Presentation: Misrepresentation and Under-representation of African-American's in television

I've grabbed two clips from two different shows that reflect the misrepresentation of African-Americans in the television industry.

- My first example is of a clip from the ABC family sitcom, Black-ish.

• As seen in the clip, it is clearly expressed from the father that the head nod is the "internationally accepted, yet unspoken sign of acknowledgement of Black folks around the world".
• By saying this, he's identifying to the stereotype given to us that every black person uses and understands what "the nod" is and signifies.
• The grandpa then adds on to say that this is "basic stuff", that every black person should be aware of and do.
• The issue with this, is that not everyone uses the head nod as a means of acknowledging or identifying to their race and by saying that they do, that's giving truth to the stereotype, making it acceptable for people to assume or think that.
• It's also encouraging the kid to identify with people according to color, and thats where the issue of race begins to surface.

- The second example is a clip from the show, "How to Get Away With Murder".

• This clip shows actress Viola Davis removing all of her makeup and exposing her natural self
• This scene reveals her most vulnerable side, emotionally and physically
• Taking off her wig and makeup symbolizes her slowly "de-whiting" herself before she goes to bed.
• As an African-American woman, it's rare they are given a platform to reveal their true form and beauty on television

Blog 6: Propaganda Techniques

This video clip uses the propaganda technique Euphemism by using many examples of how certain words we used can have more than one meaning and the irony in it. I actually laughed watching this because it's very true. 

I'm not sure what technique this video would go under, but for some reason this commercial came directly to mind. It's interesting how they use celebrities to make an effect and impact on certain social issues that are currently popular in the media. I guess this could go under the "bandwagon" and "beautiful people" propaganda techniques. 

Blog 9

It's funny because I wasn't sure what to expect when I enrolled in this class. I had no idea that journalism encompassed so much, even though I've made it my major. Honestly, my only intention on adding this class was because it counted towards my major. I had no expectations of actually enjoying, understanding, and applying the curriculum. However, I am pleasantly surprised. I've learned so much about the media, how it operates, what it entails, and who it all involves. There's so many aspects that go into media and it's grown my interest in journalism to the point where I feel like I might actually consider becoming a journalist, which I always said I would NEVER do. I learned that journalism is based a lot more on opinion than facts, leaving a lot of room for healthy debate which I thoroughly enjoyed doing in this class. My favorite aspect of taking this class was being able to debate and share opinions with others because it not only allowed me to express my own view points, but expanded my mind to consider other peoples opinions as well. In regards to the first amendment, I actually learned a lot because truth be told, I didn't know much about it to begin with. I didn't know that there were so many different levels and aspects of the first amendment, and a lot of technicalities that go along with it.

Here's a link to a video that speaks on the first amendment in a humorous way, touching on the many contradictions and hypocrisies of the amendment.

Blog 8: Media Law

My example is of a popular libel case that ensued after David Beckham was allegedly accused of having an affair with a prostitute, which he claimed to be untrue and sued for 25 million dollars, but the judge denied his claim because they said he is a public figure, and any information about an affair would be of interest to the public, therefore not proving that the source of the rumor, In Touch Magazine, was guilty of slander or libel because his lawyers couldn't provide any concrete evidence against them. www.theguardian.com/football/2011/feb/15/david-beckham-magazine-libel-judge

Blog 7: Annotated Bibliography

X.O, Isabella. (May 6, 2014). Misrepresentation of People of color in the Media. 

Retrieved from https://youthradio.org/classroom/article/misrepresentation-of-people-of-color-in-the-media/

This topic pertains specifically to what I plan to discuss in my paper. It talks about not only the underrepresentation of minorities in media, but also the misrepresentation. In particular, it touches on the typical stereotypes that go along with representing these minority races on television and how this influences personal opinions. The media portrays races in a certain way, thus affecting the opinions of minorities in the audience, and also having an impact on the people of color themselves.

Collman, Ashley. (January 9, 2014). Saturday Night Live hires two black comediennes to add balance to the white-dominated writer's room. 

Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2536190/Saturday-Night-Live-hires-two-black-comediennes-white-male-dominated-writers-room-following-criticism-lacks-diversity.html

This article discusses the criticism that the creator of Saturday Night Live, Lorne Michaeal's receives due to his lack of diversity in his cast members, on and off the screen. In response to the criticism he receives, he went ahead to hire Sasheer Zamata, the first black female cast member in 6 years, and in addition to, LaKendra Tookes and Leslie Jones, who were hired to join the white male-dominated writer's room. It also discusses the lack of African American co-hosts, and the inability to represent some of the most influential black women in the world in their shows due to their lack of diversity in the cast. 

Zinoman, Jason. (October 23, 2013). For 'SNL' cast, Being Diverse May Be Better than Being 'Ready'.

Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/30/arts/television/for-snl-cast-being-diverse-may-be-better-than-being-ready.html?_r=0&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1416297062-NfIyN4/MrOJriflpvlvyBA

In this article, it touches on other issues that the popular show, SNL faces. For instance, one of SNL's own cast members, Keenan Thompson, who is a African-American male speaks out about how he feels  that certain black comedians should be hired onto the show, but he believes they aren't simply because they are black. He also speaks about his own acting career and experiences and the issues he's faced along the way. One in particular being that he feels as a black comedian, the media slights his acting and tries to constrict his creative ways by always assigning him roles that require him to dress up like a woman. In response to his many roles of playing black women, he finally refused to stop performing in drag because not only is it emasculating, but gives them creative control over their art. 

Blog 5: Research Paper Topic

The research topic I have chosen is similar to what we discussed in class last week, "Is there a misrepresentation of women of color in the media, in particular, television? And is this an issue and how.

I will gather examples that I have found on television today, mostly in TV shows, and discuss how women of color are being misrepresented, why I think they're being misrepresented, and how and why I feel this is a problem. I also want to discuss the inevitable stereotypes and racism that is used as a means of comedy in TV shows and why I feel its more important to accurately reenact the lives of families of color, as opposed to making fun of them and exposing and subjecting them to be ridiculed, stereotyped, and judged even more. One show in particular that I will be using as an example in my paper is the new ABC show called "Blackish", which I also brought up in discussion last week in class. I think this show is a perfect example of how the media will only give big roles or sitcoms to people of color contingent upon their depiction of the race, rather than hiring people of color to gain knowledge on how they might REALLY act, and not just what people think they act like. 

Blog 4: Movies

My favorite movie from 2013-2014 would probably be Captain America 2. 

1. because I can't think back to 2013 well enough to recall whether there was a movie I saw that year better than any I've seen this year, and 2. It's the first movie that came to mind considering I haven't seen too many new movies this year. But aside from that, it was actually a pretty good movie. Considerably better than the first one and of course, I take pride in the fact that it was shot in downtown Cleveland, (my hometown). Also, I enjoyed this movie because I'm a fan of all Marvel movies. I love superhero movies just as much as a 10 year old boy does, so it was quite enjoyable. I saw this movie in theaters I believe it was this past summer.

My all-time favorite movie is Brown Sugar. This movie has inspired me for YEARS. It's a perfect depiction of my love and admiration for writing and hip-hop. The main character is someone who've I've always looked up to. She's a hip-hop journalist for a magazine and her best friend, who's also another main character, is a hip-hop producer. Together they make a perfect balance of two of my favorite things in this world - writing and music. But it's not just about their careers, it's about finding love and following your heart. Overall, this movie fulfills my every interest and every time I watch it, it fills me with motivation, and it also has some of my favorite African-American actors in it, Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs.  It's the one movie I never get sick of watching. I watch this movie whenever I see it on HBO, otherwise, I have it on DVD and it's available for free onDemand. 

Blog 3: Magazine Proposal

The Name of my magazine is Cleveland Sports. I chose to create a magazine focusing on Cleveland sports and how much each team has improved this past year with the help of their latest members. This magazine will focus on Cleveland's Basketball team, The Cavaliers, The football team, The Browns, and the Baseball team, The Indians. All of which have made some drastic improvements this past year in each of their seasons. It will include the latest updates and news of all the teammates, teams, and coaches. It will also talk about the future of Cleveland, and what this means for the city as a whole, now that we have some of the best athletes in the world representing our city. This magazine will also discuss the possibilities and potential this city now holds, considering all the money and business the sports teams will be bringing in.

I think this magazine is different than anything ever created because well, it's yet to be created. Cleveland doesn't have a magazine particularly focusing on Cleveland sports, that also discusses the new changes concerning the city and its people. It will not only attract sports fans, but also residents of the city as it pertains to their hometown and the new changes taking place. It will include interviews from athletes, advertisements for local businesses, new local job openings, and various articles concerning the news from the teams, brands, businesses, and community. I'll also do interviews with the mayor of Cleveland, and some of Lebron James' business partners, Rich Paul and Maverick Carter concerning their new business endeavors and their plans for the city and for Lebron moving forward.

My five advertisers are:
1. The Cleveland Browns Website which provides the latest talk and news about the football team.
2. The Cleveland Cavaliers Homepage via NBA.com: discussing the latest news of the Cavaliers.
3. The Cleveland Indians Homepage: concerning the latest news and topics of the baseball team.
4. The City of Cleveland Homepage which offers a wide variety of news concerning the city and community.
5. The Official Website of Lebron James: concerning all the latest news on Lebron, his management team and businesses, and also offers news about Brown's football player, Johnny Manziel.

Five Articles included in the magazine:
1. "The Cavaliers Welcome Back Lebron": Discussing the transition the Cavaliers teammates had to make and are still undergoing now that Lebron is back, what this means for the team and athletes, and what's to be expected of the season.
2. "Cleveland on the Uprise": Concerning the new changes being made to mprove the city as a whole.
3. "Lebron and His Quest for a Championship": Includes a personal interview from Lebron and a few of his teammates and their hopes for this new season.
4. "The Browns Welcome Johnny Manziel": The Cleveland Browns welcome their newest member to the team. In this article, it provides an interview with the man himself and the expectations he has for his team this year.
5. "New Cleveland, New Money": Regarding the new businesses being brought the to city of Cleveland and the new job opportunities this will bring to the city.

Blog 2: Books

Three books that I have read that have had the most influence on my life are:
1. The Wall by Pastor Rick Hawkins
2. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Wall,  by Pastor Rick Hawkins is a book that was recommended to me by my own church. Rick Hawkins is a pastor in San Antonio, Texas and also a dear friend of my Pastor who recommended the book to all of us one night at bible study. That same night, I purchased the book and went straight home to read it. At first, I was a bit apprehensive, judgmentally assuming that any book recommended by a Pastor, that was written by a Pastor, would be a boring, subjective, and a controversial analysis of the bible that would somehow convince me that my behavior is "sinful", in which I would then feel shameful and unworthy. However, I was pleasantly surprised to learn as I read the book that it is a real, relatable, and raw story. It is nothing like what I had anticipated it to be. It is a moving story about a Pastor who like all of us at some point, "hit's a wall" (figuratively speaking) and how he overcame the many obstacles that were thrown his way. This book is about endurance, strength, and the test of your faith, not only in God, but in yourself. It provided me with a great sense of relief, revealing to me that I am not alone, that we all struggle, regardless of how intimate your relationship with God is, and it gave me the strength and motivation I needed to push through at such a pivotal time in my life.

The second book that I found to be very influential was of course, The Alchemist by Paul Coelho. For years my friends had recommended this book to me, ranting and raving about how life-changing and clarifying it was. I finally decided to read the book this past summer and was very impressed. It definitely lived up to all the talk and feedback it had received. This book contains so many profound quotes and parables that have truly moved me. It is a powerful story that inspired me to stay true to my purpose, to follow my heart, and to never lose faith regardless of how hopeless life may seem at times. It gave me that extra push I needed to do the things that I didn't have the courage to once do before, and helped me develop the self-confidence I needed to achieve my goals. One of my many favorite quotes from this book is, "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." - The Alchemist.

The third most influential book I have read is the ever so popular, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I also read this book this past summer after listening to everyone tell me how great the movie was, which I decided to wait and see until after I read the book. In my humble opinion, the book was significantly better than the movie. Surprisingly, the book made me cry, but the movie didn't. The book invoked many emotions in me... Laughter, sadness, love, hope.... Yet the movie, well... It did nothing. I was rather displeased. I highly recommend you read the book. If you liked the movie, you'll LOVE the book! It really shifted my whole perspective on life and reminded me that death is inevitable, therefore there is no sense in fearing it. All you can do is be present in the present and make the absolute most out of your situation. It made me realize that it could always be worse and that regardless of how hopeless your situation may seem, there is still hope to be had and love to be felt, and given. Sometimes, it's within the most hopeless situations where hope is revealed to you, which the book definitely did a great way of illustrating within the stories of these two teenage lovers.

Week 1: Media Autobiography

My relationship with the eight forms of mass media that we are studying in class all vary. For example - my relationship with the internet is much more dependent and addictive than say, my relationship with the newspaper. Growing up, the internet wasn't nearly as popular as it's grown to be today. When I was a teenager things like Myspace and AIM were most popular, but since the Iphone was released, the internet has changed drastically and I feel society has only grown more reliant on it. Now, we have the luxury of accessing the internet from our phone, which means wherever we go, the internet goes along with us, making it extremely tempting to use the internet for our every basic need throughout the day. Whether it be for directions, to send a text, play music in our car, or use the various apps provided like the Fitness App, or Facetime. However, when I was growing up, the internet could only be accessed at home, so after a long day of school, I would always rush home to make sure I was the first one on the computer before anyone else tried to hog it... But it wasn't an addiction like it is now. I would sign in, check to see who is online, maybe chat with a few people, than sign off. I will say, that as dependent as I have become with the internet, it is much more efficient and accurate than it used to be, making my everyday life run more much smoothly and effectively.

The newspaper however, was never a popular form of mass media at any point in my life. The only times I can recall using or reading the newspaper was to save monumental pieces such as Obama being elected president, and Lebron James coming back to my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio. Only then, would the newspaper be useful to me because they were pieces of memorabilia that I intend to keep and pass onto my kids one day. It's not that I dislike the newspaper or find it useless, I just think its less productive and convenient in comparison to looking it up on my phone. At least my phone doesn't leave black ink all over my fingertips which would than wind up on my work clothes, making my mornings less conducive and more stressful... But I digress.

Magazines, on the other hand, I find to be more popular than newspapers. Although it is still a print, magazines aren't messy, they're more appealing to the eye with all the colors, ads, and pictures they use, and most of them discuss the latest gossip about our favorite celebrities which certainly intrigue the newer generations. They also have numerous fashion tips and advice, discuss the dating life, and typical issues that the teenagers and young adults can relate to, making the magazines sell more than the newspaper would. Growing up, I would always buy a magazine or two as my parents were checking out at the grocery store and I would collect them and rip out all the posters of my favorite celebrities and hang them up on my bedroom walls. I have a 13 year old sister, who still to this day uses the magazines for the same reasons I did, and has a series of shrines of her favorite boy bands hanging all over her room. Today, I don't find any reason or need to purchase magazines because they have apps such as TMZ, or World Star, that offer the same kind of information a magazine would.

Movies are still one of my favorite things to do, more so now than they ever were when I was growing up. I don't think I'll ever get tired of going to the movies and seeing it on the big screen. I try to go as often as I can. During the summer, I went at least once a week. The only downside to going to the movies are the outrageous prices, and since things like the Redbox and OnDemand have been invented, less and less people are going to the movies and instead waiting for the cheaper versions of it. The only downside to that would be, having to wait months for those movies to get released. Nowadays, you're not necessarily paying for the movie experience, but rather the release of the movie. I'm sure if you would ask majority of people today why they went to the movies, their answer would be because they don't want to wait for it to come out on DVD, and they want to see it before most people would choose to see it. I certainly have a love/hate relationship with the movies. If the prices weren't as high, it would be much more convenient.

Books are a favorite of mine, but they never used to be. Growing up, I absolutely despised reading and never saw the point in it, but as I grew older and developed my love for writing and having dreams of one day becoming an author myself, reading has become something I genuinely love to do. It's a form of art - seeing the various styles of writing, and the stories that peoples imaginations and creativity are capable of creating are so interesting and remarkable to me. A lot of the times, I read books just to get a feel for how people produced their books... The quality of their writing, the texture of the pages, the front cover, the content of their story and level of vocabulary... All of which play a huge part in the production of a book, and give me better ideas to one day create a book that the viewers will not only love to read, but love to hold and look at as they turn from page to page. I'm still one of the few that insists on buying the physical copy, rather than using kindle or Ibooks, and I don't see that changing.
Which leads me into the audio aspect of media, such as podcasts, which I don't use at all and have no interest on doing so.

The radio however, is still something I surprise myself by using nearly everyday. Sometimes, it's just a great way of keeping up with the current music and celebrity gossip, but since you can plug in your phone to your car now, I don't use it nearly as much because I don't have the patience to listen to the SAME song 15 times in a row that the radio insists on playing, or listening to pointless ads and commercials that come on after nearly every song. Truthfully, its agonizing.

Television is one of my favorite forms of mass media, but also dangerously addicting. If I'm not careful enough, I can waste my entire day looking at the television screen, watching my favorite reality shows. But as I get older and my schedule gets more hectic, I don't have nearly as much time to watch it, which makes having OnDemand a lifesaver, because I can always go back and watch what I missed. I'd say that the most consistent reason I use TV today is to watch sports and the news. No matter how busy I am, I still make sure to find time to watch football on Monday's, Thursday's, Saturday's and Sunday's. Clearly, I'm an avid football fan, and sports fan at that.
Growing up, TV was just as popular than as it is now. I remember always staring at the screen and watching my favorite cartoons when my parents were too lazy or tired to interact with me. My younger siblings are insanely addicted to television and can spend ALL day in front of the TV. It's definitely a great way to keep children entertained and distracted.

My major is Journalism, which I will most likely get a minor in Creative Writing also, at Ohio State University. I want to become an author of a series of motivational/spiritual books, particularly for women discussing the many issues we face personally, politically, and socially, but mostly emotionally, for the sole purpose of women empowerment. A lot of what I will be discussing, and what I already discuss on my blogs, are experiences of my own that I know a lot of women can relate to. I take my pain, hurt, and loss and use it as a means to bring women together to uplift, restore, and heal. In addition to publishing these books, I also plan on releasing books containing some of my poetry and motivating quotes, which I also share on my blog. With these books, I plan on building a strong team of women who will travel the world with me, hosting seminars for women, discussing the books and creating a safe and confidential environment for women, so they can openly and healthily express themselves in an effort to find closure, healing, support, and create a bond amongst each other that most of us haven't had the luxury of experiencing.