Media Analysis | There From Here

Thoughts Inspired by "More to Love"

August 7, 2009 By Chanelle Schneider 5 Comments

“Anyone else noticing that #moretolove came on right after #hellskitchen food then the women who love it!”

“I forgot that “The Biggest Losers Casting Wannabes Meets the Bachelor” aka #MoreToLove is on! Oh snap! I know that was wrong…”

“Maybe some body shots would improve their attitude and self esteem #MoreToLove”

“Swimming There is a whole lotta water about to be displaced! #moretolove”

Those were a few of the nicer tweets that came from some of the viewers of Fox’s “More to Love”. I’m sure they would argue that the women on this show would feel better about themselves and be able to get a man if they would just lose weight. Others, however, would say that these women don’t need to lose weight to get a man; they just need to gain some confidence.

Why should a woman’s weight be the sole reason that she is unappealing to a man? For centuries women have been thought of as purely sexual beings, existing to bring visual and tactile pleasure to a man. That notion has faded away, hopefully. Hopefully, men do want women to serve as their counterparts in other realms and aren’t simply keeping their true thoughts to themselves because they know that a real woman will never be attracted to a man who thinks in this manner. Even so, their facial expressions can give away their true feelings.

Many women have turned to online dating as a tool for meeting men more efficiently, cutting down the time spent on the disingenuous and incompatible. In American society we have become acculturated to believe that dateable equals sexy, and sexy equals skinny, therefore dateable equals skinny. There are many in the Media working against this ethos, especially in the magazines Venus Diva Magazine and Gemini, but we have a long way to go before we see healthy as sexy. While there are men who do not find skinny women to be sexy, they appear to be in the minority. Thus, some overweight women tend to develop the negative inner monologue: I’m never going to find a man who thinks of me as more than a friend or business partner. Attempting to prove themselves wrong, they agree to meet in person the man they have been interacting with online. They ready themselves and wait; then, they meet, and he gives “the face”, wordlessly validating the inner monologue. Now, if she is a strong woman, she will not drown her sorrows in her drug of choice, which is food. Some are not that strong, though.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” You know this is a lie, right? This saying, meant to teach self-esteem and strength, has become a personal mantra, repeated over and over again in the hope that it will turn into a belief. While the remedy should not be the end of all insensitive comments, people who make the jokes should realize that their insensitivity causes emotional eaters to eat even more. Maybe it isn’t their responsibility to consider the feelings of others. These women should just suck it up, get tougher skin, and get over it, right?

The following are video opinions on women who have more to love.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxeArUZqY-s]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPxqo3T7O14] ”Become more attractive to the opposite sex by losing weight.”

Filed Under: Media Analysis, Random Thought Of The Day

RTOD – Racial Profiling

August 1, 2009 By Chanelle Schneider 10 Comments

When will it end? In 1990 The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air tackled the issue of racial profiling in the episode entitled “Mistaken Identity”. This episode is, sadly, still relevant today in light of the recent case with Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Especially relevant is the difference between the reactions of Carlton and Will who are from differing spheres of influence regarding class, which impacts their own view of race relations.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-uH6Q6kqqk]

Here are the first two parts if you would like more background on the episode.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7G7V1Nk6_Y&feature=related]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM5anWN93f4]

In an episode of Family Matters Eddie Winslow is upset because he believes he was profiled. His father, a police officer, approaches the cops who stopped his son. One officer in particular is clearly agitated at being accused and says, “Come on. Give me a break. It’s dark. It’s a black guy.”

The relevant portion begins at 5:00.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sQVw8WqDw4&feature=related]

Here are the other parts if you would like more background on the episode.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK7yIZpnLj8]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRYNvt_Fsa0]

Filed Under: Media Analysis, Random Thought Of The Day Tagged With: black

F.O.F. – Fear of Failure is Blocking Your Progress

August 1, 2009 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

The following is the transcript from two scenes from “Family Matters”. Carl, a husband, father to two teenage children and a police officer is feeling badgered by caring family members who want him to take a test that, if he passes, will promote him to lieutenant. Afraid to take the test, he displaces his own frustration and anger with himself onto the people who try to help him, namely, his teenage neighbor, Steve.

Steve: “You don’t wanna take that test because you have F.O.F.”

Carl: “What is F.O.F?”

Steve: “F.O.F is fear of failure. Even the most confident people have moments of fofnoscity.”

Carl: “Are you calling me…a fofnoficator?”

Steve: “When you’re feeling nervous, when you’re trapped in that emotional pit of doubt and despair, that’s when you dig deep into your character; and, peel away the layers of cowardice, self-doubt and nay saying until you get down to the raw steel of yes-can-do; and, then, you hot dip that steel, and fortify yourself.”

Carl: “Go home, go home, go home!”

Carl’s mother, Estelle, is called to help by his wife, Harriette, who he also became angry with for trying to encourage him to take the test. In speaking to his mother, the audience becomes privy to the real reason why Carl is so hesitant. Other officers have taken the test and failed, implying a feeling of intellectual inferiority. He is afraid of the disappointment that, he presumes, comes with failure. His mother informs him, though, that the real disappointment comes with not even starting.

Carl: “It’s a real tough test. A lot of very smart guys have failed it. Dad was a lieutenant. If I take the test and fail, I’ll feel like I’m letting him down.”

Estelle: “The only way you could let him down is if you didn’t try at all.”

This begs the question: Is it better to fail and make the people proud of your attempt; or, is it better to never start, and make the people wonder what you could have been? Worse, make you wonder what you could have been.

I have struggled all my life with the idea of becoming somebody. I never knew if I would ever discover what it was that I wanted to do, or who I wanted to be. Many ideas passed through my mind as a child growing up, but one was continually glossed over as immaterial. A hairdresser, I thought I’d like to become because I enjoyed (and still enjoy) styling hair. I discovered a passion for music and dance but couldn’t sing; and, picking up choreography, was not my thing. I thought I could be a web page designer, coding pages, and making blank canvases come to life. That didn’t work out so well, either, though I still love to code. Something kept gnawing at me. A purpose for my life was there but was invisible to me.

I fought myself a lot; and, I wondered why am I here? Has everything that I’ve been through led me to the point I am at now? Too often the victim wants to respond. Too seldom the victor. I contemplate my life even though I know the answers. I wonder what my purpose is when in my heart it’s clear. The philosopher speaks up and goes on some diatribe about the mind/body connection and the disconnect that is evident. No. There’s no disconnect. The mind knows it. The heart knows it. I have all my answers and, yet, I stagnate. I stare off into the distance and envision myself enshrouded in darkness, sitting on the edge of a cliff above some grand body of water. Fade out. No Mary Tyler Moore-esque beret tossing moment – just the wonder of what will be.

Have all of the great thoughts been thought? There is nothing great or of value left to say, so what significance will my point truly have? I wondered. I was afraid to write for fear of being mediocre and not being remembered for having made a difference but, rather, for having made a fool of myself. Acknowledging what it is that I am to do in this world has been my point of hardship for so long. If other people have done it and better than me, what’s the point? The best statement has already been made. The best answer has been given. It’s not that I, vainly, want the admiration for having given the best answer. If someone has offered the answer that solves the problem, why continue offering solutions inefficiently? In The Mis-education of the Negro Dr. Carter G. Woodson affirms,

Their conception is that you go to school to find out what other people have done, and then you go out in life to imitate them. What they have done can be done by others, they contend; and, they are right. They are wrong; however, in failing to realize that what others have done, we may not need to do. If we are to do identically the same thing from generation to generation, we would not make any progress…What this age needs is an enlightened youth not to undertake the tasks like theirs but to imbibe the spirit of these great men and answer the present call of duty with equal nobleness of soul.

Imitation may be the finest form of flattery, but the great writers of the past would want new writers to use their words as inspiration for work that concentrates on the needs of their own generation. The problem may be the same, but the people have changed. The mindsets have changed. Each new generation needs someone of theirs to illustrate the issues of the time. As the greatest who have done it continue to leave this life, who are the people who will take their words as inspiration to shine a light on needed solutions?

Michael Jackson served as the inspiration for many entertainers of this generation. However, Jackson was inspired by the work of entertainers before him. Had he said to himself, “Jackie Wilson is the best. Why should I try to contribute anything to the music industry,” this generation would not have his unique contributions to serve as inspiration for their passionate pursuits.

Why wonder what you could have been? Listen to your music within.

Filed Under: Advice, Media Analysis Tagged With: career, character, don't quit, failure, fear, generation Y, get there from here, linkedin, miseducation of the negro, my passion

Dear BET, Why Do You Hate Us?

July 28, 2009 By Chanelle Schneider 12 Comments

This is a letter written to Black Entertainment Television (BET) by a fifteen year old who wants to know why BET does not promote positive images of Black people, choosing only to exploit the negative, profit-making images. I did not edit the content, spelling or grammar of this letter.

Dear Debra Lee,

I’m Janita Patrick, a 15-year-old African-American female from Cincinnati. Recently, I watched the 2009 BET Awards and felt the strongest urge to reach out to the program. My family is of the typical middle-class variety; both parents and four brothers. See, I’m a junior in high school (got skipped), so naturally EVERYBODY in my age group watches BET. I’m used to seeing the sagging pants, tattoos, lack of emphasis on reading and respecting women that makes up your videos. People in my class live this out everyday, while teachers tell us that we’re acting just like the people in your shows.

In your shows. That struck me as odd, because I would think that with your show being the primary outlet for black entertainers and musicians, and considering the context of blacks in this country, there’s a social responsibility factor to consider. I would never blame BET alone for the way a great deal of my classmates act and talk and dress. Everybody makes their own choices. However, if anybody is aware the power of television on impressionable minds, it’s the people running the television operations. If you are not aware, then perhaps you shouldn’t be running the operations.

Guess who watches your network the most? Not those who are intelligent enough to discern foolishness from substance, but those who are barely teenagers, impressionable and believing. It’s awfully cruel to plant seeds of ignorance in fertile minds. You know it’s really bad when the co-founder of BET, Sheila Johnson, said that she “really doesn’t watch it” anymore.

I am constantly fighting against the images and messages put forth on your program. What made you think that it’s okay to bring my classmates on stage to dance behind Lil Wayne and Drake to a song talking about boffing “every girl in the world”? Why does reality train wrecks have to thrown in our faces? Are you aware of the achievement gap going in inner-city African-American communities? A report from America’s Promise Alliance, a non-profit group started by Colin Powell, recently stated that 47 percent of high school students in the nation’s top 50 cities don’t graduate. (Fifty-four percent of males of color in Ingham County graduated from high school, compared to 74 percent of white males). This isn’t because of BET per se, but I don’t see any episodes on your show doing anything to counteract this disturbing trend. In fact, your show is a part of this cycle of media depicting us at our worst.

My older brother told me something about profit being the number one goal for every business. I’m not sure I understand what that means, but I do know that your shows have to be entertaining enough to generate viewers, which is how you make your money. But surely our culture is rich enough to entertain without anything extra to “boost” ratings; why the over-the-top foolery? I listen to classmates talk about Baldwin Hills like it’s the Manhattan Project. It doesn’t take much effort to produce a throng of degenerative reality shows, nor does it take much to eliminate socially conscious shows off the air. MTV isn’t much better, but since when does two wrongs ever make a right? It’s one thing for white television shows to depict us in a particular way, but for black television shows to do it is baffling.

Why do you hate us?

All of the values that my parents seek to instill in me and my brothers seems to be contradicted by a more powerful force from the media, and your show is at the forefront. Your network is the only network that features rap videos and shows exclusively to children of my color. I know that you have no control over the music that the artists put out, but you do have influence as to how you air these videos. I’m sure if a stand was taken to use the talent in your organization to actually crank out thought-provoking entertaining shows and videos, then artists will follow suit. Being that they need you as much as you need them.

There was one awkward segment in the BET Awards when Jamie Foxx singled out three black doctors-turned-authors, but the introduction was so powerless that many of the viewers had no idea who they were. Had they been introduced as Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins, three brothers who overcame major obstacles to become a success without the use of lyrics that berate women, the sell of substance that destroy communities or through raps about loose gunplay, then maybe my classmates would have come to school talking about more than Beyonce, T-Pain’s BIG ASS CHAIN and Soulja Boy Tell Em’s hopping out the bed.

But they weren’t introduced like that. It seemed like a throwaway obligatory tribute to appease some irritated fans. It missed the mark. Big time. Ask Michelle Obama if she watches BET or encourages Sasha and Malia to do so. Ask President Obama. It’s a reason he is the leader of the free world, and it isn’t because of Buffoonery Exists Today.

You’d be surprised how smart young black children can be with the absence of Blacks Embarrassing Themselves. If your goal is to deter engaged, forward-thinking articulate black minds, then consider your goal fulfilled. It’s hard-pressed to think that your shows are working to promote cultural betterment. However, it’s quite easy to conclude that the destruction of black children through the glorification of immoral behavior and rushed production is by design. Poison is being swallowed by every viewer who adores your network, and the worse thing is, these viewers – my classmates – are not even aware what they’re swallowing.

There is nothing edifying for black women on your show. I don’t judge people who do throng to your programs though; I mean, if a jet crashes in right in front of me, I’ll watch it too. That’s why I don’t flip by your channel…I don’t even want to be sucked in.

I have aspirations of acquiring a law degree and possibly entering the public sphere, so I can counteract conditions in my community perpetuated by the images on your channel. So I should thank you, because in a weird sense, your shoddy programming is the wind behind my back. And it is my hope that I can accomplish my dreams despite BET’s pictorial messages, because Lord knows it won’t be because of them.

Sincerely,

Janita Patrick

Filed Under: Advice, Media Analysis Tagged With: black, character, intelligence, middle class, miseducation of the negro

Living at Home is nothing to be Ashamed Of

June 23, 2009 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

The socialized stigma against people who move back to their parents’ home can make some feel depressed or ashamed. Once you leave home you’re supposed to stay gone unless you’re visiting. To be in your mid-20′s and living at home is thought of as the mark of the lazy good-for-nothing child who will never be anything in this life.

I don’t know about you, but that does not describe me at all. Further, I know that it cannot be an accurate description of many of the people who have had to move back home. This issue has been covered in an article covered by MSNBC contributor Diane Mapes here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31275812/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/ . In the article I discuss what it’s like to live at home as an adult who is still their parents’ child.

Certain media outlets like to stigmatize the “boomerangs” as unwilling to secure their own future outside of their parents’ shadow. This is an unfair characterization that may be good for ratings, but there is no balance. Where are the shows of the twentysomething’s who are doing something with themselves; and, living at home is necessary to get closer to those goals? The parents who allow their children to come back home are blessings (even if they make them pay rent).

Filed Under: Advice, Media Analysis Tagged With: career, character, generation Y, get a job, get there from here, living at home

Adam Lambert: Don’t Get Too Comfortable

May 14, 2009 By Chanelle Schneider Leave a Comment

Adam should not assume the win. Kris Allen fans could speed-dial him into the winner spot while Adam Lambert fans sit idle.

In American culture (and, possibly, world-wide) if you are too popular, people will try to bring you down. These arbiters of cynicism, or haters as they are often referred, work to cast doubt on anything mainstream. Unfortunately, counter-culture revolutionaries have been present in our society for generations; and, their message usually becomes popular. It becomes “cool” to rage against the machine; and, Adam Lambert, you are positioning yourself to be the machine.

After singing “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin, his star went into orbit. It was the first time a Led Zeppelin song was performed on the American Idol stage, and Adam Lambert knocked it out of the park. Everything in his performance led you to believe that he was already a seasoned professional. He didn’t just stare into the camera, he hypnotized you. He grabbed the microphone and took control of it, captivating the audience for the entire song. If you weren’t a fan of his before, you have to be now just based on the authenticity of his performance and the flawlessness of his voice. Adam Lambert has a whole lotta people believing that he needs to be recording right now, including Simon Cowell.

Once a contestant has won over Simon, they’re going to be in the finals. Will they win? Many remember when Sanjaya was in the competition because he kept getting voted in amid desires to prove Simon wrong, despite his lack of a quality singing voice. Kris Allen represents a diametric opposition to Adam Lambert. Where Kris is smooth and subdued, Adam is edgy and over the top. It is a storyline that gets repeated throughout culture: the favorite is hated.

The fact remains, American Idol is just a title. It does not guarantee future success (i.e. Ruben Studdard, David Archuleta). Whoever does win will have to remain relevant by being an artist, not just a show.

Filed Under: Media Analysis