Hustle and Flow

· http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otn1YORTxDo

The main character DJay is non working drug dealing pimp who has to manage a single stripper with a baby, a prostitute, and a pregnant wife – race/gender/class

· The dressing room of the strip club is shown full of naked women, most of them black. Djay’s stripper Lexus is shown looking depressed, he walks over to her , grabs her and tells her to hurry up whilst she lays her head on him and seems comfortable– gender/race

· The black stripper is extremely aggressive and rude. She also has a baby. The white prostitute on the other hand is calm, listens to instructions and is successful in the end -race

· DJay’s ultimate dream is to make it as a rap star- race

· When the piano player first joins, DJay Is disgusted and asks “You know he’s white right?”- race

· In the scene where DJay kicks out the stripper, the other two women are shown crying yet they don’t say a word - gender

· The black police officers were trying to pass on their demo tape to DJay in jail- race

Hustle and Flow is a movie that documents the life of a man in Memphis. It chronicles his struggles on the streets as he tries to support his family and realize his dream of becoming a rap star. The film incorporates several stereotypes in trying to define the characters. First off, the main character DJay embodies all the characteristics of masculinity. He is physically tough, rugged and extremely aggressive. Although he is poor, he tries to do whatever he can to feed his family. He lives in a beat down house with his wife who is pregnant. He is also a pimp by trade and therefore has a black stripper who is the single mother to a baby boy. He also has a white prostitute with whom he sits on street corners and waits for potential customers to approach. Djay is also African American, has a perm and sells marijuana. Furthermore, he dreams of moving out of the slums by becoming a rap artist. Also, even though he is poor, he manages to have chrome rims on his beat up Chevy. In trying to depict life in the “hood”, this film incorporates a lot of stereotypes and passes it off as reality. First off, it is stereotypical that DJay doesn’t have a real job. He sells drugs and his perm is consistent with the hairstyles that other self proclaimed pimps like Snoop Dogg and Ice T have. He is shown as being lazy and makes a living off of the women he lives with. He uses his masculinity to force the women to sell their bodies in order to get money which he uses to support his rap career. These are all stereotypes that were attached to the character to try to make him seem more authentic. There are also a lot of instances where this movie feminizes women. None of the women in the show were respected by the men they were around. DJay dictated the life of the stripper and the prostitute. He gave them shelter and they gave him whatever money they make from work. They were essentially his property and he dictated their every move. The women are shown as being extremely passive since they needed DJay’s guidance. Even though they were the ones making the money, they couldn’t take care of themselves without his influence. Furthermore, women are objectified. The two women with DJay sold their bodies and he was constantly yelling at his “baby mama”. The one woman who was in a successful marriage was made to look like a needy talkative. Her husband refused to listen to her and was pretty much only ever at dinner for the food. Women were shown as only being good at satisfying the sexual needs of men and taking care of the home. In trying to give the user an authentic view of the lifestyle in the “hood”, the movie perpetuates several stereotypical notions of gender and race.

Carry Out

The music video for Carry Out by Justin Timberlake and Timbaland has several sexually suggestive scenes, lyrics and theme. For starters, the video deals with a drive in “fast food” that serves women as food. At the beginning of the video, there are several female dancers shown in front of bright neon lights that say “Drive In” and “Hot Cakes”. The women are presented as food items that can be bought. This is consistent with Devors idea of femininity since the women are objectified. They are shown as mere items that men can order to fit their every desire. In the subsequent scenes, several women are seen dancing sexually to the pleasure of the artists. They are seen serving the men food and taking their orders on notepads. The women are portrayed as having no inhibitions and being content with pleasuring the customers. Furthermore, the women are presented as prostitutes on a menu who are chosen by men like a drive thru. This is done to make the men seem more powerful and superior than the women. It creates the impression that the women should want to be with the artists because they are wealthy and can afford to buy them many times over. They seem so happy and eager to dance for the men. I believe it is important to note that although the women were blatantly objectified, it was made to look as If they liked it. This is because the lyrics read “I take you home, baby, let you keep me company”. The women are made to look like they have no choice in the situation. Also, Timbaland states that he would let HER keep him company. It sounds like he is doing her a favor by taking her home. It’s as if she’s been dying for his attention all along and he was finally just caving in to her desires. Devor believes that traditionally, women are expected to get married to men, have children and take care of them and the family as a whole. This statement is true and because of these expectations, women are associated with sex and family. Several men feel like women are sexual creatures and are obligated to satisfy their sexual desires. These are the ideologies that fuel the thinking that women belong in the home and are supposed to support their husbands. This idea is clear in the song when Timberlake says “Have it your way, foreplay; Before I feed your appetite”. The first part of the line says that the woman can have it “her way”. This is disrespectful to women because the artist just assumes that the woman is interested. He claims that she could have it “her way” as if she had dreams of how their encounter would go. In the second portion, Timberlake claims to want to feed the woman’s appetite as if she was hungry for sex. This is extremely stereotypical because it compares a woman’s desire to have sex to a human instinct to eat. Our appetites are a very important part of our livelihood. It keeps us alive and is constantly happening, therefore to compare it to a woman’s desires to have sex is excessive. It means that women constantly want to have sex and can’t live without men which is not true. It is just a plot to create an image of fantasy since it makes it seem like women constantly crave men. The lighting of the background throughout the song is also very important. This is because pink was the color that was used. It is a color that is often associated with females. Therefore, it was just used to represent all the women in the fantasy world that the artists were in. Another important aspect of the video was the attire that was worn by both sexes. When it came to the women, they wore outfits that were very exposing. Most wore lingerie and they were just trying to be sexy the whole time. Every time the camera zoomed in, it revealed just enough of the half naked body of a female to keep the viewer wanting more. On the other hand, the men are shown wearing suits and looking well put together. They look confident when they are around the women who seem to gravitate towards them. It seems like whilst the men were portrayed in their best light, the women were shown as hookers. This is done to support the idea that men have power over women. It also supports the vulgar message of the song. Whenever the artists were shown with the women, they were either whispering in their ears or acting extremely calm whilst the women seemed infatuated with them. The men were shown as dominating people who got what they wanted. They looked like hunters and the women looked like their submissive prey. This was incorporated in order to perpetuate gender roles into the song. Also, the choreography in the music video was very suggestive. The female dancers were constantly performing suggestive dance moves. On several occasions, women are seen bending down right in front of the cameras or have scenes filmed between their legs. The alternating dancers made it look like the artists were just using them for decoration and entertainment. This objectifies women as accessories and condones sex with multiple partners. Finally, there is a part where Justin Timberlake orders two number 3s and ends up with two African American twins in matching uniforms. Their uniforms are barely able to cover their butts and exposes their underwear. I believe that the image of one guy with two girls really captures the essence what the video is all about. It promotes promiscuity and having several sex partners. To many, having sex with more than one girl at a time is a big fantasy. Therefore this video tries to glamorize that heterosexual lifestyle by showing the objectivity of women. All in all, the stereotypes were incorporated in order to attract people to that lifestyle and make it look desirable.

Bug Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl_lxl3fdU8&feature=player_embedded#at=16

Several commercials construct images of racial stereotypes in order to advertise to specific races. As Michael Omi says “…the necessity to define characters in the briefest and most condensed manner has led to the perpetuation of racial caricatures” (458). This is because most stereotypes tend to try to define the people of any given population. They make generalizations about populations but apply it to individuals. Thus, stereotypes are hurtful because they hold people to certain standards regardless of how different they are. They are often condescending since bad things are expected of some people regardless of their individuality. People from diverse cultures are narrowed down to a few identifying characteristics. In the Bud Light Super Bowl Commercial above, they are several instances of racial stereotypes. First off, the commercial starts off with comedian Carlos Mencia claiming that American girls like accents. He is then seen sitting at a table with a five other people of different races. He then instructs them to go hit on the girls at the bar as they drink Bud Light. The first man tells the woman, “You have the thighs of a Sherpa”. The man is brown skinned with medium length hair and a very distinct accent. Even before, I looked up what “Sherpa” means, I knew that the man was supposed to be Indian, Pakistani or from one of the neighboring countries. He was made to look like a typical Indian guy. He talked with a familiarly heavy accent. He also seemed so out of touch with American culture that he compared a woman’s thighs to a Sherpa; which is an ethnic group that lives in the Himalayas. This commercial perpetuates the stereotypical image of an Indian. The man was made to look like what every foreign Indian guy should look like. A second guy then goes up to talk to the girl. He is Asian and wears glasses. He also has a very “typical” accent and is wearing a buttoned polo with the collar down. He tries to say “Hi” but says it too strongly and then botches his second attempt by saying “Hi, hi, hi”. He has glasses, looks nerdy and was socially awkward. He was made to match the popular stereotype of Asians being nerdy and not being able to communicate effectively. This is stereotypical because he wasn’t portrayed as a normal American; he was shown as a foreigner with familiar attributes in order to look recognizable. The third man then goes up to talk to the woman and is shown randomly holding a chicken. He then tells the woman in a thick accent that she has the eyes of the bird. From his accent, complexion and textile clothing, he looks to be of African origins. Once again, this man is portrayed in a stereotypical sense. Even though he offends the woman, he looks like he doesn’t know any better and smiles the time. All the foreigners had certain characteristics that set them apart and the chicken was supposed to set this man apart. Since several African countries aren’t as industrialized as the rest of the world, the chicken was symbolic of his supposed sync with nature. As Omi stated, this commercial used these stereotypical images because people are familiar with them. Since the images used are so typical, people don’t mistake the message being sent and the characters are seemingly more “believable”.

Skyy Commercial

Over time, certain objects become attached to certain ideas. For example, sunflower seeds are associated with baseball players and guns are associated with gang activity. Although, not all people who own or use these things fall into these categories, many people assume they do. This is how stereotypes are started and how they are incorporated into parts of our everyday life. In the Skyy Vodka advertisement above, several of these elements are at work. First off, alcohol in general, has a bad name because it is associated with drunk college kids who just want to have sex. Normally, alcohol is consumed at social gatherings or before one goes to a bar or club. Since alcohol impairs decision making, gives false confidence and leads to some sexual encounters, it is associated with it. Even in college, freshmen always enroll with the idea that college is all about alcohol and sex. This misconception is why the advertisement focuses so much on sex. First and foremost, the ad is on such limited space yet the image of the couple almost entirely covers it. This isn’t done by accident. This is because most people who buy certain products are sold on the image the product promotes and not the actual product. The image of the couple on the ad is a lot more than meets the eye. First, the couple are in a penthouse in what looks to be New York City. It is well known that New York City is an extremely expensive place in terms of real estate. Because of this, it creates the impression that Skyy vodka is top of the line. This attracts people to the product because they feel they are unique and better off with the product. Moreover, the cool chair and the light from the city seem to illuminate the bottle. It is such a beautiful sight that it appeals to the reader as to why they don’t want to be in that scenario. Furthermore, the NYC skyline may be a pun for the name of vodka. Also, the model is absolutely stunning. Her skinny legs stick out of her dress as she stands seductively in front of the man. Her dress blends into the skyline so that the contrast really reveals her leg. This puts the attention on her body and promotes feminine stereotypes of sexuality. Also, it is important to notice the fact that the woman has a shaker in her hand. She looks to be ready to serve the man. The look on her face and her stance indicate that she is interested in him. This just promotes the stereotype that women are around to service men; whether it be sexually or with maintaining the household. The woman obviously seems attracted to the man yet, she is serving him his drink. This makes her look inferior and makes the man seem irresistible. This is proven by the fact that it seems like the man isn’t exactly trying to woo her. The ad pushes the agenda that the alcohol does all the work for the man. This is exactly how men are attracted to the drinks and how the drinks are marketed. It plays on societal stereotypes of femininity and gender roles.

Blog 2: Social Identity in Commercials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU

Details in the commercial that had to do with gender and sexuality

· Females chasing a guy

· All the females wearing revealing bikinis

· Heterosexual message

· The punch line was “Spray more, get more”

· Typical fantasy of a single guy with multiple girls

Social identity is relative. Depending on the situation it creates, it can be good or bad. For example, sometimes it leads to people expecting good attributes out of others but in other times, it is the opposite. Furthermore, since social identity is shaped by society’s perception, it can be manipulated to create certain effects. Mass media tools like movies, music and advertisements exploit this to reach the audience they desire. They can skew their point of view so that they are able to pinpoint the audience to broadcast to. In the Axe Effect commercial above, these effects of social identity are easily seen. The commercial has strong themes that seem to support certain elements of sexuality and masculinity. First off, the commercial seems to do very little to advertise the smell or look of their product. The spray can is barely seen throughout the commercial and the smell is rarely if ever mentioned. It seems like its main objective is to arouse the senses of its audience…young men. In society, being a man in his college years is seen as a period of heavy partying and sexual experimentation. Furthermore, the more girls the man is involved with, the better his acceptance. This is obviously the message that is being broadcasted. The product is presented as a means to getting involved with more women. The commercial starts off by showing a large group of women running and swimming their way to a young man in the middle of seemingly nowhere. The reason for this scramble is because the man is spraying a bottle of Axe. First off, this promotes views of masculinity. Women are objectified in the commercial. They are pretty much portrayed as animals that respond to the smell of the spray. Men as shown as the leaders and women are shown in a sexual and submissive light as always. Also, the punch line of the commercial was “spray more, get more”. This obviously presents women as objects that can be accumulated. Since this commercial is targeting men, it supports this theme in order to appeal to them. Furthermore, out of the thousands of people running towards the man, none of them were men. This seemingly promotes heterosexuality. Homosexuality is currently a hot topic in public so in order to appeal to the majority of people; this commercial takes the safer approach. Although it doesn’t necessarily support heterosexuality, it doesn’t mention homosexuality. It just presents a heterosexual picture to avoid any backlash since there is no harm done if it doesn’t mention homosexuality.

Stereotypes in society

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek-CwbiPeZI

Since my essay was on stereotypes and their impact on society, my first blog will shed more light on this topic. Stereotypes are exaggerated truths and therefore, they are influential in our society. I believe stereotypes are embedded into society. This is because they are passed down from generations and almost everyone believes them although many deny this. Several things in our society are successful because they play on stereotypes. This means that things like political campaigns, commercials and advertisements depend on stereotypes to be able to focus their attention on specific ethnic groups. For example, the above video is a clear culprit of this. It is no secret that African Americans are said to love fried chicken. This is actually one of the most popular stereotypes out there. Therefore, food franchises that deal with chicken often exclusively advertise to African Americans in order to guarantee the most revenue. An example of this is the above video. In the video, there are several people expressing their disappointment about a Popeye’s fast food in Rochester running out of chicken to sell after having a promotion. Although the fast food probably serves a varying amount of customers, all the customers who were interviewed in this specific video are African American. To make it clear, I do not mean to say that this is racist. However, I am saying that this news report only has African Americans in it because that is the audience it is broadcasting to. They only interviewed African Americans because it makes their news more credible. More people will believe the news if they think the people that are in it know what they are talking about. The article below further elaborates this point.

http://newshound.de.siu.edu/voices/stories/storyReader$2235

This article talks further about advertisements and how the incorporation of stereotypes generates revenue. At one point, it is mentioned that images of companies like Aunt Jemima are altered with changing times. I think this is a very good statement because I’ve noticed that television channels do the same thing. This is because channels like MTV have undergone drastic changes as our societal values have changed. MTV went from almost exclusively playing showing music videos or shows related to music culture to showing shows about teen pregnancy the majority of the time. They are adapting to the changing times. Teen pregnancy is a huge topic in society as numbers are rising and therefore, MTV is now broadcasting to this crowd. Today, shows like Real World and Jersey Shore dominate the airwaves. Furthermore, on either of these shows, it seems like they pick the most stereotypical cast possible. The cast of Jersey Shore constantly promote stereotypes like gelled hair, tanning, working out and having sex with as many girls as possible. This is the same as the Real World. All in all, the news, commercials and even movies promote stereotypes. It seems like our generation is told to be considerate of all other races but yet, the press directs us elsewhere.