Tsai’s “Assimilating the Queers” cleverly organizes and
subtly builds an argument that LGBTQ people are selectively represented in
socially accepted statement roles in advertising. Tsai implies that it is not
until LGBTQ people are used as a representation of everyday people in
advertising that they will be truly accepted by society. Today there are rigid stereotypes about how LGBTQ people can both look and act. To an outside viewer the
use of overly positive stereotypes like successful gay men distorts and
diminishes the outsider’s perception of the need for change and the extent of
the ever-present homophobia that still permeates the lives of LGBTQ people.
Nice summarization and analysis of Tsai's main point! I wonder when Tsai wrote the piece, because I think we are starting to see progress.
ReplyDeleteStereotypes in any sense can be super harmful to society. By constantly making people think that there is something different with someone or a group of people, it is hard for people to be accepted in normal, natural ways. Sometimes ads try to be socially aware and fair, but by placing an emphasis on the fact that there is something unique about the ad, it hurts the overall effect. This is a difficult problem that ads should really start focusing on overcoming.
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