aro0823, hooks

“Marginalized groups, deemed other, who have been ignored, rendered invisible, can be seduced by the emphasis on otherness, by its commoditization, because it offers the promise of recognition and reconciliation” (170)

Hooks’ aforementioned quotation struck me especially hard because of its relationship to an exact discussion we had in CMC 200. After reading an article detailing the hidden/ explicit stereotyping in Rush Hour 2, I was shocked to discover how often marginal identities are exploited for economic gain. It further struck me that instead of whipping up backlash, minority communities did not respond because finally, for the first time, they were being recognized in mass media instead of made invisible. Participants in the study’s focus group made several comments saying that they were pleased to see a leading Asian character depicted positively and were willing to dismiss the related stereotypes as merely comedy.
Attitudes such as these are particularly bothersome because they serve to reaffirm the status quo. With “consumer culture show[ing] the way,” the Caucasian hegemony is able to subtly present subordinating relationships in creative ways that are double coded to both appeal to a mass audience and appeal to the white man who is dominant over minorities (170). However, because we live in the post civil rights era of political correctness, this consumer culture must be discreet in its demonstration of superiority. Thus, relating to another article we read in CMC 200, culture puts forth only a certain framework when presenting minorities so it cannot be challenged, because every media depiction is identical. So, if every media outlet shows the same stereotype of African American women, these women will feel pressured to look like what they see on television and will in turn begin a negative feedback loop. Culture remains unchanged because the stereotypes of minorities are not empowering, but rather tautological exemplifications of why Hooks’ writing will unfortunately be the last word on the matter probably for years to come.