In the previous post I wrote about a very inspiring and heartwarming Tim Hortons' commercial. In this blog post, I will focus on the opposite of that and show an example of very negative remarks that are represented on a popular television show, "Family Guy". We have discussed representations and stereotypes in Unit 9 of this course, and we learned about negative impacts of stereotypes. Unit 9 - Media Awareness Network says that stereotypes can be problematic because they can result in various negative forms such as the following:
- Reduce a wide range of differences in people to simplistic categorizations
- Transform assumptions about particular groups of people into "realities"
- Be used to justify the position of those in power
- Perpetuate social prejudice and inequality
The following Family Guy excerpts are examples of the points above and each in their own way demonstrate inequalities and prejudice.
Family Guy - Minority Suspect
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81S5sm1U2RU
Family Guy - Fat Women and Coke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnOU51nPUo4&feature=related
Family Guy - Asian Woman Driver
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik_wh6D2BRU&feature=related
Family Guy - Racist Sunflower
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu8EK7Rq9_w&feature=related
How far has television gone as far as representing negative images? Should we not be teaching audiences how to be respectful and non-judgmental human beings, rather than teaching them that it is okay to discriminate against other races and cultures? A show such as Family Guy and many others out there are comedies, and people enjoy the humor in it. But deeper than these shows being a comedy, many controversial issues surface and are seen in a very negative way. I believe television is one of the worlds best inventions, but I wish there were more restrictions as far as the topics discussed on television shows.
No comments:
Post a Comment