Racism has been an issue in the United States since the
country was founded. People have always been judged on the color of their skin
and their ethnic background. This is an issue that has always stirred up
controversy, and when Anthony Federico wrote a controversial headline about
Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks and was fired because of it, it only proved
that it’s still an issue to this day.
“A stereotype is a generalization about a category of people
that is negative and/or misleading. Stereotypes are used to predict and explain
the behavior of a social category; in doing so they obscure the variability
within such categories,” (Wenner 157). Stereotypes exist for every race, but
the media plays up the stereotype at African American are ‘natural athletes.’ According
to Wenner, the media plays up that African Americans are naturally quick, good
at jumping and are lazy because of it. As well as just being lazy due to natural
ability, they are also depicted as self-centered, selfish and arrogant while
European-American athletes are known as team players.
One instance where the media accomplished both of these
things was with NBA star Allen Iverson. There was a point in time where he
missed practice, and the media brought it to his attention. The video is funny
to us viewers and it also was to those in the conference room, but it really
had a negative depiction of Iverson. It was especially bad at the end when he
said, “how the hell can I
make my team mates better by practicing?” Therefore, he played right into the
media’s hands and allowed them to show him in a selfish matter.
The media tends to show this side of African American
athletes much more than that of European-American athletes. We’ve seen it with
Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, and more recently Tiger Woods to name a few. While one
would think this negative connotation toward African Americans is bad enough,
media also attacks their intelligence and leadership abilities.
“‘Blacks run like horses and jump out of the gym, but they
rarely think it all through’ (Harris, 1991, p. 160),” (Wenner 159). What this
says is that African Americans are more athletic than their counterparts but
don’t really use their brains. Could that possibly be the part of the reason
Andrew Luck is considered the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL
Draft over Robert Griffin III? Or why there are more white quarterbacks and
head coaches? The coaches’ part had gotten so bad that it became a rule in the
NFL that teams were forced to interview at least one African American for a coaching
vacancy.
Overall, you may not realize it but the media plays a major
role is the American view of African Americans in sports. Even after all the
advances is diversity, the media continually gives them this negative representation.
PJ, Great blog post. Now that I look at these facts it seems obvious that there is still a great deal of stereotyping and racism in sport. It is a pretty crummy ordeal. I have to say it is always surprising when i hear things like I heard about J. Lin. I am a firm believer that our generation is pretty embracing of all cultures, so when I see stuff like this it makes me second guess that thought.
ReplyDeleteI dont know why the media continues to pick on African Americans. I guess it is an easy target for them. Clearly it shouldnt be like that. I think it is a good idea that the NFL put that coaching rule in order. The media is always stirring things up that i feel they shouldnt be, but what can we do? They are going to write what they want until people stop feeding into their irrelevant stories concerning what race someone is, rather than their talent.
I often become upset when race is continuously brought up in discussions about sports. The argument I always return to is the racial disparity in the NBA. There is an overwhelmingly large percentage of NBA players that are African-Americans while white Americans make up a very small percentage of players. But this seems to always be conveniently ignored, or perhaps people are afraid to speak out against it because it could come off as racism. Conversely, the "problem" of a relatively small percentage of black coaches is seen as a terrible issue that needs to be corrected immediately. It does not make sense to me to be able to argue for one of those cases and not the other.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, anything can be made into a racial issue if one is looking for it. I, as a viewer who does not look for racial bias in media coverage, rarely notice any discernible bias in terms of negative or too little coverage. In fact, it seems to me as though there is often discernible overcompensation in making sure to have black guests on debate shows and having numerous special shows on race.
Andrew Luck is not the top-ranked quarterback in the draft because he is white. People who continue to bring up such matters and try to invent racial bias where there is none are the ones who continue to perpetuate the problem.
I agree with PJ, the media is able to manipulate racial concerns amongst players. We have come so accustomed to stereotypes that we accept them as social norms. However the media plays directly into these stereotypes not allowing us to ever break off from them. If stereotypes are constant in the large media outlets it is hard to have an entire community break away from using them.
ReplyDeleteGreat points, P.J. The Allen Iverson press conference was EXACTLY what the media wanted. His words and overall attitude during that presser stereotyped him as the "typical black male athlete" that is arrogant, self-centered, lazy, and often-times wildly outspoken. As terrible as it sounds, the media will always try to fuel/provoke a tirade from an athlete--it keeps them in business.
ReplyDeleteWhile (I suppose) we can't blame media outlets for trying to sell papers and make a buck, they sometimes play a little too much into the stereotype that says black athletes are uneducated, volatile, and possess little work ethic. Many sports fans will just laugh it off and deem the stereotype accurate; I find it to be completely ridiculous and incorrect. Of course, some athletes do fall into this category, but for every Allen Iverson there is a Curtis Granderson...we just don't hear about it because it's "boring" and won't sell..
Racism and stereotyping are always going to be an issue, especially when talking about any form of media. Sports media does not escape it either. PJ, you make a great point by saying that media plays a major role in the American view of African Americans in sports. The role that the media plays in establishing views of race extends to other minorities as well. A major reason why Jeremy Lin was such a big deal was because he did not fit the stereotype of an Asian American athlete or the stereotype of an NBA player that had been previously set by the media.
ReplyDeleteIt is more often that black athletes who get into trouble make more headlines than the white athletes that get into trouble; this is not to say that white athletes don’t get into trouble with the media at all though. If the athletes what to change this they should not give the media fuel to add to the fire. If Plaxico Burress did not what to get in trouble for having a gun and accidently shooting himself, why bring it in his pocket to a crowded club? And furthermore, why wasn’t the safety on? If Allen Iverson did not want to be seen a person who wasn’t a team player, why make those comments?
Professional athletes, no matter what race, have to understand that the media is looking for them to mess up and they are looking for the drama. If they want to be represented in a positive way by the media, they need to avoid giving the media a reason to represent them negatively.
I think this is a great blog on how there is still stereotyping and new racism in athletics today. It seems to have become less tolerable and less likely to appear however it still becomes apparent when pointed out. It is a shame that certain races or ethnicities are targeted because it is the person who should be reprimanded not the entire race/ethnicity. I like Natalies comment above where she says
ReplyDelete"If Plaxico Burress did not what to get in trouble for having a gun and accidently shooting himself, why bring it in his pocket to a crowded club? And furthermore, why wasn’t the safety on? If Allen Iverson did not want to be seen a person who wasn’t a team player, why make those comments?"
I think she is right when she says that they need to understand that the media is out to get them so slipping up when the spotlight is on them is just pure stupidity. They need to remember they are role models to many people so when they do things like this, they are representing themselves badly no matter what race.
I also think that we the audience are as guilty as the media when dealing with stereotyping because we are counting and grouping people who slip up or do something idiotic. I think the media is guilty of targeting certain people but we as an audience feed into stereotypes and unless we ignore them, they will not go away.
I completely agree with all the points that PJ brought up and all the comments that were made. I loved the Iverson video because it definitely shows the stereotypical points that Raney is trying to make in his "Handbook of Sports and Media." He writes, "Research has suggested that while Black athletes are often praised for being naturally talented, White athletes are often praised for either their hard work or perceived intellect and leadership" (453). Black athletes are definitely seen in the eyes of the media as the more naturally talented athletes but they also show Black athletes associated with more negative images. It kind of goes with what Natalie is saying and what we discussed in class Monday. Plaxico Burress' case was covered in a completely different light than the Josh Hamilton case. It seemed they completely focused on the crime and negative image of Plaxico. On the other hand, the media showed the Hamilton story in the light of him overcoming adversity not focusing on his various addictions. Another example that I thought about was when NFL players are caught with marijuana charges, the media covers it with good detail. Then I think about when Michael Phelps was seen smoking marijuana, they covered it with about the same details. A lot of the players in NFL caught are usually unknown, but Phelps is a gold medal winner, I thought the media would portray this with great detail.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the media perceives blacks as more criminals. In my Media and Society class, we discussed how blacks and minorities are seen more as the defendant and criminal compared to the white victims.
Iverson might be selfish and arrogant by ranting about not practicing during a press conference but that doesn't mean all Black athletes are like this. Most stereotypes suggest that most Black athletes are lazy, selfish because of their natural abilities. However, we saw that Donovan McNabb is very well spoken Black athlete. The media tries to expand everything further and it seems that we as the audience buys everything that is said. Not all Black athletes are like Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, Iverson (all self-centered). But don't think that white athletes are technically more intelligent than Black players. Some definitely are but I don't think that the reason Andrew Luck is projected #1 and not RG3 just because he is smarter. He is arguably a better player and leader for the Colts franchise.
I just think that the media takes advantage of the stories like the Iverson one and transforms them out of proportion. However, we as the audience need to bypass these stereotypes that are trying to be made.
PJ, great post this week! Stereotyping and racism in sports seems to be a never ending and unresolvable issue. Many reasons for this is the media, as many people said above. Media absolutely feeds into stereotypes for certain athletes and certain races. I agree with what many of our classmates said about the media only showing one side of Black athletes, the media focuses on the controversial and outspoken ones, as opposed to the ones deserving the attention. I also find the mandatory interviewing of Black candidates for managerial positions in sports to be upsetting and a sad revelation of what our society thinks. Why can the best candidate be hired, whether they are black or white?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Samantha that we as the sports audience can become easily influenced by media's biases, and our negatively swayed to form certain opinions about players. I really like that Natalie noted that one of the main reasons Linsanity was created because Jeremy Lin was different, he did not fit the typical NBA mold. He is an Ivy League educated Asian American athlete, a combination that is not that commonly seen in the NBA.
I think athletes need to be more conscious of how the media and fans perceive them. They should not feed into the media's attempts for a certain reaction or outburst. I like how Andy points out that for every Iverson there is a Curtis Granderson. The stories of athletes like Robinson Cano and Victor Cruz helping charities and local communities do not get recognition because they are not front page news. This lack of attention of positive aspects is feeding into society's stereotyping and racism of certain athletes.
P.J. pretty much hits all the points in how stereotyping races in sports is still prevalent today. While most of this stereotyping is drawn to the African-American athlete, the most recent has come to the Asian-American community with the rise of Jeremy Lin. In the midst of Linsanity we saw the media tie his race into almost all the puns and headlines they ran, most notably the ESPN one. Also the fact that he was asian excelling in a predominantly African-American sport could not be ignored by the media. The stereotyping and racism displayed by the media was best summarized by an SNL skit. In the skit they continuously make puns based off his race and Asian-American stereotypes, but when someone made a joke or pun of an African-American player, they would be up in arms. In just put into perspective the ignorance of the media at times. It also showed, that unfortunately in 2012, stereotyping athletes because of their race is alive and well, and unfortunately something like this has to happen for the discussion to come up and try and stop racial stereotypes in sports.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kyle in that no matter the situation, a racial element can always be unnecessarily brought in. The media does this in many ways, sometimes not even knowing the racial lines they are drawing. For example the media is always quick to mention the first African-American to accomplish something, like first NFL coach to win a Super Bowl. These achievements are great gains for those who accomplish them and their families, but say you become the first black coach to win a Super Bowl; how much of this accomplishment resulted from you being African-American? Does that automatically crown you the smartest African-American coach? The fact that you're the first of a race to do something is great in it's own way, but these types of things get blown out a context.
ReplyDeleteA main example to prove my point is NFL Quarterbacks. Only one African-American QB has ever won a Super Bowl, it was Doug Williams in 1988 and he isn't considered the best example because he was a backup that got to start after an injury to the real starter. The point is, there's still never been an African-American starter that took his team from game one to Super Bowl Champs. So whenever this done in the future, no matter how long it takes, the fact that they are black is going to play too much of a role. Donnovan McNabb came kind of close when the Eagles had three straight deep playoff runs, but whoever it is that achieves this first, it will be "mediatized". Whoever it is, being black is going to be SHOWN as a primary reason for the feat. It's just the color of the skin, but that might be in the same league with great awareness, arm accuracy and all the other things that make a quarterback valuable. I feel like i got on a little tangent here, but the message i'm trying to convey is simple-the media will make up reasons for things and do things to make them seem as prominent as possible, as good a story as it can be. PJ is definitely correct in showing how certain athletes are shown. The Iverson example is the most prominent of any example, that press conference is infamous, and it might have negative representations towards African Americans everywhere. Not only has the media shown African-Americans in negative ways, any pro athlete is at risk of being exposed to the public in a bad way. Nowadays scandals and steroids and bounties and such are common things, and the media is itching to uncover more and more of these stories. Stories that can make a players career do a 180. It wasn't always the case that the media would publish negative stories about athletes, but now it's the norm. It is similar to the idea of racism, it's more expanding on it because there are even more categories to group people in negatively.
My comments connect with this thought- anything positive or negative has to stop being associated with race. A certain QB didn't win it all because he was white, and an athlete doesn't win the dunk contest because he is black. Allan Iverson didn't skip out on practice because he was black, it was an individual choice, and individual is the concept that gets lost. Hopefully these kinds of things can be recognized in the future.
I agree with you PJ, racism has been an issue in this country from the very beginning and it has clearly been seen in athletics. As we mentioned in class when athletic engage in scandals, the media tends to depict African Americans athletes guilty for their actions more so than the media does for white athletes. While I don’t believe that the media is fully responsible for the stereotype of African American athletes, I do believe that the media could do a better job of displaying African American athletes to the public.
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