The Representation of Race in Mass-Media - 2761 Words

Race as a discourse, has emerged from society romanticizing the idea of biological and psychological differences existing between various ethnic groups. To comprehend and analyze the phenomenon of this racial dilemma, one must have a complete understanding of how culture and identity work hand-in-hand within our society. By controlling most of the social institutions, such as mass communication, politics and corporations; the dominant culture methodically overpowers and exploits the ethnic minority groups, in order to establish its own cultural identity. One such institution is mass media- an industry that not only historically oppresses ethnic minority groups such as African-Americans, but also diminishes their societal status to that of†¦show more content†¦Coons- a black child who was â€Å"unreliable, crazy, lazy, subhuman creatures good for nothing than eating watermelons, stealing chickens, shooting crap, or butchering the English language† (Bogle 7). The Tragic Mulatto- a fair skinned, mixed-race woman, with whom the viewers sympathized, because she was refused entry into the white community because of her â€Å"tainted† blood (Bogle 9). Mammies- the predominant black female servant who was big, loud, bossy, obese and self-sufficient (Bogle 9). Finally the Bad Bucks- physically strong characters, who were always â€Å"big, badddd niggers, over-sexed and savage, violent and frenzied as they lust for white flesh† (Bogle 10). According to Hall, the feature-length film that gave birth to such African-American characteristics was David Llewelyn Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation, released in 1915 (Hall, â€Å"Representation† 271). The silent film provoked great controversy, because not only did it promote white supremacy, but also depict the Ku Klux Klan positively as heroes- a secret white society that was destined to lead humanity to salvation. Griffith, a firm believer in anti-miscegenation laws and white supremacy , portrayed the African-Americans as negative characters who were a threat to white integrity; hence they had to be eliminated. Therefore, as the film demonstrates, white supremacy is upheld, and the good (whites) triumphs over evil (blacks) whenShow MoreRelatedSocial Construction And Its Impact On Society Essay1323 Words   |  6 Pagesdigital media is one of the primary sources for the creation of social constructions and is now considered the primary account regarding matters connected to mass media. However, it is essential to comprehend that, throughout mass media, individuals commonly referred to as â€Å"media gatekeepers† now present the collective societal groups in an inaccurate depiction. Although these societal groups are presented throughout multiple arrays in society, it is through the immediate proliferation of mass mediaRead MoreThe Media And Its Effect On Society1622 Words   |  7 Pagesicons of our day, many people in our technological and media influence d days look toward television, film, books and other forms of arts. However, representation is not always fair nor is it proper when it comes to certain groups of human society. Many people who struggle with discrimination in their daily life, struggle with finding proper and real representation in our mainstream media. Minority representation in today s mainstream media has been lacking for generations as suggested by the lowRead MoreThe New Jim Crow And Ava Duvernay s Documentary 13th1465 Words   |  6 Pagessystem, criminality is being manipulated by the media to be associated with race. We see the full effects of the overrepresentation with War on Drugs legislation, which are policies that categorized drug use as a crime instead of health issue pushed forward by the Reagan administration. The master narrative of the criminality painted the legislation as colorblind, or nondiscriminatory, policies that will benefit all citizens and created the representation of African Americans and racial minorities asRead MoreGender Stereotyping : A Televised Media Sports Coverage1332 Words   |  6 PagesTelevised Media Sports Coverage Anonymous University of Arizonaâ€Æ' Abstract Sports fans usually acknowledge various sports through different mass media outlets. To develop our comprehension of social qualities inserted in sports and to investigate current values and power structures in regards to men and women, it is important to explore the potential impact that media may have in manipulating conventions about gender-appropriate sport conduct. One question that will be answered is, does mass media influenceRead MoreSports Media Essay1063 Words   |  5 Pagesthem. Entwined in our sports culture is the giant business of mass broadcasting. Indeed, sports and the media go hand in hand like peanut butter and jelly, like Mickey and Minnie, Darth Vader and Luke. They are intertwined and depend on each other to continue to grow. Sports media includes television, radio, magazines, newspapers, books, films, and, now, most importantly, social media devices provided by the Internet. Sports media has had it advantages and its disadvantages and its truths andRead M oreThe Ideological Ambiguity Within The Media Essay1614 Words   |  7 Pagesbe evaluated. In fact, the media production business appears to be the focal resource that utilizes the governing beliefs by constructing imaginary medium contacts, appealing to massive audiences to reflect the way they live. Among various sorts of mass media, film industry contributes to generate racial and national contents as an association to carry out an ideological function. According to a cultural theorist and sociologist, Stuart Hall, he declares that the media provides racial ideology inRead MoreMedia s Portrayal Of The Black Age Of Media Essay1393 Words   |  6 Pagesportrayal of the class system has always been underrepresented or over represented since the golden age of media. The question arises what kind of ideas it puts in the minds of viewers about their society? Media plays an important role in developing an image of people from other countries or communities because many people have no personal contact with people from other countries and rely mainly on media for information about them (Harris). Unfortunately, media’s portrayal of different minorities is usuallyRead MoreMedia s Influence On Perceptions Of Self1563 Words   |  7 Pages The media plays a significant role in influencing and shaping individuals’ perceptions of self in American society. Additionally, the media plays a key role in how it portrays people of color (POC) and, therefore, in how it affects their perceptions of self and others. It is the way the predominantly white media interacts with POC that reinforces racial stereotypes and systematic oppression that affect their daily lives. In the past two decades, research on media has supported the â€Å"media’s ideologicalRead MoreAfrican American Stereotypes Reality Television1531 Words   |  7 Pagesrevenge, competition, and achieving status and prestige (Mendible, 2004, p. 336). Mendible further discussed reality television’s strategic use of humiliation as a form of entertainment to draw in viewers (Mendible, 2004). With constant exposure to media images, audiences may be influenced by the television show’s values and subliminal messages. People use reality television as an informational tool to â€Å"people watch† and observe what is socially acceptable or not (Tyree, 2011, p. 397). The problemRead MoreRacial Bias And Racial Stereotypes Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesThe issue of race representation which becomes even more serious and cause for concern at the moment existed in the past until now, specifically the problem of racial bias and racial stereotypes. Well development of the media is one of the significant factors which influences the issue, especially in the medium of news reporting, for example, the newspaper, network and television news, etc. News contributes to transmitting incident information, but the appearance of news misrepresentation and the