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.