Everyone can't stop talking about Lebron James

With all the talk of fans and fandom in the reading this week, and the NBA finals in full effect (one of my favorite times of the year), I couldn’t help but think of Lebron James, and the constant chatter around what his next career move will be. Just this morning h was on the cover of the Redeye with ‘Chicago’s Most Wanted’ in big bold letters next to his picture. And later in the afternoon, I went to check my e-mail only to fin yet another article about the basketball superstar which stated he may be ‘the most powerful person in the free world.’ Fans everywhere are going crazy with speculation as to whether or not Lebron will leave the Cleveland Cavaliers or take the many offers from other teams when he becomes a free agent on July 1^st. He has already gotten offers from both the Chicago Bulls and the New York Kicks, and based purely on speculation and fan hype, people cannot seem to stop talking about what they think will happen. In fact, the article in the Redeye gave quotes from Chicago natives who are already celebrating Lebron as a new member of the team. Similarly to the way that the Jenkins article talked about how a common interest in a certain star or media form can create a community, which overtime becomes more important than the subject itself, it seems to me that people in the basketball community are putting so much analysis and thought into this topic because many of them don’t have much else to talk about. With only four teams let in the finales, many fan, especially Cavs, Bulls, and Knicks fans, are out of the series and therefore need another subject to keep them occupied until July 1^st when all of their questions will finally be answered.

Another Miss USA Controversy

The 2010 Miss USA pageant, which took place this past Sunday in Las Vegas, was put under scrutiny last week when the pageant released photos of the 51 contestants running for the title. Unlike the usual headshots of the past, these racy photos, titles “Waking Up in Vegas,” depicted the contestants in very little clothing and looking at the camera seductively. Although I wasn’t really offended by the photos personally, they do continue to reflect voyeurism within the media, and the idea that most all media outlets, not just television, are depicted with the male eye in mind. In defense of the photos Donald Trump, the owner of the pageant, said that “they’ve maybe gone a little over the top this year,” calling the photos “pretty wild.” But he immediately contradicted himself by stating “whether we like it or not, beautiful women will always attract ratings.” The pageant president Paula Shugart had an even more surprising response to the pictures. She said that they were good practice for the contestants who all aspire to be something along the lines of a Victoria’s Secret model. I don’t claim to be an expert on pageants but I was under the impression that the women were supposed to be competing for a platform to make a difference in the world and showcase their beauty as well as their intelligence. Shugart ends by saying that the photos are breaking the stereotype of was a ‘pageant girl’ looks like. I guess being accomplished, articulate, and smart went out the window to make way for sexy lingerie and flirtatious looks.

Desperate Housewives: The updated "buffoon husband"?

After reading Butsch article, I was trying to think if there were any shows I watch currently that depict working-class families. The closest one I could think of was Desperate Housewives, which follows the dramatic (to say the least) lives of the women on Wisteria Lane. However, unlike many of the dramas on television today, the show is not about all the expensive and lavish material possessions each family has, rather it focuses more on their financial struggles and family dynamic, as well as the relationships they have with their neighbors. Throughout the seasons many of the wives or their husbands have lost their jobs, had to downsize or scrape for money, and borrow large sums from their neighbors in order to stay afloat. In many ways the show does not speak to the comedic portrayal of blue collar families that Butsch describes. One thing that does remain true is the role of the buffoon husband. One multiple occasions, the husbands of Wisteria Lane need to be talked out of their hair brained schemes by their more mature and level-headed wives, most frequently Lynette’s husband Tom. But for the most part, I think the show tries to depict its characters as people for the audience to relate to rather than something to laugh at and not aspire to be, as Butsch says of working-class characters. Perhaps this is a step in the right direction.

lesbian "flings" in young adult media

One of my guilty pleasure shows currently is 90210, the remake of the popular 90’s nighttime soap opera about the mostly vapid lives of a group of rich high school kids living in Beverly Hills. Recently on the show, one of the main straight female characters began a relationship with another girl at school who was already an outted lesbian. The storyline was that the main character, Adrianna, was heartbroken over her break up with her boyfriend, and in her vulnerable state, Adrianna and her new friend Gia took their relationship to the next level. After a few episodes, Adrianna and Gia break up after Gia cheats on her with her ex-girlfriend. Within the next two episodes Adrianna is dating a different guy. This storyline is almost identical to Marissa Cooper’s from another wealthy teen drama; The O.C. Marissa dates a girl for a split second, but ultimately falls back into the arms of her “true love” and long time boyfriend Ryan Atwood. It seems as though the “safe” way to portray gay characters, especially lesbians, in the media is to frame it in a way so that the characters can experiment but ultimately, and almost expectedly, return to the hegemonic norm of a heterosexual relationship. By portraying these relationships as a type of fling, it takes away the validity of the relationship and in turn the validity of gay relationships within our society. These storylines also touch upon the idea of voyeurism and to-be-looked-at-ness in that the two female characters are portrayed so that the focus is on how “hot” the girls are together, as opposed to any romantic aspects of their relationship. This all relates back to the question of whether the exposure or depiction of a specific demographic in the media means that they hold power or are completely valued/ accepted by society.

The Princess and the Frog

The newest Disney animated film, The Princess and the Frog recently came out on DVD, and it got me thinking about the controversy that surrounded the film upon its release. Critiques Disney likes to stay true to traditional, conservative views of gender, economic, and racial construct. The newest Disney princess, Tiana, was meant to be a breakthrough for Disney, as she is the first black princess, and feature character, that has been in one of their animated films. However, Disney received major backlash after it was released that Tiana would the maid to a white plantation owner living in the south. Some critics said that this was an unfair stereotypical depiction of the black community. Others argued that while the roles of some of the characters remain true to Disney’s tendency to oversimplify the roles of males and females, the film is accurately depicts a certain culture and era in American history, and Tiana’s triumph in the end discounts any racist undertones. The article goes on to explain another criticism of the film, which is the questioning of why the first black princess must automatically be from the south. The argument that I got from critics about Tiana’s origin was something to the affect of them being wary of a southern lead character being thought of as an intelligent, well-rounded character that children could respect and look up to. Although I tend to think that critiques are reading too much into the film, which in my opinion was very cute and light-hearted, it brought to mind the issues we discussed about the depiction of African Americans in the media.

Little Miss Perfect

Recently I’ve gotten into the habit of watching a show called Little Miss Perfect, which airs on the Women’s Entertainment channel. It available on my cable’s on demand, and whenever I’m bored/don’t feel like doing work, I always watch an episode. The concept of the show is that every episode follows two little girls (usually under the age of 12) and their parents as they prepare for the Little Miss Perfect pageant in their respective cities. The pageant is just like every other glamour pageant for young girls—mildly disturbing and creepy, while at the same time so intriguing that you can’t take your eyes off the screen. All of the discussion in class yesterday about scopophilia and voyeurism got me thinking about how even at a very young age it is clear that our media, as well as our society, put females in the category of objects, and more importantly, objects to be looked at. The children on the show put on so many pounds of make-up, self-tanner, fake hair, and sparkly dresses that by the end of the process they look closer to 25 years old as opposed to 8 or 9. I think this idea goes along with other images that can be seen throughout the media in print ads, commercials, and television shows, where it’s not only the idea of looking at women as simple beautiful objects to stare at, but there is also great importance placed on the youthfulness of these women. The younger and more child-like the girl, the more beautiful she is considered, and in turn the more she is objectified.

FNL in a whole new light

My roommates and I recently finished watching season 4 of one of my favorite shows, Friday Night Lights. I have been a huge fan of the show ever since season one for multiple reasons. The characters and the dialogue always feel real, I always love a good family drama, and t top it all off, I am a huge sports fan. But it wasn't until this week that I realized another main reason that I love this show. After reading more about semiotics and how images and the layout of a show can work to convey a certain feeling or underlying meaning, I realized that the unique semiotics within Friday Night Lights is what keeps drawing me, and many other viewers, back to the show. The show is often shot with a handheld camera, creating what some people complain to be a "shaky shot." However, this is one of my favorite parts of watching the show. I think that the shows trademark "shaky" and extremely close-up shots are what give it its unique, raw feel. And though the camera techniques have gotten criticism, the connotation behind the scenes would be completely altered without them. The close-ups also enhance the dialogue, which is often spoken at a softer, more intimate level, like two people having a real conversation would speak. I know understand that all of these factors play into the semiotics of the show, or how the meaning of the show is conveyed, and as a result, I can better understand why I am so drawn to it.