This article was very interesting to
read as it sheds light on the different viewpoints of popular culture when it
is linked to gender and race. It was very eye opening to see how differently
people can view something as simple as a television show on TV solely due to
their gender, and even what class they occupy in society. Depending on the type
of television show being aired, working class women could relate more readily
to some TV shows compared to the middle class, and vise versa. This was a valid
point that was made in the article because depending on each individual woman’s
lifestyle, they can only relate to such things that they have or have the opportunity
to personally experience. This reflects on what each class has access to due to
the income of their employment. As said in the article, working class women
have trouble relating to soap operas because they have not experienced nor have
the access to experience many scenarios that take part in such a show. They are
very dramatic and usually play out the most theatrical scenarios possible,
which is the main reason working class women cannot relate.
Another interesting fact that arose
was when the article mentioned the TV show, The
Cosby Show which touched on the role of race when linking perspectives of
popular culture. Although this show reached out more to the black society, it was
popular amongst both racial groups as a middle class, black family working
towards the American Dream, which can be inspirational and lure in many types
of audiences. However, the article states, “In Enlightened Racism: The Cosby
Show, Audiences, and the Myth of the American Dream, Halley and Lewis (1992:50)
report that white viewers saw a black family,
whereas black viewers saw a black
family” (Kim 16). This was particularly noteworthy because this suggests that
white people live in a world where skin color does not exactly jump out at
them, compared to other races such as the black community. As the article goes
on to explain, the white community does not see racism as a social issue any
longer and are more likely to be what some may call, “color-blind.’ The black
community on the other hand, enjoyed this show because it emphasized the black family. The focus was more on the
race rather than the purpose of the show. This portrays self-blame when it
comes to some race issues in society. A large reason why some of these issues
still seem to exist can be linked to the fact that the black community
sometimes looks for this racial
stimulation, even if race wasn’t supposed to be emphasized. This article opened
my mind to varying perspectives on popular culture according to race, gender,
and the class in which the individual occupies.
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