Analysis on "The Miseducation of Hip-Hop--Discrimination in Education"

Unfortunately, the cloths people chose to wear and the way they cut their hair play a big role in first impressions.  Stereotyping is something that will probably not go away.  Whether it is the big baggy paints of today or the long hair of the past, each new generation will have a different style that makes it very easy for someone to stereotype them.  When Jason Hinmon transferred to a new school it is easily understood why he almost dropped out (Evelyn, 2008, p.559).  Professors, white or black and of any age, are at school to help and teach anyone that is willing to put forth effort and try to learn.  Teachers are people also, and they can easily fall victim to stereotyping individuals.  It is there education and ambition to teach people that should overcome this obstacle.  Hinmon should realize this when he makes the choice to dress as he does and overcome the original first impression of his professors. 

When Dr. Thomas Earl Middgette commented, “these rap artists influence the way they dress,” he was speaking imprudent (as cited in Evelyn, 2008, p. 559).  While some people are influenced to want to look like their favorite rap artist, the rappers are no more influential than any other icon in the public eye.  The way somebody dresses is their own personal choice.  Unless it is offensive or distracting others, for good reason, than the way someone dresses should not be a concern.  On the other hand, people do need to realize that clothing choice can have consequences.  If an employer expects someone to dress in appropriate attire for their business, than to think that any other dress should be allowed is wrong.  A business owner has the right to tell their employees what to wear to work, as long as it is not immoral.  Schools should also have the same right.  If a school requires a dress code, than it should be followed; rules are rules whether or not everyone likes them.  This is something that some people just do not understand.  It is a matter of respect, when someone walks into an interview they should be dressed appropriately or not expect to get the job.  Stereotyping someone for the way they dress or what music they listen to is inappropriate, but not following the rules or being disrespectful, earns the stereotyped title.

References

Evelyn J. (2008). Seeing movies and listening to music. In E. Barrosse (Ed.), Pop perspectives

(pp.559-565). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill

Understanding "The Bias of Language, The Bias of Pictures"

There are many differences between stationary pictures, moving pictures, and language as described by Neil Postman and Steve Powers in their essay “The Bias of Language, The Bias of Pictures”.  First, as someone views a stationary picture there is no words to accompany it. This allows the onlooker to come up with their own point of view, not the bias opinion of a reporter or any other person that may speak positively or negatively about the event taking place in the picture.  But as Postman and Powers (2008) explain, “individual pictures give us the world as object” (p. 485).  Thus, a picture is only one particle image at one particular time.  Second, there are moving pictures. This is what television provides for us. The pictures are able to tell a story without words.  The viewer is able to see what is actually happening.  People can make their own determinations about a particular situation; there are multiple images thru multiple moments.  Next, language is how things are described and understood.  The problem with language is the wide variety of word choice that may be used.  If someone uses any other way to explain something other than descriptive, then bias interpretations may be perceived.  When this happens, the audience may not be receiving the correct information (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 483).  

When you use the different ways of expressing information you get different results.  The media is always trying to capture viewers, Postman andPowers (2008) says, “images can present emotions and rudimentary ideas” (p.485).  This is what gets viewers involved and wanting to see more.  Newspaper articles differ in content. They report with language and are more detailed in content.  A newspaper allows a reader to scan over many articles and choose how they receive the information (Postman and Powers, 2008, p. 488). 

            Neither way of reporting is 100% non-bias; they may not even be 50% non-bias. But, as educated viewers that understand how to interpret language and the use of different levels of abstraction, one can differentiate what they hear or see.

References

Postman N., & Powers S. (2008). Watching television. In E. Barrosse (Ed.), Pop perspectives

(pp.481-489). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill

Objective Analysis of the Darth Vader, VolksWagen Commercial

This commercial for Volkswagen depicts the average middle-class family, as do so many ads in the media.  The child in this video seems to be a typical young boy, or is he.  The gender is never actually reveled; the child is only shown in one bedroom that is all pink.  The first assumption is that it is his sister’s room, but in fact it may be her room. There is much room to speculate over this as the characteristic actions of children can be indistinct.  The mother and father in the commercial may actually portray the typical parents we would like to see in a middle-class family.  The mother is in the kitchen, just as dad arrives home from work.  This is a scene from an older era in most cases.  However, the action of the parents, playing a joke on their child, seems to be represented in a more modern fashion.  The Star Wars theme is legendary; Darth Vader may be a character that lives on forever.  The original trilogy may be 30 years old, but with the release of the first three chapters a whole new era of Star Wars fans were born.  Overall, the representation of interactions amongst a 21^st century family was captured very well.  

Objective Analysis of the Justin Bieber Video "Baby"

In the Justin Bieber video Baby, the director is trying his best to influence both the male and female genders.  He portrays Justin Bieber and his friend as typical teenage boys having a good time; he also portrays the group of young girls in the same manner.  At this age when young men and women are starting to explore their sexuality, it is not unusual for a group of friends of the same sex to hang out together in hopes of interacting with another group of the opposite sex.  Teens at this stage of life typically try to find anywhere to hang out and have a good time.  This particular video illustrates the teens interacting in a bowling alley, but this could have just as easily taken place at the beach or in the mall. The meeting places may change over time but teenagers habits will not.  However, the habits of the music industry are always changing.  Many singing styles are starting to come together and combined different sounds to try and reach a new audience.  Pop and rap, like in this video, are the two that seem to be the easiest to transition; but others, even country, have been able to produce hits.  Overall, other than the fantasy of dancing in the middle of a bowling alley, this video does a good job portraying teenagers and their behaviors.