"Acting White"

One phase that has always bothered me has been "acting white." It is usually used on African American mostly, but also on Hispanics and Latins, when someone has done gone beyond the expectations of their race (usually in the context of education).

        I remember in elementary school this was a particularly popular phrase to make fun of any minority who had done well on a test or homework assignment. What I find most interesting though, is the fact this term most often said and directed at minorities. Why is it that we degrade ourselves when we do well?

I think that the term in general just reinforces the idea that whites are somehow smarter and more apt to do work, which is just not true. Blacks, Whites, Latins, and every other race all have the same aptness for achievement and it is possible for all of us to study hard.

According to this article in the NY Times which contained a study about this topic:

"The one school where the researchers did find anxiety about ''acting white'' was the one in which black students were drastically underrepresented in the gifted-and-talented classes. And significantly, at this particular school, the notion of the burden of ''acting white'' was most pervasive not among the black students interviewed by the researchers, but among their teachers and administrators, who told researchers that blacks are ''averse to success'' and ''don't place a high value on education.''

I am not really sure why it is seen as negative when we achieve and why we sometimes make fun of our own people's success, so I am curious to hear your comments.

What do you think? 

Eating Disorders and the Media

Did you know that 1 in 5 women have and eating disorder. How about that 90% of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25.

(these statistics come from this site)

This could possibly be because of the unattainable standards of beauty portrayed to us by the media. Many women feel the pressure to be thinner because they think it will make them more beautiful. This is an idea that has been present in our society for sometime now and can be seen in the following old ads.

And the idea can still be seen today even in the foods we eat...



The pressure to be paper thin is another reinforcement of gendering because, while there is pressure to be thin on both sexes, it is much greater on women.

Sexialization of Women

The video that I posted above focuses on the sexualization of women in the media. Addresses how women are overtly sexualized in almost every field of media that is offered to the general public (ie film, television, music, even the dolls that young children play with).

While I agree that women are overly sexualized, however I also think that the problem is the one-dimensional portrayal that women are given in the media. One of the main issues is that in many teen dramas and music videos women are sexual and that's it. While it is true that humans are sexual creatures, there is definitely more to the female identity than sex, and is what needs to be seen in the media more.

According to this article, when a group of girls were asked to give responses to overtly sexual ads many said it was no big deal. This suggests a normalization and tolerance for this depiction of women, that needs to change.

Kyle Allums

Kye Allums a basketball player for George Washington University is now the first openly trans player in the NCAA.

Considering that homophobia is still a very prevalent problem the plagues major sports, it is quite brave that Kye came out to his teammates and to the press. According to this article, when Kye came out to his team he explained that "sex is how you're born and gender is how you identify yourself"

His bravery opens the door for more trans people in the future.

Sexism in Music Videos

Hip Hop and Rap videos are known for the degrading ways in which women are portrayed in both the song and the music videos. Women are often referred to as "bitches, hoes and gold-diggers" and in the music videos "video vixens" are often scantily clad with exaggerated bodies.

This is really nothing new when it comes to the hip hop, and music in general, industry. However I was extremely surprised when I saw the following music video by popular artist Chris Brown.

Firstly, I will start by noting that the song is called "No Bullshit." The lyrics basically implies that if a woman does not leave the club or whatever she is doing, to promptly have sex with a man then that is "bullshit." It reinforces the idea that women are vessels of male desire and not independent, respect-deserving individuals.

However, what really disturbs me most about this video is that the woman is not only virtually clothesless, but she is also faceless. Chris, the male in the video, has on much more clothing and his face is shown continually. The face is extremely personal, in many ways it is what makes all human being unique. In fact, the only parts of her body that are really seen are her breasts and her buttocks (which is being licked). By not showing her face the video reduces women to the most sexually pleasing parts of their bodies.

How can women be seen as equals if they are faceless....?

Hate Crimes Against Sikhs in The Bay

San Francisco, which boasts a significant Sikh community is currently dealing with an alarming amount of hate crimes that target the Sikhs.

According to the Sikh Coalition 1 out of every 10 Sikhs have been harassed or victimized. Apparently, two-thirds of the 1,370 people who were surveyed claim to have been physically attacked. This is very surprising given that San Francisco, as well as the Bay Area in general, prides itself on being an open-minded and accepting place. This article highlights the grievances of the Sikh community. Hate crimes directed at any individual or group are completely unacceptable, however they seem to be more prevalent than one would imagine.

I wonder why these stories have not been covered more in the media...any thoughts? 



Protests Against Transgendered Character on Degrassi

Currently on popular teenage drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, writers have created an interesting storyline about a transgender boy named Adam Torres.  Here are some quick facts about the character, courtesy of this website

Some trivia on Nickelodeon’s Degrassi Character Adam:

• Adam is the first transgender character to be featured on Degrassi.
• Adam is the first scripted transgender teen character in television history (not including documentaries or one-time guest roles).
• Adam is an FTM (Female to Male) transgender.
• Adam’s birth name is Grace “Gracie” Torres.The original birth name was planned to be Chelsea.
• Adam is one of three characters who caused self-harm to themselves. Others include Ellie Nash and Darcy Edwards, who both cut themselves.
• Adam’s grandmother doesn’t know that he’s transgender.

The portrayal of a young transgender teenager significantly increases trans awareness, due to the amount of youth that watch this show in both the United States and Canada. Unfortunately, groups like the Florida Family Association (FFA) are attempting to end this and other gay story lines on the show. This deeply saddens me because Degrassi is currently the only show portraying trans-teens on television.  It should also be noted that the show recognizes Adams gender preference, yet still treats him as a regular character with both faults and assets. I can only hope that the FFA is unsuccessful in its attempts and that the youth who watch this show take something away from the character.

Gendering Young Children

I recently found this video on YouTube, in which young children are interviewed about gender and gender roles. While you are watching this, keep in mind that these kids are between the ages of four and five, yet they seem very certain of their beliefs already.

With beliefs that seem to take root between the ages of 3-5, it seems nearly impossible to eradicate the gender roles that are so prevalent in our society. I found it very interesting how the interviewer utilized barbie and ken dolls to depict an average mother and father. Another very revealing aspect of this segment is how quickly the young children respond to the questions, possibly showing how ingrained these ideas actually are. At the age of 5 these children had already took issue with cross-dressing, and already had firm ideas about the roles of men and women. With ideology like this finding its way into the minds of such young children, how can we create a more open-minded and accepting society?

What are your thoughts?

What do you think of the video?

The Castro in San Francisco

        Throughout this course we have been learning about influential gay leaders, events, and communities. I thought I would take the time to share a little about a neighbor near where I am from that has been particularly influential to gay rights in the Bay Area.

This is a picture of the Castro~as you can see there are many gay pride flags

        The Castro is considered one of the United State's first openly gay and gay friendly neighborhoods. It has also been a key destination for gay rights activism in northern California. After the Summer of Love in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district, the Castro came to prominence as an emerging gay community. Many gay leaders and activist gathered in this area to work and convene. In fact, before launching his political career, Harvey Milk owned a camera shop that was located in the Castro

Pictured above with family member Audrey Milk in front of his camera shop

        This area continues to be a pivotal apart of today's gay community, adding to the already diverse fabric of  the Bay Area in general. The Castro houses annual gay pride events and parades. Because this area is so well known and respected where I am from, I just wanted to share it with you all. If you have been to the Castro or a San Fran Gay Pride parade/event feel free to leave any comments or memories!



Conversion Therapy

      Conversion therapy, or reparative therapy, is a psychiatric attempt to change someone's sexual orientation through therapy. In many instances this process is a religious based, striving to create "ex-gays" who have altered their identity so that they become heterosexual.
      In the United States this practice began in the 1930s because many physciatrist and doctors thought of homosexuality as a choice, as well as a disease. This logic caused many people to believe that homosexuality could be "cured". It was not until after the Stonewall Riots, that conversion therapy was actually protested on a large scale.
      Yet the practice still continues today. Here is a video of a young man in college talking about going through conversion therapy. His experience might seem a little extreme, but it is also indicative of what some people go through.




    I think it is pretty interesting that some people still see homosexuality as a curable choice. I found it very powerful when he said "you can't change what I never chose". What do you think? Is there anything you found particularly striking?

Portrayal of Men in Disney Movies

Children look up to the images that the see in movies. Specifically, disney movies are often idolized because they are see by so many not only in the US but all over the world. Many people see disney movies as a memorable aspect of their early youth.          

The images that we see in our youth can shape how we see society and our place in it. This youtube video addresse of masculinity in disney movies. It focuses on how these movies portray men and thier ideal qualitites to young boys and girls in the world.

What do you think?
How would things be different if they showed men in a new light?

Racism in Shirley Temple Movie

The movie Ethnic Notions, that we watched in class last week focused on the representation of black people as various archetypal scripts in the media. These archetypes included: the mammy, the coon, sambo, uncle tom, and the picaninny.

The picaninny is an African American child, typically portrayed as poorly undressed with unruly hair and exaggerated features, eating a watermelon, or being eaten by an alligator. What particularly struck me about these images was the way they were made to be jokes~how the image of a child being eaten by a wild animal was somehow funny

Fast forward to this weekend~after seeing The Celluloid Closet, I found myself really wanting to watch a black and white movie so I watched 1936's "Poor Little Rich Girl" with Shirley Temple.

I was surprised to find hear Shirley temple's character using words like 'mammy' and 'picaninny' when referring to her Black doll. Additionally, when she plays with her Asian doll the music becomes oriental, she starts squinting, and she uses an stereotypical Asian accent.



I posted a video of it above. Its a little difficult to hear her say it but: the accent is at 3:00, mammy is 3:21, and picaninny is at 3:24

I just found this really interesting because it just shows how common these beliefs were. Since Shirley Temple has always been depicted as an innocent child, the clip also displays how widespread, accepted, and normalized these views were.

Extreme Homophobia in Uganda

    The rights of homosexual citizens, specifically the right to marry, is one of the most well known grievances of the gay community in the United States. 

    However, the gay community in Uganda is facing an even more extreme form of government-imposed prejudice. Located in east Africa, next to Kenya and the Congo, the parliament of Uganda is currently debating a bill that would make homosexuality a crime punishable by death. If it becomes enacted homosexuals who: have committed other crimes, have HIV, or engage in sexual relations with a minor are subject to the death penalty.

         This article from the New York Times, explains the origins of the bill and its connections to America. After three Americans (a missionary who wrote an anti-gay book, a “former gay” man who turned himself straight, and a member of Exodus International) traveled to Uganda to give talks about the dangers of homosexuality, already strong homophobia became even more prevalent, making way for this bill.

    The American government has threatened to lessen the amount of aid given to Uganda if the bill is enacted; yet, many question whether our government has the right to do this, given its history of prejudice to towards the LGBT community. Due to international uproar, several drafts of the bill have been created, to lessen protests and negative publicity on the country.


    I would encourage you to read the actual bill. I, personally, found the section where they define homosexuality and terms interesting, it really reinforces the idea of sexuality being a construct.

    The bill has also created a sort of ‘witch hunt’ for homosexuals, which can be seen in the following articles from Ugandan newspapers.

    In my opinion it is important to read and understand the bill because it not only targets homosexuals, but also their allies and associates. It would make it difficult for people to publicly support the LGBT community in their country. Sexuality, no matter if someone is gay, straight, or anything else, is a large aspect of one’s identity. With this in mind, I hope this bill does not get passed because it attacks who someone fundamentally is with no regard to their actual character.