China Owns the United States?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlkLhVo3PbY
Terry Z
Recently, I came across the above linked commercial while watching CNN. I found the media text to be extremely inappropriate and demonstrated a form of propaganda typically seen during the cold war era. The advertisement was sponsored by Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW). This association claims to be a non-partisan, non-profit organization with a mission to advocate the elimination of waste and government inefficiency through non-partisan public education programs. I found it very convenient that this commercial was aired in the midst of the government shutdown a few weeks ago. As we know, the debate and controversy was centralized on the Federal budget. The Republican party's platform focused on budget cuts and eliminating wasteful spending. These similarities between the GOP and CAGW seem more than just a coincidence.
Furthermore, the CAGW sponsored advertisement has the intent to impose a sense of fear into the consumers of the media text. It's intent is to make the American public afraid of the looming Chinese threat against America. In the process, they misrepresent Asians and focus on stereotypes. The commercial takes place in a lecture hall with a Professor dictating the flaws which led to the fall of America. The Asian students were portrayed as cynical, evil, and content with the fact that "They now work for us." In my opinion, this is a dangerous misrepresentation of a race and culture. It appears that as a nation we have not learned from our prior mistakes. During World War Two, Japanese-Americans were taken into internment camps because Americans saw them as a threat to national security. Similarly, Muslim-Americans are also generalized into a stereotype of being 'terrorists' due to the media's generalization and depiction of Muslims. The CAGW is attempting to evoke American patriotism in an effort to stop wasteful government spending which is leading the United States into bankruptcy. However, they have falsely accused and labeled the Chinese as the antagonists. Fear is a powerful weapon used in propaganda. I do not think that it belongs within our Western media. Innocent people fall victim to generalizations created by the media.
1.) If you were to view the media text through an Asian American lens how would you feel about this commercial?
2.) Do you think the media creates too many misleading generalizations/stereotypes about different races?
3.) Do you know anyone who has been a victim of racism?
1)I am Chinese and I felt that the Americans will feel threaten from Chinese people. I felt betrayal how China helped the United States by lending a lot of money (in the billions) to them and this is what the United States repay the Chinese people by making hate commercials
ReplyDelete2)I think the medai does creat too many misleading generalization and stereotypes about different races and they should ban the use of this kind of media
3)Yes, I know many people who gets bullied and being made fun of because of their race.
Thank you for your insight Ryan. It is interesting to hear your point of view on the issue. Let's not forget that China is not lending the United States money without an ulterior motive. I would not be surprised to learn that they are charging a hefty amount of interest plus additional conditions not disclosed to the regular public. I also disagree with this type of media. As we know, the media contributes to our perception of reality. But, they will never ban this sort of media. It is a powerful tool. Even in Canada, the political parties are using fear as a tool to manipulate voters in thinking a certain way (And voting in a certain way). This is demonstrated by both the Liberal and Conservative ad campaigns and by their respective leaders on the campaign trail.
ReplyDelete1. I would feel very disgusted and shocked at the same time because it is such an illiterate thing to do, to stereotype against a group of people based on their race, background, religion etc. I can relate to this because media often misrepresents Islam and what really saddens me even more is that there are foolish people out there that blindly believe everything the media states. This is the difference between an educated person and an illiterate; that they are able to distinguish reality from stereotype.
ReplyDelete2. Yes, media does create too many misleading generalizations/stereotypes about different races and I completely agree with Ryan about banning such use of media. This kind of media creates hatred and misconception between people of different races, which results in miscommunication and decreases interaction between different races. This lack of interaction between people of different races will bring us back to where we were before WWII. In other words, it can result in numerous dangerous conflicts arising, for the well being of the nation and the future generation, it is important to accept each other’s differences and to bring peace rather than violence and hatred.
3. I, myself have been a victim of racism. I am really grateful that I live in Canada and not America. I have many cousins in America who have been bullied multiple times because of their religion. One time, my cousin was telling me about a stranger literally ripping the hijab out of her best friend's head,(she is a born-American convert to Islam),...this really upsets me. I hope one day there is peace between people of all different races and religion.
The United States has a different approach to immigration. They believe in the "melting pot" system whereas Canadians strive for a "multicultural" society. This fundamental difference means that Americans will be more prone to racism. In contrast, Canadians are more accepting of other races. I hope that we never return to the level of racism seen during World War Two. Fatima raised a good point. The Nazi's used propaganda to create a false perception of Jews during World War Two. The outcome of this propaganda led to one of the most terrible events in history, the Holocaust. It is important for people to learn from the mistakes of our past.
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