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Research Question: How does reality television influence gender identity and/or body image?
Explanation: I chose my sources based on their relevance to my research question. My first two sources are the Caitlyn Jenner interview with Vanity Fair and her interview with Diane Sawyer on 20/20, as I feel that her story relates in large part to my project. My other sources all came from the databases provided by the Robert W. Woodruff Library, and were selected based on relevance from searching key words "reality tv" linked to "body image" or "gender identity." Sources:
Upon discussing Chapter 63 in Gender, Race, and Class in Media, “Showtime Thinks, Therefore I Am” today in class, I found myself very skeptical of Kelly Kessler’s argument. Her article was published in 2011, whereas the Showtime television show, The L Word premiered in 2004—a difference of seven years. What was viewed as standard in 2011 was probably considered controversial in 2004, which means that The L Word was most likely considered revolutionary. In my opinion, this is one of several reasons that it is unfair of Kessler to make this show the victim of her critique. Sexuality is a very sensitive topic for many, and especially where the television industry is concerned. While there seems to be an increasingly fast turnaround time for what is considered too taboo for show business, it seemed to me that Kessler disregarded this key fact when forming her argument. The time of production is also pertinent to the fan websites that she speaks out against. She writes, “Electric Sheep Company and the folks at Showtime appeared to have had little concern about tweaking the interface such that visitors could easily assume the appearances flaunted in the ad. … On my arrival, I fussed with the avatar options attempting to settle on a cyber-me that remotely represented the (relatively computer literate) soft-butch I am” (604). Again, I believe that a large part of these shortcomings are due to the time period the software and website were created during in comparison to the time period that the critic was using/viewing them from. Additionally, Kessler complained that the television show was restrictive of lesbian personas and communities and hypersexualized, stating that it’s “unrealistic or narrow projection of the lesbian community… Not so removed from straight-targeted lesbian pornography or the show’s soap opera foundation, traditionally hot/heteronormative women cavort, swim, and have liaisons (occasionally with men) in sexy LA” (602). Some of these criticisms are valid, however, The L Word is said to be derived from the creator’s own experiences and lesbian community in Los Angeles, California. While I think it’s fair to have a problem with the show’s “soap opera foundation,” I don’t see validity in complaining that someone else’s reality is not up to Kessler’s standards. After watching the first episode of the series for myself, I can say that I didn’t take issue with the representations The L Word put forth. Yes, there’s sex, but what else is to be expected from a premium cable network? When it rains it pours, and where there are no restrictions on sex, you’ll find lots of it. I admit that I am not a member of the LGBTQ community and may not have the same exposure/experience as Kessler does, but as the audience for her article, I wholeheartedly disagree with these points of her argument. While reading “Pop Cosmopolitanism: Mapping Cultural Flows in an Age of Media Convergence,” I began to think about the integration of Japanese media into my own life, past and present. Additionally, I considered the perception the Eastern and Western markets may have of each other, and what miscommunications may occur that neither corporate party may even be aware of.
This summer, I worked at a publishing house in Manhattan, New York that is owned by a larger retailer. While my day to day tasks were very much submerged in the publishing side of the business, towards the end of my program, the president of the company arranged a meeting with the entire intern class to gage our opinions on the parent company’s new retail partnership with a Japanese company. Each intern recognized the popular cartoon designs from childhood and adolescence, oohing and ahhing all the while. But when our superior told us that the target market was teenagers, we were all quite confused. We had each distinctly placed the product at a much earlier time in our lives, and after some polite explanations, President X acknowledged the miscommunication in the cross-marketing effort. This article made me think of this experience because while it’s true that there is an increasing amount of “flow of Asian goods to the Western markets,” (590) it does not mean that the mass response will be the same from each audience. Henry Jenkins III wrote, “Japanese media companies targeted children as the primary consumers of their first imports,” (591) which I found interesting considering the anecdote above. While the Japanese company attempted to graduate from a children’s market, and the American marketers were prepared to encourage the transition, it was the desired consumers that ultimately reverted the product to its initial market. It also seems that more traditional media, such as television and comics, span a wider audience with more fluidity. For example, I remember watching the popular Japanese cartoon, “Sailor Moon,” when I was younger. It wasn’t until I was much older that I recognized the familiar cartoon popping up in more contemporary settings. For me, it belonged with my 6-year-old self watching TV after school, but for many others, it’s withstood time and continues to be a prominent theme at events like ComicCon. This is also a trait I find to be particularly associated with Asian media. So few pieces of American media appeal to a continually wide audience, yet from my experience, there seems to be a longer lifespan and larger consumer base for various Asian media exports. Does this kind of longevity of popularity occur in the country of origin, or is it only a cross-market/international phenomena? 1/11/17
In “Affective Labor and Asian American YouTube Performance” the keys to online success are revealed, and by proxy, the means to going “viral.” Christine Bacareza Balance stresses that authenticity, earnestness, emotional value or an emotional hook, and a lack of the Hollywood perfection or gloss that’s inherent in professionally made videos. Online success is contingent upon the acceptance and acknowledgement that the piece of media is produced by an amateur. Universality, relevance, timeliness, emotions, humor, drama and proximity are all also contexts to be considered in the recipe for YouTube success. If the story being told on screen is relatable to a wide range of people, the likelihood of success is automatically increased. Above all, people love to read, hear, and see stories unfold, and the more authentic they are, the more enticing they become. After watching the original “Asians in the Library” video by Alexandra Wallace, it’s hard to believe that an entire scholarly article could be derived from such a derogatory and inappropriate video. She begins the video by admitting that she’s not politically correct, but to post a video publicly complaining about an entire race’s behavior, filled with gross generalizations and racial slurs is an example of the abuse of the freedom that the internet and media at large supply the public. This lack of filter or consideration for others in the video perpetuates other stereotypes about Wallace’s own race and demographic, feeding this vicious cycle. While the response video “Ching Chong! Asians in the Library Song” has an air of satire, because Jimmy Wong turned to comedy to communicate his response, it masked his (far less) offensive remarks. There’s a reason that this video became as popular as it did—the humor made the uneasy topics addressed easier to stomach. Perhaps people also felt more comfortable with someone of the race in question making fun of themselves, but that in and of itself furthers the perception that this kind of behavior is acceptable for everyone about everyone. Moving away from the direct content of the video behind this article, Christine Bacareza Balance successfully stresses the challenge of going viral and achieving internet mass success. She continues to explain the difficulties of enticing an already distracted audience, which is a constant struggle of being a media consumer or creator in today’s world. That being said, it is unsurprising that controversial videos like the ones discussed in this article were the ones to go viral. After all, it’s part of human nature to not be able to look away from the proverbial train wreck. The things that shock us are the ones that we least expect, all returning to the previously mentioned keys to “viral success.” While YouTube was the vehicle for media in this instance, these tenets hold true for all story telling methods, regardless of the platform used. |
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