Stereotypes in the Media Essay Example for Free

Stereotypes in the Media Essay Abstract The aim of this research is aimed to compare the frequency of stereotypes between different genres of prime time television shows. 36 Year 11 students were enrolled to record the number of stereotypes they saw portrayed in televised media. The results were collated to compare how many stereotypes appeared in the genres. Results indicated that News portrayed the most stereotypes, followed by comedy, then by drama. Results interpreted showed news stereotypes are considered more socially acceptable, whereas comedy stereotypes can be viewed as offensive and not suitable for children. Drama was very similar to comedy. Stereotypes and their Pervasiveness in the Media The media these days is littered with stereotypes. These stereotypes portray a multitude of different categories, such as age, race, religion, sex and sexuality, mostly in a negative light. The aged, for example, have bad hearing; Muslims are all violent and suicidal; and the French have a snobbish attitude, love for frogs legs, and a hate for the English. While stereotypes tend to have a grain of truth within them (the French really do hate the English), they tend to overlook the differences between individuals, making them too generalised and unreliable. Despite this inaccuracy, the media still does this often. While stereotypes are used in comedy â€Å"for the lulz,† they are deliberately used in this manner, unlike in certain news and current affairs shows, where it is used out of ignorance and efficiency. Because of the way media has stereotyped minorities, society has absorbed this into everyday use and many find it socially acceptable to use offensive stereotypes in everyday conversations. While comedy shows are not trying to offend and proliferate stereotypes, they in fact cause more harm than news and current affairs programs. The Simpsons, a television show known well for its satirical voice and comedic social commentary, is scattered with stereotypes, many of immigrants. Apu, an Indian convenience store owner who appears often in the show, is stingy and has a recognisably Indian accent and prays to his Hindu god, Ganesh. This inaccurate portrayal of Indian immigrants is perceived to be humourous by the public, but they are likely to apply these stereotypes to real people if their misconceptions are not corrected. This research aimed to compare the frequency of stereotypes between different genres of prime time television shows. The genres compared were comedy, drama and news. The hypothesis is that comedy will have the most stereotypes, followed by news, then by drama. Method Participants The participants in this investigation were 36 fifteen to sixteen year olds in year 11 of high school. The students were all academically selective and were mostly Caucasian. The participants chosen were all psychology students, taught by the same teacher. Parents had given permission to participate in this research and signed a permission slip for students to watch at least 3 prime time television shows within two weeks, one to be news or current affairs, the other two being of their choice. Apparatus A log sheet was given (see appendix A) to record the amount of time watching television, and the number of stereotypes noticed. Televisions were to be provided by the participants. So were pens. Procedure The 36 participants were instructed to watch television between the hours of 5 and 10pm. While watching television, they were to record the number of times they saw a stereotype being portrayed and comment on what was being portrayed. This took place over two weeks, after which the results were collated and analysed. Results The results are shown in chart form in Appendix B and C. Once the results were graphed there was not much of a difference between the genres. The data in the graph is collected from a number of participants’ log sheets. 30 people watched news, 21 watched comedy, and 19 watched dramas. The graph didn’t show a single genre to contain significantly more stereotypes. [pic] The graph above shows that there seems to be less of a gap between different stereotypes in comedy, while news has more stereotypes of age and less of religion. Drama has less stereotypes than the others, even when the lack of viewers is factored in. Race and gender are the stereotypes most portrayed by television. Discussion The data partially supports the hypothesis. Despite drama being the genre of television with the least stereotypes, comedy came second to news. News portrayed a lot more stereotypes of age. This is probably a result of violent attacks on old people in their homes. The least portrayed were sexuality, most likely a result of complaints of sexually explicit material being aired. The results do show a large amount of stereotypes are present in television shows. The stereotyping has a tendency to make things quicker and less time-consuming. After all, how is it possible to list all the political, social, economic, ideological and theological differences of a population of about 6 billion? The accuracy of this investigation is to be questioned. While it is possible to rely on this data, it is not going to be completely accurate and it may not demonstrate the true amount of stereotyping done on television. If, for example, all the news shos watched were from the same network, this would affect the results. Other networks may be more biased or even more impartial. The lack of regulation of the programs and networks would have had some effect on the accuracy of the results. Also, the method of recording the stereotypes might also affect the results. With a very vague system, it is impossible to be exact on what stereotypes are displayed, and whether they are a simple comment on turbans, or a full-fledged attack on the habits of old people. Very little research has been done into the number of stereotypes portrayed on television, as opposed to countless studies into the harmfulness of these stereotypes on impressionable children and even adults. The research shows that there are a lot of stereotypes on television, at least 5 or 6 per program. This research is part of understanding how television networks design their shows, and how stereotypes are used as they are instrumental to making changes to unfair depiction of minorities in the media. If the stereotypes are deemed inappropriate then it would be unlikely to make things any better when it comes to international relations and even domestic relations. There has been a lot of rage aimed at the Australians who assaulted two Indian students in Sydney. The acts of violence against minorities have escalated recently. Further research may venture into stereotyping of specific minorities, to examine the details of stereotyping.

They Can Feel It Too Essay -- Animal Rights

Did you know that domestic violence against an animal as a first offence is only a class B misdemeanor and domestic battery against a human is a Class A misdemeanor? Did you also know that a Class A misdemeanor is about 2 times more severe than a Class B misdemeanor? What makes us humans so special and superior to animals? Why do animals have fewer rights and less protection than us? Animals have feelings too and need to be treated as such so I say it’s time for a change. All this abuse and neglect towards animals needs to stop. Animals can feel pain even though they may not express it the same way that us humans do. Animals need our voices to help close the loopholes in our laws. Someone has to speak up for them since they can’t speak for themselves. In media-reported animal cruelty cases, dogs, pit bulls, in particular, are the most common victims of animal cruelty. In 2007 64.5% of media-reported cases involved dogs, 18% involved cats, and 25% involved other types of animals. The HSUS (The Humane Society of the United States) estimates that nearly 1 million animals a year are abused or killed in connection with domestic violence. About 2,168,000 women and men are physically assaulted by an intimate partner in the U.S. every year. 63% of U.S. households own a pet, and 71% of domestic violence victims report that their abuser also targeted their animals. These statistics are very alarming. So is the fact that many convicted murderers and serial killers tortured animals when they were younger and progressed to killing humans. The other two red-flag behaviors are setting fires and wetting ones bed. Now I’m not saying every child that wets themselves should be put under a microscopic eye but all three of these behaviors together ... ...2383--.html Pristin, Terry. "New Jersey Daily Briefing;Tougher Animal Cruelty Law." New York Times 16 July 1996: 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=108&sid=58dd2e2a-f77d-4363-99b4-a8f9371ab8ab%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=29578437 VanKavage, Ledy. â€Å"Humane Law Enforcement in Illinois†, Petfinder.com. Spring 2002. Web. March 18, 2012. http://www.petfinder.com/how-to-help-pets/humane-law-enforcement-illinois.html Whitcomb, Rachel. "Veterinarian Recounts Zanesville's Tragic Killing Of 49 Exotic, Wild Animals." DVM: The Newsmagazine Of Veterinary Medicine 42.12 (2011): 7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=7&hid=108&sid=58dd2e2a-f77d-4363-99b4-a8f9371ab8ab%40sessionmgr114&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=69711284

I Am From

I'm from â€Å"Let's eat! † and â€Å"Man I sure am stuffed† Cheesy chicken spaghetti and rich death by chocolate. Burned bacon and slimy squash given to the dog to avoid eating. I'm from pineapple cheese pizza with caramelized pineapples atop And creamy chicken Alfredo with delicious golden strands of pasta. I'm from nana's homemade brownies and double chocolate chip cookies Stirred slowly and mixed with a â€Å"secret† recipe and baked with ark chocolate shavings For special occasions such as 4th of July parties and birthdays.FAMILY/MUSIC I'm from a song shared with Shelby. Air Guitar is our main profession. Driving in circles with the windows down Just to find the perfect song to live to Until we were pulled over for screaming the lyrics to We Can't Stop. I'm from Mac Miller blaring through my headphones and car speakers. I'm from Linkin Park. The Lumineers A Day to Remember And always: Maroon 5. Until I grew older and closer to God, and discovered TobyMac.I'm from a brown playful puggle we named Slade; Being lazy and sleeping on any soft surface in 2003. I'm from Alice, the playful powerful puppy. And Daisy our loveable Boston terrier Who chewed up all my socks with her sharp puppy teeth. And unfortunately had to be put down when my step brother was born.I'm from drinking hazelnut coffee beside Shelby on my front porch. Or near the sounds of the waterfall from the creek behind her house. I'm from Heather Hannel in Columbus, Ohio where horses run wild.Silly laughs and precious secrets shared between us. Heathers kindness and guidance Help me through life. I'm trom dreaming And living And my red 2001 Chevy Cavalier. I'm from The Voice And the Carroll family. I'm from wishing and playing and working at ArbVs. Like making roast beef sandwiches. And working with my best friend, Shelby. I'm from stormy Forks, Washington Beautiful Paris, Extravagant England, Exhilarating Disney World. I'm from here. Now. Face-timing my friend and typing my poe m.

Fire in a Bottle Chemistry Demonstration

This fire bottle is a quick and easy alternative to the Barking Dog chemistry demonstration. The bottle displays a bright blue (or other colors) light, plus it emits a woof or bark. Several websites call this project a bottle fire vortex or bottle fire  tornado, but the flame propagates as a wave down the bottle, without spinning. Of course, you could spin the bottle on a carousel or turntable. Fire Bottle Materials Glass bottleAlcohol, at least 70 percentLong-handled lighter Procedure Pour a small amount of fuel into the bottle. You want 1/2 cm to 1 cm of liquid in the bottom of the bottle.Cap the bottle or cover the top with your hand, whichever works.Shake the bottle.If you have fuel on the lip of the bottle, wipe it off or blow on the bottle to evaporate the fuel. Otherwise, there is a good chance the flame will be restricted to this small area of the bottle. It is not a concern; just reduces the quality of the display.Carefully light the vapor just inside the mouth of the bottle.The flame should go out on its own, but if it does not, simply cover the mouth of the bottle and suffocate the flame.Each run uses up the oxygen in the bottle, which the fire needs in order to burn. You will need to blow fresh air into the bottle. You can blow into the bottle or else use a straw or tube. You probably will not need to add more fuel. Just add air, cover and shake the bottle, uncap it, and ignite the vapor.If you like, add a flame colorant to the fuel (e.g., boric acid fo r a green flame). Simply sprinkle some of the colorants into the bottle. Most colorants are not consumed by the flame, so even if you get to a point where you wish to add more fuel, you will not need to add more colorant chemical. Notes on Materials Glass Bottle:  You can use just about any bottle you want, but do be sure it is glass. Plastic  will melt. Also, the shape of the bottle, especially its neck, affects the sound that will be produced. You may wish to experiment with different types of bottles. We have had good success with a glass cola bottle and a large cylindrical glass water bottle. If by some miracle you have a giant graduated cylinder, go for it.Alcohol:  You can use other liquid fuels, too. You want some water in the fuel so that it will stick to the sides of the glass. You can add  chemicals to color the flame, too. Some of these will dissolve better in pure alcohol, which you can dilute with water or mix with rubbing alcohol.Long Handled Lighter:  You could drop a match in the bottle, but then you will need to fish it out to repeat the project. A flame  will shoot out the top of the bottle, so dont use a short lighter. A candle is another good option. Safety Info This is fire. It can burn you. Perform this project under competent adult supervision. Do not set the fuel next to your glass container. Do not perform this project on a flammable surface or near flammable objects (e.g., do not lean into the bottle with long hair, do not light the bottle next to drapes, etc.). Do be prepared to put the fire out in case of an accident. Having said all that, this project works well indoors. Actually, we recommend you try it indoors because you will get the best effect in still air, with no wind. Disclaimer: Please be advised that the content provided by our website is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. Fireworks and the chemicals contained within them are dangerous and should always be handled with care and used with common sense. By using this website you acknowledge that ThoughtCo., its parent About, Inc. (a/k/a Dotdash), and IAC/InterActive Corp. shall have no liability for any damages, injuries, or other legal matters caused by your use of fireworks or the knowledge or application of the information on this website. The providers of this content specifically do not condone using fireworks for disruptive, unsafe, illegal, or destructive purposes. You are responsible for following all applicable laws before using or applying the information provided on this website.