media literacy is integrated into regular curriculum, students will be learning multiple subjects at one time.

Should media initiatives be supported financially by media organizations?

I don't think that it should be demanded that media organizations support media initiatives but I think it would serve the benefit to the media organization. There would be more exposure to thousands of students by financial support and in return, the children might always remember the brand that helped fund their programs.

I think that media literacy is a very important tool to have in the modern day and will continue to be useful as the world gets more and more media driven. Below, I have given links for some helpful media literacy sites.

http://www.medialit.org/about_cml.html#education

http://www.frankwbaker.com/default1.htm

Traveling: More than Pretty Places

Traveling is a passion of mine that I have had since I was a little girl. I love everything about it. The different types of people, the new cultures, the history of the places and most importantly, the types of experiences you can take away from somewhere new. 

I have had the privilege of doing a lot of traveling in the United States. I've been lucky enough to see some of the most well-known places in America from the East Coast to the West Coast as well as many places in between.  Not only do I come away from memories from these places but knowledge as well. And although I have never been outside of the country, other than to Mexico, I still believe that I have come away with insight to the way other Americans live their lives.

Traveling, to me, can be such a great learning tool for those who might not always enjoy simply reading about exciting places from pictures in a book. I've always been the type of learner that would rather "experience" new information. There is so much to learn from traveling. I especially think traveling is a fantastic learning tool for children. Children need to be exposed to more cultures and experiences to fully understand the world and how things work and in my opinion, traveling is a great tool that parents can use to teach those things in a fun way. 

If I could choose one place in the entire world to visit, I would choose Ireland. I am almost 100% Irish and I still have very close relatives living right outside of Dublin in a county called Clonakilty. I've always been interested in genealogy and love my Irish roots. My grandparents have gone to visit our family in Ireland and still keep close contact with many of them. Seeing where my family comes from would be one of the greatest experiences I can think of. My family actually owns a pub as well as a bed and breakfast (pictured below). I have recently spoken to some of my cousins and I am praying that I get to visit soon and finally get to meet part of my family.

 

Traveling should always be fun and if you take the time to explore, traveling should also be informational. If there are two things in this world that are worth the expense, traveling and education rank among the top two.