Images in Action
Visit the link below (from the Teaching Tolerance website).
http://www.tolerance.org/images_action/index.jsp
Examine the hidden history behind each image.
Answer the following questions in the comments section:
1. Of the images included, which three did you find most offensive? Why?
2. Of the images included, which images did you initially regard as harmless?
3. After examining the hidden history behind the images you initially found harmless, did you change your mind? Why or why not?
http://www.tolerance.org/images_action/index.jsp
Examine the hidden history behind each image.
Answer the following questions in the comments section:
1. Of the images included, which three did you find most offensive? Why?
2. Of the images included, which images did you initially regard as harmless?
3. After examining the hidden history behind the images you initially found harmless, did you change your mind? Why or why not?
Comments
Well i personally was suprised at the hidden messeges there where. at first i sort of disregarded almost all but 1 of the pictures as harmless. it was shocking and eye opening to read the hidden meaning behind them. ive never been a fan of the braves or the redskins or any of those teams. it isn't because they are Indian teams though im just a fan of the packers in football and the cubs in baseball. Untill this project i never really realized how steriotipical we as americans can be. The most offensive pictures would have to be the first two and then the 4th one witht the pilgrim hat.
At firs ti only really saw the first image of the demonic indian as offensive. The other images i disregarded at first look. The image of the turkey and the pilgrim hat where so innocent it seemed. I mean really who would ever suspect a picture of a turkey or a black old fashion pilgrim hat would ever be offensive. The second picture of the crouching indian in the second picture really went unnoticed. It appeared to be a nice portrait paying good tribute to a famous man in history not something that would be offensive. At first look i also completely missed how team mascots could have any sort of a racial or native stereotypes. Really who would ever suspect that pro teams in any sport would ever have such a hidden prejudice.
After learning the history behind such pictures its really makes me question myself as to how do i feel on such matters. we all want to hold our heads high and say that we live in America and we are free and all men are created equal and the so on. That indeed is as i have known all along is just a bunch of "bull" only to be further emphasized by such stereotypes. This is something most people would just scan over and give their very very vague opinion. Although i truly have to say all the pictures really are offensive in their own way yet they all follow on the same overall theme or stereotype if u may. All in all though it was really a learning experience for i found the secret window in each set of images and also got some historical background at the same time. It was really sort of mildly humorous to me to learn that when the potato was first discovered it was thought to be poisonous lol. It was also interesting to learn about the pilgrims actual garb that they wore and the elegant colors of the rich such as the reds and purples and so fourth. Often the same plays true today, the rich have flashy elegant expensive clothing and the poor have very bland, plain cheap clothing so to speak. Also the point brought out about how little kids played cowboys and Indians when they where young was very good. I have to say i did it myself when i was young and the Indian was always the bad guy and the cowboy was the young strapping unsung hero
who kills the evil scary savage Indian. Almost shocking to see how we are raised from youth to really hate other races. I also have found that although it was never even mentioned most all the cowboys where not even white Americans. The majority of them where actually African Americans.
I would appreciate a response if possible maybe suggesting what more there is to view or read regarding these topics. Also i would be happy to further elaborate on any of my responses or views.
Yes i did change my mind, the meanings of the pictures are totaly different then what they appear to be.
tyler - I'll post a list of similar projects, activities, etc. on today's post. A couple other people are interested in completing projects/activities such as this one.
You've satisfied a project requirement.
Stadele - Could you elaborate a little on your responses. For example, could you remind me what the image you are referring to is? What do you mean "excluding people"?
2. Two of which are the Native American pictures. Its just ridiculous that we consider Indians that are used as mascots is racism, yea Indians are mean and evil looking like u don’t want mess with those kind but its just the whole point no thanks to what the settlers and history that they have been through its not there fault we see them that way. Another thing about the pilgrimage hat?!?! What does that have to do with anything? Is wearing black hats with buckles racism or offensive because the hats are (black)…the website doesn’t know what they are talking bout and say what ever comes to mind, I might as well throw a picture of a talking monkey and say pirates back that preferred a talking monkey then a talking parrot.
3. No I didn’t change my mind who ever got there history for it might be true, but then again it seems like this website is a group of uptight-anti-talking–no-humorous people that need to get out more. Honestly you’d find these pictures off of a websites that has a bunch of jokes and those people of big’o planet tolerance just copy and pasted those pictures and made a big deal out of it trying to make a point or something..kind of funny.
ulmination: thunderous verbal attack
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
An abusive, bitter denunciation; A prolonged discourse; A speech or writing which bitterly denounces something
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/diatribe