RTF305- First Blog Assignment

http://sharetv.org/images/george_lopez-show.jpg

When you think of Hispanics and Latinos, what comes to mind? Do you immediately think of well-off, respectable citizens or low-income, uneducated individuals? If you are familiar with media and culture in the United States, you probably only have negative ideas associated with this racial group. This ideology is mainly due to the work of framing. Whenever you see this racial group represented in any type of media, they are usually depicted as being poor, uneducated, and maybe even involved in drugs.

As it states in our textbook, agenda-setting tells us what topics to focus on; while framing decides how we should think about these topics. Framing can often lead to the formation of stereotypes about different types of individuals and racial groups. A perfect example of this is in the sitcom "George Lopez". The sitcom portrays George Lopez and his middle-class family, and the different issues that they have to face in their everyday lives. The family is repeatedly faced with issues that are stereotypically associated with Hispanic families. These issues include teen pregnancy, underage drinking, and the decision to attend college.

Besides being misrepresented in television and movies, they are also underrepresented in politics. Personally, the only politicians that come to mind are those from my local area, which is located just a few miles north of Texas-Mexico border.

Until our media decides to represent Hispanics and Latinos in a better light, there will always be negative connotations associated with the group.