Talking Point #4--Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

Linda Christensen: Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us

Premise:

• culture of power
• racism
• media
• education
• minorities
  
• stereotypes
  
• Disney
• discomfort
• gender
• accepted knowledge

Author's Argument:

Christensen argues that authors and producers in the media need to depict their works with social equality and that people need to be more critical and eye opening towards the way that these stereotypical genre's are portrayed. Children's media influence the way they act, live, and dream. Individuals need to learn about the "secret education" and "unlearning myths."

Evidence:

1. "Children's cartoons, movies, and literature are perhaps the most influential genre "read" (127).

1. "Many students don't want to believe that they have been manipulated by children's media or advertising. No one wants to admit that they've been 'handled' by the media" (128).
   
2. Daffy Duck--"'This is just a dumb little cartoon with some ducks running around in clothes' Then students start to notice patterns-like the absence of female characters in many of the older cartoons. When women do appear, they look like Jessica Rabbit or Playboy centerfolds--even in many new and 'improved' children's movies" (130).
   
3. "During a class discussion Sabrina said: 'I realized these problems weren't just in cartoons. They were in everything -- every magazine I picked up, every television show I watched, every billboard I passed by on the street'" (134).
4. "They were fueled by the opportunity to convince some parents of the long-lasting effects cartoons impose on their children, or to enlighten their peers about the roots of some of their insecurities" (137).

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:

Christensen's article was very easy and fun to read. It is also easy to relate to because everyone has watched Disney movies or cartoon shows such as Popeye. The thing is, no one really realizes how stereotypical these shows are. Until now I didn't even realize it myself, but it is very true. After I read this I thought about the activity that we did in class, SWAAMP. I related it to the "whiteness" category and how we do not have a black Santa, etc. I also remembered reading articles about how many Cinderella stories there are: Chinese, Native American, Black, etc. I also found that the activity the students did on writing essays critiquing cartoons was very interesting. This activity provides an eye opening of the kind of media out there; maybe this can help save future generations of media.