Talking Points #4

Linda Christensen " Unlearning the Myths that Bind Us"

Premise

• racial inequalities
• media influence
• women
• portrayal
• hatred
• "normal"
• learned lifestyle
• minorities
• change

Author's Argument: Christensen argues that children learn by the media how they should behave and who is good and who is bad and if people do not work to change media portrayal then there will be forever a problem with how kids are raised.

Evidence

1. "Our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream." This quote supports Christensen's argument because she is basically saying that cartoons,movies, and ADs that children watch give them somewhat of an idea of how they are supposed to live their lives. Example: Watching Cinderella gives little girls an idea of that they need to compete against their sisters for love of a man and they can only be happy if they are loved by a man.
2. "Why not stay ignorant about them and happy?" This helps support the argument in the sense that no one wants to push for change in the media and influences on children because they all grew up with the same movies and cartoons their kids are watching. They do not want to acknowledge that their favorite Disney movie discriminates against women. People do not want to address the problem because they do not want to make it known that there is a problem.
3. "But I want students to understand that if the race of the character is the only thing changing, injustices may still remain." This helps her argument because it is not simply just changing the race of the main character or the sex of the hero in the movie or cartoon it has to do with completely revamping how children understand movies and cartoons. Kids have to relearn everything that was normal to them through movies and cartoons.

Comments

It was a little hard for me to agree with this article when reading it because I grew up loving all Disney movies and all Saturday morning cartoons and for me to realize that there was racism and sexism present in them makes me upset. I fell in love with all Disney movies, I still own every single one of them and it is just uncomfortable to acknowledge that there is something wrong with them. I understand the point that Christensen is making but I think she is digging a little too deep. Do you really thing a five year old is going to see a servant that is colored and go "Oh look mommy Spanish people are servants." I know that was the last thing on my mind when I was five years old and watching those movies.Racism and Sexism is in every single piece of media basically and if you want to start by changing the one thing kids love (TV and movies) then go ahead, but your going to be taking something very important to them away.