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Blogpost 3 - Social Media (TikTok)

1.      The social media platform that I choose to focus on will be TikTok. There have been numerous controversies regarding the content that has been uploaded on this platform recently. TikTok recently began to gain traction in the US where users can post videos about pretty much anything for others to watch. With the ability to be able to post whatever content you want that also brings a lot of content restriction issues with so many users on the platform. Such as the controversy where a couple followed a trend where you pour glasses of water into a bowl depicting what “makes up a person”. But this take on the trend took a very racist turn when the couple began to pour stereotypes into the bowl to create a black person (calling them the n-word in the video). Whilst there is negativity, there is also positivity. TikTok has given many the platform to call out the unjust that society has pushed upon us. Similarly, how artists have used art to call out the unjust society standards and racism that we’ve seen in our course readings.

2.      Native American artist Pen and Coco Fusco used themselves as a living art piece to bring to light the racism that they had to deal with. The satirical piece objectified themselves to show how the majority has objectified them to these stereotypes. Even going as far as letting people pay money to touch them and perform extra. This sparked a lot of discussion asking why they would go so far. But it was them going this far that finally sparked the conversations about their being subjected to these demeaning stereotypes. Similarly, creators on TikTok make pieces calling out issues in todays communities. Issues such as cultural appropriation, blatant racism, and more. For example, creator dominik.wagner created a video following a trend where you put a finger down if you agree with something they are saying. He took a twist on it and had people put their finger down if they agree to racist and misogynistic beliefs such as “dislik(ing) and opposite race” or “if you believe your race is superior to others” and such. Then at the end, if you agreed with all five things he said, you’d have a fist and to “punch yourself in the face because you’re what’s wrong with the world” (@dominik.wagner, 2020).

3.      So, what kind of conversations does this start? I think the biggest one that many bring up is “why do you have to go so far”? Going so far as in objectifying yourself or telling someone to punch themselves in the face. And the answer is: because most people do not listen otherwise. Racism and the objectification of races is something that has been going on for centuries now. A little tap on the wrist is going to do nothing against something that is so ingrained into people for years. Thus, by going this far, and using a trendy popular platform, it can spark these conversations about race. It’ll question the racism and oppression with no regards for rebuttal. Though these methods may seem extreme, art and social media are great ways to start these conversations that no one seems to have the guts to bring up.

 Dominik.wagner, director. Racism Is Okay... TikTok, 18 Feb. 2020.

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Blogpost 2 - Film

1.      The film that I choose to explore was “42”. Released in 2013, the film is a biographical sports movie dedicated to the famous Black baseball player Jackie Robinson. It depicts the hardships that Robinson went through on his journey to become one of the most famous baseball players ever. In relations to our course, I think that the film “42” greatly exemplifies many of the articles that we’ve read about in regards to the mistreatment of African Americans in the United States. For instance, the racist acts and slurs he had hurled at him are in tune with acts depicted in previous articles we have read.

2.      In the film “42” there’s a scene in which Jackie goes up to bat and the opposing team’s manager begins to taunt Robinson with racist slurs such as the n-word, a porch monkey, etc. And Jackie can do nothing but ignore the slurs and continue with his day. Why? Because he is black, and he is depicted by society as someone that is beneath the feet of white people. Which is how many black people were seen in the past, and still seen by some today. Racism in the mid-1900s ran so deep that even water fountains were segregated between “colored” people and “white” people. Where the “’white’ water fountain was larger, free flowing with a quick switch of the dial; while the drinking fountain for the black man, woman, or child, short or tall, was anything but equal – theirs was the size of a small bowl that appears to be not even three feet from the floor” (Willis, 280). Both examples bring up the discussion of the mistreatment of black people in the past and the issues of white privilege. Why is it that white people get to use these huge, new and improved water fountains, but black people, or colored people, are forced to use a separate water fountain that doesn’t even meet the regulation requirements?

3.      So why is it that there is this segregation between white people and people of color? How does it relate to situations in society today? There is a simple answer, and that there was a very clear  ideology of racism back in the mid-1900s. In “42” when the recruiter for the Brooklyn Dodgers was recruiting Jackie Robinson to become apart of the team, he told him that he only wants a player who can “control his temper” because he is a “black man in white baseball”. Clearly, there is a prominent idea that black people belong “down in the coal bin” whereas white people belong in a decent and proper hotel. And all this stems from a belief in racism. That one race is superior to another.

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Blogpost 2 

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Journal Entry 1 - Fresh Off the Boat 

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Journal Entry 1 - Fresh Off the Boat 

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Journal Entry 1 - Fresh Off the Boat

1.      The film of choice is going to be “Fresh Off the Boat” which premiered from February 4, 2015 to February 21, 2020. “Fresh Off the Boat” was a sitcom that followed a family of Chinese immigrants and their journey of living in America. The show took Asian stereotypes that many would find offensive and brought out a funny side to it. This then helped to lessen the burden of talking about these issues.

2.      “Fresh Off the Boat” took many stereotypes and made light of them. For example: the “model minority”. This stereotype “suggested Asians-Americans, through their steely work ethic and quiet perseverance, were uniformly triumphant despite prejudice” (Linshi, 2014). In present times, Asians are known for being extremely smart, or have a connotation of being the “nerd” or, eating cats and dogs. These stereotypes stir up the conversations of the unique identities of all Asians. Such as the HAPA Project did, in which Kip Fulbeck traveled the country and took pictures of thousands of Asian minorities. The point of the project was to “promote awareness and. . . to give voice to multiracial people and previously ignored ethnic groups” (Fulbeck, 2020). By using these stereotypes and spitting it back out as the groundbreaking show it allows us to have more conversations about issues among the Asian community. Giving a new connotation to these previously harmful stereotypes and associating them with humor makes it easier for people, not just Asians, to discuss the issues behind them.

3.      Fresh Off the Boat” had an episode in which Jessica, the mother of the family, shares her experience of dealing with the backlash of this stereotype. “I didn’t want to cause any trouble, so I apologized all the time. Even when it wasn’t my fault” (ABC, 2019). She further goes on to reminisce about her teaching job at which she was accused of yelling at a student after giving him an F. In the end, even after profusely apologizing, she was fired from her job after it being insisted by the student’s mother. In Linshi’s article “The Real Problem When It Comes to Diversity and Asian-Americans”, Helen Zia makes a statement saying “Asian-Americans are too foreign – from the outside, being an invader, or on the inside, being so bland and so good” (Linshi, 2014). In Jessica’s situation, even though she did every single thing that the job asked of her, she was still “so good” and got fired in the end. This sparks the conversation regarding the connotations that the model minority stereotype attaches to Asian minorities. The harm it can do, like getting you fired from your job, or the mental scars that gets left on its victims.

 ABC, director. Model Minority - Fresh Off The Boat . YouTube, 12 Apr. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWLmVnFaCp0.

Fulbeck , Kip. “The HAPA Project .” Kip Fulbeck , 2020, kipfulbeck.com/the-hapa-project/hapa-about/.

Linshi, Jack. “The Real Problem When It Comes to Diversity and Asian-Americans .” Time, Time, 14 Oct. 2014, time.com/3475962/asian-american-diversity/.