Advertising Bias: How real is the problem?

"Google before you tweet, is the new think before you speak"

This week in class, we have been talking a lot about advertising bias, in terms of gender and also race. There are many many cases in which I believe a bias does exist, and even times when it is harmful. For instance, many beauty and weight loss ads are harmful to girls by giving them an unachievable body type to strive for. However, many of the ads which we discussed in class I do not believe should be classified as offensive or biased.

For instance, we saw a commercial for six flags which featured an asian man with a typical asian accent and we also saw a pepsi commercial which depicted a black woman getting mad at her husband for eating unhealthy. If you were to classify these commercials as promoting stereotypes, angry black women, asians with accents, there is no end to what could be classified as "biased." Any commercial where a girl who happens to be blonde is shown doing something stupid could be considered biased or any ad which shows a latino eating nachos. In these cases, it seems to me that a molehill is being made into a mountain. Correlation does not equal causation. In most circumstances, if you search hard enough some kind of bias can be found. But is this productive to dwell on such obscurities?

There are real problems and real biases in advertising. But it is my opinion that some of the things which our textbook has labeled seem to be making something out of nothing. I do truly appreciate the emphasis on gender bias and body image and also racial stereotypes in entertainment mediums. But I think a commercial can only be defined as such if there is good reason and public opinion that it is offensive. There must be a real argument before it can be brought to the table, otherwise it diminishes the real problem and clouds the truth.

Human Flesh Search

Leave it to China to come up with such an ingenious creation.

The "Human Flesh Search" or "Human Search Engine" is truly a remarkable idea which I believe would be a great benefit to be integrated into western culture.

There are many great evils in the world, and sadly, many atrocious acts go unpunished because of the lack of legislation opposing them. I am a firm believer in the justice system, but sometimes, people just slip through the cracks. Human flesh search gives society a way to bring these individuals to justice and hold them responsible for moral corruption.

Something that has always truly angered me is the lack of jurisdiction that the courts have over cruelty to animals. It is something that goes overlooked and unpunished on a daily basis. While it is not a crime to kill an animal for sport, it is a barbaric act which most decent people oppose.

I first heard of Human Flesh Search while studying at Azusa Pacific University in California. We had a guest speaker come to the school from Arizona State and she told us some of the stories of people who have been called out by the human search engine.

A woman in China posted a video online of herself killing an innocent kitten by crushing it to death with her high heel. People were sickened and outraged by her act of cruelty and human search engine allowed people to find where this woman lived and worked. She got fired from her job and was publicly disgraced for her heinous act.

Every day, so many people like this go unpunished in our society. I believe that this is a peaceful and brilliant way to utilize the power of social networking and the internet to bring justice where the law cannot reach.

What does Henry the VIII have to do with Snookie?

This week in class we have been focusing a lot more on stereotypical roles in television shows, movies, and video games. And it got me to thinking, do all "real life" TV dramas follow the same basic outlines with the same stereotypical characters?

A show that I have really become addicted to lately is the historical fiction drama, "The Tudors" on showtime. It chronicles the loves and lusts of King Henry the VIII of England, played by the gorgeous Jonathon Rhys Meyers, and the ever present struggle to balance religion and politics. The King drives the country to the brink of war and has almost every other important character beheaded all because he lacks the ability to think with his head rather than his genitals. After having watching the entire first season and most of season two I began to notice a disturbing similarity between the way that men and women interact in that show and the way that they interact in many modern "reality" shows.

It is true that most of what is seen on reality television is staged and therefore holds no real meaning, however there are some things you just can't fake. For instance, last season on the Jersey Shore when Ronnie cheats on Sammi and she chooses to remain with him anyways then later becomes neurotic, terrified that he will be unfaithful to her again. The other male characters on the show sleep with practically every woman they meet, even finding creative ways to entertain one woman while keeping another one in another part of the house so they won't meet. The men sleep with as many women as they want and only receive praise for it while the girls are shunned and struggle to find an available guy who will agree to be monogamous.

Barbaric? That is my opinion. And it is not just the classy individuals from Jersey that strengthen this stereotype. How about the Bachelor? Or any of those other dating shows where women struggle for a mans affection having to live and tolerate his other mistresses. Flavor/Rock of love? Women are constantly shown fighting over a man each vying for his attention whether or not they even have feelings for him just to gain the recognition and power that comes from dating a celebrity.

Watching "The Tudors" can sometimes be an uncomfortable experience. The barbaric practices used in the 1500's appall and disgust me at times. One man was burned alive for being a protestant and another was boiled alive for attempting to poison a bishop. Five innocent men were tortured and accused of having carnal knowledge of the Queen and sentenced to beheading in front of a jeering crowd. It is truly heinous and makes me ashamed to call myself a human being to think of the atrocities that people inflicted on each other for the sake of power, religion, or wealth.

For the most part, evils like this are not permitted to exist in our free and tolerant modern society. So if we have progressed from beheading someone for treason or adultery then why do these gender role stereotypes still exist: That the easiest way for a woman to become powerful in society is to marry a powerful man? Although this mindset may be in the minority, why has reality TV given it such a platform? One can only guess.

Just....Tooo Much

This week we were given a reading assignment about gender bias in the video game industry. This is also the topic that we were assigned in my project group.

This topic really is something that bothers me. Not so much that most women don't play video games, but rather the way that female characters are portrayed. It is borderline ridiculous.

HUGE boobs, tiny waists, and gigantic backsides seem to be the norm when it comes to female characters in video games. Some images of women in games cannot be described by any other word other than pornographic. Why has the industry strayed so far from reality?

Also something that is even more unsettling is the violence portrayed against women. In grand theft auto players actually receive points for stabbing a prostitute.

The video game industry is a market designed by males, for males and it shows. But even so, the extremes that are shown in games go too far. Many men play video games as an escape from reality, a way to be someone else doing things that they could never do in real life. So does this mean that every man who plays video games wants their women to be sexual objects and even punching bags? I certainly hope not.

I think that the real blame lies in the industry itself. I don't think having female characters with slightly less exaggerated features and a little bit more clothing would have any effect on the popularity of the game. Tomb Raider has recently picked up on this idea, toning down their lead character to be more realistic and more modestly dressed. I truly believe other games should follow suit.

Everyone needs a voice

Something that I have never really given much thought to is muslims in the media. This weeks class really brought the issue to my attention. I had no idea about the beauty pageant winner from Michigan who was a muslim and I have never really seen or heard of any muslim public figures in the media.

Every other race and most religions have at least one public figure who is open about their faith and culture. Asians, latinos, blacks, and even pacific islanders have actors, singers, and out spoken celebrities to bring awareness to their culture.

I believe that is one of the main problems which has led to the bias in media and movies towards arabs and muslims. There is no one to hold the entertainment industry accountable. If there was ever any bias toward African Americans, Oprah Winfrey or Will Smith would make a public comment against the bias and there would be a public outcry of sympathy. There is no one to make these sort of statements for muslims and I believe that is why this prejudice has been allowed to continue for so long.

It is my hope that one day there will be a notable muslim celebrity who can give a voice to all people of middle eastern descent. That or hopefully one day this obsession with lumping all muslims together as terrorists and oppressors or women will pass.

A Grain of Truth

I have never claimed to be a feminist, nor do I really see any real issues in most arguments presented by feminists in this modern, American society. The idea that women are discriminated against in the United States to me seems so remote and archaic. Women can have any job they desire, marry anyone they choose, vote, and control their own bodies. I have always wondered to myself why feminists spend all of that time and effort into this trivial quest against a mythological "oppressive male dominated society" when they could be helping women in other cultures who really don't have the rights that we so often take for granted.

That being said, I believe that the real solution to overcoming gender bias in society is not by attacking any perceived stereotypes head on but rather by learning to embrace the real differences between men and women.

One of my personal favorite movies, and what most would consider the personification of the "typical female" stereotype is "Bridget Jones' Diary." The ditzy female lead in the movie, played by Renee Zellweger is overly emotional and binges on ice cream and cigarettes to deal with her problems. Many women resent this stereotype; that women are weak, emotional, and incapable. To me, criticizing these aspects of femininity actually fuels the negative stereotype.

While Bridget Jones may be a gross over-exaggeration of the female there is a grain of truth in every stereotype. Women just aren't like men. We are more emotional and yes, dare I say it, weaker. Say what you will but it is just a fact that women much more complications from hormones and in reality physically inferior to men. It is just a fact.

While that may seem harsh to some, to me I simply see it as an opportunity to change the mindset toward these characteristics. Why exactly are having emotions a negative quality for starters. Emotions fuel passion, both good and bad. They spawn creativity which is part of the reason more women are "right brained" than men. The female emotion is the very foundation of our society. If women had the emotional make up of men, maternal instincts and the ability to nurture would not be the same.

The sexes were not created equal, but they do compliment each other. Women may be weak, but sometimes true power lies in the ability to be weak, to be vulnerable. There may not be a single women in the NFL, but no man could ever have the ability to carry a child in their uterus. These "stereotypes" which we have been told time and time again to resist may not be the real enemy here.

Metaphorically, a man is like a rock; strong and solid, the foundation of the earth, but a woman is like the water. Although she is not as stable and at times all over the place, she sustains life and is in many ways even more powerful than the rock. The ability to adapt and change and give life is where her true power lies.

I am not saying that I condone a "Stepford Wives" form of society where women are sub servant but I do believe that the feminist movement in the United States is in many ways misguided. The real enemy here is ourselves, as is many other issues in contemporary society. All we really need is a fresh look.