Asians: Breaking the Curve For the Rest of Us.

While looking something up on Urban Dictionary I happened across an entry titled "curve setter." I was curious about what it was, so I looked. According to the author, Nick D, a curve setter is someone of Asian descent that does well in school, thereby breaking the curve for everyone else. This idea that Asians are smarter just because of their race is, frankly, ridiculous.

In this post Nick D uses racist language concerning Asians to further argue his point. At one point he says that they "[bring] the grades of normal people (white, black, Latino, and Asians that don't give a shit) down." So, according to him, not only do all Asians study all the time, but those that don't are considered normal, while those that study are abnormal. Just because some Asians might be attempting to get a good grade in a class (and perhaps get their moneys-worth out of their education) they are no longer seen as "normal." Instead, the normal people are those that get bad grades in a class, and instead of blaming themselves for not studying, they blame the Asian kids who are ruining the curve for the rest of the class.

This representation of Asians as always being smart, like any stereotype, is harmful because it allows people to assume they will always be worse (or better) at something just because of their race. So, if/when someone Asian is smarter then someone of another race that person can blame it on the "other" without feeling like they need to change anything in themselves. Instead of, say, studying harder they instead just get mad at the person who did better then them and thereby don't learn anything at all.

This definition is harmful to Asians as well. If they are constantly told that their race is smarter then others, they may start to feel that they always have to get a perfect grade, since, according to this stereotype, all other Asians do perfectly in school. And if they do badly in a class then they may believe they are abnormal, or that something is wrong with them, therefore making them feel that they aren't living up to the expectations everyone has of them.

Personally, I study very hard for my classes, not to ruin anyone else's grade, but to get as much out of my education as I can. And (at least last time I checked) I'm not Asian. Maybe now the definition of "curve setter" should include white women as well, since they aren't going for accuracy anyway, and then they can add sexist to the list of stereotypes they believe.

Transexuals: The New Go-To Insult

While looking at MSN’s CelebrityFix, I happened across an article in which Lady Gaga (a musician) says of herself: "I just don't feel that [I’m] all that sexy. It's weird. And uncomfortable. I look at photos of myself, and I look like such a tranny! It's amazing!” The author of this article not only agrees with her, but they also say that it’s about time she realized this. Now, I have many issues with this statement, but I’ll start by saying: this is awful. On the one hand, they are belittling and degrading a group of people who are constantly being made the butt of jokes just for being themselves. And on the other hand they are making fun of this woman by questioning her gender, which, in this culture is everything. It is especially terrible since she’s assisting them in degrading herself and this group of people by making transsexuality an insult. When people make fun of transsexuals they are not only dehumanizing them, they are also making it OK to belittle anyone they might not like or understand. Making fun of anyone who looks or acts differently then the people in power might seem OK to some, but when you look at the effects of racism 50 years ago it becomes clear that this can easily lead to hate crimes.

So Tyra, is it Only Bad When it Happens to You?

Tyra Banks is a model, producer, TV talk show host, actress, and judge on her own reality TV show "America's Next Top Model." A few years ago she was criticized for gaining weight, and unflattering photos of her in a bathing suit started showing up. When these photos got shared, Tyra held her head up high and argued that she was still beautiful.On her show she started talking about airbrushing and anorexia.
When I heard Tyra Banks talking out about these things, I was ecstatic. To finally hear that someone was talking about these important issues, and a model no less! I felt that someone had finally stepped up to the plate and was ready to challenge the media's idea that super thin is always the best. But then I started watching America's Next Top Model.
In the last season of the show I saw about 4 women who might be considered a normal size and weight, and 10 women who I thought looked too thin. There were no plus-size women. Now, I realize that the cycle ten winner of the show was a plus-size model and that Tyra has had larger women on her show before, but the vast majority of the contestants on the show are stick thin. Out of 12 seasons, only one winner has been plus-sized.
In my opinion, Tyra Banks needs to make up her mind. Her different opinions confuse everyone. On one hand, its wrong for the media to be so obsessed with how big someones body is. But on the other hand, she is perpetuating this image of super thin women being the most desirable. Based on her show, it seems that she is saying the only people who make good models are the thin ones.
If Tyra Banks really wants to make a difference, she needs to make changes everywhere. She can't say something on one show and then show the complete opposite on another one.

Chanel Perfume: Do I Have to Be Naked to Wear it?

While reading a magazine recently I happened across an ad for Chanel perfume. In the ad Keira Knightley is sitting completely naked, having only a white piece of cloth across her lap, diamonds along her throat and a man's hat covering her chest. In the photograph she looks completely sexy, skinny and seductive.

In today's society it seems necessary for everyone to take advantage of women's sexuality. Every type of media uses some sort of stereotypical woman to sell whatever it is they are selling. This ad further illustrates the point that women are completely over-sexualized in our culture. No one can seem to sell anything to anyone, including women, without making women a sexual object that someone is either lusting after or wishing they were. In the ad Keira Knightley is obviously the woman every female wants to be and every male wants to sleep with. She is essentially selling her body to get Chanel more money. Couldn't they have had her wearing clothes? Doesn't a woman wearing beautiful things also sell, especially when it's something like perfume? Or are they hoping for the shock and awe factor? If someone sees a naked woman selling perfume, they might be curious or desperate enough to buy it.

Some people may not think a naked woman in a magazine is such a bad thing, but that isn't really the point. What does a naked woman have to do with perfume? Is our culture so obsessed with objectifying women that they will sell pictures of a naked woman and pass it off as an ad? I suppose so. But why do they feel the need to make a woman an object, to essentially sell the woman as the product, instead of just selling whatever it is they are selling without objectifying anyone in the process?