Tropes - Adrenaline Makeover

The adrenaline makeover is something that women often experience in films or shows when entering into action. When this occurs it's meant to expose the woman's attractiveness, as if it was lost before a man, or action, was present in the woman's life. This kind of transition is not only sexist for only occurring to women, but also a sort of stereotype, saying that women cannot be the way they are, they must undergo a makeover in order to achieve social attractiveness and be accepted. A film that comes to mind when thinking about the adrenaline makeover is Hunger Games. After Katniss volunteers as tribute, she is taken to a dark and cold setting where she lies on her back and is made over. He hair is trimmed, she is waxed, and she is scrubbed down. Once this happens, she is viewed by the Capital as beautiful, capable, admirable, and courageous. This trope being presented in major films plays into the gender stereotypes that plague our society. I do think that this film features a strong, mostly independent female protagonist, but the fact that she has to undergo a makeover subconsciously teaches viewers that in order to succeed and be taken seriously, you have to look attractive. Our society thrives on this structure, convincing female viewers that looks aren't just important, but vital to survival. 

Vogue April 2008

Exclusion: In this Vogue cover photo we see only two people. One is white and one is black. Since there are only two people it's hard to think in terms of exclusion because it seems like Vogue is trying to be inclusive, but there definitely is a lack of non-white representation and LGBTQ+ representation. 
Stereotyping: I think that in this photo there is some stereotyping. We see a black man as a basketball player and a skinny white woman in high heels and a sheer dress. Yes, the basketball player is an actual basketball star, but to only represent him as that stereotypes him. The woman in the photo is not wearing something that reveals a hobby or profession, so why is the man? I also think the fact that the man looks very aggressive can be seen as a stereotype as well. Alongside that, the woman, being skinny, white, and blonde feeds into a stereotype that all white blondes that are skinny are happy. 
Assimilation: I view this image as a direct example of assimilation. The fact that Vogue has used a black man, in basketball attire nonetheless, makes me think that they only wanted to take the "popular" aspect and face of what society recognizes from this man to turn a profit for their magazine.  
Tokenism: I think that Vogue is definitely using the the one non-white person as a token because it's "inclusive". 
Ideology of difference: Building off of the stereotype that's at hand, the black man dressed in basketball attire, we can see how the ideology of difference comes into play. Vogue utilizing this man's identity to contrast with the woman's is like a form of consumption for magazine buyers. We see something new, something different, something aggressive, and we put it on a magazine because it sells because it's exciting and unique, paying no respect to a culture's background. 
Othering: Placing a black, somewhat enraged-looking, larger man next to a petite white woman gives off hints of othering because it looks as if we are supposed to compare the differences. We see skinny, white blondes in media everywhere, but having her next to this man send a message that tells us to recognize what's new or what we haven't seen much of in media. 
Exoticism: Much like National Geographic, I think that this image is a form of exoticism; Vogue using this man on their cover and trying to show his "rage" and basketball prowess is seen as "animalistic" next to the woman who is carefree and smiling.

How to Get Away with Murder

When thinking about How to Get Away with Murder, I'm constantly reminded of the fact that the show is incredibly inclusive compared to all other shows that I see in media today. Starting with exclusion, it's upsetting to realize what the show has omitted. It lacks Asian representation and also doesn't feature disabled people. It's hard to recognize stereotyping within the show because I think a lot of what's demonstrated is either true or a variation of assimilation. Some characters experience assimilation by being represented as middle or upper class while also being a minority. The lead woman, played by Viola Davis, is an incredible lawyer who makes good money and lives a prestigious lifestyle. I struggle with thinking that this is assimilation because there are occasional references to her past that express financial hardship of growing up in the South, but these episodes are not frequent and there's a lack of racism that's acknowledged in the show. The same can be said for the Latin woman in the show; she comes from a rich background and faces minimal adversity when it comes to her culture or identity. I don't think that there's much tokenism happening within the show. The only thing that I can think of is how Viola Davis' character is the only bi-sexual that's been represented, but even then, the show only exposed us to her bi-sexual lifestyle in about three episodes. I wouldn't say that the show features othering. I also don't think the show features exoticism. I am, however, unsure about the ideology of difference. We aren't exposed to a lot of the black culture within this show and because of this, it's hard to know if the show is trying to give us a different culture to consume. I think the fact that the lead woman is black gives audiences a sense of inclusion that's pleasurable, but not in the same way that the ideology of difference is defined.

Midterm Question

Satirizes management/owners of means of production: Berns shrugging off the struggling window worker, Berns having a huge bird zoo in his house and a giant TV, having chained up monkeys doing work for him, Berns not knowing Homer, a worker that he's had numerous interactions with, Berns having an incredibly high and pointless security system, and Berns thinking that Homer, a dim worker, is highly intelligent and sophisticated. 
Satirizes workers/unions: Workers get a cookie on St. Patricks day (seen as greedy and pointless), workers seen as dumb and simple when swapping dental plan for a keg of beer, workers jobs depicted as easy with Berns dancing on the control panel and running the factory, Homer (union leader) misinterpreting and not understanding anything that Berns says or offers, Homer getting excited about the idea of being a crooked union leader that's hungry for money. 

This episode normalized the prevailing ideology of capitalism because the ending of the episode finishes, and is resolved, with a small easy deal made between Homer and Berns, restoring power back into the city without any control being taken away from Berns. The episode also normalizes capitalism when, in the flashback, workers are persecuted for taking something that the company has incredible amounts of. Lastly, capitalism is normalized through the movie that was being watched in the beginning of the episode by Bart and Homer when Bart says, "That is one evil dude" in regards to the upper-class villain, and Homer responds, "It's just a movie, son. There's nobody that evil in real life." In contrast, the episode challenges the prevailing ideology of capitalism by demonstrating Homer's run as a union leader as a total success when he wins back dental care from Berns. Capitalism is again challenged when we see Berns' very "protected" security system fail to keep out a stray dog, making us see the system as obsolete and easily encroached upon. Finally, capitalism is challenged through the strike that is held by the union workers, suggesting that if you fight against the system for long enough, you can win whatever it is that you're fighting for.