Talking Points #4

Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us by Linda Christensen

Firstly, I really enjoyed this reading better than the last ones. It was very refreshing reading something I was interested in. Children' cartoons, movies, and literature are the most influencial genre for learning the messages through the"secret education" even if they are made just to entertain us. We can discover the tools which manipulates the young society through analizing different types of cartoons and movies. For example in certain cartoons the roles of women, people of color, and poor people are sometimes stereotyped in the wrong ways. Overall I really enjoyed this easy reading, and I could relate it to some movies just by reading this.
1.) "Many students dont want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising. No one wants to admit that they've been 'handled' by the media. They assure me they make their own choices and the media had no problem over them."
I found this quote interesting, and very true. People don' realize how mesmerized they can get just by watching a cartoon or movie. Many people who watch cartoons before they start their study on them can no longer enjoy them. but however if we dont dissect them we would still be influenced by them. A student of hers said she now gets depressed in dealing with dissecting things into a reality, and i can see how she would get depressed. Its just to be a form of entertainment but now it has to have stereotypes involved.
2.)"Then the students start to notice patterns, like the absence of female characters in older cartoons. When women do appear, they look like Jessica Rabbit or Playboy centerfolds, even in the new and improved childrens movies."
This is an interesting quote. Many women do portray a beautiful aspect in movies and cartoons, because thats what the culture of society prefers. All these women have no flaws and make it for children something to look up to and become when they're older. The barbie syndrome starts I also noticed that black women play no lead roles in these movies. Ursula the sea witch is kinda dark looking and shes the villian in the movie The Little Mermaid.
3.)" Both of these tales leave young women with two myths: Happiness means getting a man, and transforming from wretched conditions can be acheieved through consumption, in their case, through new clothes and a new hairstyle."
This quote was talking about how Cinderella and Cindy Ellie, have both the same type of story, but in Cindie Ellie, shes a black women and she wants the man running for the mayor. Many students loved this story because it expressed beauty, culture, and language of the African Americans. It also makes it possible for cross-race alliances in social changes. Thats what her students wanted. I liked the story as well, its just a shame that in todays society all the forms of children entertainment have to be the dominant race, and about the secret education of the power of culture messages.
All the good ideas the students had were very enjoyable to read. The students were to do a project which focused on critiquing a cartoon. For example one group graded different cartoons based on their stereotypes. Like Duck Tales recieved a C because of the whole show being based on money. TMNT got a D because of how it teaches children a false sense of violence. and Popeye got an F for portraying ethnic groups as stupid and Americans are the best at everything. This would have been a project i would have enjoyed if i ever had it. The students in the end saw themselves as actors in the world and were fueled by the opportunity to convince parents of long-lasting effects cartoons impose on children. It provided them with the opportunity to make a difference and which i would have grasped if i ever had the opportunity to do something like this. I enjoyed this reading very much, and wouldn't mind doing something like what these students did in their class.