Bad news:
Like most skills, you have to practice actively engaging with
and analyzing cinema and television to get better at it. “Getting
better at it” in this case means being able to pick out offensive
portrayals (spoiler alert: they're mostly going to be of
minorities!), recognizing denigrating stereotypes, and understanding
what makes a strong character.
Good
news #1: That means you get to watch lots of movies and TV shows! You
can practice this skill literally any time you engage with media. If
you stop to watch three minutes of commercials on your way out the
door, you can analyze it. If you see a newscast or read a newspaper,
you can analyze it. Anything created by a human is considered media,
and anything media, you can (and should!) analyze it. This extends to
things you might not even consider analyzing, like cereal box
packaging and porn mags (I've read fascinating theory on both!).
Good
news #2: Being able to do this well will make you better in multiple
ways. First of all, you'll be a better person. Awareness REALLY IS
the most effective tool in fighting prejudice. Once you understand
the prejudices that are keeping our society- and possibly yourself-
from treating people equally, you can start getting rid of
those prejudices.
(Continued after the break...)
(Continued after the break...)
