you gotta know when to hold them/ know when to fold them

Remember that song?

So instead of being the rain on the pop cultural parade, my strategy with my son is to give wide exposure on media rather than censor what he sees. This seems like a contradiction to our lack of tv. In fact, the thinking behind that was just that the time spent on bad programming (my husband and I, yes, I admit it, watching multiple King of Queens episodes or reality show--not my thing).

I want him to see the wonderful moving films from international sources that clearly present many worldviews. I know even though there is extraordinary diversity within the film festival, there are still intense scrutiny of these films, thus limiting the range of what is represented. We (my husband and I) do think the pleasure we take in viewing films should be shared.

I do think down the line that we should point out some of the mechanics of production as seen in the editing of (Hate) Machine. And we need to get into the concepts and questions of critical media literacy that are linked to on that page of the Media the Matters website.

Additionally, not just issues of transparency and distribution are salient, but perhaps who gets to consume films is a question to pose. For example, who can see a film in a theater? It is absurd to wish that I could see Broken Embraces / Los abrazos rotos by Pedro Almodóvar, the Spanish director. I make meaning in some way from having seen nearly all of his films. Why? That is completely indulgent.

Back to the point about what is worth doing. So I am informed by my experiences with my brothers friends at Hollywood High, the CUNY school in Harlem for acting, and his friends in showbiz. The fact that my brother and friends are in the business so to speak has given me insight into what the young actor/actress, writer, director, or producer goes through to get into the field. A huge sea of disparity there to the beautiful people and the zillions of young wannabes ("throw a stone and you'll hit a writer. . .do me a favor, throw it hard.") in Hollywood. The reality and its effects make for a strange unreality where the tanner, blonder, richer, and younger you are the better (breasts, nails, tans, lawns are fake in that desert climate). . .This makes for strange make-overs on all levels for these people in show business. What D/discourses should I actively critique with my son? It is possible to begin to ask about what position the people who are brown are playing in films, the Spanish speakers, the women, gay people, etc. . . Difference is organized as certain way in general that does not necessarily hold in international, independent, or alternative films.

There are ways to battle through choice encounters with people, materials, ideas, etc. I can pose questions without beating anyone over the head with critical media lit. When I see essentializing and marginalization, I will try to call attention to it, and then exposing my son to a range of multiple languages, differences, etc would be a reasonable approach to this. However, this certainly requires diligence on both ends.