Today In The Media Lab
The
group reviewed two videos that dealt with stereotypes. The first
video was specifically stereotypical behavior from Toronto Youth. In
this video we saw three males in different scenarios, at the mall,
the barbershop, to name a few places. We heard phrases like, “I’m
out here bro,” “beef ting,” and one that seemed most comical, “
yo boom!”
The
group discussed how the video made them feel and shared past
experiences that related to other more serious stereotypes they had
faced. This then sparked conversation about social norms and the
struggle to fit in vs. the struggle to disassociate from them.
The
last video was a segment from the show: The talk. They did a spoof on
stereotypes, playing upon stereotypes used against African Americans,
Lesbians, Asians, and The British. This was in response to Sophia
Vergara an actress on the television show Modern family, who plays
the character “Gloria.” Many have complained that her character
is a stereotype of a “hot fiery Latina.” Vergara responded to the
criticism by saying, “I don’t mind. I don’t know why people
think stereotypes are so terrible. It might be a stereotype but I
think the character is fantastic. She’s colourful, she’s loud but
I’m loud. She’s crazy, but I’m crazy. It’s not a problem.”
The
boys were able to agree with her statement as they described examples
of how they themselves “fit” a stereotype. By the end, the group
realized that although sometimes funny, stereotypes could be misused
as a weapon to hurt others. Stereotypes
can make a mockery of an entire group of people, emphasizing small
things as identifiable traits, which then limits them and corrupt our
thoughts about them.
Comments