Television show in terms of racial diversity

The show that I will be talking about is House MD. In the show, the main character is played by a white male. The cast of the show is predominately white and male, with only two white female characters that have important roles and only one black male. There are no Asian or Latino main characters. The show does not really reflect racial and gender diversity. The show is set in a  hospital environment where there are many diverse departments and all sorts of medicine being practiced, but the show's creator chose to have  the main characters all be played by white males. Diversity in media is important because we live in a diverse country. America is made up of all sorts of different ethnicities that have come together from all countries. Our shows and media should be representative of that rich culture. However, this is not the case as close to all shows and movies are always starring white men. We need to have more women and different ethnicities in our shows.

There are racial and gender stereotypes present in the show. The token black person, whose name is Foreman, used to be a car thief and has knowledge of criminal activities. Although he turned a new leaf and became a doctor, the show decided to portray his history in a very negative light. The two women are also victims of stereotypes. They are shown as the typical overly caring, thoughtful, warm people that are there to keep the "crazy men" in check. Although the two women are extremely smart and talented in medicine, there is still the obvious stereotyping involved.

Racist stereotyping in advertising

“Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.” 
― Muhammad Ali

I do not think it is ever okay to racially stereotype people for advertising purposes. In our country's history, all ethnicities have faced hardships and struggle as a result of biased thoughts and racism. To say that we are completely free of these harmful thoughts however would be a lie. Even today people still automatically judge people based on their skin color and therefore have a predetermined notion about them. Racism in advertising is very rampant in advertising even today, as ads require people to think of others in a certain way in order for them to think that the product being advertised is helpful and beneficial in some way. Even if the ad is doing so with humor, like the Mountain Dew ad being shown in class, there are still groups that are deeply affected by this. When other ethnic groups see this ad, they might automatically think of black people as criminals when of course in reality criminals come from all backgrounds.

“No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them” 
― Elie Wiesel

I believe that advertisers do have a responsibility to create ads that are not harmful to ethnic groups. If people really worked hard and wanted to, they could make ads that are free of these messages. I feel that people are just taking the easy way out in stereotyping people in order to send a message about a product. We need more forward thinkers to take over the industry so that racism and stereotypes in advertising can finally end.

“...racist thought and action says far more about the person they come from than the person they are directed at.” 
― Chris Crutcher, Whale Talk

3 ad semiotic analysis

Outdoor ad

Denotation:
-Apple computer ad
-Advertising the Ipad mini
-shows the hand holding the ipad mini



Connotation:
-only words are the trademark brand and product name, relies on simplicity that we have come to know Apple for
-Using the word 'mini' and nothing else also implies that that the product really is the center of attention and how it fits so easily into your hand




Print ad

Denotation
-Shows a usual Burger King meal combo of burger, sandwich, fries
-very clean white background
-catchphrase in the bottom left, logo and motto on right

-Connotation
-The design shows how the food are also travel items (suitcase, bag, luggage) that you can easily take on the go
-This implies that Burger King can go anywhere you need, its the food that's super convenient for you as well


TV ad

This is an ad for Clash of Clans

Denotation
-Shows Liam Neeson playing the game while he is waiting in line for a snack
-Demonstrates how you can attack other players who attack you
-Interupts his rant about the revenge attack with a comical break where the cashier hands Liam his scone

Connotation
-The advertisers used Liam Neeson because of his role in movies like Taken in order to make the ad seem more serious when he lost his fortress to the other player
-Because of his role in Taken as a vengeful killer, it tells us that we should be scared if we attack other players, but thats the point of the game
-The comic relief shows that this mobile phone game can really be played anywhere, anytime.

Post #3: Favorite Super Bowl Ad

My favorite Super Bowl ad was the Like a Girl ad by Always, a producer of feminine products. The ad campaign had been going since last year, and ever since seeing it I have been really impressed by how accurate it is. The ad talks about how the confidence of girls changes drastically during their adolescent years. Why is it that a 10 year old girl is fearless and charges when asked to run fast or fight, but an older girl fights differently? The answer really does lie in many deep rooted issues in society that have always been considered the norm, but only because no one really came forward to challenge old fashioned traditions and values that are now rapidly becoming obsolete. The ad is extremely effective by appealing to our hearts, showing the cute young girls that are also so determined to show off how strong and fearless they are. The commercial calls for men to really start to rethink these old fashioned views of women besides advertising the products made by the company. The brand story is one of identity and feminism and equality that should be known by everyone in this day and age. Empowering young girls to be confident is very important.
I think that the Super Bowl is very important as an advertising medium. As one of the most viewed events on television, any ad being shown will be seen by millions of people and thought about for days to come after the game ends. An event  like this with so much prestige and reputation definitely impacts how people react to the ads being shown during breaks. There's a reason why companies pay millions of dollars just for a 30 second short during the game. The ads definitely work.