Caucasian
The media has caused Caucasians to become stereotyped as "privileged." The word "privileged" usually comes with a negative connotation because the media exploits celebrities, like Paris Hilton, that seem to prove the stereotype through blogs, twitter and tumblr. Paris represents this stereotype due to the fact that she is a born heiress from her father's money, and does not mind spending money on trivial things. Although not all celebrities are this way, the media doesn't focus on them because they are not "hot topics" to the public. With the media only focusing on the "privileged" Caucasians in society, the stereotype of them stays in the mind of the public.
African American
Due to the media, when one thinks about the African American race, it is assumed that they are all either rappers or professional athletes. This is because African American rappers and athletes are glorified in our society, and left unrecognized in other aspects of the media, such as politics. Above is a photo of Lil Wayne, one of the most well known rappers in the music industry today. He exemplifies a careless, troublemaking, uneducated character who's only occupation is to make money, do drugs, and attain women. Therefore, when one hears "African American" they automatically associate the term with such characteristics. An essay we studied during this course titled "Black Men and Public Space" written by Brent Staples expressed a man's struggle with his African American identity and the way he felt judged by society due to his ethnicity.
Asian
The media exploits Asians as the "model minority" of other races because of assumptions of the way parents treat their children. The YouTube video displays how Asian mothers are overbearing and have high expectations for their children. In the video there is a portion where the Asian mother says, "B is for Bitch," after seeing their child received a B grade on their report card rather than an A. Media also exploits these so called Asian parenting methods through photos on popular websites, such as Tumblr, and usually uses them for comedic purposes. Although it can be funny at times, the stereotype that is shown is misleading due to the obvious fact that not all people of the Asian ethnicity can be the same.
Hispanic
Teenage pregnancies, uneducated, poor, and illegal immigrants, these are the assumptions usually associated with the Hispanic race. Unfortunately, the media has tainted the minds of viewers by reaffirming these assumptions leading to the creation of a stereotype. The photo above is an advertisement from Lifetime for a new series called "Devious Maids." The series revolves around the lives of Zoila and Valentina Diaz, Carmen Luna, Rosie Falta, and Marisol Suarez, five women who are housemaids of very wealthy home owners in Beverly Hills. All of the women are Hispanic, appear to be uneducated and unfortunate due to their occupations, one is an illegal immigrant, and another works with her teenage daughter whom she got pregnant with as a teenager herself. This television series is entertaining without a doubt, but its story line completely relies on the typical stereotype of Hispanics.