Analyzing Representations of Gender and Race in Media Images

by | Mar 13, 2024 | ENGLISH

 

Conducting analysis on images is similar to analyzing written texts, but there are certainly differences as well. Work will be done in class to assist you with this process, but two handouts are also provided on Blackboard to guide you through exploring the details of your ads. The titles of the handouts are listed below. It is recommended that you consider one or both of these documents as you choose your images.

• “Analyzing Ads: Gender” by Angela Eward-Mangione, Emma Brown, and Susan Gail Taylor (available on Blackboard)
• “Analyzing Ads: Race” by Jessica Masari Eberhard, Sam Corbett, and Susan Gail Taylor (available on Blackboard)
This assignment asks you to analyze representations of gender and/or race in two media images of your choosing (one of which must have been published in the last ten years) – images from print advertisements, billboards, movie posters, or some other published visual document approved by your instructor. (Note that you may not choose images mentioned in any of the texts discussed in class.) Your analysis will be heavily informed by what might be called a “lens text” – a text that provides a framework for understanding or interpreting something. In this case, your lens text/s will either be the text by Kilbourne, by Katz, and/or by Fuerst.
Your goal for Writing Project Two will be to apply some of the ideas from at least one of these texts to the two media images you choose to focus on. In other words, you’ll find two images and then analyze them through the “lens” of Kilbourne’s, Katz’s, and/or Fuerst’s ideas. Maybe you’ll discover that your images illustrate their ideas, or that your images contradict them, or that their ideas enlarge your understanding of the images in some specific way…or something else.
Overall, your main job in your paper will be to:
• Assert a thesis. In one or two sentences, explain your overall analysis of your chosen images. In other words, make a point about how the images you’ve chosen relate to one or more of Kilbourne’s, Katz’s, and/or Fuerst’s ideas. Your thesis may also forecast the main ideas that you’ll discuss in the body of your paper.
• Describe your chosen images. Describe the verbal and visual elements of your images in detail, so that people reading your paper can picture the images in their minds (even if you choose to embed your images into your project).
• Analyze your chosen images. Provide a series of well-developed paragraphs in which you discuss your images in relation to the lens text/s you’ve chosen. Analyze the visual and verbal elements, and show how one image relates to the other. Be sure to give examples from the images to illustrate your main idea (thesis), and be sure to incorporate references to the lens text/s. Use those references to support your own analysis. Ultimately, your analysis should help readers gain new insights into your images (and perhaps new insights into the lens text as well).

The two images are attached and their respective links for the MLA citation will be linked below:
https://www.businessinsider.com/is-ashton-kutchers-new-popchips-ad-racist-with-blackface-2012-5%0A%0A
https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:7m01bp217

Sample solution

Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell. 

In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.


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God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.

Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.

To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.

 

References

Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.

Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Answer

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Analyzing Representations of Gender and Race in Media Images

In the modern era, media images play a significant role in shaping societal perceptions of gender and race. Through the lens of critical texts by Kilbourne, Katz, and Fuerst, this analysis will delve into two media images to explore how they portray and reinforce stereotypes related to gender and race. The selected images for analysis are an advertisement featuring Ashton Kutcher for Popchips and a vintage poster promoting women’s suffrage.

Thesis Statement

The analysis of the Popchips advertisement and the women’s suffrage poster reveals how gender and racial stereotypes are perpetuated and challenged in media representations. While the Popchips ad exemplifies racial insensitivity through its portrayal of Ashton Kutcher in brownface, the women’s suffrage poster subverts traditional gender roles by empowering women to advocate for their right to vote.

Description of Chosen Images

The Popchips advertisement from 2012 features Ashton Kutcher dressed as a Bollywood producer named Raj, complete with brown makeup, a thick accent, and stereotypical attire. This portrayal has sparked controversy and accusations of racism due to the use of blackface/brownface makeup, perpetuating harmful stereotypes of Indian culture.

In contrast, the vintage women’s suffrage poster depicts a group of women marching in solidarity, holding banners that advocate for women’s right to vote. The image symbolizes the feminist movement of the early 20th century, emphasizing the struggle for gender equality and political representation for women.

Analysis of Chosen Images

In analyzing the Popchips ad through the lens of Kilbourne’s ideas on gender representation, we can see how the advertisement reinforces racial stereotypes by depicting Ashton Kutcher as a caricature of an Indian character. This portrayal not only perpetuates harmful stereotypes but also highlights the issue of cultural appropriation and insensitivity in media representations.

Drawing from Katz’s perspective on race and media, the Popchips ad exemplifies how racial insensitivity can be normalized and perpetuated through popular culture, influencing public perceptions and attitudes towards marginalized communities. The use of brownface makeup in the advertisement reflects a broader pattern of racism and discrimination in media portrayals.

On the other hand, analyzing the women’s suffrage poster through Fuerst’s exploration of gender dynamics in media reveals how the image challenges traditional gender roles by depicting women as advocates for social change and political empowerment. The poster serves as a powerful visual statement of women’s resilience and determination to fight for their rights in a male-dominated society.

In conclusion, the analysis of the Popchips advertisement and the women’s suffrage poster highlights the complex interplay between gender, race, and media representations. By applying critical perspectives from Kilbourne, Katz, and Fuerst, we can gain new insights into how media images shape societal perceptions and contribute to the reinforcement or subversion of stereotypes related to gender and race. It is essential to critically examine and challenge these representations to promote diversity, inclusion, and social justice in media portrayals.

 

 

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