That’s another great point. I noticed that too, and the suggestion that it makes.
However, besides the image, in the article they don’t exactly sell the theory that he does anything suspicious at all. I don’t think they even suggested it. It seems he’s painting entirely as the victim.
This seeming contrast raises a fascinating point.
I totally agree with you of the importance of image messaging. Image analysis in the media of different countries is such a fascinating thing.
Like if you look at the representation of how: Black people are portrayed in American media; how Asian people are portrayed in American media; how white people are portrayed in Asian media; how Middle Eastern people are displayed in Anglosphere Western media — it’s very intriguing. By media here here I mostly mean the kind of editorial and advertising photography which you identified, wherever that is carried even in video.
It’s very a fascinating topic, and while it provides a clear window into the racial biases of different cultures it’s not extensively analyzed within the same channels that carry that imagery.
Yet it’s this powerful form of implicit messaging. The messaging functions through the presentation of a photorealistic “life like” (reflection of life) image that presents, programs, propagates and reinforces those racial biases.
Paradoxically, almost all cultures will pay lip service to wanting to do away with racism, while yet also dealing extensively in this imagery that implicitly carries negative racist messages. This creates a strange reinforcement of the stereotypes that, in words at least, a culture commonly says it seeks to reject.
Completely agree! It's hard to pin down intention or suggest coordination. Sometimes it could simply be accidental.
But it's also possible to argue that, in aggregate, the average media expression of a culture would likely reflect its unconscious biases. And I think the evidence of this in media imagery is clear.
Surely there may sometimes be a deliberate agenda carefully projected through manipulations of imagery, but other times the same end effect may occur simply through a "culturally unconscious" process.
Danny Taing does give off an Asian gangsta vibe. It wouldn't surprise me if he is a gangsta of sorts, in terms of business. It's not easy to be in a business that involves high risk international importing and distribution.
Haha that's a good catch! I agree it's funny to spot. I don't know. I wonder why?
It may seem like a small thing but I think you raise a fascinating and important point!
Could you advise on what a possible "correct" capitalization should be? I don't know! Here's what I think:
It would feel weird to capitalize white. I think because I see it as a descriptive color, not an identity. But in English text I've often seen Black capitalized when it's referring to people's skin color, so perhaps I'm just reflecting that.
But I don't think you can not-capitalize "Asian", as Asia is a proper name for a region, same for Middle East, tho probably can lowercase black? Haha I don't know ! :)
Maybe it's my skin color is what people call "white" in these simple distinctions, so using capitalization for other groups is a sign of respect, or a form of difference signaling, which would seem weird to apply to my one.
I suppose you could consider such distinctions as racist, but indeed by that definition then noting any racial distinction is racist.
So even the labels of Black/black or asian/Asian or white would be considered racist, and indeed they are racist because they connote racial distinctions.
However noting distinctions that are factual, descriptive, and not fabricated negatives is not "negative racism". So, while I think it's valid to call any denoting of racial distinctions racist, I think there's further nuance! A distinction between negative racism (using racial differences to send fabricated negativity), and positive racism (respecting and noting differences or positive characteristics).
Perhaps it's possible to think of the capitalization difference in a similar way to addressing others you can use "Mr/Ms/Mrs" or, in Chinese, "nin". Some kind of respect marker, formality signal perhaps, or an extension of common convention in other areas to this one... haha :)
It seems the names we have in english for different racial groups are not exactly consistent, like many "inconsistencies" in English.
Or, all of this might just be my own inconsistency in spelling, a natural variation which is not to be underestimated! haha ! :)
However, besides the image, in the article they don’t exactly sell the theory that he does anything suspicious at all. I don’t think they even suggested it. It seems he’s painting entirely as the victim.
This seeming contrast raises a fascinating point.
I totally agree with you of the importance of image messaging. Image analysis in the media of different countries is such a fascinating thing.
Like if you look at the representation of how: Black people are portrayed in American media; how Asian people are portrayed in American media; how white people are portrayed in Asian media; how Middle Eastern people are displayed in Anglosphere Western media — it’s very intriguing. By media here here I mostly mean the kind of editorial and advertising photography which you identified, wherever that is carried even in video.
It’s very a fascinating topic, and while it provides a clear window into the racial biases of different cultures it’s not extensively analyzed within the same channels that carry that imagery.
Yet it’s this powerful form of implicit messaging. The messaging functions through the presentation of a photorealistic “life like” (reflection of life) image that presents, programs, propagates and reinforces those racial biases.
Paradoxically, almost all cultures will pay lip service to wanting to do away with racism, while yet also dealing extensively in this imagery that implicitly carries negative racist messages. This creates a strange reinforcement of the stereotypes that, in words at least, a culture commonly says it seeks to reject.