Ethnic groups were portrayed in the media Essay Example for Free

Ethnic groups were portrayed in the media Essay During the course of looking at education, and ethnicity issues I became interested in how ethnic groups were portrayed in the media. Although I havent studied this before, I wanted to do something different, but still apply the fundamental theories which I have studied. I have noticed how there seems to be a trend with all areas involving ethnicity, and personally feel there is racism and under-representation of ethnic groups on television, and definitely inequalities in the press. The media has a huge effect on our perception of life and self-concepts, and reinforce stereotypical ideals, and it seems that ethnic minorities tend to be characterised as uneducated, illiterate and bad role-models. Therefore the aim of this research is to see how people feel about the way the media represents all ethnic groups, and whether they think they are stereotypical. My first concept is the cultural effects model which sees the media as a very powerful influence, but also sees it as very diverse, and one type of audiences response may vary to another. However, there is an anticipated response, known as the preferred reading. Those who lack experience in cultural diversity are more likely to accept what is shown and therefore make generalisations from what they see to what they think. Therefore we make generalisations or stereotypical views of different members of society. This is my second concept. A stereotype is a conventional image of a person or group. Stereotypes generally conform to a pattern of dress or behaviour. A BBC news article entitled How entertainment changed: the media and multicultural Britain addressing how the media has changed over time and gives statistics from a recent survey to the public, to their (ethnic minorities) opinions on how they are represented in the media, and also how the overall public view the medias representations. The results were promising inasmuch as the public suggested there was improvement. However, there is apparently, still a lingering feeling that Britain has a long way to go before its multiculturalism is represented properly and effectively in the media. This is relevant to the point of research since it discusses how society is responding to what the media is involving, and if it is improving or not. Since there is such a dynamic response, it suggests that stereotypes do exist, and that there has been negative representation of ethnic groups. It also gives evidence to suggest that this representation has caused a problem it has effected audience perception of sub-cultures in society. We come to expect certain behaviour or values without looking at the bigger picture, through which the media tends to overlook. The third concept is racism. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others is racism. The contextual research included in this is; Racism and the press by Van Dijk in 1991. Here he analyses the reporting of ethnic issues in 1985 1989, in which the press, (especially the tabloids) portrayed black people as a problem and a threat to mainstream society. The collected findings of both pieces of research generally give a depressing reading. Under-representation and stereotypical characterisation within entertainment genres and negative, problem-orientated portrayal within factuality and news forms, and a tendency to ignore structural inequalities are recurring research findings when looking into the media.

The Art of Advertising: Newtype USA :: Art

The Art of Advertising: Newtype USA "If advertising is not an official or state art, it is nonetheless clearly art" (Schudson). This wonderful quote clearly describes the type of advertising found in Newtype USA. The three most used techniques by advertisers in this magazine is the use of minimalist art, color, and beautiful scenery. All of these techniques appeal to an artist, and most people who watch anime tend to draw in their spare time. This makes sense considering all of the products they have in Newtype are all Japanese animation (anime). While looking through this magazine I found that every single advertisement was beautiful. Anybody that draws can appreciate the beauty of animation and in the end the quality of the graphics portrayed in the ad plays a big part in whether or not a person will purchase it. This being said, it makes it easy to understand why they use these techniques to advertise. The first major technique found in Newtype is minimalist art. This technique is usually used for anime that is done by an especially good company. The idea is that they don't need a fancy advertisement, because their characters are very well drawn. All they have to do is post a single image of one character from their anime on a solid back drop and plant their logo on it. When an anime fan sees a beautifully drawn character, the first thing they think is that it must be a great anime and they want to know what it’s all about. The fact that the company producing the anime obviously has immense talent in drawing a single image is a big selling point too. Next, the technique of using beautiful scenery in advertisements is probably the most used in Newtype. Leo Burnett described it best when he said, "I regard a great ad as the most beautiful thing in the world† (Art). Certain anime companies prefer beautifully detailed backgrounds to perfection in individual characters. In their advertisements the consumer will notice the background images of castles, flowers, skies, etc. Recently they have also been using a lot of computer graphics instead of basic animation to really enhance the background experience. This has the same effect to the customer that the minimalist art has in that they instantly appreciate what they are seeing. The consumer is impressed with the quality of scenery in the advertisements making them want to buy the product.

Unfortunate Irony “Hope” Ariel Dorfman

Essay 2 Unfortunate Irony In the poem â€Å"Hope† by Ariel Dorfman the use of irony is what really sets and delivers the mood of this heart wrenching story. The author uses a very straight forward approach in this poem because they are essentially just telling the story, adding loose rhythm and rhyme structure. The best way for the author to get the point of this tragedy across is with subtle but profound irony. The mother and father finding â€Å"joy† in this horrible event is the best example of irony.Irony in my opinion is what can really drive home the feeling of the author or lyricist and is a way to completely change the direction of feeling. In Hope, when the author says â€Å"we couldn’t find out anything else about him†, it’s as if the author’s implying they don’t know where they are taking him, what they are doing with him, or if they’ll ever see him again. The irony in this statement is that we assume that until compl eting the poem and rereading it, that maybe the parents will not get to see the child grow up.The author is speculating this early on that they will not see their child do all those things we have all been able to do and our parents have watched us do. Because they already know and somewhat accept what is going to happen to the child. The author is completely aware of what kind of situation this has brought about. You see this when Ariel says, â€Å"somebody tell me frankly what times are these, what kind of word, what country†. Ariel knows, these are terrible times†¦ This type of irony really reminds of classic and contemporary country lyrics.The one that comes to mind immediately is â€Å"He Stopped Loving Her Today† by George Jones. The story he tells is of a man that’s hopelessly in love with a former lover that no longer loves him. The opening line really sets the tone with Jones’ haunting twang, â€Å"He said I’ll love you till I die, S he said you’ll forget in time. † But as the story explains, he doesn’t. Jones’ lyrics are extremely painful when describing the setting of his home and how he has held on to items that are linked to her. He kept some letters by his bed, Dated 1962, He had underlined in red, Every single I love you. † The verse right before the chorus and the chorus itself are what show the very unfortunate irony. The person telling the story explains how he went to see his friend and he’s â€Å"All dressed up to go away, First time I’d seen him smile in years†, the man had finally found the end to his pain on his way to his own funeral. The chorus, â€Å"He stopped loving her today, They placed a wreath upon his door, And soon they’ll carry him away, He stopped loving her today. To find happiness in such a way just shows how bad the pain actually is, just like in â€Å"Hope†. To find any amount in joy due to horrific pain and sadne ss, is very sad and it is understandable how the family of the child in â€Å"Hope† and the friends of the man in â€Å"He Stopped Loving Her Today† can find joy in these extremely sad and difficult situations The ultimate display of irony in â€Å"Hope† is after Ariel acknowledges the circumstances and situation their family has found themselves in and how to deal with it. They say they recognized his voice, his screams, they say†, this is very powerful and very disturbing. This leads to the ultimate question of this piece, â€Å"What I’m asking is how can it be that a father’s joy, a mother’s joy, is knowing that they, that they are still torturing their son? † And the joy and comfort they find by knowing that if he is being tortured that is still alive and that still leaves a window for hope. Which means that he was alive five months later and our greatest hope will be to find out next year that they’re still torturing him eight months later, and he may†¦ might†¦ could still be alive. † That is unfortunate irony, finding joy in a loved one being tortured because at least there is still hope they will one day be reunited with their child. Works Cited Dorfman, Ariel. â€Å"Hope†. Kirszner/Mandell Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing Jones, George. â€Å"He Stopped Loving Her Today† http://www. cowboylyrics. com/lyrics/jones-george/he-stopped-loving-her-today-18102. html

The Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe - 1968 Words

Even before the medical field of psychology was recognized, American writer Edgar Allan Poe shone a spotlight on some of the complicated mechanisms of the human brain in his works. Living a troubled life himself, Poe has a keen understanding of the complexities of the human brain and their effects on thoughts, feelings, and behavior. At first glance, Poe’s writing usually tends to creates a dark and gloomy atmosphere, one that immediately foreshadows doom for the protagonist. Poe’s understanding of the human mind and the elements of psychology are clearly marked in stories such as â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado.† In Poe’s stories, he presents complex characters who become susceptible to the diverse forces of the mind such as reverse psychology, guilt, superstition, perversity, revenge, and schizophrenia. First published in 1846, â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is an instance of Poe combining psychological elements of two distinct characters. In  "The Cask of Amontillado,† Montresor’s brilliant use of reverse psychology, and his perversity and guilt are what forms him as an unbalanced, psychologically driven character. It is quite possible that â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† was inspired by a story Poe heard at Castle Island when he was a private in the army. There, Poe saw a monument to Lieutenant Massie, who, legend has it, was killed by Lieutenant Drane following a dispute during a card game. The other soldiers then avenged Drane for this by getting him drunk, luring him into a dungeon,Show MoreRelatedThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe888 Words   |  4 PagesThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe In ?The Cask of Amontillado?, Edgar Allan Poe takes us on a trip into the mind of a mad man. Poe uses certain elements to convey an emotional impact. He utilizes irony, descriptive detail of setting, and dark character traits to create the search of sinful deceit. Poe also uses first person, where the narrator is the protagonist who is deeply involved. The purpose is to get the reader to no longer be the observer. He wants them to see with MontressorRead MoreThe Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allan Poe836 Words   |  3 Pagesqualities in the story. In the story many things are used as symbols such as the actual cask of amontillado, the trowel, the jester costume and the setting in which there is two in the story. Another literary technique used significantly in the story is irony. Irony is the expression of ones meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite. In the short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† Montresor a very troubled man who plans to seek revenge on another man named FortunatoRead MoreEdgar Allan Poe And The Cask Of Amontillado1384 Words   |  6 PagesWhat makes Edgar Allan Poe work unique? Other than being a strange individual, Poe has become a remarkable literature writer. The Raven, Annabel Lee, and The Cask of Amontillado are just a few of Poe’s work that staples the theme of gothic literature. This essay will allow you to see the gothic elements Edgar Allan Poe uses through his most common poems. Gothic literature has many elements which play into its definition. The actual definition is a style of writing that is characterized by elementsRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe906 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† was written in 1846, by Edgar Allan Poe. Born in 1809, Poe never knew any of his parents. At the age of three, his mother died of tuberculosis, and his father deserted the family before he was born. Taking care of him was his foster parents in Richmond, Virginia. They loved Poe, but were not supportive of his decisions and kept Poe poor. Having debt and not being able to provide food and clothes for himself caused Poe to quit school. Later, heRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe920 Words   |  4 Pageswhen that trust no longer exists? In â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† written by Edgar Allan Poe, Fortunato is about to find the answer to this question. On the surface, Montresor seems friendly with Fortunato, but deep down he feels nothing but hate for him. Could this hatred have an irrationality that only Montresor understands? In different ways, both of these men are proud and affluent, yet both have downfalls that will l ead to a tragic ending. Edgar Allan Poe’s use of language contributes to the understandingRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1555 Words   |  7 PagesIn his writing, Edgar Allan Poe has multiple uses of direct and indirect characterization. In The Cask of Amontillado, Montresor had rules such as â€Å"I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong† (Poe, 2). Poe used indirect characterization to show the reader that Montresor is an unreliable narrator because he justified hisRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1303 Words   |  6 PagesIn Edgar Allan Poe’s â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado,† the narrator recalls an extremely significant time in his life, and takes the reader along with him. Throughout the story, one experiences a perfectly planned murder which took place over fifty years ago, and still no one has discovered what truly happened to poor Fortunato as he was chained to a wall in a room that was then closed off, and torched to death due to all the nitre in the walls. As the story goes on, the reader can see some of Poe’s unfortunateRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe1076 Words   |  5 PagesThe short story, The Cask of Amontillado, written by Edgar Allan Poe is a story of terror and betrayal. Like many of Poe’s literary works, the story has a dark undertone with a theme of terror and depression. More than half a century ago, Marshall McLuhan argued that though Poe was fascinated by evil, the evil that he had in mind was not that of Calvinism, but that of the split man and the split civilization. In general, McLuhan was right, but in this instance Calvinism, and its God, provided a darkRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe707 Words   |  3 PagesIn the short story of The Ca sk of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe writes in first person point of view from the perspective of Montresor who seeks revenge against Fortunato. Montresor began to develop the perfect plan for revenge. During the carnival season, Montresor meets with Fortunato and decides to implement his plan carefully through irony. Poe s story describes the murderer s mind which has lived as a memory of Fortunato s death for fifty years. Poe uses different types of irony and symbolismRead MoreThe Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allan Poe985 Words   |  4 PagesEdgar Allen Poe is a well known author of short stories and poetry from the 19th century. He is known especially for his stories of horror and suspense. The Cask of Amontillado is one of his more famous pieces. The story follows the narrator, Montresor, as he exacts revenge on Fortunato. Montressor draws Fortunato into the wine cellar where eventually he chains Fortunato to the wall and encloses him inside it. Throughout the story the narrator continually proves that he is not the most reliable source