Loss of identity & self worth

(A break down of colonialism from implementation to the present)

To explain the effects of post colonisation I am going to have to look into the historical implicated rules that the colonial world powers forced upon the rest of the world and delve into the psychological cruelty bestowed upon colonised nations.

History

Colonialism broke the world into sections and with that came the implantation of a code that would keep people down ripping away their culture and sense of identity and putting in place a system of oppression, we can still see the lingering effects which we term post colonialism.

Rules of colonialism

• Punishing people for speaking their traditional language
• Creating divides in tribes and people
• False science, and theory to further push white supremacy (Venus hot top)
• Changing text to suit there power (African pigmy Ota Benga)

Identity

The best way to make a human (nation) abide by rules and become ones subject is not the instalment of love and equality but is instead the implementation of fear, lies and constraint “When it comes to controlling human beings, there is no better instrument than lies. Because you see, humans live by beliefs. And beliefs can be manipulated. The power to manipulate beliefs is the only thing that counts.”-Michael Ende. One of the key weapons of colonisation was the use of lies, the origins of the lies was based in racism, using the most apparent difference in mankind to create a colour chart of supremacy. Race is a discourse that came about through the need of power and control, with the imaginary divide in human supremacy based on skin tone came the term colourism, colourism is something that is very prevalent in non white communities, the prejudice and discrimination against ones shade of skin tone has been imbedded in non white minds. Whiter, fairer skin being at the top of the scale of beauty and darker skin placed at the bottom along with this teaching and observation comes the association of lighter skin connoting a upper social class and civilised manner of behaviour and the dark to darkest skin symbolising poverty and uncivilised demeanour, the use of pigmentocracy is so ingrained in post colonialist minds that ones class or wealth has no relation, the wealthiest of the darkest person is overridden with prejudice because dark skin is seen as unworthy, from these historical prejudices based on appearance has come the epidemic of skin bleaching, weaves and relaxers all theses tools are forms of covering up ones natural identity to fit into an physical alien  society.

During the Apartheid coloureds were pitted against blacks and given a higher position by the whites causing internal hatred, this is a method that has been used through out the colonised world, the pattern has been used again and again and this implementation of middle tones being better than darker tones but still not quite white has caused most of Africa’s civil wars, for example the genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutu was based on the ethnic differences pointed out by the German and Belgian colonial masters. The teaching of dark tones being subhuman and middle tones being bastardised European off spring a tone you could state as limbo, not quite white and not quite black.

Black people born in white countries have a higher rate of mental illnesses compared to black countries, this is due to an identity problem, the constant bombardment of societies judgement and media influence distorts black identity, the ails of colonialism has not just affected ethnic minorities it has in fact moulded white predecessor by causing a white supremacy complex with the constant teaching that white is norm and subconsciously better white people have inherited a mentality type that makes it hard to fully relate to the distress of ethnic groups, the constant used term of minorities also builds a sense of mass and power even though Approximately 20.25% of the world’s population is white, post colonialisms essence has damaged the worlds identity by damaging relations.

Even if we look at African Americans, the actually title itself causes a barrier and a set underhand reminder that they’re not real Americans, African Americans have also been deemed ghetto and uncouth.

You can go as far as addressing colonization as large-scale form of Stockholm syndrome, the use of traumatic bonding is mostly apparent under the new formed country of America, independent from Great Britain in 1776. By placing people in a country they didn’t know and surrounding them around a language they didn’t understand, whites Americans began moulding the identity of the African Americans you see today, from the pitching of the lighter slaves working in the masters home to the ripping apart of families. By favouring lighter slaves who were most often then not the children of the master and constantly reprimanding darker slaves for there existence caused a division between the community that can still be seen today. The best example for the state of black people comes in the form of a speech performed on the bank of the James River in Virginia in 1712 written by Willie lynch a slave master from the Caribbean, it was entitled “Making of a slave” he states the letter that all differences must be made apparent, light against dark, man against woman and old against young. These precedents set the wheels in motion for all the atrocities after slavery, from the Jim Crow laws to the destruction of any progress ex. Black wall street, the best way to keep someone or group down is by crushing any advancement they make, and this is just what happened on the day of the Tulsa Race Riot, greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma came to be known as the black wall street, the area became a flourishing black neighbourhood which was self sufficient and was home two several millionaires, this progress was soon stopped by the riots that was created   using false pretext to disperse the wealth and destroy the progress, till this day Tulsa hasn’t rebuilt its former glory.

Another public speech that further reiterated the divide is the speech by Enoch Powell titled “rivers of blood” his bold criticism of immigration and Enoch’s thirst for a fortress Britain caused Many people from countries who were part of great Britain’s empire, great distress they came to Britain expecting the image and values they were taught but instead they were met with extreme hostility, With conservative Britain’s xenophobic attitude and self entitled power passed on from their roman bloodline.

A black person presumed to be acting Caucasian from the simple fact of speaking standard English and being well educated is dubbed an Oreo or bounty by many in the black community this form of low self worth of people who utter these terms, shows the degradation of cultural awareness.

By denying them equality in all senses and depriving them autonomy, a basic source all citizens deserve did just what they intended, ostracism.

The west’s negative portrayal of ethnic people through stereotypes specifically black people, further resonates colonialist ideals and because western media transcends through out the world, these stereotypes are forming opinions in the minds of cultures that may not have had any contact with the cultures portrayed, this isolates communities on a global scale, the old system has left an impressionable destructive order of lack of cultural and physical worth.

If we look at post colonialism from an unbiased view point, it’s apparent that colonialism was built on colour because it was the easiest thing to use but in regards to this day an age we can see that religion and culture plays a bigger part in the issue, there is still an underlined colour divide but the use of cultural discrimination is more apparent, we can see this if we look at the current target of discrimination and racial hatred, Muslims.

I can take from personal experience being the product of a biracial partnership, if I date a white man it’s seen as a mixed relationship but if I’m paired with a black counter part it’s seen as same race relations, this is dew to the one drop rule, the one drop rule is an American colloquial term used to categorise biracial people, the idea being that if a person has a milli-fraction of non white blood they are automatically categorised under that race.

All white people have a supremacy complex even though who are not racist this is due to social conditioning through out history, ethnic minority’s and whites have been conditioned to know there place in the social order a hierarchal society where whites are at the top, human nature states that one has got to be a leader and others lead. White people are able to come under numerous sub cultures, where ethnic people are set into stereotypes. In the case of Obama who was raised by his white mother but Is considered to be black, shows that even wealth and power can’t get you respect in terms of racial identity.

In 2009 Chris rock directed a film called “Good Hair” it was a documentary that looked into what black people deem good hair and delved into the element of importance of hair in the black community. Good hair is a phrase used in the black community specifically used by Caribbean and African Americans to describe  hair that is soft and closer to  a European texture.

The film reveals some shocking revelations for those who are not part of the community, in one scene a mother is seen setting a relaxer into her three year olds hair, the early taught hatred for ones natural appearance is hereditary, form a young age black children are taught that their natural state of there hair is nappy and unruly just like them, in 1785 a law was past in new Orleans that stipulated that mixed woman had to wear a Tignon(headscarf) to show they were in fact mixed, some were so light they were mistaken as white also they vied white woman in beauty and manners and this angered many so with the implication of a public form of attire similar to the star of David it further separated and made a distinction between hierarchy.

With the constant depiction of black woman being in two categories the one of the overly sexualised big lipped, full breasted, large buttock Heathen temptress to the mammy figure, the overweight, uneducated, servant, ­­­ both presences are far from the ideal of beauty, the opposite contrasts of black woman compared to white causes lack of security in oneself. Most deplorable in the media is the use of white models representing other ethnicities it stands for a sign, conscious or not of Ethnic minorities not being good enough to even depict themselves.

Viewers are more likely to enjoy and read a magazines featuring whites in blackface than have  a black woman,  it feels to foreign to the majority of the readers, people like  watered down exoticism because it takes away the air quote primitive aspect.

The image above portrays White Model Ondria Hardin as ‘African Queen’ the image caused wide spread offence with the question asked  “why not use a black model”, images like this are prevalent in the fashion industry with the lack of ethnic representation in all medias, and a lack of natural ethnic beauty many feel the need to cover there natural states because of the same of not meeting norms, Black woman in particular have been broken down by society, the victims of rape for centuries, the servants and  nannies for white families, leaving there children to raise themselves whilst raising white children, then being shown no gratitude has put black females on the outskirts of society more than black male.

The over used excuse of consumers not being able to relate with models from minorities is a copout, minorities have lived with limited representation to misrepresentation all there lives and there have been no complaints of no relation and this is because white has been used as the norm, everything other than European is coined ethnic, tropical and all of the other words used to create an us and them division.  The question can be asked “ is the media depicting the western worlds view or is it set in place to keep the old rules of supremacy based on colour in place.

Stolen identities made cool

Many races were ridiculed and scrutinised as uncivilised for certain cultural traits or styles ex. (Dance, music & food). But the same things cultures were ridiculed for are the same things that were taken from them, after a western twist these traits were deemed exotic, the sub-cultures of hippies, hipsters to skin heads all have routes in non white culture.

Hipsters

Hipster culture came about in the 40’s  due to the introduction of the jazz style Bepop, many at the time perceived this subculture made up of predominately white suburban youth as a form of race reversal, a famous hipster author of the time Norman Mailer described hipsters as individuals “with a middle-class background (who) attempt to put down their whiteness and adopt what they believe is the carefree, spontaneous, cool lifestyle of Negro hipsters: their manner of speaking and language, their use of milder narcotics, their appreciation of jazz and the blues, and their supposed concern with the good orgasm.”

Hippies

The term hippy derived from the beatnik culture of hipsters, a similar ideology was put in place, that of countercultural values, they preferred the spiritual teachings of indigenous and folk faith over that of mainstream religion and many during the 1960s and 1970s undertook a form of pilgrimage called the hippy trail. Which involved a route through Europe to Asia.

Skinheads

Skinhead culture today is far from its original origins, funny enough the new message of racial intolerance has no reference to its meaning, it started we the extreme opposite in fact, the term skinhead described white working class British youth of the 1960s who adopted the style of Jamaican rude boys.

The black man in America is the most copied man on this planet, bar none. Everybody wanna be a nigga but nobody wanna be a nigga.

– Paul Mooney

Racism

positive discrimination is one of the elements of post colonialism that you might say is a benefit, with the use of affirmative action.

 

Negative connotations of black being dirty a stain, and white being pure, right godly has been a notion that is presented from early on in life in fairytales and religious imagery.

In the 1940s the married duo Kenneth and Mamie Clark, well-respected African American psychologists, conducted an experiement on black children using dolls, they held up a white and black doll and documented the children’s attitudes to race. This experiment showed the ingrained prejudice against the children’s own race, the saying goes if you want the unadulterated truth ask a child.

When an ethnic person is in a white country they are treated in a xenophobic manner a majority of the time but on the latter the icon of the white man/woman connote to many a certain kind of figure, someone to be looked up too, so when many Caucasian people go abroad they are often welcomed.

The effects of colonialism is just that, like the side effects of medication it is predominately negative, it has weakened and almost destroyed the non white worlds self worth and has caused a lot of the worlds pain through poverty, racial divisions and low aesthetic value. The saddest truth about post colonialism is that in fact it may not be post but instead dormant, if we look at the tricks and rules of colonialism we can observe the similarities of that of the current oil wars, the methods of vilifying people, promising saviour and causing destruction is being played out on our television screens day in and day out. Using media scare mongering a contemporary visual version of the old tools of false propaganda.

Reference

Skin Bleaching: The Complexion of Identity, Beauty and Fashion more
by Christopher A.D. Charles

Hitler’s black victims: the historical experiences of Afro-Germans, European blacks, Africans, and African Americans in the Nazi Era
 
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/white-slave-children-new-orleans-1860s-propaganda-campaign-gallery-1.1164989
 
Postcolonialism: An Historical Introduction
 
Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America­­­

Post-Colonialism in todays Media and Film

Introduction

Colonialism is the exploitation, establishment and expansion of colonies in a dependent country, territory, or people by the influence of another nation. Colonialism is the unequal treatment between the stronger country and the colony and between the colonists and the population under the control of the nation. Colonialism has happened in the past and is still happening at this very moment. Many examples from the past are as such, the British Empire, Japan taking over East Asia, American cowboys influencing the lives of the Native Americans.

The British Empire was established between the late 16^th and early 18^th centuries, it is considered the largest empire in history and, for over a century, was the foremost global power. The British Empire rose in power during the Second World War and reigned over North America, the Caribbean, most parts of Europe, India, many parts of Africa such as Kenya, Uganda and took seizure of Hong Kong Island, South East Asia.

The empire was exploited to support the weakened domestic economy, and to construct an unprecedented experiment in welfare provision. Particularly in Africa these settlers would prove an ongoing challenge to British colonial policy. The last time that explicitly imperialist language was commonly used by British politicians was during the 1950s. These were also the last years of the dominant role of Newspapers and films in the British mass media. 

In this essay I will be breaking it down into a more specific area about the British Colonial period and it’s influences in Asia, Africa and America and how it has affected the medias and films of each continent.

 

Influence in America

News reporting in American colonies started as early as 1630s and only in the 18^th century it produced the first real newspaper. John Campbell published the Boston News-Letter and from then media flourished due to population explosion, transportation and communication availability, political and educational advances as well as trade and commerce (Emery, 1984). One of the best newspapers, Pennsylvania Gazette, became most popular and from then influenced others to greater heights.

The content of newspaper was to create reaction but early publications were lacking mainly due to government control. Freedom of the press came only in 1791 when New York Weekly Journal’s criticism of colonial rules won the case.

The political turmoil up to the American Revolution in colonial America has been the main catalyst to impact the media of today. According to Emery (1984) colonial activists like, John Dickson, Samuel Adams and Isaiah Thomas and Thomas Paine used the press to fight their cause. Finally, freedom of press achieved its goal of being the most ‘powerful weapon of the American revolutionaries’. (53)

The origin of American films was from photographs to motion picture by Eaweard Muybridge, stirred many into this direction that eventually led Thomas Edison to produce kinetoscope. Silent movies produced in New York until 1912 most major film production were done in Southern California. Many European film makers set foot on America and sound became widely used in Hollywood in the late 1920s. In 1940s’ Hollywood produced some 400 movies per year. Jason Shaffer regards the close relations between early performance of patriotism is a show of national identity in the colonial and revolutionary American Theatre. Movies like The Patriot is a classic of depicting brave American revolutionaries. Though many American films are based on history yet their accuracy is in question and sometimes taking significant liberties with early American history.  The way Americans participants views their history differs from the actual view of Revolution and culture. The Patriot represents one of films’ influence through ritual and symbolism in arousing Nationalism in America (Shaffer,    ).  Besides, film in America has made impact and influences in showing  differences or tolerance in its multicultural and multilingual society.

Audre Lorde, a Caribbean-American poet who said, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” If we are to take Audre Lorde quote into action the media shapes out our ability to face differences by the inclusions and exclusions. In today’s moving image culture, issues such as multiculturalism, ethnic and racial tolerance, and the divide between the “west” and “third world” are as indifference as before. Even though in western media there may be successful figures like Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, or Jennifer Lopez, yet in the western media both white men and women still dominate. There are many stereotypical portrayals of different cultures and races, for example, black or Latina women tend to be seen shaking their booty. Especially for the Asians in the Western media, there are only a few well-known Asian American actors many of them are usually extras but never really the main character. Many of the characters that the Asian-American actors play are model minority, sexualized female or the emasculated Asian male an actress with such an example would be Lucy Liu in Ally McBeal where she plays a character who is addicted to casual sex ad uses to have her way with men. There are many discussions as to whether she is exploiting herself as an Asian women or as an Asian actor who plays her advantages?

 

Influence in Asia

“Theorist and scholar Edward Said emphasizes that the history of the East and the West are intertwined, and predicated on relationships of power and domination, and institutions and policies set up by this relationship” of referring to whatever is unknown. The ‘orient’ is a place that needs civilized and educated in the English system. “The British system of education” in all colonies to help its subjects to “adopt the English language and curriculum in order to raise themselves to English standards and ultimately posts in the government” ( Luthra, 2009).

How do we identify ourselves it is through the eyes of how we are being portrayed through eyes of media imaging. It can also categorize people into roles, different cultures, “professional and economic goals of society and the race relations in a multicultural environment”.  In the documentary, of “Slaying the Dragon” depicts Asian women as ancient, weak, superstitious and bound by tradition and these so called traditional “Asian” women being liberated by the western modern progressive education.

The East and Southeast Asia still bears a strong imprint of colonial era as exploiting machinery for manufacturing western media and information. Despite these countries having made economic achievements yet, it has little impact on social improvements (Sussman, 2009).

British colonialism brought newspaper publishing to India, beginning with the Bengal Gazette in 1780, with colonial flavor and control, to the evolving of India’s media global status. Before independence it has anti-colonialism under tone but after independence, British press influence remains but it took on a crucial role of nation-building and Indianness.

 (Thussu, 2000 ).

Indeed, Indian cinema consists of films produced across India and it has been named Bollywood which includes the cinematic cultures of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Biharm Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil, Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.  In the 20^th century, Indian cinema, along with the Hollywood and Chinese film industries, became a global enterprise. The upgrading of technology made way for Indian cinema to deliver to the audience in a better way.

Nonetheless, the social made up of society has changed little and there is a still a great divide in the class or caste system. How has film and media changed or raise the nationalistic fervor of the country. Only when there is a strong leader like Mohammed Gandhi could it affect some changes.

Hong Kong a British colony until 1997 has a local Chinese traditional and yet, British western influence and that is why for Hong Kong people they are still “Hong Konger” and not Chinese in the mainland. With ATV and TVB main broadcasting television stations established they have productions from local to international. Magazines and newspaper publishers cater to the local readers in providing sensational news, gossips of celebrities and criticism of the government (mainland government) to such effect that they still remain popular media and due to Chinese lifestyle of Dimsum (Wikipedia).

The first feature Hong Kong film that was made is Zhuangzi Tests His Wife (1913). In 1999 the break out of World War 1 put a pause in the development of Hong Kong due to Germany being the colony film stock. In the 1930s came the popularity of talkies, China’s problem of it’s various spoken dialects. The government of the Kuominang or Nationalist Party wanted to bring in “Mandarin-only” policy, which caused a stir to the Cantonese filmmaking in China. It had also banned the wildly popular wuxia genre of martial arts swordplay and fantasy, accusing it to be promoting superstition and violence.

Despite, the Cantonese film and wuxia film being banned it was still as popular as ever, yet the British Colony of Hong Kong would allow both to be used in cinema. 粵語長片 (jyutping) soon became the name of Cantonese black and white films. In 1963 the British authorities passed a few laws requiring the subtitling of all films in English, which was to control the political content. 

After the British colony Hong Kong cinema has become more open to different genres than just martial art movies, such as horror, thriller, action, romance crime, urban, mystery, slice of life. Because of this ability to explore into new genres Hong Kong cinema have been able to break into Hollywood, the film Ip Man has also become a hit worldwide, keeping to its roots of filming Kung Fu as well as reminding the people of Hong Kong the treatment which they endured during the British reign and Japanese Empire. With the influence of the Western culture women have been able to on a different role in the making of films women play a more independent role, sometimes playing the heroine and also showing their more sexual side.

 

Influence in the African Continent.

Colonialism has changed the landscape of African continent from one of raw beauty to one of plastic surgery effect.  No longer the natural beauty that it once have. Though Africa with its modernization has seemingly being upgraded yet, beneath the surface still remains stubbornly unchanged.  Colonialism was to be blamed all the African problems. From the control of wealth, natural resources, and cultural and from new systems for the production and distribution of wealth were initiated, along with mental and psychological control of self perception and awareness. Perhaps, Africa refused to be ruled and controlled and still view  colonial period as bleak and black (PuyerFranz, 2010).

The British government by enlisting the support of its colonies established the Colonial Film Unit in 1939, to explain the war to British subjects (smyth: 1988:285) Britain had been blamed for a poor record of promoting development in its colonies and after second World War.  “The British Colonial Film Unit set up production units that it directly controlled in East and West Africa. The Central African Film Unit (CAFU) covered Southern and Northern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe and Zambia respectively) and Nyasaland (now Malawi). The financial support from the British government was phased out in 1956” (Hungwe, 2000 ).

Popular media forms such as radio, TV, and the press, played a very significant role in African struggles against colonialism and exploitation. Through the influence of media it has helped to rescue, incorporate, preserve, and mediate elements, which serve the interests of the Africans. Popular theater, for instance, are cultural performances by and for communities which give expression to that community’s reality, aspirations, and diverse struggles for survival and development. Indeed, the Africans’ love for dances, dramas, musical compositions, narratives, played a significant role in the cultural struggles of the African peoples and their development (2010).

 During the British Colony Africa, films were represented exclusively by Western filmmakers. It was shown to be an exotic land but without any history or culture. Tarzan and the African Queen were of such examples, which included jungle epics. Bantu Educational Kinema Experiement was carried out into order to educate the Bantu people in the mid-1930s. After the Colonial reign the first African film to have won international recognition was Ousmane Sembane’s la Noire de…Black Girl. The story was of a despair of an African woman who has worked as a maid in France.  He is considered to be the ‘father’ of African Cinema. Sembene’s native country Senegal became the most important place of African film production for than a decade. Some over well known such as Souleymane Cissé’s Yeelen (Mali 1987) and Cheick Oumar Sissoko’s Guimba (Mali 1995) were also well received in the west. Today’s African cinema focuses on social and political areas, the conflicts between the traditional past and modern times. Filmmakers recall back to the neocolonial condition African societies, filmmakers like Ousmane Semene, try to give back the African History to the African people be remembering the resistance to European and Islam’s domination.

Today, instead of putting the blame, the question is how African can make good out of this so-called bleak period.  It is more ready to use popular art forms together with modern media to “strengthen the national bonds that Africans desire to forge ahead. This cultural and communication hybridization has also encouraged the African resolve to accept what is good whilst perfecting one’s own cultural dimensions” (2010).  Now it’s the time to see Africa come together to play a more significant in this global world of not dwelling in the past but to do something meaningful for themselves to get out to the rut to become one day a black beauty.

 

Conclusion

The influence of Colonialism is undoubtedly immense and vast in all the three continents and yet each continent reacts differently to this colonial period. This can be seen in media and films of the colonial past. Some have gained from this period of struggles from colonial exploitations and control and yet some have remained bitterly embedded in the past and still quite reluctantly to let go.  Medias and film played and still plays an important role in the expression of this repressive period and trying to make sense how far they have come to finding liberations in today’s world. Now they have a sense of their own identity and even nationality.

 

References 

Emery, E., and M. Emery (1984).  The Press and America.  Fifth Edition.  Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1984.

http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/16071783/news/ accessed 4th May

Luthra R.  Ed., (2009) IDENTITY FORMATION AND DIFFERENCE IN MASS MEDIA in JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION – Vol. I – – University of Wisconsin-Madison, US EOLSS Publishers Co Ltd, 2009.

Hungwe, K. N.(2000) Narrative and ideology: 50 years of film-making in Zimbabwe. Michagan technological University, USA. http://www.cls.mtu.edu/people/khungwe/Narrative_and_Ideology.pdf accessed 4^th May

Shaffer, J. (2007) Performing Patriotism
National Identity in the Colonial and Revolutionary American Theater, in the Early American Studies series,  Penn Press, 2007.

http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/toc/14392.html accessed 6th May

Smyth, R. (1988) ‘The British Colonial Film Unit and Sub-Saharan Africa,1939–1945’, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television 8(3): 229–98.

Sussan, G. (2009) Who speaks for Asia: Media and Information Control in the Global Economy. Journal of Media Economics Vol. 12. Issues 2, 1999 

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15327736me1202_5#.UYiJRqBptmA accessed 6^th May.

Thussu , D. K. (2000) India Media-from colonial to global? Imperium Vol. 1 December 2000 http://imperiumjournal.com/0pages/00007.html  accessd 6^th May.

PuyeFranz, V. D., (2010) Media and Preservation of Culture in Africa in Cultural Survival 40 years from 1972 – 2012. 2010

http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/media-and-preservation-culture-africa access 5th May

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Hong_Kong accessd 5th may

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_India accessed 4th May

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Hong_Kong#Recent_trends accessed 4^th May

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Africa accessed 4th May, 2013

 

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/psy457_tizzle/asian_american_women accessed 4th May, 20013

 

http://www.sozum.tucottbus.de/Lehrstuhltexte/abschlussarbeiten/MA_Thesis_Yuntenwi.pdf  accessed 5^th May

 

 Written Isabella Ng

 

Adverts and News

Adverts and news

In this post I will be analysing the advertising media and news media in regards to postcolonialism. I will review and explore different impacts on how advertising affects the society. I will also explore the different news coverage in regards to racial issues and how it affects society.

In comparison to the past in this generation people are more accepting of the different variations of cultures, ideas, and ideals. An example of which is Racism an issue that was once taken seriously. Racism in definition means “The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others” (Accessed: 2/4/13 Available: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/racism). As the world expand so does the media, the  media before in terms of race it is much more constricted, close minded, unwelcoming and highly stereotyped.An example of which is a soap advert Fairy that contained subliminal message.

The graphics in the picture is black girl with a white girl holding the the fairy soap, where the white girl innocently asks “Why doesn’t your mamma wash you with fairy soap?” that connotes the idea of black people having dirty skin, the expression for both children expresses the attitude people had, where the whites are oblivious to their manner towards racism. Not only does this express the idea of uncleanness it also questions beauty and the socially desired “colour” where white means clean and black means dirty and so in this simple yet complex advert expresses the term Colourism.

Colourism is discrimination towards people with lighter skin where they are treated more favourably that results to racism within the same race, as there would be this animosity of who is lighter and who isn’t. Although we are diverse, “white” is still accounted to behold this supremacy over darker  people. To the extent where people literally change their skin colours. An example of this is largely found in Asia where whitening of the skin is somehow the ideal and the norm, places such as Bangkok, China, Singapore, India, Philippines are mostly places where it  is sunny all year round, where it is believed the lighter you look the more attractive you are other than this it depicts a sense  of higher social status. Not only do people ‘whiten’ their skin but some also have surgeries, one of the most common type of surgery procedure in Asia is double eye lid surgery which is an extreme way of changing the way you appear to achieve the western look. In the advert for American Optical in 1948 showing two pictures of a orient woman and a western woman with the heading ‘Whose eyes are better?’ then in the next line in smaller writing it says ‘Neither. American eyes are no better than others’, we only have to see the heading and the pictures to see that it is a form of stereotype to Asians, until we read the next line, the advert itself is contradicting as it says “American eyes are no better to others” which then becomes controversial as it consists racist remarks that “Americans are better”, “the American way of life constantly to improve our standards of living” (Accessed: 12/4/13, Web: http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/yesterdaysclues/AmericanOptical1948.jpg). But the advert also imply the way American’s see and the way other people see are the same that our point of view are no better to one another. But because of society the government and the media we are made to see the difference we have with one another. Hybridity is one of the outcomes of post colonisation, it is a term that is described  as a mixture between two subjects whether be it animals, people or objects. At some point within the past hybridity was seen as a threat because they believed that it was a form of contamination “European fears of contamination… Ideologies of racial difference were intensified by their incorporation into the discourse of science” (Book: Colonialism/Postcolonialism by Ana Loomba Accessed: 15/4/2013) in other words hybridity became part of a “”colonialist discourse to racism.” (Web: http://www.qub.ac.uk/imperial/key-concepts/Hybridity.htm Accessed: 15/4/13).

What makes a distinctive difference between the east and the west in terms on women is the veil, otherwise known as the hijab, niqab or burka worn by muslims that originated in the east.The veil in the eyes of the west is seen as  a symbol of oppression to women, subordination and “made invisible” (Book:Post colonialism A very short introduction by Oxford university press, Accessed: 12/4/13) as they are fully covered. But even though they are seen vulnerable in some ways they are also seen as a threat, this idea of the unknown the hidden aspect  of what is underneath of the niqab. In recent news a woman who worked in a Victoria Secret shop was thrown with acid on her face in London by a person wearing a niqab, which means the victim didn’t see the person’s face so she could not identify the suspect whether be it a non white or white woman or man. The society immediately assume that it was an asian person due to the clothes they wore. The authority look down upon those who are non whites and those who are less unfortunate.  Which brings me to Orientalism it is the “intellectual studies of the East” (Book: Cultural theory the key concepts, Accessed by: 12/4/13) the east was and is viewed as silently different, exotic, sensual, eccentric and passive and is further explored and portrayed visually more strongly in fashion. Where the east is shown to be extravagant, exotic, high class, elegant and luxurious.

One particular image that I would like to point out is an editorial picture from Vogue Russia August 2012(Website/picture: http://www.fashionistas.com.gr/article.asp?id=4516 Accessed: 15/4/13) where they have used a white woman as a Japanese woman by simply making her eyes look smaller, what I can interpret from the picture is an exploration of the Eastern style from Western’s perception as they have used a model who is not Asian.  As the “whites” are seen as the norm they are used to some degree  because their beauty can easily be adaptable and moulded into different types of beauty. My other interpretation of the image is the unity of two opposite cultures a unity that should be celebrated.  In conjunction to the East being extravagant and exotic the middle east is perceive negatively due to terrorist attacks from 9/11 in America to the London Bombings, east is in the west perception is a region which can easily be manipulated and controlled over. The east is divided into two categories the exotic such as india, pakistan and the orient Japan, china and singapore. In comparison to the west, the East is in a way today more advanced for some due to technology, and oil. Oil is one of the main causes of conflicts between leaders, as they strive to fight who possesses more. As oil seems to be seen a product of power and wealth due to the fact that we need oil to have electricity, we are accustomed to having the luxury over electricity and so by having oil the government has the power to control. But in some cases for example the Iraq war, which was a fight over oil, George Bush was  threatened by Iraq  may use oil against America he had stated “If Osama bin Laden gain control of Iraq, they would create a new training ground for future terrorist attacks” (Web: http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/03/top-republican-leaders-say-iraq-war-was-really-for-oil.html, Accessed: 28/ 4/ 13)where by he initiated the war over Iraq so he may control them. And because of the 9/11 and the war against Iraq, the middle east is viewd as a threat and is likely to be monitored.

The differences with today and the past is that  it is no longer about taking over ones country but more on control over power and money, the strive to maintain on top. One of the effects in maintaining power is  ‘the third world’, the term was “originally invented on the model of the Third Estate’ of the French revolution’ (Book: Postcolonialism pg.16) which was a social system that divided people in terms of class, First Estate were the  clergy members, Second Estate were the nobles and lastly the Third Estate were middle, working class people addressed as peasants. With power hierarchy is inevitable, power is carefully controlled evidence of which is shown through politics, government, and authorites even though we have a more cultural respect and tolerance of our differences, in regards to politics non whites are looked down upon and are exploited. Although the west have always been known as the most powerful those who are non whites are not far long behind . In todays economy  one of the biggest issue is America’s has debt towards China, America is the most known country from the west the reason for this is probably because of Hollywood, we assume that because they are the most known country from the west we immediately assume their dominance. But roughly in 2012 China became more inferior to America financially and by 2013 America is in debt to china by approximately $17 trillion. Capitalism and imperialism are one in a few major outcomes from colonisation. With this those who are in the third world are greatly affected, such as South America, Africa, middle East and South East. as you can see the third world consists of countries that are non whites, with this you can visually see the white supremacy. In one of United colours of Benetton advertising campaigns titled ‘UNHATE’ shows conflicting leaders from different countries kissing each other who are inadequately partnered.

One of which is by President Obama from America and President Hu Jintao President of China. United colours of Benetton is a clothing brand, and within their campaigns enhances, magnifies and concentrates on the words “United Colours”, their adverts are very much controversial where they would address racial, religious and political issues within society. This act is to help “stimulate reflection on politics, faith and ideas” (Website: http://nonzen.com/culture/leaders-kiss/ Accessed: 2/5/2013) and “to contribute to the creation of a new culture of tolerance” (Web: http://advertising.chinasmack.com/2011/presidents-obama-and-jintao-kiss-for-benettons-unhate-ads.html, Accessed: 2/5/2013) in this generation ideas are no longer simply black and white, literally and metaphorically, which is fully expressed within ‘UNHATE’ campaign. Where by to some extent the two leaders within the picture have some issues towards one another. Even though racism is not as severe as it was before it quietly lingers.

In recent news racial attacks in Greece has escalated it is stated in ‘The Guardian’ there had been “154 cases of racist violence in 2012, including 25 in which victims said the perpetrators were police… and the number of attacks recorded had increased 20% from the previous year” (Web: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/april/24/racially-motivated-attacks-rise-greece, Accessed: 3/ 5/ 2013) what astounds me is that in some cases the police are the perpetrators which is frighteningly disconcerting as they are people who are supposedly protect  you from harms way. And to find that they are one of the suspects is a disgustingly shameful act. In relation to this is is the supposed initiation of the London riots was the case of Mark Duggan. Who was killed by a police officer, the start of the riots were not all based on the case of Mark Duggan but it certainly motivated it, the cause of the police officer racial profiling Mark Duggan has caused him his death.  Racial profiling is  “the use of race or ethnicity as grounds for suspecting someone of having committed an offence” (Web: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/racial%2Bprofiling, Accessed: 3/ 5/ 2013) the main key from the definition of racial profiling is the word suspecting which indicated discrimination towards Duggan, assuming that Duggan carried an armed weapon, because of where he lives and the colour of his skin. Italy has recently elected their first black minister and instead of being celebrated she is being verbally  ambushed by the people and by xenophobic politicians. She had stated that “Italy isn’t racist country. The problem is ignorance of the other” (Web: http://abcnews.go.com/international/wirestory/italys-1st-black-minister-seeks-cultural-change Accessed: 4/ 5/ 2013). Even though discrimination still lingers what causes racism today is the ignorance of other cultures, immigration should not be frowned upon and discouraged  but to be welcomed as it nourishes the balance and harmony of our livelihood. The advantage of the media is for us to be more aware of things that is happening around the world, the negative aspect of it is it causes fear, doubt, and unnecessary stereotypes and discrimination.

Written by Angeli Del Mar

Reference

Books:

-‘Cultural theory’ the key concepts Edited by Andrew Edgar and Peter Sedwick.

-‘An introduction to Post-colonial theory by Peter Childs and Patrick Williams.

-‘Postcolonialism’ A very short Introduction by Robert J.C.Young.

-‘Colonialism/Postcolonialism’ by Ania Loomba

Websites:

-http://www.thefreedictionary.com/racism

-http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/yesterdaysclues/AmericanOptical1948.jpg

-http://www.qub.ac.uk/imperial/key-concepts/Hybridity.htm

-http://www.fashionistas.com.gr/article.asp?id=4516

-http://nonzen.com/culture/leaders-kiss/

-http://advertising.chinasmack.com/2011/presidents-obama-and-jintao-kiss-for-benettons-unhate-ads.html

-http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/april/24/racially-motivated-attacks-rise-greece

-http://abcnews.go.com/international/wirestory/italys-1st-black-minister-seeks-cultural-change

-http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/General/ThirdWorld_def.html

-http://www.qub.ac.uk/imperial/key-concepts/Orientalism.htm