Feminist Media Criticism
Over the years, the media has been influential in the shaping of stereotypes concerning the representation of race and gender differences in society at large. Back in the past, women of color have had to stomach the negative stereotypes in society concerning their ethnicity, as well as the color of their skin. First, there was discrimination due to race, which was a common aspect faced by all people of color, including their male counterparts. However, the woman of color also had to go through discrimination on a gender basis, as was the common stereotype against women by men. The colored woman realized that she was in a much different situation, as she was equally discriminated against due to her ethnicity and skin color, just as she was discriminated against for being a woman. This paper seeks to describe how much the media has impacted the representation of colored women in our society.
It is correct to state that the level of representation of women of color in modern times is significantly higher than in the past, as more colored women are now in positions that initially belonged to men. Education institutions, administrative agencies, sports, as well as the media and entertainment scenes have witnessed the gradual growth of female involvement and participation, which is a positive thing. However, the colored woman continues to suffer despite this growth, due to the continued effects of negative representation by the media.
Hypersexualization of colored women is a common activity that has enabled the media to depict the colored woman as a sexual figure, more than the fact that they are equally human. Most visualizations of the colored woman in the media are associated with a sexual image, a tactic that has had massive success, at the cost of her reputation and image to the society. This tactic is common in music videos, with the appearance of often half-naked women of color, commonly known as video vixens. This stereotype has massively dented the perception of society towards women of color.
In the past, the black woman was commonly perceived as a mammy, a term that associated her with oppression, poverty, and service to the whites, since most black women at the time were servants in the homes of the white people. This term was used by the whites to justify the acts of slavery and exploitation of rights against the people of color. Alternatively, these women were often stereotyped as the matriarch, who was a cruel mother to her children, as she often failed to achieve her objectives as a mother. These stereotypes acted as constraints which constantly put the black women in difficult positions in the society.
The binary of positive and negative representation in women of color is problematic, as it describes the white as people who are forward-thinking, civil, and act in decorum, while people of color, especially the blacks, are viewed as backward, violent and irrational people. Being a woman of color, especially a black woman, has the added disadvantage of being a female, which has its negative effects with regard to discrimination.
Most white audiences often respond in a way that gives a nod to the kind of stereotypes being put forward by the media regarding women of color. Most people in the world have a perception against the women of color, due to the kind of representation the media does. Black audiences, often respond with anger, since most of them are aware of the stereotypes being displayed.
References
Collins, Patricia Hill. “Controlling images and Black women’s oppression.” Seeing ourselves: Classic, contemporary, and cross-cultural readings in sociology 4 (1991).
Dyer, Richard. “The matter of whiteness.” Theories of race and racism: A reader (2000): 539-548.
Durham, Aisha, Brittney C. Cooper, and Susana M. Morris. “The stage hip-hop feminism built: A new directions essay.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 38.3 (2013): 721-737.