Teen Stereotypes- The Breakfast Club

This past weekend, I watched the movie The Breakfast Club from 1985 for the first time. The five main characters are seen as typical stereotypes in high school like the jock, the princess, the brain, the criminal and the basket case. By the end of the movie, each one had proven that there was something about them that went deeper than the stereotype, that there was more to them than what others saw.

I think this is still really relevant today, because people are judged and put into certain social categories by others who may not know the first thing about them. I'm sure we can all think of at least some one who fits the label of a jock, brain, princess, criminal, or basket case, but what do we really know about them that allows us to apply that label?

After the five teens spending eight hours together in detention on a Saturday and uncovering different secrets and details about each other's lives, they developed totally different perspectives towards each other. There was more to them than what met the eye, and I think that's a key lesson. We shouldn't be stereotyping people before we really get to know them.

Racist Videos by Teens

I just read this article from the Globe and Mail about two teenagers from Florida who posted videos on line of them ranting about black students at their school. It was followed by a second video by two other students in Florida also making slurs and racist remarks. In the first video they say, "If you lived here you would... not like these black people." Followed by, "There's black people, they're fine, they're educated, they go to school, they do what they have to do. Then there's n------ who can't talk right, they keep having kids, they can't get jobs. There's a difference."

I find these remarks incredibly racist, stereotypical and hurtful. The article mentions that the girls were suspended from school for posting the video, and I'm glad that they were. This is a truly awful thing to do. Since the video went viral, it has been viewed  over a million times. Posting something like this could really have a negative impact on the girls' futures. Future employers would not want to hire someone who has these ignorant and hurtful opinions.

UCLA student during her racist video

I found these videos reminding me of another one I had seen a while ago about a UCLA student who also made a racist speech about Asian students at her university. It is also full of incredibly racist remarks, and the girl comes across as very ditzy and ignorant.

The two videos can be seen here and here.

I think it's awful that people would have these opinions in the first place, but I think it is completely unacceptable to share them on line for everyone to see. Many people were offended by these videos, and the girls who posted them have all gotten themselves into a lot of trouble by doing so.

Teens searching for confirmation on Youtube

I just finished reading this article on teenagers who post videos of themselves on youtube, and urge viewers to comment with their honest opinions on whether or not they are "ugly." Honestly, I find the thought of this really disturbing that teenagers need confirmation from strangers about their looks. It's sad that this generation doesn't have enough self confidence to be able to see that in themselves, rather than having to hear it from complete strangers on the internet.

When I clicked on one of these "am I pretty?" videos, I saw that it was obviously a pretty popular thing for teens to do, because the sidebar of related videos was full of ones bearing similar titles. What I find especially sad is that the article mentions that there are girls who look to be as young as ten or eleven who are posting videos like this. Girls that age shouldn't have to be so worried about their self images. Instead they should be out having fun, not posting videos on the internet. If society is causing girls who are as young as ten to have to be concerned about whether or not they are "pretty", we've definitely gone wrong somewhere.

Celebrities- Bad Examples or Role Models?

I recently read this article on the "downward spiral" of Demi Moore. She was having difficulty with an eating disorder, struggling with addiction, and is breaking up with her much younger husband Ashton Kutcher. I think that she is one of the celebrities (amongst many) that are not setting good examples for today's society. Since the lives of celebrities tend to be all over the news and in magazines, I think they really have to be careful about the way they portray themselves to the media.

There are many celebrities that could be considered "bad examples" because of the choices they make, but I think there are also many celebrities that can be looked up to. There certainly are celebrities that use their fame for good causes and are part of organizations to help good causes or people less fortunate than themselves.

I think one prime example of a celebrity that is doing a great job of being a role model and setting good examples through her fame is Angelina Jolie. She contacted the United Nations in 2001 for information on  "international trouble spots" and went on missions to Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Cambodia and Pakistan, all in the year 2001. Since then she has been to more than 30 countries to help on missions, especially for "forgotten emergencies" that the media's attention has shifted away from but still need help.

Jolie was also not afraid to visit countries that were in heavy conflict. For example she visited Darfur, Chad, Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, all in times of war. I think this takes a very selfless person to be able to go to another country risking your safety for the well being of others. She has also adopted three out of six of her children from countries in need.

So, what I'm trying to say here is that some celebrities attract attention from the media for all the wrong reasons, while others use the media for positive purposes. What Angelina Jolie is doing through her humanitarian action is really remarkable.