Ageism?

Cloris Leachman is the latest contestant to be eliminated from "Dancing with the Stars." I'm sure that a lot of viewers anticipated this. Something that bothers me is the way the hosts and the judges draw attention to her age every week. Yes, it is admirable of Ms. Leachman to attempt ballroom dancing at age 82. However, her resume demands more than just acknowledgement of her years. She is an Emmy-winning actress and pageant winner (Miss Chicago) whose talents outweigh the hindrance of her age.

Susan Lucci, I believe, is the next oldest contestant. This week, she was the runner-up with fewest votes. Ms. Lucci may be the next eliminated. Do viewers hold her age against her as well? Or, do they truly take into account the contestants' dancing skills? Above all things, the show remains a popularity contest.

I did not see the season of "Dancing with the Stars" on which George Hamilton competed. I wonder how his age was addressed by the hosts and the judges. Certainly, he was the oldest competitor at the time. Did viewers hold this against him, or was he simply not a strong enough dancer? Does age become a joke at this point? This makes me wonder why Western society does not esteem age, the way other cultures do, and instead makes a joke of it.

Thinking more about American Indians in the media

As I've given more thought to my final project, I have considered the presence or absence of American Indians from the media. Media professionals sometimes tread lightly over this terrain, but I think they need to delve into it more deeply. American Indians, or Native Americans (the debate continues over which term to use), deserve treatment just as any other ethnic group does. Despite the fact that they are outnumbered, they still exist and, tribe by tribe, contribute richly to our American culture.

I follow a sports blog called www.survivinggrady.com. In one post, one of the authors mentioned Red Sox outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury's interview in an issue of Men's Vogue. I immediately clicked the link to read the article. Of course, the first paragraph mentions Ellsbury's Navajo heritage. While it is of note that Ellsbury is the first Navajo player in the major leagues, I still wonder why that facet of his background draws the most attention. Doesn't his athletic prowess trump everything when it comes to lauding him as a member of the team? If Ellsbury were white, would the writer have drawn attention to that? I doubt it.

This presents my struggle with the topic of American Indian presence/absence from the media. While I assert that they deserve equal treatment, I also do not want them to be exploited. I suppose exploitation manifests itself as the ultimate evil of some forms of journalism. Not everyone believes the media are objective in their methods.

Final project ideas

I've been thinking a lot about my final paper topic. Although most students in our class will expand their mini-study papers to explore topics thoroughly, I think I might choose a new path. Some of the things that interest me is a study of Cabbage Patch dolls and the percentages of white-skinned ones and black-skinned ones (and Asian and Native American ones, if any) that may have been manufactured.

Another topic I'd like to explore is the amount, or lack, of Native American figures in advertising. I might do this from a film angle, too. I need to narrow this somehow. I'm sure there is an abundance of literature in mass communications journals. This topic has interested me for a long time. It still shocks me to consider how Native Americans have not fared as well as other ethnic groups in this country and that their struggles were never self-imposed; they were victims of racism and negligence. No one seems to give it much media treatment, either. It makes me sad.