Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Fictional Characters

1.a. Long Duk Dong from Sixteen Candles is an asian foreign exchange student. Some people believe that he is the most offensive asian stereotype to ever be created by Hollywood. He speaks in a conversational accent and attempts to use terms such as "hot stuff". Most Americans have probably seen Sixteen Candles or at least another John Hughes movie such as The Breakfast Club, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off (I love those movie!) which also contain stereotypes. His movies have shaped American culture and have shaped people's ideas of the typical suburban teenager.

1.b. Barbie is a toy that everyone in America knows. She is also possibly the most controversial toy that America knows. With a 36-inch chest and a 18 inch waist, critics feel that Barbie gives a bad image to young girls saying that they have to be skinny to be pretty. In 1972, the Mattel company had to change Barbie's look from a 'demure' sideways glance to the current, more simple look and in 1992 the company enlarged Barbie's waist. Some think that Barbie is misunderstood however, and that she is only meant to be a toy.

2. One of my favorite TV shows is The O.C. (but not season 4). On the show, Adam Brody plays Seth Cohen, a nerd who I think is actaully really cool and adorable. He breaks the stereo-type that a nerd is uncool and anti-social as he gains friends throughout the show and has made girls all over America fall in love with "the nerd". He is important to our society beacause he reshapes the stereotype of the typical high school nerd and makes people think twice about labeling people.

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