After reading through the text and listening to Bell Hooks speak, I can confidently say that the majority of information I took in can be summarized by the fact that popular culture is where the learning is. In other words, not only are we socialized by the mass media (as the social learning theory suggests), but the mass media is also where we receive most of our information on how to think and behave in regards to several aspects such as race and gender.
An excellent and extremely interesting example of this, I found, was when Bell Hooks explained that mass media is attempting to push women back into a patriarchic way of thinking by steering away from feminism. When we see images in film, television, music videos, etc. of women playing sexist roles or seen as submissive to men, all those who watch it, especially heavy viewers, will perceive it then as the cultural norm. As Bell Hooks explained, this exact thing happened when U.S. men returned from war and the mass media sought to push women back out of the work force.
What I had not thought of before was how someone is consciously creating these representations, whether it be a submissive woman or a character who is a thief casted as a black male or any element that is setting us back. Someone goes out of their way to make these decisions simply to produce a certain reaction. There is a conscious manipulation of representations and it serves no purpose other than to get a “rise” out the audience. My question is whether or not these directors, filmmakers, musicians, etc. know that they are actually stunting mankind’s development and leaving certain people and cultures in a state of immovable oppression.
In regards to Madonna, as Bell Hooks spoke of, it seems as though those who partake in this oppression are simply in it for selfish reasons. Madonna, for instance, a once self-proclaimed feminist, knew that there was more money and stardom on the right than on the left and in an effort of rebranding, she essentially sold herself and women everywhere out for a bigger paycheck.
More than the reading, obviously, the Bell Hooks video series really made me angry more than anything. The feminist issues hit close to home and mass media’s influence on all of us is more apparent to me than ever. The actions of a few determine the treatment of many and this, above all else, is probably what leaves me the most frustrated and feeling the most helpless. A culture’s portrayal in the media is all driven by money. Will we ever reach a time when sexism and racism don’t lead to a larger revenue or are we doomed to this lifestyle forever?
The Madonna situation is very interesting because of her need to sell out other women and their fight for equality in order to gain success, money and fame. It is sad to think that a woman cannot have all of things while also being an advocate for the feminist movement. This concerns me because of peoples misunderstanding about what Feminism really is. It is not about hating men, it is about wanting the same opportunities for women that there are for men.
I couldn’t agree more. After watching this, I lost some respect for film makers who portray women as weak, dependent individuals and who use them as sex objects for men. It made me angry as well.
I agree I think that we are socialized by mass media and that the way other people perceive things in our society is what is mandated as a norm. I also agree with Bell Hook’s point on the fact that mass media makes women out to be some type of growing army that needs to be put back into place. Great explanation of things! I enjoyed reading your response.
The fact that everything, even the sexualization of women, goes back to the amount of revenue which can be made makes me angry too. I thought that everything that Bell Hooks had to say about popular culture and the images we see in film, television and other media was extremely accurate and a lot of the time we as a society are much more impacted by the social learning than we think. Using examples such as Madonna made her points even clearer as they became tangible.