This past week, several stories have featured prominently in the national news media that involved high-profile, "celebrity" figures who are African American: rap artist Kanye West and tennis star Serena Williams. In both instances, there were lapses in what some might refer to as "polite" or civil behavior in public. For West, there was the interruption of teen country singer Taylor Swift as she accepted her VMA award; for Williams, there was the use of extreme profanity at an official who made a call she disputed at the U.S. Open. The clips involving Kayne West can be found at:
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621529/20090914/west_kanye.jhtml
Embedded in the West incident (if not the one involving Williams), there are those who would suggest a racial subtext drives the media storyline: tough, uncouth urban black vs. dimunitive innocent white girl. Is there validity on any level to that view?
At first, I thought "There is a reason this is considered 'Entertainment journalism'." It seems so silly. I wouldn't have thought anything of it, and I certainly wouldn't have placed the racial subtext on it. But after exploring the link, I realized that the coverage does seem a little patronizing. Leno asking West "What would your mother think?" It does make me wonder if this kind of scolding would have happened if he was white. As for Williams, I'm sure she is not the only athlete (man or woman) to ever use profanity).
ReplyDeleteI think overall the media helps to perpetuate that continued line between blacks and whites. This reminds me of all the media hype whites get when they say something remotely racist. This is sort of like the other side, a way for whites to criticize blacks. It seems like the media is just waiting for an opportunity to pounce on these situations, whether they come from the black or the white side.
Nope. It's Kanye being Kanye. And its manufactured hype.
ReplyDeleteIt's a total MTV stunt preceded by Kanye storming the stage at the MTV Euro Awards (he interrupted JUSTICE as they accepted.)
Also, no one blinked about race when Rage Against the Machine's bassist Tim Commerford stormed the stage when he "protested" Limp Bizkit's win. Limp Bizkit sucked, they copped all of RATM's sound and moves but layered on dopey mookness from Jax, FL on top of it and declawed the band's political overtones. Commerford was totally justified in storming the stage.)
I think at the very bottom of the issue it's about good music versus bad music. The perfect pop princess who is so squeaky clean can generate an audience strictly because of her act not quality songwriting. Kanye is the truer artist in the sense that he embodies what art should be, confrontational and demanding. His artistic ouevre has eclipsed genre, style and has advanced pop music further than Swift could ever imagine.
Taylor Swift is about as disposable as the millions of teen queens that preceded her, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Miley Cyrus, Britney, Jessica, XTina etc etc etc. Unless she decides to become a real artist and write challenging songs that defy genre and archetype, she will be forever associated with Kanye's stage storming.
So go Kanye. Stand up for yourself like usual instead of bringing Beyonce (who is about 100000x more gifted songwriter, singer, musician, than Taylor Swift)
(Funny thing is, I really think it also serves as a way for the enigmatic and socially awkward, Kanye to meet artists he wants to work with. In his apology, he reached out to Swift to help her with her work.
AND, to reiterate, this was a MTV stunt. Who cares?)
The first thing I would like to bring forth are some links. The first link is a story which at the bottom features a quote from Serena about whether or not she feels she should apologize. The second is the video of what transpired. And the third is a video from 07 of a "white" female tennis player cursing (perhaps in a less threatening, less confrontational manner,) at a call made against her. She directs this quote to the person making the call against her.
ReplyDeletehttp://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/8221/50/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/3399034/serena_williams_curses_out_the_line_judge_at_the_u_s_open/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cmMpZekjD8
Okay, now for my piece. I feel like the media sees these stories as "pre written" stories. What I mean by that is, these celebrity involved situations happen and they showcase issues audiences have shown interest. Audiences are quick to soak up this kind of news, I myself, have even fallen victim to being one for entertainment news. They will not have to find a minute long segment to fill the time or another 500 word piece to fill the paper, because these take the place of the time fillers. They are "easy and safe," in the respect that not much knowledge or history is needed to display a specific event that the public/audiences will react to. As far as the media playing into the race, gender, and class issues, especially when it comes to celebrities: they take the bait and showcase them because they are deep rooted and speak for themselves. Everyone knows the issues are there and they are so involved that by showcasing stories like these media would not have to research history or get into a topic where what they are reporting may be so touchy. In some of Heider's book I recall a few people mentioning that they do not want to dig up these deep issues that have no set answer within a little segment or piece. The history behind a story dealing with race, gender, or class would take extensive research and would need longer than a one to two minute or one to two page news feature. There are specific news outlets that take a specific situation and talk about it in depth. They look at different possibilities, they get different sources to speak on the issue, and they talk essentially about one or a few topics. (Notice this is where you see "older" people and less turnover.) As far as a daily broadcast, or daily paper; there just is too much turn over to focus in on issues even within a certain area.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I am getting off topic here and I have not addressed the issue at hand, which is subtextual racism, and the media's reason for continuing with these stories. Subtextual racism can be found EVERYWHERE. If you are Italian and I am Puerto Rican; I can claim the reason why you did not return my phone call is because I am Puerto Rican. This may be a far stretch, but people take things PERSONAL! They first and foremost need to find a way to relate to a story or broadcast. Mostly that relation can be found in feelings/emotions. Like brought up in class the AnnieLe story is relatable because she has parents, because she is young, etc. These celebrity stories that subtextually represent race and class and gender are just as easily relatable. As far as addressing specifically Kanye and Serena, well I think we brushed a lot on that in class and I don't have much to specifically say here that I haven't already shared.
However, I will bring it back to what I always bring it back to: MONEY/BUSINESS, the bottom line is media are selling a product, and they need to "advertise" what the people want so that their product is "bought." If audiences have responded in the past to these types of stories for whatever reason, even if it is one as simple as saying these celebrities are not perfect, they are just like us; or my life is better than that, then media are aware that what has worked before will work now. Put the same package in a new fancy ribbon and there is just something about it that makes you say "ooh," and "ahh" and makes you want to open it. You are tricked into thinking it is different.
I think that the suggestion of racial subtext can be drawn from ANY situation involving a black person and a white person, or people of any color/race for that matter. When I watched the VMA's I did not think "mean black Kanye is attacking nice innocent white Taylor". However, just because I didn't think of it doesn't mean that someone else didn't think of it while watching the same incident. If anything I would draw gender subtext from the incident. I have a hard time picturing the scenario going the other way. Either way I think it comes down to common courtesy and respect for one another regardless of race, gender, age, class, etc. But I get that thi$ i$ the entertainment indu$try we're talking about and being outrageou$ get$ more attention than being nice.
ReplyDeleteSo obviously, it sells. But only because we're all buying into it. So why are we buying it? I think we made a point today in class when we said that it's EASY. We can all pretty much agree that Kanye's and Serena's actions were impolite. End of story. REAL issues are controversial. They take time to dissect and discuss and there are no right answers. Maybe we just don't have time to get to the real stories. We're all doing a million things at once and unless we have months, years or lifetimes to devote to real issues we may never uncover them.
I think we beat this topic to death in class. I wish we could have spent more time on Annie Le. The dynamic in that situation is different because she was not a celebrity, and I would rate murder above celebrity news any day. I would like to see what racial texts and subtexts are in that case because I didn't see any initially. Besides, celebrities get enough coverage in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThere is validity in the subtext in the Kanye incident, which my fellow classmates have already pointed out. I'm going to completely write off Serena Williams' outburst as professional athlete jargon since many pro athletes curse. Besides, how does this affect my life? It doesn’t.
I happen to agree with Matt on the Kanye situation, that it was a premeditated stunt by Kanye as his career thrives on "shock value." If only he did it as well as Eminem does...Oops! But Eminem's white so of course he will always do it better. Poor Kanye can't catch a break. Racial subtext? I suppose, but let's not forget the VMA winners are voted for by their fans! If he is disappointed Beyonce didn't win, he should have looked straight into the camera and addressed her lazy fans. Oh, but wait, she won Best Overall Video. So his commentary was irrelevant (as usual).
I'm starting to feel like race in the media is a circular subject.
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ReplyDeleteHere's a link about Joe Wilson written by Mitch Albom. I think it's pretty good. Hope the link works.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.freep.com/article/20090913/COL01/909130431/1082/-You-lie---a-new-low--but-not-the-last
Glad to see that Nate can type!
ReplyDeleteWe beat this topic to death in class. And today when I signed onto Yahoo! there was a headline story about Kanye again, this time it was outrage over the President's opinion on Kanye. Via Twitter, Obama is said to have called Kanye a "jackass." Which of course launched a huge issue about whether or not the president is allowed to think someone is a jackass... If you read the article I linked below it's got all the info. Let's face it, who in our class really thinks that Kanye is a standup good guy who doesn't smash little girls dreams into the dirt.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090916/ap_on_hi_te/us_tv_obama_tweet
In the meantime, Jimmy Carter called Joe Wilson's comment "racist." Wilson's son came out against Carter's statement saying that it wasn't true, his father wasn't like that. Wilson's son wouldn't comment on Carter because "he doesn't know him." That's one South Carolinan who is trying to take the higher road in this situation.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090916/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_heckling_carter;_ylt=Av5WJi5Fh9cIgLvUAjoh6JUDW7oF;_ylu=X3oDMTM0MWVtaTdnBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMDkwOTE2L3VzX2hlYWx0aF9jYXJlX2hlY2tsaW5nX2NhcnRlcgRwb3MDOQRzZWMDeW5fcGFnaW5hdGVfc3VtbWFyeV9saXN0BHNsawN3aWxzb25zc29uc2E-
Serena had a moment of humaness that all of us had been through. (As far as I know) She's lost to her sister. She's Venus' sister half the time, not Serena. It is possible that she could get angry at a tennis ball and want to shove it where the sun don't shine. I guess Tennis could be like a bad golf game... sometimes you wish you can change your score.
I agree with Lindsey, we should have talked about Annie Lee.
P.S. The Craiglist Killer (Phillip Markoff) went to Boston College...
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I am not one of those people who try and make every situation a race issue. And even though I don't believe that race is the main issue, I do feel like it may be an issue subtextually.
ReplyDeleteIf we look past the incident at the VMA's and Kanye West, and begin to look at Rap music in general, we will see that the rap culture has always been portrayed in America as being a bad thing. Gangs, guns, drugs and sex are associated with rap, and the color black, as in black people, is also associated with rap culture.
In my opinion, the media does a better job reiterating stereotypes and negative associations, rather than proving them untrue.
So in response to the Kanye issue, Kanye made good news coverage because he helped reinforce the negative image of the disrespectful, foul-mouthed, un-educated rapper.
As a majority, consumers of media want to be entertained above all else. Issues like the wars in Iraq and Afganistan or the war on drugs no longer hold our attention. They are new and exciting for a time and we become bored.
ReplyDeleteOur television screens are filled with info boxes, side bars and scrolling marques on top of breif video clips, because anything longer than one minute will lose our attention. If something on the screen is not continually moving or changing then we will change the chanel and find something else to satisfy our need for sensory overload.
Kanye West and Serena Williams satisfy our desire for quick, fresh entertainment. These two persons, Kanye in particular, have been built up by the media for the easy entertainment value they hold with such antics. As of right now, such behavior from the two is recieved by the viewer as unexpected. But, the moment their behavior, particularly Kanye, becomes typical to the public, they will need to find a new niche.
News such as these two instances is first and foremost entertainment, which is what the public desires and is what holds there attention and is what networks desire.
Here's a video of the President mentioning Kanye....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO_QIMNRreg
The media so often seems to take hold of "fluff" stories and run with them. Though my 92 year old grandmother may not know who Kanye West is, I bet that most of a news organization's target audience does. These people and these names represent something familiar to a lot of people. Your ears and eyes will perk up and listen when you hear a familiar name or see a familiar picture. So, at least for that moment you will be interested in their newscast.
ReplyDeleteSecond,I don't believe either of these stories have much of anything to do with stereotyping a specific race. Neither of these "outbursts" were violent in any way, so they don't fit the violent, acting out, african-american stereotype, as was brought up in class. If anything, I believe these two people fit in the spoiled-brat rich person stereotype. They feel that they are entitled to any and everything and when they don't get their own way, they act out. Who can we blame for all this hustle-bustle about something so ridiculous? Only ourselves (the regular everyday people) because we are sitting here watching it, talking about it, and STILL talking about it days later.
ENTERTAINMENT. I think that's all there is to the Kanye incident. He's playing a certain role with his celebrity and he's getting attention from the media. His outbursts stir things up and people talk. He gets his 15 minutes and we waste countless hours debating what motivates him to act this way. I didn't read into the Kanye and Serena outbursts because I quite frankly don't care. Serena, like someone mentioned in class, was frustrated in her job. Yeah, she was rude and "un-ladylike," but she's human and she'll pay her dues (literally). The Joe Wilson comment seemed more racially driven than what Kanye or Serena did, and I'm more interested in following the Annie Le murder.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that race plays as big of a role as class. Both Kanye West and Serena Williams make buckets of money and enjoy celebrity status. We would have never even heard of these incidents if they were not celebrities.
ReplyDeleteI think that Kanye West has very little regard for anything but himself. I think he believes he is entitled to act anyway he wants because he is Kanye West (as if that is important to anyone else).
Meanwhile, they have both continued to receive media attention. However, when Serena Williams made an appearance on LIVE with Regis and Kelly yesterday morning, I did not notice any mention of her outburst during the tennis match. Taylor Swift is also receiving media attention, making the rounds on talk shows and radio programs (including the MJ morning show tomorrow).
I think that these incidents both show that if you're a celebrity and something happens to you, it receives coverage and is perceived as "important." I don't agree that these incidents were motivated by race. I do want both of these stories to go away...immediately if not sooner.
Since our class focuses a great deal on race, of course the Kanye/Williams incidents were broken down subtextually into a race issue.
ReplyDeleteWhat Kanye did to Taylor Swift it could very well be taken by the media and warped into any slur. This scenario can be digested as a racial issue, gender issue, class/age issue, R&B verses country, or just Kanye being a jerk. Whichever route be taken, the media can use these outlets to channel the story in any way fitting.
In regards to the Serena Williams issue, it may be a stretch to say the incident involved any racial subtext. Williams simply lost her temper, as all human beings can do at times. The only reason that the incident made news was because she is a celebrity with a predominately clean track record.
These two incidents assuredly feed viewers’ needs for a quick fix in entertainment. If a story is shallow, then it can be easily digested and possess longevity. Society easily feeds into superficial celebrity gossip, and the media is spoon feeding it.
My first reaction to the Kayne West incident was, what in the world was his motive in doing this? Was it just to get extra publicity, to get a reaction from Swift or get extra attention from Beyonce? I mean, what if Swift grabbed the microphone from West and stuck up for herself by putting him in his place?
ReplyDeleteBut...,the reason why this incident became very popular was because everybody likes bad news. People like to know when someone, especially a celebrity is in a situation that makes them feel less than beautiful. Even if it was two country singers fighting over the award or making out on stage, people will and do talk about it.
News like this breaks up the seriousness of news and deludes it with 'worthless information.' Like we said in class, there are more important things to talk about that inform us with information that is beneficial to our everyday life. However, news that directs us away from our own drama sells.
Kanye West is an egotist. Not all egotists act out in a rude way. President Obama was correct when he called Kanye a “jackass”. Whether or not it was a staged event is conjecture. Yes, further investigation may reveal that his outburst and subsequent appearance on Jay Leno’s premier was coincidence. Leno could not have picked a worse timeslot to premier. It was against MNF and the heralded return of Tom Brady. Perhaps ownership of the network was a contributing factor.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we beat this news to death in class, but one thing that was not brought up was that Taylor Swift is a country/pop icon; Kanye is a rap artist. The vast majority of the public likes, if not condones country music.
There is also an issue with class. It was brought up that rap music has earned the reputation of being about sex, drugs and violence. There was no mention of money.
If a rap song deals with the aforementioned, it also deals with disposable cash. Many songs have references to Gulfstream jets, large estates or limousines’ that are owned by the artist.
Country music is centered around frugality and working class values. In our present economic times, a song about a tractor or pickup truck is a wider view that is embraced by the public.
Personally, I'm not entirely familiar with the Williams' incident, but I am completely up to date with the Kanye/Talor Swift VMA incident. As far as I'm concerned, it was Kanye being Kanye. He's a talentless individual/performer who I had very little, if any respect for before this happened. As far as race goes, that wasn't even a concept that crossed my mind. With Serena, it was simply an athlete getting upset and spouting out profane comments at an authority figure. You already know what my thoughts are about Kanye, he's using someone who has actual talent to get attention himself. He's desperate at the least. In the end, atleast with the VMA's Beyonce knows how to show class, thankfully!
ReplyDelete