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The Moon’s Light Doesn't Shine so Bright in Black Neighborhoods

    Grammy academy award winner Moonlight is a film which deals with the problematic stereotypes and gender norms African Americans fall victim to within the United States. The film highlights key issues within the black community like toxic hypermasculinity as well as the toll poverty and broken households have on blacks in particular. The movie centers itself around the life of an African American boy by the name of Chiron, who lives and grows up in an abusive household alongside his mother within an impoverished neighborhood located in the state of California. Growing up Chiron has various issues with his peers due to his identity and his tendency to unintentionally fall out of the norm by acting “gayer” or less masculine than the other boys in his class.Due to this fact and this fact alone Chiron is constantly and violently targeted by the “tougher” kids in his class, simply because he falls out of the masculine stereotype most males are forced to follow.

Writer of Center of Attention Michael Messner attempts to reason why children, males in particular, fall victim to believing the misconception that they must act violent in order to receive respect from their peers. Messner mainly argues that sports may have a lot to do with the way children and young adolescents interact with each other as “viewers of televised sports are continuously immersed in images and commentary about the positive rewards that come to the most aggressive competitors and the negative consequences of playing soft and lacking aggression(Messner 104). Messner also states that most of these “violence rewarding” sports, like basketball and football, are mostly filled with African American athletes, which may explain why the other boys in Chiron’s class act so violently against him. For starters Chiron’s bullies,and African American bullies in the real world, may look up to the aggressive athletes in the world of sports because they are the same race as themselves and through the athletes’ aggressive play the boys may have learned that violence and aggression are key in order to receive respect and validation from their peers.

    African American males,and children of any race in general, also tend to watch a lot of movies and tv shows throughout the day. This is a problematic fact in it of itself because children and young adolescents tend to copy and mimic many things they see through their screens. For black children the fact that “Blacks are still the most frightening, cunning and glamorous crooks(within the media).”(Hall 22) is extremely detrimental because many children grow up wanting to be exactly like the “cunning” and respectable black character in their favorite movie,and adopt some toxic traits these characters have,which are usually portrayed as good, and may later lead the children watching to later become “glamorous crooks” as stated by Stuart Hall in her thesis The White of their Eyes. The over saturation of these “glamorous crooks” within black media may explain why several African American males tend to adopt a life of crime and drug dealing inside their neighborhoods: because the “hood life” is over glamourized within the media.

    Being black also comes with a lot of pre established rules and “do’s” and “don'ts” which are expected to be followed by African Americans in order for them to be deemed “normal” and acceptable amongst their black peers. Bell Hooks, writer of Art on My Mind, explains how her love for art caused her to experience a sort of disconnect between herself and other members of her community simply because she was partaking in an activity/lifestyle blacks are/were  usually not accustomed to . Much like how in the film Moonlight Chiron experiences a sort of disconnect between him and his peers for the simple reason that he does not wish to take part in violent games and endeavours which will help him cement/prove his masculinity. Chiron cares nothing for establishing dominance and usually tries to express himself by openly dancing during PE class all the way to sharing a kiss with his straight male friend at the beach, and for this reason he is mocked and physically mistreated by his peers who own the “hard” characteristics(e.g. loving to fight and “pulling females”)  Chiron desperately lacks.

    Although the movie Moonlight is simply just that,a movie, many real world issues are reflected and portrayed within it. Many blacks within impoverished communities, much like Chiron’s mother, fall victim to a life of drug abuse because of the poor environment they are placed under. Studies conducted by the Foundations Recovery Network found that “Substance abuse is more prevalent among families living in poverty.” This is perhaps the case because many impoverished people feel the need/desire to escape reality and increase their happiness in some way, explaining why Chiron’s mother may have been so addicted to crack, because it helped her escape her worries as a single mother living inside of a violent and frightening neighborhood. The film also expresses the effect that his mother’s addiction has on Chiron, and paints her as one of the reasons Chiron may have started to sell drugs during his adulthood. Tatiana Starr Daniels argues in here thesis paper: What influences some Black Males to Sell Drugs During their Adolescence that “(a) black male’s environment(i.e. economic situation) can play a major role in his choice to use or sell drugs.All too often the victim is blamed for his condition without any further investigation of the factors that influenced his decision to participate in the behavior”(Daniels 1) Chiron and many blacks males in the United States may ( have) fall(en) into the life of drug dealing: in order to provide themselves with a sustainable living when they have no other reliable source of income, or simply because of the way they were raised. Usually if somebody grows up in a household full of drugs where substance abuse is the norm, they will also fall prey to either selling or consuming those drugs because it is all they know.

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Discussion Lead

In her book Center of Attention Messner points out the gender linked inequality that occurs within the world of sports, and how females serve as a sort of “prize” or incentive for male viewers in order to rack in higher ratings for their platform. Messner speaks about how women barely receive any serious coverage through sports outlets as she claims,“ Though women are mostly absent from sports… when they do appear it is most often in stereotypical roles as sexy, masculinity-validating props, often cheering the men on”(Messner 102). Messner highlights the problem of using women as objects in order to increase the masculine aspect of the male athletes, and how this leads to the problematic objectification of women, causing the gender gap within sports to widen and become a bigger issue. Much like how in the UFC(Ultimate Fighting Championship) women with a desirable figure are exploited at almost every moment: from the beginning a fight card is announced all the way to the very end when the fighters finally face of inside the octagon. During weigh-ins women in tight and revealing clothes are lined up for male viewers to feast their eyes upon, perhaps in an effort to take away the “gay” aspect of watching a man undress before their eyes, in order to admire their powerful and desirable physique( the UFC’s equivalent of the school yard playground “no homo”). Later during fights women in revealing clothes hold up billboards in order to announce the beginning of a new round, in fact even the UFC video games which are rated ‘T’, meaning a 13 year old can go and  get their hands on it, depicts the virtual equivalent of these desirable and sexy women within their games, thus instilling into young consumer’s heads that women have no real purpose in sports other than to serve as eye candy, waiting patiently to be devoured by the eyes of thousands of men across the world.

The UFC also rewards masculinity by promoting their fights through violence. Many athletes argue and curse at each other during press conferences in order to build suspense for the viewers in an effort to insure fans purchase tickets for the upcoming fight, resulting in a extremely high grossing salary for the fighters. This is something female fighters rarely do, which may be why female fight cards are seldom the media’s center of attention and why female fighters reportedly earn less than their male counterparts. Here and there women athletes within the UFC attempt to use the same violent tactics male fighters use in order to promote and sell tickets for their fights, but in the end fall short because not enough media outlets are covering their face offs or press conferences as much as their male counterparts, thus unfortunately deeming their efforts useless. Multiple male fight cards within the world of MMA include shoves, punches, and even the breaking of bus windows (We’re looking at you McGregor) to build anticipation. Many viewers look up to these fighters and believe them to be the quintessential man’s man whom they wish nothing more than to be more like leading them to crave more violence which is promised within the octagon, where “Commentators consistently laud athletes who most successfully employ physical and aggressive..toughness”(104) During UFC fights commentators yell and become excited when a fighter lands a big hit or draws blood from their opponent  as viewers closely watch in awe and suspense, wondering who will emerge the better man at the end of the gory gladiator fight. Furthermore instilling into viewers that only male fight cards are worth their money and time while female UFC bouts are swept under the rug and ignored by mass media coverage.

1)Ronda Rousey, one of the highest paid female athletes in the world, ended the 2016 fiscal year by generating more than 14 million dollars through sponsorship deals and fight bonuses, meanwhile Connor McGregor ended the 2016 year by racking in 24 million dollars in sales and endorsement deals as well as gaining the number 27 Forbes highest grossing athlete. Do you believe Ronda Rousey would have generated as much money as Connor McGregor if she was male, why or why not?

2)Do you believe male viewers would be as inclined to watch/pay for fight weigh in tickets if female models were not a part of the show?

3)Do you believe big UFC pay per view fights would generate the same amount of money if violence wasn’t used in order to market the fights before the fighters set foot into the octagon, why or why not?

4)Do you enjoy watching UFC fights? Does violence draw your attention?

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Art Museum

In her Article “Art on my Mind” Bell Hooks speaks about the disconnect that occurs within black culture in regards to art. Hooks claims that many African Americans do not care for art because it is aesthetically pleasing, but instead prefer “Art (to be used) as propaganda,” which, “(is not) concerned with any old subject, context or form”(Hooks 3). By stating this Hooks is expressing that Blacks in America do not care for art if it is not making some sort of political or cultural outcry which speaks on behalf of African American oppression/culture within the United States, and that Blacks usually ignore the pleasure aspect of art all together. This is not only the case for African Americans but rather many other cultures which migrated to the United States. Many Americans with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds adopt this idea and do the same. Instead of creating a peace for the sole purpose of beauty these artists feel as if they are obligated to create artwork which holds a double meaning and pays homage to their heritage.

This was something I myself encountered while observing the artwork at the Denver Art Museum, but one piece caught my attention in particular: Julie BuffaloHead's painting “Blood and a Single Tree”. The art piece itself is aesthetically pleasing as the bright red colors ,form and texture used within the painting add face value to the piece, but upon reading the description of the work and discovering the artist’s heritage I could not help but stare into the painting wondering whether the art piece was somehow connected to BuffaloHead’s Native American heritage. After various seconds of examination I came to the conclusion that the painting was in some way tied to the BuffaloHead’s heritage as it depicted bipedal personified animals wearing human clothing, which are often traits which are given to animals within Native American folklore. After doing further research online about Julie BuffaloHead I discovered she is in fact known for tying her art work to her Native American background, reinforcing Hooks idea that Americans with different racial backgrounds, other than Caucasian, tend to feel the need to add a hidden meaning within their artwork which serves as a sort of propaganda in order to pay homage and respect to their culture. I also encountered this with various other foreign artists’ displays as they usually depicted religious idols or symbols and strayed away from the idea of simply producing art for the sake of creating something beautiful.

Meanwhile many American born artists were more inclined to use abstract art as a form of expression, where it was not really clear what was being depicted in the picture until further close inspection. Several examples and displays were dedicated to these art pieces and they in fact did not hold any double meaning or political agenda, the creators simply produced these pieces for the sole purpose of providing aesthetic pleasure to the viewer. Something which was also brought to my attention during my time at the museum was the lack of cultural representation in terms of the visitors within the art museum. The only people of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds that I accounted for within the building were my classmate and I which reinforces Hook’s idea that “Many of us(blacks/minorities) do not know that black folks(and minorities) create art”(Hooks 3). Meaning Minorities within America usually ignore art all together as there is a disconnect between the racial group and art itself until a double meaning, religious, or political agenda is being reinforced within the piece.

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Subcultures

100 word analysis of the term subculture. How do certain objects and occurrences affect different subcultures? How can subcultures be influential? Along with that, mention a time where a dominant subculture is present. How did that subculture affect the society of that time, and how did that subculture signify a change in society? Minimum word 100 word analysis with example. 

A subculture is a cultural group within a larger culture, whose members are often times deemed outsiders for being different. Laws, events, and occurrences can all prove to change these subcultures both directly and indirectly. For example for many years gay marriage was a topic of discussion and debate, and many gay couples were not allowed legal marriage and the benefits that come along with marriage(e.g government benefits for health care) until laws were passed throughout the US which allowed gay couples to gain the same benefits that come with matrimony as their straight counterparts. Subcultures much like the homosexual community are usually outnumbered by those who belong to the main dominant culture of society. Throughout history subcultures were seen as the oppressed and hated because of how different they were to the “normal” and “upstanding” members of society. Much like how the pro African American subculture of Whites in America were often times hated by their own. Although the pro African American subculture was seen as miniscule and insignificant in the eyes of racist Caucasians, the subculture managed to inspire change and reform through protests and rallies because although they were the oppressed they still outnumbered the hateful people in America.

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Post 10

    Compose a 100-word analysis of the article, focusing specifically on the ways the author examines the concept of "post-racial." Watch any TV text and provide an example of the ways race is problematically represented. Use a quote from the article to frame your analysis and bring in the Stuart Hall piece as needed.

    In the article “Pretending to be Post Racial” Emily Drew speaks about how mass media and tv shows attempt to push racial and social boundaries, but in the end fall short and are left with a finished product that only reinforces the very issues they wish to diminish. Drew uses the example of SurvivorMan within her article in order to reinforce her claims and speaks of how the teams within the show were divided solely based on race for the third season of the installment. It is during this very season of SurvivorMan that executive producers chose to use race as a way to divide the contestants up, in order to express to the public that race and color no longer dictate how people within our society treat one another. This plan failed although, and only helped in proving the opposite. Participants of the show began to unintentionally stereotype themselves and others with claims and remarks based on their race and heritage. Within her article Drew gave the example of how the African American contestants attempted “to speak about their racial identity(blackness)to the viewing audience in ways that could offer alternatives to the negative stereotypes that the media frequently portray”(Drew 169). Although the blacks within the show attempted to fall outside of the social norms placed on African American culture they only reinforced stereotypes by “cracking jokes about ‘having a dream’... to building their own shelter... and referring to it as ‘low income housing’”(Drew 169). Instead of battling social norms and stereotypes of blacks in America the participants only fell within these problematic norms which is something that many pro black culture tv shows and movies do.

    An example of this is the hit animated show “The Boondocks”. This show follows the life of a black family which consists of three members: a grandad and two children. Although the show uses very crude and often racist humor in order to prove a point, it still feeds into the negative portrayal Americans have of people within the black community. The show is intended to represent the black community in an ironic and comedic way to the point where stereotypical “black behavior” is made laughable and unimaginable. The reason why the show represents typical “black behavior” so willingly and freely is because we as Americans believe the characters within the show to be an exaggerated version of a black person. But what happens if somebody who is ignorant to the irony used within the show watches it? Well simple they will only pick up on the negative hyper essentialized portrayals of Afro Americans the show creates, and not understand it is simply a joke, much like how the African Americans on SurvivorMan were cracking jokes about their stereotypes but might have still be seen in a negative way for doing so. Thus falling short on accomplishing their true intent, to make it clear that black culture has nothing to do with the stereotypical norms placed on it by society, and that stereotypes are a laughable and inaccurate representation of blacks.

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Midterm Analysis

In the hit show Black Mirror problematic societal norms are examined by the writers in order to express the detrimental effects social media and technology can have on our culture. In the series’ episode “Nosedive” the writers of the show follow the life of a single middle class woman named Lacie who wishes nothing more than to climb the social ladder and be seen as worthy by those around her. In the show’s hypothetical depiction of the future men and women are ranked and scored on the daily interactions they have with those in their everyday lives, these scores are later tallied up to one final overall rating. This rating serves to help people determine whether that person is “worthy” of social interactions and or benefits which companies offer, in Lacie’s case the benefit and aspiration of a high score: being able to gain twenty percent off the original price on an upper middle class white picket fence home, which she desires in order to further better her score.

In the episode Lacie wears a mask and puts on a façade in order to be seen as the perfect feminine woman, which in turn makes her more likeable to those in the show and thus improves her score. The grading system depicted by the show is analogous to what Susan Bordo speaks of in her article “The Empire of Images”. This is because Bordo expresses the sense of need and want we as active members of society have to fit into the societal norms placed on us by media. Much like how Bordo explains that “there’s a limit...to what fruit acids can do,”(Bordo 3) in order to improve one’s physical appearance, there is also a limit to what fake laughs and smiles (which are both acts Lacie commits to in order to better her social standing) can do in regards to making you a more likeable person in the eyes of those around you. Sometimes simple acts like that are not enough to be deemed worthy by your peers, no.. instead one must undergo “aesthetic tinkering”(Bordo 4) in order to better wear this imaginary mask. Although Bordo speaks of this mask in a more physical and tangible way, in terms of undergoing plastic surgery, the show depicts this idea of “aesthetic tinkering” for personal gain in a more abstract way. This way being: undergoing “social plastic surgery” which in terms of the show means extending one’s social circle to include “high quality people”, i.e. those with a score of 4.5 and higher. By doing so Lacie and the other members of this hypothetical reality can gain approval and a sense of belonging, but what if one does not have the proper score in order to undergo this catharsis? What about “ The rest of us … who can not afford…aesthetic tinkering.”(Bordo 4)? That is to say those without the proper means to easily climb the social ladder through predisposed conditions have to work a lot harder to receive what they desire. For example, a person born into wealth can easily and freely undergo plastic surgery in order to gain higher ground on the social ladder, meanwhile those who are not born with this luxury can not do the same and have to work much harder to obtain their goal (eg. gaining larger glutes through exercise) and are thus seen as less for it.

Media has “revealed a persistent pattern (of) underrepresenting working class occupations and over representing professional and managerial positions”(Butsch 507). It is often common place that media places a stigma on those who require a blue collar job in order to make ends meet while those who do not require such an occupation are portrayed as better for it. A character flaw is often placed in media upon those who are not wealthy enough to pay off their expenses in a careless and easy way. A prime example of this is shown in media when “working class men (are) portrayed as buffoons”(Butsch 507), which ingrains into the viewers’ heads that those who are not educated or wealthy enough to be part of the social hierarchy should be deemed inferior when put in comparison to their wealthy counterparts. In Black Mirror Lacie is part of the blue collar working class as she has to strive in order to get what she wants in life, unlike the person she wishes to be more like, Naomi, who does not require such a job in order to sustain her lavish life. In the episode Naomi is portrayed as a perfect member of society, so to speak, as she is depicted as the typical sexy trophy wife who always acts accordingly in every social situation, and then there’s Lucie who expresses various character flaws when things do not go as planned, expressing both anger and naivety during such events. This is also seen in the episode when most of the working class community Lacie encounters are always scored as 3.4s or lower, essentially stating that simply because these workers hold a typical and unspectacular job title, they should also be deemed as typical and unspectacular. This leads one examining the show through a Marxist lens to question the reason why these workers hold these blue collar jobs, is it because they are terrible people? The show leaves this answer as a possibility because many of the customer service workers depicted in the show have some sort of character flaw which can account for their low social standing. This is seen in many occasions but one event in particular which expresses this idea is when Lacie approaches the car charging station clerk to ask for help, as he removes his earbuds one can hear the moaning of a woman, presumably coming from a pornographic video the clerk is watching. Thus leading one to believe that the station clerk is a perverse human being which is the reason why he sits so very low on the social totem pole.

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100 word minimum analysis of social class representation in a contemporary TV sitcom. What are the predominant social/cultural/class values? How are they represented? Use language from the article to support and substantiate your claim. Quote directly from the article and post a clip of the sitcom (if possible) to your blog post.

Sitcoms have been a staple in modern television for many years, as shows like “The Fresh Prince of Belair” and “ The Brady Bunch” have dominated t.v ratings for decades. These shows were created for the simple purpose of providing entertainment to the viewer, but they also indirectly portray certain social classes as being superior than others, not only in terms of wealth but also in intelligence and moral reasoning. “A persistent pattern underrepresenting working-class occupations and over representing professional and managerial occupations”(Richard Butsch 1) has developed within sitcoms as often times people who stand taller on the social pyramid are portrayed as more professional and mature than those who hold a lower position. A prime example of this is seen in the show “Parks and Recreations” through one of the main characters named Leslie Knope. In the show Leslie plays a small roll in politics working for the “Parks and Recreations” division in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Leslie wishes nothing more than to become a “top notch politician” but is stuck working as a simple “Parks and Recreations” manager, as she one day hopes to be as successful as her mother, Marlene Knope. Leslie looks up to her mother because she, Marlene, is an extremely influential politician in her community and has comparatively much more political sway than Leslie, who is just a simple blue collared worker compared to her mother. The writers of the show express the difference in political sway and power that Leslie and her mother hold through their behaviors. Leslie is portrayed as much more immature and naive than her mother simply because she holds a lower status than her and is often times portrayed as ignorant and unpredictable, meanwhile Marlene Knope is depicted as a strong and stern woman who always gets her way. This is simply just something sitcoms do, they ingrain into us, the viewer, the idea that people in higher positions of power must be dominant not only in terms of power to their seemingly inferior counterparts, but also in terms of character and personality.

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Reality Shows and the Portrayal of the Elite

100 word analysis of class construction and “reality” TV. Watch an episode of any “reality television” show that stereotypes class divisions. Analyze the show, break it down and apply language from the article to your analysis.

Reality television makes up a large percentage of the television real estate in modern society. As time continues to progress more and more Americans are drawn into the luxurious lifestyles of the elite, in terms of social and economic status, and find themselves increasingly investing time into these people's’ lives. “Keeping up with the Kardashians” can be used as a prime example for the way stereotypes create class division because it (reality t.v) provides the average viewer with context as to what a day in a lavish and carefree lifestyle looks / feels like. This creates a sense of divide between the viewer and the reality show super stars because viewers are left to believe that in order to be seen as wealthy and “worthy” in the eyes of society, one must embody everything that the reality show super stars are. Once viewers attempt to copy the carefree lifestyle portrayed on screen, they become saddened due to the fact that no matter how hard they try to embody the star’s persona and attitude, they will never truly get to experience what it feels like to spend a day in Kim Kardashian’s shoes.

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Internet and Capitalism

Minimum 100 word analysis of “The Internet’s Unholy Marriage to Capitalism,” examining, specifically, in what ways the digital revolution exploitation impacted our views of how we see the media industry. Provide a specific example and quote(s) from the article to support and substantiate your analysis.

In the article “The Internet’s Unholy Marriage to Capitalism” John Foster and Robert McChesney suggest that the digital revolution has generated a sense of appeal to the exploitation of media. Media and the internet are no longer just seen as a revolutionary tool for Americans to use, but rather as a way to campaign products and generate cash flow for major conglomerates. Much like how “ Microsoft, which has been able to exploit the dependence of a wide range of software applications,”(47) has been able to monopolize and grow as a company, due to the fact that many people rely on products generated by Microsoft in order to properly run and support their “internet machines”. This produces a sense of demand for the products companies provide, because Americans fear falling into the “digital underclass” which in turn “encourages (them)  to pay what it takes to avoid being unconnected”(46). Americans fear being seen as outside of the norm, and as technology advances having access to the internet becomes more of an expectation for every U.S. citizen, and conglomerates much like Microsoft take advantage of this sense of belonging we as Americans strive for, and exploit it by requiring consumers to pay extra amounts of cash when purchasing their products. The extra cash of course is for apps and softwares that are needed in order for said products to properly function, and connect Americans to the “holy mecca” that is the internet. We as Americans no longer view media and the internet as a simple commodity, but rather as a sort of status symbol and as a need. Major conglomerates engrain into our heads that their products are “ must have items” through digital outlets which in turn makes Americans dependent to everything connecting us and having to do with the media industry.

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Counter Cultural ad

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“Economics of Media” Analysis

After reading "The Economics of the Media Industry" what are your thoughts? Specifically, can you think of a solution to the 'fake news' problem, and the censorship problem? Is there a way to live in a capitalist media environment without such a high level of corruption? If so, how? Minimum 100 word analysis.

    Today media giants like Time Warner and Disney control most media outlets we are exposed to in our everyday lives. This is a frightening fact because media is our main source of information and is how people today piece their opinions on everything from politics to trivial celebrity drama. This makes it difficult for people to produce their own individual perspective on current events around the world, because often times news is biased and is formulated by the ones creating it to satisfy the major conglomerates who own their media outlet. For example, if the head of  The Time Warner Company also owns the main source of news in your city, reporters and writers may stray away from presenting opinions which contradict those of the head of the company for fear that they may lose their job, so a constant biased opinion is always presented in every segment which imposes only one side of an argument onto the viewer, and hides the other side from them. This is extremely problematic because viewers are only exposed to one perspective on a matter which is often times done in order to ensure viewers receive the biased opinions and later make those opinions their own. Which brain washes viewers into believing whatever news outlets want them to believe especially when it comes to political agendas. Although this is the case, there are many ways the problem of “fake news” and censorship can be solved.

The most effective way is to place government laws which check and balance the amount of power and influence media outlets have, and to also control the amount of companies a major conglomerate can integrate into their own. Although, hypothetically, if such laws are placed by the government in a near future, conglomerates will continue to be biased and attempt to force their political agendas and opinions onto others in order to ensure their company’s success. So, sadly there is no real way to solve this giant dilemma and it will continue to be the viewer’s job to expose themselves to multiple perspectives, if they wish to formulate their own opinion on a matter, but let's face it we as Americans are lazy and tend to let news reporters and outlets do the busy work of formulating an opinion for us. Much like how when I was a child I would ask my brother what five times five was and he would give me the completely wrong answer in order to trick me, and I out of naivety and laziness would believe him, simply because I would rather rely on someone to do the dirty work, so to speak, for me instead of me having to invest time into finding the correct answer.

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The American Stigma of Gay Personalities in Media

Review again the “We Are Iron Man” article. Look at the ways in which the author talks about the superhero as being representative of American ideals. Take that framework and choose a contemporary superhero. Analyze the hero’s story and discuss what the superhero represents politically, socially, and in terms of their gender and racial identity. Is the superhero reaffirming ideals of the “American national identity?” Or is the superhero subverting that identity in some ways? Post an image/clip and compose a minimum 100 word analysis of the superhero and what they represent.

Today's media contributes a lot to modern society and often times reflects the norms story writers and people in modern culture deem appropriate. Although the super villain in my article goes against all of these norms, he is important to discuss because although he would be considered the worst American, so to speak, his character development speaks a lot about what Americans did and did not value at the time he was created. The super villain I will be discussing is none other than the number three arch nemesis to the Power Puff girls “Him.”  “Him” is the embodiment of everything Americans feared and disapproved of at the time the show was released in 1998, when masculinity was the norm for men and the LGBTQ community did not receive much acknowledgment. His character is drawn in a way that makes him seem both demonic and sinister, much like the devil, which are traits modern Judeo Christianity has taught us to hate. This is not the issue though, the real issue comes from the fact that “Him’s”  character is often times portrayed as gay and flimsy, and since he is the picturesque depiction of the generic cartoon devil this instilled into young viewer’s eyes that gay culture is something vile and grotesque people embrace. “Him” is often times seen wearing a tutu and his lair is even covered in all pink showing viewers that he has a desire to be a female, and one may argue that the reason why he hates the Power Puff Girls so much is because they are made from “sugar and spice and everything nice” and they are the embodiment of what he wishes to be. “Him” is also the complete polar opposite of many super heroes who own many traits and virtues Americans value. For the purpose of this comparison I will use Captain America. In the comics and movies Captain America is portrayed as a very masculine and bulky character, unlike “Him”, who stands for everything American’s value, and yes he is straight. Imagine the amount of  back lash writers would have received if they would have willingly made the comic book version of the perfect American gay. Boy cots and protests would have took place but since “Him’s” character was depicted as demonic and vile, the gay depiction of the “King of Darkness” did not cause any Americans to feel the need to intervene. 

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Wealth and Masculinity

Minimum 100 word blog post that analyzes the relationship between Iron Man and American identity. In what ways does the construction of this superhero reproduce hyper masculinist mythologies? 

As media continues to grow and become a greater part of American’s lives, it also becomes easier to relate fictional characters and situations with the real modern world. Much like how Ashley S. Robinson is able to connect Tony Stark’s/Ironman’s , ideology and actions to American identity and the idea of what it means to be the ideal successful and therefore masculine man. In her article “ We are Iron Man” Robinson states, “ He (Tony Stark) breaks every rule in the book... and the only contributions he makes are to his hedonism and bank account.” (828-829) The fact that Tony Stark is portrayed as both reckless and wealthy really identifies with contemporary America, men in specific, because these are traits media has taught us to strive for, as rock and rap culture has taught us to want to look up to those who live the Rockstar life, much like Tony Stark, and that masculinity comes through a carefree and extravagant life. Those who can afford to buy a luxury car without a second thought, or in this case spend thousands of dollars on a weaponized suit, are held in high regard, while those who can not afford to do the same are seen as less because “ in contemporary America, wealth becomes a material reflection of one’s worthiness.”(835) In other words Iron Man reflects how in modern day society wealth and recklessness are traits most modern Americans strive for, and how wealth and success are synonymous with masculinity.

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Performative Acts Blog

Minimum 100 word analysis of gender performance. What does Butler mean by “gender performance?” In what ways is gender a stylized repetition of acts? Describe, discuss. Find a media example for support. 

 In the essay “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution” Judith Butler discusses how gender should not be determined by one’s physical sex, but rather by the repeated physical acts one commits. This idea is described by Butler as gender performance and is what she believes to be the determining factor of ones gender, i.e. if a female acts as a male then she is a male and vice versa. This idea can be seen in several forms of media such as shows like Modern Family for example, where two of the main characters, Cameron and Mitchell, are a homosexual couple who constantly act and portray themselves, as females, in order to help the director of the show accomplish their goal of depicting a gay couple. The director accomplishes this by having the two actors, Eric StoneStreet and Jesse Ferguson, repeatedly act in a feministic way. For example, in many episodes of the show the men act fashionably savvy and speak in high pitched tones, all while also being extremely emotional, all traits which historically belong to those of the female gender. Thus changing the men’s gender from male to female, in a sense, all by just changing the way the two men act.

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“The Empire of Images” Analysis

Minimum 100 word analysis of how you see the “empire of images” playing out in any aspect of media: advertising, music, social media, film, sitcom, reality tv, etc. Use a quote from the article as a way to frame your analysis. Post a specific example on your blog and analyze. 

In the article “The Empire of Images” the author Susan Bordo disuses the many issues regarding the almost unattainable body norms and expectations modern media implements on today’s society. In her article Bordo discusses how many people are susceptible to body shaming and to feel the need to be physically attractive in order to be considered, and to be able to consider themselves beautiful. Bordo points out that those who do not possess this “beautiful physique”, which models and television superstars portray, turn to costly cosmetic surgeries. Many of these surgeries prove to be very expensive which creates a social divide between those who are wealthy and, “ ’The rest of us’... who can not afford... aesthetic tinkering,” in order to increase our face value and therefore our value as a person. A prime example of this can be seen in models and fashion icons, much like Kim Kardashian, who can afford to receive Botox injections every six months, and continue to look like they are in their mid twenties, even though they may be hitting close to forty. Meanwhile your aunt who is 37 may have been told she looks like she is in her mid forties, a fact that has her wishing she had the“beautiful” and seemingly ageless face of a model, which she may find unattainable because she has to make ends meet with a simple nine to five job, and can not afford anti-aging injections. This is the story of many women in America who are exposed to modern day media, and may leave them feeling less desirable and worthless in society, because they can not live up to the standards of the beautiful modern day American woman, all because of their inability to pay an arm and a leg to increase/retain their beauty. Showing that beauty and wealth are almost one in the same, and in order to be considered beautiful forever one must have the economic means to do so. Which makes beauty standards harder to obtain/retain for the less economically fortunate. Thus showing the toxic connection media outlets have made between beauty and wealth, i.e. in order to have beauty one must also have wealth.

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“Mapping Media Studies”

Mapping Media Studies Minimum 100 word analysis of how you interpret the idea of “mapping media studies.” How do you currently consume media and in what ways might the tools discussed in this reading prepare you for opening up and challenging the ways you consume and produce media? What do you think are some of the biggest issues in media today (social media; news; advertisements; music; TV; film)?

Media plays a significant role in how individuals react and perceive different events which occur in modern day society. This is because with the heavy amounts of time and interest that modern day youth, and even the president of the United States, invests in social media, it is easier for one to become overly encumbered with the rest of the population’s politically correct answers and opinions, to the point where one’s own no longer matters as one tends to side with the popular belief; whether it has to do with religious, political, or even societal issues, e.g. racism. I myself have fallen victim to this truth and I believe the sense of “brain washing” that occurs with in media is one of the most troubling issues along with the fact that as Americans we have constant unfiltered access to this “brain washing” of sorts, which is often written and targeted to a certain audience. This is seen in all forms of media not only social media but in also movies and commercials which target certain individuals to act or think in a certain way, much how like alcohol and tobacco companies target young adults to indulge in their products; hoping that they will become drawn in in order to provide a sizable profit for their corporations. This is a very troublesome truth about media as it not only takes one’s sense of individual thinking out of the picture but may also cause younger audiences to fall prey to brainwashing. The tools discussed in the article “Mapping Media Studies” may help with me personally being able to understand why some people, myself included, may find certain things within media appealing and or politically correct, whether it may be due to their geographical standing, environmental experiences, etc. The ideas presented in the article will help me challenge these truths and beliefs and will make me think twice before producing media.