racism
Racism has been portrayed in the media for as long as anyone can remember. Racism just cannot go away. The media has portrayed African Americans in a negative light for a very long time. In chapter six of Why American Hate Welfare, Martin Gilen states, “studies show that the representation of African Americans in both fictional television and television news has grown to the point where blacks are now overrepresented in both contexts” (138). Many of the overrepresentation is racial discrimination. People don’t want to see white businessmen getting arrested. It is more interesting if crazy black people are getting arrested or doing something stupid. The Media only wants to make money
and only worried about that, so they will do anything to make that money. Which bring up the next topic or Gilen. Most Americans think majority of welfare recipients are blacks but in reality majority are white. For example, Gilen
uses Michigan as being 31% poor blacks in the state but people in Michigan think that 50% of poor people in that state are black. The media portrays blacks as poor so Americans think there are more poor African Americans in America
then there actually is. I complete agree with Gilen when he says “both media portrayals and public perceptions exaggerate the degree to which African American compose the poor” (139).
I interviewed a 10 year-old named Patrick, asking him questions about TV and the media. I first started out with showing him pictures of toys. One toy being a white male and then other toy being a black male, automatically without any hesitation at all he picked the white male toy. When I asked him why he responded “HAHA the other guys black…Ew, I wouldn’t touch him.” I then asked Patrick about the TV shows he watched. Like any other media driven child he watches all the newest shows and was attached to the TV. I asked if he watched any shows such as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Cosby Show, Everybody Hates Chris, The Proud Family, he said no his parents “didn’t allow him to watch shows like that.” When I asked what he meant by saying “shows like that,” he said “I don’t know they just don’t like them so I don’t watch them.” Which brings me to think of subconscious racism. Patrick’s parents don’t allow him to watch “black” Television shows, they know why he cannot watch them but he does not. So growing up he knows not to associate himself with things that have to do with black people. I have seen those shows and there is a lot to
learn from them but the stereotypes people make about African Americans. The stereotypes the media has made about blacks is that black are criminals so its not a surprise when we see it. Even blacks aren’t surprised when they see their own race being discriminated against. Although in the media we see some good come out of blacks, we subconsciously reject all that good because of how much negatively we have seen towards black throughout our whole lives.
and only worried about that, so they will do anything to make that money. Which bring up the next topic or Gilen. Most Americans think majority of welfare recipients are blacks but in reality majority are white. For example, Gilen
uses Michigan as being 31% poor blacks in the state but people in Michigan think that 50% of poor people in that state are black. The media portrays blacks as poor so Americans think there are more poor African Americans in America
then there actually is. I complete agree with Gilen when he says “both media portrayals and public perceptions exaggerate the degree to which African American compose the poor” (139).
I interviewed a 10 year-old named Patrick, asking him questions about TV and the media. I first started out with showing him pictures of toys. One toy being a white male and then other toy being a black male, automatically without any hesitation at all he picked the white male toy. When I asked him why he responded “HAHA the other guys black…Ew, I wouldn’t touch him.” I then asked Patrick about the TV shows he watched. Like any other media driven child he watches all the newest shows and was attached to the TV. I asked if he watched any shows such as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Cosby Show, Everybody Hates Chris, The Proud Family, he said no his parents “didn’t allow him to watch shows like that.” When I asked what he meant by saying “shows like that,” he said “I don’t know they just don’t like them so I don’t watch them.” Which brings me to think of subconscious racism. Patrick’s parents don’t allow him to watch “black” Television shows, they know why he cannot watch them but he does not. So growing up he knows not to associate himself with things that have to do with black people. I have seen those shows and there is a lot to
learn from them but the stereotypes people make about African Americans. The stereotypes the media has made about blacks is that black are criminals so its not a surprise when we see it. Even blacks aren’t surprised when they see their own race being discriminated against. Although in the media we see some good come out of blacks, we subconsciously reject all that good because of how much negatively we have seen towards black throughout our whole lives.