Sex, Gender, and the Media

      In their satirical video, "is this country song racist?" Key and Peele show how some will be entirely blind to the undertones and normality of racism in everyday media, art, and interpersonal interactions. The pair parodies a friend unable to see the inherent racism in his favorite country songs he grew up on, while the other points out the underlying racist lyrics and ideals in the music, both taking on a humorous tone to somewhat sugarcoat the deeper, more serious point of the video.  Satire has often been used as a form of pointing things out to those too stubborn to see. As egotistical as it sounds, humans inherently do not want to see "stupid" compared to those around them. Satire uses this to its advantage, saying something in a way that insinuates the correct answer and makes those who didn't see it before feel embarrassed for being blind to it. It's really not as bad as it sounds. Usually used innocently, but can be very effective, particularly...

        Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a powerful and incredibly insightful speaker on the topic of gender and the theory of feminism. She first talks about how the word Feminist was thrown at her as an insult, her very first interaction with the term. I believe many feminists today, myself included, can attest to similar stories. Being branded with the title of a "man-hater" or  an "undesirable anti-man cat-loving feminist." I can admit, the older I get, the more I must admit I am tempted to be such things. However, the demonization of the term is very telling as to why it is necessary.  I doubt many would argue that women's worth is most commonly associated with two major characteristics: what they look like and what they provide. A woman is only valuable to society if she is deemed attractive or she serves a purpose, specifically to her husband or children. By this logic, it makes complete sense that society sees feminism as a nuisance. It directly conflict...

      Privilege is an interesting concept and one not commonly fully understood or discussed. It has been given the narrative of being something branded on you. Who has the most and least privilege can either be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what groups you surround yourself with. It is a complex and much more fluid term than it is often described as. Who is more privileged: the child of a prominent, wealthy black family, or a child born into an impoverished white family? This is why privilege is fluid; it shifts at whatever perspective you view it from, what circumstances play a role, and what society is like at that particular moment in time. It is entirely detached from being so black and white as to decide who deserves sympathy and who is fed from a silver spoon. The most important thing when considering privilege is reflection. Who are you? Who does the world see you as? How does that affect you? For myself, I am a queer, white, American-born, lower-middl...

      With media comes a great toll on both the producer and the audience of influential media. As producers of media, we hold a very special and specific position of power among consumers to shape their perception of certain things or people. With this in mind, the authentic and well-developed inclusion of diverse minority groups should be a focus in any journalistic or media-producing career. But how do we do this exactly? There are many ways to develop a well-rounded perspective on people of color that will help to better inform your portrayal of such groups.  An easy start is to simply consume media made, produced, or enjoyed by that particular group to develop understanding about how they would portray themselves, what they would like to see themselves portrayed as, and how it differs from how typical media portrays them.  Another good way to gain perspective is to simply hold focus groups. Gather members of that particular group, or even send your project ...