Collide-a-Scope

Why Jersey Shore is a Disgrace to the Human Race...and Why We Love It.

2011-01-02T20:24:00.001-05:00

This year on New Year's Eve, people once again convened to toast their glasses and exchange pleasantries, on Twitter. But the #1 trending topic on the social media outlet this year was not #DickClark and it wasn't even his predecessor #RyanSeacrest. Instead the name of a cast member on the popular MTV hit show Jersey Shore took all of the excitement away from sweet, old Dick.

It was the power of Snooki.

Nicole Pollizi, otherwise knowns as Snooks, Snook-em, or Snooki on Jersey Shore was the top trending topic on New Year's Eve as MTV decided to host a Snooki Ball Drop to attract viewers that night. But why does America care so much about watching Snooki on NYE, or Jersey Shore on Thursdays?

Let's dissect.

So we've got eight Italian twenty-somethings: Angelina , Pauly D , JWoww, Ronnie, Sammi, Snooki, The Situation and Vinnie. They all live in nice place and pretty much do nothing except what they feel like doing.

They don't pay bills or really go to real jobs. They get up late, go to bed late, party all night, have a driver drive them around, get drunk, shop, go to the gym, work at a gelato shop (like never), talk on the phone, cook but eat out most of the time, wear skimpy clothes, go to the beach, argue and make up, flaunt their fun-bags and six-packs, hunt for potential sex partners, have sex, act stupid all day, make up silly words and talk a bunch of crap.

Some say it's "mindless entertainment". Others answer "I dunno, it's just funny." But I would argue that although those retorts may be partially true, there is much more to it than that. We as humans, specifically as Americans, like Jersey Shore for the same reason we like the Real Housewives of (Insert City Here) and for the same reason that the Maury show is somehow still on the air.

It is not enough to simply point out the obvious and say that we like drama. We like train wrecks, yes. But we particularly like them when they are in our back yard. We simply can't look away.

Think about it. You turn on CNN to find out that there was a high profile robbery which led to a police chase in Texas. You think, OK, thats pretty interesting. But then you turn on your own local news and find out that the same thing has happened, but at the gas station across town. Your response would probably change from mildly involved, to hopping off your couch and calling up to see which of your friends heard about it.

My point is that reality TV producers have hit the jackpot. They have realized this gem of information about the human condition and they are taking full advantage of it. No more are the days where Survivor and Big Brother or even the Real World are at the top of our reality-TV faves list. Now, reality TV shows and stars all come with a handy-dandy location pegged to them- a way to localize the train wreck. Now all of the sudden characters, have become real, live, tangible people. Who you might live or work next too.

Not to say that these people are average. No, if they were, then they wouldn't have made it on our TV screens in the first place. But the non-average, average-ness of people like Snooki, or Vinny, or Sammy is what really keeps us coming back.

The new season of Jersey Shore airs this Thursday at 10/9c on MTV. Hope you'll be watching, even it's just because you're too pleasantly-mortified to change the channel!

2010. a Year of Social Entertainment

2010-12-29T14:40:00.026-05:00

As 2010 is coming to a close, we have picked out a few of our favorite things to keep from 2010, and take into the new year. These are some entertainment outlets that really brought people together this year. Some are fun, some are controversial and others just promoted a great discussion about diversity.

GetGlue

This social media application, which was launched in 2009, but gained most of its popularity this past year, has been credited as the first social networking tool to really make a connection with culture. Get Glue is a social entertainment app which (much like Foursquare) lets users 'check in' to movies, books, TV shows and even wines to share their cultural experiences with their friends. Why didn't we think of this before?

I absolutely love the app and the idea, even though it is still in its early stages. The best part is that, different from Facebook and Twitter, but similar to Foursquare, users can receive social rewards called stickers and even earn discounts and coupons after they have reached certain levels. This is definitely a great app to keep and take with you into the new year.

Modern Family

One of the best shows of 2010, this show really does portray what the nuclear family of today really looks like: unconventional. Here is a synopsis of the show:

The story follows the families of Jay Pritchett his daughter Claire Dunphy , and his son Mitchell Pritchett who live in a Los Angeles-area suburban community. Claire is a homemaker mom married to Phil Dunphy ; they have three children. After splitting with his longtime wife, Jay has re-married with a much younger Colombian woman, Gloria Pritchett , and is helping her raise her pre-teen son, Manny Delgado . Mitchell and his partner Cameron Tucker have adopted a Vietnamese baby, Lily Pritchett-Tucker. (source)

Modern Family does a fantastic job of addressing how diverse American families truly are. While many still strive to meet the high expectations set for them by the Leave It to Beaver days, with shows like Modern Family it is clear that we have come a long way as a society in terms of admitting who we really are. It addresses issues like homosexual relationships, split-home families, bi-cultural relationships and ageism with humor and compassion. This is my favorite show on television right now and I cannot wait for more seasons to come in 2011.

Google T.V.

OK, so while I haven't actually tried Google TV or any other social TV viewing platform, I have to say that I think social television viewing will be a huge way that people get together the future. Think about it. How many of you already watch TV shows online and participate in a conversation about what your watching on Twitter and Facebook or a blog? Or call or text your friend during the MTV Music Awards or the Grammys?

Now think about what would happen if you could do all of these things in one place.

Google TV is a platform that allows you to access the internet and watch shows on your television at the same time (you can view a demo of it online). Another service is Boxee and some websites are even creating their social viewing platforms that you can access on your computer, like Bravo and MTV.

Google TV will definitely have some hurdles to jump, especially with most major networks rejected to optimize its websites for the platform. But I would say that Google TV is something we should definitely keep our eye on in 2011.

Kelly Cutrone's No B.S. Feminism

Kelly Cutrone is a fashion public relations specialist who started her own public relations firm in New York, called People's Revolution. So you may think her memoir would be a dull recantation of the woes of working in fashion, laden with a bunch of PR-talk. Wrong.

This book exemplifies true feminism in its best. At the heart of Cutrone's book is the struggle of being of a woman and how to overcome the challenges that life gives you. In this masterpiece, Cutrone takes us through some of her struggles with love, marriage, drugs and just living in the 80s, 90s and modern day time.

No matter what your race, creed or gender this book is empowering for anyone that has gone through a struggle. Put this book on your nightstand and highlight some things to remind yourself of in 2011...

Mark Zucherburg

According to his nomination as Time magazine's official Person of the Year, it is safe to say that Facebook's founder and CEO, Mark Zucherburg has officially taken over the world. And I would argue that without the movie The Social Network, which gave movie-goers around the world insight into his story, most of us wouldn't know his name.

OK, so maybe that is isn't true. But if definitely helped. The Social Network is a great story about how Zucherburg founded Facebook and all of the controversy that surrounded its foundation. What was also great about this film, is that it really showed us why people want to use social networking tools.

Facebook started out as a college-based tool that only allowed users with a .edu address to register and view others in their 'network'. The truth is, in the beginning, people weren't interested in using Facebook to meet new people, but to (pretty much) stalk the people they already knew; to find out if your ex-boyfriend was in a relationship or how the frat party was that you missed.

Overall, the Social Network was a great film that added to the real Zucherburg's fan base and told us what social networking was originally about and it should definitely be up for an Emmy in 2011.

Word With Friends

This scrabble-esque social game and mobile app really brought people together this year. With Words with Friends, you can play with your friends, family or strangers to compete to see who can get the most points by piecing words together on a (virtual) board.

What's great about this app is that there are really no strings attached. Other than the simple chat feature, users really just come together for fun and to play a game together. There is no profile or added social networking burden. The simplicity of this app and the way it brings people together will likely hold strong in 2011 with other variations sure to come.

What were some of YOUR favorite sources of entertainment in 2010?

Any predictions for 2011?

Urban Dwelling Minorities Most Likely to Use Twitter

2010-12-19T14:00:00.011-05:00

It's 10 a.m. on a beautiful Sunday morning. You pour of fresh cup of java, head to your computer read the New York Times, and then, the 8% of you that find yourselves poking around on Twitter, look down at your hands to realize that you are probably Black...or Hispanic.

A study was released recently, by the Pew Center for Online Research that showed that Blacks and Hispanics were twice as likely to use Twitter as Whites. Furthermore, online consumers in urban areas were more likely to use Twitter than those in the suburbs or rural areas.

The study sought to answer two important questions in regards to Twitter usage: First, who is using the popular social media platform? And secondly, what are they using for? Check out some of the results from the study below.

Who is Using Twitter?

Minorities: Only 5 percent of White Internet users said they use Twitter, topped by the full 18 percent of Hispanic respondents and 13 percent of black respondents did.

Urbanites: Twitter is used by 11 percent of online consumers in urban areas, but only 8 percent of those in the suburbs and 5 percent of those in rural areas...

Two Income Groups: This was a weird one. According to Pew's data, Internet users with household incomes of less than $30,000 per year and those earning between $50,000 and $74,999 per year were most likely to be using Twitter, with 10 percent in each category using the service. Those earning between $30,000 and $49,999 as well as those earning over $75,000, on the other hand, weighed in at only 6 percent

Young adults: Consumers between the ages of 18 and 29 are much more likely to use Twitter than older adults are, the Pew report found. Specifically, 14 percent of the online users surveyed in that age group use the service, compared with just 7 percent in the 30-to-49 age group, 6 percent in the 50-to-64 group and 4 percent of those 65 and over. Not too surprising, considering that is the average age of the digital native- the early adopters of social media platforms.

Women: Ten percent of online women use Twitter, compared with 7 percent of men on the Internet. Again, not too surprising here.

College-Educated: Nine percent of college-educated consumers on the Internet use Twitter, compared with just 5 percent of those who have only a high school diploma.

What are people tweeting about?

72% of Twitter users say they post updates about their personal life, activities or interests.
62% post work-related updates.
55% use Twitter to share links to news stories.
53% use the service to retweet others’ material.
40% use the service to share photos with others, while 28% use it to share videos.
24% tweet their location.
More than half of the Twitter users surveyed say they post "humorous or philosophical observations about life in general."
36 percent of Twitter users check the site "for materials posted by others" at least once a day.
48 percent of Twitter users check the site "for materials posted by others" "once every few weeks."

According to the center, this is the first time it has conducted research that focuses solely on Twitter users. This is because Pew typically looks into general online activities, as opposed to particular brands.

Does this mean that minorities have become the early adopters of the digital age? We can still see a large minority population on sites like Myspace.com or Tagged.com. And even some minority-based websites that have died down in popularity are still managing to staying afloat--can anyone say BlackPlanet.com?

It will be interesting to see the shift in online marketing as advertisers try and figure out how to target this population and meet the needs of this new social media majority.

What do you think? Have minorities become the majority, in the social media world? Share your thoughts and comments!

Ireland Wants You to Tweet Your ...Irishness?

2010-12-15T23:28:00.001-05:00

If you are part-Irish, want to be Irish or just want to go to Ireland, you need to check out this campaign.

Tourism Ireland recently launched a marketing campaign encouraging people to connect with their "Irishness" in hopes that this relationship will lead to a convenient visit to the motherland.

The ‘My Irish 140’ campaign aimed at sparking the imagination and creativity of Irish descendants to follow myIrish140 on Twitter and tweet, in 140 characters or less, what makes them Irish. Each tweet must contain the hashtag #makesmeirish.

What's great about this cause is that it is a fun and imaginative way to spark interest through social media.

Everything is centered around the number '140', which as we all know is the max number of characters allowed in a tweet. The festivities began at 1:40pm last Friday and continued on for 140 hours or 5.8 days. On the campaign's website, myirish140.com, the top tweets will be featured and a list of 140 things to do and see in Ireland are continuing to be released.

So what's the incentive to tweet?

Tourism Ireland consistently gave away gifts at 140 minute intervals to the best tweets, and the most inspiring #makesmeirish tweet will be awarded an exciting 140-hour adventure tour of Ireland- sheepdog trials and hot air baloon rides included.

According to the U.S. Census, 34 million U.S. residents claim Irish ancestry-- which is almost nine times the population of Ireland itself (3.9 million). What's more is that Irish is the nation's second most frequently reported ancestry, trailing only Germany.

Perhaps this campaign is part of a greater strategy to take advantage of the renewed interest in ancenstral roots as a result of shows and initiatives like Who Do You Think You Are? a popular show where celebrities trace their ancestral roots. Definitley not a bad idea for other countries to consider using social media to help people identify with their roots and up the number of vacays.

What do you think? Would connecting with a country or destination through social media make you more likely to visit?

Collide with These Colorful Reads of the Week : Dec. 12th

2010-12-12T19:26:00.005-05:00

Check out some of my favorite articles this week and let me know which one was your favorite!

Social Media + Love of Food Bring Together Diverse Group for Weekly Meals

Greetings were awkward, and there was fidgeting in chairs as strangers gathered around a long table in a gritty Midtown dive.

But as soon as steaming platters of barbecue chicken, candied yams and cornbread hit the table, conversation and laughter came easy.

FoodieMemphis participants share dishes served family style, which helps promote conversation, McRae says...

How Social Media Can Facilitate Difficult Conversations About Race

A recent, much-buzzed-about trend story by Associated Press reporter Jesse Washington started with a statistic — 72 percent of black children are born to unwed mothers — and incorporated a Twitter debate.

Washington, AP’s national writer on race and ethnicity, said he had been wanting to write about the statistic for a while. Then he learned that a newly created “No Wedding No Womb” hashtag (#NWNW) drew 110,000 users and vehement diatribes within weeks.
“I knew I had my hook,” he said in an e-mail interview....

Al Qaeda Looks to Make New 'Friends' -- on Facebook

If you're on Facebook, Al Qaeda wants to friend you.

Terrorist groups are using Facebook to share operational information and to target, recruit and radicalize members of the general public, according to a Department of Homeland Security report obtained by FoxNews.com.

The DHS report, "Terrorist Use of Social Networking Sites: Facebook Case Study," notes while terrorists have been using social networking sites for quite some time, their strategies for exploiting Facebook have evolved and that they have learned "the inherent value in exploiting a non-ideological medium."

Lifestyles of the Mobile and Multicultural

2010-12-12T18:44:00.008-05:00

A study was released today by Moguldom Media Group (the owners of Bossip.com) and its partner Briabe Media that sought to answer the question:

Why do multicultural consumers use their mobile phones?

Multicultural mobile users mostly use their phones for
social networking and text messaging.

The results were not incredibly surprising, but still worth noting, especially for advertisers.

Most "multicultural consumers" or minorities, use their phone for entertainment and social networking more than anything else. In fact using a phone for the Internet (61%) was neck-and-neck with using it to place actual calls (62%). Of course, both were trumped by minorities' favorite mobile pastime - text messaging (68%).

"There are two relatively new phenomena that we are seeing evolve with these consumers. Mobile entertainment and social networking are both growing in importance now that they have these powerful devices", said James Briggs, CEO of Briabe Media.

"Taking these into account, advertisers would be wise to look closely at offerings such as Facebook Places that can leverage the affinity consumers have for mobile social networks. Further, they should also consider linking their brands more closely with quality mobile content and entertainment platforms. Advertisers have struggled with these in the past; however, I believe that given the increased power of the networks and devices, we are in the midst of the perfect storm for mobile branded engagement opportunities."

Other findings:

Ninety percent access mobile social networks on their phone, with Facebook not surprisingly holding the top position.
Texting is now the mobile service used most frequently for 68% of the respondents, followed by placing calls (62%), then surfing the mobile internet (61%);
Approximately 65% spend six or more hours per week on the mobile internet, with 18% spending twenty or more hours online via a mobile device;
When asked, "What do you want to know more about when on the mobile internet?" 39% of the respondents cited entertainment, followed by news at 17%;
Approximately 92% are aware of mobile ads on their phones and 85% respond to them although the vast majority, 63%, respond only rarely;
Nearly 30% presently make purchases over their mobile phones.

A few questions I have.

How do these results match up to non-minority consumers? What are we really looking at here and how do Asians compare to Whites to Blacks to Hispanics? Maybe these stats don't even represent a multicultural thing and maybe it is just an everyone thing?

I have requested a copy of the report so hopefully I can get some more in-depth information and provided update information soon.

What do you use your phone for? And do you think that your culture/ethnicity race has anything to do with it?

SmartPhones = Only For Hipsters

2010-12-07T12:32:00.012-05:00

At least that's what the advertisements would have us think.

SmartPhone marketers have made it clear that their target audience is a well dressed, concert-going, yoga-doing, skinny jeans-wearing hipsters. And hey, I'm not hating, but at least do it like some of these companies and really reflect on how the youth of America walks, talks and acts. Don't give me those corny commercials with hip-hop-like language and people randomly busting out into synchronized dances at parties (Miracle Whip). Give me glitter, red lipstick, and boys. Then I will be convinced that you want me to buy your phones.Read the full article here to check out some more of the most popular smart-phone ads for hipsters.

The Portrayal of Black Women on YouTube

2010-12-06T15:41:00.008-05:00

So I was recently introduced to one of those disturbing-but-supposed-to-funny YouTube videos of a black woman sitting on the toilet, singing (literally) "Sittin' on the Toilet", while pursing her lips. I won't link to it, but you don't have to look hard to find it.

Then I started to think about all of the other YouTube videos I had watched like Sittin' on the Toilet or Scarlet Takes a Tumble or Leprechaun in the Hood or heck even the Bed Intruder video, and I wondered-- is this really what American boys and girls, sitting in their homes, surfing the internet think of the Black community?Is this what they think of Black women?

So I went to YouTube and poked around a little- hoping that this was just my assumption and that there was some chance I was wrong.

Here are the most common adjectives I came across after some simple searches I did for "Black Woman":

Big Black Woman
Large Black Woman
Fat Black Woman
Crazy Black Woman
Loud Black Woman
and the ever-so-popular Black Women Gets Arrested

and "Black Girl" :

Ghetto Black Girl
Crazy Black Girl
Big Black Girl
Hood Black Girl
Poppin' It Like a Black Girl

The results were, to say the least, disheartening.

To be fair in my informal research I searched for White Girl and White Woman, and came across the random plethora of results typical to any YouTube search and nothing at all like what I had found in my previous search. This is not meant to pin Black against White or vice verse. But it would be interesting to discover why this disparity exists in the online video community...
Why is it funnier to watch a "big" or "crazy" or "loud" Black girl as opposed to a just a girl?

Or maybe the real problem lies in the tagging of these videos? Why not just call her a girl?

Films and TV shows have already accepted and embraced many of these stereotypes, and those people in our own communities that help reinforce those stereotypes to other races don't help our argument. But now the online world has become completely saturated with these negative classifications of an entire community.

The only thing we can do to stop this disparity, is the same thing we can do in our everyday lives. Put yourselves and your hearts out there and don't be afraid to start a discussion with people. If you get a post like any of the above mentioned, even if you think its a little funny, don't share it. Don't repost it. Because by sharing the personification of false stereotypes you are, in many ways, saying that it is OK or worse- that it is true.

The Top 5 Facebook Pages for Latinos

2010-12-06T14:44:00.004-05:00

Fifty-two percent of Hispanics use Facebook at least weekly, spending an average of 29 minutes on social networking versus White Americans who spend 19 minutes. Even among Hispanic adults age 50 and over, Facebook has become their main online destination (via AARP ).

But what are marketers doing to leverage all of that social media use? Surprisingly not much. Multicultural marketers are experimenting and having a hard time trying to figure out what the Hispanic population wants in an online brand experience.

But the one's who are getting right are the ones who truly embrace the Latino culture and spirit. Check out some of these brand's who have really done a great job of capturing the needs and wants of Latino consumers.

éne.bé.a : A Facebook page for the NBA brand, re-branded for the Latino population
Being Latino: One of the first and only places for bi-cultural Latino's to express and talk about being Latino in America
Tu Pantene: A page that adds a cultural twist to understand the diverse needs of Hispanic women's hair
Toyota Latino: Ninety nine different decals with the names of Latin American countries and major cities are offered for free
AT&T Latino: Though it only has a fan base of about 1,500 so far, with some more focus, this Hispanic-centered campaign shows promise

The Hispanic population doesn't want to be singled out, but they do want to feel like they are apart of the conversation. These pages do a great job in addressing that need.

Read the full story here.

How Meeting a Stranger Online Could Make Your Life Better

2010-11-28T17:09:00.003-05:00

Remember Chatroulette ? A New York Times article came out recently called Chatroulette Hatches Similar Web Services. The article goes in-depth into Chatroulette, the service that allows users to randomly video chat with strangers in the hopes of sparking up an interesting conversation and discusses a few new start-ups that have been spawned from the idea that you can generate meaningful relationships from randomizing technology.

Some of the most interesting ones?

Facelette - Allows users to randomly chat using the iPhone Facetime feature
Chatfe -Users start convos based on randoms questions
VChatter - eHarmony meets Chatroulette (sans optional nudity) AND matches users up based on their Facebook profiles

One that I just tried, Feedback Roulette actually allows users to randomly critique others' websites in exchange for getting their own critiqued. Novel idea? Maybe. Or maybe its just a really great spin on an old idea.

With all of the social media random meet-ups happening, companies are trying to find their own niches. Look at online TV viewing. There are already chat rooms, forums and tweet-ups. When Google TV hits the market, some interesting applications will most likely be bringing these same people with common interests into one social sphere to discuss what shows they are watching.

But unlike these preset meet-ups, I suspect that the -roulette era may find users engaging in more meaningful and quality conversations. These mini one-on-one experiments could flop and be a pool of pointless digital discussions, or the need to converse could lead to more thought-driven interaction.

What is even more interesting about this idea, is to see if online users' shared desires-- whether a website critique, a meaningful relationship or simply the need to meet someone new-- will transcend their physical judgments and predispositions. What if you meet someone randomly whose lifestyle you disagree with? What if the person you encounter someone\\ doesn't usually associate with people like you?

It may be a way to open the door for discussion. Maybe I am being to optimistic. I guess we will have to wait and see as the online-roulette experience unfolds.

What do you think? Will the -roulette craze spark a new wave of discussion-based human interaction, leading to more tolerance and understanding? OR is it just a bunch of pointless conversations floating around the social stream?

Make Me White, Facebook!

2010-11-22T14:04:00.012-05:00

It’s another day in the land of “Only White is Beautiful.”

Vaseline is offering a Facebook app in India that allows users to whiten their profile pictures on the site. Apparently with just a few clicks, brown faces can turn progressively lighter. Think Michael Jackson or Sammy Sosa but faster. Much faster.

Now please don’t think Vaseline is doing this to promote white supremacy in India on purely ideological grounds. There’s profit to be made from a racial hierarchy that places white at the top. The Facebook app is part of Vaseline’s summer campaign to promote their new skin-lightening cream —-and here’s another twist—- for men.

Traditionally, these “make-me white” creams have been targeted at women in India and elsewhere. Commercials have promised brown and black women that they won’t just get white faces with the creams but that the lighter skin will result in nabbing a good man and even establishing a career.

In 2005 Indian cosmetics giant Emani realized that men are no less vulnerable to the script of “white is better.” Emani launched the first skin-whitening cream for men, called “Fair and Handsome.” (Women get Fair and Lovely). Now, there’s at least six companies selling whitening creams for men including Garnier, L’Oreal and Nivea.

For its new cream and Facebook ad, Vaseline hired Bollywood actor Shahid Kapur as the spokesperson. The ad featuring the actor’s face in two halves—dark and obscure and light and clear— tells Indian men to “Transform your face” offline in just one minute a day.

This ad like the commercials aimed at women leave out one crucial piece of information: these products often contain ingredients that are so hazardous they’ve been banned in the European Union and a few other countries. One study found that 90 percent of the women entering Arizona clinics for mercury poisoning were Chicanas who had been using skin-lightening creams. A Harvard medical school professor notes: “These women had tried so desperately to whiten their skin color that they had poisoned their bodies by applying mercury-based ‘beauty creams’.”

via ColorLines

Facebook Can Predict Your Ethnicity?

2010-11-22T13:40:00.013-05:00

Yes.

Facebook developers have found a way to predict your ethnicity, based on your name. According to SmartBlog, FB pros are using U.S. Census data to use your first and last name to decide the likelihood of your race.

For example, if a FB user's last name is Mueller, Census data says that person's ethnicity has a 97% chance of being White. But if the user has the first name LaToya, than that person is most likely Black. Another interesting name, Washington actually showed a 89% chance of being Black.

By applying their predictions of ethnicity to users’ friend networks, the team found:

The ethnic makeup of Facebook users has steadily become more diverse and now generally reflects the U.S. population, unlike a few years ago, when Caucasians and Asian/Pacific Islanders were over-represented.

Users are more likely to be friends with, and communicate most often with, people of the same ethnicity.
Users are more likely to be in romantic relationships with people of the same ethnicity.
Particular ethnic groups tend to behave similarly online, with Asian/Pacific Islanders engaging in “unexpectedly high number of wall, video, note, gift, comment and group-sharing actions.”

What will they use this data for? Most likely to sell research reporting statistics. But let's not kid ourselves. There is also a highly likely chance that Facebook will use this newly discovered info to help place more targeted advertising based on ethnicity.

What do you think? Is it OK to use unauthorized ethnic user data to advertise to Facebook users?

Diverse Students, Meet Concerned Faculty

2010-02-25T23:10:00.008-05:00

So earlier this week I spoke on a panel with three other students in a workshop aimed at creating a discussion and educating faculty members at my communications/journalism school on what it feels like "Being the Only One" from a student perspective.

I spoke about my experience identifying as a bi-racial student on a pretty segregated campus and the difficulties I had when I first came to school of being accepted and approached among students who maintain such persistent categorizations. The other students on the panel discussed what it was like to be black, Muslim, and one guy even talked about what it was like to be one of only four male public relations students in his class.

It felt good to discuss issues that have have been important to me/affected me for so long and it definitley replenished my passion for raising awareness about diversity- something that had been coming second to school and everything else on my plate right now.

And it felt even better to see and feel the genuine concern that was expressed faculty members (some who even were once my professors).

But talking about my past experiences also made me wonder about what diversity and racial relations used to mean to me when I first came to this college and what they mean to me now. My level of comfort at this non-diverse institution has definitley been eased, but what exactly does that mean? Does it mean that I became more comfortable with myself and reaped the benefits of staying true to who I was?

Or does it mean I have successfully assimilated into what is culturally acceptable and common in this Southern institution?

Definitely food for thought..and something I will need to come back to after doing a little self reflection.

Nevertheless, my diversity awareness efforts continue!

Debbie Ebalobo- the True Diversity Advocate

2009-12-01T11:44:00.006-05:00

Imagine that you walk into a room filled with 300 people and everyone in the room is wearing white. You, however, stick out like a sore thumb because you chose to wear purple that day. Would you be delighted with your bold uniqueness? Or would you start to feel a little uncomfortable when you realize that no one else in the room seems to be like you?

This is the reality that so many minority students face here at the University of Georgia and one particular student saw the need to change it. Debbie Ebalobo came to the University as the first person in her entire family to go to college. A Filipino-Scottish American, she quickly noticed the lack of diversity on campus and decided to participate in the Filipino American Student Association. From there she began attending seminars and conferences on diversity to see what she could do to make a change on campus. She then went on to join an Asian-Interest Sorority, Delta Phi Lambda Sorority Inc., and later to become president of the Asian American Student Association on campus.

But Ebalobo did not stop there with her work in diversity. When she changed her major from environmental sciences to public relations, she noticed a dire need for more diversity within Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications. So she founded two distinct diversity committees- one within the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and a student diversity committee with Grady College itself. Although Ebalobo knew that she wanted to increase the amount of minorities within Grady College and PRSSA, she never set a clear definition of what diversity was or should be for the college or for anyone.

“I know that I am leaving soon when I graduate, so my focus is developing others to make an impact at UGA. Diversity cannot be defined and should not be defined--I want others to partake in conversations,”said Ebalobo.

In May 2008, Ebalobo began a blog about her passion, called Diversified PR: 'A blog dedicated to the public relations efforts to increase diversity in the industry.' On her blog, she writes about various definitions of diversity, her experience with the subject, and what it means to be Asian American.

On an August 23, 2009 blog post, Ebalobo vented some of her frustrations with the usual conversation about diversity on a post called ‘What is Diversity’:

“I don't know if I am being arrogant, but I don't believe in an entire discussion about this question. It's archaic and a waste of time. It becomes a frilly mess. It becomes ‘I remember this time when...’ Everyone claps. People cry. That is it. The end. Um, what did that accomplish? Nothing. Go past the diversity pow-wows and add something new”

Ebalobo plans to one day work in a PR agency after graduation and ultimately she hopes to one day return to University and teach public relations. Ebalobo’s work continues to make changes on campus as new members are added each year to the committees she has founded, as she continues to blog for change and simply through her living example.

As Ebalobo herself puts it,“There is no sugar coating it, but I see a chance to make a change. I'm here so more people of different backgrounds can come to enjoy being a DAWG in the future.”

Disney's The Princess and the Frog. Much to Be Expected

2009-11-30T19:10:00.007-05:00

Disney's the Princess and Frog is the first of the Disney movies to feature a Black princess. The film has sparked a great conversation around the country of what the effects are of portraying this young Black woman that girls of all skin colors, but escpecially little Black girls can look up to.

While I agree that this is a momentous occasion in the history of Disney and a much awaited move for that matter, I am somewhat perturbed at the charicaturization of Princess Tiana, the Black princess.

My main issue is that, Princess Tiana's thick Southern Louisiana accent overshadows and distracts from her natural class and beauty. Now this is of course getting into the issue of what it means to talk like a White person or talk like a Black person- an issue that I am sure Disney saw coming a mile away- but do you here Mulan's thick Chinese accent or Jasmine's strong Arabian accent in Mulan or Aladdin?

The answer is no. So why Disney feels the need to go out on a cultural limb with this one is beyond me.

Now I have yet to actually see the film, so I will save the rest of my commentary for later. But I do hope this film lives up to the many expectations set my little sister, my cousins and young girls across the world.

Islamophobia on the Rise in America

2009-11-30T18:45:00.003-05:00

Despite many Muslims activists speaking out and taking action against the strong Muslim hatred that has spawned in America since September 11, 2001- studies are showing that negative perceptions towards Muslim Americans are on the rise. Read one woman's take, Jehanzeb, on the struggle for the Muslim community in America to regain it's positive image and overcome their common association with 'terrorists'.

The Candid Camera of Racism

2009-11-30T18:14:00.002-05:00

Racism Review: The ABC News Show 20/20 commonly features a segment called "What Would You Do" which depicts surveillance video of average Americans and their decisions in ethical situations. This video clip shows the different way Black and White adolescents are treated.

What you find may shock you. Check it out and check out Jessie's insights on the matter at RacismReview.com

Darius Rucker Wins a Country Music Award

2009-11-30T08:47:00.003-05:00

RaceWire: This year, a black man, Darius Rucker took home a CMA for best new artist. Juba Kalamka, a guest blogger on RaceWire.com discusses what this means for the country music community:

Rucker himself seems reticent (and, I suspect, at this point in his career, a bit tired) to be the de facto Representative of the Race for country music, having experienced similar dynamics during the mega-success of his former band. Though one might expect that the comments at AOL’s country music news site, TheBoot.com, would be of the stereotypic Southern-fried racist variety, the bulk of them are congratulatory and mostly insightful, with one Black and several white commentators giving minute histories of Black influence in country music and several white commentators acknowledging the immensity of his crossover success in a genre not particularly friendly to Black folks or 45-year-old newbies, let alone its veteran hit makers.

Head over to ColorLines.com to read more of his insights!

Mattel Introduces New Line of Black Barbies

2009-11-30T00:28:00.002-05:00

Racialicious: Mattel announced that it would soon be releasing its latest line of African-American Barbie Dolls in a line they call So in Style or S.I.S. The dolls will feature "more authentic-looking facial features such as fuller lips, a wider nose, more distinctive cheek bones and curlier hair".

The Black Model Thing

2009-11-30T00:10:00.002-05:00

Racialicious: Teen Vogue's recent issues discusses the difficulties and hardships faced by black models and their struggles to find work in the fashion industry. Minh-ha uncovers the real issue in her guest post for Racialicious.

Iran Steals Prestigious Award from It's Citizen

2009-11-30T00:00:00.003-05:00

BEYONDunderstanding: Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Shirin Ebadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 and was the first Iranian woman to do so. And just weeks ago, Iranian officials made themselves the first to steal the prestigious award from one of it's citizens. Karen DeGroot Carter gives her take on this outrageous act of injustice.

Louisiana Justice of the Peace Refuses to Marry Interracial Couple and Claims He is Not a Racist

2009-11-29T23:44:00.004-05:00

Racialicious: Keith Bardwell, a Louisiana justice of the peace says that he refuses to grant a marriage license to an interracial couple because of fear for the children they might have. He claims that in his experience interracial marriages don't last. Read more on how he is really not a racist, on Racialicious' blog.

WorldStarHipHop.com...the Urban YouTube

2009-11-29T23:02:00.002-05:00

Pretty self explanatory: A website, much like YouTube that provides everything from comedy, to music, to drama all in video format -only with much a more urban, hip-hop flavor. The site provides daily updates with the latest clips from sitcoms, award shows and home made videos.

It's a pretty cool site for watching videos because not just anyone can upload them. The videos from each days page are the funniest and most interesting chosen by the runners of the website, but don't be suprised if you see a familiar face. I have seen a few of my friends on there before.

It's definitley worth a look:

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/

Recent Studies Shows That Obama Hate Is Not Racially Motivated

2009-11-29T22:54:00.003-05:00

Racialicious: Letoya Peterson reports on a recent study from the Politico . A focus group done by an organization called Democracy Corps. may have proved that much of the anti-Obama hate around America is not racially motivated.

The Blind Side a Testament to Being Racially Blind

2009-11-29T22:25:00.003-05:00

I recently saw the latest Sandra Bullock film The Blind Side. Critics are calling the film the peak of Bullock's career and dubbing it to be a true tear jerker.

And oh how right they are.

The movie is about a young Black man who was taken away from his crack addict mother at a young age and has basically been homeless for most of his life. White and well off, Sandra Bullock's character takes the young man under her wing and into her home- without question of his history, motives nor of his shy antics- and as the true story says he becomes (and now is) a famous NFL football player.

The Blind Side was a truly inspiring story about the good that can come but looking past a persons skin color and into their heart.

The Comical Value of "the Big, Black Chick"

2009-11-29T21:58:00.002-05:00

Racialicious: We've all heard it on late night talk shows and seen it in celebrity infused comedies- the ever hilarious parody of the big, black chick. Note my sarcasm. Racialicious uncovers just where the amusement lies in this popular caricature.

New Faces in My Hometown

2009-11-29T21:47:00.004-05:00

I recently traveled to a small town in Pennsylvania to visit some family members for Thanksgiving. This town has a population of around 1000 people and a minority rate of about 1% non-Caucasian.

Interestingly enough, this is the town I was raised in from the time I was 3 until I was 13.

Yes, I have many stories of what it was like growing up being the only 'ethnic' person in my school and one of the very few in the entire town. It was challenging, to say the least and there were a lot of hurt feelings and black eyes when I was little girl.

But that is for another time. For now I wanted to comment on the increase of ethnicity in the small town. While most people that I saw of different races were mixed with White- it certainly was a nice change to be greeted at the grocery store and even McDonalds by a person of another race. Maybe it's just a personal thing, but it gives me hope for a brighter, more colorful future all over the map.

Less Asians Than Whites With the Same Qualifications Being Accepted into Colleges

2009-11-29T21:42:00.002-05:00

Racialicious: A recent study shows that Asian Americans are 10% less likely to be accepted to private colleges than Whites and %15 less likely than Whites to be accepted to public institutions. Racialicious explores some possible explanations for this racial discrepancy.

Madonna and the White Woman's Burden

2009-11-29T21:36:00.002-05:00

Racialicious: Madonna continues to receive backlash from the Black community for her adoption of Black children and now for her efforts to raise funds for Malawi. The woman is making a difference. Whether she is White or Black, that is what should matter here.

Why Major Black Athletes Marry Blondes

2009-11-29T21:23:00.004-05:00

ActingWhite: Blogger James Collier takes on dissecting the laws of attraction as he seeks to discover the key link that attracts so many black athletes to white women. Interesting read, however it is usually my opinion not to have an opinion on why one person falls in love with another.

The only opinion that I do have is that whatever factor race plays in the emotional explosion that is falling in love- it is simply that- a factor, not an explanation.

2009-11-29T20:01:00.003-05:00

ActingWhite: Former Chicago Cubs player Sammy Sosa recently showed up in Las Vegas sporting 'white face'. Although skin lightening is a trend that has yet to take America by storm, Sosa's public confession and the natural association of light skin with attractiveness may be linked to scientific fact. James Collier gives more details on his blog, ActingWhite.

Couple's Retreat Ads: Black Couple...Now You See Them, Now You Don't

2009-11-29T19:40:00.008-05:00

Racialicious: Movie advertisers for the latest Vince Vaughn hit, Couples Retreat practice some photoshop ethnic cleansing, Hollywood style. Check out the image below, used to advertise the film in the U.S.

Now check out the below image, used when film advertisers 'adapted' it for U.K. audiences.

Click the link to read more...

Sarah Palin Supports Racial Profiling

2009-11-24T10:49:00.004-05:00

Racialicious: Something that may be good to know: Sarah Palin tells Sean Hannity that that she believes that racial profiling can help us to be more effective in stopping crime and that political correctness will be our ultimate downfall. "I say, profile away", says Palin.

Right. Because this has worked so well in the past right? Let's all give Palin a huge round of applause for coming up with such a new, innovative way of forward thinking.

George Lopez Brings Some Color to Late Night

2009-11-24T10:42:00.002-05:00

Racialicious: from Johnny Carson, to Leno, to Letterman Late Night's new host George Lopez brings just as much laughs and a little more culture.

Models Dawn the Lastest New Line of... Ethnicity?

2009-11-18T23:11:00.001-05:00

Diversity Ink: Tyra Banks is getting backlash about a controversial photoshoot on America's Next Top Model. The remaining girls- 4 Caucasian, an Asian, and an African-American- were made up to look like various women of biracial heritage.

Cops Checking Themselves On Racial Profiling?

2009-11-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

Vermont State Police are now collecting "ethnic data" for every traffic stop. Interesting...

Racialicious Calls Out Allure Magazine

2009-10-20T16:38:00.000-04:00

Allure’s “Faces of the Future” Promotes Stereotypes About Mixed People

http://www.racialicious.com/2009/10/19/allures-faces-of-the-future-promotes-stereotypes-about-mixed-people/

This is a great article on a blog called Racialicious about the strange way in which Allure is venerating mixed race people calling their them things like futuristic and biracial superbabies. Check out their November 2009 issue to see what true stereotypes look like on display.

So This Is Diversity?

2009-10-19T00:33:00.000-04:00

Our Take, A Minority Report
A minority report The University is still working on adding diversity to the student body. Forty-nine years have passed since the official desegregation of the University of Georgia, and the editorial board couldn't be happier about that. Less than 50 years ago people were outraged at the thought of African-American students walking past the Arch, and now we're worried about not having enough minority students. …

With stand-up articles like this, outlining the wonderful efforts the University is making to increase diversity you would think that a glance around campus would reveal a miniature rainbow, a plethora of mixed-up people socializing and mingling.

But unfortunately we witness a different scene here at the University.

We see the 'Asian kids' huddled together in conversation on the third floor of the Student Learning Center. Breeze down the steps to the next closest building and you'll find the Tate Center, another student gathering area, but here we encounter the 'Indian kids' hanging out and relaxing near a TV lounge area. Take just a step outside and pass by the walkway where multicultural organizations set up their tables and desperately attempt to garner membership into their minority clubs and Greek organizations- and their you'll see the 'Black kids' conversing and unwinding on the steps at the bus stop.

If I've missed any, it will likely be the 'White kids' or those like myself, who by standardized test principles is simply an 'Other kid'.

This is the picture of diversity here in college.

The problem is quite obvious here. Diversification set out to make us integrate, when in actually all it seems to have done is made us segregate more. All it would really take to fix something like this is for someone to step out of their comfort zone and encounter people that he or she would not usually chose to meet. I'd bet that person would be surprised to see how much someone with a different culture or skin color is really just like themselves.

What is Collide-a-Scope?

2009-09-27T22:02:00.000-04:00

Collide-a-scope is a blog focused on discussing the many facets of race relations on a college campus. I will discuss interracial mingling, dating, and friendships as well as racial encounters in the classroom, extracurricular activities and athleticcs and anything else I can think of. I will explore how a persons skin color really affects his or her life and how it affects the way we interact with each other. Join me in discovering the different ways in which we collide.