Event Write-up

This event focused on media representations of presidential candidates during the election. After everyone introduced each other and answered either an awkward, deep or surface-level question, we were asked to do a free write. The free write wanted us to acknowledge our identities and explain how the media misunderstands them. Several important points were raised, such as one participant’s identification as a feminist and how she felt her feminist position being threatened by equating Sarah Palin with feminists. Whiteness was another important issue that was brought up during this free write. One participant expressed outrage at the usage of “Main Street” and equated it with middle class White America. Another participant had a problem with the way Jews were being represented in the media. Overall, these free-writes displayed how the media is homogenizing different identities (ie. The female vote. The black women’s vote, etc).

Afterwards, we were given political cartoons to analyze. We analyzed both our immediate reaction to the cartoon, intended audience, commentaries that inspired the cartoon and whether they were adequate portrayals of the subjects depicted. Through these analyses, I discovered that many archaic representations of race, sexuality, class, gender, and nationality were being recycled. One of the most egregious cartoons involved a waffle package in the style of Aunt Jemima products featuring Barack Obama. Through this cartoon, Barack’s blackness and otherness is amplified. The Aunt Jemima image itself implies servititude and degradation based `purely on skin color. Though conservatives (this was sold at the Conservative Voter’s Convention) would probably argue that it’s just a joke, blatant racism should never be taken lightly. Other images showed different stereotypes such as age being equated with senility, Muslims as terrorists and women as purely sex objects.

Overall, it was a very educational experience and it helped both my articulation and analysis skills. In addition, I was also disturbed by the recycled, deeply offensive images used thus far during election year.