Hide your Kids, Hide your Wife

I still choose to ignore this trending topic until last week, my roommate, who keeps me young and up to date with all the media, shows me the interview of Antoine Dodson, the victim’s brother. The interview of the brother was hard to place in words for me, until I found an article about the interview that described it best for me. The article states that Dodson interview “mixes understandable anger with a dash of flamboyance”.

(link: http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/4feothe video and remix) 

Dodson told the reporter, “Well, obviously, we have a rapist in Lincoln Park. He’s climbing in your window, he’s snatching your people up, trying to rape them, so you need to hide your kids, hide your wife, and hide your husband, because they’re raping everybody out here.”

The things that Dodson say was a sign of outrage but because of how he projected his comments were seen as humorous to the public. Therefore, the serious matter at hand was overshadowed. I question, while everyone is making humor at his interview, has the criminal been caught yet? As I watched the interview, all I could do was shake my head at the interview. Again, I couldn’t find the humor in the interview because all I could think was why was this interview broadcasted on a NBC affiliate news program. Over my coursework at BGSU, I have learned that the news has a habit of showing what they want and do not want to air. Therefore, how could a prominent news station choose to air an interview that perpetrated a common stereotype on not only African Americans. African Americans already have a negative image in the media that we are trying to overcome and for NBC to air an interview that would strengthen this stereotype highly upsets me.  

I think the thing that makes it worse for me, was the fact that since the occasion Dodson interview has been made into a song and ‘remixed’. Also, I recently was informed that the song was preformed recently at the BET Hip Hop Awards. I would think that the Dodson family would be upset on how the interview was made comedy but they are actually raking up money for the many I tune hits and the appearance on the award show. When will we get serious about the true issue and the laughter stops?  

Soooo… about this advertisement?!?

What is Dolce & Gabbana trying to sell at this moment? Are they trying to sell their jackets, shirts, men jeans or maybe they are trying to sell women shoes? If it is any of those items, I am finding it hard to believe because all I see in this picture is a scene of rape in the action.

I think maybe my mind just isn’t getting the point and I ask the opinion of my roommate. I tell her that the advertisement reminds me of someone getting rape, well at least from what I have seen on television. My roommate agrees but states that if she was getting rape, the woman does not look at all distress.

Scanning the advertisement environment: There is 5:1 men to women ratio; the men are all glossy as if they have just worked up sweat and half the men are shirtless. One of the shirtless males looks to be forcefully holding a women against ground, as the other four men gaze with interest. The women is dressed in a tight short black dress with four inch strapped heels. The expressions on the faces of the men and woman in the article gives off the vibe that this matter is very serious. The woman body is thrust forward, which gives the illusion, to those that think like me, that she is trying to escape or at least not liking the force that is upon her.

Again! What is this ad trying to sell? Some say men’s clothing but what is the purpose of the woman in the ad that looks helpless. The position of the men over the woman shows that women are inferior to men and can only act upon men’s permission. The men are looking down on the woman as if they judging her. This brings the question, who is the target audience? Doing my research on Dolce & Gabanna, I learned that Dolce & Gabanna has 2 different lines but both are seen to have an Italian luxurious spin on the clothes and jewelry, for trendsetters. However, I still do no understand how images like this appeals the audience of their choice.

As I looked more into the company, I learned that controversy was started about the company’s ads and the images it portrayed. Especially, images that were similar to this one. After learning this, I looked up others and ran across this one and it kind of reminds me of the after picture of the ad above.

She has all she needs

Okay, let me make it clear….I never heard of this but was recently told by my friends that there was once a Pregnant Barbie… with a detachable BELLY!  I was appalled that this was true and I had to see for my own eyes this crazy spectacle.

So… it’s true. Ken knocked up Barbie, aka Midge,  and Mattel choose to document it to the public. What is all included in this package? It comes with Barbie, of course, two outfits (a girl has to have choices), a diaper bag (accessories is a must), a bottle, toys for the baby, of course a Baby, a birth certificate (it wouldn’t be legal) and yeah, a DETACHABLE BELLY! In 2003, Mattel released the Big Happy Family Line with the pregnant barbie and shortly, to their surprise, the public did no like it one bit and was quickly taken off the shelves.

What does this say about women to little girls that want this toy? We as women are suppose to get pregnant, have a kid, and WAA LAH like detachable belly, be skinny again. Women are socially constructed to automatically be the nurturing type. It is one thing to have Barbie, which is seen as an American Girl, be a supermodel, on the beach, cooking in the house for her family or going on  date with Ken in his little  red convertible. However, to have her pregnant where little girls already have this notion that you have to be a size 0 because Barbie is but pregnant now too. Kids shouldn’t know what it means to pregnant or how Barbie got pregnant in begin with. Why didn’t Mattel bring out more career Barbies? I am not talking about the flight attendant Barbie but the Doctor Barbie, the Lawyer Barbie, the Construction Worker Barbie (maybe that is pushing it). Another thing about the BIG Happy Family Line, WHERE IS THE FAMILY? No Ken! No Dog! Oh, they are sold separately. So Barbie has the kid on her own and when times goes by, when the parents get more money, Ken becomes a part of the family.  Then everything is everything. Oh yeah, Barbie does this all with heels on! Such a Woman!

DETACHABLE BELLY

This is how the story goes:

It is a Saturday night out with my friends and we decide to go to the frat house because as usual there is a party. Usually, I would not go but the party was in celebration for a few of my friends that were turning 21! My friends and I arrive at the party and quickly realize that this scene wasn’t for us. There is a lot of young students and us being seniors, did not feel like being around such a crowd. So we decided to head back to the car and go back home. As we begin to walk to the car, we run into a friend of ours with his roommate. We speak to each other and forewarn them about the party. As they walk towards the party and we to our car, one of my  friends says ” That guy with ‘so and so’ is gay and he also lives with another gay roommate”. Which is pointless to say? Another friend follows by saying, “Yeah, I could tell by the way he was talking”. The friend next makes the statement that, ” ‘So and So’  needs to be careful before others think he is gay as well”.

Not thinking at the time, but reflecting on it, that was a couple of harsh comments. I always try to place myself in others’ shoes and I put in things that apply to me in place of gay. For example: ” That guy with ‘so and so’ is black and he also lives with another black roommate” and ” ‘So and So’  needs to be careful before others think he is black as well”. Now that kinda has to hurt a little. It is unnecessary to point out someone for being different and wrong to put yourself on a higher pedestal because of it.

Look Both Ways Before you Judge

How can someone judge someone by their actions as well? Her name is Bonquisha, she must me ghetto. He wears tight jeans, he must be gay. That is just like judging someone based off of stereotypes. ‘He is black, hold your purse and wallet’. ‘He is Arab. RUN! He might have a bomb!’  The little comments that some say with out thinking are as harsh as stereotyping others. Mostly everyone has been through it once in their lifetime and it hurts them just as bad as it hurts you.

Also, the last comment that was said, ” ‘So and So’  needs to be careful before others think he is gay as well”. Just because someone chooses to be different than the ‘norm’, you can not hang around them too much. Why? What is going to happen? If I hang around my white friends too much, I am going to turn white? If I hang around my gay friends too much, I am going to turn gay? Major in Mathematics, I have learned that hypothesis has an invalid conclusion. Meaning, you can not base someone’s outcome by another situation that does not involve. And if that does occur, what is the wrong in it?

Before you point out other differences for faults, think about how you feel when others do it to you!

Welcome to blogs.bgsu.edu by COBL. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

“I don’t wear tight jeans like the white boys but I do get wasted like the white boys.”

African American Rap Artist by the name of Gucci Mane states this lyric in the second verse of his song entitled “Wasted”. The first time I heard this line I was shocked to hear it and could not bring myself to recite such a line. I, being an African American woman is not at all involved with this line but I still felt affected and disappointed. I soon began to think, what if someone said something of that caliber not just about African American women but African Americans and/ or women.

Attending a predominately white institute, I see this stereotype lived every weekend, you know Thursday – Sunday and any Holiday that requires you to drink or even just a day off a classes. Well, do not forget $1 Margaritas on Wednesday at Cinco de Mayos. However, just because there are some that fit this stereotype that does not give anyone the right stick this image on all white males.

Next I began to think what does “white boys” think of this lyric. One night in a local diversed club in BG, out with my friends, the DJ plays ‘Wasted’ and as soon as it plays I begin to feel uncomfortable to think about the lyrics or even dance to it. I stand around and looked for the reactions of those that fit the characteristics of the line. Kinda to my surprise, they give it no regard and sing it louder than anyone in the club. I say kinda surprised because I was in a club and the people that fit the characteristics were drunk so it only made them very responsive to the lyric.

Through it all, It makes me think about when rap artists make negative comments about African American women. It angers me to see African American women hyper sexualized through songs and music videos. It angers me more to see African American women playing these songs loudly in the mp3 players, cars, rooms and dancing to it at clubs. However, unlike the “white boys” that I saw at the club that night singing that song, I will not support songs that creates a negative image not only of me but also all African American women.