...The good news is you’ve won a lifetime supply of razor blades. The bad news is you’re going to die. This is the dilemma that Phil Dunphy faces in sitcom Modern Family’s episode, ‘Lifetime Supply.’ For Those new to the series, Modern Family follows the lives of three very different families; 21 century gay couple with an adopted daughter, older man with glamorous young wife and the tradition yet dysfunctional nuclear family. The audience finds comedy in the unique stereotypes each character plays on and the relationship they share with each other, and through the episodes discover each character’s qualities, which makes them such memorable TV icons. Phil’s end of his lifetime supply of razor blades isn’t his greatest problem though. Gloria’s dreams are plagued by black rats, and after consulting her Columbian traditions, believes that something bad is going to happen to someone close to her. What makes this scene so memorable is how absurd this belief seems to be. This is emphasised in Jay’s response, clearly not understanding Gloria’s cultural beliefs, saying, “well I dreamt of a lucky blue cow, were good to go.” This is just one example of the suburb stereotypes displayed by Gloria and Javier, focusing on spiritual and cultural stereotypes of Columbian people....
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...traditional view of a typical American family has evolved considerably over the years. The well-known image of a nuclear family and their loveable dog, cheerfully standing behind their picket fence is fading. The 1950's portrayal of popular families no longer pertains to the majority of Americans nowadays because our society is moving toward equality. The television sitcom series, Modern Family, attempts to embody a more contemporary image of American families. Nevertheless, their intention is to depict modern families nowadays all the while still emphasizing stereotypes and outdated views in terms of gender roles. The award-winning series Modern Family features the lives of three families who form a larger extended family. Besides the creative and hilarious writing of the show, the popularity results from viewers easily relating to the characters and their family dynamics. As far as one can see, each character and respective family within the show appears to be like the typical family seen in today’s society. There are many well-liked and innovative features within the show that deals with modern day households, such as a gay couple who adopts a Vietnamese baby or a divorced father who has a multiracial marriage with a younger woman. However, the term "modern" in the show's title isn't necessarily spot-on. The Dunphys, who are the utmost old-fashioned out of the three, depict the nuclear family view just as the aforementioned 1950's happy family standing behind their picket fence...
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...ABC's Modern Family is a renewed look on the standard American family. This is a large claim, one that can be looked at in full with different aspects of Media Literacy. Analyzing today’s media allows us to understand how different have an effect on the audience, and whether that effect can be positive or negative on society. Beside the creative and humorous story-lines, the family is constructed in a way that many people can relate to. Media are constructions. Three individual families represent the complexity of "family" in today's modern world. The show aims to do this by including several mixed family situations. Jay Pritchett is divorced and remarried a much younger Colombian wife, Gloria. Gloria has son Manny Pritchett from a past marriage. From his first marriage, Jay has two children, Mitchell and Claire. Mitchell Pritchett and Cameron Tucker form a gay couple who adopt a Vietnamese baby. Claire married Phil Dunphy, and they have three children. Haley, the eldest daughter who dropped out of college, Alex, a bright middle daughter, and Luke, the goofy youngest son (Cast). Although Modern Family represents many modern tastes of what it is to be "family", the show still uses many stereotypes to build its humor. It becomes evident that without traditional aspects the construction of the "Modern Family" would fall apart. These stereotypes can create a negative sense of appeal to different demographics, including those they are trying to represent. This...
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...bias effects our society, we must first define what bias is. “Bias is a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly (bias, 2014).” Recently, I watched an episode of Modern Family on the ABC channel. Modern family is essentially centered on three families and their interactions with one another. Although the modern family name would lead you to believe this show represents a new frontier free from bias and stereotypes, this show draws is comedic nature from these very bias representations. A broad spectrum of families are represented from a mixed marriage, to a gay or homosexual couple, and a traditional family. Despite the vast portrayal, Modern Family promotes traditional gender roles and stereotypes of women. I believe that Modern Family has a moderate level of media bias represented in its episodes. Although they attempt in many storylines to break away from the traditional roles, definition of acceptable age differences, demonstrate equality and acceptance, Modern Family lacks resistance towards patriarchal dominance within the family structure. Through the promotion of female gender stereotypes, the show promotes a male-dominant family ideology. For generations in the past and for many to come, women will continue to fight the battle against biased based “appropriate roles”. Rather directly expressed or...
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...the history of the human race, stereotypes have developed for quite literally every type of person in society: male, female, white, black, straight, and homosexual. These stereotypes are subtly shown, but noticeable nonetheless in the popular television show Modern Family. The sitcom documents the daily life of a fictitious “modern” family, consisting of a common Caucasian family, a gay couple, and a young-wife-older-husband couple, all of whom are related. The stereotypes of the Dunphy family, particularly Claire, stand out as she fulfills the expected stereotypical role of a stay-at-home mother, her family constantly teasing her and her consistent attempts to contain her family to be a normal family. Being a stay-at-home mother who doesn’t hold a job, Claire depends completely on her husband Phil in terms of income, which is identical to countless other TV shows. Claire’s character is based around this stereotypical image of women in television: no contribution to the household financially, and the classic characteristics of motherhood. In the episode “Phil’s New Car,” Claire tells Phil to go buy a car that is fit for the family, and gets upset with him when he returns with a sports car, clearly unsuitable for their family of five. Claire, completely concerned with Phil’s decision, berates him, showing her attribute for wanting the entire family to travel together. In response to Claire’s natural motherly character, the rest of her family makes fun of her, constantly ostracizing...
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...of their skin. Today, the severity of the racism is not as brutal, but it still exists. Where do these stereotypes start? Television plays a significant part in giving stereotypes to different races. Children’s networks have references to racism, which plants the seed of negativity to another race which will grow throughout the lifetime of a human being. To name a few; Disney Channel, ABC, and movies allude to some type of racism in their television programs. Early 2000’s children are familiar with the Disney Channel comedy, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. The setting is The Tipton Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts owned by one of the richest men in the world, Mr. Tipton. One of the first characters introduced is Estaban; a struggling...
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...STEREOTYPING OF SEX ROLES IN THREE MODERN ART FORMS In this paper, I will argue that the arts and the media as a whole project demeaning sex roles for women through the process of stereotyping, in which traditionally feminine characteristics are exaggerated and categorized in order to simplify the interpretation of female characters. These stereotypes fall into three broad categories, those of the Good Housewife, the Scarlet Woman, and the Career Woman, none of which represent a fully mature, fully human form of personality development. In describing these basic categories of women found in the media, researchers have found them to be based on a classic opposition of types. For example, the housewife is characterized as being conservative, loyal, and cooperative, if somewhat out of place in the real world: In addition to the traditionally found housewife stereotype, there exists a strong and quite distinctive stereotype of woman as bunny. Bunny is described as glamorous, good-looking, pleasure-loving, romantic, excitable, passionate, frivolous and sensual... a third stereotype is reserved for women who choose activities which carry them beyond the traditional roles which serve men. These women lose their femininity... (Clifton, McGrath, Wick, l976: 144) In this study, we will compare the treatment of these demeaning stereotypes in several of the media that are not usually considered in sex role studies: contemporary works of art, contemporary popular music, and situation-based...
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...Adrianne Council Dr. Harkins-Pierre Introduction to Humanities 115 October 24, 2011 Journal #Contemporary Stereotypes Contemporary Stereotypes: Three Play Summaries Thesis: Engaging in this journal assignment enabled the steadfast dedication of creative efforts to be geared toward creating three play summaries based on contemporary stereotypes that exist. I. Introduction: Stereotypes and comedy A. Historical comedy B. Stereotypes as a tradition C. Stereotypes and the Shakespearean Experience II. Body: Three Play Summaries A. “Marriage, Rings, and Things” B. “Run the World” C. “Dear Curl-ella” III. Conclusion: Stereotypes, roles, and Society A. Humor and the Audience B. Effects of Stereotypes C. Stereotypes Thrive Adrianne Council Dr. Harkins-Pierre Introduction to Humanities 115 October 24, 2011 Journal # Contemporary Stereotypes Contemporary Stereotypes: Three Play Summaries There is a trivial tradition in comedy which dates back to both Shakespearean plays and literature. This tradition involves the usage of a coined blend of comedy and stereotyped...
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...gender and the identity of women. Men were usually portrayed as the “breadwinners,” as well as the well-educated and the sole foundation of the family. Men had to show their masculinity by being the very upper-hand of the family. Women are portrayed as sensitive, sweet, caring, faithful, moody, naïve, etc. As a way to complete them as a whole, women needed men in their lives. However, women held the least power of the family and believed that they only had a purpose of being housewives. The ideal images of gender roles between men and women, and the identities of women can lead to stereotypes that are associated with Kate Chopin’s short story “Desiree’s Baby.” In “Desiree’s Baby” by Kate Chopin, gender played a big role in the life Desiree as well as Armand Aubigny. Desiree was described as “beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere— the idol of Valmonde” (1). Desiree was illustrated as if she was down to earth and had a very warm personality. At first she was nameless, like most women when they are first named by their primary families and renamed when they get married. Desiree nameless when she was first found by the Valmonde family, and then they took her in as their own and she adopted their family name. Desiree undergoes another name change when she later marries a wealthy man by the name of Armand and inherited the family name of Aubigny. Armand was most likely the “breadwinner.” He was the masculine type, a very strict slave owner, arrogant but still had a...
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...Department of Theory and Practice of the English Language Intercultural Communication Project Stereotypes of gender roles in Egypt and Russia Written by: Elena Yakusheva Group: LIE – 503 Chelyabinsk, 2014 Table of contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………...3 Part one GENDER STEREOTYPES THEORY. …………………………….........6 1.1 Stereotypes: definition and functions…………………………………………..6 1.2 The gender concept……………….. ………………………………………….10 1.3 Gender stereotype: types and functions……………………………………….14 Conclusions on part one………………………………………………...…….......20 Part two. STEREOTYPES OF GENDER ROLES IN EGYPT AND RUSSIA….21 2.1 Research method on the stereotypes of gender roles in Russia and Egypt........21 2.2 The interpretation of the results of the research in Russia……………………21 2.3 The interpretation of the results of the research in Egypt……………………..24 2.4 The comparison of the results and its reasons………………………………...25 Conclusions on part two…………………………………………………………..29 Resources………………………………………………………………………….30 Online resources…………………………………………………………………..32 Appendix………………………………………………………………………….33 Introduction The questions connected with features of a sex of the person and his or her psychological and social distinctions, are among recently the most discussed in society. Today the role of the man and the woman undergoes considerable changes. This problem excites many modern scientists-psychologists and sociologists, such as Henri Tajfel, T.V. Bendas, Sh. Burn, D. Myers...
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...People are comfortable with what they relate most to, which can be a variety of different things. Some people can relate most to music. Some people can relate most to sports. Some people can even relate most to the outdoors. Some people choose to relate to those; however the majority of Americans can relate most to television shows. Television shows can vary from reality television shows, all the way to cartoon television shows. Our society has found something they can relate to and have become obsessed with it. There are so many different groups of people in our society today helping create more television shows. People all come from different backgrounds, different locations, and different generations; fortunately this creates even more opportunity for television show creators because they are able to make more television shows based on all these differences within our society. Two television shows that specifically show the differences within our society are South Park and the Boondocks. South Park and the Boondocks are similar televisions shows, yet have differences between them as well. To begin with, the big difference between the shows is that the main characters of each are different races, and similarity of the two is that each week one issue is dedicated to an entire episode. Comedy Central’s South Park is an animated show made for an older audience created by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. The show is known for being extremely offensive to most people but the creators...
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...lives by a great number of scholars in a great number of fields. One common study takes the ideas of gender development and combines them with the Disney Princess films. However, the implications of gender do not stop here as gender identity can still be impacted as the viewers age. Interpretation of the princess films has been a huge aspect of their scholarly application as the behavior of the princesses, and princes, can be interpreted and compared with gender stereotypes and norms to assess the impact their portrayals can have on the viewing audience. The film Tangled is often seen as Disney’s take on a modern princess, and Rapunzel and Flynn have a great deal to contribute to both gender development study and media interpretation of gender. Gender development is a field of study which has been impacted in a number of ways by modern theorists and he field is continuing to be shaped by theories known as Queer Theories, as well as the changing demographics of the modern family. One thing that many of the classic and modern theories agree on is the importance of gender role models: whether or not modeling after these role models is conscious or subconscious is the topic for an entirely different paper in itself. In many studies, the...
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...mothers live below the poverty line. Only 6% of married couples form poor families; however, poverty affects 45% of children living without a father (Badger, 2014). Research also reveals there may be a relation between income levels in the metropolitan areas and a large scale of single mothers in the region. This suggests there are various reasons as to what may be affecting the state of single mothers in the US. In addition, it is crucial to examine all possible elements of the issue to deduce the probable concerns that may facilitate and/or promote the problem (Badger, 2014). The recession of 2007...
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...Professor’s name Course number Date Gender Stereotypes in Media The mass media plays a significant role in the contemporary society. It provides broadcast information at a fast race and gives entertainment to audiences from diverse social backgrounds. Mass media is made up of press, books, magazines, radio, television, and internet. The internet is the most embraced medium in the contemporary society where digital technology dominates. Nevertheless, TV also has a wide influence in the society. By creating and conveying certain type of information to the audience, media can manipulate the attitudes and opinions of people. In this study, we intend to discuss problems associated to media influence through an investigative study of its commercial structure. The study also tries to specify gender stereotypes as used in persuasive advertising technique. Humans organize their knowledge about the world sorting and simplifying the information they receive (Gu 291). They tend to establish cognitive schemes that are certain representations of reality portraying its basic elements and features (Everett 387). The schemes developed by humans are responsible for the definition of our perception and view of the world. They have significant influence our social understanding, situation, anticipation and emotional control. The most common type of these schemes used for social orientation in our environment is stereotypes (Darling 153). The stereotypes scheme represents the opinions and perceptions...
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...they do know comes from three main sources: movies, the news, and history classes. This can be a sensitive subject, and I do not wish to offend anyone - my goal is only to give you an overview of American stereotypes of China. Just as I have encountered many stereotypes that the Chinese have of America (some accurate, some absurd, some insulting), one can similarly encounter American stereotypes of China in the US. - All Chinese know kungfu and dress like Huang Feihong. (Source: Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and Bruce Lee [Li Xiaolong] movies). - Anything to do with China is "ancient" and "mysterious." (Source: the fact that Chinese language seems to be made up of "mysterious symbols" to Western eyes, movies about Chinese history). - All Chinese are "brainwashed" into worshipping Chairman Mao and can't think independently. (Source: studying the Cultural Revolution in high school history classes.) - "Guangdonghua" (Cantonese) is the official language of China. (Source: Hong Kong movies, Chinese-American immigrants who came to the US from Guangdong and Hong Kong during the 19th and 20th centuries). - Chinese culture is basically the same today as it was 1,000 years ago (eg, "traditional, conservative, polite," etc.). (Source: studying Chinese history without being familiar with modern China). - In China, no one can express any idea that isn't approved by Chairman Mao - if you do express an "unapproved" idea, you will be instantly sent to jail or shot. (Source: studying the "cultural revolution"...
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