BLOG 6

Children are always given toys to play by their parents in hopes to entertain their child as well as in a pursuit to help them learn and grow as an individual. Barbie dolls are a popular brand to young girls. The doll is medium size, made of plastic, and comes in a variety of different hair color and clothes. In most Barbie doll commercials they display a skinny, tall, blonde haired, blue eyed, girl who is seemingly in her 20s. The clothing ranges from maid attire to princess dresses and party clothes. Barbie certainly has an effect towards the public. It displays social identity such as gender, and femininity. Barbie dolls are commonly found to be Caucasian, this is a statement made to the public. Barbie dolls are also extremely thin. This influences girls that in order to be successful, weight matters as well as looks. The Company that created Barbie is extremely successful; mass production of their product is at play. Children see their dolls as models of what to expect, and they learn from what they see daily. A toy such as Barbie aids children to an misunderstanding of the human body. The proportions of the doll’s body parts are unattainable. In the youtube video it displayed Barbie with feminine characteristics. This is quite common in most of the Barbie commercials. The animation of Barbie is promoting dresses with glitter and stickers. The commercial also includes two girls who are happily playing with their Barbie™ Loves Glitter Glam Vac. The fact that boys were not even considered being part of the video displays that the dolls are to be projected towards little girls. The toy was seen to be a feminine product, one that girls can play with daily and mimic as they grow older. The commercial also influences young girls to become feminine by the introduction of several dresses and platform heels with glitter. The commercial also goes on to display the one of the girls looking into a mirror and admiring herself, in another scene it shows wiggling painted toe nails. These are indicators that Barbie is influencing girls to dress-up and put on makeup.

BLOG 5

Compose Blog 5, a 1000 word blog about the “Carry Out” video.  As in your previous blog, apply ideas from either Omi or Devor’s essays.  Also, write a 300 word reply to your partner’s blog entry.  What aspects of the video or lyrics did they focus on that perhaps you missed?  What details did you note that they overlooked?

BLOG 4

On Youtube, find one commercial or music video made within the last 30 years that you think constructs a racial stereotype.  Do Blog 4, a 500 word post about this video.  Discuss specific image-based or dialogue-based details such as clothing, setting or phrases.  In the post, apply either Omi or Devor’s ideas about race and gender.

BLOG 3

In Skyy Vodka's advertisement it presents a beautiful room with large windows displaying an amazing city night view. The flooring of the In the picture, there are two models. The male model is partially sheltered by a white egg chair. Next to the egg chair is a little table holding a bottle of Skyy Vodka and a wine glass with olives and Skyy Vodka’s product. The man in this image is holding an identical wine glass with the same mixture inside.

          The man in the advertisement is wearing a black suit, grey button-up, and shiny black dress shoes. The woman in the image is holding a shiny silver mixer. She is wearing a very revealing fitted black dress that ends at her claves. Her medium brown hair is pulled back revealing her neck, chest, and shoulder. The dress the female model is wearing has a slit that starts from her hips, displaying her long legs. She is also wearing shiny black heels to aid in elongating her legs. In the image, the female model is reaching out, touching the white egg chair with her right arms.

          Present in the image is a display of social identity. The woman in the picture shows femininity and the male in the image is displaying masculinity. These aspects appeal to the general public feeding their desires to fit in to society. It also addresses to the public on what they should look like physically. The woman in the image takes on the role as the seducer, as she bends her right knee to touch the male’s leg. She is also displaying power over the individual as well as elegance at the same time. Although she is the one who is being lured by the male in the image, the female is also displaying that she can in fact resist by placing her hand on the chair.

            Skyy Vodka is trying to produce an image with a lot of seduction intact, letting the viewers know that their product is a product of elegance, and high class. 

BLOG 2

Jiwani a custom-tailored clothes company tried to promote their line of custom-tailored suits. In their 2006 advertisement, it clearly depicts sexuality and gender. In the advertisement there are two models, a female and a male. The male in the picture is clearly the protagonist of the advertisement. The woman in the image is posed in a certain position in order to display immense amount of skin. The male is lured by her sexuality. In the ad, the woman is wearing a dark navy blue suit and is pulling the protagonist’s tie in attempts to lure him to kiss her. The male in the picture is wearing a crisp clean white button-up, dark blue jeans, and a light blue and white striped tie. His outfit displays success and class. The background of the advertisement is a peaceful white window with multi-colored books on the window shelf. This creates a peaceful setting. Centered in the advertisement is a black overlay with white text. Jiwani declares, “A custom-tailored suit is a natural aphrodisiac”. The font is neat and elegant. The Jiwani logo is a capital “J” boxed in, with the name “Jiwani” at the bottom. Although the image does not stress the logo of the company, it does however display the effect of their product when in use. Jiwani targets the male customers with this advertisement. It clearly displays the outcome of purchasing their products. A beautiful woman, a fit body, and from the looks of the advertisement; success. Gender comes into play with the male by displaying what their male customers should expect. Sexuality naturally comes from custom-tailored suits, and from Jiwani’s custom-tailored suits. Sexuality is a huge importance. The male displays masculinity with his hair spiked and neatly made, his crisp white button-up without any spills or stains. He would be considered successful among his peers, and many males because of his accomplishing looks as well as the ability to entice women without trying. 

BLOG 1

A Chinese drama has always been an important part of my life. Ever since I was a child, I would watch old Chinese dramas that all displayed one thing: the roles of women in society. Although I do not remember the names of these particular dramas, they were memorable. I learned about femininity as well as the social roles I was to follow. My grandmother was also another important factor that led me to develop these characteristics. It also shaped my social identity, it made me realize why my behavior towards people is the way it is presently. It made me follow a strict role in order to fit into today’s society. The women in the dramas never disobeyed their elders, nor did they speak back to others. It was considered unladylike, and was shunned by many. Although I did not follow the rules of these dramas rule by rule, it was however replayed in my mind, reminding me to behave a certain way in order to gain acceptance in society. My grandmother always told me to behave as a child and the role of a female was to cook, clean, and take care of the household. Of course, this was what my grandmother did for most of her lifetime. She grew up in China in the 1960’s, things were different back then. Laws were stricter against women. Their rights were limited compared to the present day society. She grew up in the countryside where she received little education; in fact, she received no education other than being home school. Following her mother, tending the house, feeding the cows, and cooking dinner. It was her daily routine. I was taught in a similar way, but with slight tweaks here and there. I grew up with an education, I went to school. However, our minds are still quite similar. Our roles or what we saw as our roles in society is the same. Women are at a disadvantage compared to men. This can be traced back into history. In the history or china, in the history of America. However, I realized a couple years back that maybe these roles that I have been following might not have been the correct road to follow. Society has changed. In fact, China is a whole different country with a whole different government. I was to make myself into who I wanted to be, not what is expected of me. The fact is, society is different now. Women do not have to cook, clean, and look after the household anymore. We were more independent. They have jobs and careers. Although the Chinese dramas did shape me into what I am today, I also believe that who I am depends on what I do as well.