No amount of roses or champaign will mask this blatant sexism

As one of ABC’s most successful shows, The Bachelor has been on the air for fourteen years. For just as long, however, this romance-centered program has come under very harsh, very valid criticism. Accused of promoting and perpetuating blatantly sexist themes throughout its time on TV, some might say that a more appropriate name for the show would be something along the lines of Search for the Perfect Housewife.

As early as the first episode of the new season, a number of the women are unknowingly and quite unluckily assigned tropey roles by ABC themselves that they will be stuck with for the rest of their time on the show. Utilizing camera techniques that appeal to the male gaze, the woman of that particular season who has been named “the sexy one”, for example, might later watch her episodes and find that for over half of the footage used of her she is wearing a bikini, and rarely speaking at all. A very similar experience, meaning being portrayed on screen as more of a character than a real woman is had by the women that are titled things like “the stuck up one”, “the mom”, “the party girl”, and “the dumb one”, respectively.

Every week and in each episode, two dates take place. The one-on-one date, during which just one of the twenty-five women is selected to spend a magical evening alone with the bachelor, usually complete with a helicopter ride and a private concert, and a group date, when a large portion of the women are forced to go on an outing that feels more like a school field trip than a date, only with more cameras, crying, competition, and public humiliation. If the women are especially unlucky, there might even be a two-on-one date. This happens about once a season when two women go on the same date, effectively creating a humiliating atmosphere for whichever woman  is being treated like the third-wheel. At the end of what is always the most uncomfortable date of the season, only one woman is given a rose, and the other must go home immediately. Televised mortification to this extreme degree is not only disturbing to see but also perpetuates the inconsiderate nature of which this show treats its female contestants.

It would not be difficult to write off The Bachelor as just some reality garbage. Due to it being one of the longest-running reality shows on any network, the shock of the ridiculous premise (one man dating twenty-five women at the same time to hopefully meet and fall in love with his future wife) has worn off, each episode becomes more and more predictable, and all drama is so obviously staged it almost hurts to sit through. Through each group date, catfight, breakdown, scandal, and glass of wine, in the last episode of each season the bachelor is expected to pick one woman to be his wife. But why do they have to get married right then? Can’t they just continue dating like a normal couple until they are positive that they are both ready to take that step? Shouldn’t this happen organically? Those All great questions, all ones that the production team at ABC has never bothered to acknowledge. It is for that reason that a bachelor couple very seldom ever actually makes it down the aisle.

Through all of the criticism and reasonable disapproval of the show by onlookers, The Bachelor remains ABC’s biggest cash cow and longest running reality show. For fourteen seasons, the obvious promotion of countless examples of sexist ideologies have taken a back seat by viewers to utter (maybe slightly morbid) curiosity. The show’s sheer ridiculousness is enough to keep its viewers coming back each season, if only for the helicopter rides and dazzling dresses. This fascination that each new season brings, unfortunately, is still too strong for many to step back and consider the potential problems and unhealthy standards that airing a show like this could plant in its supporters minds.  

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens": The Hidden Racism

CAUTION: Explicit Language

Building off of the most popular series of science-fiction action epics in movie history, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was an incredible smash hit. The box office was immense, bringing in two billion dollars and having an astounding profit of over 780 million. The film was also met with extremely positive reception from critics and audiences alike. The film, though, still struggles with several instances of racial stereotypes and cliches through the use of the main character, Finn, who fell into a stereotypical black character. It only makes it worse that the character was an attempt change a large aspect of the Star Wars franchise, but seem forced and superficial.

The film features a few major characters. Finn is a former Stormtrooper, and he is also the film’s only black character. He was torn from his family to be forced to work for the First Order, until he reaches a point where he can escape after refusing to kill for his captors. As great a story as this may be cinematically, it is all too reminiscent of slave stories. Finn has been fully stripped of his identity in order to make him utterly subservient, in the same way many slaves were through familiar separation and degradation. Even when he managed to break free he is hunted down ruthlessly by his white captors. Only through the help of Rey is he able to evade capture, showing that he is still dependent on the help of more “privileged” (force sensitive) whites for survival. Although he is eventually able to fight his oppressors, in a story akin to that of Frederick Douglass, Finn remains unable to reunite with the community and family he has been torn away from.

In addition to the way his backstory is presented in a somewhat historically insensitive way, Finn as a character falls into some stereotypical traps and has an unfortunate and all too common lack of any sort dramatic agency. He is somewhat clueless, lost, but not so much so where it could be considered incompetent or intentionally stupid. What does resonate with the feelings of potential tokenism and helplessness, is that Finn seems only able to succeed when he is rescued by white people and then he is able to find his way from there.

Compared to the rest of what is widely considered to be an amazing movie, especially as it fits so well with the rest of the “Star Wars” series, is often considered to not be a huge deal. It can not be ignored, however, that some themes and stereotypes are still prominent in even films as popular and successful as “Star Wars.”

The Indian Woman in Movies

Miss India America begins with what seems like what would be a show about an ambitious Indian girl, Lily, who has her whole life planned out, and never lost until she loses her boyfriend, a supposed petroleum engineer. She does puts herself in the only situation that makes logical sense. She enters a beauty pageant so she can win Miss India California and then go on to win Miss India National, which just so happens to be the title that Reshma, her ex- boyfriend's current girlfriend, holds. 

Lily is presented as not only the stereotypical smart Indian but also as the stereotypical female that is presented in rom-coms, high achieving, wants to be a brain surgeon (like her father) and incredibly needing her boyfriend. Almost every single parent has a strong accent and high scholarly jobs: doctors, engineers, physicists. Most of the parents also play the typical indian parents that culture makes them out to be, pushes ideas forward, family is everything and so is tradition

In the pageant; however, Lily meets a variety of people who challenge the traditional Indian stereotypes. Sonia, who appears will be the antagonist, is actually friendly and kind to Lily, Lily actually becomes the one who sabotages Sonia and despite sabotaging her Lily still wins the pageant. One of the competitors is really perky and also really into tennis One of the judges is a famous Indian actor who is a drunk who distraught over an ex girlfriend. The dancer who teaches Lily who is presented as the “perfect Indian daughter” has a secret white boyfriend, and does not get along with most of the female characters. And one of the judges is a famous Indian actor who is a drunk who distraught over an ex girlfriend.

After the pageant Lily acknowledges her mom as a writer, she writes poems and while she is successful, her job is more free and artistic than the other parents. And. while competing nationally instead of trying to appeal to “Traditional Indian Beauty” she presents herself as who she actually is instead of that Idea. Lily never gets back with her boyfriend or finds a new guy.

Pink Matter: Life, Lust, and Aliens

Frank Ocean debuted his Channel Orange Album in 2012. He titled the album as a reference to a neurological phenomenon called  grapheme-color synesthesia. This means a person's experience or sense is related to a color. Frank is referencing how he fell in love. The song “Pink Matter” takes a sadder, more laidback style with themes of sex and betrayal. Ocean experiences an internal strife and struggle between the meaning of life, love and sex, extraterrestrial life, and gender.

In the very beginning of the song Frank describes the philosophy of “mind body problem”.  He is trying to figure out the relationship between the brain and consciousness. Frank is raising the question of whether the brain is merely matter, or is the mind something more?

What do you think my brain is made for

Is it just a container for the mind

This great grey matter

Throughout the song Frank refers to a “Sensei”. The sensei represents Frank’s internal consciousness as well as his own battles between lust, sex, and love. A sensei is a teacher, often a wise one. In this line Frank is conversing with the sensei and raising questions.

Sensei replied what is your woman

Is she just a container for the child

Frank is being questioned about how he views the purpose of women. He does not know if he simply views women as containers for holding children and giving birth. Frank is reluctant to say whether he values women for their minds or just for their bodies. This is relevant in a society that seems to only value women for their bodies, and it is obviously affecting Frank himself. Frank’s sensei is helping him open up to ideas about gender as well as acceptance. Next, Frank jumps to the questioning of extraterrestrial life.

What if the sky and the stars are for show

And the aliens are watching live

Frank is questioning the idea that human beings are small compared to the grand scheme of the universe.  By using the words “what if” it allows the audience to be detached from their own perspective and take a look at the larger scheme of things. If Frank does believe there are aliens, it makes the problems of his own life a little less severe and insignificant. This ideology is a common experience for everyone. As long as humans have the consciousness they will begin to question the meaning of things and the relativity of themselves as a whole.

Towards the end of the song, Frank also brings in his own questioning of sexuality. In July of 2012, shortly after the release of the Channel Orange album, Frank opened up about how he is bisexual. This was a shock to many in the hip hop industry and caused backlash to Frank himself.

Grey matter

Blue used to be my favorite color

Now I ain't got no choice

Blue matter

By starting with the line “Grey matter” and ending the verse with “Blue matter” Frank is showing his own transition to a new way of thinking. Instead of being stuck in his own grey matter and jumble of senselessness and confusion, he turns to one that is more himself. When he says he has “no choice” it could be that he cannot choose his own sexuality and refuses to hide it anymore. The blue could also be about how Frank is stuck in his gender. Society is telling him that he is a man, and that he is “blue”. Frank feels trapped in these fixed molds but has no choice but to conform. There are other songs in the album speculated to be about his struggles with his sexualty including one titled “Forrest Gump”.

Overall the common themes and questioned Frank shares are a common experience for everyone. As people age throughout their lives, these age old questions about life and love appear. This song is especially relevant in a society that is so obsessed with stereotyping and celebrity culture. This song forces the audience to go through Frank’s own internal strife as well as your own.

The Simpsons: Comedy or Cultural Criticism?

Watch episode 12 of season 5 of The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom, satirically depicting the life of a working-class family, named the Simpsons. In episode 12 of season 5 of The Simpsons, Bart learns the truth about fame in America and what comes with it. In the beginning of the episode, Bart is on a fieldtrip with his class at a box factory, which he and his classmates find very boring. In search of some entertainment, Bart stumbles upon a recording studio where Krusty the Clown shoots his sitcom. Coincidentally, Bart scores a job as Krusty the Clown’s assistant, just the excitement he had been looking for, but almost quits soon after because he grows tired of the work. However, during one of Krusty’s shows, he needs to use Bart as an extra. In Krusty’s sketch, Bart becomes an accidental star when he says his famous line “I didn’t do it”, after clumsily tearing down the entire set. He becomes famous for his catchphrase, acquiring the same fame he admired throughout the whole episode but soon grows tired of it.

In this episode of The Simpsons, Bart is used to satirically depict American culture. Generally, this episode suggests that American people are never happy living in the moment, but are always looking for something better. When they accomplish what it was they were looking for, they quickly forget its importance, taking it for granted, and move onto the next most important objective. This pattern repeats itself over and over again until they lose everything, neglecting to realize what they had until it was gone. This idea is supported throughout the episode. First, when Bart is at the box factory with his class, he is completely detached from the moment and he is only worried about escaping the factory and finding something better to do. He finds what he was looking for in the recording studio and becomes Krusty’s manager, however, ironically, he does not appreciate the opportunity. He is almost immediately turned off by his new job and is seriously considering quitting until he achieves stardom. Initially, he is excited by his newfound fame however, ironically, very soon grows sick of it, like he does of everything else in the episode. When his career ends abruptly, he cannot help but regret that he did not make the most of it while it lasted. He reflects on his career with remorse and a heavy heart because he did not realize what he had until it was gone.

This episode does not simply make fun of Bart’s ignorance, but also makes the audience acknowledge that their actions are often similar to Bart’s. Each time Bart neglects to acknowledge what he has, it makes the audience feel a little bit uncomfortable and think “Isn’t that what you just wanted, Bart?”. By the end, Bart is regretful and sad that he did not appreciate what he had until it was gone. This episode suggests that if we as a society were more concerned with living in the moment, then we could be overall happier by appreciating what we have for what it is worth.

Creating a Fake Identity in a Post Modern World

You can find anyone through social media these days, and how could that be a bad thing? Social media has given us ways to connect with so many people in a variety of different ways. People can spew out their opinions on anything through Twitter, share a picture for a short time on Snapchat, put basically anything on Facebook, upload picture to Instagram and videos to YouTube. 

And yeah, staying connected is great. But social media only shows the highlights of people's lives. We see images of friends, friends of friends, the people that you never talk to but you always pass in the hallways, celebrities promoting brands and their own images, and companies promoting themselves. Which is okay, but eventually people think that the highlights is that person's everyday life. 

But, as a social species we need validation, so we try to compete with every single image that comes our way. Some people don't feel this need, they're perfectly fine with who they are. Others post anything wanting to get the most comments, the most likes, the most views, or even the most shares. They only share their best to their own friends and followers and the cycle just continues on.

People  begin to make themselves up to be greater than they actually are. Can we truthfully even know someone through social media? Because while people are not exactly lying, we are not showing our daily life either. 

Post Modernism in Today's Culture

We live in a post modern society. This is largely because of technology and social media. Today, it is so easy to lie or make something up on social media, that you can never really tell what the "truth" is. Post modernism explores this idea that people's perception of what the truth is can be so easily altered. A very good example of this is Magritte's "This Is Not a Pipe." 

This piece makes you reconsider what the truth is. Is the object that we associate with the word pipe really a pipe? This piece seems so simple at first glance, but when you stop to really think about it, it poses a very existential question. I think this is essentially what post modernism is.

Postmodernism in 2016

We are in an age of postmodernism. Our culture is constantly being redefined by the common people and celebrities alike. Technology and the expansion of the internet has fertilized the growth of postmodernism in our society. Any person has readily available exposure to cultures and people who live different lives than them. Seeing different people and understanding how their lives are different than yours lets you see things in your own life from different perspectives. This aspect of postmodernism in our society lets people think about what makes art and how to see things from multiple perspectives.

In this day and age everyone wants their own image. Celebrities attempt to distinguish themselves as individuals, be that by having the most outrageous outfits, the most bizarre hair, or the strangest outfits. 

People in our society who represent themselves differently than others make people think about what they consider to be fashion or style. They have to define art for their own life. The beauty of postmodernism in our society is that every one can have their own ideas of what art is what art is in their culture.

The presence of postmodernism in our society broadens the experience end cultural exposure each person has. People are more unique and stand apart from each other in postmodern societies. Every person creates their own interpretations of the world around them.

Postmodernism in a Modern World

As our society inevitably becomes more developed, we see schools of thought, especially newer ones, become more applicable and relevant than ever before. Specifically, the ideas that the postmodern movement supplied us with in the late 20th century are nearly impossible to avoid today.

The postmodernist movement is not restricted to the confines of art, although it may seem like that when the credibility and the subjectivity of the idea of art is questioned. Nor is it only confined to literature and thought. Postmodernism manages to encompass all aspects of life, only becoming more relevant now, especially with the limitless ability of the media, especially social media.

While we are expanding the reign of postmodernism in our lives by simply just becoming a more socially and commercially focused society, we are also subconsciously being affected by it regardless of whether accept that notion. Postmodernism isn't just art anymore, it's an amalgam of  paradoxes, spirituality, accepting what we deny, and realizations of ourselves and of the world that are borderline epiphinac.

Mainstream social media is an great influence on the masses today because of how it allows us to filter and negotiate all points of one's life. Because life is not abstract and simplistic, (as post-modernistic art so often is,) social media allows us to break lives down into a series of moments that become still frames and snapshots of our lives that everyone can see. But is that our life? That is what a postmodern way of thinking helps us detect.

In our 21st century lives, filled with awesome technology and unprecedented social freedoms, we still have this urge to create our "ideal life" and to be the "real us." What this actually means is unclear; what determines something being better than something, or more ideal?

Postmodernism only becomes more apt when we, either as a society or as individuals, try to deny its impact on every aspect of our lives today. No doubt, that studying postmodern way of thought and influence on society leaves us with more questions than answers, but isn't that the point?

Kanye West: “Bounded” to Gender and Unrealistic Relationship Stereotypes

Kanye West is a man almost everyone knows, and most likely has an opinion on. Kanye, the controversial rapper known as “yeezy” is infamous for having a bad reputation and responsible for being self centered and crazy. Being one of today’s most talked about celebrity, he has a very powerful influence on culture and is also a very strong reflection of it. Kanye’s music is apart of a very popular culture trend that enforces previous stereotypes and also creates new ad questionable controversial ones as well. In one of Kanye’s most popular song “Bound 2” released in 2013 reflects today's society and ideals for men and women. “Bound 2” depicts a false stereotypes on the ideology of what a man is, how marriage is valued in American society, and how love is conveyed in order to be true.

Bound 2 depicts a the ideal for what makes a man and how a man should act. Throughout the song Kanye contemplated whether he should give up his past lifestyle in order to be with the women he loves. He is tired of meaningless flings and unrequited love as revealed in the hook “I know you're tired of lovin', of lovin' With nobody to love, nobody, nobody” Kanye knows that his new love also feels the same way, and in order to be happy, he needs to be with her. Kanye also remembers his past lifestyle and past relationships throughout the song. He is aware of his known bad reputation and how he is considered a player. In the song he admits to being a heartbreaker. He tends to have a “leave a pretty-girl-sad-reputation”. He is referring to his very public breakups with Alexis Phifer and Amber Rose. Kanye also references how he is “backstroking” through women in order to perfect them .By saying this he admits to using women for his own personal gain. He is also conveying an ideal that men should be with many women in their life, and in fact are helping women by doing this. They are helping these women by giving them practice or guidance. Because Kanye has such a prevalent influence in culture, his own personal life is being held up as a pinnacle for other men to live up to.

Kanye also reveals his own stance of marriage. Kanye is starting fresh with his new love in order to be with her forever, and soon get married. He is “bound” to one women for the rest of his life and is ready to be with her effortlessly till he dies. In the line “but first, you gon remember how to forget’” he is explaining how his new love will ultimately forget about his past mistakes and bring forth her unconditional partnership despite his previous blunders. This depicts the idea the fairytale lifestyle that is marriage and partnership. Kanye is expressing that when in a committed partnership, it is the duty to one partner to completely forget about the misbehaving and questionable antics of the partner, without any type of backlash or doubts. This unrealistic portrayal of partnership and marriage disguises the rough and troubling truth that today’s relationships go through. Overall Bound 2 is an untrue story because of the way it idealizes both men and women and unrealistically personifies modern love and relationships.

Beloved Tom and Jerry cartoons....RACIST!

For multiple generations, many American children grew up watching cartoons like Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes. In retrospect, many of these cartoons had racist depictions of African American people. Tom and Jerry was seen as a harmless and entertaining cartoon about a cat and mouse fighting and trying to outwit each other. However, the cartoons also portrayed African Americans with offensive stereotypes. It is important to analyze works of culture such as Tom and Jerry because they directly influenced children and passed on ideologies to the next generation. Tom and Jerry cartoons are true stories because they reflect ideologies and stereotypes that existed during their time period.

In the episode “The Puss Gets the Boot” of the show Tom and Jerry an African American woman is shown as an uneducated maid. In something as innocent as a children's cartoon, the writers and animators were not trying to send a message about how they felt about African Americans or women but rather reflected the national consensus. The maid, Mammy Two Shoes yells at the cat “if ya go on an break anythang else ya are O-U-W-T! Out!”. Mammy Two Shoes’ lack of grammer reflects social opinions of African American’s intellect. During the time, an education was a difficult thing to obtain for African Americans in the United States. Segregation in the school systems and society prevented many African Americans from reaching a proper education. Tom and Jerry accurately reflects the stereotype that African Americans are uneducated. The episode also indirectly tells viewers that she is not working in her own home, but someone else's. “I can’t be having a good-for-nothin cat reckin up this whole house!” Mammy Two Shoes says as she scares the cat away from the fragile plates on display. During the time this episode was aired, the idea that African Americans should work for other people was commonplace. In a following episode “Midnight Snack” it is explained that Mammy Two Shoes is in charge of cooking, cleaning, and general kitchen work. In the 1930s and 1940s the common expectation for women was to work in the house, cooking and cleaning. This expectation was shown in the cartoon episode. There was no man in charge of housework, instead it was Mammy Two Shoes who did the chores.

These cartoons are true American stories. Works of culture that reflect ideologies and conventional views held during a time period are true stories. The racism and sexism in these cartoons were not of a foreign mindset to the American people. These prejudices and views were quite common in America. Other true stories can be found in movies and T.V shows made throughout the decades. When works accurately reflect the mindset of Americans at the time, they are true stories.
-Gabriel D

Gamergate is Dumb, or Everything Wrong With Nerd Culture

I am a nerd. A huge one. Most of my friends are nerds too.  My life is probably best chronicled by a series of obsessions, bouncing from one hobby to the next like some sort of socially awkward pinball. So when someone like me, someone who spent the past six years on message boards and in hobby shops, says that nerd culture sucks, I'd like to believe that it holds some weight.

Gamergate, for those of you unaware, started in 2013 when someone named Zoe Quinn made a game called Depression Quest, a game chronicling Quinn's experiences with depression. Critics were lukewarm, but most of them praised the (admittedly short) game as an insightful look into the mind of someone with depression. The community, on the other hand, thought it was awful. One user left a review saying, "This game is free and I still want a refund". The schism between these two points of view was so stark that it brought about a massive conversation that left everyone shouting and nobody satisfied.

Rumors went around that Quinn slept with game critics who then gave her good reviews. As a supposed ex-boyfriend's testimony came out, online harassment reached a fever pitch. Someone released her address to the public, several people sent rape threats. Over and over, the community  rallied around some woman who they felt was too invasive of gaming culture, and made their life a living hell. Media critic Anita Sarkeesian made several videos about sexism in video games, and as a result received death threats from people saying she didn't know what she was talking about. Someone threatened to bomb a university where she was scheduled to give a speech.

 At the same time, popular video game media outlets like Kotaku and Polygon began railing against "Gamergaters", which led the community to dig into their past as well in an attempt to prove that they too, were corrupt. One by one, media outlets turned against this movement, calling the gaming community misogynistic and childish. The inevitable response from the community was some condemnation of ethics proven by an article , and the cycle began anew. The death knell of #gamergate came when it received national attention, and the general public condemned the movement as being childish and sexist.

From the perspective of video game journalists and feminists, Gamergate was about the problems in video game culture. From the perspective of "Gamergaters", it was about "ethics in video game journalism", which should give you an idea of how detached from reality this movement was. They saw themselves as modern-day investigative journalists, uncovering the filthy crimes of a corrupt industry while crusading against the tyranny of political correctness. What they were actually doing was going on a series of baseless witch hunts, making several people miserable and reinforcing stereotypes about nerd culture along the way.

These stereotypes are not baseless. This is not some small group of hateful trolls, emerged from the darkest depths of the internet. This is a culture fostered in the days when being a nerd was something to be ashamed of, not something a pop star mentioned casually in a GQ article. Nerd Culture is what happens when a group of antisocial white guys spends 30 years isolated from the outside world, and then corporate success throws the door wide open. Suddenly anyone can spend hours playing video games without having to be an outcast. Being a nerd used to be a trial by fire- now it's just an adjective. For someone who had to go so much to earn that title back then, it's frustrating to think that new initiates got the title but don't deserve it.

Which brings me to women in gaming. From the perspective of a community that was predominantly male for decades, women look like outsiders. From the perspective of a community of social outcasts, women seem complex and inhuman. From the perspective of women, video games and video game culture are really interesting, but there's this massive online presence constantly demanding that they prove their worth. When Anita Sarkeesian makes one mistake in a video, there are a thousand angry men citing it as proof that she isn't a "real gamer". When Zoe Quinn makes a below average game and gets good reviews, they see the walls of their boys-only club caving in.

Nerd culture was originally created by boys, for boys. Decades later, the demographic might be changing, but the stigma still hasn't. But maybe if us nerds could stop walling women out, we could build a community that I'm not ashamed of.

The Chains of Restrictions on Women

Gender inequality is a social issue that has plagued America since its formation and is still alive and strong in society today. There is a constant struggle between recognizing the inequality and trying to rectify it in today’s society. The restrictions that society places on women restrict the “socially acceptable” personality and body type of women. Feminist Activist Betty Friedan explains “The problem that has no name — which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities — is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease.” Friedan exposes the unsaid truth in American society that the physical and mental health of American society is held back because of the physical and mental restrictions that are placed on women that prevent them from reaching their full human potential. Due to the fact that women are not reaching their potential, the country is suffering the consequences on ideas that would have been brought forth by women.

Among the most significant detriments to women reaching their full potential is the emphasis and high value society places on the “body image” of women. The notion of an ideal body type puts ideas into people's head that if you don't possess certain physical attributes, that somehow you are less attractive in the eyes of society. This focus diminishes other aspects of a woman’s personality or intelligence and pushes them to the background. The physical expectation on women in society is one that women have become consumed with trying to obtain to be attractive in societies eyes. The idea of the “ideal body type”, a skinny body type, has plagued pop culture and has become an obsessive goal towards which many women aim. The emulation of this phenomenon is seen in the classic toy of Barbie. From a young age girls are presented with the image of the “ideal” body and they start to think this is how they should look when they are older. The danger in putting such a focus on body image is that there are health risks involved with constantly trying to obtain the “ideal” body. The risks of eating disorders and low self-confidence can be detrimental to the health of women. The overemphasis on body type presents a danger to the health of women and thus the health of the country.

Movies and television add to this body image pressure through the constant depiction of women in movies of having a skinny body type and if there is a women of a larger body type she become an ongoing punch line of a the movie or the show. 70% of women in a 2012 survey said that they felt pressure from movies and television to have a perfect body. An example of this is seen in the movie  Pitch Perfect were the character “Fat Amy” identifies herself as fat, so that the skinnier women of the movie will not say it behind her back. Throughout the movie fat Amy makes jokes about her weight and it becomes a punch line to many of the jokes. The other, skinnier women of the movie never talk about their weight or make jokes about it. The praised body type of some and the humoristic depiction of another put pressure on women to have the praised body type.

The mental strain that is placed on women in American culture on what is the appropriate way to act creates an epidemic of expectations that women fight to live up to. Women are expected to present themselves in society as ladies and behave as such. The idea of act like a lady is one that is ingrained into the minds of young girls and is repeated throughout their life. A lady is poised, elegant, classy, and a moral and proper figure. The expectation for women to present themselves in this way limits their ability to express themselves. The problem with this is that acting like a lady in a career that is male dominated will not gain the respect needed to have a successful career. There is also a fear that is instilled in women that if they hold to much power than men will be intimidated and the woman will become unattractive because of this power. An example of this is seen in the movie the Proposal. Sandra Bullocks character is a high-powered editor that is seen as a “bitch” because of her drive and determination. She is seen as intimidating by many of the men in the movie making her undesirable to them. Hillary Clinton also has faced the “bitch” stereotype due to the fact that she is a strong woman in a mostly male profession. The conflicting idea is that if a man acts like this he is successful but if a woman is to act like this than she is intimidating. This places the restriction of how much success a woman can have in American society before she becomes intimidating. 

The physical and mental restrictions that are placed on women that prevents them from reaching their full human capacities is a problem that plagues America even in 2016. The disease of restrictions as illustrated through the words of Betty Friedan places a toll on the overall physical and mental success of American society. Before America can reach its full capacity for complete equality and a world without gender restrictions the limits that are placed on women, especially restrictions placed from a young age, must be addressed and resolved before the restrictions become too engrained in society for them to extracted.

The Inequalities Outside of Algebra

For centuries, American women have always been viewed inferior due to certain expectations that debilitate their capabilities. Unfortunately, today’s society continues to follow the same mindset. Gender inequality in the U.S. exists not only politically, but also socially and economically. Alas, every aspect of American culture and media portray numerous stereotypes of women. As Betty Friedan describes, gender inequality is an epidemic that infects this country’s progress. In order for the U.S. to advance forward, we must put an end to the obstacles that prevent women from fulfilling their capabilities and the objectification of women as a whole. 

To this day, there still exists many derogatory stereotypes that reduce women to objects, or place prejudice against any woman who shows power or independence. Such stereotypes create a mold of the “ideal female features” and pressure women of all age to succumb. In doing so, our society then reduces females’ potential to being the inferior sex, whose sole purpose is to appeal to men and repopulate the planet. Furthermore, the media is a large component in the spread of such ideals. For example, in a Revlon makeup commercial featuring Halle Berry, she claims that the use of such product will allow you to “get close, real close”. Following the close-ups of her face, Halle is then in multiple shots with a male model who is admiring her appearance up close. This particular commercial especially targets a female audience, and is branding it the product that can finally smooth the skin to make women more appealing to men. Unfortunately, sexist stereotypes do not stop at makeup commercials, but instead, dominate American culture, everything from movies to magazines to music.

The concept of inadequacy of females has been ingrained in American society for centuries, and has still prevailed. Although women have had historical triumphs in paving a path in a “man’s world” such as gaining the right to vote, America lacks ever having a female leader, and also has a severe scarcity of women holding positions of high power. Not to mention the fact that women (even more so for women of color) receive lower pay for the same job than men. To be exact, white women earn 78 cents to the white man’s dollar, 63 cents for an African American woman, and 54 cents for a Latina or Hispanic woman. How can a nation considered to be so innovative and free allow such obstacles for women’s equality to exist?

Even as young children, we are exposed to our culture’s fundamentals of sexism. Girls are told the romanticization of being a damsel in distress or common fairy tales in which the female ends up marrying her prince and that is her purpose. In society there needs to be representation of strong and independent females whose life does not revolve around a guy. Sexism is so deeply-rooted in American society to the point where movies and tv shows are a play on the heroic male figure with the beautiful female whose character is never as fully developed. How can our society be content with teaching young children to fit into these traditionalist stereotypes rather than pave a path for themselves?

As stated by feminist activist, Betty Friedan,“The problem that has no name — which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities — is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease.” Together, this society must pull efforts in order to create a better future for women to succeed.

Stupid Girls Aren't Stupid

In 2006, P!nk released a new song, Stupid Girls, on her I'm Not Dead album. This song was awarded the MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video and nominated for many other awards, such as a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. An example of the lyrics include:

"What happened to the dreams of a girl president
She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent
They travel in packs of two or three
With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees
Where, oh where, have the smart people gone?
Oh where, oh where could they be?"

P!nk uses satire to mock society's sexualization and objectification of women. She explicitly points out the women in music videos. She targets the all-too-familiar image that the women in many music videos, especially rap, hardly wear any clothing while dancing provocatively. These said women are seen as the rapper's trophies and accomplishments which he then praises in his song. Their value consists only of their beauty and their ability to satisfy a man's wishes. While male rap videos are an extreme example referenced by P!nk, she also targets societal pressures on a woman as a whole. She sings, "Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back/ Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back/ Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl" depicting that women do these things to be accepted in our society. While she's criticizing the women who act like this, P!nk still describes having to face the pressure to conform and act the same way.

P!nk's larger motive isn't to criticize these women, but to criticize our society that shoves these "ideals" onto women to be accepted. Our society's image of a woman is a docile, sexual object whose interests and skills have no influence on her value, just her physical appearance. P!nk's bigger picture is how our media depicts a limited view of women which in turn influences young girls to believe that this is how they need to shape themselves to be. The media places a huge pressure on females to abide by the images that represent the gender. By P!nk creating this song and getting it out there, she is taking action on changing and questioning society's image of women.

The Removal of a Culture in a Children's Movie

Pocahontas is a popular movie created by the well known Walt Disney Corporation that was ultimately targeted towards children. Normally, people would not bat an eye at this, but within the seemingly innocent movie is some extremely offensive content in respect to race and gender. Many times, the Native Americans are portrayed as "savages," and the movie endorses the idea of the good Indian and the bad Indian. Not only that, but the history of the movie is completely wrong, and it gives an idea that the colonists were at equal fault of the Native Americans, effectively oppressing them to the point where children do not think twice.

At one point in the movie, the song "Savages" makes an appearance. The lyrics are unbelievably offensive and racist towards these Native Americans. "They're savages, savages, barely even human," is repeated multiple times within the song. It portrays the Indians as unpredictable hooligans that only follow through with physical carnal pleasures with the song having a complete lack of acknowledgement for any intelligence whatsoever. The lyrics clearly outlaw the mixing of races, saying "They're not like you and me. Which means they must be evil. We must sound the drums of war!" I am honestly unsure what the writers were thinking as they wrote this song that was meant for children. Something that makes it even worse is that these "savages" retaliate, calling the settlers demon and "paleface," in an attempt from the writers to try and even out the aggression from both parties.

Sure, they end up making it a love story between Pocahontas and Captain John Smith, a Native American and an English settler, with a happy ending and all, but how much of this was actually the case? In fact the whole movie twists history entirely, leaving out the cruelty and killings of many Native Americans, not touching on the fact that Pocahontas was not even a woman when the events actually took place, she was about twelve.

Another thing the movie did wrong was the visual aspect of the humans. Pocahontas's image was in that of standard American beauty, instead of whatever would be the norm of her own Native American culture. The dignified image is the produce of Western colonialism entirely, and reinforces the idea that there is no Native American culture, only western culture's perspective on it.

Fresh Off the Stereotypical Boat

Fresh Off the Boat is a recent ABC sitcom, first airing early this year, that revolves around an Asian-American family living in Orlando, Florida. The show is adapted from the famous chef, Eddie Huang’s memoir of his life, mainly taking place in the 90’s. As the derogative name suggests, the parents migrated from their native Taiwan to Washington DC who then move to Florida so the father could pursue his dream of owning a restaurant. Their transition from DC Chinatown to a middle-class white suburb isolates the family from their uncultured neighbors. Although Fresh Off the Boat aims to break and hinder stereotypes, the execution falls short in that the characters are isolated from everyone else and have stereotypes that are overly exaggerated for comedic factor.


The main intent of the Fresh Off the Boat storyline aims to shatter Asian stereotypes. For example, the main character is Eddie, the oldest child who is a school rebel with an obsession for hip hop rather than a studious and determined student. And rather the father owning an Asian restaurant, his dream restaurant is a steakhouse. Though they begin to assimilate with their neighbors, they also try to keep their culture. The objective is to portray the Huangs as just another American family chasing the American Dream with a small twist. The producers wish the audience to relate to the Huangs and have a better perception of Asian Americans as a whole.

However, while breaking some stereotypes, others are accentuated and over exaggerated. For instance, the mother, Jessica, is a stereotypical “Tiger Mom”, one who controlling and strict over her kids with an extreme emphasis for her kids to over achieve in school. In season one's episode two, "Home Sweet Home-School", all children receive high marks on their report cards, leaving Jessica the impression their school is too easy. When asking for each child to be placed in gifted programs, she is left astounded to find there isn't any. So she takes matters into her own hands and decides to send them to CLC, Chinese Learning Center. Every day after school, the kids have lesson plans to do additional hours of lessons and tests. The children are shown to have lost all their freedoms, bound to school 24/7. At one point, Eddie looks out of the window to see some neighbor kids playing with a stick and he remarks, "Look at them, the innocence. I couldn't hear them through the reinforced glass, but I imagined it was the sound of childhood. Enjoy your stick, white friends". This promotes the false idea that Asian mothers are so obsessed with their children succeeding in school, that they are willing to deprive them of any freedom of their childhood they have.

Not to mention, the stereotype that Asians are exceptionally stingy is also strongly promoted by the mother. Even though the family became friends with their neighbors, coworkers, or classmates, the Huangs remain to be in the limelight due to their ethnicity and origin. In addition, offensive jokes and misunderstandings of Asian culture are used as a comic effect in the show. The title itself is a derogative term given to immigrants (particularly from Asia) implying they are "fresh" to the country and have not yet assimilated to American culture.

These stereotypes and presumptions about Asians and the culture extend beyond just this show. For example, hardly ever do Asian actors play nondescript roles, so the Asian roles they play are heavily stereotyped. The media’s portrayal of Asians affects the audience’s perceptions allowing them to believe the misconceptions fed to them are the truth. 

Does Dora Promote or Defy Stereotypes?

Dora, also known as "Dora the Explorer," is a cartoon character that depicts a Latina icon. Intended to teach American preschoolers Spanish at an early age as well as ethics, morals, and teamwork, Dora has controversy critiques involving the Hispanic culture.


Many have the misconception that Dora is Mexican. In fact, it is not clearly stated what race Dora actually is. Because she speaks Spanish, the typical American initial instinct is, "Oh she's Mexican." While it could be argued that Dora is promoting stereotypes due to the lack of explicit race identification, it could also be possible that Dora is defying racial stereotypes. Not classifying Dora as a specific race allows Dora to connect with all Hispanic cultures, not just the Mexican. Dora's generic clothing choice is another example of her not promoting one Hispanic culture over another. However, does representing Dora as a pan-Latino culture allow every Latino culture to be portrayed as they want?

Also up for controversy are the hidden, potentially unintentional messages delivered in Nickolodeon's episodes of Dora. For example, in the first six seasons of Dora, fourteen of the episodes contained Dora and her friends having a "fiesta". In the episode "Surprise," Dora and the rest of her friends throw a surprise party for Boots. This fiesta featured typical Latin music, lots of family/friends, and even maracas. To some, these festival episodes could be perceived as Hispanics embracing their culture and sharing it with Americans. On the other hand, this could be perceived as the stereotypical Mexican party with a kid friendly tone added on.

The same goes for Dora referring to her family as "mama" "papa" and "abuelita." The extent of racism here varies from culture to culture, angering some Latino cultures that don't always refer to their family using Hispanic terms, and praising other Latino cultures that embrace this language on a daily basis.


While the intent of Dora was a good one and seemed educational to young children, a deeper analyze surfaces the racism involved in a seemingly innocent TV show.

Quantico: The New Hit Show that Tries to be Progressive

Although the new TV show Quantico seems to be breaking down racial stereotypes about terrorists (namely, that they must be dark-skinned) through its main character, a deeper investigation into the more minor characters reveals that the show does in fact perpetuate some harmful stereotypes about race. While the show’s main character, Alex Parrish, breaks down racial stereotypes by pointing out the fact that she is being framed as a terrorist simply because she is dark-skinned, the show’s portrayal of other dark-skinned females, its overall lack of anything other than white males, and the fact that the one black male is a terrorist promote damaging racial stereotypes.

The plotline of the show is that of a typical spy thriller; an FBI agent is framed as a terrorist, and must find the real perpetrator before the FBI finds her. Alex does a fine job of breaking down racial stereotypes. She explains why she is being framed in a video broadcast on the internet to millions of people around the globe. Alex points out that she is an easy target simply because she is dark skinned, and tells her audience that in order to free an innocent person (herself), they must put away their assumptions and be willing to suspect anyone (and everyone) around them as a possible terrorist.

Unfortunately, this is pretty much the extent to which the show defies racial stereotypes. Quantico’s portrayal of its minor black characters somewhat, if not fully, reverses whatever good Alex’s character has created. Aside from the large lack of black male characters in the show, the two dark-skinned male characters on the show are both portrayed as being dangerous and potentially harmful to hundreds of innocent people. One of these characters, an FBI recruit named Brandon, eventually goes crazy and tries to blow up the FBI training facility. It is later revealed that he was told to pretend to set a bomb as a test for the other recruits, but the simple fact that the show chose the one black recruit to play out this part of the story is detrimental to African Americans as a whole. The story behind the other black male is even worse; he is the son of an FBI agent who decided to join a terrorist group, and then planned a school shooting. While he did not succeed in carrying out the shooting, it is still important to note that this portrayal is extremely injurious to the black race.

Quantico makes a valiant effort at breaking down racial stereotypes, but in the end, the combined portrayal of more minor dark-skinned characters undoes any progress that the show had any potential to create.

Rowing Their Way to Postmodernism

In today's society, postmodernism is an increasingly popular movement that includes skeptical interpretations of culture, art, literature, fiction, etc. Many artists can be perceived as being postmodern, such as Regina Spektor. One song in particular, All the Rowboats from the album What We Saw From the Cheap Seats, has postmodern lyrics that discusses the idea of how people view art.

Throughout the song, Spektor comments on the treatment and interpretation of art, both famous masterpieces and the lesser-known that are misunderstood. Specifically she sings, "But the most special are the most lonely" arguing that today people fail at understanding great art to the point where nothing produced is truly artistic.

"Hear them whispering, French and German, / Dutch, Italian, and Latin" comments on the audience's judgmental murmurs about art pieces, almost cheapening the value of the artist's heart and soul poured into their piece.

Spektor mainly mocks the way the audience interprets and understands artistic pieces, but also the art itself that is produced by the naive interpreters and artists. She comments on the fraudulence of their perception of art