Bigots in Media: Good or Bad? In his essay “Why A&E Should Put “Duck Dynasty’s” Racist Homophobe Back on the Air”, Richard Kim argues that in order to fight racism and homophobia, racist homophobic bigots like Phil Robertson from “Duck Dynasty” should get more media exposure; his exact words are “[Duck Dynasty] should show Robertson being as homophobic as he pleases, in his home, his church, his community.” (Kim 2) His opinion is that people should see “the whole picture – homophobia included” in order to fully understand that people still believe as Robertson does, and hence fight racism and homophobia. (Kim 3) I agree with Robertson that in order to fight racism and homophobia people should see the whole picture – people need to see that racism is still very much alive in order to fight it. But I also believe, that in order to fight homophobia, it would be more effective if homosexuals themselves are portrayed more on TV. The first step to combating any problem is raising awareness - we cannot solve a problem that people do not know, or do not believe exists. For example, a lot of people did not know about the disease ALS until the ice bucket challenge went viral on social media. After the challenge went viral, public awareness and the donations to several ALS associated charities soared. Similarly, we cannot fight racism or homophobia if people do not believe that it still exists, or even recognize it as a problem. Hence, showcasing racism and homophobia on TV and
There is a fine line between expressing your personal opinion and verbally criticizing others. However, when it comes down to it, what was Phil Robertson, the “dad of Duck Dynasty,” really doing? “My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the bible teaches, and part of the teaching is that women and men are meant to be together,” he stated. Personally, I believe that Phil Robertson was being brutally honest and I see no issue with that. Arts & Entertainment (A&E) cannot punish him for his personal beliefs. Quite frankly, I think it was an unintelligent move on their part to ask a man of God, such as Phil, what his belief was on gay marriage. What else would you have expected him to say?
The clear message for fighting racism is a plain lesson we first learn in elementary schools and in our own individual families, treat everyone as your own and as your equal. Racism is not an external occurrence it is hate behavior that is taught and widely accepted today. To fight racism, we should look to the person in front of us, behind us, to the right and to left every time as equals and as a
What could have been improved upon is the social representation in the media. Cultures seldom understand that prejudice and resentment is a byproduct of their hierarchal institutes (Martin, 184). An example from the article where media showed indifference to marginalized group perceptions was the media indicating that gay support groups were only using Warren’s death as a means to their agenda (Moon). Ideally, these news organizations have the responsibility to be impartial and include every part of the public as a means of share information however it is impractical because these organizations have to operate within these social contexts. If a more diverse representation of social reality were presented and given voice then surely there would be a higher endorsement for other marginalized groups views. It is not just the dominant community’s views that should be publicized but also the unheard voices and groups that also merit the right to present their realities and perceptions. The wide range of distinctive views would change the way the public looks on cases like the social injustice of J.R. Warren and that would result in a change in the way social judgment is
This article was anything but superficial in fact it was audacious, yet horrifying. It focused on the Westboro Baptist Church, a small congregation based in Topeka, Kanas. The church has been globally associated with homophobia ever since the 1990s when members would protest the funerals of people who suffered from AIDS. The church especially began to gain media attention in 2000 when they began protesting the funerals of military men and women who were homosexual. They believed that the nation’s acceptance of homosexuality was the reason for all the war casualties. The congregation of the church is mostly members of the Phelps family, although many of the Phelps children had begun to abandon the church. Megan Phelps is one of the many who abjure the church; she gives in an inside of the abhorrent church to the New Yorker. The
As nation everyone can get together and try to get on the news saying that their selling free shirts that they say end racism prejudice and anti-Semitism and they can talk about how there bad. As a nation everyone can post a video on Social Media and talk about how racism,prejudice and anti-Semitism and how it’s bad and those things should never happen again as a nation everyone can post on YouTube talking about how racism.prejudice and anti-Semitism and how it’s
There are a lot of things that help improve this situation, one of them being an increased awareness of what seems to have become a societal difference, and what can be done about it. One of the biggest hurdles, a lack of information about the
Televised on all broadcast are shows and movies that are based on the past and some of the horrible things that have taken place. Slavery around the world, the AIDS epidemic, Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, Hitler and the Nazis, and even the events that occurred on September 11th, 2001. Students learn about these events in their classes during middle and high school. One thing that the students do not seem to realize is that these events occurred due to a little thing called racism. Racism is everything but little, though. Racism still exist in our contemporary times. There are several examples to prove racism still exist, but one that is very transparent to see is from the last three presidential elections. In 2008,
Personally, I believe education is the key to combating racism. We must education our peers on our cultures. We must explain that “colorblindness” in society is not what’s best. Only by embracing and recognizing each other differences we will be able to break the social bubbles we live in. I’ve gained a stronger sense of racial awareness through this course. I have the ability to challenge and change other people’s ideologies and understand my own. I know because of my social position have scholarships, financial aide and the values of hard work and education instilled in me by my parents and grandparents. I’m also aware that many people are not able to gain that same access. Because of my racial awareness there is so much more I want to find out about the contributing factors that led to my family’s social position in New Orleans. It is through my racial awareness I plan to beat the system.
Racism and discrimination continue to be a prevalent problem in American society. Although minorities have made significant strides toward autonomy and equality, the images in media, specifically television, continue to misrepresent and manipulate the public opinion of blacks. It is no longer a blatant practice upheld by the law and celebrated with hangings and beatings, but instead it is a subtle practice that is perceived in the entertainment and media industries. Whether it’s appearing in disparaging roles or being negatively portrayed in newscasts, blacks continue to be the victims of an industry that relies on old ideas to appeal to the majority. The viscous cycle that is the unconscious racism of the media continues to not only be
It is time to take action. Not only in our own lives, but in the lives of the children. There has been attempts, there has been success, and there has been failure. Many people have ways in which they believe will help reduce racism. But which is the right way, the best way? According to Barbara Hacker, author of "Advice for Teachers on Racism and Oneness," it is up to the educators. She believes teachers can make a difference in the lives of his or her students.
One of the most important subjects that need to be change almost immediately is racism. Racism always been around and it has always been wrong. Sadly racism still exists all over the world. There are a lot of people who does not get that all people are created equal. It is sad because kids are being raised to be racist. I am lucky that I have not had any bad experiences as you see on the news but I have seen some noticeable racism around me. When I was in elementary school I was having a birthday party and my mom told me to invite all my friends so I did just that. There was this one white girl in my class that I gave an invitation to because I enjoyed being around her. Couples day went by she came to me and said her mom would not let her
We can fight racism and discrimination, too. Not with violence, but with love, just like Martin Luther King Jr. We can raise awareness about discrimination, and stand up to racists D11. If everyone stood up to racists who act upon their beliefs, and explain why what they’re doing is wrong, and if they listen, that would almost take care of the problem all on its own C3. The act would snowball; getting bigger and bigger, and might eventually stop racism with everyone working together in harmony
GLAAD is an organization that claims to “rewrite the script for LGBT acceptance.” (GLAAD) It was founded thirty years ago on November 14, 1985 in response to the New York Post’s misplaced and uncalled for slanderous coverage of HIV and AIDS. Since its establishment in 1985, GLAAD has grown into a prestigious organization known for its courageous, on-going battle against the unfair treatment and representation of sexual minorities. One way that GLAAD fights against discrimination is by analyzing LGBT characters and plots to television series and movies, and if misrepresentation is present, then GLAAD is the first in line to advocate for them. This is done through a grading system. GLAAD grades broadcasting networks using their Responsibility Index (NRI) with grades ranging from “Excellent” to “Failing” based on the quality, accuracy, and diversity of the LGBT representations found in the network’s programming. This criticism helps networks improve upon diverse programming. In the 2015 Network Responsibility Index, GLAAD only had two failing grades for this year. The lowest score, for the fourth year in a row, was the History channel, scoring a whopping 0 LGBT-inclusive hours out of 362.5 hours of primetime programming. A&E, the second
Having grown up in a small southern town, I can justly say that homophobia and racism are still very alive and well here. But this is not uncommon, almost everywhere you go there is going to someone who is going to disagree, someone who is unwilling to open their mind to different possibilities. The problem here however, is that these old fears and hatreds are being ingrained into the minds of the new generation. These budding minds have already been poisoned with prejudice and fear of anything that they deem different. Just recently, I was working as an office aid in a Speech classroom and we did one of your regular ‘run-of-the-mill’ type icebreakers. You were given a list of twelve different people and told that if you were stranded on an uncharted island, which seven would you save, and
The question remains even though racism continue to a an impact on other people’s lives what,what can we do about it? Well, no one person can do it all or do it alone but we can all help and work collectively to end