All too often people get into habits of problematic behavior that can harm other people and their identities. This can be as simple as someone assuming a women’s occupation to be something “typically feminine,” as far as non-black people who sling around the n-word on the daily.
Often times these problematic behaviors manifest themselves in the media that we take in every day. Television stations, production companies, record labels and countless other sources of media do not take necessary precautions to ensure that the media we consume is free of problematic ideas. An example of a book turned movie that should have never been released, let alone TWICE is 50 Shades of Grey. This problematic book featuring emotional abuse, and labels abuse as BDSM, should have never hit the shelves, and definitely should have never been made into a live-action film. Content such as this allows for many misinterpretations by readers, viewers and listeners that can turn into bad behavior or ideas.
Many times, ideas and traditions are those that are passed down through families by means of media. Naturally, people grow up accepting what their surroundings present them and take these external impacts and turn them into their personality.
Although this type of impact does have an affect on people and what they believe, people must stop accepting the problematic media that was and is presented to them simply for the fact that it is common, accessible, and familiar.
Obviously, it is human nature to flock to what you are familiar with. I would never choose to eat an unknown food placed in front of me, as opposed to a plate of french fries. However, does that mean that all things that you are familiar with are sensitive and not by nature oppressing other groups? No. For many years, all the way to today, media is not as “politically correct”- granted, an imbecilic term- as it should be. Just think, we still have straight people using homophobic slurs (Tyler the Creator), non-black people saying the n-word (Jennifer Lopez), and white feminism running rampant (Taylor Swift, Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez, and the list goes on).
Artists are not meant to be perfect. They are human. However, there should be an expectation by everyone that when artists and celebrities alike make a problematic comment, release a sketchy song, or subscribe to certain values, that they self-correct, and clean up their act for the future. You don’t have to hate someone for doing something problematic, simply acknowledge their issues and encourage correction. And if they do not correct their own blunders, well then let the storm of exile begin.
And everyone must realize one thing: not everything that is presented in the media is meant to be praised and revered. Though it is a difficult realization to have, it is a necessary one in order to have a more open and positive media space. Pop music will not cease to exist as we know it if we call Taylor Swift out for inserting herself in a place that she shouldn’t be speaking. Christmas, as it is celebrated, will not implode by calling out an archaic and creepy song that has implications of sexual coercion. Our world will continue to exist if you can acknowledge that different forms of media have their problematic faults, and you actively work to fight these systemic flaws. Every artist will have a problematic moment, but it is the job of the artist and their fanbase to respond to it with the common goal of an equitable society in mind.
