Identity

IDENTITY

Can you really choose what your identity is? Many people ask themselves these questions. It's hard to think that a person cannot create their own identity but it is unfortunently it is true. The media portrays many groups of people in negative fashion. Therefore people begin to make identities for certain groups of people. Race is among the biggest group that is portrayed in the media. Blacks are portrayed dangerous individual that only live to steal and kill, while whites are portrayed as either ignorant rednecks or cocky rich white male. The media will and always has portrayed identity through the operation of television, radio, and other form of communication.

Blacks in America are put in bad situations due to the media. Blacks in America are identified by rap videos and news television shows. "Richard Majors and Janet Mancini Billson discuss how being a black man often means economic, political and social impotence vis-a-vis white-dominated society because "African-American men have defined manhood in terms familiar to white men: breadwinner, provider, procreator, protector. (Matlon)".The news cast stations primarily show the murders robberies and extortions that happen. People begin to think that what they see on television is what is reality about all black people is. They will begin to walk on the other side of the street or even hold their purse tighter when a black man walks by. These are the identities imposed by the media on black individuals.

"The emergence of a mainstream hip-hop identity echoes the distinct form of despair that poor black men face under contemporary capitalism. Whereas the civil rights generation enjoyed the relative luxury of demanding equal rights, the dislocation of inner city black communities transforms their demands (Matlon). Hip hop also portrays blacks in a negative fashion. Eighty percent of hip hop sales are purchased by white Americans. Due to this blacks are also identified by the hip hop that many white Americans listen to. They identify the black race with disrespecting females, getting money, and doing drugs. Listening to artist such as Wiz Khalifa and Snoop Dogg, people identify blacks with these people. Therefore when people see a black person they automatically identify blacks with weed and other drugs. With rappers such as Lil Wayne and Waka Flocka Flame many people identify blacks with violence and disrespecting females. These identities are imposed by the hip hop media and also by the new station. The news cast station picks the most ignorant of rappers to talk about in their shows and other such things. They do not pick the rappers that actually rap about real life living and growing up in the streets. The rappers that rap about making the world a better place are not shown in the media.

Black