Disney Racism

I decided to write my last blog post for this race, gender and mass media class similar to that of my first post. Only this time I wanted to investigate racism and racial stereotypes among Disney films as opposed to sexism and gender stereotypes. This idea came to me after viewing in class the "Aladdin" "Arabian Nights" theme song. I honestly had no idea that the lyrics had been changed from the original song. On Cracked Entertainment website, I found a list of the "9 Most Racist Disney Characters." This article summarizes the various stereotypes that Disney portrays in its movies and each character listed is typically accompanied with a short video clip. In class we have already talked about two of the racist stereotypes including the Indians from "Peter Pan" and the merchant from "Aladdin." The most shocking character(s) to me that I'm surprised I never personally caught were the crows from "Dumbo." The 1941 Disney Classic includes among its characters a "jive-talking" band of 3 black crows. Their poor English and rowdy manner stereotypical with African Americans would not be as offensive if the main crow's name was not "Jim Crow." The crows are depicted as very poor and uneducated and are shown behaving similar to that of African American stereotypes. The Racist Characters list also includes "Sebastian" from "The Little Mermaid" and "King Louie" from "The Jungle Book."

I was happy to learn that Disney has tried to correct it's racial stereotypes through the movie, "The Princess and the Frog," and their new preschool cartoon, "Doc McStuffins." Although "The Princess and the Frog" may not have been seen as successful in many critics eyes, I believe they tried to bring a princess that all young girls could embrace. I was especially interested to read about "Doc McStuffins." Aimed at preschoolers, the show features a 6-year old African-American girl whose aspires to become a doctor like her mother. She takes care of dolls and stuffed animals when at home with her stay-at-home dad. So far the show has generated lots of positive reviews from critics, teachers and parents. Hopefully this is an indication of the future that Disney has for correcting its past racial stereotypical characters. I look forward to seeing what Disney comes up with as I hope that my children will watch Disney and learn racial equality for all.

Here is a more in depth article talking about Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" :: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/fashion/31disney.html?pagewanted=all

Here's a good video I found on Youtube that was made for an English project getting more in depth with Disney Racism.

Gender Stereotypes through Toys

As the holidays are quickly approaching, I have spent a great deal of my spare time online Christmas shopping. I always find the most enjoyment from shopping for Christmas gifts when shopping for my young cousins because I had some wonderful experiences growing up and playing with board games and Barbies. In search for a topic for this week's blog I looked toward the area of toys. Children as young as two and three are now able to identify gender roles and stereotypes just through their toys. By ages three and four, children form images of themselves as a boy or girl. A research paper I found by Denise Starr, a student of the University of North Carolina, explains how a local toy store, such as Toys 'R Us, and toys teach children stereotypical gender roles. Society sets "molds" of "proper adults" through stereotyped toys. Toys 'R Us even divides their store into specific "boy" and "girl" sections of toys identified by colors of blue and pink. Starr identifies that aside from the coloring of the store, the toy inventory within Toys 'R Us reveals sexism and gender stereotypes. The "girls" section includes dolls and kitchen sets while the "boys" section includes action figures and toy weapons. Young girls will learn through their toy options that they are expected to learn gender roles of taking care of the house and children. The toys options of baby dolls and kitchen sets reinforce the stereotype that women are expected to stay at home and take care of children. One of my favorite toys growing up was Barbie. It wasn't until reading more into the article that I understood how Barbie could have shaped my ideals of beauty and outward appearance. According to Denise Starr, "girls' toys (including Barbie) teach the obsessive value of appearance for societal acceptance." Barbie's image reflects ideals of maintaining outer appearances as opposed to inward beauty. In regards to electronic and board games, popular games within the "girl" section included "Telephone Tag" and "Dream Date Match Maker Service" & other games that did not challenge the mind. These games imply that girls are more social than boys and teach girls to "value socializing with friends rather than education."

 The toys found in the "boys" section were almost the exact opposite of the "girls" section. The toys offered in the "boys" section include both adventure and physical activity toys/games as well as toys that "prepare boys for the 'real world.'" Games including "Police Communication System," "My CarryAlong Briefcase," & "Fire Rescue Power Crane" all emphasize roles outside of the home through high paying "white-collar" occupations. Educational toys are also offered throughout the "boys" section unlike the "girls."This mental stimulation that is apparent in these games promote boys to explore and experiment, not necessarily having to play quiet at home. These toys and games lead children developing early stereotypical ideas regarding their roles for the future. I believe that stores like Toys 'R Us need to mix up the entire store to not promote divided "girls" and "boys" sections. Neither boys or girls should be limited to the toys that they play with, especially when it is encouraging low self-esteem. Denise Starr states that in order to prevent children from living by these stereotypes, "parents should encourage gender-neutral and cross-gender play in children at an early age." I completely agree and will definitely put that into consideration when I am purchasing Christmas gifts this season for my young cousins.

Here is the original article I read for more information: http://www.unc.edu/~dcderosa/STUDENTPAPERS/childrenbattles/toysrusdenise.htm

Victoria's Secret & Racial Stereotypes

After hearing in class the other day about the racial stereotyping made by Victoria's Secret towards Native Americans, I decided to investigate a little more into the company to find out if other stereotyping had been shown prior to the Fashion Show incident. Turns out Victoria's Secret was already on Strike No. 2 with the media. However their previous strikes involved stereotyping of African Americans and Asians. During the 2010 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, a segment titled "Wild Things" where all ethnic models, predominately African Americans, were featured. As you can probably imagine, their lingerie consisted of animal and tribal prints. The most shocking factor of this segment was that dancers accompanied the runway and performed a tribal dance and were covered from head to toe with black paint. Victoria's Secret may not have been intentionally stereotyping, but by sticking all the ethnic models within one section wearing tribal paint walking down the runway to tribal music they are subliminally reinforcing the "wild" native "slave" stereotype associated with African Americans.  

The second strike arose this past year when Victoria's Secret launched a new lingerie collection entitled "Go East." According to the website the collection was described as "a ticket to an exotic adventure." One of the pieces of the collection was entitled "Sexy Little Geisha," and was considered one of the most offensive in the eyes of the media. According to Racalicious blog contributor Nina Jacinto, the Victoria's Secret "Go East" collection enforces "a narrative that says the culture can be completely stripped of its realness in order to fulfill our fantasies of a sale and non-threatening, mysterious East." The specific outfit and the entire collection in itself takes the Asian culture out of context and is offensive to the history behind geishas. Victoria's Secret responded to the criticism by removing the entire collection from their website. After hearing about both of these strikes, I'm honestly shocked that Victoria's Secret would stretch out once again and reinforce stereotypes about Native Americans.

Here are articles to read more on all three Victoria's Secret "strikes" with the media.

http://thegrio.com/2010/12/06/why-did-victorias-secret-brand-black-models-wild-things/
http://www.racialicious.com/2012/09/06/victorias-secret-does-it-again-when-racism-meets-fashion/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/24/victorias-secret-geisha-outfit-photos_n_1909366.html?utm_hp_ref=style
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/13/victoria-secret-apologizes-after-use-native-american-headdress-in-fashion-show/?&

Guys with Kids

So I hate that I continually write my observations about gender and racial stereotypes over TV shows, but since beginning the class in August I have developed a more critical eye on how exactly gender roles and racial stereotypes are portrayed. A new show that began this season on NBC is "Guys with Kids" and includes one of my favorite actors, Jesse Bradford. Although the show has only run for a few weeks, I've already noticed a different view on traditional gender roles. An article on the Esquire Magazine blog entitled "Guys with Kids and the Contempt for Dads"highlights author, Stephen Marche's opinion on the show in comparison to his own personal fatherhood experiences. The article revolves around the idea that men are not portrayed through the media as being competent enough to stay-at home with their children. According to Stephen Marche, there are only two ways in which dads are portrayed in comedy media. Either "benevolent idiots" or "buffoonish Mr. Moms." However, it is very rare that men are shown as being just as capable, if not more capable, then women at caring for children. The only show I have yet to see a fair resemblance of this is "Up All Night" which airs also on NBC. In a world of progressive gender roles where men are now taking care of children frequently, media is slow to catch up and reveal this truth in an accurate manner.

The second half of the article is eye-opening in how taking care of children at home is truly a definition of manliness its primordial as eating. The desire to want to be home and take care of children has increased from previous generations and now even golf courses are in decline as men want to be home with children on the weekends instead of golfing. That to me says al ot as I know personally that my dad loves to golf. It does make me wonder if producers of shows or tv station directors believe the progressive idea is too negative to be viewed, or if they themselves don't believe that men are just as capable as women to be stay-at-home parents. I personally think the show "Guys with Kids" is funny in disagreement with author, Stephan Marche. Next time I do watch the show though, I will take a closer look at exactly the characteristics the main characters are portraying as opposed to the overall "idea" of the show. I included a clip in case none of you have seen the show before.

Cover Girl Sofia Vergara

After my last post regarding Modern Family, I did a deeper look into actress Sofia Vergara as I have seen many commercials on TV where she is endorsing Pepsi and her K-Mart Clothing Line: Sofia. In my investigation I came across an article I found on Sun Sentinel.com titled, "The Two Sides of Sofia: Superstar or Stereotype," that questioned if Sofia Vergara was a role model for Hispanic women, or a stereotype of Latina women through the roles she embraces as an actress. Her story has inspired many, as she started out as a single mother that worked hard as a model and Spanish-TV host before entering the Hollywood TV scene. However the article reveals that although she may be embracing a stereotypical role on Modern Family, it is exactly that: just a role. Sofia admits in other interviews that she has always faced stereotypes throughout her career and in reality she does hold some truth to those stereotypes by having a voluptuous figure and an overly loud personality.  However I do have to question her TV commercials for Diet Pepsi and K-Mart. Even those may be roles as well, she is still seen continuously as the typical Latina stereotype of a seductress. Since I am half Hispanic, my mother is Mexican, I can understand the frustration felt by other Hispanics at the stereotypical roles that Sofia portrays. It's hard to be take the show and character seriously when they are continually making fun of Latino characteristics. I do just have to remember that it is just a show and that several Caucasian characteristics are also poked fun at within the show. Here is another article that looks at the Latino stereotypes in Hollywood and their impact. I also decided to include the Diet Pepsi Commercial that Sofia Vergara was featured in, in order to show how the Latina Seductress stereotype is revealed.

Is "Modern Family" actually Modern?

The last two weeks have been exciting for me as all my favorite TV shows premiered for the season. One of my favorite shows from the last few years is Modern Family. The sitcom revolves around 3 families, all which are interrelated but different. Since taking my Race, Gender & Mass Media class, I've started observing and looking for stereotypes and gender role portrayals in all aspects of the Media. I couldn't help but notice that although Modern Family tries to take on modern family views, the gender roles and family ideas are still very traditional. In continuing my research on the topic I found an article on Academic.edu which shares research. The title of my blog is shaped around the article I read by Carolin Lehmann titled "How 'modern' is Modern Family? A critical Review on the U.S. Sitcom Regarding Gender Roles and Hegemonic Ideologies" 

Cast of Modern Family

The show at first glance appears to be have a modern take on family by introducing not only an interracial couple with an age difference, but also a homosexual couple. The homosexual couple, Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker, has an adopted baby girl who share both of their last names with a hyphen, emphasizing their non-traditional family structure. However when you take a closer look into the show, it is evident that gender roles between families and husbands and wives are still traditional in their roots. Both wives of the heterosexual relationships are never seen working and do not clearly contribute to the family's finances. Both women are dependent on their husbands income. Now you think the homosexual family would bring a different twist on this, but their roles are clearly defined as man and wife because Mitchell considers himself the father by working at a law office, while Cameron is seen as the mother by staying home with daughter Lily. The Latina wife in one of the families, Gloria Delgado, upholds a very obvious Latin American stereotype as discussed in my race, gender & mass media class. Continually throughout the 3 years the show has been on, Gloria is seen as a hot-tempered and sexy Latin American woman. Her accent is also made fun of in several episodes as she sometimes has a hard time communicating herself. The other wife among the families, Claire Dunphy, holds a traditional stay-at home domestic mother. It is known throughout the episodes of the show that Claire used to hold a successful job but quit in order to stay home with her family. I now believe that the show is misleading in showing true "modern" families. The old fashioned values and traditions that lie within each family clearly does not reveal the ambitions and adequate portrayal of women in today's society. 

This video shows how Gloria is commonly made fun of for her accent on Modern Family. 

This other article relating the Latin American stereotyping of Gloria if you would like to read more on the topic.

Watching Sports: America's Past Time

Something that really struck me from the reading that we did not quite get to touch on in class was the lack of women's sports coverage. I will be the first to admit, I don't really care much when it comes to sports besides football & the Olympics. However I found an interesting journal article entitled "Gender Bias in American Sports: Lack of Opportunity, Lack of Administrative Positions & Lack of Coverage in Women's Sports."An important factor to remember is the definition of gender bias, which is the favor   one of the sexes specifically because of gender. One point that particular stuck with me through this article is that women have always been seen as only being suitable for specific sports that focus on aesthetics like cheerleading, ice skating, gymnastics, etc. Although it makes sense that women are not physically built the same as men to compete in a sport like American football, it is unfair that we are forced to pick up an alternative sport which is not necessarily equal. Women should be allowed to play the exact same sports men are. Even though they are given their own leagues, coverage lacks on their games. Titles are also an interesting point to bring up. Why must the women's basketball association be called the WNBA? Shouldn't that mean that men's basketball association should be MNBA? Instead they are just the "National Basketball Association." Sports are affected by the media coverage in that sponsors are not as openly available to women sports as they are men. The article points out that this is directly because of viewer ratings and women sports in general do not have the same viewer ratings as men, meaning less sponsors. The article is very extensive so I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the topic to read the entire thing. It goes into way more depth than I could ever get into. Nike even promotes the idea that it must be women vs. men in one of their commercials.

Overall I think it's important to note that women have been making significant changes to women's sports, it has just been a very slow pace of change. Just want to leave this post with a quote from the article by Erik F. Pearson "Women's sports is caught between a rock and a hard place. If they advocate for stronger pay, men come in and take over the coaching positions. If they ask the public to look at their athletic skills, there will be no fan base. If they ask us to look at other parts of their bodies, they are thought to be prostituting themselves to the highest bidder, all in the name of recognition."