Women in Pornography: Belle Knox

For this weeks blog post I decided that I would write about women in pornography considering all of the media surrounding Duke University student, Miriam Weeks, or better known by her on screen name “Belle Knox.” Miriam Weeks was “outed” by a fellow student. Miriam expected to go to Duke and remain an undercover porn star, and that no one would ever know. After watching interviews with Belle Knox, she explains that the main reason that she decided to do porn was in order to pay for her Duke education. She explains that she simply cannot afford her $43,000 tuition each year, and that doing porn was her best option. She claims that she “only does what she is comfortable doing on screen” and that porn can serve as a form of female empowerment. Throughout this entire interview I must admit I was extremely frustrated. At one point in the interview Belle claimed that she turned to porn because she is only 18 and lacks skills for other jobs. When she said this I found myself even angry because I definitely do not believe that her only skill in life is being able to have sex… She followed up this statement by saying she would never want to take out college loans, seeing that they would stay with her for quite some time. In addition to this, she also blames the economy, saying that she would never get interviews or responses to applications she turned in. I completely disagreed with everything that she had to say throughout the several interviews I watched. I believe that pornography is one of the most degrading forms of women in the media. I believe that sex is an act that should only happen between people who are in love, and that it should definitely not be put on the web for everyone to see. I feel that the fact that Miriam/Belle said that she is “18 and lacked skills” sends a message to the media that women as a whole lack skills, therefore they should turn to porn for easy money. I do not understand how the depiction of women through porn is not equivalent or even worse then prostitution. I especially feel that pornography is a horrible depiction of women in the media because mainstream porn is based primarily on straight male fantasies, and is not an accurate representation of anything approximating sex in real life. The fact that the goal of pornography is to sexually arise viewers, is completely upsetting, especially when women are providing men with a false representation of women and their morals. I am not speaking in the fact that I think pornography is a horrible depiction of women in the media just through videos, but also through a variety of other media. Pornography comes in forms of printed literature, photos, drawings and audio recordings as well. I think that this provides a disgusting portrayal of the women in the media, and completely misrepresents the female population as a whole. Some people, like Belle Knox, claim that pornography is a means for women’s sexual freedom and self-expression, however, I again have to completely disagree. I feel that pornography depicts women in a very unkind and degrading way. Pornography provides viewers with the idea that women only belong in once place, that being in bed with a man. Pornography sets an idea that women exist only for the sexual pleasure of men. In addition to this, according to my research, studies show that after men view pornography, they hear less of what women say in a professional setting. It is very concerning that some women are comfortable with the idea of pornography, and the portrayal of our gender in the media through porn. I feel that pornography is extremely wrong, and that women should take stand to ban it because, in my opinion, it is the biggest form of sexual exploitation of women, showing us only as sexual objects and nothing more.

 

 

Above is an interview with Miriam Weeks, also known as “Belle Knox”

The Flavor of Love

The show that I decided to write about for this weeks blog post is The Flavor of Love. The Flavor of Love is a reality television show that aired on VH1 around 2007. The show had multiple seasons. On the show, women would compete to win the love of “Flavor Flav” who is hardly even a celebrity. This show is extremely degrading towards women due to the fact that the girls compete in contests in which they must act in a sexual manner to stay on the show. The show consists of many fights between the girls, and ultimately brings out the worst in each of its contestants.

This show is insulting to women all over because it provides a false depiction of how women should act around men. The girls in this television show are extremely obedient to Flavor Flav and would do just about anything to win his love, even if that means sacrificing their morals. The show presents a false representation of women that we are willing to exploit ourselves to the public just to please men. This show presents women merely as sexual objects rather than human beings and is absolutely repulsive. This show also provides viewers with the idea that women are after men for their money rather than their love and affection.

Sexism In Cleaning Ads

By Shannon Firkins & Brian Curtin

Sexism in cleaning ads is widespread throughout all channels of mass media, and this ad promoting ‘Dawn Hand Renewal with Olay Beauty’ clearly exemplifies gender stereotyping.  Available in pink, purple, light blue, and white, the product serves both cosmetic and cleaning purposes in a combination specifically intended to target women. At the core of this ad is the notion of “gender responsibilities,” and social constructs of beauty, and “the perfect housewife” (Storey, 2012).

The “Dawn Fashion Photographer” ad depicts a presumably male sponge photographing a female ‘model’, as she washes dishes in a clean and modern looking kitchen.  Young, thin, and white, the model unmistakably conforms to socially constructed norms of beauty, as well as stereotypes of the perfect housewife.  A close-up shot of the woman’s hands displays her thin fingers, delicate wrists, and manicured nails, defining incredibly specific beauty standards for specific body parts.  These standards for beauty, which can be seen in all forms of media, define the way people view beauty and themselves.  Never speaking during the ad, the woman gently cleans dishes and caresses her own hands in a state of bliss, playfully submitting to her male photographer.  This depicts unrealistic and stereotypical roles of women as housewives who are willingly obedient of men, and implies that men have no interest in cleaning and beauty products, nor are their looks important.

This ad illustrates how Dawn plays on the social construct of “the perfect housewife” using gendered stereotypes of beauty, roles, and expectations.  The ad emphasizes the value of beauty and soft skin, glamorizing the act of women washing dishes, while implying men have no interest in cleaning or beauty products.  Through sheer repetition, media texts can shape social definitions and define what is considered “normal” (Storey, 2012).  Often times, media content reinforces long-standing stereotypes through skewed representations of race, class, gender, ect…  In order to avoid the disappointment of failing to meet unrealistic expectations and ideals promoted by the media, it is necessary to understand how mass media shape stereotypes and other dominant ideologies.

Opposing Ideologies on The O’Reilly Factor

Thomas Brett & Lara Elmayan

The video we analyzed was a clip from the FOX pundit show the O’Reilly Factor in which Bill O’Reilly interviews the rapper Lupe Fiasco about his claim that Obama is a terrorist. We examined ideological frameworks at play in this video. An ideological framework is “a system of meaning that helps define and explain the world and that makes valued judgments about the world” (Croteau, Hoynes, & Milan, 2012, p153). The men in this video represent different ideologies which cause them to form different opinions about what is okay to say about the president and even what it means to show patriotism.

Before Lupe Fiasco is even shown on the air, O’Reilly says, “Now we’re used to over-the-top statements from rappers, but this is a bit much.” This comes despite the fact that O’Reilly makes his living as a notoriously conservative pundit on a notoriously conservative station. This is likely a reflection of the ideology he represents. For him, to associate the president, who is probably the foremost symbol American democracy, with something so symbolically un-American is as ridiculous as it is offensive. O’Reilly may disagree with decisions that the president makes but the pundit respect the office that he holds, as well as the system that put him there. Lupe Fiasco’s ideological framework causes him to make different judgments. He looks at the policies which have been pursued in the Middle East and concludes that they are reflections of an imperialist regime. For Lupe Fiasco, the esteemed position that Obama holds is not a sufficient counter balance to what the rapper sees as pointless killing, prompting him to say that “the biggest terrorists are Obama, and the United States of America, and its foreign policy.”

O’Reilly represents the dominant ideology in this situation. Most media outlets shy away from such direct criticisms as Lupe Fiasco’s. It is considered patriotic to respect the offices of elected official, especially the president, anyone who does not is labeled as a distinct Other. According to Croteau et al. (2012) a position which does not easy fit into the dominant ideology of a culture will have a harder time being accepted. One way this is shown during the interview occurs when O’Reilly makes dismissive generalizations about Lupe Fiasco’s audience. “Your constituency is not exactly political science Ph. D’s,” he says, “they’re impressionable kids.” Comments like this paint the rapper as a rabble-rouser at the head of an uneducated crowd which will believe any lie. O’Reilly is comfortable with the assumption that educated, rational Americans subscribe to his ideology. Whether or not this is true, the fact that he could make those comments, and that most viewers are probably not surprised to hear them, show that the ideology behind them is familiar to and accepted by this society.

Stereotyping and Gender in commercials

Alex Stifter and Nick Preller

For our video analysis project, we have chosen to review a Youtube video that showcases different television commercial clips of gender stereotyping. It was interesting to see, not only how women are stereotyped, but also how men are stereotyped as well, and the effects this can have on our societal views.  According to Croteau, Hoynes and Milan (2012), “The media gives us pictures of social interaction and social institutions that, by their sheer repetition on a daily basis, can play important roles in shaping broad social definitions” (p. 157). In the video, several themes are used in the portrayal of men and women.

In these clips, women are primarily seen doing housework. Women are using Swifer duster mops to clean the floor, cooking dinner for the family, and washing dishes. All of these things fit into the outdated mode of thinking that the woman is supposed to be the homemaker of the family. These media images are what is considered “normal” behavior for women. Television shows a very narrow range of lifestyle behaviors by marginalizing people who do no fit into the norm created by mass-media (Croteau, Hoynes, & Milan, 2012, p. 157). Another theme from the video was that women were shown to be images of beauty and perfection. There was a clip of a video that Dove released that showed how much photo editing is done for the pictures of models. This was to show people that the models are not perfect human beings, and are not something to base your own self-image upon.

There was not as much time devoted to male stereotypes in the video, but that may be because the clips that they showed encapsulated how men are usually shown in television commercials. They showed many different football players, and then they showed different men watching sports on television. This goes with the stereotype that all manly men are either sports players or are very enthusiastic about sports. Next, the video showed several clips of different commercials that feature men doing construction work, followed by a very muscular man using a Bowflex home gym. They are really pushing that physical strength and toughness are needed to be manly. It is also saying that in order for a man to be physically attractive, he must have the sculpted body that is seen in these fitness equipment commercials. These companies are playing off the stereotypes and insecurities of Americans in order to sell their products. It is up to the consumer to educate themselves that television commercials donot necessarily depict reality. With this kind of critical thinking, hopefully fewer people will fall into this trap.

RuPaul’s Drag Race: A look at Gender, Sexual Orientation and Stereotyping

RuPaul’s Drag Race: A look at Gender, Sexual Orientation and Stereotyping

Dena Spanos and Kyle Snyder

By looking at the media and how it reflects gender, it’s important to closely examine the negative stereotypes and skewed perspectives it projects. The media representations of gender do not truly reflect reality and have produced social inequalities based on gender and sexual orientations. While women are underrepresented and/or misrepresented, marginalized and stereotyped, a similar phenomenon can be observed within the homosexual and transgender population. The mainstream media focuses mostly on middle and upper class white straight males, which in turn has reflected the perspectives of the media industry. The media tends to ridicule homosexuals and portray them merely as comical and/or promiscuous figures. Researchers have begun to regard this as the heterosexual view of homosexuality, which also can be seen as the stereotypical perspective of gays and lesbians (Croteau, Hoynes, Milan, 2012, p. 213).

RuPaul’s Drag Race is a competition show where drag queens compete for the title of America’s next Drag Superstar. The show is similar in format to shows such as Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, however adds a very unique spin on things with it’s focus on men being portrayed as women. In this specific clip, we can see one drag queen’s struggle to try and relate to a certain gender. He talks about the strides he has taken to appear more feminine by the countless plastic surgery procedures he has undergone. This displays the extremes people may go to identify with a certain gender, on a stereotypical level.  By merely appearing more feminine, this drag queen hopes to prove to people that he identifies with the female gender rather than the male. The second part of this clip focuses on one drag queens recollection of coming out to his friends and family. He talks about what an emotional journey it’s been and how his friends and family didn’t accept him at first, which left him with a bad self-image and low self worth. Eventually he was able to learn to love himself, despite the prejudices and harassment he faced. Between the two parts of this clip, it’s evident that this illustration of gender representation and sexual orientation within the media is not very common.

The majority of this show focuses on the fashion and comedic behavior of these drag queens, which has created mixed responses. While it has the potential to explore the construction of gender in a new way, people fear that it’s in a very stereotypical manner. However, this perspective of gender in the media is important because it strays from the typical gender-typed portrayals of men and women. Additionally, the gender fluidity that exists in RuPaul’s Drag Race is unique and has definitely added a different perspective of gender in the media. For example, the ‘he’ and ‘she’ pronouns are used interchangeably. Mannerisms, voice inflections and gender-typed behaviors vary among the different contestants. This almost gives viewers the notion that contestants embody multiple genders at a time. While this displays the progress that gender-typing and stereotyping based on sexual orientations through the media has made, there are still many issues that require attention. Although RuPaul’s Drag Race gives a bit of a different perspective on gender roles and norms, it still reflects the stereotypical notion that exists among the homosexual population.

https://docs.google.com/a/geneseo.edu/file/d/0B0BaOAmFRQZaaFpZd1NSZTVCRWc/edit

References

Croteau, D., Hoynes, W., & Milan, S. (2012). Media society: Industries, images, and
audiences (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Air India Advertisement

Janelle Marxhausen & Courtney Kristan

We will explore how the use of language or lack of language in this advertisement for Air India displays globalization. It is becoming more and more expected of upper and middle class individuals in India to have the ability to speak English. Globalization in “Mass Media and Society,” is defined as the idea that “culture has become increasingly global, with media images circulating across national boundaries” (Croteau, Hoynes & Milan ,182). This commercial displays globalization because the only language spoken is English, although it is an ad that runs for Indian consumers, most of whose first language is Hindi. English was first introduced to India when the British colonized the area, and ever since the infiltration of western systems, India has become increasingly reliant on the western methods of consumerism. We will also explore the idea of “Americanization.” This is defined as the influence only the United States has on the culture of other countries, such as their popular culture. Because of this trend of a higher expectancy to speak English, the younger generation of India has higher likelihood of learning the language and becoming more competent in it, especially because this ability increases their chances for employment.

In this commercial, it is unknown if the daughter speaks English because she does not speak, but she does seem much more aware of how to work all of the seating and technical devices surrounding them, therefore, she is portrayed as more intelligent than her father. This is perceived as funny among the Indian populace because it rings slightly true for them that the younger generation is smarter, because speaking English is associated with intelligence and modernity, and the younger generation is more likely to speak English as a result of globalization. The fact that the flight attendant and the captain (we find out late in the ad that the father is a pilot) speak only English to each other is an example of “Americanization” in that the English language is infiltrating these upper classes of Indian society.

What we also noticed about the video is that the flight attendant is dressed in traditional Hindi garb, and the pilot is dressed in traditional English garb, so it seems as if airline norms are more commercialized, or “Americanized.” The language of aviation is English. No matter what nationality, or first language of the pilot, he/she must learn English, so that there is some common understanding between national boundaries. The way that the flight attendant is dressed represents people who are natively Indian, and she speaks English fluently. So, the assumption here is that people of flight attendant stature in society have the ability to speak English, and that the viewers of this commercial will be able to understand English. Because English is associated with middle and upper classes it is assumed that those individual with access to the ad will also be able to afford an airline ticket. The use of English in this advertisement displays globalization in its use of the English language and its dispersal through Indian society.

Rush Hour – Race and Representation

Nicole Bachrach and Taylor LeBaron

The concept we will explore is race and representation; specifically the portrayal of African American males in the movie Rush Hour. “Race is a socially constructed concept whose meaning has evolved overtime and often varies across cultures” (Croteau, Hoynes, & Milan, 2012, p. 190). This clip shows one example of how race can be represented through media, specifically movies. In the clip, Jackie Chan says the “n-word” which is not socially acceptable because he is not African American, and therefore saying this word is considered racist. When Chris Tucker and his African American friends use the “n-word” it is socially acceptable. Being new to American culture Jackie assumes he too can use such a word. This; however, is clearly not the case as the bartender gets deeply offended and a bar brawl breaks out. This clip teaches us that there are different norms depending on who you are. Your race plays a factor in your ability to say certain phrases. It is okay to say offensive things about your own race, but not about someone else’s. Therefore, inclusion is visible in this scene. Inclusion is when media producers include views and cultures of different groups in media content (Croteau et al., 2012, p. 190).

Ethnic minorities are portrayed as the majority in this clip. As such, each minority forms a clique that rivals the other. One is only comfortable interacting with people from their own ethnicity. Jackie and Chris transcend boundaries as they work together as a team, which is not quite the norm. This clip portrays African Americans as aggressive when the bartender, an African American, grips Jackie by his collar after being offended. By portraying African American ethnicity as generally aggressive the producers are displaying media roles. Media roles are when a producer displays racial and ethnic minorities in a certain light (Croteau et al., 2012, p. 190). It would have been easy to explain to Jackie why what he said was wrong but instead he turned immediately to violence. After which, the whole bar broke into a fight. As a race, African Americans are being portrayed as defensive of one another; they ban together. Furthermore, the fact that Jackie is able to take on a whole room full of African Americans by himself reinforces the stereotype that all Asians are good at kung Fu.

In this particular scene African American men were presented in a negative light. It is arguable that this scene is not a fair judgment of the representation of African Americans throughout the whole film, as one of the lead characters is an African American male who often displays admirable characteristics. However, this small amount of stereotyping does not go unnoticed. Stereotyping certain ethnicities is one of the most common activities that defines modern racism (Croteau et al., 2012, p.196). It often goes unnoticed, because traditional racism involves much more open bigotry, but small scenes such as this one from Rush Hour still have their effect. By unconsciously noting and accepting these stereotypes of African Americans, audiences may be influenced to believe similar stereotypes. The portrayal of African American men, in this movie clip, as aggressive and defensive exemplifies how stereotyping can be used to sway the audiences’ feelings on certain races through representation.

References

Croteau, D., Hoynes, W., & Milan, S. (2012). Media society: Industries, images, and
audiences (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

The Perfect Match- Gender stereotypes

“The Perfect Match”- Go Daddy commercial

Cassidy Lester and Valerie Sanders

We chose to look at the 2013 Go Daddy Super Bowl commercial because there was quite a bit of controversy surrounding it regarding gender and stereotypes. A stereotype is a widely held oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. This has been a reoccurring problem in media since its’ beginning. Gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and appearance are all factors that can play a part in creating stereotypes. Gender stereotyping is giving characteristics and expectations to a person based on whether they are male or female. Women are stereotyped as very feminine, dainty, and often objects of sexual desire, while men are emotionless, strong, and intelligent. Although these stereotypes may be incorrect in the real world, they are still prevalent in the media consumed by society. The media uses these stereotypes so viewers know what to expect and to give stories a formula. The problem with stereotypes is that they often do not accurately reflect the group they are describing and can be received as callous and offensive.
Go Daddy uses classic gender stereotypes to their advantage in order to add shock-value to the commercial and further engage the audience. There are prominent gender stereotypes for men and women throughout all types of media, whether we realize it or not. Go Daddy takes certain aspects of these stereotypes, such as sexual-ness for women and a heavily work-oriented attitude (nerd) for men, and saturates the characters with them. To a viewer, neither of these characters appears out of place and seem normal, despite the extremeness of their characteristics.
The commercial then takes a turn to play on this “normalcy.” In what Croteau, et al (2012) refer as a “stereotype-buster,” (p. 197) the characters defy their expected gender roles. Due to the extremeness of their gender characterizations, it is not expected that these two characters would interact with one another. Their intimate interaction catches the stereotype-trained audience off guard, and the result is a memorable advertisement that they won’t forget.
As we’ve explored in class, stereotypes aren’t limited to gender. The video screened in class, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” touches on stereotypes found in race, class and family structure. These stereotypes can be found in real life as well, most notably in the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, which was depicted in the film. The media works as a selective mirror to represent certain issues in society. While they may or not be entirely accurate, the media continues to use stereotypes to their advantage.

American Psycho

American Psycho: Class and Representation, Race and Representation, and Media Violence

Hyemin Lim

In the movie “American Psycho” (2000), the main character Patrick Bateman portrays the life and thoughts of an upper class American. He is living perfect and proper life, but he shows abnormal thinking in that he kills other people for weird reasons, and is excited by it. Therefore, this movie implies the concept Class and Representation and Media Violence. Also, there are several stereotypes about Black and Asian ethnicities, which imply the concept of Race and Representation.

Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is a wealthy investment banker. In the introduction of the movie, Patrick shows his self-regulation such as doing exercise every morning in his big clean apartment. However, when he talks normally with his friends, we can know that his thoughts are not perfect like his appearance. Even though he seems to worry about global problems like famine in poor countries, actually he is materialistic.

There are parts that Patrick Bateman represents the lives of upper-class. For example, he is jealousy of his friend “Paul Allen,” when he knows that Paul’s name card is better than his name card. Also, he is confused about his identity, and he wants to kill other people. Upper-class people look like they have perfect thoughts because they have perfect appearances, but they actually do not. However, the plot, in which Patrick Bateman kills people, shows that the medium of cinema does not represent reality completely, because it is more exaggerated than reality. The media usually do not try to reflect the “real” world. Most people keep think that media represents real world accurately, but there is a gap between media and reality (Croteau, Hoynes, Milan, 2012, P.186). Patrick Bateman shows and represents the lives of the upper class in that he looks perfect, but he does not think sanely, creating a gap in representation. Really, most American upper-class citizens do not kill people.

There is also an instance of race and representation. In the movie, there is one black man who is unemployed. Patrick kills him after he is humiliated. Patrick says to him that, because of his negative attitude, he lost his job. Also, there is a Chinese couple who runs a laundry. They look like fools because they are not good at speaking English, so they talk noisily, and Patrick also humiliates them. There has been racism towards Blacks and Asians in Hollywood movies: As Wilson and his colleagues said, (2003) “the media coverage of people of color has often focused inordinate attention on the more bizarre or unusual elements of minority communities, such as young gangs, illegal immigration, and interracial violence” (Croteau, Hoynes, Milan, 2012, P.196). However, this stereotype about people of color is not true in the real world.

Finally, Patrick kills people with knife, ax, and chainsaw, and those scenes affect people negatively. National Rifle Association (NRA) executive vice president Wayne LaPierre said, “There are the blood-soaked slasher films like ‘American Psycho’ and ‘Natural Born Killers’ that are aired like propaganda loops on ‘Splatterdays’ and every day, and a thousand music videos that portray life as a joke and murder as a way of life. And then they have the nerve to call it ‘entertainment’ (Jagernauth, 2012). Violence in this movie is obvious.

These three concepts are prevalent in the media these days, and they affect people greatly. There are some parts of movies that we should change into better ways. However, each of these three concepts help people thinks about the states of the real world. Therefore, we should think in a more detailed when we look at the media.