Media Today: A Look at Media's Impact on Race and Gender
Emmanuel Cuevas Bracamontes
California State University East Bay
COMM 4500
Gender Identity and Representation
June 3, 2014
ABSTRACT: Cultural studies gives us an academic platform in which we can look at today's media and how it affects our
perception of gender and race. California's Native American tribes, print advertisements, and examples found in film media
help us understand ideas such as critical race theory and gender roles here in our own society. Studying these subcultures
and media sources within the United States, we can see how social, print, and film media has affected our perception of
social issues, sexual objectification, and racial stereotyping. We find ourselves in an interesting time for media as society
becomes aware of its effects on these perceptions.
A Look at Media's Impact on Race and Gender 1
BACKGROUND
Our world has thousands of different cultures with different practices, traditions, and rituals; Black, white, gamer,
athlete, student. These are some of the groups one might associate themselves with. Within these groups, there are
subcultures full of their own jargon, practices, and ideologies. They help give people identity and give them a sense of
belonging. Humans are a species who thrive from being social. These cultures have managed to thrive under different
conditions, but they have one constant; they require a group of people. Cultural studies is “an approach to the study of
communications in society that is drawn from a number of sources including Marxism, semiotics, literary and film analysis,
psychoanalysis, feminism, and critical race and postcolonial theory” (Dines,2011,624). Simply put, researchers study
different aspects of a culture to understand it and the culture's climate. Researchers look to cultural studies to try to answer
the questions how and why things came to be as they are. Cultural studies are also used to see how dynamic a culture can be
due to change. Things that are commonplace now were normal in the past. From something as common as a car to an idea
as ambitious as space flight,these ideas forever changed the way our society functioned. Cultural studies help researchers
understand where society was, where it is, and where it is going. There are four areas of research being presented in this
paper. The study of California's Native American tribes and how they have approached domestic violence, sexual
objectification found in images used in print advertising, reading race today, and hip hop's commodification. Do social and
entertainment media predicate the way we approach things such as race and gender and how have they affected the way we
view race and gender today?
FINDINGS
Taking a Gamble, Domestic Violence Among the California's Native American Tribes
The Santa Ynez band of Chumash Indians are located north of Santa Barbara, California. The community itself has
a very limited media presence. The tribe has their own website dedicated to teaching people about the history and culture of
the Chumash people. Navigating through their website, there is no mention of domestic violence as a social issue among the
Chumash people. There is a page dedicated to gambling and how it has helped the financial stability of the community.
According to the page, the casino employs 1600 employees and brought in enough revenue that the casino has donated $14
million back to the community's schools, public works programs, and road maintenance. Finally, there is a link to the
private clinic located within the community.
Their main social media pages were on Facebook and Twitter which were posted to infrequently. Their Twitter
page had 21 followers on 4/15/2014 and 23 followers as of 5/26/2014. There were a total of seven posts the day the study
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started and one additional tweet posted on the last day of the study bringing the total post count to eight. Their main focus
with these tweets were to promote their community Facebook page. The latest post as of 5/26/2014 was on 5/5/2014. Their
Facebook page was very similar in terms of activity. The last thing posted was posted in conjuncture with their Twitter post.
They had a total of 30 posts, 101 page likes, 19 responses, 4 shares, and 132 cumulative post likes at the beginning of the
study. There were a total of 31 posts, 111 page likes, 19 responses, 4 shares, and 137 cumulative post likes at the end of the
study. The themes of the posts covered a variety of topics which included local sports events, charity events, donation
announcements, and the introduction of their new YouTube channel. Their YouTube channel had 5 total videos posted
which were all posted 3/7/2014 with commenting disabled on all of them. The total view count for these videos was 1,732
on the last day of this study. Relative to other more popular YouTube channels which get millions of views, this is not a
popular channel.
In a very sharp contrast, the Chumash Casino Resort Facebook and Twitter pages were much more active and
popular. There were 24 posts made on their Facebook page during the time the study took place. There was a cumulative
total 8,733 post likes, 1,219 comments, and 501 shares on the posts made during the time of the study. At the end of the
study their Facebook page had 48,260 likes. Compared to their community page, the Chumash Casino had an estimated
345% larger fan base, 110% more commenting, and 99% more sharing occurring on their Facebook page.
The Chumash Casino Resort's Twitter had 942 followers and 229 total tweets on the casino page. The themes on
the Twitter page reflect very similar themes to those on the Facebook page. The topics range from the twentieth anniversary
of the casino, giveaways, concerts, restaurants at the location, random facts about the casino, praising of the staff and a
statement withdrawing their sponsorship of the LA Clippers after the Donald Sterling remarks on 4/28/2014. The casino
also has a YouTube Channel. There are 6 videos posted with the most recent being dated over a year old. There have been a
total of 962 video views for their channel which was surprisingly lower than the Chumash community YouTube channel.
Both the community and the casino have Instagram pages which are posted to infrequently if at all. The casino's
page would not post for months at a time up until February 2014 where it posted 11 pictures and then averaged 3 images a
month through May until the end of the study. The community Instagram has one photo which was taken back in January.
The Chumash Indians are not very active in their social media in comparison to their casino which seems to be riddled with
activity. A lot of effort and resources seem to be put into promoting the casino and its image. This might be due to its
financial influence in the community and surrounding cities. The biggest social issue being tackled by the community was
housing and community public works. The casino had resources for people with gambling addiction, addicts, and places
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where victims of gambling addiction could reach out to for help.
In conclusion, there is no mention anywhere of domestic violence among the Chumash Band of Indians of Santa
Ynez. This is interesting because the biggest social issue being tackled by many Native American tribes is domestic
violence. The case could be that there is indeed no domestic violence taking place among this particular group of Native
Americans, however, there is a chance it is just not spoken about publicly. The only conclusive thing to be considered here
is that it is not a current social media issue for them.
A group of researchers compared results and found that the tribes California had very similar traits. Their social
media efforts were weak on their community pages, but very strong presence was found on their casino pages. Domestic
violence was not a social issue that was being addressed by the tribes of California and was not mentioned. Furthermore,
there was much more interest in financial stability and promoting the casino above all other topics found among the tribes.
Music Icon or Sex Symbols?
Using Caroline Heldman's Sexual Objectification
coding questions, a group of researchers analyzed images
found using a random Google search. The image chosen and
analyzed shows covers of the music magazine, Rolling Stone
and hypersexualized images on it covers. There are a total of
twelve covers of the magazine represented in this image. Out of
the twelve, ten include covers of women. Out of the seven
questions Heldman proposes, her fourth question of sexual
integrity applies to Janet Jackson's breasts being covered by
hands other than her own or some form of clothing which have been replaced by another person's hands while the headline
reads “ JANET JACKSON: the joy of sex”. The fourth question asks, “Does the image affirm the idea of violating the
bodily integrity of a sexualized person that can't consent?” (Heldman,2014). Jackson's hands are over her head in a
submissive position while another person covers her breasts almost as if she is in their control. Another one of the covers
has two girls from the show “Gossip Girls” eating an ice cream cone. Question five asks”Does the image suggest that sexual
availability is the defining characteristic of the person?” (Heldman,2014), This image is suggesting a sexual innuendo and
the ice cream cone could be seen as a stand in for a male phallus. Both Katy Perry and Lady Gaga have their own covers
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and question two asks “Does the image present a sexualized person as a stand-in for an object?” (Heldman, 2014). Both of
these ladies' breasts have been replaced by Hershey's kisses for Katy Perry and assault rifles for Lady Gaga.
After coding the image, there was an article attached to it named “ Intensely Sexualized Images of Women on the
Rise?” The article was about a study done by Erin Hatton and Mary Nell Trautner, assistant professors at the University of
Buffalo analyzing the covers of Rolling Stone magazine. They concluded that by 2000s, “2 percent of men and 61 percent
of women were hypersexualized [in Rolling Stone]” (Redorbit,2011). They concluded that women are far more frequently
hypersexualized than men are. The discrepancy is cause for concern because women are not being portrayed as sexy
musicians or actors, but rather as being ready and available for sex (RedOrbit,2011). The reason this is so concerning is
because of how available and exposed these images are to everyone.
After analysis of the first image, a team of researchers looked at the three images above. At first glance, they were
convinced these were all hypersexualized images, but upon taking a further look, they realized that this was not the case.
One of the biggest reasons they had a difficult time coding for these images is because the subjects in the images are young
girls. Heldman's coding for sexual objectification seems to hold true for images of adult women, but there are complications
when coding for young girls. Since they are so young, are they immediately assumed to be unable to consent due to their
age? This is the question which plagued their analysis of the images. Bearing that in mind, they began their analysis of the
images with the exception of question four of Heldman's questions for sexual objectification regarding violation of a
person's body of a sexualized person which can't consent.
The first image of the girl with the ice cream cone is actually not hypersexualized. It is slightly sexualized due to
her being in a bikini top, but she could be representing the ice cream cone which applies question two of Heldman's
questions for sexual objectification where she is a stand-in for an object. The second image of the girl in the Native
American headdress was difficult to code for at first. However, the researchers came to the conclusion that the image was
not sexually objectified at all. The girl in the image was hard to identify as a girl at first glance. The androgyny of the image
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and the simple, tomboyish pose the girl lead the researchers to believe that this image was akin to a girl playing dress up and
was quite innocent in nature. The final image of the girl model had question five apply. The young model has been given
characteristics normally only found in adult women. Her dress has a V-cut shape to it exposing bust, her legs have been
photoshopped to appear much longer, and she is wearing make-up usually worn by adult women. Our team concluded that
even the bunny rabbits were allusions to the innocence of a young girl while this innocence being totally void within the rest
of the image. The final thing to note are the high heels the girl is wearing. Girls at that age do not wear high heels and are
typically associated with identifying as a tool for appearing sexy. This image suggests sexual availability as the defining
characteristic due to these items. Question four might apply, however, this is dependent upon whether or not she was aware
of the photoshopping done to her body in the image.
White Power...But Not Without My Token
Critical race theory is defined as “the study of the construction of hierarchical racial categories by which 'White
Privilege' came to seem 'natural'” (Dines,2011,624). It is the study of trying to understand how it became normal to think
being white is better than being another race. This feeling of inferiority can be subtle and sometimes not even noticed
because of how common it is to feel inferior if you are not white. This type of subtle racism can be found across all spectra
of medium which is readily available for everyone to see.
Race is defined as a “social category which is evident world, however most scholars agree that “race” is a
convenient fiction with complex historical significance but no biological reality” (Dines, 2011, 630). Race is used as a
social tool for identifying a group of people for possessing similar traits, behaviors or belonging to a specific geographical
location. Creating race is the process of recognizing these generalizations based on someone's race, ethnicity, or skin color.
These racial generalizations can be taken to extremes and be shown in the form of racial stereotypes.
In a documentary called Western Eyes directed by Ann Shin, the director follows the story of two girls of Asian
descent who want to get eyelid surgery because they do not like their “asian eyes”. One of the girls, Maria, says “I want to
see who I really am” (Shin,2001). Maria elaborates that she feels more in tune with her Spanish heritage and she wants the
way she looks to reflect that connection. She goes on to say that her parents' generation had the mindset “the closer you
resemble the Europeans, the better you are”.
Sharon wants to get the surgery to get rid of the “slitty” look her eyes have. She says she doesn't feel beautiful and
that the cosmetic surgery is normal among Korean culture in order to obtain a more Western look. She endured a lot of
racism because of her Korean heritage. Sharon says people used to tell her “ If you draw yourself, make sure to use the
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yellow crayon and not the pink one” and “ Do you speak English? Oh I thought you were a stupid Jap” (Shin,2001) Their
Asian heritage was demeaned and ridiculed and both girls felt like being Asian was inferior to being white. They both want
the eyelid surgery so both of them look more Western.
Meet Token Black. A fourth grader from South Park elementary school and known primarily for being the only
Black child in the town of South Park. He has little intrinsic value to the show and serves only one purpose: to bring
“cultural diversity” to the cast of South Park. His name above all else is a dead giveaway of the role he plays on the show.
Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock's Taking South Park Seriously elaborates on the racism displayed with Token in Comedy
Central's South Park. In the episode titled “Christian Rock Hard”, Cartman recruits Token to play bass for his Christian rock
band. Token tells Cartman he doesn't have a bass guitar and Cartman responds “Token, of course do, you're Black”. Token
does indeed find a bass in the basement of his house. Weinstock states “In his effort to fit in, Token experiences only trauma
and, by the episode's end, further marginalization from his white peers” (Weinstock,2008,137). Token is considered to be
quite intelligent, well mannered, and a good boy relative to the rest of the boys in South Park. However, the only way he is
ever identified is due to the color of his skin. The trauma he goes through is due to the stereotype that all African Americans
have groove and rhythm. Upon picking up the bass guitar, Token realizes that he can indeed play the bass guitar and to his
unpleasant surprise, he is good at it. No matter how hard he tries, Token is known simply for being Black.
Hip-hop and its rise to fame
DJ Kool Herc is credited with being one of the biggest driving forces for popularizing hip-hop. It started in the
Bronx when his sister threw a party at a rec center and he played back to back breaks for the dancers to show off their
moves (Chang,2007,67). Kool Herc played for the crowd and he would drop rhymes over the breaks which resulted what
many consider the beginning of hip-hop. Commodification is the process by which a good or service has become
indistinguishable from similar products. These products have become standardized and can be obtained anywhere. At one
point, hip-hop was considered a commodified music genre and lifestyle. However, upon further analysis, hip-hop today has
moved from the days of DJ Kool Herc and now is a more universally understandable subculture in today's global societies.
Part of the reason is because of rap. Rap became the political voice of the underprivileged people. Rap was primarily
considered a Black genre of music. Dr. Manoucheka Celeste from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, explained the cycle
by which something becomes mainstream. Hip-hop was founded, co-opted by the mainstream culture, becomes mainstream,
and then re-invents itself (Celeste,2014). Hip-hop went through this many times. Today's society is now in the rap period of
this cycle.
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Co-optation is the process by which one majority group assimilates with another minority group by attempting to
replicate the aspects that they find appealing without adopting the full program or ideals. Hip-hop culture at one point was
commodified, but over time, people began to adopt hip-hop culture. It was no longer just a Black lifestyle, rather people of
all races and backgrounds began to participate in the hip-hop lifestyle. The most popular example of this is the rapper
Eminem. Born in Detroit, Slim Shady was known for his controversial lyrics and his willingness to attack anything or
anyone with his raps putting himself and even his family in the cross hairs (RollingStone,2014). Eminem's biggest
difference from other rappers? He was white. Eminem is considered one of the best MCs of all time by many critics and
artists, both black and white (RollingStone,2014). His album The Marshall Mathers LP went diamond. Even Eminem
himself recognizes that the color of his skin had something to do with his success in his song “White America” where he
states “Wow, I'm like my skin is it starting to work to my benefit now” (Eminem 2002). The reason he says this is because
at first no one would take him seriously as a rapper because he was white, but now his popularity grew because he was a
white rapper.
In an interview with Hardknock.TV, rap star 50 cent said “when you have a figure or you have someone from a
different ethnicity come in and does it [rap]as well if not better than everybody in it, it loses its color. And that's why hiphop music is now pop music.” (50 Cent,2013). Eminem's climb to fame was a remarkable point in hip-hop history as he
opened the doors for other white artists such as Mac Miller and Macklemore to be able to join the industry and be taken
seriously because of this idea that Eminem changed hip-hop from being a Black culture to a colorless one. 50 Cent later
goes on to speak about his cousin's music and how his cousin's music is not a genuine reflection of the life he actually lived.
Part of the credibility is no longer about the color of your skin, but rather the genuineness of the music an artist publishes
(50 Cent,2013). 50 Cent also states that hip-hop doesn't always have to be the struggles, there can be good times too.
However they won't be on his play list because he cannot relate to them (50 Cent,2013).
CONCLUSION
I believe that media culture today does in fact influence the way we predicate gender or race roles in our culture.
The findings from the research done on California's Native American tribes permeated the stereotype that California's tribes
all run casinos and seem to promote their casino's reputation over the reputation much more actively. I think of all the
nation's tribes, California's tribes have the most resources and may have actually have combated domestic abuse more
effectively due to the socioeconomic influence of their gaming sites. Their casinos are a great benefit to their communities
which allow them to progress forward with social issues and building a brighter future for their posterity.
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Sexual objectification is something our current culture has become callous to. Many of us have grown with these
hypersexualized images and have become desensitized to their effects. By looking at them through an academic perspective,
we can see how over saturated and obsessed we have become with the idea that “sex sells”. These images can establish false
truths about men and women that could be misinterpreted by our youth. Many of the images studied by our class displayed
women in positions which made them seem vulnerable or small. This type of representation gives the a message of
submissiveness that is subliminally displayed for the young women in our communities. Photoshop has totally destroyed a
woman's conception of what ideal beauty is. Dove's “Evolution” video for the Campaign for Real Beauty time lapses how a
regular woman is turned into a supermodel through the use of manipulation, touching up, and reconstruction of a woman's
face and body in Photoshop before it is published in an ad. One of the quotes reads “No wonder our perception of beauty is
distorted” (Dove,2006). These hypersexualized images gives women unrealistic expectations of their bodies and what is
expected of them in our society. We need to move from women being considered nothing more than an object of pleasure to
being looked at as human beings.
Race and racial stereotypes are still alive in today's “post-racial” society. Whether it is in the whiteness of rock and
roll or the subtle blackness of hip-hop that still remains, race still determines success for some. Profiling still occurs at
airports and stores. Minorities are still given a feeling of inferiority as discussed in the critical race theory. However, there is
more embracing and accepting in one's race today than there was 20 or even 10 years ago. People seem to be more
understanding and diversity is an upward trend. We were lucky to be the first ones to elect an African American to the
presidency and change the course of history as we know. While media does affect the way we look at race and gender, there
is more awareness now of how the media plays a role in our everyday lives then there ever has been before.
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chumashcasino on Instagram. (n.d.). Instagram. Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://instagram.com/chumashcasino
Welcome to the Official Website of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. (n.d.). Welcome to the Official Website
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50 Cent talks Eminem, Rick Ross, Street King Immortal, Say Hip Hop is Pop Now. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved June 2,
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Chang, J. (2005). Making a Name. Can't stop, won't stop: a history of the hip-hop generation (). New York: St.
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