Bell Hooks constantly brings up the term “white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy” throughout her video discussions. This term was very new and confusing to me until she began to relate it to something I am personally very familiar with; media. The media is a way of interlocking different types of biases such as race, sexuality, gender and subconsciously feeding it to the masses. A perfect example of this perpetuation is the OJ Simpson trial.
The OJ Simpson trial is a perfect example of how the media made a horrifying murder into a spectacle. The media most definitely furthered sexism, abuse, and racism through the documentations of this trial. The fact that OJ Simpson was a supposed black male murderer and Nicole was a white female victim made for a great “story.” Nobody would have guessed it was a group of white women who killed Nicole Simpson.
I completely agree with Hook’s assertions of the media and popular culture. The oppression of race and sex is drastically forced upon the viewers by the media and in a way forces the viewers to decide a verdict.
Hooks was asked who is innocent and who is guilty? When her answer was questionable and not what the media expected it was rejected. The media wanted Hooks, the black woman, and the racial scenario to support OJ, the black male. I agree the media chooses what the masses want to see in this specific case as well as many others. This is how the media functions to perpetuate power and privilege; giving the viewer what they want and expect to see.
I also agree with hook's assertions regarding the OJ Simpson trial. The media did manipulate this situation drastically and forced misconstrued verdicts upon the viewers. You're right, no body would have guessed it was a group of white women who killed Nicole Simpson. The OJ Simpson trial is a perfect example of how the media enables misconceptions about power, priveledge, race and sex.
ReplyDeleteKelly I completely agree that the OJ Simpson trial was played up by the media for all the wrong reasons. It seems like the media was obsessed with the racism in the case rather than the domestic violence aspect. The video shows a group of black women cheering as OJ was found not guilty on TV. Might I add these woman were living at a shelter for battered women? Just goes to show that domestic violence was extremely overshadowed by racism in this case.
ReplyDeleteKelly, you make a great point that the OJ Simpson case made a great story.. in fact, in the eyes of the media, it was the perfect story to twist as they pleased. They could have made any outcome they wanted out of that story, except for as Bell Hooks stated, a group of white women as the murderers. The least suspicious adjectives were included, society would not guess that a white person in that case would have killed Nicole. Society would not have guessed that a group of white people would have killed someone, they could possibly imagine one killing her, but not more than one white person committing a crime at one time. And lastly, they never would have imagined women killing. I also want to add that Cai58 above me makes a great point as well. Unfortunately in our society, I feel as though people takes sides in cases such as these according to race, rather than critically and morally evaluating it. At the shelter for battered women, the women were cheering when he was found not guilty. Personally, I think no matter the situation or race I would have sided with the woman where domestic violence was questioned. I also can't help but relate this to my observations of the presidential election with Obama as president. I could not help overhearing conversations among some African American people saying that they were only voting for Obama because he was related to them in the color of their skin and not based on his experience or potential. On the other end, I also think some people encountered ageism as well when voting against John McCain because he was older when running for president. What ever happened to voting for a candidate based on their qualifications and how they would do in their position?
ReplyDeleteThank you for the posts. I enjoy reading th feedback and that others have similar ideas about the trial and subject!
ReplyDeleteThe OJ case is a great example of how the media takes a very serious case of violence and distorts it and sensationalizes it to make a buck. As hooks says, this was a case that began and ended with men's violence against women. However, the media seemed only interested in a racialized version of this case. OJ Simpson finally sits where he belongs: in a prison cell. However, it is not because he killed two people or because he has a history of vicious domestic violence against women. It is because he stole sports memorabilia. Apparently, the protection of private property is more important than the safety and life of a woman. A case that teaches us so much about race, gender, violence, media and capitalism.
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