The world revolves around white people. It has always been like this. Now more than ever, the "minorities" demand respect for their origins' representation not only in the cinema but also in the news media and in literature. While the audio-visual arts present ethnic minorities and women through a language according to their stereotypes—poor Black people, dumb blonde rich girls, nerdy Asians, drug dealers, Latinos, or oppressed Muslim girls—the media impose an official linguistic model focused on the language of the upper classes, who, not so surprisingly, always turn out to be of white origin. The most commonly used example is the sociolect of the Black population, which has always been presented to the audience as vulgar, excessively violent, or gesturing. This article will explain the results of global oppression by white-straight-cisgender men and how language reflects ideology in the media as its methodology for spreading all around the world.
Whiteness is considered a social category that includes white privilege. It is the social construction that we will explain using the States as an example: white is always referred to as those Americans of European-Anglo descent. Also, the term African/Latino/Asian/Native American is not correct itself because nobody but Latinx and Native Americans are originally Americans because of their original belonging. The simple use of those concepts is racism.
Nevertheless, how does ethnicity divide not just among communities but between biological sex (not gender)? Black males are described and represented as angry, physically threatening, and sexually aggressive in their behaviour and discourse. Black women are considered sexually open and 'vulgar' though, as well as uneducated. White men, on the other hand, have the advantage that they can escape racial distinctions; they are somehow international. An example of this is Eminem, who has achieved social permission to sing and behave as a Black male singing rap music known for its anger, violence, sexual aggression towards women, and constant misogyny. Besides, white women are considered delicate and not vulgar people, as the patriarchal 'normative' exposes.
Dyer (1997) denominated "POC" as a well-intentioned concept, but this just applies to the idea that white people are some kind of global group, with no ethnicity or culture attached. This man forgot the fact that there is only one race, humankind, and that white people are always attached to some kind of ethnic background and culture. "A new genetic study suggests all modern humans trace our ancestry to a single spot in southern Africa 200,000 years ago. But experts say the study, which analyses the DNA of living people, is not nearly comprehensive enough to pinpoint where our species arose." (Gibbons, 2019) Besides, French culture is not the same as Norwegian or Italian culture.
Nevertheless, it is accepted internationally that white people can appropriate another's culture with no consequences attached. This is why the colonizers' practice of cultural appropriation is so widely spread. The Ebonics linguistic approach is sometimes used by white people as a refreshing touch on their songs or just for being considered 'funny' among their community mates. This is as racist as when Gucci dressed their white models in turbans and hijabs in 2018, even though white people have always made fun of Islamic and Sikh clothing.
In summary, racism continues to persist across various spheres of our society, including the realms of entertainment and fashion. It is imperative that we, as consumers, exercise discernment when deciding how we invest our time and financial resources. It is crucial to recognize that corporations, often wielding substantial political influence, can shape the very fabric of our daily lives through their actions and policies. Therefore, our choices in supporting or boycotting these entities carry significant weight in shaping a more equitable and just world.