Question #10

10) Using a video or image you find online, apply three critical texts we read during the semester (each at least two weeks apart), and discuss how they relate to and build on one another, giving us different but related perspectives on critical media and cultural studies (250-300 words).

Throughout the term we looked at theories and readers, which built off of each other as we increase our intelligence about critical media and cultural studies. One of the first readings we looked at was “Women Read The Romance, The Interaction of Text and Context” by Janice Radway. In this article she talks about how women love to read romance novels, one reason being to escape from reality both literally and figuratively. She says that the readers admit that the characters and events in the pages of romance novels do not resemble the people and occurrences that they deal with everyday. Rather, women like to escape their reality and live a pretend “perfect” life while reading a romance novel.

Another text, which we read, is “Advertising and the Political Economy of Lesbian/Gay Identity” by Fred Fejes. In this text we look at the issues of minorities such as lesbian and gays and how they are portrayed in the media. As the minority group of gay and lesbians grew, so did the advertisements towards this perceived demographic or more commonly towards the straight man demographic. They market stereotypical gay men as upscale, high-spending consumers interested in the latest fashion and living a glamorous life. These two articles portray an unattainable life, which is seen in advertisements. We cans see this is the fact that women love to read romance novel to escape from reality, and in the fact that gay men are often portrayed in the media as living a high-class life.

Yet another article we read this year was “’Con-fusing’ Exotic, Producing India in U.S. Advertising” by Sanjukta Ghosh. In this article we learn about exoticism and orientalism and how racial minorities portrayed in the media. Media can trivialize racial identity and cultural minorities culture. It is said in the article that magazines such as Vogue use traditional products from a unique culture in their photos. Rather than recognizing these traditions and cultural importance, the media puts indigenous people and ways in the background. This article relates to Fejes article in the sense that minorities are often either simply not seen in the media, or not given the credit deserved.

This is an image from the Sex and the City the second Movie where this is an example of the media portraying the exotic, racial minorities being trivialized and even a portrayal of an unattainable and dream life. This is a clear example of exoticism in the sense that these ladies are walking through sand dunes, in Eqypt while wearing outfits many indigenous clothing, devaluing traditions and cultures. Also, this is an image of a fantasy life. It most cases this is unattainable to be looking glamourous while walking through a desert. Sex in the City is an example of a movie which shows exoticism in a racist light. At the same time, this movie portrays an unattainable and fantasy life, such as ones which are portrayed in romance novels and in advertisements portraying wealth and modernism as seen in Fejes article.