Reading Response # 6

            For the majority of citizens of America, there is a great deal of pride surrounding the freedom of each individual regardless of religion, race, gender or social class. While the aura of American values is held strongly in a citizen’s mind, Cynthia L. Selfe believes that the mass media is instilling other ideals into our way of viewing America. In what she deems “the Land of Equal Opportunity narrative,” Selfe presents the idea that society is held to specific expectations through ads. The suburban home with a white picket fence, a white family, two children and a dog is just an example of how the ads resonate with America’s citizens. Her evidence is provided in a series ads and revises the narrative to what she calls the “Land of Difference narrative” promoting that the story “is present not in what they show, but what they fail to show…There is a remarkable absence in all the images of people of color, and poor people, and people who are out of work, and single-parent families and gay couples and foreigners.” Selfe is conflicting with how ads in the media actually represent how diverse our country is.

            While Selfe makes a strong case for her claim I have to respectfully disagree. Today, diversity is valued more in America than during the time of publication of her book.  There are a vast number of ads and visual images depicting the diversity of America. I almost find it a little cheesy when you an ad has a female Asian child, a white male child, an African American male in a wheel chair, and a middle eastern female child all playing together nicely or sharing an experience. I don’t find this image cheesy because it is not possible. I find it cheesy because the large amount of these images portrayed in texts books and schools. I can remember seeing these at a young age and over the years thinking that they were probably done on purpose to reinforce how diverse our country is. It may have been different for Selfe growing up but for my generation, it is extremely hard not to notice the portrayal of diversity in the mass media. During this current recession, there are plenty of ads depicting people out of work, as well as single mothers.  What ads may have failed to show at one time of America’s technological life, ads are showing them now and in great abundance.