Pre-Class Blog: Hooks 11/14/12

In another one of my classes "Sociology of Gender" we have been discussing the objectification of women in media texts, therefore as soon as I read through this essay there were definitely a few advertisement that came to mind. We live in a culture where many that have white privileged assume a great deal of racism is dead, though Hooks would point out that that is far from true. Although this racism may not be as outwardly aggressive or public anymore, there are still elements in mass media where it holds true of ones stereotype or past time. Hooks points out that "The acknowledged Other must assume recognizable forms. Hence, it is not African American culture formed in resistance to contemporary situations that surfaces, but nostalgic evocation of a 'glorious' past" (311) We may notice that even in media texts, or advertisements there has been a shift and like Hooks points out the contemporary vision that blondes have the most fun has been outdated. There is this notion of the Other, then, that Hooks talks about. We notice personally that black women either assume white roles in ads, or very stereo typically black roles. He points out the sexual desire he had noticed young men talking about "I found that it was commonly accepted that one 'shopped' for sexual partners in the same way one 'shopped' for courses at Yale" (309) This point in particular was interesting to me and definitely was one that tied back to this Moschino ad. In this advertisement the African American women presented is the epitome of what most would idolize the dark skin Other. This advertisement, though, is interesting because it is like the view is shopping for all the stereotypes that they may assume from this female. She is tied down, but not too much that she can be totally controlled and one may even assume that she is wild, in a sense. The use of animal print clothing is also interesting, it is like her "race and ethnicity have become com modified" (309) There is so much that can be read through this visual text of the other, from her natural hair to the microphone which can be misinterpreted as a whip, even as fair as the tagline "cheap and Chic" which may imply something nostalgic. Utters of slavery and the price one may pay. All in all,it is clear that minorities are underrepresented and done so incorrectly in the media and advertisements. But there is still something that allows advertisements to run like this without question. Hooks points out that this is "Mutual recognition of racism" (312).