‘Black Lives Matter Protest Outside of Fashion’s Biggest Night’

On September 16, 2021September 16, 2021 By troypittman13In Censorship, Diversity, LGBTQ+, Social Issue(s)Leave a comment

‘ All the pretty dresses made the news, but… what about this?”

The theme of this year’s Met Gala was ‘In America: A Lexicon of Fashion’ as it honored the 75th anniversary of the Costume Institute Metropolitan Museum. This high profile event is held in New York City as it is often the kick-off city for fashion week. Here major fashion brands are showcased and are worn by celebrities (Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Russell Westbrook, etc) and highly favored people in the media. The growth of social networks has enabled us viewers to get a virtual seat at the Met Gala. The theme gives designers and celebrities the opportunity to show their creativity and their interpretation of the theme. Many were praised on this special night of September 13th. Dresses addressing the tax issues of the rich and LGBTQ history were some of the biggest highlights of the night.

What didn’t generate the same momentum of attention were the peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protests occurring just outside of reach of the rich and famous. The crowd of protestors were heard chanting the names of those who lost their lives from police brutality. Names as known as ‘George Floyd’ and locally known like ‘Mike Rosado’, a Bronx man who recently died at the hands of the police.

Peaceful protestors arrested by NYPD just feet away from Met Gala 2021.

Media sources say protestors chose this years Met Gala to protest because of the many eyes that would be there. It was an attempt to get the attention of those in power. While being physically carried away protestors chant the reasons for their protest. They were also heard saying their names, ages, and social media handles for by-standards to help keep them safe.

Accessibility of Online Learning

On March 19, 2020 By Aidan PlunkettIn coronavirus, Distribution, Diversity, Education, Media Covergence, News Media, Political, Regulation, Social Issue(s)Leave a comment

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been major shutdowns across the country and around the world at large for many businesses, schools and universities. These shutdowns have let to demand and necessity for online learning resources. Many upper-level education institutes and organizations have made the decision to move to online learning indefinitely. As a student at Temple University, we moved to online learning for the rest of the semester in mid-March. My mother is a math teacher at a high school in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and they have made the decision to move to online learning indefinitely.

This makes me begin to think about many things…

A decade ago, switching to online learning or mandating that students learn via online resources would not have been possible. Technological advancement and globalization have led to an increase in technological capabilities and increase in the number of people who have access to technology and the internet. That same globalization is what has enabled the spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world.

The spread of this virus has therefore created a demand and necessity for online learning resources and accessibility. The media has portrayed the COVID-19 virus as extremely bad, yet last year the flu had 350 Million cases and over 20 thousand deaths in the United States alone. Has the over-scaring tactic of the media facilitated the demand for online learning? Obviously we need to be cautious, and I understand the idea of ‘flattening the curve’, but I can’t help but wonder who’s profiting most while many people suffer.

I wrote this article because I recently learned about Community Learning Center, an adult literacy nonprofit organization in Philadelphia that provides low-income adults with free education classes and services. While large institutions like Temple can provide the technology or resources for students to participate in online learning, smaller, nonprofit organizations like CLC don’t have the funding or resources to equip all of their students with the necessary technology to participate adequately in online learning, if at all. However, the potential of online learning capabilities being accessible to everyone poses benefits for many people across many levels of education.

We’re Putting Your Many Misconceptions About The Coronavirus To Rest, And Here’s Why:

On March 9, 2020March 9, 2020 By Kirsten BeachIn China, Consumer behavior, Diversity, Media Covergence, News Media, UncategorizedLeave a comment

With the Coronavirus being heavily discussed in the media and amongst individuals in our present society, it’s natural for many to be fearful of the virus and its potential threats. In saying that, however, it is evident that much of the world’s fear of the virus stems from misconceptions and misinformation that the media has put out into the world.

For this reason, I find it important to debunk the biggest misconceptions about the virus to lessen the amount of fear one may have when thinking about its said severity and its spread throughout different countries.

To start, many believe that contracting the Coronavirus means you will automatically find yourself on your death bed–which in fact, isn’t the case at all. In an article with Business Insider, two pathologists sat down to discuss popular misconceptions about the virus and said:

“Based on the data that is coming out, it seems to be a mild type of viral infection. There’s a 2% fatality rate and about 18% to 20% that may be in, kind of in the critical condition range…And those 2% who die are the sickest. They’re in the hospital already. So even those in the hospital have probably a 98% chance of surviving.”

Another misconception that many people seem to believe as fact is that wearing a mask will protect you from contracting the virus. The thing about these masks that many do not know is that the typical doctors mask that you see the majority of the population wearing is oftentimes not worn properly which decreases its effectiveness entirely. In addition to that, there are more effective masks that healthcare workers wear which are called the N95 masks, and although these masks are meant to filter particles that are airborne with 95% efficacy, they are meant for people who are actually sick, rather than people who are fearful of becoming sick. So, instead of going out and purchasing a mask, washing your hands for at least 20 seconds and avoiding touching areas of your face and mouth are much more effective practices when it comes to decreasing your chances of contracting the virus.

Lastly, one of the biggest misconceptions about the Coronavirus is that it is the most dangerous virus–which is not the case. Although the media has made it out to be a very frightening/deadly virus, it is much like the flu and as I mentioned before, only kills about 2% of people infected, which is much less than that of the flu. In fact, pathologists Stephen Morse and Syra Madad expressed that there are many more recoveries than there are fatalities.

“I think the official count is now 6,000 recoveries. But, you know, one of the funny things is that we don’t usually report recoveries when someone is discharged from the hospital. So all those recoveries, probably there are many more on the way as well.”

So, next time you hear something about the Coronavirus, ask yourself, “Is this fact, or is this merely a misconception that is making me more fearful than I should be?”

Sources: https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-myths-debunked-wuhan-china-2020-2

Cancel Culture–Harmful or Effective in Holding Our Fellow Celebrities Accountable?

On February 10, 2020February 10, 2020 By Kirsten BeachIn Brand, Commercials, Diversity, Instagram, Media Covergence, Music, News Media, Social Media, Television, Twitter, Uncategorized, YouTubeLeave a comment

For those who aren’t as familiar with what cancel culture is, canceling and cancel culture have to do with the removal of support for public figures in response to their objectionable behavior or opinions (which can include boycotts or refusal to promote their work.)

In late 2018, comedian Kevin Hart publicly stated he would be hosting the 2019 Oscars; an announcement that triggered intense public scrutiny regarding homophobic jokes and tweets he had previously put forth. While the backlash against Hart came from many different directions, a majority derived from the social media platform, Twitter. Although ‘cancel culture’ is not a new phenomenon, it is evident that it was brought to the forefront of American pop culture after Hart’s “canceling,” and has continued since.

With this idea of “canceling” in mind, the question many have is whether or not canceling is harmful or effective in holding these celebrities and public figures accountable.

Last night during the Oscars, Joaquin Phoenix gave a discursive speech in which he both criticized “cancel” culture and advocated for social justice while accepting the Oscar for best actor for his performance in “The Joker.” In his speech he said,

“I have been a scoundrel all my life, I’ve been selfish. I’ve been cruel at times, hard to work with, and I’m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance,” Phoenix said. “I think that’s when we’re at our best: when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for our past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow. When we educate each other; when we guide each other to redemption.”

Like Joaquin, many believe that cancel culture is merely harmful to society and those individuals being “canceled,” but, according to the article on Daily Toreador, many also feel that it’s unfair that celebrities can seemingly “get away” with hurting other people or making damaging and harmful statements, even after being canceled for a little while. At the same time, however, it is both concerning and detrimental that as a society, we perpetuate a culture of simply canceling someone instead of encouraging them to be better and holding them accountable in a constructive way (similar to what Joaquin said.)

I think we can all agree that public outrage against celebrities is expected and sometimes even justified in some cases, but is it possible that sometimes cancel culture can go too far? What do you think?

Sources:

http://www.dailytoreador.com/opinion/opinion-what-another-hostless-oscars-says-about-cancel-culture/article_b66c13f6-4ba0-11ea-ae0d-9fe86d0364ea.html

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/joaquin-phoenix-criticizes-cancel-culture-in-oscars-acceptance-speech/

They’ve Gotta Have Us

On February 6, 2020March 23, 2020 By David SonIn Diversity, Marketing, Media Covergence, National coverage, Netflix, Streaming, Television, UncategorizedLeave a comment

A new documentary series on Netflix has just been released yesterday. It takes a deep dive into understanding how African-Americans were portrayed in media entertainment. Ever since the #Oscarssowhite movement that took place around five years ago, anti-discriminatory notions have taken over social media. With African-Americans feeling they have not been properly acknowledged for their part in the movie entertainment industry, They’ve Gotta Have Us looks into how the perception of having people of color in films has changed.

This documentary series discusses the effects having African-American cast members had earlier in the movie industry. The idea that having people of color in movies would result in less sales and less popularity across seas is changing. Notable African-American films are having major success such as Moonlight’s and Get Out. These films have changed the script for African American producers dreaming to make it big in the film industry. (“The color the really care the most about is green.”, Don Cheadle) The film industry will really change for what the people want.

Another highlighted point of this documentary is that having African Americans in front of the camera is not enough. More recognition has to be made for the African Americans who are also excellent producers and writers. Essentially, the directors and producers are the ones who call the shots. They make the big decisions and in order for African American people to be shown true appreciation, the people behind the cameras need their recognition.

With the growing number of streaming services, more creators of any color will have the opportunity to put their work out there.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/05/entertainment/theyve-gotta-have-us-black-movie-history/index.html

Being ‘Visible’ in the Media Has a Deeper Meaning for LGBTQ+ Individuals and Here’s Why:

On January 26, 2020 By Kirsten BeachIn Diversity, LGBTQ+, Movie, Netflix, News Media, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Within the past decade, we have seen tremendous progress being made to accurately represent LGBTQ+ individuals in the media, but even with that progress, we still have a ways to go until representation is equal across the board.

It is evident that social media has played a huge role in the increased acceptance and representation of the LGBTQ+ community–with trans and nonbinary representation in media and fashion growing tremendously (as evidenced by the success of breakout hits such as “Drag Race” HBO’s “Euphoria,” and Netflix’s “Pose”). In saying that though, things have not always been this way. Even just 15 years ago, LGBTQ+ individuals were very much ‘invisible’ in terms of media representation–with only a few accounts of gay and lesbian characters being depicted (often times not even in accurate ways.)

However, to further shed light on this evolution of LGBTQ+ depictions on television, comedian Wanda Sykes and actor Wilson Cruz executively produced a 5-part docuseries called ‘Visible: Out on Television’ that will launch on February 14th on Apple TV Plus. Sykes and Cruz said that they created this series to act as a testament to how LGBTQ people and their allies harnessed TV to tell the community’s stories.

Best known for his roles as ‘Dennis’ in 13 Reasons Why and Dr. Hugh Culber in Star Trek: Discovery, Cruz said, “It’s through television that we got to tell the entire society and our own culture what our lives are really like. Because of that amount of authenticity, we were able to move the needle to acceptance.” With that being said, visibility in the media has a much deeper meaning for those who are apart of the LGBTQ+ community, and we as a society should push to make sure their representation (along with other marginalized groups) continues to be made apparent in the media.

Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/out-television-tracks-evolution-lgbtq-portrayals-n1119401

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/decade-lgbtq-pop-culture-visibility-stalled-political-progress-ncna1108786

Diversity is on the Rise in the Media

On November 20, 2019 By tue65232In Diversity, Uncategorized1 Comment

According to Episodic Television Director Inclusion Report that was recently released by the Directors Guild of America, 50% of TV episodes of 2018-19 were directed by women or someone of color which is the first time in a long time. From the previous year, the number has increased by 42.5% percent and increased by 21% since 2013-14. The Directors Guild of America president, Thomas Schlamme stated “Inclusion has been a priority of our Guild for a very long time as we’ve pushed the studios, networks and producers to do better in their hiring”. DGA has also stated that there has been an increase of directors being hired who have never even directed one episode in their career. This is giving newcomers hope that they can jump start their careers but there are still concerns.

“Producers hold in their hands the power to grant an opportunity that can set up an aspiring TV director for a lifelong career doing what they dreamed of. We still have a lot of concern over the underlying hiring practices that reduce the number of jobs available to budding and experienced directors alike. The heart of the issue is that producers aren’t factoring in that every job given to someone who does not pursue a directing career equals an opportunity withheld.” – Thomas Schlamme, DGA president

Reading this article was truly a breath of fresh air because I recently research how we don’t see a lot of diversity in the media industry. It is showing that we are moving forward in society and we are providing more opportunities for some that may have not had them otherwise.

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Category: Diversity