-isms

Eminem has to be at the forefront for sexist lyrics.  Realizing this, the Onion.com, a satirical fake-news outlet, did a story about how Eminem claimed to be mortified that a young man who was “raised” on his music was dating his daughter.  “Saying he could barely fathom the thought of Hailie, 17, with a man who ever enjoyed listening to, or was inspired by, his often misogynistic and violent lyrics, Eminem, 40, claimed he was disturbed from the second Denham said he was ‘a huge fan’ of all of the rapper’s seven albums”. Although sexism isn’t funny, the Onion did a great job at bringing attention to the ludicrous degree of sexism in rap music through a more comical lens.

Heterosexism is a very important discriminatory topic that needs to be discussed if we want to perpetuate the increasing rights and general acceptance of the LGBT community in America.  Quite often on my Facebook feed I see people posting articles from many different websites about dating and qualities to find in a partner or potential partner.  I mostly disregard the articles as rubbish, and one thing I’m realizing now is how overtly heterosexist these articles are, and that is because they always define the partnership as between a man and a women, never acknowledging that there are other combinations for love than just straight male/straight woman.

In my other communications class we watched a Dateline documentary with Katie Couric on the everyday racism, subtle and overt, that an African American male in his mid-twenties in America faces.  The documentary showed how two extremely similar guys, whose only apparent differences are skin color, experienced uniquely different treatment as they applied for jobs, looked at vacant apartments, and shopped around a store.  In the electronics store the black guy was trailed by an employee the whole time he was there to make sure he didn’t shoplift, while the white guy went largely unnoticed.

Dr. Robert Butler, president of the National Longevity Center, made comments in an NBC news article about the effects of ageism.  “Daily we are witness to, or even unwitting participants in, cruel imagery, jokes, language, and attitudes directed at older people.”  Dr. Butler understands the this daily struggle as an older person himself and coiner of the term “ageism,” something he did over 35 years ago.