Where am I in the Media?
There is this common perception that colorful flowers are beautiful. As Americans, we are a society of people who value diversity in so many things from diversifying investments to learning multiple languages to become more competitive in the global market. Then the question becomes, why is it we lack diversity in the one area that should be a true indication of the country in which we live?
According to Bolter and Grusin in the book, Remediation Understanding New Media, "...we see ourselves today in and through our available media" (231). If this is the case, how should the lack of minorities in mainstream media affect the self-image and the self-worth of many young, easily malleable minds in this country?
A lot of people still have the same dream that Martin Luther King had; that all men are treated as equals and we will "sit down together at the table of brotherhood" and no one is "judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." There is a growing majority of Americans that are still waiting to have this dream actualized. Hearing the power and veracity in which he delivers this speech is still enough to make the hairs on my arms stand up. The idea of what this society could be if only everyone was viewed with equal importance is limitless. Do little girls with darker skin not deserve to see themselves as beautiful? Do little boys with the same skin not deserve to see themselves as heroes?
I've heard the phrase, post-racial society, used to refer to the US now that we have a black president. The image of this picture elicits the idea of that utopian society. It is an image that alludes to the duality of his heritage. His face looking up to all the possibilities of our country. The linguistic message of progress is proven true by his candidacy then later election as our first black president. It truly is a step in the right direction, but the struggle to view all races as equal has not ceased to exist with this one act of progression.
The quotations in the picture read, "Don't say a word! We must respect his culture!" The response is, "So would that be a fungal or viral culture?" The cartoon has hidden questions within it which are obvious upon further analysis of the different levels of complexity in the drawing. The people in the background can barely be seen, yet it is their words that help to ground the picture in it's true linguistic meaning. The largest part of the cartoon is a man that looks extremely angry wearing a confederate flag and boasting a swastika tattoo. Is racism synonymous with hate? Do we have to respect someone's culture of ignorance, therefore respecting their right to hate? Should we endure in silence and accept that there will be racists in this world that will continue to impede our progress as a diverse country? The last part of the character's question that is in the background, fungal or viral, relates to the way in which closet racists, with the advent of the internet, are able to voice their defamatory rhetoric with virtual anonymity on the world wide web making an impact on our media culture in a way that doesn't have to directly affect their daily lives.
Pictures just as this one appear in the homes of nearly every little girl in this country. As a little girl, I fell in love with Disney's princesses. The idea that they weren't meant for me didn't emerge until much later. If you look at the positioning of this picture, there is clearly a hierarchy in play. The diverse princesses are off to the side drawn in the background it would appear to the rest of the princesses. What kind of self-worth does this then attach to little girls that are represented by the darker skinned princesses. We could even venture to say that the fair-skinned princesses with dark or red hair have even been cast off to the side, while the blond hair blue-eyed princess holds steady to her position of importance in the center. So many people cling tightly to this hierarchy that it is impossible to separate the intentions of this picture from the clear implications of its effects.
We have the media to credit with our universal ideals of beauty. Marilyn Monroe is one of those iconic stars that has been immortalized for her contributions to our definition of beauty. In this picture, the symmetry of her face is evident and her beauty therefore confirmed. She has a crown on her head that gives the viewer of the image the sense that she is held as royalty in the hearts of many people.
Goodreads boasts themselves as the largest site for recommendations about books. I searched for the best books for young adults. If you view the list you will find that there is not a single minority writer in the first 40 books listed (could be the first 100, but I stopped looking), nor are there any minority characters casted as the hero or heroines in those books. This screams the necessity of more minority writers and more writers in general that are willing to say, yes my book will sell with a person of color as my main character.
How to Look Like a Twilight Vampire This site gives a step-by-step explanation of how to turn yourself into a vampire. One of the instructions is to apply makeup that is two shades lighter than your natural skin. Vampires are seen as these superior beings in the Twilight series; these superhuman, extremely beautiful people that have these exceptional abilities. If you have to be lighter skinned in order to be considered a vampire, how does that affect darker skinned fans that wish to be like their favorite characters?
Another mainstream phenomena in young adult literature is the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins. Suzanne did not choose to make her main characters minorities, but she did include two characters in her story that were described as having darker skin. The below video is a trailer of the movie that very closely follows the books. The movie came out earlier this year and has devoted fans comparable to the fans of Twilight and Harry Potter.
Rue, the young dark skinned bird-like girl, dies in the first book and is seen only in minor ways throughout the other two books. Still, there were many fans that were upset by such a pivotal character being played by a black actress. The above link is the CNN article that covers this story. Though the article itself is engaging, what I found to be most interesting were some of the comments about the article. The user, Cat Nippy, states, "You're right. I see so many comments from people in these forums that make me think about how miserable it must be to go through life with their thoughts, attitudes, and egos. Must be like shooting yourself in the foot all day long, because hatred, fear, and envy hurt the person who holds onto them much worse tha[n] the people they are aimed against."
The movie, Freedom Writers, is based on a true story of a teacher that inspired her students in an urban school to become writers and change their lives. Of course this is a movie that I find to be relevant for my own students and encouraging to me as an educator. In this clip, one of the hispanic characters is in a toy store. She says that in America, a little girl is viewed as important for her beauty as the camera shows a white barbie on the shelf. The shot moves on to a brown skin barbie as she says that an Aztec princess is regarded for the way in which she fights for the people she cares for. This speaks directly to the unspoken, but very known, norm of the universal definition of beauty is not minority women.
The Avengers - "A Bunch of White Guys Saving the World? Can't have that!
I felt it was essential to include the above article for several reasons, for one, it is written by a person that is obviously feeling disenfranchised by the audacity of some fans and critics of the Marvel comics to complain that there are only white super heroes. The writer of this article states at one point, the comics were written during a time where the country was 90% white and the comics should not have to include other ethnicities. "Now, however, we live in an era when the white majority that made America a land that every individual on the planet wishes to migrate to is under assault—by the very institutions that white people created." This writer's assertions are so misguided and unfounded, that it is hard to believe there are a lot of people that think how he does. Again, I have to wonder about the perception of my students while they view this movie that was at the top of the box office for many weeks. The article is filled with reasons why the movie does not need to be represented by a more diverse cast of actors. I was taken aback by the comments that were mostly in support of this writer's opinions. The user, Jefferson, laminated, "These libtards who complain that DC and Marvel movies are too White, would never criticize Tyler Perry movies for being too Black."
I felt it was essential to include the above article for several reasons, for one, it is written by a person that is obviously feeling disenfranchised by the audacity of some fans and critics of the Marvel comics to complain that there are only white super heroes. The writer of this article states at one point, the comics were written during a time where the country was 90% white and the comics should not have to include other ethnicities. "Now, however, we live in an era when the white majority that made America a land that every individual on the planet wishes to migrate to is under assault—by the very institutions that white people created." This writer's assertions are so misguided and unfounded, that it is hard to believe there are a lot of people that think how he does. Again, I have to wonder about the perception of my students while they view this movie that was at the top of the box office for many weeks. The article is filled with reasons why the movie does not need to be represented by a more diverse cast of actors. I was taken aback by the comments that were mostly in support of this writer's opinions. The user, Jefferson, laminated, "These libtards who complain that DC and Marvel movies are too White, would never criticize Tyler Perry movies for being too Black."
In this poster of the movie, Samuel Jackson, the only minority character in a somewhat major role, is seen bigger than all the other characters though his part is actually quite minimal. He is the director of the espionage agency, SHIELD. The visual aspects of this picture would suggest that there is a level of equality and that Samuel is seen as one of the heroes, the head of the heroes even, but the movie nor the comics lives up to this suggested interpretation.
IMDb is the website that houses the greatest amount of information about actors, actresses, movies and all things Hollywood. Upon viewing this site, it is obvious that there are only a handful of minority actors that are considered among the top in Hollywood. The images of all the actors present several visual issues. The obvious lack of minority representation in Hollywood is so blatantly displayed. Yet this is an issue we do not hear very much about in the media. Should young people not be able to see themselves as actors or actresses? How has this continued to be the way of things?
Young Black Actresses Essence Magazine, Most Beautiful Asian Actresses, 15 Most Beautiful Latina Actresses
Why do fans have to go to websites like Essence, or do a search for the most beautiful asian or hispanic actresses in order to discover that yes, there are actually young actresses that are not white, currently acting and successful in the film and television industries that are considered beautiful and successful.
Why do fans have to go to websites like Essence, or do a search for the most beautiful asian or hispanic actresses in order to discover that yes, there are actually young actresses that are not white, currently acting and successful in the film and television industries that are considered beautiful and successful.
Spike Lee is a director and filmmaker that has centered his body of work around the messages he tries to portray. He, like many of his time period, knew of the effects his creations would have on the community to which he is a member, the black community. In this clip Lee is explaining why he thinks the Tyler Perry films and television shows are "coonery and buffoonery." It is important to acknowledge Tyler Perry's success as both a bad and good thing for the black community and for black people's standing in Hollywood. He single handedly is responsible for making roles that cast black actors and actresses as the lead. However, he is also responsible for the way he is portraying his actors and actresses as being, as Spike Lee describes it, buffoons. Lee goes on to say that we vote with our money and time. This is reminiscent of some of the statements Tim Wu makes in the book, Master Switch, when he raises the question of monopolies and how we, as the patrons, have the power to change the monopolies, but we have to change our choices first. It is obvious that Tyler Perry has the market on African American media, it is what he is choosing to do with it that is alarming.
This is a People Magazine article where it gives the percentages of African American presence in Hollywood and what percentage of the people that make decisions in Hollywood are African American. This is the basis for my entire box. I hope to illicit an anger within my students to get them to become the creators and the decision makers if they ever want anything to change.
This article delineates the complexity of racial issues that surrounded the release of Disney's first film featuring a black princess. It was a long time coming, and even after so many years of excluding the African American race from its fairytales that essentially shape little girls everywhere's perception of happily ever after, Disney still hasn't produced an African American prince. What does this say about the value of a black male? How should my students view this? On one hand, it opens up a door that has also been a part of the forbidden, a black and white interracial couple. This is amazing because there are so many students that fit into this racial category. On the other hand, why is it that Disney hasn't decided to make a film that features a black prince?
Most of my students know who Raven Simone is, a former Disney star, but I would venture to say that even more know of the young actress pictured in this photo, China Ann McClain. She has a television show that appears on the Disney channel, but even before that, she was an actress on one of the Tyler Perry shows. She is a budding new actress that has multiple talents. It is an interesting contrast from the type of comedy she performed while with Tyler Perry versus the mainstream show she now has with Disney.
In this song, Selena Gomez begins by saying, "I wouldn't want to be anyone else?" That isn't a hard statement to believe knowing her success with first Disney and then her singing career. My students love her. Her pop style is appealing to younger audiences and the themes throughout her music are of absolute relevance to the age group that I teach. She is definitely a positive representation of the kind of person my students can be. I enjoy using her music to teach figurative language and discuss the positive messages that make up her music. In this song she says, "Who says you can't be in movies?" If I were able to talk to her I would respond, "Hollywood." If I am to look at the images in this box of objects, then I would have to accept that the large majority of the media being produced currently excludes, with no apologies, minorities.
Kid Blog is a website I plan to allow my students to use as much as possible. They will be able to set up their own blog, much live we've done in this class, and post regularly around chosen topics. I will be able to breach the topic of their online writer persona and themselves as writers. Kid Blog is essential in developing their sense of autonomy around the concepts they are learning in class and it will also chronicle their progression as writers over the course of the school year. It is my own fears around them putting things out into the world of internet that keeps me from letting them post without me first viewing what they plan to submit, but I see myself releasing that control as the year goes on and once they demonstrate their understanding of the importance of their online presence as an extension of their selves rather than a separate part that doesn't relate to their every day lives. 
Teen Ink is a website that publishes young adult writing. I discovered this website during my second year of teaching when I was searching for student exemplars of writing as well as magazines my students can submit their original work. It is my belief that students need an authentic audience and purpose for writing to make it meaningful. This is one of the ways I've seen to encourage self discovery through writing. My students enjoy the opportunity to read writing that is authored by students just like them with the same problems they have. TEEN INK
It is my goal to have my students create websites as one of their concluding projects. Though my students are young, I know that they will encounter situations in which they will be required to design a website in the near future. I feel that it is my responsibility as their Reading and Writing Teacher, to equip them with the skills necessary to communicate fluently and successfully online. 
This is one of my concluding objects in my box for many reasons. The first, and perhaps most obvious, is that the creators of this website also felt the need to address the lack of diversity in young adult literature. They've offered a solution to this issue and that solution is to encourage readers to delve into the young adult books that do see the importance of having a diverse character play the lead. They've not only recognized the issue, but they've challenged all readers of young adult literature to diversify their reading. I'm so excited to participate in the challenge and get my students engaged in the challenge. Change will not happen until we demand it. If media is the metaphor, and the metaphor is the catalyst for the conversation of our culture, what is our culture saying about minorities that are as much a part of this country's history as anyone else?  |
| I've just recently found this book at the bookstore and am excited to read it and add it to my classroom library as my first book in the Diversity in YA Fiction Challenge. I was so elated to see a dark brown skin male on the cover of a young adult fantasy novel, my favorite genre, I had to capture the moment. 5 Photo Story This is a website that explains and gives examples for the 5 Photo Story. I attended a writing workshop where I learned how to use this as a way to get students thinking about stories in a visual way and having to develop with limited perimeters a retelling of different stories.
Image Resources
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First, I removed my first attempt because of some errors. Here is the corrected response.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great topic. The interest in this issue is high for you and (I suspect) your students. Since these are things they are familiar with (Disney, Twilight, Hunger Games) you will immediately create a buzz in the classroom. The fact that you are personally invested will make it that much more meaningful. I really like how you plan to start with iconic images and stories that students know (or think they do), then move to people in the media they may be less comfortable with (Spike Lee).
Another (sometimes) YA author you might consider is Sherman Alexei, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (among others). Charles R. Smith, though not as well-known, is another author (Chameleon is his contemporary coming-of-age novel) that I would recommend.
I wonder what representation in graphic novels, comics, etc. looks like? Perhaps the Avengers discussion will take people there.
I am very curious about where you will take people towards the end of the box. I'm intrigued by the websites you have included.
Like you, I hope this becomes a much broader conversation sooner rather than later. Your efforts can only help.
Dana,
ReplyDeleteYou had a treasure trove of material that I will be sharing and using in my building. Reflecting on your presentation reinforced the belief of how important it is for young people, actually everyone to look up to role models. Until now, I thought that more books and movies were doing a better job of providing diversity and those role models for students of color. Sadly, I think there is a distressing absence of cultural representatives and those who are written in may only serve in fulfilling a stereotype. And there are even slimmer choices if we begin to search for characters in the young adult genre.
I have a strong feeling that you are going to encourage a movement and future writers to address the shortage of diverse and well-represented characters who will move and entertain us. I am very appreciative of your passion and very practical advice.
The images that you have included in your object box are clearly reflective of some serious cultural issues that should concern us all. I am curious to know just how aware your students are of this harsh reality and how it effects them. How do you incorporate these concerns into your classroom and still maintain a semblance of being politically correct?
ReplyDeleteFYI: The flag on the “My culture right or wrong” shirt is not a Confederate flag-it has no stars. The flag is actually the British Union Jack.