Kcb102 week 11
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Transcript of Kcb102 week 11
Everybody knows the media is racist,
sexist and homophobic ….
Today
• Definitions and ideas of inequality in society
• Idea of fairness of representation in the media
• Examples of so called ‘racism’, ‘sexism’ and
‘homophobia’ in the media
• Problems with analyses and alternatives
Examples…??
What is racism, sexism, homophobia?
• Expression of negative feelings or attitudes towards people based on their race, ethnicity, gender or sexuality; can also be negative thoughts
• Emphasis on equal rights, and the right to be treated equally
• As the song goes we all may be a little bit ‘racist’, but is racism really reflected in the media?
The Indigenous Public Sphere (2000) –
Background• Over representation of Indigenous people in
the media
• 1989-91 – Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
• Landmark Mabo Decision in 1992 –declaration of Indigenous land rights in Australia
• Focus on looking at issues of inequality, and how they may be linked to the media
News Reporting – ‘Issues’
• ‘Us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality in how news programs represented Indigenous communities
• Undue emphasis on peoples racial background in news reporting
• Reinforced by government reporting > i.e. seen as a ‘problem’ community
• Lack of so-called ‘ordinary’ representations
• Always a concern with ‘issues’, which was reinforced in lots of media criticism of ‘racism’
The Fringe
Dwellers (1986)
‘The message of The Fringe
Dwellers, not so much realised and
embedded in the film, but rather
just lurking under the surface, is
that we should feel sorry for blacks
who are doing their best to live like
whites even when whites won’t let
them. It is a very patronising film
because its premise is that blacks
can live like whites and want to. It
is only whites who prevent them.
In other words it takes for granted
the destruction of tribal society and
any other kind of racial
consciousness’
Yothu Yindi (1986-)
It is difficult to see this UK
remix, despite its inclusion
of the complete text of the
song on the record sleeve,
as anything more than an
exercise in musical ‘colonial
discourse’, censoring all the
song’s political statement
and leaving only bland,
ambient-styled suggestions
of the Australian outback
within a rigid techno dance
beat. (Tony Mitchell,
‘Treaty Now!’ 1993)
Sexism
‘Clad in short, tight, black,
glossy dress, the camera
shoots her from a low angle,
centering on her crotch. This
female presence is typical
MTV fare, decorative and
sexual, ‘eye candy’ aimed at
the notional adolescent male
MTV viewer, the very
audience that voted Treaty II
as best Australian video of
1991.’ (Hayward, 1992,
Perfect Beat).
The Cosby Show (1984-1992)
Enlightened Racism– Sut Jhally
and Justin Lewis
‘Some have argued that the
Huxtables’ charmed life is so
alienated to the experience of
most black people that they are
no longer black… they are just
like white people’.
‘The Cosby Show, despite its
good intentions, actually helps to
construct enlightened forms of
racism’.
The Flying Doctors (1986)
The Burden of Representativeness
‘In fact it’s still very hard for Aboriginal groups to get on mainstream TV, just as it’s very hard to find an Aboriginal model or stewardess, and you don’t find tourist brochures selling tropical paradises with the charms of the local women. As ‘suss’ as they are, these stereotypes are still off-limits for Aboriginal people … So, while some sympathetic white kids sing ill-conceived songs about their guilt, Yothu Yindi has come along with quite a shockingly assertive statement about really being quite normal and okay.’
Textual Spaces Stephen Muecke, 1992
Issues to ordinariness
2000-s
Deborah Mailman –
Playschool
Secret Life of Us
Redfern Now
Aaron Pedersen –
Wildside
Water Rats
MDA
Secret Life of Us
City Homicide
Heath Bergersen –
Ship to Shore
Sweat
Breakers
Ordinariness??
My Kitchen Rules
Key Points
• In what ways are people seen as ‘ordinary’ or
‘exceptional’?
• Think about the context – other cooking
shows, reality TV contestants, other
representations of particular identities
• Authorship – how much authorship are people
allowed to exercise?
The Footy Show
Queer Eye For the Straight Guy
Diversity in the media
• Relationships
• Sport
• Comedy
• Reality television
‘Racism’, ‘sexism’ and ‘homophobia’
• Are these appropriate terms given that …
• Criticisms are often selective
• ‘Media’ is more complex, and covers a range of different texts, audiences and histories than critics would suggest
• Criticisms are elitist, and assume more knowledge about people and society than so-called ‘lay audiences’ do
Perhaps more useful terms might be…
• Ethnocentrism – ‘ethno’ meaning group, refers to the ways in which groups of people often share the same ideas, attitudes and assumptions
• Androcentric – ‘andro’ meaning ‘man’, referring to male-centered ways of understanding
• Gynocentric – ‘gyno’ meaning ‘woman’, referring to female-centered ways of understanding
• Heterocentric – ‘hetero’ as opposed to ‘homo’ perspectives
Critical biases
• Confirmation bias
• Negativity bias
• Third person effect
Racism, sexism, homophobia may be
so old school but are we really …
Classist?