1.
a.3/25/2009-Kill Bill
b. Movie
c. from personal movie collection
d. Image of black mother and daughter who are alone…. There is no indication of a father figure but that he might have left her to raise the child alone. (Vivica A. Fox)
e. Positive: the image shows a very strong bond between the mother and daughter without much emphasis on the absent father figure
2.
a.3/25/2009-Family Matters
b. Television
c. ABC Family
d. A Black family of six has an annoying neighbor, Steve Urkel who repeatedly brings mischief to the family. The family is portrayed as being close knit and has a live in grandmother and aunt. Although it is a sitcom, the family deals with many serious race issues. In this episode, specifically, Laura deals with racial slurs that are spray painted on her locker at her high school. The family convenes and helps Laura cope with racism and comforts her in her time of confusion.
e. Positive: the family is portrayed as being very close knit and to share a very close kinship with each of the other members of the family. The family comes together to overcome trials and issues that are directly related to being an African American.
3.
a.3/27/2009-Akeelah and the Bee
b. Movie
c. In class
d. A young Black girl in Crenshaw Los Angeles faces struggles as she decides to compete in a school spelling bee, later advancing to next levels. As the movies progresses, there are many references to her father, who was a very educated man. The typical stereotype of the “leaving Black father” is completely reversed in this film. Akeelah is very bonded with her father and even talks to him as if he could hear her. Furthermore, the family image depicted is very positive since the family is shown sitting down to dinner and maintaining close relationships with one another.
e. Positive: it reverses many stereotypes that depicts African American fathers.
4.
a. The First Family-3/24/2009
b. Internet Article
c. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/politics/21family.html
d. The Obama’s are a groundbreaking image that shatters the stereotypical “broken” African American family. The successes of this family are for the entire world to see. With President Obama’s election, the African American family took a step into the spotlight and replaced the old image of “White America”. The Obama family is truly inspiring and serves to discount many of the negative stereotypes of African American families. For example, President Obama is the first Black president, educated and well spoken. Michelle Obama is an attractive, brilliant Black woman who might be nearly as powerful as her husband.
e. Positive
5.
a. Home Depot Ad
b. Magazine Advertisement
c. EBONY- April Issue 2009
d. The ad depicts a young Black mother playing with her daughter in the kitchen. There is no father in the ad. I found this image to be slightly negative since it was very obvious that the Advertisers only wanted the mother and daughter. It could have been just as easy to include the father in this ad to make it appear as more of a complete family depiction. Instead, the father was omitted, perpetuating many negative stereotypes that surround African American fathers.
e. Negative
6.
a. The Secret Life of Bees
b. Novel
c. Sue Monk Kidd
d. the book details the journey of a young white girl who runs away from her home. She soon finds herself in a house full of Black women who generously take her in. Although they are at first skeptical of the strange young girl who showed up on their doorstep, the women take her in and nurture her. The book depicts this family of women to be very understanding and caring. Although there are no men, the women carry on fine making their own money and creating their own happiness for themselves. The novel depicts Black women to be the strongest part of the African American family structure.
e. Positive
The media is a central component to how we perceive our social constructions. If we buy into the many stereotypes that are presented in television, books, newspapers and other media, we might not get the entire truth. We must remind ourselves to not rely on these sources to make decisions for us, but to guide us in curiosity. WE must be curious enough to research for ourselves in order to understand our world and the differences that derive from race and culture.
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I like how you say in order for an individual to learn the true African-American family they should research and communicate themselves with the families. I love the African-American family and I believe that it can only get bigger and better. I was actually fortunate to live in a two parent home, which is a very rare case this day and age in America. I loved it and found it quite fortunate. I believe we will have to set the trend for other African-American families in america, but most of all we have to cut down the number of teen pregnancies in our culture. Our parents are too young, they are children themselves trying to start a family, but I enjoyed the blog. It was wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI hear what you are saying about people having to research things for themselves however what person do you really know that will take the time out and do that. Most people aren’t that curious. Many people look to the television for information for everything that they want to know. As crazy as that sounds that is the truth. The people that are that curious actually go to the country or try to seek out the people that they want to know more about. You see people traveling everywhere because they are fascinated with the culture or want to learn more. They are the people that really learn about the people that they are curious about.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you, and others, have to say about how the media is how we get our images and how we don't really take the time to think separately "oh wait.. that's a stereotype - not the norm" but also, many of the negative images of single parent homes, or the dad not being around is present in white families on tv too. Many television shows have mixed images of families because families seem to be so non-normal these days.
ReplyDeleteSo while single parent homes might be a negative image, it is an image that is true and that is true for not only the African American race.
There are also positive images that still circulate, although they may be dated -- such as Family Matters, Fresh Prince, Cosby Show. These type of images also help to document American life through television.