Popular Culture - Ethnic Minorities, Homosexuals - Essay Example

Popular Culture If one takes a close look at the society, one ca not help noticing that it should be placed among theprerequisites for the development of the inner potential of a human being. Nevertheless, there are might be situations when a part of the population is being oppressed for subjective reasons: for example, they usually belong to a minority. This paper will analyze the way ethnic minorities, homosexuals as well as disabled people are perceived by the society and oppressed in indirect ways. It was Collins who came up with the idea of controlling images and compared them to the widely known notion of stereotypes. The major difference between them lies in the following: the latter are known to convey inaccurate reflection of the reality, while the latter are also not correct, but the society does not treat them as such (Collins 68). In addition to that, the controlling images also serve an important purpose: they enhance the oppression of the majority over the minority, limiting the scope of opportunities for the latter. In other words, they justify the existence of inequality and make it appear as almost balance. For example, there is a controlling image that African Americans tend to be involved in criminal activity. This might be used as justification of the fact that there is a disproportionate number of Africans American inmates in prisons. Lee developed another interesting idea: he argued that the society came up with the myth of a model minority which was associated with Asian Americans. Thus, the latter were politically silent and they were willing to assimilate into the white society (Lee 145). In other words, they were a complete opposite of African Americans who actively fought for their rights and appreciated their own culture. However, despite the fact that is has positive implications for this group, it is still a controlling image as it places limits on their freedom. The movie that is titled Flower Drum Song actively portrays this situation. One of the characters, Linda has Asian appearance; however, she is working as a show girl to please the visitors with her exotic beauty, facilitating intercultural exchange in the society. It would not be a mistake to suggest that the image of a homosexual on the screen has evolved a lot. In the documentary that is titled The Celluloid Closet it is suggested that there have been several periods of showing homosexuals. In the very beginning of the cinema any references to homosexuality were considered to be a joke. They were used primarily to entertain the audience and make it laugh. As the cinema evolved, many villains were implied to be homosexuals. Of course, there were no direct connection between their sexual orientation and the actions that they performed; however, the audience saw gay people as some kind of an opposite side of a healthy and normal citizen which contributed to a negative reputation of these people. Finally, during the next era the negative connotations that were connected to homosexuality ceased to exist, but the image of a gay was portrayed as an unfortunate one. This person was doomed to be alone and misunderstood by the society. In other words, homosexuality was no longer considered to be a disease, but it was regarded as a stigma that people needed to hide in order not to experience oppression. Otherwise, the society would have rejected them from the environment and made outcasts. Scholars that examine the representation of the homosexuals in the media, for example Walter, express rather negative comments about many contemporary films. For example, The Kids Are All Right might be criticized for presenting a distorted image of a lesbian couple. In the movie, the emotional and spiritual bond between the two female characters is questioned and the foundation of their family is shows as a rather unstable one. Finally, one should also acknowledge that fact the people with disability often become targets of oppression as well. For example, it was suggested that the idea of heterosexuality and masculinity often puts emphasis on healthy and able-bodies individuals, opposing them with the disabled one (Barounis 54). This contrast is dedicated to show that one’s body should be seen as one of the tools to express one’s masculinity, while the disabled people are somewhat deprived of this opportunity. Similar issues are raised in the documentary Murderball. The plot of it shows the gap between the perceived conventional masculinity that is associated with fully functional body as well as masculinity that is displayed by the quad rugby players. Thus, while the latter compete with the same amount of force and zeal, they are hardly seen as masculine as able-bodies rugby players. That is why it would not be a mistake to suggest that there is a hidden hegemony of masculinity that excluded the disabled individuals. However, one should note that disability is not only compatible with masculinity, it even might be perceived as the logical extension of masculinity excess. Thus, it is crucial to understand that it is not the existence of the four limbs that make man a man, but rather the character that he was able to develop. However, if one relies on his body as a primary platform of showing his masculinity, one gradually becomes a disabled person as one limits his abilities in expressing one’s true nature. Therefore, it is crucial to keep in mind the fact that masculinity is an abstract category that is manifested in various material ways, but it is entire defined by it. That is why it is absolutely possible to be a disabled person and be perceived as masculine. Having examined all the points which were brought up in the paragraphs above, it is logical to point out the following: the contemporary society has developed an approach towards different minorities that is being distorted by different prejudices. For example, there are different controlling images that do not allow people from ethnic minorities to walk their own path of personal evolution. Homosexuals are being removed from the screen and the disabled people are denied of masculinity. Works Cited Barounis, C. "Cripping Heterosexuality, Queering Able-Bodiedness: Murderball, Brokeback Mountain And The Contested Masculine Body." Journal of Visual Culture 8.1 (2009): 54-75. Print. Collins, Patricia. Black Feminist Thought Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. New York, NY: Routledge, 2000. Print. Lee, Robert G. Asian American Studies Now a Critical Reader. Ed. Jean Yu Wu. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers UP, 2010. Print. Read More