Eng 3029
Dr. Chandler
How
are groups formed through the media/ social media forming together as a
discourse community, Or How the media effects the mind of readers.
Some studies show that the media is a wide segment of a community and
offers to individuals, especially young people to have access to valuable information
and resources. The media is to both entertain and educate people of all ethnic
background and of all ages, sex, etc., in order to gain more viewers and keep
up with group and communities. This is to also allow students or people to
reach out and speak out about topics that are not spoken about within the space
it’s in. This outcome can shift social norms and become positive in some way or
another. But, it can also be offensive and to direct toward some people and
cause negative actions.
Articles
forming topics about games and technology, or a shared interest like interior
designs, movies, etc, can be a way to bring together a diverse community along
with music, art and cultural activities. What makes this relevant is that the
topics of discussion with magazine articles or through blogs responses can
produce positive change in attitudes and behaviors. As a media lover, reader,
and writer you want to be able to target some social issues that is currently
going on, topics such as Korea, taxes, education, Africa, or your own
neighborhood that maybe only a few
residents know about and possibly be able to reach out to others. This forms
groups of the same interest, dealing with the same issues, and coming together
as a discourse community through the effect of the media.
Networking comes into place as a let’s come
together up close and personal kind of way, the ability not only to share
topics and listen and learn through experiences from other peers. But to also
meet them, notice and observe their presence. Speak about men’s and women’s own
experience and concerns. A quote from an article in Cosmo Magazines says, “Ever
look at groups of people and wonder how they’re connected? Or what the heck they’re
talking about?”
The magazine
I’ll be using is “Essence Magazine” which is slightly different from Cosmo and
has a different age range from 18- 50’s, 60’s, and possibly 70’s years of age.
Their viewers have a large race of African American cultures and the focused on
females issues. Essence Magazine community is based on a lot of political
topics, and I think that one way it sets off an attraction for older viewers is
because of the topics being mentioned throughout the magazine. Essence Magazine
empowered quote about being a community reads, “We are each other’s magnitude
and bond.”(Gwendolyn Brooks) This
magazine connects with a broad range of females to bring fourth their opinions
and thoughts about certain topics.
I will go about observing blogs and comments
from social groups in media, mass media and through technology to choose a few articles and
searched for the most interesting articles that I noticed that had a lot of comments from or
responses by readers. An article from essence speaks about political issues concerning Michelle
Obama and her representing females. This article is a political base which raises a big
attraction for not only females but also males, and it shows that the readers are also male and females……
Data
and Analysis
The Big issue about this article is about The “F” word (Feminist),
Minority among groups are making Feminists look bad. A few comments
toward Michelle Obama were like about Forcing overload, being anti-male, educating her
daughters as well as America’s girls, and more. As I read through more of the article it seems
as if the viewers are saying that Hillary Clinton has been able to take on more political duties
than Mrs. O, but others are saying that it’s because her children were older than Mrs. O
(Michelle Obama) daughters. Mrs. O decided to dedicate more of her motherly duties more so over
political duties, and a lot of people were viewing her as a feminist. . Some statements quoted in
the text reads, “many feminist have forgotten that motherhood still works,” and “Blame
feminism for the actions of black men in Hip Ho, prison, and destruction of black community.”
G is known to understand how it is to be misunderstood by others, how these viewers are placing Mrs. O at the bottom of leadership. Some readers are upset about the fact that being a full-time mother is considered to be “un-feminist.” As long as the political job gets done and women have equal rights then there should be no issue. A quote from one of the readers, Journey2Freedom( which also had the most ‘likes’ from her response) said,” I consider myself a feminist - I consider myself a feminist but have found it difficult to be a part of the white female dominated movement which fails to realize that BLACK WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS WORKED OUTSIDE OF THE HOME! In fact, at one point in time, usually in THEIR HOMES because up until very recently it wasn't even an option for most of us.”
G is known to understand how it is to be misunderstood by others, how these viewers are placing Mrs. O at the bottom of leadership. Some readers are upset about the fact that being a full-time mother is considered to be “un-feminist.” As long as the political job gets done and women have equal rights then there should be no issue. A quote from one of the readers, Journey2Freedom( which also had the most ‘likes’ from her response) said,” I consider myself a feminist - I consider myself a feminist but have found it difficult to be a part of the white female dominated movement which fails to realize that BLACK WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS WORKED OUTSIDE OF THE HOME! In fact, at one point in time, usually in THEIR HOMES because up until very recently it wasn't even an option for most of us.”
The community of black and white, male vs. female is forming a discourse
community of hate or anti-hate against leaders, while the media having a strong
influence to these actions. The media has a way of changing the minds of what
people see through pictures, blogs, and social networks, another quote from a
reader says, “It’s funny how women try to put other women against each other
and men don’t do that.” (Balling and tired of the BS)
A reader from the comment post mentioned that Essence
Magazine (media/ Blogs) plays a part in this act against Mrs. O (Michelle
Obama) because, in most photos and articles they published or posted viewed
Mrs. O as our fashion leader, parenting leader, hairstyle leader, etc. instead
of strictly viewing her political works. Michelle Obama (Black African
American) and Hillary Clinton (White) both are great leaders that have
accomplished a lot of feminist duties and should not be compared or judged
against each other feminist roles.
Real Talk: Stop Making Michelle Obama Your
Feminist Leader
By Demetria L. Lucas
Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Shortly after I began penning this column in June 2011, I wrote a
somewhat controversial post, “Struggling to Claim the F-Word,” in which I distanced
myself from being called a ‘feminist.’ “Do I believe in equality, equal pay, equal
rights for everyone, including men? Yes,” I wrote. “But to say, 'Yes, I am the
F-word!' Just feels... like a burden I'm not ready to bear.”
More than a year later, I’m probably farther away from claiming the title than ever before. Feminism, at its core, is a great and empowering purpose. But a vocal minority among the group are making all feminists look bad. Here’s a recent example: a story in the Washington Post last week headlined “Four years later, feminists split by Michelle Obama’s ‘work’ as a First Lady.” (The quotations around work, as if it’s debatable whether Mrs. Obama does any, are the original publication’s and not my own.)
The first half of Lonnae O’Neal Parker’s piece considers Mrs. O’s “strange but considerable” power in the White House where some feminist women accuse FLOTUS of “letting down the team" by "not working" and scoff at her self-described primary duty of “Mom-in-Chief,” a sort of Captain America Mom where no child leaves the table without eating their vegetables. Mrs. O, these feminists lamented, is no Hillary Clinton.
I really adore Mrs. Clinton, whose career trajectory, including her current role as Secretary of State, is a series of boss moves. But I don’t understand why the two women need to be pitted against each other—how unfeminist is that? Or why the First Lady needs to follow in a predecessor’s footsteps to be thought of as great. And, for what it’s worth, lots of people think she is. Mrs. O—arms toned like a superhero and rescuing kids from obesity one workout at a time—has managed an astronomical 73 percent approval rating.
I suppose it’s because FLOTUS is uber-educated with degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School that she’s expected to tackle so-called ‘more important’ fare than the health of Americans' beautiful little kids, helping military families cope or tackling the fate of even her own brown girls, who were uprooted from their hometown and are being raised in a media circus. For some, I guess, it might seem like a waste to well, waste, all those smarts on issues so unworthy. Nothing in a woman’s life should ever take precedence over climbing a career ladder, right?
Fortunately, the second half of Parker’s article, tackles the perception from the other (and melanin-infused) side of feminism, one that paints Mrs. O for the revolutionary that she is. Not just for being the first Black First Lady, but for being a rare Black woman who doesn’t feel compelled to do it all (and all the time too). Sure FLOTUS could have swooped into Washington in Olivia Pope's power ensembles to tackle policy, and she would have been great at it, undoubtedly. But it would have been a career that she had to balance in addition to her duties as First Lady—a full-time job on its own—and the Second Shift of raising her children—another full-time job. Is it really so bad for Mrs. O to lay a burden down and choose family and what looks like a whole lot of fun over trying to prove herself in a new arena? It’s like it’s never occurred to some feminists that after years of toiling in corporate America—yes, toiling because I know lots of people in it and very few who like what they do as much as they like the check, the access and the power trip—Mrs. O might just have wanted a break from that sort of madness, especially since she was taking on another dimension of it becoming, you know, the First Lady of the United States.
When we see Mrs. O., she looks happy standing beside her man, digging in her garden, and loving her well, lovable children. It’s not like she’s chilling in the White House with her feet up—which I also wouldn’t object to—she’s always on the move, advocating something or another and looking like she’s having a ball. Maybe “just” being happy and having fun isn’t feminist enough, but I’ll take however Mrs.O is living over how some feminists expect her to.
More than a year later, I’m probably farther away from claiming the title than ever before. Feminism, at its core, is a great and empowering purpose. But a vocal minority among the group are making all feminists look bad. Here’s a recent example: a story in the Washington Post last week headlined “Four years later, feminists split by Michelle Obama’s ‘work’ as a First Lady.” (The quotations around work, as if it’s debatable whether Mrs. Obama does any, are the original publication’s and not my own.)
The first half of Lonnae O’Neal Parker’s piece considers Mrs. O’s “strange but considerable” power in the White House where some feminist women accuse FLOTUS of “letting down the team" by "not working" and scoff at her self-described primary duty of “Mom-in-Chief,” a sort of Captain America Mom where no child leaves the table without eating their vegetables. Mrs. O, these feminists lamented, is no Hillary Clinton.
I really adore Mrs. Clinton, whose career trajectory, including her current role as Secretary of State, is a series of boss moves. But I don’t understand why the two women need to be pitted against each other—how unfeminist is that? Or why the First Lady needs to follow in a predecessor’s footsteps to be thought of as great. And, for what it’s worth, lots of people think she is. Mrs. O—arms toned like a superhero and rescuing kids from obesity one workout at a time—has managed an astronomical 73 percent approval rating.
I suppose it’s because FLOTUS is uber-educated with degrees from Princeton University and Harvard Law School that she’s expected to tackle so-called ‘more important’ fare than the health of Americans' beautiful little kids, helping military families cope or tackling the fate of even her own brown girls, who were uprooted from their hometown and are being raised in a media circus. For some, I guess, it might seem like a waste to well, waste, all those smarts on issues so unworthy. Nothing in a woman’s life should ever take precedence over climbing a career ladder, right?
Fortunately, the second half of Parker’s article, tackles the perception from the other (and melanin-infused) side of feminism, one that paints Mrs. O for the revolutionary that she is. Not just for being the first Black First Lady, but for being a rare Black woman who doesn’t feel compelled to do it all (and all the time too). Sure FLOTUS could have swooped into Washington in Olivia Pope's power ensembles to tackle policy, and she would have been great at it, undoubtedly. But it would have been a career that she had to balance in addition to her duties as First Lady—a full-time job on its own—and the Second Shift of raising her children—another full-time job. Is it really so bad for Mrs. O to lay a burden down and choose family and what looks like a whole lot of fun over trying to prove herself in a new arena? It’s like it’s never occurred to some feminists that after years of toiling in corporate America—yes, toiling because I know lots of people in it and very few who like what they do as much as they like the check, the access and the power trip—Mrs. O might just have wanted a break from that sort of madness, especially since she was taking on another dimension of it becoming, you know, the First Lady of the United States.
When we see Mrs. O., she looks happy standing beside her man, digging in her garden, and loving her well, lovable children. It’s not like she’s chilling in the White House with her feet up—which I also wouldn’t object to—she’s always on the move, advocating something or another and looking like she’s having a ball. Maybe “just” being happy and having fun isn’t feminist enough, but I’ll take however Mrs.O is living over how some feminists expect her to.
Very creative topic. Connect the comments and the article together. Look forward to reading the final paper!
ReplyDelete