Student Submission – Current Event VCU FA24 My current event is a tweet sharing a clip from a YouTube ‘dating show’, in which a woman enters a room with 20, or so, men with balloons, which they pop if they would not date her. These videos have recently become popular with many creators making their own versions. The premise of these videos is problematic, upholding transactional views of, particularly romantic, relationships. The specific clip, posted to Twitter (X) by user Raye (@sweetbabyrayes), shows a Black man explaining why he popped his balloon, stating that he isn’t a fan of weave and implying that her application reveals her natural hair braids…

Khaalis Smithers – Current Event VCU FA24 IG: @himcess and @inyouyasha This week we’re focusing on a post from Halle Bailey she responded with in defense of her motherhood and family optics. Since the announcement of her pregnancy Halle has been subjected to massive scrutiny regarding her child’s appearance and the credibility of DDG’s potential for fatherhood. Millions of Twitter users, especially Black women who make up the majority of her fanbase, harass her daily for her supposed indignant choice in choosing DDG as the father of her child. They insinuate that despite her supposed hyper-intelligence and emotional complexity, she is predisposed to maltreatment in romantic relationships because she is…

Ananya Udyaver – Current Event VCU FA24 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ananya-udyaver-533427241/ I found a Tiktok that perpetuates hatred and discrimination towards black women, itreads, “its 7:15 in the morning on the first day of school and a group of black girls startbeing loud” with a man visibly mad and frustrated on the screen. The background musicof the Tiktok repeats “i hate n*” over and over again. This very hateful TikTok is aprime example of how black women are unfairly criticized and shamed for simplydisplaying their rightful personalities. Moreover, this generalizes black women andperpetuates the stereotype that black women are naturally “loud and obnoxious,” whichis a stereotype we have all seen spread across…

Student submission – Current Event VCU FA24 The event I want to talk about this week did happen last month. Still, I only recently saw a tweet talking about the situation, and upon looking at tweets further, I realized a large portion of them were still very hostile and dismissive of Jordan Chiles despite it being nearly a month after the issuance of her bronze medal. One of the recurring themes I saw in the tweets this month was that Chiles made it about skin color and that she should “stfu” about her skin color. This stuck out to me because I’ve seen black people get accused of “making things…

Jaida Bowden – Current Event VCU FA24

Doriauna Anderson – VCU FA24 @doriii_anderson on instagram Love Island is a show just like any other dating show, people are there to find and explore this idea of love. The only twist here is that there are a ton of contestants coming in and out and there’s “recoupling” and “dumping”. In the show, Serena was a slow burn; not quick to jump into anything, but she formed a bond with contestant Kordell. Unfortunately, when it came to “Casa Amor” he brought back a woman for the recoupling, Daia, while Serena stayed “single” awaiting his return. Upon his arrival with Daia, Serena rightfully tore into him at how disrespectful she…