Aladdin

I was 2 years old when the movie Aladdin came out on VHS. I never judged the movie based on the introductory theme song or the “Arabian” characters with really bad accents, or the fact that Aladdin and Jasmine were both predominately English characters. Now that I watch this movie more than 19 years later, I can understand why the Arabian population was greatly dissatisfied by the film. Although the producers of Disney say the film Aladdin was loosely based on the film Arabian Nights, it is still a very loose interpretation of the Arabian culture. The American- Arab- Anti Discrimination chapter fought to change the words of Aladdin’s introductory theme song due to unfair/ offensive wording.

The original theme song went like this:

\o7 Oh, I come from a land

From a faraway place

Where the caravan camels roam.

Where they cut off your ear

If they don't like your face

It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.

\f7

The new words are now like this:

\o7 Oh, I come from a land

From a faraway place

Where the caravan camels roam.

Where it's flat and immense

And the heat is intense,

It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.

\f7

The American- Arab- Anti- Discrimination chapter fought to take out the word barbaric because they felt it was an inaccurate representation of their culture. The chapter goes on to say that the supporting characters are depicted as mean, nasty people, while Aladdin and Jasmine are the characters that are praised and respected. The problem with this is that Aladdin and Jasmine are unaccented, standard Americanized English, and do not portray Arabian characters and therefore are very misleading. This is not the first time that Disney has had a problem with inaccurately portraying a culture. The three little pigs movie was predominately Jewish characters and Disney was accused or falsely portraying them. This affects me, as well as the children of my generation because Disney falsely portrayed an entire culture. We should be teaching the younger generation that culture diversity is good and encouraged rather than misrepresenting them in media as well as kids movies. Movies are a great tool to teach children how the world should work. Although we need to give these kids an accurate portrayal and make sure we are giving fair representation to a group of people. As a parent I would want my kids to learn the truth behind a culture and I believe that movies have a good chance at displaying that.

Original article: Click Here.

 

Palm Beach Tan Advertising

I always have an eye out for advertising that participates in active stereotyping. We have learned throughout this class that the media falls short of inclusion and accurate representation of all people, women and minorities get the short end of the stick in advertising. Women are solely used as an object of desire. We have learned that sex sells, and marketers use women to sell sex throughout the industry. Recently I was at Palm Beach Tan and saw this ad:

This ad pictures a boy and girl who seem to have tan skin, that’s not what jumped out at me. The girl in this picture is holding a teddy bear and a toy spin wheel and appears to be very shy and dependent on this strong man. Although I did just go in for a tan, this advertisement was very offensive to me. Most of the ads for Palm Beach tan use women as sex objects, so you would think this would be a little bit better, but it’s not. I find if very offensive that the female race is depicted as so weak in this photo. Not only is she seen dependent on a man, but also she is depicted as more of a child, holding toys. When women are the main consumers of their product, I don’t understand why the company would go out of their way to demean them. Sure, I might be the only woman who walked into Palm Beach and thought of this advertisement as demeaning, (I have this class to thank for that,) they lost me as a customer, whether they intended to or not. This affects me because, even when I am trying to do something as simple as tan, I see advertisements than demean my success and portray me as weak. Women have a hard enough time as it is gaining respect and fulfilling success. We already have a number of advertising that portray us as an object of sexual desire, we don’t need more advertising portraying us a weak and childlike. Advertising should focus more on not being gender specific. 

Portrayal or Betrayal? Women in Advertising

Victoria Secret- Native American Apology

In our recent topics of class discussions we have talked about the image of Native Americans in media. Especially discussing Native American women. Through class and through our readings I have learned that the “Native American Princess” is in fact a stereotype and that this is not common for the culture. In recent news Victoria Secret has been at the forefront of misrepresenting Native American Women. Every year Victoria Secret puts on a fashion show, introducing their new line for the upcoming year, this year photos from the extravagant fashion show have already leaked. A very controversial image is at the forefront of the entire show:

The image shows Karlie Kross, a very famous model wearing close to no clothes, beads, and a Native American headdress. Native American women were furious over this photo because women in the Native American culture do not wear headdresses; it is the men who wear these headdresses to ceremonial events in society. Native American across the world found this image offensive and entirely inaccurate. Victoria Secret is facing a boycott from the Native American women after this photo leaked. Victoria Secret is not the first company to face criticism for the misrepresentation of Native Americans. Last year, Urban Outfitters ran an entire line of Navajo Tribe clothing, which featured a headdress and a flask with the Navajo print. This affects me because as a consumer I do not want to participate in the misrepresentation of Native Americans. Unwillingly consumers are buying these products and they do not understand how it is affecting other people. As a consumer I want to be fashionable, but I don’t want to participate in the miss- use of an entire culture. When this happens Native Americans are being included in the media, but they do not have control of their image in media. Victoria Secret released an appropriate apology and they are not running the Native American pictures and headdress in the upcoming show, which runs in December.

LA Times Victoria Secret Article 

Latino Women in Media

We spent the majority of Monday’s class discussing the effects that “tonto” had on the Native American population. It got me really thinking of successful actors/ actresses that have really given their people a voice. The best actress that came to mind was the Spanish actress Penelope Cruz. Penelope Cruz is very celebrated throughout the film industry and gives voice to the Spanish people. 

Since her debut in her first movie, Penelope has stared in a variety of films from English to Spanish. Her variety of films makes her the celebrated actress she is today. She is a philanthropist and constantly educating the people around her about her Spanish heritage. We have been discussing how different minorities are included within media and whether or not they have control of their own image. Penelope Cruz has given Spanish movies and the Spanish people inclusion and control of their image within media. She is a powerful woman who gives support to the Spanish people and other women around her. 

Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz discusses spanish film carrer

This affects me because it let’s girls see a successful actress proving people around her wrong. She is strong and independent and continues to make Spanish movies to encourage her Spanish people and promote the Spanish film business. This gives women in my generation encouragement to be successful in the right way. To understand where we came from and pursue great things in our future. She gives a voice to the Latino women is a positive way. Unlike Penelope, Sofia Vergara represents Latino women in a different way. Both women are very beautiful, very successful yet use their talents in different ways. In the new Pepsi commercial Sofia Vergara uses her beauty to sell products and uses her body as an object. This does not teach young Latino women to be successful in the right way. Penelope Cruz demonstrates grace and success and has complete control and inclusion of herself in the media. 

Commentary on Pepsi commercial

Sexual Objectification of Women in Media

Objectification of women is predominately what sells most products for advertising agencies. Slowly we are seeing objectification of men to sell things that cater to women, but if we know one thing it is that sex sells. We learned in class on Monday that advertising is not literally selling “sex” as in a healthy sexual relationship between a man and a women, but selling the idea that by using the product you might look like this, get this women etc. We also learned in class that there is a “shared meaning” in sexual messages between consumer and advertiser. Sexual images that were viewed as “too explicit” in the 1960’s are now everywhere within mainstream media. Images that we view as “too explicit” will continue to push the norm until there is nothing that is considered “too explicit” anymore. This matters to me because I am a woman and being objectified for profit does not sit well with me. I like to see successful woman on magazines that own businesses, or that have invented something useful. What I don’t like to see on magazines is naked women promoting useless products that I don’t even use. This idea is bizarre to me that naked women on magazines are okay to be put on stands for people to see. In this day and age I would never want my grandmother or my little brother to see Britney Spears naked on the cover of Rolling Stone. Frankly, I am embarrassed by the images, and I think these women are just asking to be objectified, and making our inclusion into media one that is about sex and the use of our bodies rather than the use of our brain.

This is an Advertisement for Chupa Chups, a lollipop company. This ad is objectifying women by using her breasts to sell their product. This company could have used a child with a lollipop in it's hands to sell, yet instead decided to go the route of using sex appeal. In no way would this ad get me to buy a lollipop. 

This ad is playing off the stereotype that women can't cook and are meant to stay at home and look good. This is a dangerous stereotype to play on because it is at the heart of what women are trying to change. The fact that we want to be seen as more than a housewife but we also want to be respected as well. This ad is trying to sell a wonder-bra by objectifying women in the process.

This ad actually disgusts me. Nikon is trying to sell a camera by using 2 underage girls in provocative stances. Not only is the objectification of 2 young women not okay, but why do you need these women to sell a camera? Why not use a beautiful picture of nature or something the camera would be good at, instead of playing on the notion of sex? In my opinion this ad did not accomplish anything. 

Sexual objection of women portrays women as an object not as a person. Sexual objectification further demonstrates that is type of behavior is okay, and that women are nothing but an object to look at. As as women trying to be successful in the world this type of advertising has a negative impact on me and other women around me. This is a very dangerous stereotype to play on because it deems women powerless in society. Feminists largely struggle with the concept of sexual objectification in advertising. 

This video discusses the dangers of the objectification of women in media: 

Blog #8- Honda Fit

Before we were even brought into this world our parents had painted our room after they found out they were having a boy/girl. My mother knew I was going to be a girl; therefore my room was pink before I was even born. With a brother being a surprise baby, my parents picked a gender neutral color of yellow. Our gender affects many decisions in our life, but never did I think it would affect what car we decided to drive. For many years women have been depicted driving 2 distinct vehicles, a minivan or a sports car. The mother figure is always pictured driving her kids around in a minivan, and the single women are always pictured shopping in her expensive sports car. Men are not judged by the type of car they decide to drive, unless it’s pink. Honda has decided to embrace the gender stereotypes by designing a car exclusively for women, The Honda Fit.

For decades the car industry has focused most of its attention on the male market, since a majority of the men of the household buy the cars. Honda found in a study that women now make up 1/3 of the car purchasers in the United States. Now that women are making a debut in car purchasing, the market is up for the challenge. But just because women are now buying more cars, does that mean we want pink cars? I think not. While I personally know a good portion of my friends would love to drive a pink car, that doesn’t mean I would. Is this ad dangerous in portraying an already overused stereotype? What happens if a boy wants to drive the Honda Fit? Is that boy considered gay since the car is pink? In a recent study by the daily cougar, “Ads stir controversy on the issue of what makes a boy masculine and a girl feminine, as if pink and blue preferences weren’t enough. And in this age, that determining factor is a little outdated in identifying a 21^st century boy or girl.”

For the rest of this study you can find it here: http://thedailycougar.com/2011/04/20/gender-stereotypes-paint-pink-problems/

This ad affects me, along with the rest of the female population. Yes we are buying cars, and yes we like to be targeted in the market, but that doesn’t mean we want to buy a pink car. I am perfectly happy with my red car. I think playing on this stereotype of what color goes with which sex is very dangerous is a society that is constantly changing. In society today there is a fine line in even determining boys and girls, with so many people identifying as both or neither. This ad could even be considered offensive to some girls who don’t like the stereotype and don’t like the color pink. As a young women in America today I do not like being targeted this heavily, or being told what I should or should not buy.

For the full Honda Fit article you can find it here: http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/honda-fit-she-world-only-car-aimed-exclusively-205422886.html

Blog post #7- LGBT

After class on Monday I became extremely interested in what Glaad advertising was all about. On Glaad’s website they commend themselves on being a “storyteller,” a “watchdog,” and an “advocate” for the LGBT community. “Gladd moves people: amplifies the voice of our community to keep equality at the forefront of Americas cultural conversation. Gladd creates change: we hold the media accountable for words and images they produce. Glaad unites the movement: we strengthen grassroots organizations so that they can leverage media, engage local communities, and advance social change.” For an entire organization using the entirety of its resources to push for LGBT acceptance and awareness is such a powerful thing. Glaad is pushing the media to cater towards the LGBT community with fair, accurate, and inclusive representation. American Airlines partnered with Glaad in efforts to make their advertising and production more LGBT friendly by using words such as “Flying Forward,” instead of “Flying Straight.” American Airlines also launched their first LGBT ad campaign with strives for inclusion within the community, using the motto “Acceptance Never Goes Out of Style.” Glaad awarded American Airlines with “Corporate Responsibility” and applauded them for their push against change within the media.

Here is an example of American Airlines ad campaign towards LGBT:

You can find more about American Airlines and their Glaad award here:

 

In class we also learned that Glaad has appropriate words to gage the value of an LGBT ad. While most companies and most people of our generation are slowly accepting the LGBT community there are some people who still stereotype the LGBT community and use words such as “faggot” and “homophobic.” All of which degrade the process that the LGBT community is making towards inclusion. These word values associated with ads include equal, caution/stereotype and negative. An equal ad would include LGBT characters without their sexuality being a point of interest. An equal ad is a successful attempt at portraying inclusion of the LGBT community. A caution or stereotype ad will use LGBT characters but will place them in stereotypical setting. Examples of this include the “male fantasy lesbian scenario” the “butch lesbian” and the “homo-phobic character.” The negative value of these campaigns is what keeps the LGBT community from full inclusion and acceptance in the media. These ads use derogatory terms such a faggot, dyke and fairy, they may even use violence towards the LGBT community. For example purposes I picked an ad from Glaad to gage the value of the ad and see what type of inclusion the ad is going for.

In this Orbitz ad the setting is in an airport. All the airline passengers are angry because their flight is delayed, Orbitz holds a game show to auction off a hotel room for the night. A straight couple and LGBT couple is picked on the game show, and to celebrate them winning the hotel room the LGBT couple kisses and the ad is over. The weary straight travelers have to sleep in the uncomfortable airport while the gay couple gets a cozy room in a hotel. This ad shows the LGBT community in a positive light by putting them on the game show with a straight couple. By showing the lesbian couple kissing after the game show they are not made fun of, it is simply a normal relationship, which gives inclusion to lesbian couples within media. Ads like this orbitz ad need to be viewed and accepted so that the LGBT community can have full inclusion and acceptance around the world.

Blog #6

The issue over women’s rights is not as prevalent in our society as it has been in the past. Today women hold some political power, have the right to vote and have the right to a fair education. That is not the case in some countries around the world. For example in Saudi Arabia, women are required to have a male guardian with them at all times, they do not have the right to vote or hold any kind of political position. The basic rights in which women in America take for granted are being denied to women all over the world. Some of these women have driven for change in their country. The Saudi Women Revolution was formed in 2010 to fight for equal treatment and fair representation in the country of Saudi Arabia. It has been an uphill battle for women to gain fair representation if all aspects of life. We have fought to go to school, receive a university education, and fight to hold jobs with authority. Yet we are setback and don’t get a fair chance when things like this happen:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/ikea-busted-deleting-women-saudi-version-catalog-article-1.1171972

Ikea is a large furniture chain with followers all around the world. Ikea prides itself on giving to charities such as UNICEF and UNDP and holds this statement close “Our focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of democratic governance, poverty reduction, crisis prevention and recovery, environment and energy and HIV/AIDS. In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women.” 

Comparing the Swedish and Saudi versions of the catalogue, free newspaper Metro on Monday showed that women had been airbrushed out of otherwise identical pictures showcasing the company's home furnishings. Women did not appear in any pages of the October edition of the magazine.  As a company basing their entire mission statement on Ikea’s commitment to gender equality, the absence of women in the catalog stirred up quite a debate. Ikea responded to the statement by saying, "We should have reacted and realized that excluding women from the Saudi Arabian version of the catalogue is in conflict with the IKEA Group values.” Women, especially in Saudi Arabia do not have a fair chance at equal representation if they are not represented at all. Ikea’s decision to go ahead and remove the images, instead of facing the situation head on reveals a lot about what is happening in that society right now. This affects me, as well as all the women around me simply because we have been there. Women have fought for their equality. Even though it still is not where we want it to be today, women in America are represented. The unrepresented women in Saudi Arabia is not right and makes me upset with the state of government. The first step concerning the portrayal of women in the media starts with inclusion. Are these Saudi Arabian women being represented in the media at all? No. Women’s rights is going to continue to be a problem around the world if they are not being represented within the media.

Blog # 5- Michelle Obama

Learning about the so-called “coverage” of the Sarah Palin campaign made me sick to my stomach. Though I am not a supporter of Palin, girls have to stick together. Media gave us a very surface level visual on Sarah Palin’s issues and gave a full spread magazine story on the shoes she decided to wear at the convention. Again, though I did not follow her campaign, I do religiously follow first lady Michelle Obama. Michelle Obama radiates power and success. She speaks at many conventions, follows her husband around the world and gives much of her time to charitable causes. Even though she is the first African American first lady, she will be remembered just as all first ladies are, on her wardrobe.

“Michelle Obama has changed the fashion industry forever. She inspires us to look better.” – Allison Mcnamara, Fashion Reporter 

For Michelle Obama’s 48^th birthday, this website praised her for her most “famous” looks in the past 4 years as first lady. The essence of Michelle Obama’s entire time spent in the white house has been to inspire us to be better people and change the world around us. Michelle Obama does not want our wardrobe to be the only thing inspired by her time in the white house. A week ago at the National Democratic Convention, Michelle gave a powerful speech about the re-election of her husband. Most of the crowd was on their feet in tears and the first article written about that night was this:

Does the fact of whether or not her dress has sleeves affect politics in anyway? Michelle gave some incredible insight on the struggles of this country, struggles that are more news worthy than her wardrobe. To even push this further, this article was printed in people magazine: Michelle Obama's Nail Polish  

“Hot question of the day:” What nail polish color was Michelle Obama wearing at the democratic convention. Are you kidding me? If this is considered media coverage over the first lady then I feel very worried for the profession I am entering into. This story affects me because all our lives we are told we can do anything we want if we work hard for it. We are told hard work pays off and that one day we will get recognized. Michelle Obama is at the point in her life where hard work is supposed to pay off, she has amazing ideas for the betterment of the United States and as first lady her views should be addressed. The only media time Michelle is getting is answering the “Hot question of the day” “What color nail polish were you wearing?” This is showing young women that our opinions don’t matter, that no matter how far we go in life we are still going to be treated like girls and not taken seriously. If Michelle Obama cannot be taken seriously why would any other girl? Representation of women in the media needs to change. Women need to be heard, their values and beliefs need to be taken into consideration. And people need to start hearing Michelle Obama for who she really is, and that is one hell of a leader: 

9/2/2012- Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, U.S Olympic Gold Medalist

If you were to meet Alex Morgan on the streets of Seattle you would see a laid-back tomboy. Known for wearing gym clothes wherever she goes, all Alex Morgan wanted was to make the U.S Women’s National Soccer Team. She is the youngest girl in history to make the U.S National team, and is the youngest girl in the world to win a gold medal in soccer in the London Olympics. Alex Morgan competed in the World Cup against Japan and will also compete in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Alex Morgan was named “Espy’s” Best Breakthrough Athlete in 2012, beating out several male athletes. Despite all of her athletic achievements, Alex graduated top of her class at The University of California- Berkley. Majoring in Political Economy, Alex hopes to run for U.S Senate at some point in her life.

Despite her very impressive achievements both on the soccer field and off, most people see Alex Morgan like this:  

Alex Morgan Sports Illustrated Cover

Alex Morgan's full interview with Sports Illustrated is here: Alex Morgan- Sports Illustrated

In this picture, as well as in the full article of Sports Illustrated very rarely are her soccer achievements talked about. In this picture Alex Morgan is portrayed as a sex symbol. Not only is this picture objectifying Alex Morgan, she is not seen for her achievements. If someone were to see this picture, being unaware of the soccer star Alex Morgan, you would think she was just another swimsuit model. These women are being objectified for their bodies rather than their skills. In 2012, Alex Morgan was listed as number 66 in Maxim’s Hot 100. Maxim’s Hot 100 is a men’s magazine ranking girls based on their image.

Alex Morgan Maxim Cover

Again, nowhere in this article does it say she graduated top in her class, or that she is the lead scorer or the U.S Olympic Soccer team. As we discussed in class, women and people of different racial backgrounds rarely have control on how they are depicted within the media. Magazines such as Sports Illustrated and Maxim portray these women as trophies, not women we should aspire to be. When men are portrayed in Magazines, they radiate success and power. Women are just as strong and powerful as men, yet they are not shown this way to younger generations. Change will come when women have control over how they are portrayed within the media. 

Alex Morgan talks about her photos in Sports Illustrated: 

8/30/2012- Gabby Douglas

Gabby Douglas, Gold Medalist All Around 

Very rarely do we hear of African-American success stories in media. Very rarely are those stories portrayed truthfully. In class we have looked at how people from different racial and ethnic groups have little control over their image in the media. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, an African-American won the individual gymnastics gold medal. Gabby Douglas was instantly a media sensation. Her success in the Olympics came from a long journey of sacrifice and hardship. We know this because Gabby Douglas was able to share her own story. Her control over her own image in the media is what makes this story such a big deal.

Gabby Douglas reported claims of being the victim of racial slurs and being bullied while she training for the London Olympics. For the full interview with Oprah, here is the link. 

Her story hits home for me because I have seen first hand how these young girls can be mistreated. Growing up in the gymnast community was a tough place for young girls, especially African-American girls. I remember some of my African-American teammates getting told they didn’t belong on our competitive team. These girls were my long-time friends, and were the victims of racial insults even in the late 1990’s. Gabby Douglas’s story is monumental because she was able to do something about it. She pushed boundaries and let people know there still is a racial problem even in this day and age. She was not represented or controlled, Gabby Douglas was able to share Gabby Douglas’s story with the world. This story affects me because too often we rely on the media to reflect reality. As consumers of media, we need to take everything with a grain of salt. In this case Gabby Douglas was not victim to false coverage or weak representation. She pushed boundaries and shared her struggles with fans all over the world. Too often we hear, “Change will come when all aspects of the media, including media content more accurately reflect the racial diversity of society.” This time the media got it right. Gabby Douglas being in control over her individual image in the media marks a great step in accurately reflecting media diversity. 

Article from Gawker interviewing Gabby Douglas, for the full article the link is here: 

http://gawker.com/5938384/gabby-douglas-was-bullied-called-slave-by-fellow-gymnasts-in-virginia

The quote was taken from our Monday reading "Social Inequality and Media Representation." The full story is here: 

http://vizedhtmlcontent.next.ecollege.com/CurrentCourse/Chapter%206%20Social%20Inequality%20and%20Media%20Representation_p185-215.pdf