Everybody knows the media is racist,

sexist and homophobic ….

Today

• Definitions and ideas of inequality in society

• Idea of fairness of representation in the media

• Examples of so called ‘racism’, ‘sexism’ and

‘homophobia’ in the media

• Problems with analyses and alternatives

Examples…??

What is racism, sexism, homophobia?

• Expression of negative feelings or attitudes towards people based on their race, ethnicity, gender or sexuality; can also be negative thoughts

• Emphasis on equal rights, and the right to be treated equally

• As the song goes we all may be a little bit ‘racist’, but is racism really reflected in the media?

The Indigenous Public Sphere (2000) –

Background• Over representation of Indigenous people in

the media

• 1989-91 – Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

• Landmark Mabo Decision in 1992 –declaration of Indigenous land rights in Australia

• Focus on looking at issues of inequality, and how they may be linked to the media

News Reporting – ‘Issues’

• ‘Us’ vs. ‘them’ mentality in how news programs represented Indigenous communities

• Undue emphasis on peoples racial background in news reporting

• Reinforced by government reporting > i.e. seen as a ‘problem’ community

• Lack of so-called ‘ordinary’ representations

• Always a concern with ‘issues’, which was reinforced in lots of media criticism of ‘racism’

The Fringe

Dwellers (1986)

‘The message of The Fringe

Dwellers, not so much realised and

embedded in the film, but rather

just lurking under the surface, is

that we should feel sorry for blacks

who are doing their best to live like

whites even when whites won’t let

them. It is a very patronising film

because its premise is that blacks

can live like whites and want to. It

is only whites who prevent them.

In other words it takes for granted

the destruction of tribal society and

any other kind of racial

consciousness’

Yothu Yindi (1986-)

It is difficult to see this UK

remix, despite its inclusion

of the complete text of the

song on the record sleeve,

as anything more than an

exercise in musical ‘colonial

discourse’, censoring all the

song’s political statement

and leaving only bland,

ambient-styled suggestions

of the Australian outback

within a rigid techno dance

beat. (Tony Mitchell,

‘Treaty Now!’ 1993)

Sexism

‘Clad in short, tight, black,

glossy dress, the camera

shoots her from a low angle,

centering on her crotch. This

female presence is typical

MTV fare, decorative and

sexual, ‘eye candy’ aimed at

the notional adolescent male

MTV viewer, the very

audience that voted Treaty II

as best Australian video of

1991.’ (Hayward, 1992,

Perfect Beat).

The Cosby Show (1984-1992)

Enlightened Racism– Sut Jhally

and Justin Lewis

‘Some have argued that the

Huxtables’ charmed life is so

alienated to the experience of

most black people that they are

no longer black… they are just

like white people’.

‘The Cosby Show, despite its

good intentions, actually helps to

construct enlightened forms of

racism’.

The Flying Doctors (1986)

The Burden of Representativeness

‘In fact it’s still very hard for Aboriginal groups to get on mainstream TV, just as it’s very hard to find an Aboriginal model or stewardess, and you don’t find tourist brochures selling tropical paradises with the charms of the local women. As ‘suss’ as they are, these stereotypes are still off-limits for Aboriginal people … So, while some sympathetic white kids sing ill-conceived songs about their guilt, Yothu Yindi has come along with quite a shockingly assertive statement about really being quite normal and okay.’

Textual Spaces Stephen Muecke, 1992

Issues to ordinariness

2000-s

Deborah Mailman –

Playschool

Secret Life of Us

Redfern Now

Aaron Pedersen –

Wildside

Water Rats

MDA

Secret Life of Us

City Homicide

Heath Bergersen –

Ship to Shore

Sweat

Breakers

Ordinariness??

My Kitchen Rules

Key Points

• In what ways are people seen as ‘ordinary’ or

‘exceptional’?

• Think about the context – other cooking

shows, reality TV contestants, other

representations of particular identities

• Authorship – how much authorship are people

allowed to exercise?

The Footy Show

Queer Eye For the Straight Guy

Diversity in the media

• Relationships

• Sport

• Comedy

• Reality television

‘Racism’, ‘sexism’ and ‘homophobia’

• Are these appropriate terms given that …

• Criticisms are often selective

• ‘Media’ is more complex, and covers a range of different texts, audiences and histories than critics would suggest

• Criticisms are elitist, and assume more knowledge about people and society than so-called ‘lay audiences’ do

Perhaps more useful terms might be…

• Ethnocentrism – ‘ethno’ meaning group, refers to the ways in which groups of people often share the same ideas, attitudes and assumptions

• Androcentric – ‘andro’ meaning ‘man’, referring to male-centered ways of understanding

• Gynocentric – ‘gyno’ meaning ‘woman’, referring to female-centered ways of understanding

• Heterocentric – ‘hetero’ as opposed to ‘homo’ perspectives

Critical biases

• Confirmation bias

• Negativity bias

• Third person effect

Racism, sexism, homophobia may be

so old school but are we really …

Classist?