Carry Out.

 

       Cultural myths are social beliefs people share toward groups of people. In the music video Carry Out by Justin Timberlake, the myth that women should serve men because women are inferior is discussed. The lyric of the song relates women to waitresses in restaurants, making them inferior. The setting, placement of the characters, clothing and expressions of the characters, and the camera angle show the subordination of women to men and how women are like waitresses, waiting to take orders from men.

The lyrics of the song evoke a strong feeling that women should take orders from men. In the beginning of the song, Justin Timberlake sings “I’ll have you open all night like an IHOP”. Relating women to a restaurant like IHOP makes them seem very available all the time. This symbolizes that women are just like restaurants, guys can just “drive through” and make orders whenever they like and women will take their orders. The line “Take my order cause your body like a carry out” also shows their inferiority by showing that men have the power to make orders when women just take orders. Toward the end of the song, Justin Timberlake sings “What’s your name Girl? What’s your number? I’m glad I came. Can you take my order?” This makes women unimportant because all a guy needs to know is the girl’s name and number and then she can just start taking orders from him. This also fit into the myth that women should serve men because they are inferior.

The setting of the music video also constructs the image that women are like waitresses, waiting to serve men. The music video takes place in what seems like a bakery shop because there is a neon sign glowing in the back, saying “Hot Cakes”. There is also a neon sign next to it saying “Drive In”. The signs are glowing and contrast with the dark background. The signs imply that women are like waitresses in bakeries, always ready to take down orders when guys drive through.

                The modes of transportation of the male and female characters in the music video also show their power structure. The men in the music video are sitting in a car while the women are on ice skates. This creates a sharp contrast between them because cars are expensive, fast, run on gas, and strong whereas ice skates are relatively inexpensive, slow, physically operated, and offer no protection. The difference between cars and ice skates show the difference between men and women and how men are superior because they are faster and stronger and can control a vehicle on just turning the steering wheel.

                The scene where the women take orders from the guys shows that they are just like waitresses. In that scene, the girl is bending down with a notepad and a pen in her hand while the guys are still sitting in the car. This makes the guys seem more important because they deserve to sit in cars while women should just stand and take orders. After the woman hand him a drink and his receipt, the guy just crunch the paper up using two fingers like it is garbage. This shows the inferiority of women because they serve men and hand them drinks while men can destroy the paper or women, using just two fingers.

                The clothing of the males and the females in the music video also fit into the myth that women are like servants to men. The girls are either wearing a very provocative outfit or a very French maid looking costume. They were short shorts, corsets, fishnet stockings with suspenders connecting to their short shorts and super high heels. This creates a very sexual appearance and make women seem like they are ready to take orders and serve men sexually. The French maid outfit further proves the point that women are like servants to men because maids usually provide services to their payers. On the contrary, the men in the music video are all masculine. They are dressed in jeans, jackets, caps and sneakers. There is one scene where one of the guys is wearing sunglasses as well. The casual outfits of the guys show that they can stop by anytime for an order whereas the women have to dress provocatively to get guys.

                The expressions of the characters in the music video also show that women serve men. The women are mostly always smiling to the men, trying to please them. This makes the women appear more feminine. However, the guys never smile back in the music video, making them appear more masculine. This further proves the point that guys do not have to do much to get women to serve them when girls have to be all smiley and nice to get guys. The difference makes women seem weaker than men.

                The camera angle and focus of the music video also shows the unimportance of women compare to men. When both the men and the women are dancing in the music video, the guys are always in the front when the women are in the back. The camera focus is always on the guys while the back is a bit blurred out. When the camera is shooting the men dancing without the women, the camera shoots from below and focuses mostly on the upper half of their bodies and their faces. However, when the camera is shooting the women dancing without men, the camera shoots from above because they are usually dancing on the floor. The focus is on their entire bodies instead of their faces. This all shows that men are more important than women.

                Lastly, the interactions and the placements of the characters demonstrate the myth that women are inferior and should serve men. In one of the scenes, two women are dancing with one man and they have their arms on his shoulder for support. This illustrates how women are dependent on men and how they have to look up to men. Also, towards the end of the music video, a woman dances every time a man taps her on the arm. This shows that the man has control over her and her actions thus making her seem inferior. In addition, the scene where the women are serving the man cake is very significant. The man is just sitting in a comfy chair, enjoying everything, while the woman is walking up to him, bringing him a plate of little cakes. This illustrate the point that women are like servants to men because women are the ones bringing up all the good stuff while men can just sit around and wait to be served.          

    The music video Carry Out by Justin Timberlake discusses the myth that women should serve men because women are inferior. The lyric of the song relates women to waitresses in restaurants, making them inferior. The setting, placement of the characters, clothing and expressions of the characters, and the camera angle show the inferiority of women to men and how women are like waitresses, waiting to take orders from men. Various aspects and interactions of the characters all prove the myth that women are like servants to men.

Racial Stereotype in Heroes.

        

Cultural artifacts reflect our values and opinions toward people and things. Television shows are a major component of cultural artifacts. Different racial images are presented through how characters are portrayed and the actions these characters take. The character Hiro Nakamura in the television show Heroes has the stereotypical image of an Asian guy. His physical appearance and the way he speaks contribute to his image as the nerdy Asian male. His background and his occupation also emphasize his Asian-ness. Lastly, his superpower and his actions further exaggerate the racial stereotype of an Asian.

            While almost all of the characters in the show Hero have English names, Hiro has a Japanese name. This immediately places him in a totally different racial category from all the other characters. The full name of his character is Hiro Nakamura. It is very obvious that it is an Asian name because Hiro is like the abbreviation for Hiroshima, which is an island in Japan. Nakamura is a very typical Japanese last name because people tend to associate Japanese names with “ra”, “ma”, and “na” as ending syllables. This is related to the stereotypical Asian because people tend to associate Asian with Asian-sounding names. For example, when people see names like “Lee” or “Chen”, they almost always assume that the person is Asian.

            The character Hiro Nakamura also has the “look” of an Asian. He is shorter than all the other male characters in the show and he is not muscular at all. He wears nerdy glasses and has an Asian looking haircut. His hair is black and straight. The fact that his hair is even at the sides could also be related to the typical Asian “bowl” cut where hair is equal length all around. His facial features demonstrate the look of a typical Asian. He has small eyes, flat nose, thin lips and skin with yellow undertones. This portrays the typical Asian because people tend to think of Asians as short and skinny with small eyes and flat faces. In fact, the word “chinky” is often used to describe Asians because Asians have small eyes. The fact that Hiro Nakamura wears glasses also contributes to this Asian image because people link glasses and nerdy-looking Asians. 

                      The way that Hiro Nakamura speaks further strengthens the image of a stereotypical Asian. Even though the actor playing Hiro Nakamura speaks perfect English in real life, he has to speak with an Asian accent in the show. The character Hiro Nakamura’s most spoken line is probably “Yatta!” It means “I did it!” in Japanese. The accent Hiro has and the Japanese phrases he uses all sharply contrast the other characters because they all speak perfect American English.  The way Hiro speaks reflects the view of our society because people tend to associate certain accents, like the one Hiro has, with Asians.

            The occupation of Hiro Nakamura truly reflects the typical Asian. Hiro is a computer programmer who sits in cubicles all day. His job requires a lot of math and science but not so much of physical power. This illustrates the typical Asian because people always think Asians are good at math and take on jobs that require a lot of brain power. In addition, Hiro’s office attire also contributes to the image of Asian because he wears suits with button-down shirts and ties. His outfits give him the look of a nerd. This relates to the stereotypical image of an Asian because people think Asians as nerds who wear conservative and preppy clothes. 

                    The character Hiro Nakamura finds about future events through comic books. There are many scenes of him reading the comic books. There are also many scenes of him carrying the comic books with him and using it as a guide to find places and people. This truly relates to the typical Asian because Asians are always associated with anime and cartoons. Probably because a lot of our childhood cartoons like Pokémon, Sailor Moon, and Yu Gi Oh are all made by Japanese people and have Asian characters in them, people just associate comics and animations with Asians.

            Hiro Nakamura has the superpower of turning back time and teleporting. This is very different from the superpowers of other characters like being able to fly or shoot fires. He needs to think and concentrate real hard to teleport. This mental superpower contrasts with the physical superpowers of the other characters. This adds on to the stereotypical Asian because people think Asians have tons of brain power but not much of physical strength.  

                      The weapon that Hiro Nakamura carries also contributes to his Asian image. He uses an ancient sword while other characters use guns. This creates a drastic contrast because swords are very old and Asian while guns are relatively modern and Western. The way that he swings the sword and carries the sword on his back creates the image of the samurai, the Japanese warrior. This really link Hiro to the stereotypical Asian because he uses ancient weapons and act like Asian warriors. People usually associate swords, wooden sticks, and Kung Fu with Asians. 

(Hiro’s signature face when teleporting.)

            Hiro Nakamura’s reactions to things also reflect the traits of the stereotypical Asian. In times of danger, Hiro usually try to escape instead of fighting it bravely. He takes the avoidance path by teleporting himself to a safer place. This demonstrates the belief that Asians are weak and cowardly. He portrays one of the typical nice, law-abiding guys because when he saw a dead man, he fainted to the ground. In addition, the first time when he had the chance to kill Syler, who is the Villain in the show, he just placed the sword around Syler’s throat but he could not actually do it. This shows that he does not have the guts to commit a crime. The further strengthened his Asian image because people almost never associate Asians to serious crimes such as murder and rape.

           Cultural artifacts such as television shows all have components that portray certain racial stereotypes. The image of the typical Asian is clearly shown in the character Hiro Nakamura in the show Heroes. His physical appearance, speech, and his actions show the typical weak, smart, nerdy and law-abiding Asian. His occupation and background further completed this image by showing he is the man of brain instead of fist.

Dolce & Gabbana Ad

 

                Many images come to mind when the words “masculinity” and “femininity” are used. Our society tends to associate certain behaviors and looks with a person’s gender. Egoistic dominance and aggression tends to be associated with masculinity while passiveness tends to be associated with femininity. People will often say a person is very masculine if he is confident and tough. On the other hand, a caring and nur­turing mother is often viewed as feminine. In “Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes” by Aaron Dovor, the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity are discussed and these gender stereotypes are shown intensively in the advertisement by Dolce & Gabbana.

                Masculinity is aggression and dominance. In the Dolce & Gabbana ad, it is very obvious that the men are dominating over the woman. There are five men but only one woman. They are all physically bigger and strong than the woman. The way that the man in the center is pushing the woman onto the ground is very aggressive.  However, the woman shows passivity through her inaction. She does not seem like she is trying to escape or fight back. This supports Dover’s claim that woman usually strive for cooperation and communion.

                The balance of power also shows gender identity. Competition and thirst for power are some more aspects of masculinity. In the ad, all of the men are looking at the woman, making it look like it is a competition of power and dominance over the woman. However, the woman is just lying there with her eyes closed, dependent on the men to make decisions. This fits the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity by illustrating the competition for dominance of the men and the passivity of the woman.

                 The behaviors of the models in the Dolce & Gabbana ad also contributed to the stereotypes of masculinity and femininity. The woman in the ad shows that she has a heterosexual orientation. It means that she dresses, moves, and acts in ways that men will find attractive. This is true because she is dressed in a tight fitting black bodysuit that shows a lot of skin. She is also wearing makeup and high heels. These are very feminine aspects that men often find appealing.

                Dover said that femininity must be expressed through modes of movement and action that communicate weakness, ineffectualness, availability for sexual or emotional service, and sensitivity to the needs of other. This is true based on the ad because the revealing outfit of the woman and her inaction even when she is pushed onto the ground shows her weakness and availability for sexual service. Her body posture displays her subordinate status and vulnerability because she is pinned to the ground and unable to move while the men are just looking down at her. The fact that she has her eyes closed and is avoiding eye contact shows that she does not want to be in conflict with more powerful people, in this case the men.

                Certain body movements and actions tend to show femininity as well. For example, the woman in the ad expresses femininity by having her legs closer together than the men. The way that her toes are pointing inward and the fact that her hands are relaxed also give the appearance of femininity. Her subordinate status is further confirmed through the restriction of the free movement. The emphasis on her sexual characteristics like the light shining on her legs and the S line of her body give her an even more feminine appearance.   

                Opposite from the qualities of femininity, masculinity is built upon toughness, confidence, and egoistic domination. The man who is pushing the woman down in the ad gives an aura of aggression and violence that makes him look very masculine. The men in the ad have a certain degree of emotional insensitivity which makes them even more masculine. The man in the center is not letting the woman go. The men surrounding them are just standing there watching, disregarding the fact that the woman might be in danger.

                The way that the men are standing in the ad also illustrates masculinity. They hold their arms and hands in positions away from their bodies and they stand with their legs apart. Two of the men have their hands on their hips and are looking down at the woman like they are the ones in control of the situation. In addition, the men in the ad are all extremely physically fit. Two of the men are topless, showing off their muscular arms and six packs. Light is shined on their bodies to emphasize their physical power. They all have freedom of movement as opposed to be woman, thus indicating dominance and masculinity. 
                 The angle of the camera and the looks on the men’s faces also indicates masculinity. The camera took the photo of the ad from below the men, thus we have to look up to see them. This shows that that are important. In addition, the men all have stern or serious facial expressions on their faces. This suggests that they are not influenced by the woman. The man in the middle has sunglasses on his face. This might show that he is special and important because he is the only one with sunglasses. It could also be used as a way to display his “coolness”. 
                 The advertisement by Dolce & Gabbana is much more than just a clothing ad. It constituted the stereotypes of gender identity. The ways that the models are dressed and their actions all send messages regarding masculinity and femininity. Like what Aaron Dover states in his Gender Roles Behaviors and Attitudes, the male models process a certain degree of aggressiveness while the female model processes a certain degree of passivity. The men are dominating the woman in the ad and her inaction shows dependence. These aspects all fit and prove our society’s view on masculinity and femininity.