I just finished reading a book.  It wasn’t a book of substance.  It was purely entertainment.  Nevertheless, it got me thinking about prejudices and how subtly they are communicated in so many aspects of daily life.  This was the second book I read by the same author where there were slights against people that were bisexual or gay.  In both books the people that were bisexual/gay were portrayed as amoral predators.  My children were watching a Scooby-doo episode that two women were participating in a martial arts competition.  Their competition was referred to as being a cat fight.  I remember thinking when Hillary Clinton was running for President how frequently there was reference to what she was wearing and how it made her look.  I don’t remember any comments about the clothes or the appearance of the other runners.

Subtle insinuation, is it more dangerous then overt accusation?  Possibly not, but it is damaging.  Maybe I have become more sensitive to what can be insinuated through a variety of media, because of my purposeful lack of exposure.  I have walked away from television programs and closed a book or magazine because of the overt messages within the content.  Yes, it is entertainment.  Yes, it is fiction, or advertising, or information disguised as fact.  It doesn’t make the reality of opinion and judgement any less.  When your psyche is barraged daily by these subtle messages: women are frivolous/objects, homosexuals are not normal, black people are violent, these people have less value – does it not begin to stain our view?  How many women under value themselves?  How many people of colour are viewed suspiciously?  How many gays/lesbians/bisexuals are rejected?  Invasive cultural propaganda.  Sounds a little conspiracy theorist, doesn’t it?  I believe if you contemplate the messages you are exposed to, it isn’t.