After reading the other posts about our recent episode, I see a pattern of oppressive behaviors overlapping. I agree with everyone else's comments on Van Buren and the difficulties she faces in the police force. What I see here is the intersection of sexism and racism, which have both been pointed out previously. What bothers me is that the episode addresses these systems of oppression, but does nothing to correct them.
I say that because the viewer does not see actions taken against the characters making the racist or sexist comments. I forgot the man's name in the beginning of the episode (the one who made the gyno-american comment), but where is the justice for Van Buren and all women in regards to sexism??? Why doesn't he get fired?! Of course, the same thing happened with the racist comments as well...they were looked down upon, but nothing really happened as a result to them.
So although we LOVE Law and Order, it is one way we can see it perpetuating the "isms" we face everyday. The issues are brought to our attention, but then fade away as more "important" parts of the story are revealed.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
It is like the first reading that we had about the fact that feminist viewpoints are presented in Law and Order, yet stereotypes are also reinforced. It is difficult because there are so many normalised oppresive ties that all act in our everyday lives. It is as if we wade through a river of politically incorrect muck, yet our awareness is like a wetsuit of knowledge and advocacy.
Post a Comment