Topic 3 : Media Stereotype

TWO Critical Reflections: 

In my notion media stereotype is a fixed idea towards members of class, ethnic, race, culture, age, and sex that contribute to particular characteristics throughout different sources of media (T.V, radio, news paper). In the article,
“That's all Sheikh: Arab representation in U.S. cartoons”, we see how the author tries to explain racial, ethnicity, cultural stereotype in media particularly in U.S. cartoons.  Ayah Bdeir mentions about how these racial stereotypes were imposed and reasons behind it throughout different time period during the 20^th century.  These cartoons were used as tool for propaganda and it was targeted to audiences, especially children; these cartoons influence the way children think, and they have the tendency to grow up with these beliefs. Some of the reasons behind implying these types of images are the U.S. audiences negative feeing about these different groups for its relation with these groups and the hate and abhorrence between them.  The author focused more on stereotypical towards the Arabs. The U.S. media removed all stereotypical images from other ethnic and culture groups except the Arabs. The reason behind it, is the relation between the west and east, and the September 11 incident and its impact on people’s view.

 

Personally speaking, I have not only seen these stereotypical not jus in cartoons, but also movies. I have seen many movies that portray this fact. One of these movies was the movie, “you don’t mess with the zohan. I mean by watching this movie you can clearly see that how different ethnic groups such as the Arabs and the Jews are represented. This movie isn’t the only movie that depicts many racial and cultural stereotypical images. As days go by, media is producing these types of movie. People go to theater and watch these movies. To me, I think that the response of these people plays an important role. They act in a way that there kind of use to the idea of stereotypical images in movies and they have no problem regarding to these images, so the media keeps producing and showing these type movies on air. Generally speaking, I think people have important part in the way that media is produced and takes place.