The Bachelorette

This new bachelorette being featured is a young 20-something dentistry student (don’t let the heading fool you, the full description on the website says dentistry-student). She’s cute, young and not settled into a career just yet, perfect bachelorette right? These demographics would never work on “The Bachelor.” The featured men are always handsome, at least late 20’s or early 30’s and have a well-established career with an attractive title attached. These are men that can be the ultimate success and appealing husband. As for this bachelorette, Ashley, she is the ultimate package for the soon-to-be housewife. She’s young. This means she is in the prime of the childbearing age range. She has yet to graduate from college with her dentistry degree, meaning she can still be persuaded to become a housewife. The fact that she is in college means she still has her intelligence. I think when television shows have a premise like this, we take a step back in the evolution of how we portray different genders and or races in television. The women that actually need help finding a man are the female CEO’s in their 40’s and 50’s that have too much on their plate to get a date. Yet for some reason this show continues to feature people that already have appealing qualities to those people they attract and don’t need help.

"It gets better"

I came across this video earlier last week on youtube and thought that it was a great way to use the social media networks to educate others and become aware about the LGBT community and give support and awareness. The news has covered recent teen suicides because of bullying in High Schools and elementary schools because of this issue. I remember a couple years back hearing in the news about an 11 year old boy hanging himself because of constant teasing and harassing in his school because other boys would tease him and call him “gay”. It’s shocking to know that children are being affected by the ignorance of society, and how it has manage to grow to this magnitude that children feel like they should be ashamed for who they and feel like there is no way out other than ending their own lives. When I saw the clip, I thought that it was great how they managed to show different people who are proud of who they are, even if you are an 80 year old man, a celebrity, a veteran, a cop; the message to give hope to all those in the LGBT community to not feel ashamed for who they but embrace it because as said “it does get better”. It’s a great way to use social networking in creating awareness about the issue.

Keepin' Up the "PACE"

So in honor of tonight’s phenomenal Bulls win, I think it would only be appropriate to talk about D. Rose and the rest of the gang’s move into the second round of the playoffs. Maybe I’m just excited to write about this topic because I just got home from the game (with no voice left, whatsoever). Anyways, for those non-basketball fans out there, my beloved Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers tonight to clinch a spot in the second round of the NBA playoffs. They were originally up 3 games to none, with an opportunity to sweep the Pacers on Saturday but didn’t take advantage of their chance. So apparently tonight the Bulls thought it would be a good time to put these Pacers to rest once and for all, and that’s exactly what they did. I could not contain my excitement at the game, I was literally acting as if I myself was part of the Bulls squad hitting 3-pointer after 3-pointer after 3-pointer. This then got me thinking…why is it so “weird” if a girl is into sports? Is this just a sexist thing that has always been part of society? Why are men thought of to be more athletic in general as well as more knowledgeable on sports topics while girls aren’t? Maybe it’s just me but I’m proud to know my sports facts, especially for my Bulls! Hopefully, the Bulls will be able to keep up the “pace” and continue on for another ring to add to the franchise’s collection!

Your Beer Doesn't Think You're Man Enough

I had wanted to use the new-ish ‘lifeguard training’ Miller Light ad but it’s restricted on youtube and I don’t know if I would be able to share it, so this will have to do.

It seems that the advertisements of major American beer companies negate the fact that women consume a large enough portion of their product that they should at least be marketed towards. Using the “Man Up” slogan, Miller Light describes itself as a personification of manhood, an especially manly beer. Only, here’s where that description loses credibility: a woman is in the position of guiding the lost man to a better choice of beer, this while the man submissively and subversively communicates feelings of attraction toward her. She hints that she would be more attracted to him if he drank Miller Light and abandoned certain disingenuous and ridiculous, stereotypically feminine subculture fashion statements; he would then be more manly. This woman is the authority on taste and respectability. Now does she think highly enough of Miller Light to drink it herself? Or does she simply have the human decency to suggest it to this dog who was going to drink something pretty closely resembling piss (if it is worse than Miller Light)?

If one of these companies championed itself as a favorite of women everywhere, it should expect to see results in its sales. However, the progression towards that message is going to be a very slow process. Anyways, it’s not like there’s a stigma against women drinking these beers. Is there? Miller Light should hire the ghost of George Washington Hill in the PR department.

Make me a racist

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhMJU2qPff6l8c464U

Make Me a Racist/Music/Race and Gender

When I first watched this video, I laughed because it was talking about Black women who were weaves. But as I watched it several more times afterwards, that laughter disappeared. Although he is right in saying that the content is not "racist," it doesn't take away from the fact that it is racially offensive. Black women wear weaves for several reasons, the most dominate reason is because of what society, media, community, etc., has shaped them to believe is beautiful. During the Black power movement, Black women were in great numbers embracing the natural texture of their hair and reframing of getting perm or putting chemicals in their hair that would make it straight and therefore, "More White." The time prior to that era of embracing their natural hair is back. This video brings to our attention how Black women are again turning to perms and now even weaves to give the illusion of long straight hair. This is very present at the celebrity level and therefore at the level of common folk as well. I stop getting perms a year ago because of this reason, in addition to the fact that my hair has never been "nappy" anyways and I didn't need chemicals to straighten it. Furthermore, he neglects to acknowledge that White women too, use weave, or what they call hair extensions. This video gives the illusion that only Black women wear weaves, which isn't true, although they do dominate. Also, He uses other stereotypes such as "All Black people love red koolaid," which is true to an extent, but I think that extent is mostly at the lower class level, and most black people are living in that class. I love red koolaid, if you look in my refrigerator, you are sure to find a pitcher of red koolaid (and if there isn’t, then I’m about to make some), so to me it isn't a stereotype, it’s a truth. Plus, he says that his parents only know one black person and that's "Randy Jackson " because of American Idol, which also calls attention to racial demographics of a lot of different areas across the US. This lack of "Black people" could have contributed to his choice in making this video. I’m not sure if the point in him making the video was simply to be funny, or if he really is this ignorant, but I think women are made fun of a lot, especially Black women, and we do not need one more thing being used against us.

Not So Smart "Bad" Girls

Start clip at 8:41 & end at 9:45

So I have a guilty addiction to the oxygen hit Bad Girls Club. It seems to be the only show that is bringing revenue to the network if you ask me. However, people are watching this for all the wrong reasons. When the show first began, the point was to put these women who had “bad” attitudes into the same house. They were supposed to become changed by the experience of being put in the house with women like them. I don’t really know how this was supposed to work, but for the first two seasons it seemed to. Now, women just get exploited by willingly going on this show looking for fame, when really all they receive is negative attention. The comments in the chat rooms and on the youtube videos are always harsh and disrespectful. I always have to wonder whether or not it’s deserved because they do put themselves in that situation. I can’t help but wonder if they see that they are being exploited. In the above clip, the producers of the show have taken a conversation the girls were having about grammar and aired it making them look like total idiots. Then the question of, how much of reality is in reality television, comes to mind. The producers know what audiences will watch and I feel that they tell the participants of the show to behave in that manner. I have heard of many instances when characters on reality shows turn out to be just that, characters. But how much of yourself will you give away for 15 minutes of fame?