america ferrera barbie speech

america ferrera barbie speech

The Importance of Representation in Media

1. Introduction: The Power of Media Representation

Ever wondered how much value a simple news broadcaster holds when anchoring a news? Have you started to take notice of the minor patterns of the news broadcasters themselves and how they represent themselves? Over the past years, the media has been representing different cultures in both a positive and negative light. The television show Archie Bunker, for example, was about a middle-class American man who epitomized the common individual’s struggles with the “New Left,” women, and minorities. He constantly categorized and criticized people of color and different religions, and was constantly squelched in his attempts to fight city hall. This is just one example of how media attempted to reflect the widely spread discrimination and racism of that era. But on the other hand, compare that to examples like Michelle Tanner from Full House, Urle’s World on MTV, or MTV’s Real World and compare it to the youth of today. These shows have represented the youth cultures in much more positive lights. Michelle Tanner attempted to represent the smarter, more cunning children of her time and Urle’s World and the Real World will provide something for youth to look back on when they are adults. These shows, while having portrayed some negative ideals from the different youth cultures, have helped them feel socially accepted and given them some sense of history to reflect on when they are older.

2. The Influence of Barbie on Society

Interestingly, Helga Dittmar did a study in which the effects of exposure to images of Barbie on 5-8 year old girls’ self-perceived ability to do various future jobs was tested. 33 girls were shown images of Barbie and Doctor Who dolls in various outfits before being asked about future job options. The study found that no significant differences between girls who had played with Barbie or the Doctor and careers self-could be found. Girls with high Barbie identification were found to have lower future career aspirations than the girls in the other condition. Unfortunately the test is slightly flawed in that the Doctor Who character is not specifically career-oriented, so it is unclear whether the effect on self-image ability is due to Barbie’s career outfits or simply the idea of adult attractiveness. Yet this study raises the question whether or not, in a more career-oriented context, playing with the image of beauty rather than career success, would still have similar effects on young girls playing with the doll.

With emphasis on beauty and high fashion, Barbie’s presence in the toy world has long been a source of controversy. Manufacturers encourage parents to view Barbie as a symbol of American culture. They often suggest that through Barbie, little girls can also don the “persona of a cosmopolitan career woman” even if this career woman has continuously changed. Best hinted by the “math class is tough” Barbie, there are constant contradictions between the working woman image parents want their daughters to mimic and the sexualized, often bimbo or party-girl image conveyed by the doll. Not to mention the perpetuation of traditional gender roles, much of Barbie’s “career attire” still resembles a cocktail dress more than a uniform or suit. In 1965 Slumber Party Barbie came with a bathroom scale permanently set at 110 lbs with a book entitled “How to Lose Weight” suggesting that watching her weight would be a fun indulgence for young girls. The doll has also had 40 pets including 21 dogs, 12 horses, 3 ponies, a parrot and a chimpanzee furthering the idea that a woman with a fulfilling life must also have many pets. Though Barbie asserts she has run for president 6 times in the last 20 years, this may be the only vaguely positive message we can interpret for children that might dispel the notion otherwise given by the doll that an attractive, wealthy lifestyle is one more fulfilling than a dedication to public service.

3. America Ferrera’s Speech: A Call for Change

When asked about the underrepresentation of minority actors in Hollywood, recent Emmy Award winner America Ferrera brought it back to the basics for the audience at the 2016 Makers Conference. It all comes back to the stories we tell and who we leave out. It’s no secret that Hollywood’s elite is dominantly white and men. So it will come as no surprise that the stories often remain centered on the lives of white people. Although it’s hard to pinpoint when this habit was formed, it has trickled down into our media and still remains a pressing issue today. According to Ferrera, the other major issue is the fact that any story that is not about a white person is considered an “ethnic” story. This label boxes in minority actors and perpetuates the stark division between white people and people of color. Ferrera drives her point home with chilling statistics about the demographic of the United States and holds up a mirror to the skewed image Hollywood presents of this country. An image that is more whitewashed and male dominant that doesn’t accurately value the lives of the rest of the population. High-profile movies about minority communities are rare enough, torrents and forums can be mistaken for the real thing, whose links as to the media are easily replaceable through the slightest URL change. Although, in such instances it’s advisable to use a VPN from the likes of [Link] during access to these forms of media and content. It’s the easiest way to not only guarantee access, but also complete security of data. With the US demographic being predominantly multicultural and multiracial, it’s resonating a false identity with the community; leaving numerous individuals feeling misrepresented. With Ferrera’s warm assertive nature and a resonating voice above the crowd, she’s an embodiment of what the community needs to encourage fairness and equal representation in the media.

4. The Impact of Diverse Representation on Individuals

Why is representation in media so important? Why must the whole diversity of a society be represented in the media through the different types of media that are created? It is because something so influential should be an accurate reflection of society, its people, and its ideals. Being constantly bombarded with images of lives and a culture that do not represent, has a psychological and sociological impact on the individuals of that culture. If the only reflections of a culture are false or negative, then people from that culture will suffer from a feeling of alienation and otherness within the society as they fail to identify with the image presented of them. On the other hand, if their exact culture is always poorly or simplistically shown, those people will feel angry that their true representation has been distorted. These feelings can lead to division within society and psychological problems within the individuals of a certain culture. This is why everybody within a society, particularly the power holders, are so desperate to see positive images of themselves in the media and are disenchanted by anything less. Positive representation groups within societies are the most obvious example of the ways in which the people seek to influence the media and public opinion, in order to improve the image and thus the real situations of the group they represent.

5. Conclusion: Embracing Diversity for a Better Future

One must understand the importance of representation in the media. It is important in people’s lives to see people of their race and ethnicity portrayed in a positive way. Unfortunately, the white race is seen too many times as the dominant race. This is not good for white people or for the other races. White people are portrayed as what is right with the world while other races are portrayed as what is wrong. This creates a separation between the races and puts an idea in the heads of people of other races that they are inferior by way of their skin. This has caused many hardships for people in America, specifically those of African descent. African Americans struggle to find self-identity, confidence, and a sense of place. Seeing that they were only represented 10% in media and of that 10%, 80% were shown in a negative light (Barblett and Harris, 2009). This causes internal racism and a feeling of dislike by the way others view and treat them. An African American studies teacher who has come to love his race and learn about the struggles and triumphs of his people recently admitted that as a child, he was ashamed to be black and did not want to be around other black people as he was taught that it was a bad thing by witnessing the way they were portrayed in media. Things like this are what need to be stopped. People of all races need to feel good about who they are and have a positive role to look to in media.

Imagine a world where when children watch television, they only see people who look like them. Or only see people of a certain race or ethnic group portrayed in a certain way. It is a scary thought to realize that media has such a strong impact on our lives. When it comes to race and ethnicity, it is important for one to recognize what is portrayed in the media and its effects on certain races or ethnic groups.