Talking Points 4

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us
By Linda Christensen

Matthew Sawyer

I know this is a bit of a departure from the standard structure of the talking points blog but there were a few things related to the article i wanted to discuss before the quotes. After reading some blogs, i noticed a lot of comments about the stereotypes put in place by the cartoons and movies we grew up with, but what about the stereotypes being broken down by today's children's media. For instance, Shrek shows us that it is okay to be "ugly or fat" by societies standards and still be beautiful on the inside, and that who you are on the inside is what really matters. Also, it shows that two people of different "races" can marry and be happy and that's okay. What about princess and the frog which stars a black female character who starts her own business? How do you think that shows children now what they can accomplish. A lot of people are also forgetting what those Disney movies taught us: the difference between good and evil, how good people act, that good people will eventually get what they desire. There's nothing wrong with desiring love, possessions, and happiness, what is wrong is when we achieve these things at the expense of someone else, a morale that almost every Disney movie teaches us.

1)"No one wants to admit that they have been 'handled' by the media."

I question whether or not the media actually handles anyone. Does the media really determine society, or is media actually just a reflection of the values society holds? Does media influence society or does society influence media? It's almost as if asking whether the chicken or egg came first.

2)"Of course, there should also be more women of color on the supreme court, in Congress, and scrubbing up for surgeries."

This quote is more of an off-hand comment by Christensen and quickly moved away from, but is the root of the problem we see. If the media doesn't cater to society, how could it ever become a successful enterprise? If our society is unwilling to promote more women of color to high education and important positions, then why would one think that they would be interested in seeing a woman of color as the main role in a movie?

3)"They just want to see more rich people of color, or more rich women. Or better yet, be rich themselves."

This quote is exactly my point. These students are criticizing and critiquing these media productions, but further developing their market. Rather than eliminating the gap between rich and poor, they just want a more diverse upper-class. How does this solve anything? When criticizing the media, these students are simply just expressing their distaste for not being one of the "popular" people. Rather than coming up with an actual idea for change, they simply wish to change themselves.