Politics Of Representation Analysis

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The politics of representation encompass the way in which we, as a society, view the outside world. The media uses this as a way to form what can be a biased and most of the time a misinformed on race, culture, religion and as well as country. As media is a driving force of our everyday lives we often do not question it as it is seen as a reliable source. Leading sources such as Fox News have established a reputation in which viewers despite being extremely biased deem them believable. Representation is also seen in television shows and films, which also educate us in a sense but mostly stereotypically. These representations can leave negative connotations and even if minorities do speak up they are often ignored. The chosen example for this …show more content…
Society may also have different perceptions of races due to their own experiences, which is also backed up by the representation in television shows (Greenberg, & Mastro, 2000). Following the World Trade Center attacks, the question amongst immigrants working in America rose. In episode six, Justin walks past the two high school bullies who dance around with masks on claiming that their jobs were being stolen by immigrants. This is then followed by Justin’s thoughts and which he says, “Maybe Raja did have a point about the importance about international brotherhood”. The question about immigrants working in other countries merely to survive is often met by negativity. Justin’s thought allows for the audience to really think about the politics behind America’s relations with other countries. Especially towards countries that practice Islam, people tend to let the media’s biased view cloud their judgement. Raja is seen by the students as simply someone who is there to take their opportunity of a job rather than the real fact of him being on an student exchange. Of course, with such representations on television, many are able to relate but yet in a sense other viewers may find it as justification for their biased …show more content…
(2008). Comedy in Unfunny Times: News Parody and Carnival After 9/11. Critical Studies in Media Communication, 25(3), 274-303.

Diep, F. (2015, Aug. 12). Why Did We Ever Call Undocumented Immigrants ‘Aliens’?. Retrieved from https://psmag.com/why-did-we-ever-call-undocumented-immigrants-aliens-98c3b8d7647a#.rezy1iwpi IRS. (2016, Mar. 3). Immigration Terms and Definitions Involving Aliens. Retrieved from https://www.irs.gov/
Port, M., Guarascio, D., & Doyle, T. (2007). Aliens In America. [Television Series]. United States: The CW.

Mastro, D., & Greenberg, B. (2000). The Portrayal of Racial Minorities on Prime Time Television. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 44(4), 690-703, doi: 10.1207/s15506878jobem4404_10

Wolock, L., & Punathambekar, A. (2015). Race and Ethnicity in Post-network American Television: From MTV-Desi to Outsourced. Special Section: Television’s Post-racial Politics, 16(7), 664-679.

Yakupitiyage, T. (2007, Oct. 19). Battling or Creating Stereotypes in ‘Aliens in America’? Retrieved from

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