In today’s society, social media seems to be a large part of everyone’s’ life. It has the capability to impact as well as distort and influence the way in which a person or circumstance is perceived. In this research paper I am going to take a look at how African American women are depicted within the media, specifically in the Canadian context. African American women make up 16% of the population within Canada [1]. The intent of this research paper is to further understand and explore how African American women are portrayed within the media. I will be taking a look at how the population of Canada characterizes African American women in the media. As well as how these assumptions affect the African American community at large.
The …show more content…
The second commonly played role would be the “Sapphire.” We most commonly see the Sapphire in movies, and specifically reality TV shows. For example, “Basketball Wives” or “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” both shows have lead women in roles where they play, “wise cracking, ball-crushing, emasculating women who let everyone know they’re in charge.” [3] Because of this portrayal, black women are often not seen as being feminine, but aggressive. In order to avoid this characterization, black women feel as if they cannot truly be themselves. The third portrayal of African American women is known as the “Jezebel.” This description is characterized as a hypersexual African American women who seduces and uses her body rather than her mind to attain what she needs. [4]. Sadly, these portrayals stick with African American women today. All three of these depictions greatly effect how African American women are understood and treated within their …show more content…
[8] This makes more senses as to why African American women would look to other black women/media outlets to draw comparisons of what ideal beauty is. Yet, it’s harder for African American women to compare themselves to images within the media when they are both underrepresented and misrepresented. For a black woman with strong ethnic identity, social media images may not disturb her self image. “Ethnic identity refers to an individual 's knowledge of her/his membership in a socio-racial group and the level of attachment she/he has
The …show more content…
The second commonly played role would be the “Sapphire.” We most commonly see the Sapphire in movies, and specifically reality TV shows. For example, “Basketball Wives” or “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” both shows have lead women in roles where they play, “wise cracking, ball-crushing, emasculating women who let everyone know they’re in charge.” [3] Because of this portrayal, black women are often not seen as being feminine, but aggressive. In order to avoid this characterization, black women feel as if they cannot truly be themselves. The third portrayal of African American women is known as the “Jezebel.” This description is characterized as a hypersexual African American women who seduces and uses her body rather than her mind to attain what she needs. [4]. Sadly, these portrayals stick with African American women today. All three of these depictions greatly effect how African American women are understood and treated within their …show more content…
[8] This makes more senses as to why African American women would look to other black women/media outlets to draw comparisons of what ideal beauty is. Yet, it’s harder for African American women to compare themselves to images within the media when they are both underrepresented and misrepresented. For a black woman with strong ethnic identity, social media images may not disturb her self image. “Ethnic identity refers to an individual 's knowledge of her/his membership in a socio-racial group and the level of attachment she/he has