Hate or Not?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/28/sports/main20113020.shtml

When I first read this article about Simmonds, a black National Hockey League player for Detroit, getting a banana thrown at him I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. The banana was thrown by a fan of the opposing team from Philadelphia. I do not understand why a grown person would act out in this manner.  Initially, I equated the fans actions with those of an audience who throws tomatoes at a comedian to show signs of disapproval. However, then I realized this was a banana being thrown at a black man. A stereotype of the black population is that they resemble monkeys, or are sometimes called monkeys. Monkeys eat bananas. To me, his action was obviously planned and an act or racial hatred. Yet, the league did not believe this to be the case because there was no interference with the game play. The league also mentioned that this particular fan’s behavior is not a correct representation of NHL fans, and we should not think their fans are cruel or disrespectful. My argument to them is that, stereotypes and judgments are typically made by the “one bad apple that spoils the bunch.” Therefore, it is a possibility that the fans could acquire this negative outlook.  

Eye Opener

First, I was taken aback with the talking vagina hands today. I cannot believe that a company would actually create those ads! What were they thinking, and why did they think it was okay? Not only were they portraying women, but they were also using very specific racial stereotypes. They were disgusting!

Second, the comment NHL star Sean Avery made about sloppy seconds was just tacky. Personally, I didn’t take offense to him saying that. I don’t believe he made a comment regarding all women, just the ones who date his teammates. However, it was very bad personal publicity for Avery. Things concerning his personal life shouldn’t be spoken about like that, and if wanted to-which he did-he could have found a better choice of words to describe the situation.

Third, I never realized how bad the movie, Bring It On, was! I have not seen this movie since I was in high school, and back then I did pay attention to issues pertaining to race and gender, but not as closely as I do now. To watch this movie now, and take all of it in; I cannot believe that it’s not rated PG-13. There are so many racial reference and sexual innuendos throughout the entire movie.

Finally, I am really intrigued by this class. To listen to everyone’s perspective on different issues, whether they conflict with my views or not, is eye opening. I feel like so much light has been shed upon many new things that I would never have given a second thought to before this semester.  

Personal Preference

During today’s class we talked a lot about the evolution of slavery and how it has impacted society. An example brought up by a fellow classmate was the limited selection of black baby and Barbie dolls. Although I am white, when I was younger I liked having the black Barbie dolls because I thought the white ones were ugly. I would tell my mom they had too much makeup on and did not look normal. I remember having a hard time finding black dolls. It is unfortunate that the African-American population is underrepresented in the realm of toys. In my opinion it makes our toy industry come across as inconsiderate to their public population.

We also talked a lot about allowing the media to raise today’s children. I found the video, A Girl like Me, to be really sad. It amazes me how influential small children are, and how much their environment impacts them without the older generation realizing.

I found the Princess Boy to a good example of a parent who did not pressure their child with society’s expectations. I think it’s amazing that his mother wrote a book and is out advocating for children to be able to be themselves, like what they want, and wear what they would like to.

Inferences without Experiences

During class today someone mentioned how the girls who are of “the Limited Too generation”, and how they were raised to have what they want, and that the girls grow up to not be successful. Personally, I do not agree. When I was younger my mother bought my clothes from Limited Too, and I am a very strong young woman who has achieved great things in my collegiate career.

In my opinion I think people are too quick to make inferences and predictions about a specific group of people without knowing or experiencing. I think the girl who spoke about this particular topic may have looked at the JCPenny shirt we talked about and made the connection with a popular pre-teen store. However, when I shopped there the store did not carry printed shirts with demeaning slogans about young girls. If they sold items like the shirt we looked at my mother would not have taken me there.

In regards to the Rack Em’ video, I cannot believe things like this are actually on YouTube. I am aware that there are plenty of inappropriate videos on the internet, but my question to the people who upload them is, do you try to help them become better? Personally if I saw someone struggling like the man in the Rack Em’ video, I would ask if there was anything I could do to help. I understand that not everyone has the desire to be helped, but I also doubt that they desire to be humiliated by the millions of people who have viewed the video.   

Reporting Fail

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzNhaLUT520

Before today’s class, I had a completely different view on the Bed Intruder video.  One of my sorority sisters showed me this video last semester, and I thought it was rather entertaining. I never thought to look at it from a journalistic point of view. I believe that because of the environment I was in when I first watched the video; it was hard to think about the situation as a serious matter.

However, during our discussion I realized the seriousness of the situation, and some of the flaws in WAFF 48’s reporting. The reporters came across as very inconsiderate and disrespectful in regards to the Dodson family. The main point and person, the sister, was lost and covered up by the actions of Antoine. I was very upset after realizing that the story was truly about a rape victim, that the main thing the reporters focused on was how Antoine reacted to the situation. The way this story was reported is embarrassing to the journalism profession, and I hope the reporters faced some type of repercussions for their unethical ways.  

In other news, I am very excited about this class! Today’s discussion was interesting, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the semester has to bring!