The article, “Showtime Thinks, Therefore I am” offers a critical perspective of fan-based websites and blogs for specific niches of society. Kelly Kessler uses the show The “L” Word, and its related website, as an example to portray the faults that she finds with the marginalization of minorities in fan-based blogs. In her opinion, Showtime’s portrayal of the “good gay” in its self-claimed “GLBT-friendly” shows provide a very limited, unrealistic view of the gay and lesbian community (Kessler 2011). She criticizes both the show and its virtual social network for their lack of diversity – there are no “rural, suburban, Southern, Midwestern, conservative, or working-class” lesbian voices amongst the show’s cast or its featured bloggers (Kessler 2011). This corporate involvement in the show’s blogging site, according to Kessler, subtly controls the thoughts of the lesbian population, training them to idealize the sexy, upper class, and feminine lesbians from both the show and the virtual community avatars.
I agree that the representation of all groups is important in media that has the purpose of connecting lesbians of all backgrounds. However, I do not necessarily think that a fan-page and a virtual world dedicated to a TV show is the best place for these everyday connections to occur. Television programs of all genres, whether depicting GLBT communities or not, are almost never representative of realistic lifestyles. For example, shows like Grey’s Anatomy are appealing because of the effortlessly glamorous characters, their heated sex scenes, and dramatic professions. For me, the attraction of a show like this is not the relatable qualities of the characters, but rather the excitement of their unrealistic lifestyles. Although I may be making an assumption about the lesbian community, I can only guess that they feel similarly – are mostly interested in shows like The “L” Word because of the allure of the character’s exciting, almost foreign lifestyles. It is because of this that I feel that some of Kessler’s points may be overestimating the role that this show and its associated website are meant to play in the GLBT community. Shows like Grey’s Anatomy and The “L” Word are not meant to portray the average person – every aspect is heightened and enhanced for our entertainment. It is almost impossible for any television program to be completely realistic while still capturing the attention of an audience. Thus, the show and its associated website should not be depended upon for an accurate representation of the lesbian community. The blogs and forums that serve to connect everyday lesbians should be created separately from the promotion of such a glamorous TV show, because a gap between real life and the fake lives of the characters will always exist as long as the show continues to grab their audience’s attention. It is up to us, viewers from all backgrounds, ages, genders, and sexual orientations, to take these shows with a grain of salt and recognize that they are only meant to provide us with entertainment – not to force us into idolizing unrealistic and unattainable lifestyles.
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Christian Fuchs’, “The Political Economy of Privacy on Facebook,” really opened my eyes to a lot of the behind-the-scenes workings of social media websites. I have often wondered why I will be surfing Amazon looking for a new phone case, and the next day will be bombarded with OtterBox ads on my sidebar as I scroll through my newsfeed. The truth, however, has only made me wish that I remained in the dark about the corporate involvement in my social media profiles.
I find it very disturbing that all of my information and activity is stored, carefully monitored, and “sold as a commodity to advertisers” (Fuchs 2012). Although I am not a very active Facebook user, it definitely makes me uncomfortable that any large corporation can access any of my information at any time, so long as they pay for it. I have not looked into Facebook’s privacy policy at all – like many, I checked “I agree to the Terms & Conditions” without a second glance – but it is alarming to me to think that they could possibly have access to things as private as my direct messaging on Facebook. I understand that using Facebook is a personal choice, and that data selling is important for the site to maintain free membership. But, I do think that Fuchs suggests some really compelling alternatives that could make a lot of people more comfortable with this targeting advertising. Opt-in privacy policies, for example, which would require the user to specifically change his/her profile in order to provide Facebook with data, are a nice approach in theory. It seems that it would be quite hard to convince a corporation to cooperate with this, however, because it is guaranteed that they will end up with much less sellable material. Similarly, Fuchs’ idea to use alternative, nonprofit social media platforms instead is difficult and would require mass cooperation from the general public. I know that I personally would rather just uncomfortably use Facebook if that were where all of my friends had profiles. Using a social media platform that almost none of your friends are using seems much less enticing. Lastly, Fuchs proposes corporate watch-platforms to protest against this breach of privacy and coerce corporations into having more just policies. This seems like the most attainable goal – however, like me, I’m sure that most people are not even fully aware that their data is being sold for profit. In my opinion, more public awareness is certainly needed if we ever wish to change the corporate involvement in our social media. “How it Feels to be Viral Me” discusses Asian American YouTube stars and their role in the identity struggle that many minorities face in the modern world. Christine Bacareza Balance brings up many interesting points about the groups “lacking representation in U.S. mainstream pop culture,” and their use of affective labor through YouTube channels to invoke a sense of community and belonging (Balance 2012).
I find it interesting that Asian Americans, while so underrepresented in Hollywood movies and other professional types of entertainment, are dominating YouTube charts. In my opinion, this is no coincidence. In recent years, as society has become drawn to video performances characterized as both ”amateurish in their look and feel,” YouTube and its vloggers have become more and more influential (Balance 2012). Talented Asian Americans have recognized this powerful tool and taken full advantage, posting videos such as Jimmy Wong’s “Ching Chong! Asians in the Library Song” in order to highlight the racial injustices that minorities often face. Videos such as these, with their compelling emotion and more tangible stars, have spread virally with the use of social media platforms. It is in this upswing of popularity that Asian Americans have found a way to dispel stereotypes and create an identity for themselves in this melting pot of a country. Before reading this article, I had never thought about the possibility of YouTube videos or vlogs as anything other than shallow entertainment. This article made me view these talented Asian American YouTube stars as something more than just people who make me laugh. They have revolutionized Asian American culture, giving this minority a place in the U.S. entertainment industry. Instead of being complacent with mainstream’s neglect, they have found their own way to be heard with “no third party, no money-sucking managers, or close-minded Hollywood executives” getting in the way (Balance 2012). The popularity that Asian Americans have gained on YouTube charts clearly goes much deeper than well-placed one-liners and creative homemade music videos – they have served, and continue to serve, as pioneers for not only the minority’s infiltration into the U.S. entertainment industry, but also the breakdown of widespread stereotypes. |
Abby HotalingHi everyone! My name is Abby and I am a bio major at Emory University. My interests include running, dancing, the ocean, and dessert. I'm from Simsbury, CT and currently residing in Atlanta, GA. |