Media Portfolio #10

http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/2008/01/19/tiger-and-the-noose/

This article is about the reference a white television golf analysis made, "if players want to keep up with tiger they will have to lynch him and put him in a noose." Kelly Tilghman, the golf commentator, made those remarks about Tiger after a final round in a tournoment a month ago. Having used these remarks is very offensive and harmful. Luckily for her,Tiger took them with a grain of salt and was not offended. The reporter was suspened for two weeks without pay and apologized to evreyone who was offened by her remarks.

You can relate this article to what in class activity we did last week. When you got out a picture of a noose and we decribed some of the things that came to mind will looking at the picture. Then after that you showed us that video of the pictures with the blacks being hung. By having a respected white women use discrimination with such statements makes it hard for blacks and whites ever to be completely looked at the same. Tiger Woods is one of the only multi racial golfers on the tour and by directing these remarks to the white members on the golf tour make the situation a sticky one. It was an unfortunate situation that has been resolved. Nooses are evry scary things that have many different meanings behind them. The one meaning which the noose relate to everyone is the word hate. If Tiger Woods was white the reporter would have never made these comments becuase the would not have made any sense. Wright decribes in his writings the different things whites did against blacks during the Jim Crow law times. It is a very sad thing to look at but by realizing the problems in the past can help right those same problems in the future.

I love golf and heard the women make the comments live on television. I thought alot about what she had said and felt bad for her because you could tell she wanted to take them back as soon as she said them. The sad part of the situation for her is that, that is her job to give her opionion on different things. Althought the comments she made were true, the fact of the matter is that you can not make comments with such harsh history behind them.

Media Porfolio #9

This news story is about a school where whites pick on blacks and make obscene gestures everywhere. Northwest
High School is a place where whites and blacks interact togeher. Whites have the thought in their minds that they are above blacks and feel the need to let them know they are above them. Like the Geny 6 story, this is a problem with people of my age and I feel bad when hearing this.

I can relate this video to the Wright when he talks about the Jim Crow laws and different types of slavery that existed throughout the south. It is so weird how different lifestyles are from North to the South. I went to a high school that had a decent amount of black kids. I rarely saw anything racist and never to the extent that is in the video. With the drawings of the hangings relates to exactly what Wright said how it was living with nooses and people being hung everyday as if it is no big deal. I could never imagine times like that in the 21 century.

I thought this news story was extremly hard to watch and honestly for me it was extreamly hard to believe. I obviously do believe things like that happen because they have proof but I just cant comprehend it. I just wonder will a story like this ever be in the news from somewhere in the north, I highly doubt it.

Media Portfolio #8

This is a Sony billboard for the white Sony PSP that is coming out. I am not sure where this billboard is located, but I would take a guess and say somewhere downtown in a big city. There are many different ways racism can be realted to this billboard. I am just going to list some of the things that came to my mind when I first saw the piece then I will realte it to class material.

The background of the billboard is all black.
The black man is dressed in all black, and the white female is dressed in all white.
The white person is a women and black person is a man and she is grabbing the black mans face as though, even though she is a women, she is still white and black rule over blacks.
The way she is grabbing him gave the thought of slavery in a way sort of like I own you and I can do what I want with you.
The way the black man is looking back at her, is like I know you own me and that is why I am extremly scared of you.
Lastly, the way she is looking at him is like he did something wrong and now she is going to do something to hurt him

You can realate is billboard to the way privledge and opperession is discussed in Johnson chapter 2. Johnson states, "Privledge exists when one group has something of value that is denied to others simply becuase of the groups they belong to, rather than because of anything they've done or failed to do." This billboard is rehiterating that whites are privledged and blacks are not. This shows that by having the white women grabing the black man by the face and having him look like he is scared instead of having him be mad at her. Another why it shows privlege is because think about it, if you were a black person and you saw this billboard in a city you most likely would not buy the product. Well, what is being advertised on this billboard is a very expensive video game system. There is already a black colored PSP out, so this is trying to make sure everyone knows there is a white one coming out. I highly doubt any black person would want to buy this product after seeing this billboard, but it brings a question to mind. Why did Sony put a billboard like if they are trying to maximize their profit off this product? By having this shown they are losing most of their black audience in that city. I think that because the product is so expensive, the marketing of the product was done with the thought that blacks would not even be able to spend the amount of money on a PSP therefore we should leave them out anyways. It is a very interesting way of marketing.

I think that this is a very interesting billboard and I would love to sit down and hear what a black persons point of view on it is. I also thought of one other thing while analyzing it. What if the roles would have been reversed? It would have made for a totally different type of marketing scheme.This class has helped me notice little things such as billboards like this have.

Media Porfolio #7

In this media presentation I have decided to present the movie "Crash". Crash is a great presentation of how different races look at racisim in different ways. Crash is a movie made in 2005 and is about five different people of different races that all crash together. In this clip there are various actors that show racism. Sandra Bolick is the actor in this scene that I am going to relate to because she irriterates what Johnson says in Chapter 8. When she says that she just had a gun pointed in her face by two black men and she knew if it was going to happen. She goes on to say but, it she would have walked away from the two men then she would be looked as a racist person.

Be her saying these things she is iriterrating the thought of I'm one of the good ones. By her saying I did not want to walk away from the two black she is saying that she is one of the good ones that does not judge a ceratin race until they stick a gun in her face. It would be evry hard for someone who was not racist to get held up by a gun and not become racist. Blacks want to be treated as individuals and not be classified and judge by their social group. But, when being judge by their social group brings them benefits they would rather be classifed in that social group. In this situation blacks would rather be classifed as individuals instead of being judged as a black member. Bolick will now prejudge blacks based on this situation, and to tell you the truth I can not blame her.

I have never had any experiences like this before so I would not know how to handle it. I have never prejudged blacks and I always try to look at people as individuals. If I did get hung up with a gun by blacks it would be extreamly hard to look at that race the same way. Even though I know all blacks are not gang bangers, it would scare me to the point where I would have no other choice than to do so.

Media Porfolio #6

In this video a famous comedian, Dave Chapell, pokes fun at the ways racism is viewed in America. This video is based on the ways racisim is happening throughout America. Dave Chapelle is a well known comedian that makes fun of the ways blacks and whites are treated in te United States. Racism is not a funny thing but at the same time I think videos and comedians that make fun of the different ways of racism can lighten up the situation a little bit.

If you think about this video, it is a black man making fun of the ways whites treat blacks. That is one of the ways I think that America has changed for the better. Back in history, if a black man would have been caught making fun of the different ways whites and blacks interact, he would have been murdered or beaten. America definatley has changed because blacks and whites can both go to a comedians show and hear the different things that are funny with racism. The best part about the siuation is how both races can laugh at the things he is saying whether they are racist or not. The one thing he does say that can be raletd to the video screening on slavery is the way blacks hum while working while whites whistle. I laughed really hard because it is true if you think about it. Looking about at history blacks did always hum while working which made it seem like the work was hard.

I really like Dave and think that some of the things he does are some of the funniest things I have ever seen. But while watcing this video made me think of a question. How would this picture change if Dave was white? I think that it would be a totally different situation because even though he never was a slave it seems like he has the reserved right to make fun of slavery because his race and ansestors were slaves. If he was white it would not be as funny because he would have no experiences with slavery and people would most likely think that he is extreamly racist.

Media Porfolio #5

On ESPN this past month there was a special on called black magic. Black magic was a video showing the different ways blacks basketball players were treated throughout the south. This realtes directly to what we learned in the video "Keep you eyes on the prize". I chose this media item because it realates in a great way and also because it is really cool to take something that I love , sports, and realte it to things we have learned in this class. I never really could relate to anything that we learned in this class to anything I like until this video.

In this video clip you have legends of the game of basketball telling thier stories about how they were traeted throughout the south and the hardships that they faced while trying to play basketball. They use examples about how they could not look at whites in the eyes, if they wanted to try on hats they would have to put a netting on thier head before doing so, and also they talk about how if they wanted to get some food they would have to stand and order it they were not allowed to sit down and eat. These were all things that were also told on the video screening. Just like anything else it was extreamly hard for blacks to break the color barrier in the game of basketball. Now more than ever you see more blacks playing professional basketball than whites. Before braking the barrier they would not be allowed to practice in gyms a or even be in the same gym as whites. As much as I love playing basketball I don't think that I would be able to go through all of these hardships just to be able to play.

Like I said before this piece really helped me to realate what we have been learning in class to what I love in life. I loved this film Black Magic and found it really interesting. My whole life growing up I have heard about all these great basketball players, well to be able to hear them speak on what they had to go through just to play the game they love made me realize I should not take the game for granted. Also by learning more about the history of the game and how blacks came to be able to play with whites.

Media Porfolio #4

This cartoon is about the different types of racisim looked upon the black communtiy. It is a cartoon whichs shows black people sitting around being lazy and doing different things slowly. Then a younger good looking black women comes into the cartoon and everyone on the farm sits up and stairs at this young good looking black women. She dances around and shows the bigger black women how to wash cloths because she is trying to get a job with her company which is called "Lazy Laundry".

This cartoon relates to the film "Ethnic Notions" which we watched in class in class. It relates to he movie "Ethnic Notions", in mutiple ways. The first way is through the way each black person in the caroon looks. They all have oversized lips, eyes, and feet. The only black person who does not, is the young black women that appears in the cartoon later on. They also all have nappy hair that sticks up except for the young black women whose hair is wavy and nice. Another way it reiterates the film is through the way all the men are sitting around or moving really slowly and not getting anything accomplished. In a scence of he cartoon, is shows a black male eating a matermelon. Blacks are known for liking watermelon alot, which also is a racism way of portraying blacks.. This is the thought that blacks are lazy and the only thing they are good for is a beating. Lastly, it shows one male picking cotton really slow. This shows the thought that black slaves were horrible workers and did not accomplish alot. Another source of material that relates to the cartoon is through Takaki chapter 3. In this chapter Takaki talks about the way all oppressed people were put into one group called the giddy mutitude. Takkai talks about it in chapter 3 saying, "Dominated by their passions, blacks threatened white racial purity" later adding "is a powerful obstacle to the emancipation of these people." This saying that slaves were giddy and energetic. This belif that blacks loved to dance and were crazy. That is why Jefferson thought if we didn't stop slavery blacks would have rebelled against whites causing mass kaous.

I think that any for of racisim such in the above commercial should be banned from the internet. If some how we could stop all internet racism, that would be a huge part for equality. The internet is such a big part of information and thought exchanging, for instance, this blog. People can say what ever they want, and it could be read throughout that whole world on the web. I am not part of the black community so I am unaware of how is feels to see a video with such negative effects. The fact of the matter is that blacks do not have huge features and just like whites. There are people who work hard and also people who are lazy. It is funny to see some of the ways blacks are portrayed as being lazy when really there are plenty of black people who are hard honest workers.

Media Portfolio #3

The film American History X is a movie about how one mans look on race changes dramatically throughout his life. I chose to write about this movie clip because it portrays how a great deal of white people think about blacks. In this sence Derek (Edward Norton) is argueing with his family on how Roddney King should not have been let off his charges because the white police officers were beating him. This scene is one of the most intense scenes out of any movie I have ever seen. Another reason why I chose this piece is because of the direct relation with Johnsons Chapter 8 concept of sick and tired.

Derek argues about how he is sick and tried of hearing blacks argue about racisim. He says how the Roddney King should have gotten charged even though the cops beat him, which he says was a well deserved beating. Derek is apart of the privledged being a white male and he is sick and tired of hearing about the problems with the oppression, black race. Another argument he has is about how whites have their own problems and he does not hear whites complaining about them the way blacks do. He says that blacks should stop complaing about the racisim in the country. He claims how whites are above blacks and blacks create crime in society which would not be present without blacks. Those are the ways this clip realtes to Johnsons's concept of sick and tired.

I believe that Derek has a valid point when he states that statistics prove that crime rates among blacks are higher than they are with whites. But a the same time I believe that blacks should have some privledge of their own. I can definatley feel for blacks in the ways which they can not let the issue of racisim go away. It is hard for blacks when racisim is still present today in society. Whether it be in the work field, housing, and other everyday situations racisim is still alive and until we are all created equal, which will sadly, likely never happen we can still keep hoping though.

Media Portfolio #2

Being from Cleveland I am a huge Cleveland Indians fan. That is why I chose to write about the way the icon/mascot of the Indian is represented and how it has false characteristics. I never realized how it was misrepresented until I saw the movie "Ethic Notions". That movie opened my eyes to something I have never noticed while rooting for the Indians my whole life.

The icon from the Indians is portrayed like the "common indian" was supposed to look like. With red skin, big eyes, big nose, and big mouth. In respect to the icon because I would never picture them changing it. After watching the movie I will always have that thought in the back of my mind when ever I see it. This picture of the Indian is falac in all ways. First, I highly doubt that indians had bright red skin. I know they didnt have white skin, but i dont get why they had to make the icon bright red. Secondly, Indians did not have huge eyes and mouths like portrayed in the picture. Personally, I think that white people came up with the thought that indians looked so differently because they were "the other". People of different decent with different lifestyles. I dont blame people of indian decent for being mad about the way the icon was sketched. I sure would not want people making fun of my heritage in such humerous ways.

I think that every sports mascot with a native american mascot, such as Indians, Redskins, or Braves should think about changing their names. People should realize the offense people of indian decent take from being mocked with names as team mascots. It is not fair to them, because I would guarentee if a team was named the "whitemen", the white society would up roar against it.

Remember the Titans

I chose the scene in "Remember the Titans" for my first media portfolio item becasue it is a good example of racisim in America. "Remember the Titans" was a movie about the first interacial high school football team. Once the team accepted one another for who they were and forgot each others racial backgrounds the team became very good. I chose this scene of the movie to write about because it shows how whites in fact did not want to talk, play, or work with blacks.

This situation is directly related to Johnson chapter 8, and the concept of "it's better this way." The thought that blacks actually prefer living with white people, but white people feel they are to good to live or work a with black people. In this part of the movie Denzel Washington asks coack Youst to stay on his coaching staff and work as a defensive coordinator. When asked, coach Youst's only response is to show Washington the way out of his house. Johnson writes on how whites think blacks can not be held on the same social level as they are held on. This is a great example because white people can not take the "back seat" sort of speak to blacks. White people think that there is no racial problems in America. That thought only keeps us racial father apart. We need tot adress race in this counrty and work for racial equality. The fact is that the odds are against anyone who thinks that one day blacks will be held on the same standard that whites are held too.

I believe that this movie does a good job portraying how far blacks have come in their challenge to gain social acceptance among white people. In the beginning of the movie blacks are treated as dirt, and the lines between whites and blacks are drawn very thick. But, as the movie progresses the team starts to accept each other and as the team begins to accept each other, so does the inracial communtiy they are apart of. By the end of the movie blacks and whites are living together with less problems and issues among themselves. This two hour movie also makes you realize how racial problems have decreased over the past decade. Now more than ever I believe blacks are held on a level of society thats as close to whites as there has been in the past. A good example of this is how close Senator Obama is to getting to be the democratic canidate for presidency. If elected he would be the first multi racial presidental canidate. That is a huge step for the black community and should keep a fire lit under the butts to keep striving to reach their goal of racial equality.