Music Videos

I guess it is left now for the younger generations, but who watches music videos anymore? My social group is late 20's early 30's and I don't know very many people who grow up and continue to watch MTV. they never show music! And the ones they do show on MTV, VH1, and BET are nothing but garbage. There is no real content in videos, let alone music anymore in the main stream.
All of the kids and teenagers watching the sexualization of our culture on these networks are forming discisions for their future on video thugs.

Racial Stereotyping

In response to some of the performances we saw today in class, I would like to say that I see where the media is going with their add campaigns. Every aspect of consumer culture is bias in one form or another. Every network will have a little more prejudice in one direction or the other. White men still run this country. They wil always promote and allow the degredation of other races.

Corporate Racial Bias

I'm beginning to see more and more racial bias within television commercials. Especially on ESPN who is owned by the conglomorate ABC. Each and every commercial I see portrays white people and families as thee main characters within their advertisement, and cast minorities as extras. I'm not saying that blacks, asians, and hispanics are not playing the leading role ever, but the statistics far outweigh those of whites. I'm sure if I were to watch any prolonged television of BET or MTV which has a different audience, the statistics would skew towards the middle or the other side.

Astonishing!

I was extremely upset when I opened the Dallas Morning News on Monday, November 12. November 11 is Veterans Day, but we observe it on Monday the 12th this year. There was no pictures of soldiers or American flags in the paper Monday. Just photos of the Dallas Cowboys and part 2 of a series on crime. What gives? This is pathetic! The only story I noticed in Monday's paper was a small column in the Metro section. I just thought I would mention this, as I did to everyone at work and all my friends. I contemplated writing an e-mail to the DMN, but for what, so they could tell me they did it on Sunday. I have lost respect for Belo.
Johnny

Sex in Music Videos

When I grew up watching music videos was a portal into the bands that we were interested in listening to. We were able to see what they looked like and how the acted on stage. We were able to put faces to the sounds we loved to hear. MTV was incredible, but I don't watch it anymore. For one, they rarely show music anymore. It's all shows and nonsense. And the videos that they do show have no substance or creativity. As the text talks about, videos are all filled with sex appeal today and have no class. I gladly download music illegally from some of these band who are out there to do nothing more than exploit women and sex appeal to make the mighty dollar.

Racism in America.

After much thought and discussion about the subject I brought to light in class, I wanted to add to a little. I mentioned the occurance at my job where I asked a co-worker to take something to the 'black' gentleman at the end of the table. A fellow 'white' co-worker felt it neccesary to comment that he perceived my comment as derogatory and racist. Okay, that should preface this.
I find it absurd that there are people out there, as there are in our class, who say they don't see color in people's skin. I understand that noticing skin color is particular to our culture, and that we are taught to distinguish color, but that is just it. We "all" know that human nature recognizes different races of people, classes, catagories, ethnicities, and above all else...color!
The true ignorance of this mentality is when an individual decides that there are automatic differences due to coloration. Intended discrimination! That is where ignorance comes in, not because I simply classified somebody in order to maintain proficiency in the workplace.
I see color. I know a black man, brown woman, or white kid when I view one. I know the difference, in color. You can classify me all you want, but don't degrade or judge me if you don't know me. Call me white boy, gringo, etc. It doesn't bother me to know that I am white. If it bothers someone that they are what they are then they have problems, not me.
And when people play the race card! This gets under my skin. Some always blame it on racism if things don't go entirely their way. Get over it. I could go on all day, so I'll stop here.

News Habits

I love the news. I hate the news. It's a complex relationship. I do receive the newspaper everyday. The Dallas Morning News that is. I signed up for that a few years back when I was knee deep in journalism classes, and I fell in love, but I hate it!
So most of my news is gathered from reading the daily paper. A close second to that is the telly. I find myself flipping between FOX News, CNN, and MSNBC when I find some afternoon time to sit around. There are far too many commercials though. That gives me a great idea; Why don't I start recording the news on my DVR? Ingenious!
Most of what I pay attention to is sports related. I'm a sports nut, and everything else just makes me melancholy. Of course I like to know of worldly and local events, but I'm most concerned with whether the Spurs or the Cowboys won. I'm growing apathetic to negative news in my old age.
I most likely spend no more than an hour or two a day reading or watching the news. Somedays I allow myself no time. Not enough hours in the day sometimes.
When I find myself reading about race, gender, sexuality, or disabilities I tend to assume that the media remains mostly fair and balanced. It does vary from network to network or medium to medium, but professional news organizations routinely look for a middle ground. That's not to say racism or sexism is not there, it is just reported covertly in a biased way. A keen mind can read between the lines.

Johnny