Stereotypes in Media -- 6th blog entry

Eghbali, Mason

Professor Charles

July 29th, 2014

Stereotypes in the Media

Thesis Statement: Throughout my blog entries that I have completed this summer surrounding different racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes, I have learned that the media, and people in general, can be very harsh and negative towards a particular group of people at times, while also being very open and positive towards another group of people. A stereotype is usually not an accurate image of the world, but rather something that has been brain washed into our heads through different types of media. Since media is the biggest industry of communication and advertisement in the world, no matter your age, the society you live in, religion, or gender you encounter different stereotypes based on different groups of people and you are bound to look at every person differently. 

Each ethnic/racial group face different struggles and stereotypes, some more hurtful than others. I have learned that going through the history of each group reveals a lot about what they have been through and what they are currently going through in this world. One of the best examples is the African American community, they have had the toughest past, going through slavery, always being the minority, and having to face segregation. According to the article "Images that Injure" by Linus Abraham, African American stereotypes predate today's mass media, they have been present since slavery, and have served and are even currently serving as a type of justification for slavery, segregation, and discrimination against them. In today's time, mass media still portrays and looks at African Americans as minorities and they still face harsh stereotypes, but at least our people have progressed and have become more tolerant towards the African American community.

I have also learned that everywhere in media gender stereotypes and stereotypes about the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community are also present. In media, males and females are portrayed as exact opposites, whether it is which gender should be stronger, play sports, take care of the house/kids, and how each of them should act. The LGBT community is gradually growing in today's world and they are gaining more acceptance, especially with the coming out of homosexual athletes such as Michael Sams, Brittney Griner, and Jason Collins. Some of the stereotypes surrounding the LGBT community are as follows; high pitched voices, weaker in strength, and not as good in playing sports.

Overall, I believe that regardless of a persons gender, race, or thoughts, they could be able to act however they want, stereotypes in media should not alter their lives dramatically. As our people start to become more tolerant with the different kind of people in this world, the media will follow them, and stereotypes will slowly diminish  from our world.

Homosexual Stereotypes

Homosexuality is when a person is characterized by having sexual attractions between people of the same sex. Homosexuals include males (gays) and females (lesbians). Homosexuals are gradually growing and becoming a bigger part of our world, especially in professional sports, and are slowly gaining more acceptance in some parts of the world, but in some parts are still struggling and having to face many harsh stereotypes. One such stereotype is, that they are weak and do not play sports, they are just not meant for it. Another such stereotype surrounding gays and lesbians is that they all have high-pitched voices. At least they are slowly getting more acceptance in their community as George Clooney said, “At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won't be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black.”  

Male Stereotypes

Of the two genders, males are portrayed in media as the more dominant and superior. Males are present more in movies, video games, TV, and most other types of mass communication. They are also portrayed as the more sporty and masculine and of the two genders. Males are represented as having the tougher jobs and taking care of most of the money compared to females. Males not only have gender stereotypes, but also have various male characters that fall in a range of stereotypes that are portrayed by the media, some of these characters include: the jock, the big shot, the action hero, and the buffoon. At the end of the day, gender stereotypes are just that, and they dont define us as people. 

African American Stereotypes

The African American race has suffered through the toughest, and most difficult times throughout history compared to any other race, and even though they have gained more acceptance in this world, they are still victims of many hurtful and false stereotypes. From the beginning of time, African Americans have been seen as lazy and uneducated people. The media only rarely portrays the positive aspects/side of African Americans and their community, especially on TV news. People just take what they see on the news as facts, and therefore brainwash themselves into believing that the African American race is poor, uneducated, lazy druggies that are beneath the rest of the world, which is clearly not true. Many African Americans are just the opposite of that, but the media has taught us otherwise.

Asian Stereotypes

         Stereotypes can also be beliefs and thoughts that someone has about a particular group of people, which have only some truth to it. Asians are one specific group of people that are victims of many hurtful stereotypes that we see illustrated through different types of mass media, especially TV. In most movies and TV shows we see and are brain washed to believe that Asian Americans are always the smartest, for example, this is portrayed in the movie, Geeks. Media around the world also illustrates all Asian Americans as being good at martial arts, like in the movie, Seven Samurai. Another offending and false stereotype that Asian Amercans suffer through is that "they can't see", as shown through many car commercials portraying that Asians can't drive because they can't see.

Female Stereotypes

Female Stereotypes

                                                         Female Stereotypes 

All different kinds of stereotypes are portrayed throughout different types of mass communication (the radio, TV, magazines,  newspapers, etc.) No matter your age, religion, culture, or society you live in, we all grow up in a world with different stereotypes, especially based around gender and race. Some good, some bad. A stereotype is usually not an accurate image of the world, but rather something that has been brain washed into our heads through different types of media. Every person is different from one another, regardless of their gender, and cannot be characterized through stereotypes. Gender is simply being male or female, not how you should live your life. 

Female Stereotypes:

• Females are not as strong as men 
• Females don't play sports 
• Females are not as rude as men 
• Females are supposed to cook and clean the house
• Women must raise the children
• Women are not as lazy as men 
• Women are not as messy as men