I would have to agree with Rockler's interpretation of Toby's interview. She supports the process of communication as ritual through the reinforcement of ideology of a culture and its symbolic teachings. I have watched The Lion King several times as an adult and each time, I have interpreted something new. But, I argue that we spend too much time critically thinking about the wrong societal norms. Instead of analyzing media in regards to race, gender, and sexuality, let's critically analyze media in its true form. The Lion King is not about the distinction of Whites, Blacks, Males, and Gays, it's about Strength, Courage, Family, and Cohesiveness. Our culture has become ideologically racist because we continue to expose racism through critical analysis. As Carey states, "Communication is a symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired, and transformed" (Carey 1989, 23). We have definitely produced and maintained racism in popular culture, but we have failed to repair and transform racism due to the fact that critical analysts are still writing about it through media.
Works Cited
Carey, James. W. 1989. Communication as culture: Essays on media and society. New York: Routledge.
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