What 'Modern Family' Says about Modern Families

In the article, What 'Modern Family' Says about Modern Families by Bruce Feiler, the highly rated comedy "Modern Family" is analyzed. The creators Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd created this family comedy in order to mimic the contemporary family along with its ups and downs. The show includes characters Jay, the patriarch, with his Colombian trophy wife, Gloria; and her son Manny; Jay's son, Mitchell; his partner, Cam; and their adopted Vietnamese daughter; Jay's daughter, Claire; her husband, Phil; and their three children. The public centered on the gay couple, Mitchell and Cam, and hardly noticed the other unconventional family structures. Moreover, the show is immersed in technology by having characters communicate through cellphone cameras, baby monitors, Ipads, and YouTube videos. In addition, the show is filmed in a unique way. Characters are often shown glancing at the camera to make the viewer feel a part of the family. Internal monologue is also utilized as a tactic to get the viewer immersed in the show. The show continuously features current controversial issues within families in order to portray families internally rather than how families interact with the outside world. One may question whether or not this show actually portrays a modern family. I believe the family does portray a modern family with two loving parents and children. The family is a cohesive group that communicates through technology the same way families do today. I constantly text message my parents and brother rather than sit and communicate face to face at a dinner table, which is often seen on television shows. The show is very relatable and allows its viewers to understand the daily struggles people face within the home. It gives its audience a way to cope with issues that cannot be resolved instantly. The show is also very entertaining and comical. I am interested in seeing what the future episodes will screen as the family grows older.

Gender Neutral Children

Some parents choose to raise their children in a gender neutral way. By doing this, they are not revealing the sex of their child to the public. They allow their children to dress and play with girl and boy toys. They do not want their children to be influenced by the stereotypical gender roles because they believe it limits them to act in one specific way. Two examples of children who were raised gender neutral are Sasha and Storm. Sasha of Canada and Storm of the UK were both born male but friends, family, and acquaintances were not made aware of the sex of these children. Sasha's sex was kept a secret for five years because his parents believed it was hard to keep it a secret when schooling started. Storm did not attend public school. Sasha was referred to as 'the infant' while Storm responded to boy and girl pronouns. Both of these children fall on a wide spectrum when it comes to acting or dressing more male or female. Unfortunately, many critics of this practice believe these families are experimenting on their children and raising them in a poor condition. I do not agree that this practice is for experimentation. I believe these families sincerely believe in limiting the chance of skewing their child's potential by categorizing them into a specific gender. I am interested in the long term effects of this practice and hope more families consider this. It is interesting that both Sasha and Storm prefer to dress in dresses and play with dolls because they do not know the female stereotype that this holds. However, I do believe you can teach children to be open-minded when it comes to playing with different boy and girl toys even with their gender identified. By not addressing a child's gender, the child will most likely have self identity issues and confusion in the future. He or she will eventually catch on to the secret as he or she grows older and experience the evils of the real world stereotypes.

Chapter 62 Summary

In chapter 62, The Political Economy of Privacy on Facebook by Christian Fuchs, the issues of privacy on Facebook are addressed. A new privacy policy has been adopted which causes lots of people to react in differing ways. Facebook is used by over 1.15 billion users which is why it is no surprise that this new policy causes lots of controversy. Moreover, most users of Facebook are not aware of the current policy and disregard the message when Facebook posts that they have a new policy. However, when or if something significant happens to their own privacy, then they are bothered and extremely outspoken about it. The new privacy policy of Facebook is analyzed thoroughly throughout the chapter. It is noted that corporations collect personal data and internet usage and sell it to third party advertising agencies. The users of Facebook are not aware with what information is being taken and shared to these third party agencies. As a result, it is difficult for them to protect themselves. Facebook shares this privacy policy, but the users simply accept it and move on. This policy has made many users upset, but I believe it is helpful because ads are shown to me that I would admire more than random ones. I almost always browse the advertisements shown to me on Facebook and shop through the information given to me. As long as my Facebook pictures are not posted on a billboard, I do not feel anxiety if corporations are sharing my information with advertising companies. I am also surprised with the new policy that Facebook introduced recently with the profiles of individuals who have passed. It interests me of where the future of Facebook will go. 

Social Networks

After spending some time scrolling through Facebook, I have realized that most of the posts on my timeline are from acquaintances rather than friends. These people, mostly girls, post humorous video clips, edited photos, and statuses that come off as bragging. Most of the profile pictures on Facebook are edited to make the girls appear more tan with filters and other mobile apps. In addition, the girls seem to only post pictures that they personally approve of and do not care if the person tagged in the picture does or does not approve of it. For instance, many of my girlfriends become worried whenever they get a notification that they are tagged in a picture. This is the case because they are paranoid about how they look on the Internet. They have this notion that they must appear skinny, tan, and happy in every single picture posted online. 

In contrast, the boys on my timeline post much less frequently and generally talk about politics and sports. They are not concerned about edited pictures of themselves in the way girls are. In my opinion, Facebook pages are gendered and serve as virtual personalities. These pages are not accurate descriptions of the individuals that they represent. They simply show a skewed personality of the person because the owner of the page only posts statuses and pictures that he or she wants everyone to see. It is unfortunate that individuals in college post several pictures of themselves out partying while wearing scandalous outfits. These posts can be seen by future employers and prevent the Facebook user from being hired. Several of my friends try to prevent this from happening by using Facebook names that are not exactly their full name. For example, a girl named Jennifer Smith might have a Facebook name, Jenn Jenn S. It is important for Facebook users to be careful with the things that they post because their posts can be seen by anyone anywhere in the world. 

In the article “Why You (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life” by Danah Boyd, the author explains how many teenagers relate being popular and cool with having a profile on social media. Teenagers and young adults use social media multiple times a day to present themselves and make personal statements about themselves and others. However, these teens are abusing the social media sites and in some instances using it as a form of bullying. Our society needs to take action to prevent the harms of social media within the teenage population. It is important for parents to overlook the pages of teenagers so these teens can prevent themselves from being attacked; parents can also monitor the pages so the teens do not use the social media sites in a negative way. 

Chapter 16 Summary

In chapter 16, The "Rich Bitch": Class and Gender on the Real Housewives of New York City, Michael J. Lee and Leigh Moscowitz analyze how the portrayal of women on the show can have an effect on its audience. This show is drama filled that "takes aim at the consumptive lives of its arriviste heroines." These heroines are generally white females of the upper class with thoughtless attitudes. These women "transgress the traditional gender roles of a supportive friend, nurturing mother, doting wife, and ceaseless caretaker." They neglect their private roles as mothers and their money destroys their self-awareness, friendships, and mothering duties. Viewers of this show feed off of the drama that these women create.

RHW-NYC uses ironic "winks," also known as "The Bravo Wink." These winks alert the viewers that they are about to be in on a secret or to indicate that the audience assumption is about to be violated. They can also indicate an irresponsible thing that one of the "rich bitches" have just done. These winks conclude that the show is filled with irony which allows the viewers to see things that the characters cannot see. The article continues to analyze the ways in which wealth and social class and wealth and social life are major ironies within the show.

The women on this show are seen as bad mothers who neglect their home life for social life. They outsource their motherhood duties to caretakers and nannies who provide meals, social activities, and nurturing behaviors to their children. In my opinion, I would hate to have grown up with a nanny rather than my mother. I would feel neglected and as a result have emotional issues. Television shows like these create horrible role models for their viewers. By watching RHW-NYC, viewers will set unrealistic goals for their families and try to mimic their behaviors. It is important to remember that these shows are simply for entertainment and should never be seen as informative.

Reality Television

The Biggest Loser is a reality television show that features obese people competing to win a cash prize by losing the highest percentage of weight. The show aggressively trains the contestants and puts them on a very low calorie diet. The show features extreme physical challenges and the gossip that goes along with it. However, one contestant wrote an article about what the television show does not actually air. In other words, everything you see on the television show is not all reality. These contestants are worked until they are physically spent with bleeding feet, extreme exhaustion, and painful shin splints. Moreover, the trainers are not as motivating as they are when they are being filmed. The trainers humiliate the contestants and bully them until they are in tears calling them very hurtful names. 

I watched the season 16, episode 16 of The Biggest Loser. A competitor that stood out to me was Rob Guiry. He started the show weighing in at 483 pounds and lost over 200 pounds. He is a head coach and residence manager at Western New England University. Being involved with coaching rugby for years, he says in the episode that he always had the mentality that, "bigger was better" for sports. This idea is common in today's society because men are always trying to have big muscular bodies that mimic super heroes and other fictional characters. It is not healthy for men to strive to be these figures that are not capable without steroids and other illegal supplements. In addition, Guiry is very emotional in the episode. He cries on national television because he is upset that he is getting sent back a week and the show in itself is very difficult. A man that is emotional is the opposite of the stereotypical gender role because women are stereotyped to be the emotional ones. However, he is very competitive by striving to be the winner at all times, which is a stereotypical trait of a man. Men are known to be competitive and aggressive individuals. The following link shows a short clip of Guiry's struggle on The Biggest Loser. 

http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/video/bobs-back-and-hes-not-alone/2840367?onid=192226#vc192226=1

Chapter 41 Summary

Chapter 41, The Limitations of the Discourse of Norms: Gay Visibility and Degrees of Transgression, by Jay Clarkson analyzes the functions of gay visibility and the role of gender performance in the understanding of sexuality. The chapter comments on two different views of this idea. The two conflicting views come from StraightActing.com, an Internet discussion board for self-identified straight-acting gay men. Some of the gay men from this site argue that "transgressive gender performance, not just same-sex desire, is the root of antigay attitudes" (Clarkson 392).  They believe that homophobia comes from the fear of gender performances rather than same-sex attraction. I believe that gay men, either quietly gay or flamboyant, should take pride in their sexual identity in order for society to recognize the diversity of gay identities. I also believe this will allow society to become more accepting of the LGBTQ culture. The media tends to only show the flamboyant gays as a form of comedy which creates stereotypes for homosexuality and makes it seem like all gay men are this way. If the media were to alter this, I believe the gay community would experience less discrimination and have more rights. In addition, the article makes the point that not all gay people are allies. I agree with this statement because it does not matter what someone's sexual identity is in order for them to have friends of a differing sexual identity.
The first person's opinion on gay visibility from StraightActing.com suggests that gay visibility would improve in quality if gay pride parades were abolished and gay men implemented a strategy of "quietly gay." He believes that these gay pride events and parades are toxic and create hate crimes. He further explains that this quietly gay movement would demonstrate normal men living normal lives. An example of a quietly gay event was when gay couples were standing in line waiting to receive their marriage licenses. This "quiet" event allows the community to reflect on the homosexual culture but does not aggressively rub it in their faces. On the other hand, a challenger to this debate argues that pride has won the gay community more rights, less discrimination, and less fears. This side of the debate rests on the idea that increased visibility results in increased power in the form of acceptance and civil rights. He does not believe that gay men should be quiet when they do not want to. In conclusion, I believe a mixture of these two kinds of events to gain exposure will have rewarding outcomes for the homosexual people.

Boys, Girls and Toys- Oh My

When you walk into a toy store, it is very obvious what aisles are marketed for boys or girls. The girls toy section is mostly pink with some purples. The boys toy section is filled with blue and red toys. These colors are the stereotypical colors that associate with boys and girls. In addition, the aisles marketed for boys have toys such as cars, action figures, and superheroes. These superheroes and action figures have disproportionate bodies that exaggerate huge muscles and extremely tall bodies. This emphasizes society's stereotype that all men need to be strong and aggressive. On the other hand, the section for girls has baby dolls, cooking sets, and princesses. This is the case because women are known as the caregivers in society and take on the private life within the home by cooking and taking care of their children. Toy makers teach young children these stereotypical gender roles at very early ages. I believe that toy stores need a gender neutral aisle as well. This aisle would include toys of various colors for packaging. In addition, the aisle would have toys such as different animal figures, coloring books, games, and other toys that do not reflect the stereotypical gender roles. This allows children to create their own identities and not to be influenced by the toy makers. I believe young boys should be able to play with dolls and kitchen sets just as much as girls do. They, too, will someday be a father or caregiver and need to learn how to hold and take care of a baby. In addition, I believe young girls should be able to race cars around a track and play with superheroes. Women drive cars just as much as men do after receiving their driver's license so it should be no surprise that young girls should be able to play with cars like young boys do. It did not surprise me that the young girl in the YouTube video was aware of these specific gendered areas within toy stores. I agree with her that boys and girls should be able to choose any toy that they would like. This allows them to be creative and expand their imagination. 

Gender and The Military

Personally, I do not know anyone that has been part of the military. However, I do see mutual friends posting on social media about military soldiers and their duties. Also, two of my female friends who are 22 and 23 years old are already married to a male in the armed forces. Soldiers tend to marry young because there are significant financial benefits and social supports that come from marriage. These military wives have very difficult times when their husbands are overseas in combat. Military wives need substantial amounts of emotional support and a strong support system in order to stay calm and get through the times being without their significant other. On the other hand, I do not know any military husbands. I would assume that these men would need a strong support system as well, but I do believe that women struggle emotionally a little bit more than men do. Because of the female biological make up of hormones, we are more emotional and sensitive than men. 

Women have been involved in the US military since 1775, but more in the civilian roles of nursing, cooking, and sewing uniforms. However, it was not until 1948 that women were made a permanent part of the military. To this day, women have not yet been allowed to join the US Army's Special Operations community. This may be due to the "real physical differences between men and women, in terms of upper-body strength and the like" according to the article Sexuality, Gender, and The US Military. I believe that men and women soldiers should be allowed to fight in combat in whatever area that they please as long as they both pass the same physical training and mental health tests. These soldiers wear the same uniform, eat the same food, experience the same physical tasks no matter what their sex is. Therefore, I believe that men and women are treated equally in the military. They are stripped of their personal characteristics and preferences and resocialized into members of a cohesive unit.

The media and pop culture present male and female soldiers in opposing ways. The media always tends to portray females as sexual objects and males as tough, serious, and muscular men. The military ads are no different. Male soldiers are serious and saluting the country in ads while female soldiers are posing in a sexual way with make up and hair done. This is definitely not how the females are in service, but that is how the advertising community displays them. Moreover, the military ads show way more males than females because the social stereotype does not agree with having females acting in serious and combative ways.

Fighting Fire With Fabulous

The article, Fighting Fire With Fabulous, describes how Dave and Scott Dambacher are going to take on the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). This church is led by Fred Phelps who leads the members of his church in protests against homosexual people, Jewish institutions, Catholicism, and other religions and beliefs. This church even promotes picketing at funerals of gay victims of murder or people who have died from AIDS. This church is headquartered in Topeka, Kansas, and the Dambacher brothers are headed to this town. The brothers are going to film a new rock musical show in Topeka to counter the WBC influence on people. This show is going to act as a revolution through art in order to change people's viewpoints. The brothers hope the WBC protest the show or maybe even change their mind on some of their hateful views. The show will include characters that are targeted by the WBC and be known as "The Freaka in Topeka" which has the tagline "fight fire with fabulous." The brothers also hope that the community gets involved with the show by giving their own personal input on online threads to act as a collective medium.

I believe this idea is a great way for people in the Topeka community to share their ideas and beliefs on the WBC. However, I do not believe this show will change the WBC's viewpoints on things. The members of this church come primarily from the extended family of Phelps, and they are brainwashed into these beliefs. It is disgusting that these people are allowed to run a church based off of hatred towards innocent people. Their actions against the gay community are cruel and utterly ridiculous. I believe these WBC members need to be punished for the pain that they have caused to many innocent people. Moreover, I appreciate that the Dambacher brothers are taking the first big step to counter the WBC by getting the entire community involved. The alliteration used in the tagline of the show is also very clever and powerful. I would be interested in watching an episode of this rock musical show to see how the WBC responds. I am positive that they will have many picketers at the filming of this show.

Pornography and Pop Culture: Backlash and a Feminism that is Contrary to Feminism

Pornography and Pop Culture: Backlash and a Feminism that is Contrary to Feminism by Rebecca Whisnant describes different models, tenets of radical feminism, and suggestions. During the mid to late 1970s an idea emerged that pornography conveyed the ideology of male dominance. This time period was part of Whisnant's second wave model. Whisnant's wave model is divided into three parts. The first wave is during the late 19th century when women were fighting for rights in marriage and the right to vote. The second wave describes the feminists of the late 1960s and 1970s. The third wave is feminism from the 1990s and later. Throughout the three waves, the differences between liberal and radical feminism remained the same, but the generational differences were contrasting.

Whisnant also explained three central tenets of radical feminism. The first idea was that women share common conditions, and they must undertake actions not only to benefit themselves but that benefit women's position as a class. The second idea was that personal is the political. In other words, many women believe their experiences are unique however, these experiences are very common among many women. The third idea was that sex is an arena of politics-- a place where power hierarchies are enacted and reinforced. Radical feminism supports the idea that power hierarchies need to be challenged and transformed.

A "third wave" view on pornography is that women should make their own form of feminist pornography. However, this pornography does not differ in many ways from modern day porn. One difference is that the women involved may have tattoos and piercings. This "feminist porn" can have men calling a girl a slut and spitting on her as long as everyone is in control of their actions. Whisnant suggests people to "remove themselves from the pornification around and its cynical and hateful messages, in order to start thinking our own thoughts and drawing our own experiences of love and sex..." She also suggests for people to discover what sexual freedom is and to not be brainwashed by the pornification market that objectifies others' sexuality. I am very surprised by this idea of "third wave feminist pornography." It is very disgusting and alarming that women can still be spit on and called a slut and still be in control. The pornography marketplace is one that is larger than one can even imagine, and I believe it will be very difficult for some individuals to remove themselves from it.  Pornography is used daily by many people and the idea of discovering sexual freedom may be close to impossible to reach.

Intelligence vs. Icon

            After reading the article, “Not Just a Dumb Blonde” by Neil Norman, one will understand that Marilyn Monroe was actually a smart individual and not a dumb blonde. Most of the American society thinks of Monroe as a blonde bombshell sex figure. However, this woman has an intelligent brain although she did not receive a college degree. She was constantly trying to improve her intelligence by associating with intelligent people, reading books such as Ulysses, and writing poems. Moreover, she has an IQ of 163, a production company, and a successful business career.  It is a shame that her followers confused her dumb blonde characters onto her actual self. Many people overlook women who are gorgeous and also intelligent. This goes to show how our society would rather admire a woman’s appearance rather than her internal beauty and brains. 

Another woman that comes to mind when thinking of a celebrity that plays dumb but is actually extremely intelligent is Lisa Kudrow. Kudrow is an American actress, comedian, and producer who plays Phoebe on the television show Friends. Although her characters tend to portray a dumb blonde, she is actually a very intelligent woman. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Vassar College because she initially wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps to become a headache specialist and physician. She researched and studied headaches for eight years while earning a research credit on the study. One analyst from the article, "Lisa Kudrow: One smart Kookie," comments on Kudrow saying, “She was the ditzy friend, but the real-life Lisa Kudrow is a powerhouse.” After the research, she started her acting career. I believe Monroe and Kudrow may have hid their intellect in order to consume the role of their characters.  By fully engulfing into their acting careers, they do not let their audiences see their true personalities and qualities. I believe people should not jump to conclusions on individuals who play roles as dumb blondes or other unintelligent figures. Many actors and actresses have pursued college and started their own businesses or nonprofit organizations. I believe women should be vocal about their accomplishments and successes in order to give the media something positive to focus on. 

http://www.zimbio.com/10+Secretly+Smart+Celebrities/articles/ZZzQx_HZebp/Lisa+Kudrow

http://www.more.com/lisa-kudrow-one-smart-kookie

Chapter 14 Summary

In Mary F. Rogers’ article, Hetero Barbie?, she questions Barbie’s sexual identity and evaluates her appearance as well as her users.  Barbie tends to exaggerate her woman figure by having large breasts, very skinny waist, extremely long legs, and flat hips.  This figure is an unrealistic proportionate woman figure and may seem to imitate the ideals of a drag queen.  Her wardrobe is filled with sparkling, beaded blouses, high heels, diamond headdresses, and gowns which also suggests the possibility that Barbie is a drag queen. Barbie’s social settings also suggest the opposite of a stereotypical heterosexual lifestyle.  She comes off having a single lifestyle by traveling the world, having numerous occupations, and not being married to Ken. 

Moreover, Rogers explains “Barbie is relatively free of such heterocentrism and heterosexism and thus holds relative appeal for nonheterosexual people, especially gay men” (Rogers 129). Barbie is open to nonstraight sexualities.  Barbie may be a lesbian, a bisexual woman, or asexual.  Barbie never comes out and tells its customers the true sexual identity. 

In addition, Rogers puts light onto the users of Barbie. Michael Osborne has been a Barbie doll collector since he was thirteen years old and has over 300 dolls.  One would assume Osborne is a nonheterosexual male that enjoys playing with Barbies. Barbie’s users are generally young girls but there are always exceptions. 

As a young girl, I used to enjoy playing with Barbies, and I do not believe that they acted as a bad role model for me. I did not try to base my looks off of hers and never tried to imitate her unrealistic proportionate figure.  I simply enjoyed dressing her up and playing with her in the dollhouse. Barbie allowed me to express my imagination by designing outfits and building her mansion.  I never thought about the idea of Barbie being a drag queen before reading this article, but now I am beginning to agree that she imitates this appearance and behavior.  It is interesting to think that Barbie may be a lesbian or a bisexual woman that never actually was in a relationship with Ken. 

Gendered Slang/Language

I do believe our colloquialisms in the English language are gendered.  Our language as a whole is gendered which speaks about our cultural norms and gender inequality.  Some of the gendered language has a negative connotation while some seem to have little criticism attached to the meaning. For example, when speaking to a group of people, a person of the English language may refer to the group of people as "guys." The group of people can consist of males and females and both sexes will respond to "guys."  In my opinion, this language does not hold any negative connotation to the females of the group. However, some critics believe this language reinforces the idea that men are the standard and women are subsumed into the male category.

After looking at the list of slang related to genitalia from the year 1250 to today, one can realize that gendered language is not a new idea and is part of our history. Today, people are trying to make movements to develop nonsexist English by beginning to say "first year students" rather than "freshmen" and "police officer" rather than "policeman."  This movement may be a significant move toward gender equality because the changed language will affect the behaviors of people.

In today's conversation, the terms "side bitch" and "thot" are very popular and are often brought up in pop culture. These two terms are gendered towards women and have negative connotations.  Urban Dictionary defines a "side bitch" as "a woman that is one level above a jump off but always a step below a wife, wifey, girlfriend." A side bitch has no power and is a male's sexual pleasure figure. She does not have any of the perks of a significant other and is seen as a mistress. The word "thot" is a term attributed to females that have a promiscuous lifestyle.  Although the term "thot" is referred to women, men are sometimes known for having "thot-like" behaviors.  I find it a lot easier to come up with gendered terms for women rather than men.  This might be because men are stereotyped to be superior to women and our language reflects that.  It is upsetting to me that some women are not even offended by these cruel colloquialisms and take them without any emotion.

Chapter 26 Summary- Image-Based Culture: Advertising and Popular Culture

In Sut Jhally’s article, Image-Based Culture: Advertising and Popular Culture, advertising is seen as “the major structuring institution of contemporary consumer society” (Jhally 246). Advertising began through the use of newspapers to transmit textual information about products. Then as color images were being produced, magazines and color photography began to display images as advertisements. Today with technology on the rise, we are submerged with advertisements on social media, television, Internet, and in Jhally’s words, “it is [in] the air that we breathe as we live our daily lives” (Jhally 247). 

After surveying a population, people seek good friendships, personal autonomy, happy family life, self-esteem, leisure time, and loving relations in order to be happy.  In other words, people are not focused on material objects in order to be happy.  Therefore, the marketplace needs to connect material objects to the social things that create happiness.  For example, food is connected with family values and bonding time.  The advertising image-system is constantly manipulating its audience into believing that happiness and satisfaction will come after a purchase. 

Music videos are also seen as a way of advertising within the music industry.  Music videos are visually pleasurable commercials for records.  It is of no surprise that music videos and commercials use sexuality in order to sell a product, service, or idea.

Another point that Jhally makes is the speedy way in which an advertisement is able to induce feeling to its audience.  Commercials on television have time slots as short as thirty seconds and directly sell feeling and emotion rather than products.  They are constructed with rapid images and music.  This speed-up concept has two consequences.  It allows its viewer to be attentive to the gratifying, rich, and complex images, sometimes sexual. The concept also allows its viewer to react with emotion and feeling rather than thinking. 

Through advertising, people can learn about pop culture and get a sense of what is happening around the world.  People see hundreds of advertisements a day and are influenced by these images throughout their daily lives.  While I scroll through my social media pages, I am encountered with dozens of ads relating to my previous searches.  This allows me to be targeted by companies, and I am always forced into buying unnecessary products from a ten second ad.

All in The Family

In the past, around the 1950's era, a nuclear family was considered the norm. The nuclear family consists of a mother, father, and generally two children, a boy and a girl.  The mother and father of a nuclear family are married without any marital issues in the past or present.  This was considered to be the perfect family.  The father took part in labor intensive work outside of the home while the mother worked in the household cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the two children.

In modern day, the nuclear family is not as common.  Society is beginning to accept same sex parents, teen parents, and divorced parents.  Children are being raised by single parents and being just as successful as children that were raised by their married parents.  The media is also adapting to these types of families.  The MTV shows, Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant, allow their audience to see how teen parents raise their families with limited income. In some cases, the grandparents have to act as the caretakers for the children. With married couples having over a 50% divorce rate today, families can be made up of step parents, step siblings, and half siblings.  All of these types of families are not looked down upon because today's culture is accepting to this phenomena.

The article, Dad- Mom Role Reversals, describes a family that transitions into a working breadwinner mother and a stay at home father due to the recession.  The parents are not only financially stressed but also emotionally.  The father begins to take on cleaning and cooking and taking care of the children while the mother works longer hours.  This may shatter the father's self esteem because he is used to providing for himself rather than depending on someone else.  I understand that this is a very difficult transition, and I would definitely feel uncomfortable at first if my father was doing the laundry and making my lunch for school when I was a child.  Although it is a shock at first, I am sure that everything works out in the end and the parents are able to make it work as long as they are there for each other.

Chapter 55 Summary

Chapter 55, "Critiquing Reality-Based Televisual Black Fatherhood: A Critical Analysis of Run's House and Snoop Dogg's Father Hood," by Debra C. Smith analyzes the stereotypical beliefs of Black families and father hood.  The chapter starts by critiquing The Cosby Show, the first show with an all-Black cast that avoided stereotyping.  This show exemplified a well off black family that had happy endings, family values, stability, and good parenting.  This show contradicted what society stereotyped black families, such as having limited education,  growing up with single mothers, and living in unsafe neighborhoods.  Although The Cosby Show was fictional, the show portrayed Black families optimistically and modeled good examples for Black children and father hood.  After The Cosby Show broke the ice for the normalized black nuclear family, two other Black families have been brought to the media in the twenty-first century to act as examples for non-stereotypical images of African American families and father hood, Run's House and Snoop Dogg's Father Hood.  These two families are on reality television and give two different perceptions of Black parenting for rap music artists.  The Run's House father, Joseph Simmons, is beyond the gangster, irresponsible lifestyle and encourages his family to resolve conflicts by having family discussions as well as talking with a therapist.   Simmons embraces religion and respect in his household.  He also coaches his children through the obstacles they encounter throughout their young adult years.  The Simmons family provides a realistic upper class Black family example to the media.  On the other hand, Snoop Dogg and his family represent real day to day activity with a different parenting style than Cosby and Simmons.  Snoop is a father from the 'hood and connects to working class black cultural institutions, food, and environments.  He also does not discipline his children in an authoritative way but rather a laidback style and has his wife run the show.  Although Snoop encourages his children to be diligent in school and to respect their family history, he fails as an authoritarian.  Smith states, "despite his laidback parenting style, most viewers have a positive reaction to Father Hood" (Smith 531).  The show still brings lessons of Black family success, humor, and harmony.  I believe all of the television shows above teach a lesson and allow society to break the stereotypes of Black fathers.  Simmons, Snoop, and Cosby all demonstrate family loving values and give viewers an idea of what it is like to raise a Black family in different styles.