Dichotomy: The American Dream

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The American Dream
The American Dream incorporates optimism into the right to equal opportunity and representation. This outlook is idealistic in that it assures, regardless of gender or race, a hard worker has the opportunity to obtain whatever they are working toward. Media portrayal has an implicit yet direct impact on social interactions among races. Many minority males still struggle with racial profiling today, despite the great transformation on race relations. Minority males suffer from their persistent representation as criminals across media and, as a result, are denied adequate justice before the law and the opportunity to be seen and treated as equal.
Minority men are presented to the public as hostile and aggressive by the media, …show more content…
Clint C. Wilson II and Felix Gutierrez, in their article “Advertising and People of Color,” contrasts “the wholesome and pure image of Quakers” (284) compared with that of “a dusty mexican bandito spraying his underarms after a hard ride as the announcer intones “If it works for him it will work for you” (285). One ad is presented as cleanly and whole, while the other gives off a disgusting and impaired representation.These two minor portrayals have been generalized by the public to associate whites with positivity and minorities with deficiency. In an American Puma advertisement, world famous sprinter, Usain Bolt is depicted crouching in starter’s position with a fierce and competitive look on his face. Such position can easily be compared with a crouched animal, malicious in the face and on the verge of an attack. Simple hidden associations are unconsciously processed by viewers and play a direct role into judgements about minority races. Physical representation has became a huge contributor to social interactions. In “Media Representations and the Impact on the Lives of Black Men and Boys,” Janet Bell and Eleni Janis express that what is “equally frustrating is the fact that these patterns, while often very familiar to insiders, are more or less invisible to the general public, and seem implausible”(2011). People of color are stripped of the American dream, simply because they are presented as a monstrous and defiant in ads. In an under armour ad, two white gynamist are shown posing in the exact same position with their arms stretched and chest out. While they are promoting the under armour apparel, the identical form and focused facial expressions gives off the idea of obedience while an outstretched chest shows vulnerability. . Hoynes and Croteau explain “audiences to learn and internalize some of the
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