Media Moments, "If I Were A Poor Black Kid"

On December 12, 2011, Forbes magazine online published a column from Gene Marks, a self described "middle aged white guy who comes from a middle class white background." The essay was titled: "If I Were A Poor Black Kid" and contained a list of advice for poor black kids on how to make it in America.

"I would use Skype to study with other students who also want to do well in my school," was one suggestion from Marks. Because, obviously, all poor families have computers and high speed internet at home.

Marks also encourage black kids to capitalize on rich white people's desire for tokenized diversity.

"Most private schools I know are filled to the brim with the 1%," writes Marks. "That’s because these schools are exclusive and expensive, costing anywhere between $20 and $50k per year. But there’s a secret about them. Most have scholarship programs. Most have boards of trustees that want to give opportunities to kids that can’t afford the tuition . . . Trust me, they want to show diversity. They want to show smiling, smart kids of many different colors and races on their fundraising brochures."

According to Marks, following this roadmap of technology, good grades, and scholarships will inevitably lead to success. He concludes: "Because a poor black kid who gets good grades, has a part time job and becomes proficient with a technical skill will go to college. There is financial aid available. There are programs available. And no matter what he or she majors in that person will have opportunities. They will find jobs in a country of business owners like me who are starved for smart, skilled people. They will succeed."

Well, I guess that's it. Gene Marks, an accountant, Forbes magazine contributor, and middle class white guy has just solved the problem of racial inequality and lack of access to opportunity and education.

Though the patneralism of the article is blatant, it is not particularly suprising. This type of thinking is common in the American pysche, even if it is not always so obviously stated. So what happened when a Forbes columnist solved the centuries-old problem of racial inequality on the internet? Did the poor black children of America reply with a collective, "Thank you!"? Did people ignore this column, since there is way too much opinion-spouting on the internet anyway? Not quite.

The response was swift, sharp and prolific. Writing for The Root Elon James White replied with incredulousness and sarcasm:

"Mr. Gene just wants to give us some of that patented #WhiteLove™ that he has laying around the house. With a healthy sprinkling, poor ignorant black children can rise above their station into the magical world of reasonable participation in society!"

White continued, "How in the world can this man create this checklist of things and not realize that he's requesting that kids do something extraordinary simply to not continue to be in poverty: forget their surroundings.Forget any issues with their parents, the issues their parents might have, like perhaps not eating every night. Forget poor schools with overcrowded classrooms and teachers who can barely keep the class together. School systems that pass children along because they simply can't keep them."

More excellent responses came from Akiba Solomon in COLORLINES, Cord Jefferson writing for Good, and a satirical response in the Atlantic called, "If I Were a Middle-Aged White Guy."

The response to the column even became news itself -- with NPR doing a story on the controversey.

The success of this story was, in my opnion, the public shaming of Gene marks. The absurdity of his opinions were ripped open, he was mocked, and even Memed. Gene Marks is, at least on the internet, a bit of a joke. But does being mocked online have ramifications outside of the virtual world? Did these responses open up a critical conversation about opportunity and race? Or did they only circulate in a small online world, moving through like-minded circles?

My question for the class is: how does the case of "If I Were a Poor Black Kid" and Gene Marks relate to our study of gender and the media? What does this case tell us about assumptions of priviledge? If you want to think about this a little more, check out another column written by Marks -- "Why most women will never become CEOS."

Media Moment: Women, Sex, and Music

Here is an article I wanted to share with the rest of the class. It is an article talking about women in the music industry. It discusses how women try to be molded by their managers and others to look sexy and appealing to viewers and the media. As someone myself who works at a music studio I have over heard managers talking to their female artists about appeal. Some even encourage them to make their music "more sexy".


http://michael-peters.suite101.com/women-in-music-a52295

-Ali

Blog Like a Blogger

Let's get started in Blogger . . . here are the basics of posting.

1. From the Dashboard, click on NEW POST.

2. There are two tabs -- Edit Html and Compose. Start off in Compose.

3. Write your text or paste it from another word processing programming.

4. Use the bold, italic, color, font, and size options to make your text pop.

5. Spell check by clicking on the ABC/blue check button.

6. Make it pretty! Always include a visual element -- either a video or photo. I guess I better follow my own advice, eh?



7. To add a photo, click on the photo image button. Browse for the image on your computer or upload it from a url. Chose the size and position.

8. To post a video, get the embed code. This is different than the url of the video. In YouTube you find it by clicking on Share.

8. Copy the embed code. Now go to the Edit Html tab and paste it where you want it.

9. Hyperlinks make blogging fun. You can reference articles, artists, blogs and other online sources. You can get creative with which words you chose as the hyperlink. A word of warning! Hyperlinks take readers away from your page, so use them wisely and not excessively. To add a hyperlink, highlight the text and click on the link button. (Next to the text color box.) Paste the url of your link.

10. You can preview the blog before you post, to see if it looks clean and fascinating.

11. When you are ready, hit PUBLISH POST. Don't worry, you can always re-edit it.

12. Another Hunter College instructor, Martyna Starosta, has some great ideas on how to write engaging blog entries.

13. One more thing . . . what do you get when you combine blogging and 3rd wave feminism? Aha! These.

Media Moment, "NEW: Nontraditional Employment for Women."

Halfway asleep on the train, I spotted this Media Moment:

OR check out the website if you aren't able to see my picture clear (just to get an insight of what NEW is): http://www.new-nyc.org/index.html

It's an advertisement for NEW (Nontraditional Employment for Women) which is a program that offers free training and job placement to women in what we commonly know as "manly" jobs. They specifically mention Building and Construction, Transportation and Public Utilities. Why not break down the social barriers/stereotypes even further? I mean, didn't this movement start since Rosie the Riveter (whose slogan coincidentally, or maybe not so coincidentally, bares similarity to the NEW ad) back in the 40's? 

J. Howard Miller poster 

Coming from a family with way more testosterone than estrogen, my first thought was, "Go Ladies!" Show that "We Can Do It!" all, even in the most testosterone-ridden workplace. But then I wondered (probably because of the Deconstructing Media Kit) what is NEW not telling potential applicants? Yes, it's an enthusiastic message that may leave us with the utmost pride for our vajayjay's but can't it be possible that these women face serious sexual harassment in these fields? Are they really respected as not only competent employees but also females who are going beyond socially constructed limits? Are they just as safe as their male counterparts on job sites? Are the union benefits the same for both sexes?

I came across this study on the Department of Labor website entitled Women in the Construction Workplace: Providing Equitable Safety and Health Protection  (http://www.osha.gov/doc/accsh/haswicformal.html) basically stating that there are definite examples of a hostile workplace environment for women by male  coworkers, sexual harassment, isolation from others, lack of proper restrooms and the list goes on. The article's abstract declares, "Many of the identified problems are amenable to change through engineering, behavioral, or administrative intervention. The recommendations in this report are directed at employers, labor unions, manufacturers, training programs, supervisors, and workers. Improving the work conditions for women in the construction trades will not only ensure their health and safety, it will also serve to attract and retain women as workers during a critical time of labor shortages in this industry."

So, based on this information and maybe even your own experience... Do you think women have to maintain conventional masculine character traits to advance in or be socially accepted in nontraditional job environments?

Media Moment -- "Losing Weight Like A Man"

First, let's take a look at this:

While on the surface, there isn't really anything wrong with this commercial. When looking at the campaign, however, Weight Watchers is really pushing weight loss -- which comes as no surprise -- but for men.

This very specific ad campaign has an emphasis on a few points they can't seem to reiterate enough: It's easy, you don't have to give up the food you love (for men), and generally machismo role models aren't scared to lose weight using Weight Watchers.

That's fine; but beyond what's being said in the campaign, what is it insinuating about the opposite gender? Is this ad campaign effective, or is it simply masked misogyny saying that taking care of yourself is "womanly" or otherwise effeminate? Is it okay for women to give up foods or practices they love, but men shouldn't have to, and thus demand a "special" program? Hell, who says that women don't like things easy like Charles Barkley?

I'm not one to be too picky about something as seemingly banal as this, but it's something to think about.

Cheers.

tells a story

Alittle Hope for the Future

Great video of a young girl addressing marketing, gender roles, and toys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CU040Hqbas