Stereotypes+in+Media

toc =What is a Stereotype?=

A stereotype is defined as "a conventional or formulaic conception or image" (Princeton WordNet 2005). Stereotypes in media are seen in various forms, and will be discussed at further length in the following sections. Stereotypes are based around the ideas of gender identity, which are created by our culture through media. They have been terms and identities, that we have come to recognize, many because they have been repeated to us on a daily bases through media advertising.

= = =Stereotypes in Mass Media=

Stereotypes within mass media refer to the portrayal of individuals. There are two paths to pursue in portraying a character: > > a. **A type:** few characteristics, limited role to the actions that the characteristics define (ex. High school jock) > b. **Archetype:** character with a universal notion, values of good and evil, main role…(ex. Freddy = nightmares/fear/evil/etc.) strong moral value added to portrayal of the character > c. **Stereotypes:** (usually negative) simplistic generalization about a group/class appearance, belief, skills, values, habits implies that all members of a group/class behave a certain way
 * 1) To create the accurate description of a character (an individual portrait)
 * 2) Create an individual quickly, and in doing so simplify the character traits, creating certain characters:

How does are these stereotypes portrayed?
Stereotypes can be seen through many means within media, these include, but are not limited to:
 * Branding (i.e. Mac users as "different", and somehow cooler than PC users)
 * Physical characteristics (i.e. Asians as small, possessing knowledge of martial arts; black people being able to run fast, etc.)
 * Clothing (i.e. Emo kids wearing tight clothes, gangsters with baggy clothing, etc)
 * Language (i.e. Lucky, the animated Lucky Charms Cereal spokesman who speaks like a "typical" Irish person, etc.)
 * Roles (i.e. Femme fatale, High School Jock, token minority individual --token black guy/token asian guy--, women as homemaker, male as bread-winner, etc.)

Examples of racial stereotyping in media: > >
 * Blaxploitation movies
 * Asian-exploitation movies (i.e. movies with Charlie Chan perpetuated Asian stereotypes)
 * The Lone Ranger's faithful sidekick, Tonto
 * The Black Ranger on Saban's Power Rangers, who (however unintentional his Ranger colour was) was a black man. Similarly, the Yellow Ranger was an Asian girl
 * OJ Simpson's prison portrait on the cover to TIME magazine in 1994. His image was intentionally darkened to antagonize him

Examples of sexual stereotyping in media:
 * Lesbians as ultra-feminine ("lipstick" lesbians)
 * Homosexuals as fashionable (and feminine)
 * Al Bundy, Homer Simpson, and Peter Griffin as the bread-winners; while Peg Bundy, Marge Simpson, and Lois Griffin are homemakers
 * Hyper-sexualized asian women (i.e. Lucy Liu in the movie "Payback")
 * The "other" as hyper-sexualized and exotic

=Case Study:=

Changing notions of gender stereotypes in media (not completely...but almost there)
In recent years, stereotypes have been turned against themselves. In a content analysis done in recent years, programming has begun placing women more in professional or managerial positions (Signorielli, Kahlenberg 2001) as opposed to traditional positions in households. Similarly, males have taken on a more nurturing role in the household as opposed to the idea of males as "helpless boob" (Nebel 2004).

Despite the notion that a shift in stereotypes is occurring, the same generalizations continue to be included in media. That is, stereotypes remain the same, even after popular opinion has under gone a change. In some instances, men are still portrayed as "bungling at every household task" (Kane 2005), and reliant on his wife to care for sick children. (Nebel 2004). Similarly, while makes in commercials are dependent on their female counterparts for help around the house, their dominant position in the workplace is still existent. Males are still depicted more as white-collar workers (Signorielli, Kahlenberg 2001). Females, despite the new trend of portraying them in a less stereotypical manner, usually have a position that is deals with "services or clerical" duties (Gahnahl et al. 2003).

=Works Cited=

Nancy SIGNORELLI and Susan KAHLENBERG (2001). "Televeision's World of Word in the Nineties". __Journal of Broadcasting and Elecronic Media__ volume 45, Winter 2001: p4. __Infotrac__. Gale Group Databases. University of Toronto Libraries, Mississauga, Ontario. 31 October 2006. <[|http://www.web1.infotrac.galegroup.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca]>

NEBEL, Robert J. (2004). "THANKSGIVING GENDER ROLLS: Culture sees dad's as real no-brainers: [home edition]". __The Atlanta Journal -- Constitution__. 25 November 2004: pA19. __ProQuest__. ProQuest Company. University of Toronto Libraries, Mississauga, Ontario. 31 October 2006. 

KANE, Courtney (2000). "As Spots Belittling Women Fade Out, Men Become the Target of the Seemingly Inevitable Gender Sneer". __The New York Times__. 28 January 2005: pC2. __Infotrac__. Gale Group Databases. University of Toronto Libraries, Mississauga, Ontario. 31 October 2006. <[|http://www.web1.infotrac.galegroup.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca]>

GAHNAHL et al. (2003). "A content analysis of prime time commercials: a contextual framework of gender representation (1)". __Sex Roles: A Journal of Research__ volume 49, November 2003: p545. __Infotrac__. Gale Group Databases. University of Toronto Libraries, Mississauga, Ontario. 31 October 2006. <[|http://www.web1.infotrac.galegroup.com.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca]>