My Last Word

This country likes to pretend like we our so advanced and that we are on an equal playing field (mainly Caucasians)... especially with the election of Barack Obama as our president. Well, this class has taught me that we are not. In fact, we are no where close to living in a fair and just society. Every week in this class we held discussions that showed our divisions and brought people's misunderstanding of each other and different races and cultures to light. Don't get me wrong, America circa 2009 is a vastly better place for minorities to live compared to America circa 1969, or 1869 — but the road ahead is still long. I have heard many of my classmates make statements that have shocked me. To hear some people say things they honestly believe in regards to different races and cultures is scary. There is a huge amount of misunderstanding floating around that has kept us from being equal.

What is the culprit in keeping us from an equal society? I think that the problem is people keep trying to deny differences rather than embrace them. We are taught that racism is bad and judging people negatively based only on the fact that they look different than us is not acceptable, but I think we're just taught that, and not the other side — that everybody's individual uniqueness is a beautiful thing and because of our differences, we can strengthen each other. This has bred a terrible disease known as political correctness. I do agree that there is a degree of sensitivity people must hold to when dealing with others — that's what this class is all about, but not like the degree that political correctness has transformed us into. People try so hard to not be racist or sexist that they walk on egg shells and pretend that differences do not exist. In my opinion, by denying these racial, cultural and social differences is just a reverse form of discrimination.

As citizens preparing to assimilate into the media industry, we must take the responsibility to change this upon ourselves. We must recognize that being different is not a bad thing, but is what will make our society, our country, and our world as a whole thrive. You have taught us all semester long to step out of our proverbial boxes and see the world from other perspectives in order to get a better understanding of different races. When we step out of our box and feel uncomfortable this helps us "experience" life from other people's shoes. The more we as a society talk about and embrace our differences the more that awkwardness will disappear, because there will be a greater universal understanding. Ignorance is what causes the bulk of the problems, and education is the cure.

I had previously committed myself to doing my part to rid the media of the discrimination, the ignorance, and the negative way minorities and females are viewed, but having this class has just made me care even more.

As far as my thoughts on using blogs in this class, I did not enjoy them at all. I consider myself a technological person and all, but for some reason when it comes to class work and assignments, I am more of an old-school pen and paper kind of guy. In general, I don't like blogs because they undermine what we do as journalists. The vast majority of them are factually incorrect and just make it hard to discern fact from fiction. Blogging is a tool that has a lot of potential, but I think it's taken a turn for the worse and probably can never be used for much more than general gossip and web rumors.

Overall, I enjoyed this class and the things we have talked about. Thanks for a great semester.

Social Movements and the Media

1. After watching the videos for this blog post I totally believe the media sets the agenda for the news. They have the control over broadcasts and they determine what should be shown and what shouldn't. It doesn't end there. The media decides how to report on the different stories. They choose what angle to take and they have the power to turn any story into whatever they want it to be. The media knows that without them, we would be oblivious to what is going on in the world around us. They most definitely have the control.

2. Having media to directly represents the interests of people of color is needed because it seems that the media now is controlled by white people. But, rather than continue to push each other away, the better action would be to have more awareness from the mainstream media to all types of people. I believe for the most part, interests of minorities are similar to Caucasians' interest... but they aren't exactly the same. For example, although President Obama's recent announcement on Mexico-U.S. border regulations effects everyone, news coverage of "what this means?" will be received differently for different races. I believe that the more the multicultural issues appear on mainstream news, the more mainstream society will begin to understand their importance.

3. In the beginning, the war was reported in a positive manner. The media showed a sense of support for Bush's decision to go to war and they took the angle that war was necessary to respond to the attacks on America on Sept. 11. The media reported that Saddam Hussein was behind those attacks and made us believe going to war was necessary to defend ourselves. We were told that our freedom was at risk because of the supposed weapons of mass destruction. Most people believed what the media was reporting because they had no reason not to. There was an attack on our country and we believed our rights were in jeopardy, so when the media put a name and a face to those attacks we supported fighting back.

4. When it comes to social protests that have happened recently, I feel that the media has sort of ignored them and brushed them off in a way. Take the Jenna Six for example, I feel like hardly anyone I know could tell me what it is. If I said it was concerning civil rights, most people would probably assume it happened decades ago. As the video pointed out, many anti-war demonstrations barely registered a blip on the news cycles. I assume it's because the media was hesitant of showing people going against the fray on such an issue that was wildly viewed as a positive. I do not care what the particular issue may be, when a large group of people come together to exercise their freedom of speech, it should be covered by the media.

5. Including my thoughts after watching that video in class, I think the media gave the civil rights movement a lot more coverage compared to what social movements today are receiving. I believe all of this press was extremely beneficial because it opened people's eyes to the issues. Even though not all of the coverage was positive, African-Americans were able to get their message out. I would say it was a case of "all press is good press" for the movement. I believe America was curious about African-Americans and their goals, so that was the reason why so much attention was devoted to the movement. Luckily, all the attention helped out.


6. The media's role in setting the agenda is not only a big role, but they have all the power, so they have all the responsibility. And it goes farther than just your local media. In order for me to find out what is going on across the country and the globe, I depend on media outlets across the globe to set a responsible agenda. Minority media coverage is very important and I hope the mainstream will continue to report more and more on these issues. Knowledge is power, and the more different cultures can learn about each other, the better we can work together for the good of all. Media coverage of the war is a tricky because there are so many (passionate) beliefs and opinions on the subject. The media should just stick to covering the facts and reporting fair and equal coverage.

Blog Assignment #2

Ten media stereotypes I experienced this week:

Feb. 23, 9:45 p.m.
7-11, 89th and Walker
Advertisement
Coors beer poster on the wall
Inappropriate image of a woman in a wet T-shirt holding a beer with the text “Show me your COORS!” next to her
Gender stereotypes

Feb. 23, 11:30 p.m.
www.myspace.com
Web advertisement
Myspace ad for their game Mafia Wars
Image of a black man and a Latino man holding guns
Reinforces the assumption that minorities are violent thugs
Racial stereotypes

Feb. 24, 8:30 a.m.
WWLS 98.1 The Sports Animal
Radio
Rosetta Stone language program advertisement
Male voice asks a question, three females respond with an incorrect answer
Reinforces the male-dominant stereotype – “men are smarter than women”
Gender stereotypes

Feb. 24, 2:15 p.m.
College Crowd, February issue
Magazine
“Valentine’s Day – Gifts for her”
A list of suggested gifts for “her” depicting very expensive items
Assumes women only care about money and expensive things
Gender assumption/stereotypes

Feb. 24, 10:15 p.m.
Personal conversation with Jamie Hill, friend
Conversation after Gov. Bobby Jindal’s response to President Obama’s speech to Congress
My friend said the GOP picked a minority to respond because he can attack Obama’s policies and not fear being called a racist
Racial stereotypes

Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.
Film
Pineapple Express
The Asian-American characters in the movie are only referred to as “The Asians” and they are portrayed with very thick accents and oriental décor at their home
Racial stereotypes

Feb. 26, 4:45 p.m.
Personal conversation with Lauren Hartley, friend
Conversation after seeing a group of Mexicans drive by in a van
My friend commented that the people in the fan were probably transporting their entire extended family from Mexico
Racial stereotypes

Feb. 27, 1:30 a.m.
www.si.com
Web advertisement
Woman in a small bikini holding a Planters nut bar
Just another example in how companies use sex to sell unrelated items
Gender stereotypes

Feb. 27, 12:20 p.m.
Television
Cox Cable commercial on VH1
The “Wow. Makes me wonder what else I don’t know” commercial
A woman attacks another woman who is flirting with her husband
Gender stereotypes

Feb. 27, 2:30 p.m.
Social experience
Sooner Fashion Mall
I saw a woman walking down the mall who switched her purse to her other arm as a group of African-American boys passed by her.
Racial assumptions/stereotypes

Personal reflection:

I was a little surprised by the amount of stereotyping I see in the media. It was very easy to point out, especially gender stereotyping. It seemed like everywhere I looked (or did not look) there was some form of stereotyping occurring, whether through images, conversations, text, etc.

I would have to say that being a fair-skinned male, I do not feel I am a target of too many harsh stereotypes in my daily life.

Media stereotyping of different ethnic groups and women plays a huge role in shaping the way society thinks about them. Every person interacts with the media, or forms of the media, nearly all day, every day. If we are constantly bombarded with images and representations of a person or group acting a certain way... we will naturally begin to associate that type of behavior with that person or group. Some of my personal experiences I listed above were not necessary caused out of hatred, but rather it was a friend of mine merely "joking" or being "funny." Racial stereotyping is not funny, it is counterproductive to the progressive advances we as a society are trying to make. You can't pretend something is bad on the outside, but treat it so casually on the inside. This is why it is so important for the media to stand above the stereotyping and to portray everyone on fair and equal ground. 

Blog Assignment — Feb. 13

After watching the Tim Wise video in class, what do you think about the idea of privilege?

In my own definition, privilege is when a person receives extra opportunities and benefits due to discriminations and prejudices towards others. However, I think the idea of privilege can be applied in a much broader scope than how Tim Wise utilized it. Privilege, by definition, is a special right enjoyed by a person beyond the advantages of most. This is not limited to the white vs. minority argument. Males seem to enjoy more privilege than females, and the wealthy definitely have more opportunities offered to them than those without much money. But in the context of this class and what Wise's message was, I found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with his points and examples. Many people think of privilege as big, glaring instances of obvious advantages. But that is not always the case. Sometimes it's not so obvious. For example, Chris Paul and Steve Nash are current basketball players in the NBA who are considered to be the best at their position. In accordance to racial stereotypes, Paul, the black player, is expected to be good; but Nash, the white player, has not had to grow up with the pressure to be good. So while both players are premier players, Nash is celebrated solely on the merit of his talent. Paul's greatness isn't as "spectacular" because he's expected to have a "natural" edge.

How does the media utilize privilege in media representation?

The media utilizes privilege frequently. Turn on the TV or open a newspaper and you will find white people seem to have a free pass on more difficult issues. When talking about the poor and homeless, many times images of minorities will be on display more often than whites.

Privileges I have noticed in this past week:

1. I am taking a sports journalism class and earlier this week we were discussing who were some of the best sportscasters in the business. One student in the class mentioned Suzy Kolber, a popular woman sportscaster at ESPN, and another student made the remark, "yeah she's pretty good, for a woman analyst."

2. I went to the store to get Band-Aids and as I was looking at the colors and all they had was clear and "flesh" color. But, the flesh color was tan. What about the color of other people's flesh? They were nowhere to be found. I never have to worry about buying Band-Aids that don't (somewhat) match my skin.

3. I never expect to be the only white person in a large group of people.

4. I opened a newspaper earlier this week and had to go through eight pages before a picture of a non-white person was printed.

5. Four-fifths of my professors are white.

6. I heard someone referring to a recent hire, saying that the person "probably got the job because she was black." I never have to worry that I'm getting a job to fulfill affirmative-action requirements. 

7. Wednesday night, I was leaving OCCC (where I work) two hours after the building closed. I was not dressed in professional attire, and I had a large bag with me. After I got into my car, a security guard who I had never seen before stopped me. I told him I worked for the college he did not question me or ask to see my college employee ID.

8. I went to the bank with a large amount of cash in small bills (ones, fives and tens) and I am confident the teller did not question the validity that I obtained that money.

Do you think society still believes in the one drop rule?

A resounding yes. If a person's skin is any color other than white, they are automatically classified with other people with that skin color. It seems that there is no gray area when defining people's race by appearance alone. There are no "degrees" of blackness, a person native to Africa and a person who is one-sixty-fourth African-American are both considered black. Even if the latter has more Asian and Caucasian blood in their DNA than African blood. On the other side, some researches estimate that nearly one-third of African-Americans have white blood running through their veins, yet these blacks are not ever considered as whites. The one drop rule is an unfair way of over generalizing people.

Personal reflection

I agree with the idea of responsibility of knowledge. We are a society who is continually trying to erase our past of social injustices. As we explore the errors of our ancestor's ways, we must take this newfound knowledge to heart and ensure that we do not make the same mistakes. If we do not adapt to the changes in the world then we are handicapping ourselves. 

An old new album.

For the past year, one of my favorite bands has been Limbeck.

Limbeck are known for their light, alt-country rock full of toe-tapping drumbeats and twangy guitars. They are the kind of band you listen to while you are having a cold beer on the front porch with your friends.

I have been listening to their 2003 album “Hi, Everything’s Great” and their 2005 release “Let Me Come Home” religiously. Until this past week, I thought these were the only records Limbeck had written. I was unaware that another, more recent album even existed.

Well I am unaware no longer, thankfully.

Limbeck’s 2007 self-titled album, released on Doghouse Records, finds the band settling into a very relaxed, happy and safe place. The bands previous releases have followed a more traditional alt-country, Americana sound, which were full of road ready tunes with grit and harmony throughout. That method has been tweaked and their new album flexes its musical muscle by adding some ukulele, organ, chimes, horns and string arrangements to this new round of songs.

This process has given Limbeck a new dynamic, which on several tracks thrusts them into an arena with the likes of the pop masters Beach Boys and Tom Petty. On other tracks, the band can stand head to toe with the likes of Wilco.

This infusion of pop with alt-country works well for Limbeck, and it appears the band is enjoying musical freedom while they hang out and play upbeat music, regardless of the genre.

Tender vocal harmonies and an innocent charm drive the songs. The album is a relaxed affair that's missing the whiskey-soaked grit most country-flavored indie bands have adopted. But what is lacking in drunken misery, Limbeck makes up for in lighthearted songs perfect for those moments when life isn't just a mess.

The restless energy of cuts like "Keepin' Busy" and "Wake Up" break up the largely mellow album nicely, though it's really songs like the early morning narrative of "Sunset Limited" that shine.

The standout track, in my opinion, is "Big Drag." Great energy, catchy chorus and the style of Limbeck rolled into a hit single.



This album is for road trips with friends (preferably driving through some arid desert with miles and miles between each broken down rest stop), walking down the street on a summer day with the sun beating down on your face, or those moments when the most immediate concern is that "the wind keeps blowing the dust in my face and rearranging my hairdo."

These accounts are little snapshots of life as a touring band on the road. And although these adventures may be filled with uncertainty, broken hearts and car troubles, they are ultimately about the friends who share your journeys and the people you meet along the way that make it all worthwhile. Limbeck does a masterful job of bringing these experiences to life on this record.

At one point, lead vocalist Robb MacLean sings, "I just want to be content no matter where I am." Well as long as this album is playing, I’m halfway there.

iStand corrected.

I am an iPhone snob.

No, I'm not saying that I have an iPhone and therefore think that I am better than everyone else. Just the opposite in fact. I'm saying I do not have an iPhone, and therefore I believe I'm better than you.

When Apple first announced it's new product, I laughed and said that it was major overkill. I could not see any reason why I would need something so massive, expensive and simply unnecessary. I told anyone who would listen to me how ridiculous I thought the product was. 

"It's unnecessary. Anyone who wastes their money on an iPhone is just trying to earn style points, it's pretentious," I would tell her. Of course, she would defend her reasons and offer some stretch of the imagination as some form of validation for her purchase... but I would not budge on my stance. The only exception to my pretentious stereotype was for business owners and people running large-scale operations. These types of people were immune to my criticism, mostly. I mean I understood why a person would want an iPhone and I how it could be of use to certain people in certain situations; but I stuck by my guns and remained a staunch critic of the product.

It's too big. It's hard to type on. It's costs too much (it did at first anyway). It's exclusive to AT&T. And so on and so on. I found just about every reason to not get an iPhone.

Well it's been over a year and a half since its launch and I must say — boy, was I wrong.

In the time passed since the release of the original iPhone, I have had plenty of opportunities to play around on my friend's pretentious purchases and I must admit — they are pretty cool. All of the "apps" available, the ability to access the Internet almost anywhere, the neat touch screen... it's all a technological marvel.

Don't get me wrong, it's still a bulky phone (I know it's "not that thick" and all, but I like phones that fit easily in my front pocket). And although the price has dropped considerably, I have a hard time shelling out hundreds of dollars when I have a perfectly good, cheap phone. But, the more of those sweet commercials I see...



...the bigger the urge is to cross to the dark side.

To me, I suppose this is simply a testimony on how effective a well designed ad campaign can be. Especially the new 3G commercials. By simply showing the phone and a set of hands in the frame, Apple really grabs people by displaying what exactly an iPhone can offer consumers. Also, by previewing some of their practical and every-day-helpful apps in addition to the games and entertainment aspect of their product, they ensure that more people will be interested and see just how useful an iPhone would be to them. 

So while I haven't jumped into the iPhone's loving arms (I'm sure there's an app for that), I must congratulate Mr. Jobs and the Apple family on running a wonderful advertising campaign. Some may find it annoying, but my outlook on iPhones has been altered.

I guess I'm not the iPhone snob I thought I was. Instead, I'm on the fast track to becoming an iPhone hypocrite.

-Chris