Saturday, May 7, 2011
Tolerance on TV
There’s this trend that I’ve noticed lately while watching TV: there are a lot of shows that are actively engaging with building tolerance for homosexuality. One of the shows that my wife and I watch together is Glee. While I mostly like the show just for its musical aspect, one of the things that I’ve appreciated about it is that almost every episode engages with some sort of issue that is present among students. Whether it be issues such as self-image, alcohol, sexuality, or bullying, Glee seems to be making an effort to address them all. The issue that seems to be most present in the show is tolerance of LGBT people. There are other shows as well that have been pushing for tolerance such as Grey’s Anatomy and Modern Family. Just the fact that the issue of homosexuality is openly explored on these popular shows is an encouraging sign. In my opinion, the lack of tolerance for LGBT people is just as ugly as the racism against African-Americans. Since I have a lack of experience with homosexual people, I appreciate the awareness that these TV shows give me. I think that the more comfortable I am with tolerance, the easier it will be for me to address issues that may arise in my classroom. Amidst much of the trash on TV, there are good lessons to be gained.
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I am not an avid TV watcher, I barely know what it's out there but I have the impression that homosexuality is widely discussed and publicized, I see huge steps being made towards acceptance in this area. It is probably just the beginning, there will always be place for more.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand I would like it if homosexuality was not the only thing that the media tries to educate the public about. I feel there is very little being said about issues like poverty and gender discrimination, even race. I am particularly unhappy about the way women are portrayed in the media and the general image that is being constructed around women. There is a lot of work to be done in this direction and most of what's happening in the media and the entertainment business is not helping women and it is not empowering young women.