I agree with what Berger stated. Black people have suffered for a very long time. In the early days, they were powerless to stand up for themselves because they were always a target of something. In today’s society, when the people of color try to stand up for themselves, it turns into something more drastic where there are protests which most times leads to arrest. Some white people still have the mindset that blacks are inferior to them. So when they become a victim of something, it would be more likely to portray that, in contrast to them displayed in the media by standing up for what they believe in, having a voice, and succeeding at it. People of color struggle to have rights in society because racism is still alive today.

According to Berger’s argument media influence the way African Americans are portrayed as poor and victimized. During a march in Selma, black people were peacefully protesting about voting and school rights. In the midst of the protest, photographs were captured of how tear gas and clubs were swung at protesters who were black. Newspapers, Tv, and other forms of media at the time disregarded photos illustrating a nonviolent protest led by black people but instead depicting black people as powerless and the officers who were white as superior abusing their authority. “After all, graphic photographs of violence tend to be more attention getting and marketable than photographs of orderly lines of marchers armed only with protest placards or articles detailing the economic  and social inequalities facing blacks.” ( Berger, pg 6) white people tend to care about violence on black people but will be awareness to the cause.

Bill Big Broonzy sang these words “if you black stick to the back if you brown stay around. Not to be taken racially, in my opinion, what he said is somewhat fitting.

I agree with Berger that the media show how blacks suffer at the hands of the whites, even depicted in photographs, books, and movies.  The publicity of the media help perceives the mindset of the whites on how they view blacks. They now realize that blacks are constantly the victims.

Regardless of how the media choose to do its publicity on whatever images they advertise, one should treat a person accordingly and not because of the color of one’s skin.

 So much has changed in today’s world; we are now supporting each other we are embracing the fact that we are of one accord no matter the color of one’s skin. Thanks to those who made it possible to let us know that black did not start with slavery, and they are not always wrong.

Berger states that media would only use depictions of blacks as victims to get their white readers’ attention since images of violence draw more attention than people marching peacefully to fight for their rights. However, I would argue that this is not the only way to get people’s attention toward a cause when situations are turned into chaos. What happened to all those people in the photographs? If we can stand to see those images, we can also stand to hear their voices. 

             It’s important to know  that  many white people support racial injustice but it’s like not supporting black people because we have seen more injustice against black than white and there is still not a big change in the case. The media could not calm down everything because of the power that gives to the black people but still doesn’t clean the image of black people at all. It’s like they are supporting the crime just committed but not supporting a change therefore I agree with Berger because black still have to make their own movement.

People of color are almost always  perceived as the victims in the photographs because they take them to make it appear to everyone what’s going on with black people today and how we are treated. I agree that they use photographs of black people when they are seen as the victims, when George Floyd’s situation happened they used him all over and he seemed like the victim of this police brutality. although  Black and caucasian people were protesting against what they did to George Floyd. white people do tend to put black people  on the front page and they are perceived as the victim so whites can be aware of what’s happening,

According to Berger, the media could not assuage  the racial anxieties of whites without affecting the depiction of blacks. Although it’s fine to incorporate and show images of well established cruel fight of oppression against black Americans, but why when they’re unified, protesting against what’s wrong and to champion civil rights together, it gets brushed aside. I agree with Berger because the media shows more images of blacks as victims to rouse white people’s awareness to black civil rights. In late May of 2020 after George Floyd’s death a good number of whites took to the streets to join in protest with black Americans because they saw “Floyd the victim”. This attracted whites and encouraged them also to bolster racial reform in society.

Berger’s observations of society and the desires of the working family state and solidify that consumers have a very distinct relationship with publicity. This is due to the glamorization of products and the culture within our society that pushes us to chase what we may not be able to attain. Publicity influencing the consumers is significant because it’s creating a standard for society and shaping it a certain, while all this is happening profit is also being made.

In our society we have been presented with dreams; packaged and sold as everyday commodities. The first dream sold was that of a life of glamour. Being surrounded by wealth, beauty, radiance and status. Being the life of the party and the one that everyone looks to with joyous expressions. Being the woman with a timeless face of grace and beauty or the man with a big boat, home and multiple women infatuated with him. While this dream sounds perfect it requires one thing in reality, status. And while status is theoretically possible to obtain for everyone only some people can enjoy it. Everyone else however, is overcome with social envy. While this leads to varying anxieties from things like money and status Berger’s research shows that this is positive from the perspective of the consumer because it gives them the dream of escapism. This is desirable through the use of publicity and the art of glamorizing it. Publicity appeals to the life that we want or think that we want through the use of glamorization and the societal pressures that lead to anxiety for not having what is needed in order to be someone that is recognized and envied by those around them. In this society people can not be happy unless they have what is publicized. In this society what gives us happiness and worth is what we have. When we are without what is publicized we are non existent. Consumers have been used by the use of imagery in publicity to think that they are getting the product they want or need because when the consumer sees, taste, hear touch, or smell something we don’t like they are being manipulated by the production behind publicity. Manipulated to think the consumer have the power. Without any of this there would be no room to compare or contrast or even shame others. It would just be everyone as an equal.

The differences between publicity photography and oil paintings are the way they are presented to the consumer. The differences between the two are very significant because they both reach a different audience. The oil paintings reach a audience that looks forward to what the artist presents to them. The artist painted the picture based off of what he/she wanted to see, not what the audience expected or wanted. Publicity photography are almost solely based on what the consumer wants or would like to see. If it’s not up to par it’ll go back to the drawing board and get modified. What’s being revealed to us about the production of publicity is that there is no freedom. They have to tend to the consumers needs and wants.