I was unable to watch the Grammy's this year due to the fact that I rarely ever watch the Grammy's. Though I am kinda upset that I missed the Al Green, Justin Timberlake and Boyz II Men performance. I heard that the T.I., Jay-Z, Kanye and Lil Wayne performance was very good.
I love watching TV especially reality TV. I've watched shows from Flavor of Love to I Love New York. I've wondered if people think that's what black people are like on TV, when comparing those shows to the Bachelor and the Bachelorette. When watching these shows, I've noticed the class of people on these shows. To me, the Bachelorette and Bachelor have more classier people unlike that of Flavor and New York, which contestants are a little less classy. I know that seems wrong to say but that's the way I perceived it. It seems to me the contestants of these shows are dominated by one ethnicity, and if their is a small minority on either of the shows then that person or persons don't last long.
In changing the subject, I read White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, by Peggy McIntosh. I understand were McIntosh is coming from, her article list key points in with privilege. Number twelve is one that I can relate too. I remember back in high school, where my dad would tell me about how I'd dress. He told me that first impressions are lasting impressions, the first thing people notice is how you dress, its how you present yourself. I didn't understand it then but now I know. I do think people are stereotyped by what they wear, its sad but it is how you present yourself.
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Elliot-
ReplyDeleteYou made me think about something in a way that I never considered before. I would be lying to you if I told you that I felt any differently about the way that black and white people are portrayed in various television shows than you did. Never once have I ever seen or heard of any minority being selected as the winner, bachelorette, or bachelor on the show. As embarrassing as it is, I regularly watch these shows and if you truly are knowledgeable about such programs than you dod notice that minorities do not even receive as much air time as a white person on the show. Also, I can remember a particular instance in which an African American woman was upset with another woman and ABC played this up to make her appear absolutely out of control. Whereas, with that said who seems to bicker more than anyone else on the show..........white women.....and they definitely are not made to appear as animals......their arguments are treated as a regular, non-chalant part of the show. Now, considering the complete difference between shows that we just discussed to shows like, "I Love New York," it is truly astounding to see just exactly where all that difference comes from. It is almost like the media seeks out the most out of control minority people it can find, and then invites them to be on the show. It's almost like they know people will be entertained and delighted to see out of control African American and Asian people making fools out of themselves. Personally, I think its an age old continuum. The media is the cause of much of the subjection that we see today. It is sad, but true.
Lippman talked about the media providing the pictures in our heads. So are we saying we know the media creates this unrealistic images and they continue to get a way with it?
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