Sunday, April 21, 2013

Talking Posts #11

I found some cool videos of teens speaking back to what being shown in the media about them. This post will be mostly of videos.
The first video I want to show you guys is this one:
where girls talk about how they feel pressured to look or act a certain way.


There is also this video:
This video is a project done by teens to show how they are portrayed in the media. How the most of the times are confused as to what media is actually trying to sell or say, because it just shows nudity.


This is a documentary of teens asking if its FAIR for certain representation and acts be placed on them, just because one teen did it.


This video is asking teens how they feel about the representations of them in regards to alcohol consumption.



 This video is not necessarily teens talking back about media representations but showing how these representations of teens in the media have have an effect on us. This is the trailer to Killing Us Softly and it talks about female exploitation in the media and how teens should look like, which can be very dangerous for body image and the problems related to it.



And the last video I want to put up is a positive message, its really short but to the point and very effective, well I think so .....




Sunday, April 14, 2013

Talking Points #10

I have never seen an episode of Glee.
I thought it was pretty interesting how in the Pilot episode they talked about how teenagers feel or are invisible because of media outlets like myspace, but then if they try to fit in somehow within their school by trying to get involved then its seemed as a waste of time.

I actually loved how the characters were sorta portraying a stereotype but deep down inside they were the opposite.
For example the jock Finn who is the start quarterback for the football team, is not as confident as everyone sees him. He is pretending someone he is not, and basically just doing football to fit in.
But later on in another episode I loved how he let that go and stood up for Artie in front of all his football teammates. And how afterwards he took control of the Glee club and gave them some sense of direction after their teacher had quit on them.

I also think its a sad and hopeless example to young kids and teenagers the idea that in order for you to become an adult you would have to let go of your dreams, or that when you are having a baby you no longer living for you but for your family, instead of trying to make it work where everyone is happy.

In the Never Been Kissed episode, I didn't think it was funny how they assumed that because they were talking about an all boy school, the idea was that they were all gay, and if this was true, I still don't get the joke.
I also did not appreciate the teacher making Kurt join the boys team when he obviously does not feel like he belongs there, why is he forcing him to do that?
Because Kurt is the only gay kid out in the school, he feels alone and that he just has to deal with it on his own, but when he finds out that someone in the football team is also gay, even though he is terrified of him, he is also relieved in some ways I think, because he wants to help him come out, and let him know that it is ok. The last thing about this episode that I was wondering was if Williams kissed Beast because he felt pity for her?

In the last episode Furt, the idea that when you are being bullied in your teenage years makes you a stronger person, I thought is not a good, to throw that out in the media, because teenage kids that being bullied watching might think its ok and they just need to get through it, which might not necessarily be safe. Bullying can be shown in all sorts of ways, not only verbal or physical.
Also the message that if you were bullied as a teenager you then become an adult bully is crap and just a load of excuse for taking your anger about being bullied on others, who had nothing to do with it.
It made me sad that school won't enforce or try to help those kids that come forth and ask for help about being bullied, and this might be the reason why most of them do not ask for help, which then again can be dangerous.

Overall, I think I am glad I have never watched this show because of the problems I have with it.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Talking Points #9 (Extended Comments)

On this post I will try and do an extended comment on Andrea's Blog.

I agree when Andrea point out that:
We need more "conscious" rap on the radio. We need a diversification of what we have access to. As it stands, the popular rappers with the popular tracks are simply saying exactly what the Machine wants us to hear. The message being shared and what we are taking in falls in line with the dominant ideologies of society. 

 When I read this I also agreed with all the songs that Andrea put as examples. I also couldn't stop thinking off this song:


 I'm pretty sure everyone or almost everyone from class has heard this song in the radio before. Not only does it degrade women, it put money at as the most important thing you can have, because you can be a nigga but if your a rich nigga is a different story (paraphrasing). There is no question of how heterosexual this song tries to be.


On a different note: lets look at this song:




Not many have heard this one I'm sure because it talks about the reality of white supremacy and the way the black body is not valuable in our society. How it is easily dismissed by laws put in place to prevent us from moving forward and get any type of white justice. Could be a reason that radio station don't play this song, or that maybe her record sales are not that high.

In the video clip Andrea shared with us in the blog, I noted that there were some youth protesting to the "type" of hip-hop that radio stations put out there. My only problem with that is that, that is the only hip-hop we know. I know that it may not be the most positive but at the same time what is positive about living in the projects, feeling unsafe and hearing gun shots in the middle of the night, being scared that your child might fall into drugs because you have to work 4 5 different jobs. At the other side of that coin, I do agree that it has changed into money, hoes, bitches and weed. Which of course does not help the situation of the way the white folk look at us.

Hip-hop is a huge part of our culture and there are a lot of youth that identify with it. The problem is that they are identifying with the stereotypes and the yunk that The Machine wants us to listen to. Just another way for them to control our minds. This gives us a sense of self or identity when in reality is there plan all along.





Smile :)
kt