Article Response

Homosexual Stereotypes in the Media

            In Sheng Kuan Chung’s “Media Literacy Art Education: Deconstructing Lesbian and Gay Stereotypes in the Media”, we explore the issues in how the media portrays gays and lesbians and what we can do to prevent future generations from believing in the stereotypes presented to them. Chung notes that in our society children are presented with a plethora of advertisements from the media that portray gays and lesbians in such a way that allows the audience to form guidelines of how a homosexual person should look or act. Chung also points out that advertisements alone are not the cause of this stereotype but the seemingly harmless and entertaining television shows such as Will & Grace portray homosexuals as a collective ‘type’ of being rather than individuals. Chung points out that, for example, gay men in the media are portrayed as being fashionistas who love to shop and hit on tall, dark and handsome muscle men. On the other hand, Chung notes that lesbians in the media are portrayed as women who look manly and have no fashion sense; exactly the opposite of what the typical gay man is supposed to be.  After presenting this information, Chung further states that while it is nearly impossible for humans to get rid of stereotyping altogether, it may be possible to teach younger generations how to interpret ads or television shows from the media in order to understand them better and to help rid of the belief in those false portrayals of gays and lesbians in the future. In order to teach children how to interpret these media messages, Chung illustrates that the most effective and relevant way is through art education; an environment in which the education is relevant to the issue of media and the role that it plays in gay and lesbian stereotypes. However, as Chung points out, if we are to teach our children how to think for themselves and disregard the belief that the media portrays the truth, we must first deal with homophobic issues within ourselves and our teachers. In order for children to learn the correct way, without any bias, the art educators must set aside personal feelings towards gays and lesbians and teach children how to form their own opinions and dissect the messages, photos, and television shows that the media broadcasts.

            While examining this article, it is most important to keep in mind that Chung has his PhD in Art Education and has written and researched numerous articles about how Art Education can help students with social problems as well. While some could make the argument that Chung is a bit repetitive in his argument, he makes up for it when he presents a plan, in a way that he believes is most effective, in order to lay out a starting point for any art educators who would like to try to educate children on these cultural stereotypes. Because the media plays such a gigantic role in our lives, we must be careful of the messages that we put out and how we analyze or interpret the messages that are broadcast. It is very apparent, not just in the television shows that Chung mentioned, but in other hit television shows currently such as Glee, that a gay and lesbian stereotype still exists. Gay men are still portrayed as fashion obsessed, while lesbians are portrayed as masculine women with not much fashion sense. Chung also makes a very good point when he discusses how we should educate our children on how to interpret the messages that they see daily, even hourly, through the media. Gay and lesbian issues are already very controversial without the help of the media putting a stereotype into a young girl or boys head of how they ought to act if they are gay or straight. Our society has laid out very strict guidelines that many people base their judgment of another’s sexual orientation off of. We automatically assume, thanks to the media, that a feminine man must be gay, while a masculine woman must be a lesbian. If we continue to portray these images to our children without letting them know about the fallacies that are connected with the stereotypes, we are in turn breeding another generation that is not tolerant of those who are different from the stereotypical ‘norm’.

Works Cited

Chung, Sheng Kuan. “Media Literacy Art Education: Deconstructing Lesbian and Gay     Stereotypes in the Media.” International Journal of Art and Design Education    26.1 (2007): 98-107. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 February 2011.