Take Control of Your Culture - American Studies - Blog

Madea, the Symbol of the Typical Black Woman?

Tyler Perry, other wise known as Madea,is a global symbol of the typical African Amercian woman.  Being naturally agressive, yet at the same time caring to others in the house hold.  Being a man of great sense of humor, could his symbol be seen as a racistal figure as well? think of Madea from another race's point of view, how would you react towards black females knowing they could be like this symbol and be aggressive at any moment? would you be afraid to aproach said females?  These are the questions that come along with modern day society. 

There are many things that can be used to descibe african american females, but tyler perry likes to stick to the "facts" and "stories" that come along with this culture of females.  In african american households, the female is portrayed as the ruler of the house.  She lays the laws essentially, but at the same time she isn't the ruler. The african american male obeys the females rules but he knows he is controlling, but doesn't need to say so.  Basically speaking, the African american female plays a strong role in her household.

Witch Crap. . .

4. Could we have another witchcraft hysteria in present-day America -- even if it's not exactly about witchcraft?

I honestly feel like we "could" have another witchcraft hysteria in present day america. I feel people got bored with themselves and started this whole thing anyway. Just because it all started in 1692 and its 2010 now there is no change in the way people act. Personally I dont believe that this stuff is real, and im sure there are other people that feel the same as me. It still amazes me that this topic was a HUGE problem back then. I feel humans go over and beyond for anything cause theres crazy people in this world!! If I were to yell "witch" and point at a random lady theres a select few people who would look and laugh, because yet again ill say some people really dont believe that witches, and goblins, and anything else in that nature are real. BUT then there would be the CRAZY people who would go along with me and fall out saying shes hurting them with her eyes.<-- CRAZYY PEOPLE BEING DRAMATIC!!! I strongly feel back 1692 they killed innocent people. I dont believe anyone was a "actual" witch. But this is where humans bring out there acting skills and once you tell yourself something and start to believe it, it becomes real to you and to others. Then people get out of control and start to go over board, and start lieing, and start acting as if something is wrong with them when its really not. No matter how old the world is or the time frame were all going to be the same. 

The Workout Plan

In the song "New Workout Plan", released by Kanye West in his first album, "College Dropout" ,in 2004, Kanye West has opened up a training camp, and has a new plan for the women. The song has verses such as, " It's been a week without me, she feeling weak without me". That verse reinforces the submissive gender role, that a woman obeys the man and needs him. Later in the song girls apparently 'enrolled' in Kanye's new workout plan sing, "Thanks to Kanye's workout plan, I'm the envy of all my friends". That passage reveals that women want to be the "sex object" stereotype and want to look better than all their friends. I love the song, but it also reinforces a lot of stereotypes of women

Stereotypes in Pop Culture

Gender stereotypes have been around long before the United States was founded.  More specifically women have five general stereotypes. Two of which, the seductress and sex object, play a huge role in pop culture. On the show "American Gladiators", amateur athletes play against each other and "gladiators" for money. The female gladiators, with names like Venom, Stealth, and Siren, fit in the stereotypes of seductress and sex object. All the female gladiators are attractive and only wear short latex. The show would not be nearly as entertaining with less attractive gladiators and would probably lose some of their fan base.

The Male Stereotype in Pop Culture

Most of us know that there is many male stereotypes as there are female stereotypes in today’s world, but are the male stereotypes as bad as the female stereotypes? The male stereotype is to be a brave, strong, and a unrelenting individual. Those are good qualities to have as a person, but at times a male protagonist shows to have little to no passion of peace or love, and tends to put himself in a hostile situation simply because he likes it.

Take male characters in video games for example, we see that the male protagonist has a hostile personality in many first person shooters. Such first person shooter games like Duke Nukem, Gears of War, Doom, and GTA have protagonists that hold the stereotype that was mentioned earlier. Many action movies exhibit characters that are strong, relentless, and always hostile. Chuck Norris’s has always played the role of the hostile protagonist who has “balls of steel.”  Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2 and 3 plays the role of the impassive protector who is physically unstoppable.

I think that all men should dive themselves to be strong mentally and physically, but in no way does that mean they have to be cold and hostile individuals.

Characters in "Snow White"

In the fairy tail "Snow White" the character Snow White has the characteristic of the nurture women who will clean the house and take care of children. In the story she acts submissive and shows innocence. This story was the first cartoon movie ever and almost everybody saw it. The movie wanted to send the message to the women in America to act like Snow White and have all of her characteristics. The Queen in the story who is ruler of the kingdom is shown as the evil character. She is a women in power and she is evil this is in a lot of other fairy tales like "Cinderella" and "The Little Prince." The message from these women is that if women claim power then they will not do a good job and be wicked, horrible leaders. The stories are trying to send a message to mostly women but men to that women should never have power and should have domestic roles in society.

So Sick / irreplaceable

Why is it that boys dont understand that a girl needs to be treated right? Why does being in a relationship to them mean that they cant have any fun anymore. Im in a situtiation were i have been talking to this boy for like three years on and off. But suddenly this year he really wants to be in a relationship with me and i was like sure i mean we've been liking each other for three years and we got along as friends so of course i wanted to be with him.  All of a sudden the next couple a days he didnt really act like we were in a relationship so i was like whats going on but when i called him he didnt answer his phone and he told my friend that he liked me alot but he wanted to go back talking and i was like well i can see that because i felt like we kind of rushed into it. So when my friend came up to me and told me that he told him that he was talking to another girl.  It was a slap in the face because i couldnt believe that you would say that you wanted to be with me and then the next day brag about how you are talking to another girl.  Im so sick of it because all i do is think of how wrong he did me and how i played the game and looked stupid while he had fun with all these other girls.  I have news for him "your relpaceable and im not going to put up with this relationship with you any longer i feel used, and sick im and tried of being sick and tired"sorry if im scaring anyone but guys if you read this please understand that a girl is a prevelige to have and were not toys so if u treat us right will in return do you right.

Should Women be A Part of the Army?

This subject has been floating around for some time ever since we entered Iraq, and the subject is should women fight in battle with men in the army. Before I first heard of this subject I thought that regardless of the person, anyone who wants to grab a gun and put their life on the line to help their country should be able to do so. Although when I looked at the other side of the argument, there were some things that did show that if there were woman in the battlefield, things could get problematic. Besides the fact that males are more aggressive and stronger then females, women are more exposed to certain diseases then men. Also if a woman soldier is in the middle of her period, then there really is no way for her to fight an enemy that could attack at any time.

All and all, I have alot of mixed feelings on the issue and I wanted to ask the class what they thought about the issue.