In response to Mike's post regarding Sexual minorities and "sexual otherness" in the media I will further develop the idea that the hetero-normalization of pop culture leads to an unfair gender dichotomy that fuels homophobia and inequality.
"While the media’s attempt to show the side of sexual minorities is a step on the right direction for sexual equality, media channels fails to truthfully portray sexual minorities."
Mike explains that although the media is allowing for an unprecedented amount of coverage on gay and lesbian lifestyles, the depiction is consistently inaccurate, which disadvantages these sexual minorities.
The media presents a world in which heterosexism is not just a personal choice but a pressure on all people to conform to a narrow standard of appropriate gender behavior, therefore maintaining and reinforcing our society's hierarchical gender structure.
The hierarchical power structure is largely based on gender and ethnicity in our society. As soon as anything challenges the gender norms that have been established there is a backlash and fear from the dominating class, in this case white straight men. This can result in mass rejection of a particular characteristic. Homophobia has been known to arise from men acting as gatekeepers to societal standards and breaking down any deviance from the norm. This can include hate-crimes and damaging jokes. By protesting any change in the norms they seem to be protecting their status as dominant.
The dominant male characteristic is also one that is not necessary innate but created by the reinforcement of certain types of masculinity in the media. The sexual script for white male heterosexuals is vastly different from the gay mans script. The difference lies in power and status. The sexual script for straight men calls for a power statue protected by sheer size and discourse, while the gay mans script calls for submissiveness and feminine like qualities.
"There is also a huge double standard that exists within the media concerning homosexuality. In popular culture it is more than acceptable for two women to have sexual relations with each other, in fact is seems encouraged."
Mike's point about the double standard presented in the media points out the fact that straight white men control the media and make the vast majority of decisions regarding content. This portrayal may not change until the top executives become women, and homosexuals. The viewpoint is constructed by the script and while most scripts are written by a small majority of the population they allow for a narrow perspective. Awareness and advocacy is the only way in which the majority of the population can overcome the narrow damaging stereotypes that we see played out within the media.
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