Art Quote by Kerry James Marshall
“Just like in the art museum, and notions of beauty and pleasure, if the hero is always a white guy with a squared jaw or pretty woman with big breasts, then kids start thinking that's how it's supposed to be. Part of the problem was that black comic book artists were making super heroes with the same pattern as the white super heroes. When you read a lot of those comics, the black super heroes don't seem to have anything to do.”
About This Quote
Media often repeats stereotypical images, shaping children’s expectations of beauty and heroism.
In simple terms: Stereotypes in media affect kids’ ideas of beauty and heroism.
Key Takeaway
Challenge and diversify media representations.
Themes
media
representation
stereotypes
diversity
culture
identity
Mood
critical
hopeful
Type
analytical
advocacy
When to use this quote
- education
- media production
- parenting
- policy making
Key Concepts
visual culture
social conditioning
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you support diverse creators?
- What media do you expose children to?
A Different Perspective
Changing entrenched industry norms is difficult.
![“In [Ralph] Ellison's case, it's more psychological than it is phenomenal, and it's conditioned by anger, animosity, and lack of desire to engage with the black body. There was always simultaneity that had nothing to do with visuality. You can be there and not be there at the same time and be fully…” quote by Kerry James Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a13/kerry-james-marshall-5157_animosity_in-ralph-ellison-s-case-it-s-more-psycho_338598.jpg)
