Double Standards

This week in media, has been dominated by Kehlani and D'Angelo Russell. this is a show of how there is a difference when a famous man and woman when it comes to cheating. When Kehlani cheated she was criticized for being a hoe and stepping out on her boyfriend Kyrie. Nobody is criticizing Nick Young for his actions though. This is because Nick Young wasn't public about his mishappenings and when they came to light he fought the actions and was upset with what was said. People will have sympathy for Nick Young until everything blows over and attention passes onto somebody else.

Punishment of Abortions

Donald Trump said Wednesday that there “has to be some form of punishment” for abortion if it were banned in the U.S. and that punishment should fall on the woman. This is a example of a power exchange. Once again the male, has control over a female choice. If she has to deliver the baby, she should be able to choose whether or not to have it. Hopefully if Trump becomes president, there will be a advisory board that has at least 3 females, so their voice can be heard.

U.S. Women's Soccer Wage Discrimination

On Wednesday five players from the Women's U.S. National team filed complaints about the unfair wages that they were receiving. The Women's National Team has had great success for a long time including  three World Cup Championships and four Olympic Championships. Needless to say they are pretty good and have had more success than our Men's National Team. Despite the success that our women have had they are still not being treated fairly and the way that they should simply because they are females. Here is a comment that star goalkeeper Hope Solo said about the men that they “get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships.”
 I think that Hope Solo brings up a valid point that the earnings should be about accomplishments not just your gender and superiority. This just shows that as a society we aren't really becoming as gender equal as we say we are. I am glad that these women are standing and voicing their opinions towards this subject because if they keep it up these problems will have to be addressed. Womens National Team on Unfair Wages

Russell the Snitch?

LA Lakers rookie D'Angelo Russell offered an apology one day after ESPN reported a rift that has developed between the point guard and his teammates after a video he took of Nick Young made its way to social media. After non-stop controversy, Russell addressed the media stating he's "sick" over the situation. From his immature act, caused Nick Young to address his infidelity to his fiance Iggy Azalea. Russell was booed by the home crowd when he was announced during his last game. None of his teammates have been speaking to him where they try to dodge him when they are all within the same vicinity. 

When Kehlani went to the Party That Was Next Door

In the media earlier this week, there was a love triangle that involved R&B singer Kehlani, PartyNextDoor, and NBA superstar Kyrie Irving. The turmoil in the media began when PND posted a picture of Kehlani and him in the bed with a smart remark as a caption. The media blasted Kehlani for this post because she was supposed to be dating Kyrie Irving. The next day Kehlani attempted suicide due to the hate comments from fans and the media. The media blasted her because she is a young women that supposedly cheated on her boyfriend. This raised the debate is it "OK" for women/men to have multiple significant others. Kyrie finally spoke on the situation that the singer and him had already broke before PND posting what fans say to be a "petty" picture. 

San Fransisco State African American Student harasses a white student for having Dreadlocks

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh0r167hxg0DuvKqji

I recently seen a video where a female african american student was harassing a white male student for having his hair in dreadlocks. She accused him of appropriating her culture by repeatedly stating "Your stealing my culture, your stealing my culture....." Not to mention she assaulted him by restraining him from going were ever he was going. I believe the female student was wrong in the matter. Who is she to tell someone what hair style to wear, thats like telling me i cant straighten my hair. watch the video and tell me what you think of the situation.

Girls and Football

Madison Baxter, a 12 year old girl was recently denied from her school football team because of her gender. her mother spoke with new reporters about how upset her daughter was and how she had looked forward to this experience for awhile. the head Football coach would not comment on the situation but her mother explained, that the coach said it would be unsafe and that he didn't feel comfortable doing it. This shows that society is still assigning different activities to certain genders.    

USWNT soccer filesfor pay discrimination

Earlier today it was reported that the 5 star players on the U.S. Women's National Soccer team have filed a law suit against the U.S. Soccer federation for pay discrimination. The complaint alleges that the the players earn a fraction of what the player on the men's national team makes sometimes as little as 38% less despite their superior on the field achievements and higher anticipated revenue. "In 2017 alone, the USWNT will generate $8 million more in revenue for U.S. Soccer than the USMNT. The gap between projected revenue — $23 million for the USWNT and $21 million for the USMNT — in 2016 stands at $2 million, but, as demonstrated by the revenue detail, the USWNT’s revenue is set to nearly double what the USMNT will haul in ($17 million to $9 million) in 2017." So the question is why are they not being payed as much let alone even more than the mens teams based off of the revenue brought in. I believe since they are bringing in more revenue they should be make more than the mens national team. What are your thoughts the pay discrepancies?

Nick Young and Kehlani

This weekend Both basketball player, Nick Young and Singer Kehlani were both caught cheating on social media and both are getting very different responds. Nick Young was caught on camera speaking about a girl who he recently cheated with, and a picture of Kehlani was posted on instagram. people started to call Kehlani a hoe and bash her for her actions. Nick Young was uplifted and told to stay strong. The fact that he cheated went out the window and people were focusing more on the fact that he was snitched on. This situation shows gender roles and how double standards do still exist.

Social Media's Perception of Handicapped People

We have not talked much about people with physical and mental disabilities in this class, but it is still a huge issue. The first day of class Professor Williams made sure that she included that she is able bodied when she described herself. I automatically don't even think about it because most people on this campus are able bodied.
This commercial stars Olivia Wilde and it is a very touching ad that proves that people with mental disabilities are the same fun-loving people, just like everyone else. I love how this was shot and making the audience think if it was them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhCEoL1pics

Fashion World Update

Louboutin just released a bigger range of "nude" shoes that are more inclusive. There used to be only 5 shades of nude shoes but now they have expanded to 7 shades of nude. Obviously, one nude color doesn't work for everyone but it is exciting to see Louboutin taking steps in the right direction. Making all kinds of girls feel more inclusive and not ashamed of their skin color.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/louboutin-nudes-new-shades_us_56fbed0de4b0daf53aee23ee?

NY Restricts Public-Employee Travel To NC

New York has joined along with Seattle, San Fran, and New York in restricting non-essential employee travel to North Carolina following the newly passed North Carolina state law that is discriminatory to the LGBT community. Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has ordered restriction regarding "all taxpayer-funded trips to North Carolina, unless they're essential to public health or law enforcement." This NY state executive order took effect immediately and requires a review of all requests for state-funded business travel to the state of New York. It will be quite interesting to see how all of this pans out for the state and to see where this will lead in the end regarding various states.

U.S. Women's National Soccer Team's Fight For Equal Pay

Five members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team- Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Becky Sauerbrunn and Hope Solo- have filed a complaint about the pay gap between the male soccer players and female soccer players. They are requesting to be paid the same amount as players on the Men's National Team. According to their counts, they make 40% of what their male counterparts make. If this is true, which according to the numbers it seems to be, it is not okay.

The women on the US team believe that they have proven their worth and deserve to be compensated for their work. The female team has won three World Cup Titles since 1999, while the men’s team has not won any. Last year they only made $2 million dollars for winning the World Cup, compared to the men’s team who made $9 million for coming in 16^th in 2014! According to an UsMagazine.com article, “Their lawyer, Jeffrey Kessler, added to Lauer on Thursday, "These women are very disappointed in U.S. soccer. When they asked for the same treatment as the men, they were told it was irrational. Now, that might be a good answer in 1816. It's not an acceptable answer in 2016."”

This response calls into question the treatment of the female players and shows how little they are valued. The women are clearly being discriminated against, but why? Is it because they are women? They are playing the same sport, doing the same things, and are arguably doing better than the men’s team… so what’s with this pay gap? I’m rooting for these women and hope that they finally get justice for this sexism.

U.S. Women's Soccer Team Files Equal Pay Complaint

Five iconic players from the U.S. women's national soccer team have filed an official complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against the U.S. Soccer Federation regarding the pay disparity between men and women. The women have filed and stated that the U.S. Soccer Federation pays the reigning World Cup champions far less than the male team...in fact, thousands of dollars less at nearly every level of competition. While the claim was filed officially by five of the women, the entire team has committed to support the act. According to ESPN, "the women are paid almost four times less."A few of the players have been interviewed on The Today Show and have started creating hashtag trends on Twitter to spread awareness. Just as Hope Solo said, "In this day in age, it's about equality. It's about equal rights, it's about equal pay." I am very curious and hopeful to see where this claim goes and that it will be approved.

"Babes for Trump"

This week, the Huffington Post wrote an article about an Instagram/twitter/and Snapchat account, called "Babes for Trump."   Essentially the social media sites are run by a group of men who are promoting Donald Trump by posting nearly naked women with things like, "make America great again" written all over their bodies.

                                              
Above is an example of one of their posts.

After The Huffington Post published the article, the Instagram account was taken down...yet the Snapchat and Twitter account are still active.

It horrifies me that men are using the female figure to promote a presidential candidate.  I suppose the only "positive" aspect to this news update is that the media is horrified too...

NC LGBTQ Transition

I want to clarify my statements that I made in class. Earlier in class I posed the question (not making a statement) as to where is the line that is drawn? I do think the North Carolina legislation did an injustice by saying that discrimination against the LGBTQ community is okay when clearly it is not. I am completely for implementing unisex bathrooms so that the growing transgender community will feel comfortable performing basic civil acts that us cisgendered people have the right to do. I guess where the red flag arose for me, was when the conversation came up as to whether it was okay to allow transwomen to use the women's bathroom. I guess a conservative mindset came out immediately; and I started thinking about a transwoman walking into a women's bathroom with little girls, young ladies, and elderly women trying to use the bathrooms in peace. I began to think pessimistically about sick people dressing up as women to walk into a bathroom with intentions to rape, or molest girls and young ladies. However, I will further examine articles and statistics that look into how often these occurrences happen.

Wentworth Miller's Response to his Weight Gain

Recently, paparazzi took photos of "Prison Break's" Wentworth Miller looking like he had gained weight. A meme, shown below, was posted on LAD Bible, picturing Miller's photo before the show next to the photo the paparazzi recently took, and making fun of the actor's apparently sudden weight gain.

While in the limelight, actors have historically been harshly criticized after seeming to have gained weight. In Hollywood, there is a strong pressure on celebrities to maintain the perfect body image, especially when their body type is not as perfect as it seems in the show. As a response to this media post, Miller posted on Facebook regarding the weight gain, explaining that it was a result of his depression and suicidal thoughts. This is highly representative of the detrimental reality of the celebrities that are in the limelight, and the negative affects the media has on their lives.

Georgia Vetoed "Religious Bill of Freedom"

Less than a year ago the supreme court legalized gay marriage in every state.  Some places, however, are taking LGBTQ rights into their own hands.  North Carolina, for example, recently said that it is up to localities to make decisions about how they choose to deal with transgender customers.

Supporters of this concept and other bills/laws like it feel that it is up to the individual to decide how they want to treat homosexual and transgender patrons, as that is the individuals' "religious freedom."

But what these supporters don't realize is that this is discrimination.  It is no different than the Jim Crow Laws.

Talk about two steps forward and a giant step back...

Georgia, a notoriously conservative state vetoed the "religious bill of freedom" a few days ago. Many hope that other states will react similarly.  Yet, many say this veto was more of a fiscal decision rather than a moral one.

In general the media seems to be with the LGBTQ community with regards to these recent news updates.

That being said, I still wonder, when will equal simply mean equal?

Nothing’s Slowing Her Down

Model Karen Crespo has become the first quadruple amputee to ever walk down the runway at New York Fashion Week. Crespo, 32, lost all of her limbs to a severe form of bacterial meningitis. Although it was a shocking transition, Crespo is using this opportunity to inspire others in similar situations and circumstances. Crespo is determined to bring awareness to people with disabilities and is using her newfound status to help others gain a voice.

Not only is she pioneering a new trail for modeling, but she is also bringing awareness to people with disabilities. Crespo is opening a new door for people who vary from the normal, cookie-cutter model. Rather than being the 6ft tall, white, skinny girl, she is a normal sized woman with disabilities. She is truly opening all kinds of doors for people. Modeling is changing, quickly! In my last two-blog posts, I have talked about how body standards are beginning to change for models; now it is time that other factors change as well.

When people like Crespo make headway we can see the tides changing. She has been given the power to walk at New York Fashion Week, which is huge for anybody. This is a very public domain and gives her a lot of power. Hopefully this is the start of seeing various races, genders, and people on the runaways at fashion week and in the media. The world is full of diverse people like Crespo who want to have a say. Rather than portraying a slanted version of the world, hopefully runways will start portraying a real version of the world and the women in it.

Florida Experts Debunk The Transgender "Bathroom Predator" Myth

Florida Experts Debunk The Transgender "Bathroom Predator" Myth

This article deals with the question "will allowing transgender people to enter the bathrooms in which they currently identify increase the occurrence of sexual assault?" In short, the results said no. This article was likely a result of people's concerns about men entering women's bathrooms under a transgender disguise. There were seven Florida counties that were addressed with this question and none of them mentioned having an increase in sexual assaults. The title of this article is extremely accurate and I hope it allows people to let down their automatic guard about transgender laws and actually look at the evidence.

The Blindside 2??

This past weekend Ann Tuohy (The mom from the blindside) helped out a couple of young black men. They were fine with the help until they seen the post on social media. Ann said her friends profiled the men as if they were up to no good. She stepped over and asked what they were up to and offered money to assist them on attending a basketball game. Once the teens saw it on social media they felt disappointed because she only came over because of her friend's comments. Also, they said the picture makes them look less fortunate when in reality they have jobs.

Donald Anthem

I seen a video of some young black men rapping about Donald Trump. They used some foul language and even threatened Trump at times. Supporters of Trump used racial slurs against these young men and criticized these young men for their opinion. I had a different view on the situation. If you listened closely they stated many of Trump's views and political stances in this race, I feel like it is good for the black youth to step up for once and understand more about what is happening in politics. When they state their opinions they should not be criticized.

Response to North Carolina House Bill 2

We've all heard about the law. Critics are calling it the worst Anti-LGBT law in American history. In short, this law prohibits transgender or genderqueer persons living in North Carolina from using restrooms based on the gender they identify with, and making it law that they must use the bathroom that aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth. It also prevents local ordinances from making laws to prevent discrimination against LGBT people.

In light of all the negative things that are being said, I would like to bring in some light.

While this law is horrible, it has brought out the best in the media and in the community. Critics continue to slam the law, media continues to express outrage against the law, and members of the LGBT community and straight allies alike have made their outrage heard on social media.  Universities such as Wake Forest and Elon have released official statements condemning the law. This is a situation where the media in all forms has actually rallied for LGBT rights, and it's been inspiring for me to see. It is actually possible for the general public to take the side of LGBT people on an issue, and that has been refreshing to see.

The Dead Lesbian Trope- The Essay

Karly Morgan

I wrote an essay about The Dead Lesbian Trope, and I'm going to share it with our class via this blog because it is extremely relevant to what's going on currently in television.

The Dead Lesbian Trope

                The Dead Lesbian Trope refers to a troubling recurring theme in American television in which lesbian characters are almost always killed, often in a horrific and socially symbolic manner, and often after achieving happiness, after consummating a relationship, or before something good was about to happen to them. There is also a painful absence of academia on The Dead Lesbian Trope. This is because the trope itself includes denial of the trope by directors, producers, and even actors in order to further silence the voice of the group of people they’ve symbolically annihilated. So, in the absence of resources and refusal to be silenced on this issue, I’ve collected a set of facts: television shows, lesbian characters, their deaths, and quotes in response to horrific deaths to prove the trope myself. While some media insiders try to sweep The Dead Lesbian Trope under the rug, media consumers assert that it exists after witnessing the trope in action time after time, and the emotional and social impacts of the trope are deeply troubling.

                To understand why the manner in which lesbians are killed in television shows is socially significant, it’s imperative to first understand social issues relating to lesbians. Being a lesbian means that a woman is sexually and emotionally attracted to other women, so the heart and mind are powerful symbols because anti-LGBT people try to argue that homosexuality is unnatural, unholy, or impure.  Lesbians do not fit into the heteropatriarchal system, in which there is a male/female gender binary, men are superior to women, and the only recognized and accepted relationships are heterosexual. Thus, lesbians do not conform to the superiority of males. With those social issues in mind, The Dead Lesbian Trope can be seen more clearly when examining lesbian deaths in American television. Marie Lyn Bernard, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of Autostraddle, gathered a list of 147 lesbian characters and their deaths. First of all, when considering the already miniscule number of lesbian characters there are on television, 147 deaths is a heavy body count. Second is the way in which they were killed. These are some of the most troubling examples from across the decades and across genres of television. Julie from Executive Suite (1976) was killed when her lover realized her own lesbianism and walked out into traffic. Julie followed her and was struck by a car. In this instance, the death symbolizes her lover running into a much more dangerous world because she is a lesbian, and Julie being struck and killed as a result of following her in that dangerous path. Susan Roth from Seinfeld (1996) is especially offensive, because she died as a result of toxic envelope glue. That’s right, she died from licking too many envelopes, laced with toxins. This is a clear and unbelievably offensive allusion to oral sex. Flora from Deadwood (2004) was beaten into submission by a man, who then forced a woman to shoot her and kill her with his gun. Sophia from Skins (2010) took a drug from a girl she was in love with and jumped to her death by suicide. Gaia from Spartacus: Gods of the Arena (2011) rejected a man’s advances, and he bashed her head in. Pretty Little Liars (2013) has killed two lesbians. Emily from Teen Wolf (2013) was about to have sex with her girlfriend when she was kidnapped by a supernatural swarm of cockroaches, tied to a tree, beaten repeatedly, strangled, and had her throat slit. In American Horror Story: Freakshow (2014), lovers Lucy and Alice were killed by Lucy’s husband with an axe, because he was angry that they wouldn’t have a threesome with him. This sent the message that if they wouldn’t let a man into their sexual life, they were better off dead.  Rachel Posner from House of Cards (2015) was ran over with a car by a man who had an obsessive crush on her. Tituba from Salem (2015) had a man send crows to peck out her eyes and leave her for dead. This sent a message because it destroyed her eyes, the lenses through which she saw women as beautiful and desirable, the lenses through which she saw the world, and because the eyes are often referred to as “the windows of the soul”. Tosmin from Lost Girl (2015) died in childbirth, giving birth to a child as a result of a man raping her. Denise from The Walking Dead (2016) died with an arrow through her brain, a death that a different character had in the comic books. Lexa from The 100 (2016) died from a stray bullet to the chest a commercial break after consummating a relationship with a three-season buildup. This sent the message that while lesbians could struggle, both in life and toward being together, their happiness is not meant to last. It also declared that that fate is inevitable, no matter how powerful, important, or strong you are. So far, in less than three months, eight lesbian characters have already been killed in television shows this year, from television shows The 100, The Shannara Chronicles, Code Black, The Expanse, Jane the Virgin, Janet King, The Magicians, and The Walking Dead. This extensive, powerful, and symbolic list doesn’t even touch on all 147 lesbian deaths that Bernard listed, and there are more lesbian deaths on television than the ones Bernard provided as examples. The sheer number of deaths and the manner in which they died prove this trope to be true.

                Another facet of the problem that proves The Dead Lesbian Trope to be true is denial of the trope, or at least denial of participating in the trope, by media producers. A very recent example of this is the death of Denise from The Walking Dead. The show is based on a comic book, and in the comics, a male character is killed with an arrow through his head, specifically through his eye. In the episode that aired recently, Denise was killed in that way. Viewers of the show were outraged, because the character was preparing to tell the woman she loved that she loved her, and was killed just before she could say it. Once again, it sent a message: lesbian relationships aren’t meant to be. The producers, directors, and actors of the show have kept with the trope by denying their involvement in the trope. Merrit Wever, the actress who played Denise, stated in an interview with The Mary Sue, “I hadn’t thought about it that way… I’m not sure that’s what was going on here.” Television shows love to make the case that “we know the trope, but that’s not what’s happening here”, in order to try to excuse themselves. Even worse, the lack of academia on the trope allows them to get away with it. The most recent and most prominent example of The Dead Lesbian Trope is Heda Lexa from The 100, which occurred within the past few weeks. Lexa’s death was textbook Dead Lesbian Trope: she was a main character, a powerful leader, an open lesbian, spent three seasons struggling and fighting to be with her lover, they finally consummated their relationship, and literally after the commercial break she was killed by a stray bullet. She was a fierce commander, but she didn’t die in war, she didn’t die fighting for her clan, she didn’t die with a purpose, she didn’t “die well” as her character often said in the show, she was killed by a pointless stray bullet. The only symbolic reasoning for her death was The Dead Lesbian Trope. Executive producer Jason Rothenburg has been vehemently denying The Dead Lesbian Trope since the episode aired. In an interview with TV Insider, he stated that, “I didn’t realize how deeply it would affect certain people”. But then, one question later in the same interview, he gave a response that I don’t know how to describe other than it made my stomach turn, “Yeah. Lexa's death triggered real emotional trauma for some people, you know? It tapped into the real world, it tapped into their lives, and as a straight white male, I obviously didn’t anticipate how deeply it would affect certain people.” The real world? Rothenburg is telling us, the lesbian community, that killing a main lesbian character just after consummating a relationship is justified because that’s how it happens in the real world. Not only that, but he is excused from it all because he is a straight white male. A wise woman once told me that it’s okay to admit when you don’t know what to say, and in response to that statement, I am so disgusted, shocked, and hurt that I truly don’t know what to say.

                The Dead Lesbian Trope happens because, as cultivation theory states, societal standards and attitudes demonstrated on television have an impact on society in reality. The Trevor Project’s database states that each episode of LGBT victimization, such as physical or verbal harassment or abuse, increases the likelihood of self-harming behavior by 2.5 times on average. This means that every time an episode that adheres to The Dead Lesbian Trope airs, LGBT youth are 2.5 times more likely to participate in self-harming behavior. Their database also shows that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24, LGB youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers, and suicide attempts by LGB youth and questioning youth are 4 to 6 times more likely to result in injury, poisoning, or overdose that requires treatment from a doctor or nurse, compared to their straight peers. Huffington Post’s Queer Voices section detailed that in 2015, there were an all-time record number of LGBT homicides in the United States. The Washington Blade reported that, “A report the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released on Wednesday indicates anti-LGBT violence claimed the lives of at least 594 people in the Western Hemisphere between Jan. 1, 2013, and March 31 of this year [2014].” That’s 594 murders of LGBT people in 15 months.

                The Dead Lesbian Trope is real. It is painful, and it has consequences. There are hundreds of deaths of lesbians in television shows that follow the exact same painful, symbolic, offensive, and detrimental trope. Media insiders can verbally deny it, but media consumers have witnessed the facts, and society is reflecting the impact of the media just as cultivation theory states. So, to the producers of media that have demonstrated The Dead Lesbian Trope: how many more innocent LGBT people have to be murdered, how many young girls have to watch their role models die, how many more women have to hurt themselves, before you let a lesbian live?

#VoteTrumpGetDumped

This past weekend on Facebook I saw a video entitled "Vote Trump Get Dumped." The call to action reminds women that if their spouse or special someone votes for Trump, then their ideologies might not be that compatible and it's time to dump them. The video calls out Trump's sexist misogynistic language and his hot temper. He is a volatile, ignorant man who should be dumped. But if you can't dump Trump, dump the loser who is voting for him. Why would you want to be with someone who votes for bigotry and hate, exclusion and fear. Trump's very public views on women, that they should be attractive and malleable, does not make a good spouse. It is time that every woman re-evaluates the relationship she is in. Why support someone who supports hate? #VoteTrumpGetDumped

Zootopia, A Commentary on Race Relations

Zootopia is currently one of the animated movies in theaters today. The central theme is pretty clear, "Predators vs. Prey" and why fear of differences begets hate. The film focuses on a fox and a bunny, two natural enemies. The different species, however, serves as a replacement of different races. Throughout the film the bunny's family discusses their ideologies as "foxist." They hate foxes because they fear them. After realizing that the fear was implemented through pop. culture as well as government conspiracies, the bunnies open their minds and learn to work with and love the foxes. This representation, targeted towards children, reminds viewers that hate and fear of others is learned behavior. Through conditioning children are taught to fear what is different. The initial misconception of the bunnies that foxes are manipulative, scary, and harmful remind the viewer of the constant misconceptions presented of races throughout the media. This film, and hopefully there will be more like it to follow, teach America's children that hatred and fear of others based on physical differences is silly and learned. It is time to be like the bunnies and open our minds to create new accurate media portrayals of those different than ourselves.

Immigrant's Children Tell How Much They Love Their Parents

I also found this video on my Facebook timeline. It is a very touching video of children of immigrants and what they have to say to their parents. It is hard to believe what the immigrants gave up for their families. This video is so touching because we see the real emotions in the kid's faces.
Video below:
https://www.facebook.com/BuzzFeedVideo/videos/1830681830406024/

Turn Ignorance Around

I have recently seen this video on my Facebook timeline. It highlights the rude and insensitive comments that Trump has made about Latinos and the Latino community in America. The Latino community is coming together to prove that they are not just the stereotypical "dealer, murderer, or rapist." I am very encouraged by this video and proud to see the Latino community coming together to prove how valuable they are to this country.
Video below:
https://www.facebook.com/MicMedia/videos/1101261816563274/

Hate Crime based on Sexual Orientation

Two gay men having sex had boiling water poured on them by the boyfriend of one’s mother, Blackwell. He is charged with two counts of aggravated battery, but not hate crime because Georgia is one of the states that doesn’t include sexual orientation in its hate crime laws. This further polarizes society and poses coming out as a risk in which even the government can’t protect its citizens. The long standing heteropatriarchal drive of government and the media is literally hurting the LGBT community where news stories like this are hidden from accessible public view.

NC Transgender Bill

North Carolina’s Governor, Pat McCrory signed a bill a couple of days ago blocking cities from allowing transgender individuals to use the bathroom they identify with. Civil liberties groups are enraged that legislation pushed a bill undoing all nondiscrimination laws. Personally, I’m not sure which side to take, excluding transgender people from legal protection or infringing upon my privacy. This bill definitely takes a stand for the gender binary and further invisibilizes the LGBT community.

March is for Feminism

This month, NBCBLK, NBCLatino, and NBC Asian America are partnering with Ms. Foundation For Women for #31daysoffeminsim, according to NBC.com.

This is an effort to bring attention to women of color who spend their lives working for equality.  It is great that a major media outlet, NBC, is calling attention to women of color (a group that is double oppressed in society to do their intersecting identities.  However, it doesn't seem that there will be specials on their primary channel about these women, rather on their channels geared towards minority groups.

This is the step in the right direction - so many women and so many women of color have done great things to make this world a more humane and equal place.  However, I hope that next March even more media outlets celebrate women of color.

A Look at the Title, "Orange is the New Black"

I finally finished watching all 10 seasons of Friends...yes I am very behind on TV and pop culture...so I turned to Netflix for my next binge.  With no real intention of sticking with it, I started watching Orange is the New Black...I am hooked!

This suspenseful show has me glued to the screen for several reasons.  It is suspenseful and thought-provoking.  Most scenes are shot in just a few rooms, but the narrative is what grabs me.  Also, I love that viewers learn a little bit about each character's history in each episode.

But what really has me thinking is the title.  I assumed that the title signified the fact that the show takes place in a women's prison and the inmates now wear orange uniforms instead of black. Black is a color in fashion that is always in style...fashionistas will tell you that every woman needs a little black dress in her closet.  So this is meaning number one: the female prisoners have hung up there black clothing for there new orange uniforms.

But, what if this title means something a bit more...

There is quite a bit of discourse, specifically in the academic community, that the prison system in the United States is a new form of slavery.  America incarcerates more African Americans than any other group.  Also, this show grapples with racism and race issues between the characters.  Perhaps this show is also called Orange is the New Black because its commenting on the fact that the majority of people who are wearing orange are black...

Is this intentional? What do you think?

I'm only 5 episodes in, but perhaps this show is all about racism in our society.

Ethnic Affinity advertising on Facebook

"Racial affinity targeting" is a little-known feature on Facebook that has been available to marketers since November of 2014. This feature categorizes users in terms of their interests (as expected) although goes beyond this in the sense that it additionally categorizes in terms of interests regarding racial groups. Universal Studios was able to present completely different trailers for Straight Outta Compton to audiences of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Universal worked to cater to different target audiences in order to increase sales for the movie, although many are questioning how this is any different from racial profiling. The release of this news had led to much online discussion regarding the topic and the true intention behind the creation of separate trailers for the same movie. According to Facebook, "The Facebook multicultural targeting solution is based on affinity, not ethnicity. This provides advertisers with an opportunity to serve highly relevant ad content to affinity-based audiences." This comment has been released repeatedly by Facebook as a justification for the movie trailers without any other follow-up.

NC Overturns LGBT-Discrimination Ban

Given our recent discussions in class, this bit of news speaks to the on-going controversy regarding equal rights for the LGBT community. Last month, the city of Charlotte, NC passed an anti-discrimination ordnance for the legal protection of sexual orientation for citizens of the state. Unfortunately, this past Wednesday, the state Legislature approved a bill that invalidates Charlotte's new legal protections for LGBT individuals. This vote in the House for this bill was 84-25, a strikingly high number. This new state law bars Charlotte or any other city/county in the state from creating new protections, which essentially is the equivalent of no protection whatsoever, as protection does not currently exist in the state. The fact that this bill was passed is very disturbing  and horrific and is a huge step in the wrong direction. 

INSTYLE is all about color in the April 2016 issue

Everything is about COLOR on the cover for the April 2016 issue of INSTYLE magazine.  Beyond the word "COLOR" bolded in bright yellow on the cover, there's a side insert about secrets of celebrity hair colorist.  These features were compliments of the focus of the cover Lupita Nyong'o, who was the last actor of color to receive an Oscar prior to the #OscarsSoWhite movement.  She takes the time to share her views of diversity, or the lack there of, in Hollywood and how she overcomes the "Oscar curse".

Creator of Love & Hip Hop is unapologetic

Mona Scott Young , the mastermind behind the Love & Hip Hop franchise, recently spoke with ESSENCE magazine, making no apologies for her portrayal of women of color, specifically Black women, on her reality TV shows.  She stated, "I want us to be represented in every form, good, bad, and ugly." Coming from a Black woman who is successful in an industry dominated by White males, her comments are very controversial.  ESSENCE magazine is well-known for its appeal to people of color.  Their tone towards Mona's remarks in this article was of disdain, as expected.  The writer, Taylor Lewis, ends the article proposing the question, "But what about the women prior to that?", when Mona attempts to justify her statements by promoting her upcoming foundation targeting young girls.

American Eagle: Body Positive

American Eagle's Aerie (their underwear+ more store) launched a new campaign this week promoting positive body image for men. In recent years, many changes have taken place in the retail/modeling world to cut back on retouching of women's bodies and unrealistic body standards. This is the first I can think of that is celebrating the various body types of men. Men are also put under pressure to look a certain way, and since I can remember, every guy on a men's underwear box had a perfect six pack. Men should also be celebrating for their various body types. American Eagle has been making a lot of positive changes, and I am happy for the brand (and continue to buy my jeans there!).

Here are some examples from the campaign:

 
(From Aerie.com)

Newest Donald Trump News

I am so tired of Donald Trump getting away with racism and sexism (and many other things!). Maybe people want this country to regress many years? It doesn't make sense to me.

This past week Trump retweeted a photo that compared his wife to competitor Ted Cruz' wife. It was a clear attack on the attractiveness of the women, signifying that he is more qualified because he believes he has a "hotter" wife (the whole competition around having the best first wife). Nothing was to be said about their intelligence or any other quality except looks. Trump's values are skewed to an extreme, and this is just the next example that he is sexist, immature and behind in the times.  Ted Cruz called him a "sniveling coward" over the tweet, and now it is just time to wait to see what he does next.

The House 2 bill, passed on Wednesday, bans transgender people from using certain restrooms, since then there has been an overwhelming influx of social media comments and posts concerning the bill. Many of these posts have been in support of North Carolina's trans community. From businesses to celebrities, posts have been made consoling those who are hurt by this bill and condemning those who condoned it, specifically Gov. Pat McCrory, who tweeted "I signed bipartisan legislation to stop the breach of basic privacy and etiquette, ensure privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms."

Jennifer Garner has made the ultimate rebound in the face of her husband's (Ben Affleck) affair, but she is so much more than a celebrity wife. Although she passed up opportunities at stardom to be with her kids and to support her marriage and although her personality often differed from the women she played on set, she remained level headed and secure in who she was. The below article is an interesting take on how her intersecting experiences and personalities that made her into the woman she is now. Whether one agrees with Garner's actions and motives or not, it can be agreed that she has somehow remained relevant in Hollywood through avenues different that many women today. "Contemporary female stars adopt a variety of strategies to keep themselves in the limelight: They can have dynamic love lives (Julia Roberts in the ‘90s and early 2000s, Jennifer Aniston until five years ago, Taylor Swift until she met Calvin Harris), they can have beautiful children (Jessica Alba, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon), they can have pilates bodies and pose them provocatively (early Olivia Wilde, Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, Mila Kunis), or they can say outrageous or bizarre things (Jennifer Lawrence, Shailene Woodley). Some female stars do all four; others, like Meryl Streep, engage in an entirely different genus of non-celebrity stardom, in which their popularity is based almost entirely on actual performances. But that’s a privilege afforded very few — and certainly not Garner." This quote from the article comments on the center of the analysis, the different ways in which female actresses (specifically Garner) have to try to stay relevant in a culture that attempts to forget them after the age of 35 but doesn't forget their husbands.

I am not a feminist and that is okay article

An online college publication called the Odyssey recently published an article titled " I am not a feminist and that is okay." The article basically stated that the author was fine with being a stay at home mom, and a submissive wife. The most problematic portion of the article was the underlying sense that being a feminist is a bad thing. Her original intent may have not been to say that, but her content proved otherwise. This article illuminates that unfortunately there are many misconceptions about feminism, and that it is still frowned upon in the eyes of many women!

Donald Trump Strikes Again

To be honest, I am a little sad that I have resorted to Donald Trump as a blog topic. The man is getting what he wants: media attention. Still,  it is important to point out the outrageousness of his comments. In a recent tweet, he threatened to "spill the beans" on Ted Cruz's wife. Trump than proceeded to retweet a photo of a side by side of Melania and Heidi Cruz. This is pitting these women against each other. Cruz went on to say that "real men don't attack women." Trump is demeaning these women by essentially telling them looks are all that matters. Our potential Republican candidate is heavily employing the "male gaze" here by implying that his wife's looks are far superior to Cruz's, and that is why Trump believes his wife to be better. This is disgusting and once again a horrible move by Trump.

Who is The Audience More Excited To See

Fandango posted a survey about the latest Batman vs. Superman movie. Fandango was interested to see who the audience was more excited to see Batman or Superman. The respondents from the survey said that they were more excited to see Wonder Woman. Surprised about this? shouldn't be just as we talked about in class about the Fighting Fuck Toy this is what the audience wants to see. I thought this was interesting just because this spot on with what our society wants to see.

twitter turns microsoft chatbot racist in just 24 hours

This week Microsoft launched a hatbot that was enable to engage on social media and have conversations with other media users. The chatbot learns more and becomes more engaged in conversations the more you chat with it. Within the first 24 hours Microsoft reports that the chatbot had become racist. The chatbot was receiving repetitive racist tweets as well as Trump tweets. From the messages and chats that the chatbot was receiving the chatbot box had adopted racist habits just from the conversations having on social media. I thought this was interesting because this just shows how much negativity and junk is on these social media sites that influence our thoughts and perceptions.

#WhoTalks

While trying to find a topic to write about for this blog post I came across a hashtag that especially intrigued me. It was: #whotalks. I did not know what it was for or what it meant so I looked it up and was amazed at the results. This hashtag is part of the GenderAvenger project in partnership with Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Women’s Media Center. The campaign Who Talks monitors, analyzes, and compiles data about the gender balance of commentators who appear on the highest-rated morning and evening cable shows. After analyzing the statistics, Who Talks called attention to poor gender ratios in political commentary on MSNBC, CNN, and FOX. This campaign has begun to look at the 2016 election and who has the power to talk about it; they have found that women our outnumbered by their male counterparts when it comes to appearing on the news.

            We have read many articles about this very idea. Women, especially women in politics, are not seen or heard as much as men are. It’s that simple. And their appearance on shows to talk about this 2016 election is no different. This is such a detrimental practice that seems to hurt the women leaders of the present ant future. When girls do not see anyone like them in the media, especially in powerful roles, they do not believe that they can attain powerful roles or jobs. This needs to change. With the help of GenderAvangers and #whotalks hopefully we can move towards a world where women are more visible and more heard.Women need to have more of a presence in the media!

Jill Soloway, Call to Action

Last year director Jill Soloway gave a keynote address to outgoing students from an AFI Female Directing Workshop. The workshop targeted towards women, allows them to work with other female directors and mentors allowing them the opportunity to grow as new filmmakers. In her speech Soloway reminded the women of a time when "women were told to go cry in their cars" or to "get it together." Soloway reminded the audience that women in film are repeatedly told to hide their emotions, that feelings are bad, and that men are allowed to dictate how women feel. Soloway stated that not feeling is a 'liability,' who wouldn't want someone who feels to make a movie? Movies are about feeling and emotions but unfortunately female directors, actors, and producers are constantly told to get over it. Soloway's call to action storms past the industry. Her and her peers are changing the industry. Taking it by storm, one feeling at a time.

Can you be gay and Sports Star?

In the past week media has been focusing on Odell Beckham Jr. every move. Just 2 days ago OBJ and August Alsina took a picture together and media outlets had a frenzy with it. They two weren't kissing, holding hands, or hugging, but their close nature caused the news to ponder on whether or not those two are in a intimate relationship. This has led me to believe that if OBJ were to come out, his view as NFL great would be tarnished. He wouldn't be the face of NFL and potentially would lose the endorsements he is receiving now as the NFL's next big star. This shows where we are as sports fans and community. We aren't ready to open our masculine sports to the LBGTQ community and believe that they can be great in athletics too.

'Bad Girl RiRi' and the ANTI Tour

This past weekend I visited Charlotte to attend Rihanna's ANTI tour. First, the concert was absolutely phenomenal Rihanna and Travis Scott (her opening act) absolutely killed it and my seats were really good. Second, the concert allowed me to see a totally different side of Rihanna. Constantly portrayed in media as a hip hop's princess and a notorious 'bad girl' Rihanna's media attention usually casts her as mean-spirited, self absorbed woman. My issue with that constant portrayal is that Rihanna's music has many different influences. Her performance on Sunday included funk songs, soul songs, and rock music. None of which will be played on the radio. Her influences reflect her background of multiple intersectionalities, but of course to most she remains a black woman singing about sex and drugs. It is time to look past the clothes and the attitude and see what really influences her music.

Latino Depictions in Get Hard

The movie Get Hard depicts the Latino population in Los Angeles, where there are more Latinos than any other race. The beginning sequence of the movie shows contrasts for the life of a working-class Latino worker with a very rich, white business man. It shows the differences in cars, houses, work schedule, etc. This movie is obviously trying to show how poorly Latinos are treated and hopefully that sarcasm worked for everyone, because it worked for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqrpuU9fYI

Who We Are

When you mention the term "proud Black man", the definition can range all over because there is no true measure of a proud black man. Your definition is determined by your environment and what you see every day. To me a proud black man, is one who provides for his family and put others before himself , in effort to change his surroundings. This includes those who are lower-class, but have an effect in changing other lives. Other would only use examples like President Obama, Lebron James and local businessman. To the kids in urban communities, it may be coaches, role models or local hood stars. Being a black male, you come into the world facing certain limitations and problems, that many other races never face.

LGBTQ Rights in North Carolina

Today, March 24, 2016, North Carolina passed a law to not protect LGBTQ rights. This law passed by legislatures prohibits local governments from passing anti-discrimination laws to protect people of the LGBTQ community. The law protects discrimination against race, religion, color, national origin, and biological sex, but not sexual orientation or gender identity. This law is a huge step backwards for the LGBTQ community and those who support them. In the media, LGBTQ people are misrepresented and symbolically annihilated, which is politically evident in situations like this. Through the media and the way politicians discuss people in the LGBTQ community, it is no wonder that they continue to be discriminated against and left out on non-discrimination laws.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/24/471700323/north-carolina-passes-law-blocking-measures-to-protect-lgbt-people

Personal Stereotyping Experience

This past weekend I was in an uber leaving downtown late at night. We all got in the car and we had a detour because the police were talking to some African-American males on the side of the street. The uber driver before even thinking of what was coming out of his mouth was, "Of course the black guys are in trouble with the cops." It is this stereotyping that needs to stop. It turned out the men needed help with their car and the police were just there to help.

Will Blacks Like Donald?

Donald said that African Americans will like him as a President. He says Obama did not do anything for us. This is wrong because as a potential President he should look to be liked be everyone. Instead he is aiming to earn the acceptance of a certain group. This is entirely wrong.

Donald What Did You Say?

Recently Donald Trump said that, "If black lives matter go back to Africa". This is racism in politics. If things like this are happening in politics it is scary. Comments like this should not be made by someone running for President.  President nominees should be inspirations to the youth. They should inspire people because they are leaders.

"Trump Called me 'Beautiful'"

One of Donald Trump's most controversial qualities is his rhetoric when discussing Muslims, and people of any minority for that matter. In this article that I came across from the Washington Post, a female professional journalist, Karen Attiah, articulates her misogynistic experience when interviewing Trump. She brings us through the interview with him and his answers on policy. But, the point of interest does not come until the end of the interview. When Attiah thanks Trump for interviewing with her, he responds, "I really hope I answered your question, beautiful." By using the word "beautiful," Trump automatically strips Attiah of her professionalism and respectability. Just as we discussed in class how calling Hillary Clinton "Mrs. Clinton," instead of Senator Clinton, or just Hillary, diminishes her professionalism, the same can be said for calling Attiah "beautiful." Calling Karen Attiah "beautiful" is extremely reflective of how Trump views women, and how powerful someone in this political light can be.

The article can be found here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2016/03/21/i-asked-trump-a-policy-question-then-he-called-me-beautiful/

IMG Modeling Agency's New Plus-Size Division

Last week IMG modeling agency introduced a new plus-size men’s division called “Brawn”. The current face of this division is Zach Miko who has previously been known as Target’s only plus-size male model. This new division is sending new messages about body image and body confidence for men, “Brawn has a body positive message. Brawn is physical strength.” Although the pressures for men to have the perfect body are not as evasive and prominent as they are for women, the pressures are still there (and have increased in recent years). Creating a new division that will exclusively feature plus-size male models will encourage body confidence in men who are feeling the pressures to have the ‘muscular, V-shaped body’. It is a step in the right direction in terms of reestablishing body image standards and expectations.

This move towards showing relatable body types (for men and women) seems to be a trend in recent weeks. Last week I posted about a plus-size women being featured on the cover of Women’s Running Magazine. Plus-size models are having a big moment right now. Is this a trend or do we think this movement will stick?

Adam Lambert Interview: Gay Representation in Media

http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/adam-lambert-talks-fan-armies-media-coverage-of-homosexuality-ahead-of-milwaukee-show-b99686123z1-372807441.html

Karly Morgan

I thought it was extremely appropriate that I found this interview of Adam Lambert, an openly gay American musician, on the topic of gay portrayal in the media.

He touched on several things we talked about in class, such as how he's often encouraged to perform his sexuality, direct his performances in a "more gay" manner, etc., to play up the gay stereotype. He also talked about how the media often didn't even cover his musical success, but wanted to talk about his sexuality as if it was a scandal or topic worthy of media hype, when it is really just a facet of his identity.

Mostly, I loved his answer to the last question, which I have found to be true in my personal experience: the average person simply doesn't care. It's the media who tries to use it as a source of scandal and hype.

The Dead Lesbian Trope

Karly Morgan 

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BuryYourGays?from=Main.DeadLesbianSyndrome

The 100 was a socially progressive TV show.

Keyword: was.

In previous blogs, I’ve praised the show for its multi-faceted representations of human sexuality. It has, up until this point, treated heterosexual couples and homosexual couples equally in a way that no TV show before it has accomplished. I’m honestly really hurt by what happened on the show, so in order to avoid simply trying to persuade you into anger by agreeing with my opinion, I am going to give you the facts: a definition of a term, and what occurred in Season 3 Episode 7 of The 100 on March 3, 2016.

The Dead Lesbian/Bury Your Gays Trope: In TV shows and films, it is common for an LGBT character to be shown as miserable, struggling with LGBT related social issues, or not achieving whatever goal they want to achieve. This becomes worse when the character actually does achieve their goal or achieve happiness, only to be killed by accident, coincidence, murder, or a generally pointless reason very quickly after. The moral of the trope is clear: you cannot be LGBT and be happy, you cannot achieve happiness in an LGBT relationship, and it would be easier on the rest of society if they could simply bury their gays.

The 100: Season 3, Episode 7: In The 100, the relationship between Lexa and Clarke, both female and both the leaders of the two main “clans” on the show, had been building for 3 entire seasons. They were the main characters, they were powerful, mentally strong, and physically strong, and set a new standard for LGBT characters in television shows. The two characters faced war, strife within their clans, death of loved ones, and only seemed to find happiness with each other. Finally, after 3 seasons and 35 episodes, Lexa and Clarke consummate their relationship and have an artful, emotional, beautifully shot sex scene. There is a commercial break. Lexa gets out of bed and opens the door to exit the room. Her assistant, who doesn’t know how to use a gun, is fumbling with his weapon and mistakenly fires a bullet- and it hits her. Lexa dies in Clarke’s arms.

There’s a cynical saying among the lesbian community that, “if you want to know who the lesbian on a TV show is, fire a bullet in any direction and see who ends up getting killed.” 

emma watson back at it again

Emma Watson, an actress famous for her roles in the Harry Potter series, has lately been on a real speaking out for women equality and is known as one of the bigger feminist activists.  Yesterday a video was released of Emma Watson beat boxing while Lin Manuel beat boxed about feminism.  The video has gone viral and is hoping to spread awareness for feminism.  Emma is hoping for other celebrities to join her in this movement as women look for a voice in America as well as around the world.

It is time for conversion therapy to be outlawed

The fact that conversion therapy is still legal is crazy to me. Just recently, once again, a teen was put through conversion therapy and attempted suicide as a result. Her story is making news as she tells her story in a book called Saving Alex. According to mic.com, "Saving Alex recounts [Alex's] eight months in conversion therapy, a suicide attempt and the cruel things the Mormon leadership of the therapy told her." Alex discusses how she was punched in the gut, and forced to wear a backpack full of rocks, among more torturous things.

It is completely unclear to me how these abusive practices go unnoticed and are legal. Conversion therapy does nothing more than tear families a part, destroy religious beliefs, and most importantly ruin the lives of young people who are suffering to find their identity and be accepted by those they love and trust. Not to mention, conversion therapy increases depression, anxiety, and suicide in teens (they are 8 times more likely to attempt suicide) who are already highly vulnerable to those symptoms (hrc). It is time for conversion therapy to be banned. 

Articles: https://www.yahoo.com/style/teen-forced-wear-backpack-full-155600640.html
http://www.hrc.org/resources/the-lies-and-dangers-of-reparative-therapy

Clinton Told to Smile by White Male Commentators

After a big Super Tuesday sweep for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, over her democratic opponent Bernie Sanders in 5 states she received a large amount of sexist feedback from political commentators through twitter including MSNBC's Joe Scarborough, Brit Hume, Howard Kurtz among others. The stream of tweets can be seen here. In my opinion, the problem with this is that they were telling her to "smile" in her victory speeches and rallies instead of yelling at her supporters. Question. When Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump yell during their rallies or speeches, and not "smile" why are they considered strong candidates and leaders of their communities? By them tweeting these remarks it further reveals the sexist undertones that plague our American Society. Similarly, it also reveals the obvious heteropatriarchy and white male privilege that runs our society. But like we talked about in class, these are people that we see on prime time cable television. They want to put her in the traditional role of a woman. I think she should be taken as serious as a candidate as her other male competitors. I mean other countries have female leaders, and they are doing just fine. So whats the problem; but I digress. Like I said before. This election is really exposing the racist, sexist, ignorant part of our country. Which is sad, but ABOUT TIME!

The Divergent Series: Allegiant

This weekend, the newest movie of the Divergent series, Allegiant, is coming out in theaters. I'm a big fan of movie series in general, so I tend to follow as much as possible. Although there are elements of The Divergent Series that are enjoyable, most of the time I am left bothered.

This is mostly because Shailene Woodley's character Tris fits the description of Fighting Fuck Toy spot on. She is a strong, independent woman who had to grow up fast due to the death of both of her parents and the betrayal of her brother. However, she is shown indiscreetly through the male gaze. She is often performing for the male viewer and is always very tight clothing with the purpose of showing off her body shape. It's a shame to me that they made the movies this way because in the books it is up to the readers imagination of what she looks like, and personally I found no words in the book that made me picture her as over-sexualized.

Love and Hip Hop love triangle

The perception of African-Americans in reality television is often degrading.  Recently, various media outlets reported about VH1 Love and Hip Hop New York's Tara Wallace, who had her third child by Peter Gunz, who is married to co-star, Aminah Buddafly.  The love triangle drama only amplifies the negative reputation of African-Americans in the media.  The intersectionality of being Black women especially, makes it harder for audiences to see them in a positive light.

http://www.vh1.com/news/241402/baby-gunner-is-here-tara-wallace-gave-birth-to-her-third-child-with-peter-gunz/

Across the nation college students are fighting back against the pervasive rape culture that envelops their campuses, much more quiet however, are the voices of younger generations. Girls in middle school who are being subject to sexual abuse often times to not have the outlets or support system to report and recover from sexual abuse. Recently a young girl reported sexual rape after a video of her being sexually abused surfaced. Despite her pleas for help and accusations her school did not take her seriously or believe her.  In fact they punished her and sent her home. After being interview the young girl said she’s still recovering from the incident and confused about why she was punished for telling the truth.“Everyone was blaming things on me,” she said “It was so much pressure. I couldn’t take it. At times I felt like giving up on my life.” Unfortunately this story and others like it are not well known. It is these stories and these types of young women that the mainstream media chooses to either ignore or vilify. It is so important for us as media consumers and members of this society be searching for and listening to the voices of young women. This link below is to an article that details the story. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/sent-home-from-middle-school-after-reporting-a-rape#.fmk1wgnw00

Jaden Smith and Gender Identity

As we discussed in class this week, media has a gender normative presentation.  Gender roles are established by the 3 pillars of white supremacy and heteropatriarchy.  In an article by bet.com, Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada, claims that he believes most people are confused about their gender.  He says their in light of his recent contract with Louis Vuitton, where he is viewed modeling a skirt.  His goal is to use his modeling platform to change the embedded perceptions of gender that people have today.

http://www.bet.com/news/celebrities/2016/03/15/jaden-smith-believes-most-of-us-are--confused-about-gender-.html

Last week Kim Kardashian uploaded a nude photo of herself on Instagram to promote national women’s day. Her photo was meant to demonstrate self-acceptance and body confidence. Unfortunately Kim received a lot of backlash from all sorts of different people including celebrities. What is even sadder however, is the harsh criticism Kim received from other women. These women suggested that by promoting her body on social media and celebrating her appearance she is teaching women that their bodies are what define them. Many others came to her defense though and encouraged her. These encouragements encompassed the idea that self-confidence and body positivity is what makes girls more confident, especially those who struggle with feeling unattractive or unable to fit the societal norm. Kim’s Instagram post proves how media can be an important outlet to encourage young woman and can be used as a way to show body positivity.