Module 2 Reflections
The inversion of invisibility refers to the modern phenomena in which attention is focused on the people instead of those in power (Tollefson, 2008). The powerful carefully construct messages that represent an idea, and send those messages to the people using media, such as advertising. These messages, while focused on the people, are primarily created to benefit the powerful. Therefore, it is important for people to deconstruct these messages in order to understand who is sending them and why (Tollefson, 2016). It is important to keep in mind that these constructed messages are merely representations of reality rather than reflections. For an example, a drawing of you is not as accurate as your reflection in a mirror.
One example of a constructed message is the use of stereotypes in advertising and entertainment. Tropes are recognizable patterns used in storytelling to convey information to the audience about the characters. While tropes can be useful, they often tend to enforce stereotypes that put certain groups in a negative light. The Smurfette Principle is a trope in which a story contains a predominantly male cast with only one female character (Sarkeesian, 2011). The Bechdel Test is used to measure female characters’ importance and involvement in movies. Movies pass the test if they contain two or more female characters with names, if they interact with one another, and if they communicate about something other than the male characters (Sarkeesian, 2009). It would seem that the underlying message is that men are more superior than women, but who would send this message and why? One explanation is that the media chooses to tell stories that enforce stereotypes because they want to meet the audience’s expectations and illicit a desired response (Cortés, 2000).
My biggest question in this module is how do we teach children about deconstructing messages from the media without making them feel like they are victims? Children are often the target audience when it comes to advertising, and children are mostly likely to have the most time to watch movies and television. According to a recent study, children watch and average of 15,000 to 18,000 hours of television per year (Shah, 2010). So how does one teach children about the inversion of visibility without making the child distrustful and cynical? Also, how do parents bring up the issue of stereotyping and gender bias in entertainment with children in a way where they can still enjoy their favorite movies, such as Star Wars? Perhaps parents can begin by permitting young children to watch television and movies with them, and by asking them innocent yet thought provoking questions. Also, maybe parents can start differentiating between reflections and representations in terms of pretend and real life.
Also, how do we as consumers help those in power change their messages? As previously stated, the media will only tell a story if they think people will listen. Therefore, it appears that the consumers are actually the ones with the power. We can exercise power by refusing to buy into negative messages, and therefore forcing companies to alter their message in a way that reflects us, rather than misrepresents us.
References
Cortés, C. E. (2000). Struggling with stereotypes. In The children are watching: How the media teach about diversity. New York: Teachers College Press (pp. 146-161).
Sarkeesian, Anita. [FeministFrequency]. (2011, April 21). The smurfette principle: Tropes vs women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opM3T2__lZA Retrieved May 31, 2016.
Sarkeesian, Anita. [FeministFrequency]. (2009, December 7). The bechdel test for women in movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLF6sAAMb4s Retrieved May 31, 2016.
Shah, A. (2010). Children as consumers. Global Issues. Retrieved from http://www.globalissues.org/article/237/children-as-consumers
Tollefson, Kaia. [Kaia Tollefson]. (2016, May 26.) On the inversion of visibility. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVoQ8Z3x6zM Retrieved May 31, 2016.
Tollefson, K. (2008). The inversion of visibility. In Volatile knowing: Parents, teachers and the censored story of accountability in American public schools. Lanham, MD: Lexington Press (pp. 125-134).
