Bell Hooks

brings out the aspect of popular culture on different issues such as gender, racism, and ethnicity through various Hollywood icons such as Madonna. Hook's views are eye-opening, which prompt an individual to delve into and comprehend issues on race, sexuality, gender, etc. I agree with her on how media representations progress societal issues, increasing racism, gender inequality, patriarchy, and supremacy within societies. For instance, when she speaks about the power of representation in perpetuating different issues and behaviors in society, she shows how people of different races are portrayed in popular culture. These representations have been propagated into society, further perpetuating racial and gender stereotypes in societies. She also demonstrates that popular culture has immense power in bringing out the issues of racism, gender, sexuality, and equality in society. Therefore, I agree with Bell Hook's views on the different issues.

Mass media has helped in promoting inequality through exclusion and exaggeration of difference. Bell Hooks shows various examples of the role that pop culture has helped in promoting inequality through exclusion and exaggeration of difference. For instance, she explains that most cinema makers explain that it's a certain level of blackness that they need to incorporate in their Hollywood movies, excluding other levels and experiences of the different groups of people and races (Hooks, 1997). Furthermore, mass media has promoted inequality by excluding news for and about women, negating the chances of creating a balance between men and women in society. Exclusion and exaggeration of influence are also demonstrated in terms of race, gender, and sexuality, which are demonstrated by the mass media through movies and music, encouraging further inequality.

Moreover, mass media helps reinforce viewpoints of the white male and corporate culture. Media is skewed through how it displays men as compared to women. For instance, in various movies and even news, men are demonstrated as the dominant beings whereby they are displayed as individuals with better job roles. If a man handles domestic work or they are considered inferior. White and male viewpoints are also reinforced in mass media, especially the Texas ban on abortion is a prime example of how white and male viewpoints are reinforced. For this reason, one can establish that media plays a huge role in propagating stereotypes, inequalities, and certain societal behaviors. Hence, the need for the mass media players to engage in activities and conversations that help encourage quality across races, gender, and sexuality.

References

Byman, D. (2021). Counterterrorism and modern white supremacy. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 1-28. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1057610X.2021.1956100

https://ediaed.org/transcripts/Bell-Hooks-Transcript.pdf