Oh Snap!

Question everything

[ohsnap-kag]

Yo Soy Betty, la fae VS Ugly Betty

  Telenovelas are a popular form of soap operas that have swept the world and their audiences. One of the more popular ones that has aired is Yo Soy Betty, la fae, the tale of a young and smart ugly duckling who is trying to make a name for herself in her career. The show, drawing in over 3 million viewers a night, was such a huge success in Columbia that is set the tone for several other shows similar to it, trying to bring the same success to television in other countries. In the United States, Ugly Betty was the adaptation of the series that the audience fell in love with. Although the two series are vastly different in their own unique ways and story line, both remain the same with reminding their audience that it is not always about looks when it comes to being successful.

   Yo Soy Betty, la fae, is a Columbian telenovela that rose to fame in the early 2000’s. The soap opera ran from 1999 to 2001. The title loosely translates to “I am Betty, the Ugly one”. The Columbian drama focused on a young girl named Betty, a witty and smart secretary for a fashion empire, whose only big flaw seemed to constantly standing in her way of success in life: Betty was ugly, by industry standards. The show focused on Betty and her boss Armando, the new president of the company that she worked for. When the company finds itself in a financial situation, Betty comes up with a brilliant plan to save the company so no bank could seize it over. In the process, Betty also finds herself falling in love with Armando, knowing that she didn’t stand a chance with her famous womanizer boss who just happened to be engaged. Armando ends up creating his own plan of making Betty fall in love with him to ensure her loyalty to the company, not realizing that his fake affection towards her would eventually turn into real feelings as well. When Armando’s devious plan is exposed, Betty is hurt and leaves the company, joining on with her friend at another fashion empire. During her time at her friend’s company, Betty receives a makeover and is transformed from an ugly duckling to a beautiful woman. When she has to return to her former company to help them finish out their plan to save the company from financial turmoil, Armando sees Betty and her new transformation and falls for her even more. Betty is still hurt by Armando and his plan to make her fall in love with him, and despite his best efforts to convince her that his feelings for her are real now, Betty ignores him and focuses on saving the company. Eventually, Armando’s fiancé (who is upset with Betty for falling in love with Armando) does the right thing and convinces Betty that Armando does in fact love her now. The series ends with Armando and Betty together, married and with a child.

   The show was a huge success in Columbia and is considered one of the more infamous telenovelas in the world. The show was such a big hit around the world that is has even sparked 10 remakes of the show in different countries. The one that people in the United States is familiar with is the show Ugly Betty, which ran from 2006 to 2010. The main character, Betty, is similar to the Betty from the original series. She is an ugly duckling trying to make a successful career for herself but is constantly faced with road blocks revolving around her looks. In the American series, Betty becomes a secretary for Daniel, the newly-appointed Editor-in-Chief of Mode, a famous fashion magazine that is similar to Vogue. The company struggles to uphold its posh image as womanizer and partier Daniel tries to figure out how to run the business while feeling the pressure from his successful businessman of a father and crazy mother. Meanwhile, the Creative Director of the magazine, Wilhelmina Slater, tries numerous times throughout the series to take over the business and run the magazine herself. Betty and Daniel become good friends in the series but never have romantic feelings towards each other, unlike what the audience sees in Yo Soy Betty, la fae. The series ends with Daniel eventually handing the company over to Wilhelmina while Betty moves to London to pursue a different career. Daniel and Betty eventually meet up a few years later in London, with Daniel telling Betty that he is still trying to find out what his passion in life is and Betty jokingly offering him a position as her assistant.

  Although Ugly Betty was inspired by Yo Soy Betty, la fea, the audience can see the differences in the story lines and are able to watch both series without major overlap. The only real similarity between the two shows is their main character, Betty. Both shows portray a young girl, awkward and ugly by society’s standards, trying to make a career for themselves in ironically the fashion business. Both characters have no fashion sense, which is pointed out continuously throughout the series. The characters are similar in appearance too; both with long brown hair, childish bangs, glasses that consume their face, braces, and clothes that appear as if they are still a young girl in grade school, having their mother dress them. Both characters are rejected by their coworkers, but eventually make their way into everyone’s heart, showing them that it’s not always about having just a pretty face. In Yo Soy Betty, la fea, there is a dramatic makeover that happens to the main character, Betty. In Ugly Betty, the main character does go through a makeover as well in the series, but it is not as crucial to the storyline compared to the original series.

  Some other similarities that are seen in both series are obviously the character of Betty’s boss (Armando in the original and Daniel in the U.S. version). Both male characters are young, wealthy, and handsome bachelors who are in over their heads when it comes to running the family business. They are both known for their womanizing ways and partying lifestyles. Both characters eventually calm down as the series progress, trading in their bad-boy image for a more respectable one. There is also the businesses themselves in both series that are similar. While Yo Soy Betty, la fea has to do with an actual business that designs clothes, Ugly Betty has to do with a fashion magazine. Both series take place in the fashion industry though and face issues with running successful business.

  When it comes to the style of television show, each series are on the opposite spectrum for who their audience is. As BuddyTV pointed out, “The way the shows are presented are also distinct, with Betty La Fea airing as a soap opera with daily cliffhangers, and Ugly Betty airing as a weekly comedy, sometimes ending with cliffhangers, other times not.” So Yo Soy Betty, la fea was intended to be much more dramatic and for an audience who tunes in to day time television and soap operas. Ugly Betty was aired during the nightly line up during the week and had a much more modern feel to it, appealing more to younger audiences. Either way, both shows were a huge success in each of their countries.

  Telenovelas have a huge impact on their culture and society and help tell stories which change the way in which their audience lives. A lot of times, these soap operas display story lines of issues that are often seen in their country, trying to change the viewer’s perception on the social issue. According to Nick Morgan, author of Sex, soap, and society: telenovela noir in A´ lvaro Uribe’s Colombia, telenovelas have a major impact on their audience and states that they tend to air issues that the audience wants to see, but don’t necessarily know how to fix.  With Yo Soy Betty, la fae, the social issues in the series focus on beauty standards in society and how it is perceived. According to Morgan, the audience for telenovelas has a strong children viewership, so it makes sense that the network targets a younger audience and tries to address how beauty does not always dictate how successful someone can be. In Ugly Betty, the audience is seeing the same social issues, only the audience is target more towards young adults. Both countries are trying to point out though how the fashion industry treats people who do not meet their standards of perfection and how people are able to over come those obstacles. 

   Another huge distinction between the television show and telenovela, is that of Ugly Betty, and the seamlessly white washed cast of a remake of a Colombian telenovela, while the cast of Yo Soy Betty, la fea, has the cast rolls fulfilled by its natives. This can be the beginning of cultural appropriation through Americanism and conceptualized television shows, such as Ugly Betty, with  leaving just four cast members of Latin American descent. Although the telenovela was heavily appropriated to an Americanized version, it did have hybridity to it as well, through the show’s main character Betty. Other than similarities through Betty, the show can be seen as appropriation of the telenovela. The style in which Yo Soy Betty, la fea was filmed was in that of a traditional telenovela, with a lot of natural lighting and minimal editing, whilst Ugly Betty is full of production light and heavily edited to the Hollywood standard of television.

Work Cited

Morgan, Nick. "Sex, Soap, and Society: Telenovela Noir in Álvaro Uribe's Colombia." Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies 19.1 (2013): 53-76. Web.

:, #. Posted by. "Amardeep Singh: Mimicry and Hybridity in Plain English." Amardeep Singh. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2016.

[ohsnap-kag]

White Face in The Jazz Singer

       When an audience watches a movie, such as The Jazz Singer (1927), the main character, Jack Robins (played by Al Jolson), can be remembered for his scenes of portraying black face in the movie. Did anyone else notice Jolson’s character also portrayed white face, as well though? Jolson’s character, a runaway from his New York home, trying to make it big in the American 20’s jazz scene, finally gets his big break in a Broadway show. His disapproving father, a devote Jewish man who is a cantor for the church, disowns his son though when Jolson’s character makes it known at a young age that he does not wish to follow in his father’s footsteps; he just wants to be a jazz singer.

           So why exactly would a white man need to play white face for his character, when he himself is already white? During the time when the film was made (aka the 1920’s), there was oppression of certain races and religions still taking place (not like any of that has gone away in today’s society though). While black people are who we typically think about when we hear of oppression happening in America, there are so many others. The white Aryan race was the dominate race in those times, which meant if you were not a white Christian, then things were not looking so great for you. Jolson’s character in The Jazz Singer, although white, was also a Jewish man. The character’s religion played a big part in his life obviously, considering his family, especially his father, was part of the church. Jolson’s character was rebelling against his religious lifestyle though, trying to break free from his father’s old ways and become a part of the new America.

           It appears that in order for the movie to help portray Jolson’s character as transitioning from old tradition to the new America, the movie itself needed to show the audience that Jack Robins was breaking from being a traditional Jewish man and transforming into an ideal American-a white Christian. From the first time the audience sees Jolson’s character, a young 12 year old Jack Robins, we observe the young boy dancing and singing Jazz onstage in crowed saloon full of adults. A man sits at the piano, drinking a beer and joyfully playing along while young Robins sings to his audience. Robins moves along to the music, thrusting his hips to the beat and scooting his feet on stage. When Robins disapproving father busts through the family entrance doors of the saloon and angrily makes his way through the crowd and towards the stage, the camera switches to Robins face, heavy with white makeup and fear for his father. That is when the audience first gets a real glimpse of Robins in white face make up. It makes him appear angelic and almost glowing to the rest of the cast in the movie, as if it is trying to point out that yes, Robins was born Jewish, but he is a “pure American” at heart and wants nothing to do with his old traditional life. Throughout the entire movie, Jolson’s character appears in heavy white make up and it quite a contrast to the rest of the characters in the film.

           Another notable scene where Jolson’s character really stands out in white face is when Robins father’s friend comes to visit Robins at the theater while he is in rehearsal, and asks him to come sing at the synagogue during the Day of Atonement. When Robins asks why he can’t his father do it, the family-friend breaks the news that Robin’s father has fallen ill. Robins, who is conflicted while his friend tries to convince him to come back home, clearly thinks about the offer. The family friend has his back turned to the camera and the audience can only see Robins, from the waist up, him in full white face and stricken with guilt and confusion. The way the lights hit Robins portrays him as this angelic figure, now finally part of the new America, but still getting sucked back in to his traditional past.

           The movie did a fantastic job showing the audience that in order for people to become accepted members of the American dream, they must first shed their past and traditional ways, including religion. Jolson’s character stood out from the rest because he wanted so badly to be a Jazz singer and show America that he too was part of their society. The white face that Jolson’s character portrays throughout most of the film helps set the tone and gives the audience the illusion that although someone might be white, only a “true American” is pure and part of the Aryan race.

[ohsnap-kag]

Free Ahmed Abba

(source)

Ahmed Abba, a Nigerian journalist, is a correspondent for Radio France Internationale’s (RFI) Hausa service. According to many RFI articles, Abba vastly covered the issues that surrounded the refugee camps in Cameroon and Nigeria. The journalist was detained by Cameroonian authorities in July 2015, in the city of Maroua, while working on an investigative piece regarding Boko Haram. He had been “prosecuted for acts of ‘complicity of terrorism’ and ‘failure to report acts of terrorism.’” (Shuh, 2016).

RFI is an international broadcaster that is mainly known through France, Canada, and other french speaking countries. The news source is offered through English translation, but it is not as common. It is one of the most popular international radios stations in the world, competing against BBC, and other similar radio news sources. Its English broadcast is mainly aimed at Africa, where the Nigerian journalist is currently based and detained.

Abba was accused of not reporting terrorist attack of Boko Haram, who refers to themselves as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jahid, which translates to “People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad.” Boko Haram is known as the Nigerian Taliban, which is a fundamentalist movement based out of Afghanistan. The Nigerian group has been reported in numerous cases of terrorist attacks throughout the northern states of Nigeria.

Prior to his arrest, Abba was headed to a meeting at an office of a local governor, and according to an article posted to the CPJ website, the reasoning for his meeting is still unclear. The journalist has been under fire of numerous accusations, including being in contact with members of the terrorist group Boko Haram. While being detained, Abba was denied seeing his lawyer for two weeks, and during this time it wasn’t clear if he had been charged yet.

RFI had spoken with a representative of CPJ and they were told that representatives at RFI have yet to been given any specific reasoning for the arrest of the Hausa journalist. They have also said that they “weren’t aware that Abba had broken any local laws through his reporting and that it had no contact with him since arrest.” (CPJ, 2015) Almost a year later, RFI released statements regarding the demand of Abba’s release, and they have also noted that he was detained in prison under the General Directorate of External Research (DGRE).

Recently, Amnesty International had posted a document titled “Right Cause, Wrong Means: Human Rights Violated and Justice Denied in Cameroon’s fight Against Boko Haram,” that was released by the US Government.  Abba was mentioned quite a few times in the internationally read document. The 52 page document states,

“Journalist Ahmed Abba was stripped and beaten while detained at the DGRE, with no access to a lawyer or his family for over three months. The Minister of Communications, Issa Tchiroma Bakaray, publicly claimed that Abba’s lack of access to a lawyer was “in conformity with the anti-terrorist law,” and that “his lawyer will have access to him when his interrogation is finished.”

(Source)

Since the Amnesty International documents release, it has been over a year now since Abba has been arrested and detained. The journalist is currently still being detained and being denied access to his family and lawyers. He is currently “being held incommunicado and is under investigation by the organization responsible under the state of war Cameroon is experiencing today.” (RFI, 2015)

There has yet to be to be international coverage of the imprisonment of Ahmed Abba, although there has been local coverage throughout Cameroon and Nigeria through their local news sources. Radio France Internationale has been covering the arrest, but not as quite thoroughly as they could for one one their own staff members. This could raise questions on whether or not such a large media company will assist their staff members during an assessment over accusations regarding working with terrorist groups.

Although Abba was mainly working towards shedding light on the issues surrounding the refugee camps, he was accused of working alongside terrorist group Boro Haram, despite the lack of evidence. A few Cameroonian news outlets have released articles and statements that coincide with Abba’s case that revolved around the freedom of press, and the job and social responsibility of being a journalist of not being a crime.

Even though it has been over a year since his arrest, his case has made headlines throughout Cameroon and Nigeria, which will hopefully strengthen the rights of the many working and aspiring journalist in the areas. There is hope that the case will as move towards more international coverage for Abba and his release, and hopefully a trial will soon  begin, proving Abba’s innocence due to lack of evidence.

Work Cited

"Cameroon: Authorities Must Reveal the Whereabouts of a Journalist Arrested Three Months Ago." N.p., n.d. Web.

Https://www.facebook.com/alafnet/. "Caneroon:RSF Demands Release of Ahmed Abba." N.p., 30 July 2016. Web.N.p., n.d. Web

.@pressfreedom. "2015 Prison Census: 199 Journalists Jailed Worldwide." N.p., n.d. Web.Rfi. "RFI Calls for Release of Its Hausa Correspondent in Cameroon." N.p.,

 09 June 2016. Web.United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Refworld | 2015 Prison Census - Cameroon: Ahmed Abba." N.p., n.d. Web.

[ohsnap-kag]

Network vs The Devil Wears Prada: The Dragon Ladies of their Industry

       Women with power in movies often get a stigma and stereotypical reputation of being a bitch and a hardass in the work place. They come off shallow, cold, heartless, and emotionless. They give off the appearance that they only have one thing in mind: making money for themselves and their companies. Two prime examples of this stereotype in movies is Diana Christensen (played by Faye Dunaway) in the 1976 film Network, and Miranda Priestly (played by Meryl Streep) in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada.

In the movie Network, a news anchor named Howard Beale has a mental breakdown on live television. Executives and producers for the network of the show, UBS, decided to exploit Beale when they discover that ratings went up during his rant. Diana Christensen, the network’s programming producer, is used to picking up shows that are for entertainment value. She decides though to convince the network to transform Beale, who was once a respectable anchor who reported the news, into a spectacle and laughing stock of the news, all to boost network ratings and profits. Christensen, a young women who in the prime of her career, realizes the opportunity that is in front of her and doesn’t let anyone get in the way of her vision and ratings. Christensen becomes one of the top dogs in the network and the movie portrays her as a ruthless and cutthroat women who will do anything to make it to the top. She uses her sexuality to manipulate Max Schumacher, who also works for the network and is Beale’s best friend, gaining her the power to run the news show and transform Beale into the network’s puppet. Schumacher ends up leaving his wife for Christensen, falling head-over-heels for her. Christensen, although infatuated with Schumacher, never lets him truly see how much he means to her. At the end of the film, when the network’s audience starts to lose interest in the berating of Beale’s unstable mental health and ratings start to go down again, Christensen’s world around her begins to crumble and fall apart. Schumacher, who is living with Christensen towards the end of the film, comes to his senses and realizes that Christensen isn’t in love with him like he is with her; she is just in love with herself and the idea of being in love. He ends up leaving her, and while Christensen is upset and heartbroken, she still denies her feelings for Schumacher and lets him walk out of her life. Christensen never gets the opportunity to be herself and allow herself to love someone because she knows she has to keep up her image and not let anyone know that they got to her emotionally. Christensen sacrifices her personal life for the sake of her career and in the end, ends up losing it all.

(picture source)

In the movie The Devil Wears Prada, a young and eager journalist named Andrea (played by Anne Hathaway) gets a job at Runway, the top fashion magazine around. Andrea is the new personal assistant to Miranda Priestly, who is the editor-in-chief of the magazine with a harsh reputation. Everyone working for her at the magazine is afraid of Miranda and her reputation lives well beyond just the office. The fashion industry, already brutal and cutthroat, is 10 times more vicious with Miranda in it. Throughout the movie, Andrea learns to adapt and adjust her work ethic to Miranda’s practically impossible and high standards. Miranda throws curve balls at Andrea whenever she can, constantly testing her loyalty and work ethic. When Andrea is finally trusted with the task of dropping off the “book”, the mock-up of the next issue, she sees Miranda in an intimate and private moment when she and her husband are fighting over Miranda’s lack of presence in the relationship. Her husband yells at Miranda, shoving it in her face that he is aware of her reputation and how she constantly lives up to her nickname “The Dragon Lady”. In the end of the film, after Andrea ends up losing most of the people and things in her life that mean something to her, for the sake of her career, Miranda sees the sacrifices she makes and offers Andrea the opportunity to join her in Paris for fashion week. Once there, Andrea again sees Miranda in an intimate moment where she reveals to Andrea that her husband has filed for divorce. Although upset, Miranda does not take a break from her work or fashion week. She portrays to Andrea that her marriage is nothing compared to her career, which is what she is truly committed too. Miranda ends up selling out one of her best employees, Nigel, who was going to transfer to a new job as a creative director for a high profiled fashion star. Instead of Nigel getting the job, Miranda convinces the executives at Runway to give the position to her rival, Jacqueline, because Miranda’s job was in jeopardy of being handed over to her. Miranda was willing to betray not only one of her best employees, but also her friend, all for the sake of her career. In the end of the film, Miranda tells Andrea that she sees a lot of herself in her, and this sets everything into perspective for Andrea. She knows she doesn’t want to end up like Miranda because she has seen how people perceive her and all of the personal sacrifices she has made. Andrea doesn’t think the job is worth it and ends up leaving Runway. Although she never lets on, Miranda is proud of Andrea leaving the position because she knows the damage she has caused and the heartache and comes along with the territory of being “the dragon lady”.

(picture source)

Both films depict two women who hold powerful positions in the industries they work in. The films portray to their audience that in order for a women to climb the ladder in their careers, they need to be ruthless, heartless, and not let anyone stand in their way. The films show that in order for a women to be successful and advance herself in her career, she must sacrifice everything in her personal life and give up everything. They must not show any emotion because that is a sign of weakness (according to the films) and you need to treat people as allies and enemies, not friends. Christensen and Miranda both showed their audiences that their hard and tough exterior really caused them emotional damage to themselves and how society has set these boundaries in place for people, especially women, and how hard it is to be taken seriously in the work place.Women are far from this taboo idea of what the media depicts them as in movies. Women with power in their work place can hold a respectable title in their companies without having to sacrifice their lives for it or their reputation. 

[ohsnap-kag]

Buffy, Jessica, and Kimmy: Three Badass Females of Television

When audiences see female characters on television, they often see a mixed message of what mainstream media has dictated for what a women should look and act like. They see them portrayed as helpless and defenseless creatures, often pining after male characters and not really being able to focus on much else. According to Matthew Henry, author of the article ‘‘Don’t Ask me, I’m Just a Girl’’: Feminism, Female Identity, and The Simpsons, he states that, “Much of this confusion about women’s ‘‘proper place’’ and roles in the culture derives from the mixed messages to be found in mainstream mass media. As a result, many women today seem to be in a conflicted state, torn between very traditional and stereotypical ideas about who and what they ought to be and rather progressive and liberating concepts of who and what they can be” (Henry, 2007, pg. 274). Once in a while though, producers and directors create television shows that break the mold and show female characters in a whole new light. One of the more inspiring aspect that viewers can see a female character take on is when they are victims of something, whether it’s a sexual assault, kidnapping, brainwashing, or even just a victim of destiny, and use these unfortunate events as a fuel to fire them up and take charge. Television audiences have been seeing female characters, both antagonists and protagonists, stand up for themselves and not let their past dictate how they should live their lives. Three shows that break this mold and have a strong main feminist character in their story line are The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015), Jessica Jones (2015), and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997).

The mother of these three shows is Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In 1997, Joss Whedon created a show that set the bar for badass female characters on television. The show is about Buffy Summers, a young girl in high school who is chosen (by destiny) to be the next vampire slayer. Buffy also just happens to live in Sunnydale, California, the portal and hell mouth for all things evil, unhuman, and dead. Buffy (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar) struggles with balancing her new adult life of slaying, ass kicking, and vampire killing all while trying to remain and uphold a normal life. Buffy goes through it all; she dies several times throughout the series while saving the world and she experiences loss herself including her mother’s death. She has friends turn against her when she needs them most and she has several romantic relationships crumble apart, all because she knows what her priority in life is and the responsibilities that fall upon her. Just like any victim, Buffy did not ask to become the vampire slayer but she took her role in destiny and became an idol for girls everywhere. The audience got to watch throughout the years as Buffy grew up from a fumbling and awkward teenager to a mature women and leader. Buffy was able to show her viewers that even though she didn’t have a choice in her fate, she didn’t allow it to bring her down and defeat her. She took on her role with pride and fought harder than anyone in the show ever asked her to. She sacrificed herself and her life for the sake of saving the world time after time, never asking for much in return. Although she wore a hard exterior and had problem communicating her emotions and feelings, Buffy was still easily relatable to. One thing Buffy always showed her audience was that is was okay to cry. Even in the toughest moments of life, she showed that crying doesn’t make you weak or show signs that you can’t handle a situation. She taught the viewers that crying did not make you any less of a women.  Buffy also came at a time where America was in their third wave of feminism. She showed America what it truly means to be a feminist and wasn’t always counting on a male character to save her. Buffy was the female hero that television needed and she really kicked off the start of what television viewers would continue to see true feminists as.

(Picture Source)

Jessica Jones started in 2015 and even though is only currently one season of the Marvel based show, it has already broken so much ground for feminist characters on television. The show is about Jessica Jones (played by Krysten Ritter), a women with super strength and flight-like abilities who is trying to piece back together her life after being brainwashed and under the control of a man named Killgrave. Jessica, who is now a private investigator, learns that the man who had her under his control for years, was not dead like she thought. Jessica spends the first season of the show coming to terms with what happened to her while under Killgrave’s control and eventually coming face to face with him and fighting him to the death. The series is based off of the Marvel character Jessica Jones, and ties in several other Marvel characters. Jessica is a prime example of someone who was a victim of sexual abuse and is working on overcoming what happened to her and using her situation to better herself and others. Jessica Jones was able to portray the aftermath and effects of rape and the damage it causes to the victim. The conversation of rape, especially rare and almost taboo on television, and often get misrepresented. Lisa Cuklanz and Sujata Moorti, authors of the journal article Television’s ‘‘New’’ Feminism: Prime-Time Representations of Women and Victimization made a point by stating that “Scholars have found that victim voices and perspectives are rare, that feminist ideology concerning rape is even more rare across several decades of programming, that rape narratives in detective genres have focused primarily on men and masculinity, and that the central and often sole cause of rape is a character defect of the individual perpetrator” (Cuklanz/Sujata, 2006, pg 307).   This show is raw and real on so many levels. It not only shows the viewers a female lead with a strong feminist presence, but it also shows the audience just how hard it really is to overcome these though situations in life. Jessica isn’t some helpless victim who can’t fight her own battles, but she also doesn’t show herself as someone who has their life together. The character struggles with alcoholism, depression, and PTSD throughout the first season. She makes mistakes, curses, and does not look like the stereotypical female super hero that people are used to seeing. She is relatable to females because she isn’t perfect and that’s why her audience loves her. Jessica is able to focus on rebuilding her life and relationships with those who are in it. Jessica Jones is the modern day feminist that television needed, digging in to hard topics and showing them for what they really are. Life isn’t all sparkles and rainbows and Jessica Jones really grounds people and shows them the aftermath of a traumatic event and how people overcome them.  

(Picture Source) 

The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is Tina Fey’s latest project on television and it is fantastic. The show is about Kimmy Schmidt (played by Ellie Kemper), a young women who is rescued from an underground bunker that she has been a prisoner in for 15 years. The bunker, which held Kimmy and three other women, was part of a cult from a brainwashing reverend who kidnapped all the women and held them capture underground. Now free from the bunker, Kimmy starts her new life in New York City and discovers the world once again and everything she has missed out on in the past 15 years. This show shows victim-turned-feminist in a whole new light. Different from Buffy and Jessica Jones, Kimmy Schmidt is a comedy and is able to shed laughter and light on vulnerable situations and after they happen. The show briefly discusses how the reverend forced himself upon Kimmy and the other women in the bunker, but Kimmy is able to still move past what happened. She carries herself in a manner that is inspiring and hopeful. The audience is able to tell that she obviously went through a lot while being held hostage for 15 years, but Kimmy refuses to let anything and anyone stand in her way of rebuilding her life and trying to find happiness again. Kimmy is the type of person who always has a smile on her face and tries to find the best in every situation; something that is rare, especially for those who have been through something significantly traumatic in their life. Kimmy’s outlook on life is what turns her in to a strong feministic person. When someone in the show tells her that she can’t do something or that something won’t turn out the way she wants it to, she doesn’t allow the negativity to stop her. She knows what she wants and expects to see in life and strives to achieve all of her goals. When something doesn’t work out, she just picks herself up, dusts herself off, and goes back out into the world, sparkly shoes and all.

(Picture Source)

Putting these three shows side-by-side, the audience can see a theme among the three lead female characters in each other. Each women has been through something very traumatic and life changing. Each women is a victim of something. They all have decided to not let those events run their lives though. All three characters are fighters. They are feminists in the sense that they don’t require a man to run their lives and dictate what they should do and say. While they all have their love interests in their shows, each female chooses to look past those relationships and fight for something bigger. They are role models to young girls everywhere by showing them that being a survivor and a leader does not mean you have to be or look perfect. Each female character has her flaws and the televisions shows do a good job of showing the viewers what they are and how the women are not going to let flaws stand in their way. Each character is on a mission to better their lives. These characters give other victims hope and help them restore dreams into their lives. They inspire women all over and allow them to see what women really do look like in reality. Whether you choose to kick some vampire ass, become a private-eye with superpowers, or just explore New York City with your roommate and eccentric landlord, these television shows shed new light on what a modern day feminist looks like.

Work Cited

Cuklanz, L. M., & Moorti, S. (2006). Critical Studies in Media Communication.        In Critical studies in media communication (Vol. 23, pp. 302-321). Virginia:        National Communication Association.

Henry, Matthew A. The Simpsons, Satire, and American Culture. N.p.: n.p.,             n.d. Print.

[ohsnap-kag]

What is Television: Part 2-Final Draft

     Since the birth of television, woman in the industry have pioneered the way for others and create iconic characters that we continue to idolize. Women like Lucille Ball, Carol Brunette, Nichelle Nichols, Rosanne Barr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mariska Hargitay,and Tina Fey are just a few that paved the way for what it means to be a woman both on television and in the world. In the book Women Watching Television: Gender, Class, and Generation in the American Television Experience, author Andrea L. Press says that “Our culture’s representations of the female gender have changed along with our consensual ideas, in a complicated relationship of response to, and influence upon, our changing culture notions about female roles and identity” (Press, 1991). With the change of culture and society always rapid, society has watched together as the progression of the female character on television has progressed and morphed into what women really look and act like in real life.

Lucille Ball was the original pioneer when it comes to women being on television. She brought comedy, realness, and true talent to her work. She had a vision of what she wanted her show to look like and she never let anyone deter her from it. In 1950, the network CBS pitched to Lucille about taking her already popular radio show, My Favorite Husband, and move it over to television. In an effort to try and save her failing marriage, Lucille insisted that her husband, Dezi Arnaz, play her TV husband on the show. She believed that if the two of them worked closer together, it would help save their marriage. The network had their doubts though, so Lucille and Dezi took matters in to their own hands and started their own production company called Desilu Productions, and created the pilot for the now famous show called I Love Lucy.

Lucille and Dezi insisted that the show be filmed in Los Angeles and not New York, like CBS requested, because they had already been living there for several years and did not want to move. CBS was concerned because shooting the show in Los Angeles meant having to deal with time differences, thus forcing the network to air the show on what was called kinescopes. According to the Directors Guild of America, Kinescopes are, “a 16mm filmed recording taken from an extremely bright cathode ray tube […] Kinescopes are fuzzy and often distorted, but were the only means for communities outside of the reach of coaxial cable linked network affiliates, predominately on the East Coast where most television programs originated, to see network programming."  So while networks were able to broadcast to different coasts, the picture quality was not necessarily worth it. Lucille proposed to CBS that her show be shot from multiple camera angles in front of a live studio audience. She wanted her show to be filmed like movies were being filmed; multiple cameras to shoot and capture different angles. This would eliminate the use of Kinescopes and give the audience a new way to view television shows.  Concerned with logistics and costs, CBS once again fought with Lucille about her idea. Lucille never gave up on her dream though and with some help from veteran cinematographer Karl Freun, Lucille and Dezi were able to achieve their dream of shooting their television show just like films. They of course had to take a cut in their weekly paycheck from the show as well, but that meant nothing to Lucille when it came to her dream.

The show broke the ground for how future television shows could be produced. She was able to break barriers and conquer the television world. She also didn’t let the network tell her how she should look and appear on TV. In 1951, Lucille allowed her audience to view the journey of her pregnancy with her, showing women all over to not be ashamed. The television audience was seeing for the first time, a woman who was pregnant on broadcast television and not trying to hide it. Lucille showed women that her character Lucy was more than just a housewife though. Lucy’s dream of making it big in Hollywood on the television screen is reflected in her hard work and dedication to create a show that broke boundaries and revolutionized TV.

(Picture Source) 

Another important show for the female character was Star Trek. The show was picked up by Desilu Productions in 1966 and created by Gene Roddenberry. It focused on a starship called The Enterprise in the year 2260, traveling through the Milky Way Galaxy in search of new life and civilizations on different planets. In the original series, actress Nichelle Nichols played female badass Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, the ship’s communication officer. Her character was strong and independent, for that time, and she helped bring the first interracial kiss to broadcast television. She also was one of the first African American characters that wasn’t portrayed in a non-menial role on American television. According to Mary Henderson, author of Professional Women in Star Trek, 1964 to 1969, she states that “Gene was determined that the astronaut corps of the future would be a tapestry of all human kind, of men and women on an equal basis, going where no man or woman had gone before, based strictly on their abilities. And the industry wasn't ready for it” (Henderson, 1994, pg 4). Nichols inspired young girls everywhere, both of color and of not, and showed them that the world allowed women to be so much more than just a house maid or nurse. Girls could become the Lieutenant of a starship and explore the galaxy alongside her colleagues. She even inspired one little girl so much that she too grew up and became an iconic woman on the Star Trek series. That little girl was Whoopi Goldberg, who played Guinan, a women who ran the lounge aboard the USS Enterprise-D on the series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Goldberg recalls seeing Nichols as Lt. Uhura on television and being in awe that a African American woman was playing a part that was typically seen portrayed by a man. Nichols gave women a new hope and new dreams, showing them that women were not confined to the stereotypical roles and society has placed for them. When the series ended in 1969, Nichols took up a job with NASA and helped them recruit women to join. That is quite the impact and difference Nichols was able to make for women in just a few year’s span.

(Picture Source)

       When Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out in 1997, television audiences began to see the strong heroic female character that we had been waiting for. Sarah Michelle Gellar, the star of the show, played Buffy Summers, a young girl who was chosen by destiny to be the vampire slayer and save the world (over and over again) from the evils and demons of hell. Buffy was an icon for women characters in television because she was not the damsel in distress. She came at a time where the phrase “Girl Power” was used everywhere and America was seeing the third wave of feminism hit the country. Women were once again taking a stand for their gender and showing the country that women did not need men to fight their battles anymore Buffy saved the world a countless number of times, all while dealing with the struggles of finishing high school and just trying to live a normal life. Gellar’s character was a young girl in high school that had literally been to hell and back but was not about to let anyone tell her to give up.  She was a crime fighting, ass-kicking, vampire killing badass who showed the world that women could do anything they wanted to.

 (Picture Source)

When streaming television and shows on premium channels really took off around 2009, we began to see a whole new side to the female character that was being shown in television.  Netflix has shows like Orange is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Jessica Jones, showing strong women who are continuing to not take “no” for an answer.  Women are being seen with flaws. Women are going through heartache and fist fights and doing everything that a man can do- and sometimes evening doing it better. People are also starting to see diverse sexuality being fully expressed. We have lesbian and gay characters, characters that are transgender, and everything else in between.  Katy Waldman, a reporter for Slate.com, wrote in her article Orange is New Black Is the New Star Trek, “Orange Is the New Black spins intimate, nuanced narratives around, for starters, trans-people, butch lesbians, non-butch lesbians, older women, poor women, and overweight women. These characters are presented not as peripheral or supporting but as the heart of the matter—their stories are the story, end of story.” Women are no longer the supporting character. They don’t have to fit into the “ideal image” of what society has tried to fit women in to. Women on television can now be overweight or gay or from a lower class and still have a successful story line. The stereotype of a skinny, pretty, submissive women is no longer desirable to the television audiences.

 (Picture Source)

     Women in television have gone from the career-driven sitcom mom like Claire Huxtable (played by Phylicia Rashad) on The Cosby Show (1984-1992) to the crime fighting women of the law like Olivia Benson (played by Mariska Hargitay) in Law & Order: SVU (1999-Present) to now even transgender women serving their time in prison like Sophia Burset (played by Laverne Cox) on Orange is the New Black (2013-Present). A big step towards portraying women correctly in television also involves making sure there are women behind the camera, as well. Alyssa Rosenberg a journalist for The Washington Post, posits that, 

“It’s become a conscious decision to hire women directors and producers and writers, and just become a very conscious effort to either give them a chance the way men are given a chance and support them. It has to be a studio- or network-wide policy. It has to be enacted on every level. That one is a really tough nut to crack, because it’s been so intractable”.  

Women are doctors, lawyers, superheroes, witches, or even the antagonist. Women are breaking free from the unrealistic mold in which the industry and society has set in place for them. Women don’t just sit around the house and wait for their man to return home to them, like people typically see them doing, especially in advertisements. Women are not submissive sex objects that are placed on television to please the male viewer’s eye. Women are finally allowed to be portrayed as women. Television is showing people that there are no limits to which the title of being a lady, holds. Women can achieve their dreams of making in big in Hollywood, travel space and reach new and uncharted planets, and even fight off hundreds of vampires without breaking a sweat.

                                        Work Cited

Henderson, M. (1994). Professional Women in Star Trek, 1964 to                           1969. Film and History, XXIV. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from http://0-               content.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu

Press, A. L. (n.d.). Women Watching Television. Retrieved May 15, 2016, from         https://books.google.com/books                                                        

[ohsnap-kag]

Best/Worst of the Week #3

Best: Dog Reacts to Lemon

I saw this trending A LOT on my Facebook feed this past week, and for good reason. Who doesn’t love an adorable little fluffy puppy playing with a lemon and react to it all funny? The video is almost a minute’s worth of adorable puppyness. The little guy pounces and “attacks” the dreadful lemon, licking it a few times and then just gives up on it in the end. Not all might be as cute as it seems though… After doing a little research on the topic of dogs eating lemons, I came across an article from Metro, a site from the UK, which reported that dogs reacting to the taste of citrus fruit isn’t as cute an innocent as it might seem.

The article discusses how citrus fruit actually contains poisonous chemicals in them that can hurt both cats and dogs. It says that the trend of people posting videos of their pets reacting to eating lemons and limes started around 2013. The RSPCA stepped in soon after and warned pet owners of the dangers of having your pets eat citrus fruit. While their reactions might look all funny and adorable, it is actually causing them a lot of harm. The article also said that 88% of pet owners were not even aware of the dangers and harm that citrus fruit can cause to your pets.

I chose this as my best of the week for two reason. One- It’s still adorable and I needed something cute to distract me from all of the negativity on social media lately, especially with politics. My other reason though is although citrus fruit can be harmful to your pets, social media is the perfect tool that people can use to spread the word about the dangers of the fruit. All it took was a simple Google search of “Dog reacting to lemon” and a bunch of different articles came up that were warning about such dangers. I think it is really amazing how social media and the internet is able to quickly debunk and educate people before they go and cause harm to themselves or others. Now if we could only encourage people to take the extra step to do research first instead of just reposting and sharing…

 Worst: The Scariest Things That Donald Trump has said (so far)

I think that it is safe to assume that anything involving the crazy things that Donald Trump says, qualifies it for the worst of the week. That being said, I chose this video because I saw it trending a lot on my Facebook, especially after it was announced that Donald Trump is more than likely the only Republican running for President right now after Ted Cruz dropped out of the race.

The video originated from a news site called Independent, which appears to be a British site. The video highlights some of the ridiculous and outlandish things that Donald Trump has said over the years, including how he would date his daughter if they weren’t related, insulting Hillary Clinton and slandering her relationship with Bill Clinton, and the ever famous “I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me. Believe me. And I’ll build it very inexpensively. I’ll build a great, great wall on our southern border and I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.” (Campaign Launch 2015) Each time that Trump opens his mouth my immediate reaction is to just start cringing.

I think this video appeared just in time for Trump’s latest publicity stunt online where he posted to all of his social media pages on Cinco de Mayo “ Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!” Oh Trump… Are these the Hispanics that will be paying for your wall? Or are these the Hispanics that are criminals and rapists? No wait, this are obviously the Hispanics that he is “assuming are good”.  Do we need to remind Trump that Mexicans are from Mexico and Hispanics derive from Spain? Not to mention I’m pretty sure taco bowls are an Americanized food item.

Trump loves to run to his social media to try and promote and better his image, but as history has shown, he just continues to hurt his campaign, his image, and his respect. I think it is interesting how much he involves himself on his social media pages, but it really makes me question if his PR manager is even checking over what he wants to post before he does. Obviously not. I personally like Samantha B’s response on her own social media:

(Source)

[ohsnap-kag]

The Women of Television: Sitcoms, Dramas, and Streaming-Draft revised

       Since the birth of television has been around, there have been woman in the industry that have helped pioneer the way for others and helped created the iconic women that we idol on TV.  Women like Lucille Ball, Carol Brunette, Nichelle Nichols, Rosanne Barr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mariska Hargitay, and Tina Fey are just a few that have paved the way for what it means to be a woman in the world of television. In the book Women Watching Television: Gender, Class, and Generation in the American Television Experience, by Andrea L. Press, she says that “Our culture’s representations of the female gender have changed along with our consensual ideas, in a complicated relationship of response to, and influence upon, our changing culture notions about female roles and identity.” (Press 1991) With the change of culture and society always rapid, we have seen the image of the way women are viewed change drastically as well, and television has had a big role in that.

               Lucille Ball was the original pioneer. She had a vision of what she wanted her show to look like and she never let anyone deter her from it. She started her own studio when the others weren’t working for her and never took “no” for an answer. With her creative production styles and creating one of the first shows to have multiple cameras filming to capture different angles, just like in the movies, she was able to back barriers and conquer the television world. She also didn’t let anyone tell her how a woman should look on TV. She allowed her audience to view the journey of her pregnancy with her, showing women all over to not be ashamed. We began to see a shift in the women of television all over the world. In 1953, Doreen Stephens became the head of BBC television and really promoted the growth of women that the viewers saw on television. Mary Irwin, of the BBC magazine Wednesday Magazine and Arts Television for Women, said, “Stephens built up a specialist women’s programmes unit, creating and producing a highly diverse and ambitious weekly roster of television for women” (Irwin, 2015). Meanwhile, Lucille’s company, Desilu Productions,  went on to producing other famous shows like The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hogan’s Heroes, and probably most famously, Star Trek.

(Picture source)

               Star Trek was another show that had strong female characters that were present in the cast. Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, not only helped shape the female character on television but also help shaped the character for African-Americans. Her character was strong and independent, for that time, and she helped bring the first interracial kiss to broadcast television. We began to see the start of women in fan fiction around this time, and how women themselves were creating these fan bases. Tammy Oler, writer for Bitch Magazine, wrote “The large body of fan fiction produced by women was a subversive act of women writing themselves into the cultural imagination, as well as a positive, second wave–ish act of self-affirmation” (Oler, 2008). Women were starting to emerge into the culture of television, and they wanted to make sure they were being represented correctly.

Other women in Star Trek helped show that women can be so much more than just a housewife. Dr. Crusher, played by Gates McFadden, was the successful doctor of the Enterprise during the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. Shows began to pull away from the image of women just staying in the house all day, cooking and cleaning, and began showing them in other successful roles. We saw Claire Huxtable (played by Phylicia Rashad) be a successful lawyer with a family. We saw Murphy Brown (played by Candice Bergen) carry out a career as an investigative journalist and news anchor and eventually became a single mom, showing women that you can (successfully) survive without needing a husband in your life.  We watched a breakthrough television moment like when Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on her show Ellen.

(Picture Source)

       When Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out in 1997, we began to see the strong heroic female character that we had been waiting for. Buffy was an icon for women characters in television because she was not the damsel in distress. She saved the world a countless number of times, all while dealing with the struggles of finishing high school and just trying to live a normal life. She was a crime fighting, ass-kicking, vampire killing badass who showed the world that women could do anything they wanted to. We began to see women in television break away from the traditional role of the mom in the sitcom and really explore the television world. Shows like The X-Files, Law and Order: SVU, Sex in the City, Charmed, and Alias was able to portray women as the independent people that we are; not always relying on the help of others or just pining over a man’s attention. Television shows really began to shed light on female characters and we saw a lot of powerful figures conquer all on our television screens.

(Picture Source)

When streaming television and shows on premium channels really took off a couple of years ago, we began to see a whole new side to the female character that was being showed in television. Premium channels like HBO and Showtime created shows like Weeds, The L Word, and Girls, really helping shape the new era of women. Netlfix created shows like Orange is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Jessica Jones, showing strong women who aren’t just these delicate flowers. Women were seen with flaws. Women went through heartache and fist fights and did everything that a man could do. We also saw sexuality being fully expressed for the first time. We got lesbian and gay characters, characters that are transgender, and everything else in between. Television the past couple of years has changed the female character drastically into role models that we have been looking for. Katy Waldman, a reporter for Slate.com, wrote in her article Orange is New Black Is the New Star Trek, “Orange Is the New Black spins intimate, nuanced narratives around, for starters, transpeople, butch lesbians, non-butch lesbians, older women, poor women, and overweight women. These characters are presented not as peripheral or supporting but as the heart of the matter—their stories are the story, end of story.” (Waldman, 2015).  We are just starting to see the discussion of sexual assault and rape and abuse- topics that have usually just briefly been touched upon in television history. Thanks to the advances in technology and the switch from just watching television on your TV to now streaming it online and watching it on your tablet or laptop, we are in a place where there are no boundaries or FCC telling us what a woman can and cannot do. With the help of streaming television, we are creating the new definition of what is means to play a woman on television.

(Picture Source)

We think about how much progress we have made in recent years when it comes to portraying women in television, but have we not been bringing up the same issues and contradicting them for quite some time now? Let’s compare Orange is the New Black and Star Trek- more specifically, Star Trek: Voyager. The captain of the ship in Star Trek during that series was Captain Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew. Fast-forward 18 years, and we see Kate Mulgrew playing a very well-known and outspoken character on Orange Is The New Black, known as “Red”. Both characters (and shows, in a way) mimic each other. We have the strong protagonist female leader who “keeps a tight ship” and makes sure everyone is in order. Both are vocal in their decisions and know that everyone may not agree with them, but they always do what is best for the “family”. Both characters are portrayed as strong, independent women who are in charge- a rare siting to see for a female on television.

(Picture Source)

Television still has a ways to go when it comes to female characters. Women are still seen as sex items, with the objectification of our bodies put onto display. We still see the Male Gaze still in full effect with the tight outfits, short skirts, and low cut tops. Shows are progressing though and we are seeing the push-back from women. Females in television are showing little girls everywhere that being a woman does not confine you to being a sexual object for men to desire and then to settle down and have babies with. Women can be doctors, lawyers, superheroes, witches, or even the antagonist. Women can be just women.

       A big step towards portraying women correctly in television also involves making sure there are women behind the camera, as well. Alyssa Rosenberg, a reporter for The Washington Post, talked about her theory on how we can bring gender equality to the television screen. She said, “It’s become a conscious decision to hire women directors and producers and writers, and just become a very conscious effort to either give them a chance the way men are given a chance and support them. It has to be a studio- or network-wide policy. It has to be enacted on every level. That one is a really tough nut to crack, because it’s been so intractable” (Rosenberg, 2016). So, hopefully one day the studios will catch on and see what their audience is seeking in their television women. There is a lot of progress still to be made in the industry but if we look at the women in history, they never go down without a fight.

(Picture Source)

[ohsnap-kag]

Media Audiences Blog #2

(source)

       I think the next “revolution” in social media innovation/usage will be social media transition to more of a Snapchat platform. Snapchat is the “hottest new thing” in social media and I know that the style and format of the app really appeals to Millennials. We are appealing to the fact that the pictures and conversations on Snapchat eventually delete or disappear, and while nothing actually ever goes away once it is on the internet, the appeal of it is almost comforting. I think we will see blogging and possibly even Twitter and Facebook adopt a similar format. I personally would be perfectly okay with some of my posts on Facebook just “deleting” themselves over time.I read an article that Facebook Messenger might eventually be mimicking the Snapchat design. I guess we will just wait and see! 

[ohsnap-kag]

Best and Worst #2

Best: Bad Lip Reading- Game of Thrones

     I chose this as my best of the week because I absolutely love how creative this videos get. These videos are made by the same people who do the NFL Bad Lip Readings, which are my favorite. It’s the only thing I look forward to during football season. It’s just interesting how much your ear and vision can manipulate itself into believing something. Clearly the voice over lines are not what the actors are actually saying but when you add them in to the visuals, it’s hard to image the actors saying something else at times. With videos like this, you can tell them put in some time to find the right clips and edit everything together so it flows well for the “preview” they are trying to create. The Wire calls the video “The best one yet”.

           I thought the release of this video was in perfect timing of the start of the new Game of Thrones season. Talk about “free” publicity for the show without even working for them. I have personally never seen very much of the Game of Thrones show but I liked how this was still able to make sense to me and it didn’t give away anything about the show itself. We are seeing more and more of video manipulations and mash-ups pop up on our social media pages. We love to take things and recreate them in to a new image. The same people also did a similar technique for the Harry Potter movies. They edited them in to a trailer that looks like Harry Potter is your stereotypical teen movie. My personal favorite character in this spoof is “Jimmy Whispers”. I lost it when he started talking, er I mean…whispering, during the trailer.

Worst: Boycott Target

       People are flooding to social media to talk about Target allowing employees and customers use the public restrooms that they affiliate their gender identity with. The American Family Association has now started a petition to boycott Target over their new bathroom policy. The petition already has over 1 million signatures on it. The boycott is directed at women and children directly, saying that sexual predators will pretend to be transgender and will attack them. For more on what the AFA is saying on the issue, check out their Facebook page here.

       Target released their new bathroom policy on April 19th. They released a statement on their website stating, “We believe that everyone — every team member, every guest, and every community — deserves to be protected from discrimination, and treated equally,” the statement read. “Consistent with this belief, Target supports the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals, and opposes action that enables discrimination.” (Washington post, 2016). Since the announcement of their new policy, people have been flooding to Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms to express their opinions on the matter. The majority of the posts that I have seen about the topic have been in favor of Target and against the boycott, although I do have a few friends who stand with the boycott. All of this comes around on social media during the same time that North Carolina passed its law banning trans people from using the bathroom for the gender their identify with.

       What I’m really confused about it…Why do people think transgender people are just now using public bathrooms? Also…laws have never really stopped a sexual predator from attacking before. Do people honestly think that banning transgender people from using the bathroom that they identity with, is really going to stop predators? If a sexual predator wants to attack, they will. No amount of laws or policies will stop them. Which leads me to my next questions…How exactly does the AFA and other people against transgender people, plan on monitoring the bathrooms? Are they going to create some kind of genital monitor? Do we need to start carrying around our birth certificates to provide our birth gender? Or will they be taking matters in to their own hands and checking each stall? I guess laws wouldn’t apply to the AFA if they are checking everyone’s genitals for the sake of their child’s safety. I think everyone would feel perfectly comfortable and not violated at all if they needed to do that. Oh irony, my sweet, sweet friend. All I can say is…

;

[ohsnap-kag]

The Women of Television: Sitcoms, Dramas, and Streaming

           Since the birth of television has been around, there have been woman in the industry that have helped pioneer the way for others and helped created the iconic women that we idol on TV.  Women like Lucille Ball, Carol Brunette, Nichelle Nichols, Rosanne Barr, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mariska Hargitay, and Tina Fey are just a few that have paved the way for what it means to be a woman in the world of television. In the book Women Watching Television: Gender, Class, and Generation in the American Television Experience, by Andrea L. Press, she says that “Our cultures representations of the female gender have changed along with our consensual ideas, in a complicated relationship of response to, and influence upon, our changing culture notions about female roles and identity.” (Press, 1991) With the change of culture and society always rapid, we have seen the image of the way women are viewed change drastically as well, and television has had a big role in that.

               Lucille Ball was the original pioneer. She had a vision of what she wanted her show to look like and she never let anyone deter her from it. She started her own studio when the others weren’t working for her and never took “no” for an answer. With her creative production styles and creating one of the first shows to have multiple cameras filming to capture different angles, just like in the movies, she was able to back barriers and conquer the television world. She also didn’t let anyone tell her how a woman should look on TV. She allowed her audience to view the journey of her pregnancy with her, showing women all over to not be ashamed. Lucille’s company, Desilu Productions,  went on to producing other famous shows like The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyck Show, Hogan’s Heroes, and probably most famously, Star Trek.

(source)

               Star Trek was another show that had strong female characters that were present in the cast. Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura, not only helped shape the female character on television but also help shaped the character for African-Americans. Her character was strong and independent, for that time, and she helped bring the first racial kiss to broadcast television. Other women in Star Trek helped showed that woman can be so much more than just a housewife. Dr. Crusher, played by Gates McFadden, was the successful doctor of the Enterprise during the Star Trek: The Next Generation series. Show’s began to pull away from the image of women just staying in the house all day, cooking and cleaning, and began showing them in other successful roles. We saw Claire Huxtable (played by Phylicia Rashad) be a successful lawyer with a family. We saw Murphy Brown (played by Candice Bergen) carry out a career as an investigative journalist and news anchor and eventually became a single mom, showing woman that you can (successfully) survive without needing a husband in your life.  We watched breakthrough television moment like when Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian on her show Ellen.

(source)

When Buffy the Vampire Slayer came out in 1997, we began to see the strong heroic female character that we had been waiting for. Buffy was an icon for women characters in television because she was not the damsel in distress. She saved the world a countless number of times, all while dealing with the struggles of finishing high school and just trying to live a normal life. She was a crime fighting, ass-kicking, vampire killing badass who showed the world that woman could do anything they wanted to. We began to see woman in television break away from the traditional role of the mom in the sitcom and really explore the television world. Shows like The X-Files, Law and Order: SVU, Sex in the City, Charmed, and Alias was able to portray women as the independent people that we are, not always relying on the help of others or just pining over a man’s attention. Television shows really began to shed light on female characters and we saw a lot of powerful figures conquer all on our television screens.

(source)

       When streaming television and shows on premium channels really took off a couple of years ago, we began to see a whole new side to the female character that was being showed in television. Premium channels like HBO and Showtime created shows like Weeds, The L Word, and Girls, really helping shape the new era of women. Netlfix created shows like Orange is the New Black, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Jessica Jones, showing strong women who aren’t just these delicate flowers. Woman were seen with flaws. Women went through heartache and fist fights and did everything that a man could do. We also saw sexuality being fully expressed for the first time. We got lesbian and gay characters, characters that are transgender, and everything else in between. Television the past couple of years has changed the female character drastically into role models that we have been looking for. Thanks to the advances in technology and the switch from just watching television on your TV to now streaming it online and watching it on your tablet or laptop, we are in a place where there are no boundaries or FCC telling us what a woman can and cannot do. We are just starting to see the discussion of sexual assault and rape and abuse- topics that have usually just briefly been touched upon in television history. With the help of streaming television, we are creating the new definition of what is means to play a woman on television.

(source)

       Television still has a ways to go when it comes to female characters. Women are still seen as sex items, with the objectification of our bodies put onto display. We still see the Male Gaze still in full effect with the tight outfits, short skirts, and low cut tops. Shows are progress though and we are seeing the push-back from women. Females in television are showing little girls everywhere that being a woman does not confine you to being a sexual object for men desire and then to settle down and having babies with. Women can be doctors, lawyers, superheroes, witches, or even the antagonist. Woman can be just women.

(source)        

[ohsnap-kag]

The Best and Worst of the Week

The Best: Kesha performs with Zedd at Coachella 2016

(source) 

Okay so for me, this was kind of a no-brainer for what was the best thing in the media this week. Kesha joined artist Zedd on stage on Saturday evening (4/16) during his performance at Coachella 2016. This was kind of a big deal because this was the first public performance that Kesha has done since her high-profiled case against producer Dr. Luke in February. People quickly fled to the internet when Kesha made her way onstage and posted videos of her performance during the evening. She didn’t say anything to the audience but she did sing some pretty powerful lyrics and alluded to her feelings and thoughts on the situation going on with her and Dr. Luke. She lost her case against him back in February and a lot of people have been questioning if she would ever be able to make a come back or even perform again. I think it is safe to say that no one, not even a monster, can break Kesha. I think with all of the talk lately on social media of women and their voice and rights in the world, this was just the step forward we needed in progression towards equality for all. Check out a video of her performance below. 

The Worst: Michael Buble fails at eating corn 

(source)

I cannot tell you the number of times this photo popped up on my news feed on Facebook this past week. I never knew that one single photo of a celebrity eating corn could cause such a uproar. The photo shows singer Michael Buble eating corn in a very unconventional way while visiting Disneyland with his family. I’m just really confused as to why this was trending and got the attention and backlash that it did. So the guy is eating his corn on the cob a little...weirdly...Did the internet really need to go crazy over it though? There are so many bigger things happening in the world right now and this still dominated all of my social media feeds though. Major earthquake happened in Japan? Never heard about it. But did you see the picture of Michael Buble eating corn?!? Holy creamed corn, Batman! Now THAT is important. Of course Michael Buble responded perfectly though by stating  “This is vegetable harassment!!! [...] What I do with my Cobb is nobody’s business. #mesocorny #paparazzi #shuckme.” (source) 

I think I have a picture of me eating a baby carrot while on vacation with my family. I wonder if I could get it to go viral as well... 

[ohsnap-kag]

Politicians and Social Media

(source)

Social Media is the biggest media platform out there right now for politicians in the 2016 election. Here are some interesting statistics I found on social media users and their involvement with politics online. The statistics are a little outdated (They are from 2012) but they give you a general idea of just how big of an impact the use of social media is for the candidates.

§  38% of those who use social networking sites (SNS) or Twitter “like” or promote material related to politics or social issues that others have posted

§  35% have used social networking sites to encourage people to vote

§  34% have used the tools to post their own thoughts or comments on political and social issues

§  33% have used the tools to repost content related to political or social issues that was originally posted by someone else

§  31% have used the tools to encourage other people to take action on a political or social issue

§  28% have used the tools to post links to political stories or articles for others to read

§  21% belong to a group on a social networking site that is involved in political or social issues

§  20% have used the tools to follow elected officials and candidates for office

(Source)

 The trend of politicians using social media as a major platform started in 2008 when Obama first started his campaign. Today, we are hardly seeing the cut throat commercials and slander advertisements that we typically saw in previous elections. Politicians are turning to their supporters online now to do their “dirty work” for them. Let’s take a look at the four major candidates still in the race and see where they stand on social media.

Bernie Sanders- “#FeeltheBern”

(source)

Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat, YouTube

Bernie is really hitting it out of the park with his presence on social media. The oldest candidate that we have running for president, Bernie has managed to gain the majority of the vote from the biggest generation we have to date: Millennials. So what better place to reach out to them then on social media? During the last Democratic Debate, Sanders was the most searched candidate in every state. His heavy presence on the internet and on social media has allowed him to tap in to a generation that spends the majority of their time Tweeting, posting, and googling their every movement. Of course, he has the best of the best for a social media and campaign team backing him up. They have created everything from Snapchat filters to creative hashtags and memes. While some of these smaller pieces may seem silly to older generations, it is a strategy that is clearly working in Sander’s benefit and allowing him to win the vote and voice for the current and future generations. His biggest platform right now is Facebook with almost 4 million followers. His Twitter hits at almost 2 million followers while his Instagram page stands at 1.2 million followers. Leave it to Sanders to tap in to a social media network that we don’t really see the other candidates using: Tumblr. With Millennials having a heavy presence on Tumblr, it is definitely a smart move on Sanders (and his team) to have a existence on the site.

Donald Trump- “#MakeAmericaGreatAgain”

(source)

Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube

I think it is agreeable to say that Donald Trump has definitely left his mark when it comes to his impact on social media for his campaign. He is most well-known for his rants, slander, and outrageous tweets in Twitter. That is his strongest platform that he is currently using, using the easy tool of tweeting back to his followers (and haters). His Instagram page only has 1.4 million followers which, in my opinion, is a little low considering he has been in the celebrity spotlight for so long and way before he decided to run for president. His Facebook page comes in with a whopping 7 million followers though, which is interesting considering the currently demographics and opinions from Millennials on Facebook being used mainly by the older generations now days. His Twitter page also has over 7 million followers, which is not surprising since that is where we tend to hear the most news about his presence online. It is safe to say that Donald Trump is well known in the online community, but is it necessarily good? For me personally, I can probably count the Trump supporters in my friends and followers lists, on one hand. The stuff that I do see get posted about Trump is usually negative, with either a meme making fun of him, a video comparing him to Hitler, or people picking apart and attacking the nonsense that usually comes out of his mouth.

Hillary Clinton-“Hillary for America”

(source)

Social Media Platforms:  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Spotify, Pinterest  

Hillary has not really made a big splash in the social media world that I have seen anyways. She doesn’t get into twitter arguments with followers and non-supporters, she doesn’t have any memorable and catchy hashtags for her campaign, and you rarely see a lot of content being shared about her campaign by users. (Again, this is all based off of my own personal presence on social media). This all being said though, she does have a lot of good things that are benefiting her on social media. The first thing is she is definitely using her voice and gender to help her gain a foot in the voting door. “I am woman, hear me roar” is what comes to mind when I think of Hillary and her campaign online. She and her team have strategically planned out her social media platforms, from being the only major candidate to have a Pinterest page to even having her own Playlist of Spotify. Both platforms really connect well with women voters, so Hillary has definitely done her homework. Not saying that men don’t enjoy music, but if you check out her playlist on Spotify, the songs have very strong and independent women undertones. Another major thing that is working for Hillary and her campaign on social media is the large amount of celebrity supporters she has backing her up. Big names like Katy Perry, George Clooney, Brittany Spears, and even Snoop Dogg have all shared on social media their support for Hillary. Right now her biggest platform is Twitter with almost 6 million followers, followed by Facebook with over 3 million followers, and finally Instagram only drawing in 1 million followers.

Ted Cruz- “Courageous Conservatives: Reigning the Promise of America”

(source)

Social Media Platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube

I honestly have not heard a lot from Ted Cruz when it comes to the social media world. In my opinion he is the black sheep of this current election and I am surprised he has lasted as long as he has so far. His numbers on his platforms are a little low considering he is still one of the major candidates in the election still though. His major platform appears to be Facebook, drawing in just a little over 2 million followers. Again, his top platform is a social media outlet that is not as popular among Millennials compared to other sites. His Twitter account has only 1.5 million followers while his Instagram page only has a measly 52.5k following him. I have seen non-famous siblings to celebrities have more followers on Instagram than Cruz does. So what does he have going for him on social media then? Well the one thing that stands out the most when I think of Ted Cruz on social media are the memes currently going around comparing Cruz to the unidentified Zodiac Killer and how he eerily looks a lot like the sketches police did of the killer when he was still active. So the question remains…Did Cruz trade in his life of serial killing for a life in the equally terrifying world of politics?

(source)

[ohsnap-kag]

Video Games: The Movie

(source)

Video Games: The Movie is a documentary that is perfect for the gamer in all of us. Directed by Jeremy Snead and narrated by Sean Astin, the movie explores the history of video games and how they came to be, the art and craft of this multi-billion industry, and the culture being created behind them. The film includes interviews with several people who are heavily involved in the industry, including Al Acorn (the man who created Pong), Nolan Bushnell ( the inventor of Atari), Cliff Bleszinski ( A well-known video game designer) and my personal favorite, Wil Wheaton (Actor and producer).  Overall the cast had a good grasp on the concept of video games and solid knowledge and insight on the topic.

The documentary starts out with a couple of minutes of different clips of video games from the 70’s and 80’s. Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Know” plays during this scene and it really gets you hooked and interested. The film then starts talking about the history of video games, touching on the debate of who actually created the first video game and all of the major turning points, advances, and fails the video game industry has endured over the years. The film then goes in to discussing important social issues and advances that the video game community has seen like video game violence for children, the entire culture they have created for people, and how video games are a true medium in art.

(source)

I thought the film was well done when it came to the visual effects that were provided to their audience. Being a documentary about video games, the viewer is hoping for a good variety of video games clips and the film definitely provided that. I really liked that the film incorporated interviews with several woman in the industry. It was a nice balance that really showed the audience that video games aren’t just for boy like the stereotype seems to play out in movies and television shows. The people that were interviewed in general was a nice balance because you got to hear perspectives, views, and opinions from different age groups, people who have grown up in the industry, and people who just love to play.

               I had a few concerned on the film overall when it came to this documentary though. While the film was great visually, some of the narrating was a little dry and the ending to the film was not very strong. I found myself losing interesting about ¾ of a way through the film because it seemed like they almost ran out of content to talk about and were just talking for the sake of time. There were social and cultural issues that I would have really liked to have seen the film discuss, like the exploitation of  women in video games, the general stereotype surrounding people who play video games, and even what the future for video games looks like. I think the lighting at the end of the tunnel though is I read on the Wikipedia page for the film that the director has so much footage that he filmed for this that he is considering making another documentary on video games. I’m hoping this time around it will talk more about the players themselves verses just mainly talking about the games.

               Video Games: The Movie was spectacular in a visual sense and really tugged on the nostalgia sleeve for me. My favorite parts of the film were when they would take a break from interviews and people talking and just show clips of the advancement in games and all of the different types of games that are out there. It briefly touched on a few social issues surrounding video games, like the violence in them and how it affects children, but other than that it was more of just a tribute film to video games. If the viewer is an avid gamer, I think they would really appreciate this film. For me, the excitement of the film didn’t really go past just reminiscing on my own video game experiences as a child.

(source)

[ohsnap-kag]

Media: Impact and Effects

The media in our society today is often viewed as kind of this “big brother that is always watching” and people typically don’t always have the greatest of things to say about the media. The biggest media platform out there right now is social media, which is interesting because it’s society itself that is choosing what content to put out there and what they want people to read. We have all the tools and all of these opportunities to change the way in which the media portray’s people in today’s society, and yet it’s almost as if we are so stuck in our ways that we don’t want those views to change. 

Let’s take body image, as an example. We grow up in this world where magazines and television and movies all show people as these perfect figures in society, dressed in the highest of fashion and living a life of luxury thanks to their “perfect body”,. While the movies and magazines and advertisements don’t just come right out and say stuff like “drop to a size 0, wear this perfume, drive this car and watch your life magically become perfect”, it’s safe to say that, that is the message they are trying to get across. 

While people have started to use social media as a way to break down the stereotypes of what the perfect body looks like, there are still a lot of people who post images and articles that just go along with the unpractical standards that society has set for us. We have all the power to change the rules and yet it is almost like we are afraid to break away from the mold. 

[ohsnap-kag]

The Art of Television

When I think of Television, my view on it is a little “old school”, because it hasn’t been until the past couple of years that technology has changed the way I watch TV. Television, to me, is a program running anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour, that usually follows a story or genre (comedy, sports, court drama, etc.). It is typically viewed on a television set that can be found in a living room or bedroom of a home. A program series runs by season, usually comprised of 13-20 episodes per seasons, and a new episode of that show is aired once a week. Now, I realize my definition of television is out dated, but like I stated before, I grew up viewing television in this manner so it’s hard to change my opinion on it. While there are all these new ways to watch TV (Netflix, Hulu, On Demand), it just doesn’t have the same feeling or definition for me. I am definitely guilty of binge watching an entire series on Netflix in a span of just a couple of days, or watching a television show on Hulu because I don’t get the cable channel that airs it. The catch to this though is I view watching a show on my laptop as something different than watching something on my television. I’m watching a show on my laptop but I’m watching TV on my television set. I still prefer to turn on my TV and watch my half-an-hour episode of Family Guy, commercials and all, because that is what I am familiar and comfortable with.

As we get deeper into an age run by technology, I would say that most people have a common definition for television now. Television is viewed on tablets and phones and laptops…oh and television sets. I think the art of watching a show on a television is dying out. Television viewed on a television set is almost an outdated concept, if you think about it. I think the main factor that determines how different people define television though is age. Take me, for example. Like I stated earlier, my idea of television is watching it at home on my TV set because that’s how I grew up watching television. It is hard for people to change and adjust to new technology sometimes because the habits you grew up with when it comes to technology is almost like a comfort zone. Turning on my TV and watching a 30 minute program is comforting to me because it takes me back to my childhood, waking up on Saturday mornings and watching my cartoons. It’s a nostalgia factor for sure, and I think that really helps define how different people view television.

I think I would be lying if I said I didn’t personally watch a lot of television. For as long as I can remember, I’ve grown up with television in my home and it is a big factor as to why I chose to major in Media and Communications. The art of television, the craft of production, and the wonder of advertising is all very fascinating to me. It’s an understatement when I say that I love television. I typically have my TV on when I am in my room, mainly for background noise. I would say I probably watch 4-5 hours of television a day, usually starting around 10 or 11PM. I have certain shows that I tend to watch, depending on the day. I typically watch The Cleveland Show, American Dad, Family Guy, The King of Queens, Friends, Bob’s Burgers, and How I Met Your Mother. If I am watching something on Netflix, I try to watch a new TV show each time, but my go-to show is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I prefer to watch television by myself but when I am with my friends, we all watch RuPaul’s Drag Race together on Hulu. I am always up for watching a new television show though and I love discovering new shows all the time.

[ohsnap-kag]

What if… What if!!! Riley from Pixar’s “Inside Out” grew up to be an astronaut and when she makes her first trip to the moon, she secretly plants a little flag with Bing Bong on it??