Bisexuality?

Bisexuality is a gray area in the discussion of the LGBT community. Usually it is brushed off as 'confusion' or 'a phase,' many refuse to acknowledge it as a from of sexuality. In the media, we see celebrities like Kristen Stewart labeled as 100% straight or 100% gay. Stewart has previously been spotted wih a male partner; however, it was released that she currently has a female partner. The media isn't sure what to do with this information, as magazines call her former partner/current partner a 'phase.'

"When society is confronted with an identity that intentionally challenges us by refusing to adhere to frameworks we understand, we don't know what to do with it."
"The media is unable to acknowledge any form of sexuality that falls outside the neat boxes of straight, lesbian, and gay. This is a phenomenon often described as "bisexual invisibility," one that might as well extend to "queer invisibility.""

Although I believe labels are superficial, it is unacceptable for one of these labels to be ignored/scrutinized simply because it is ill-understood. This lack of representation and scrutinization of a group is extremely detrimental to young adults' ability to understand themselves.

Transgender Representation

As representation of gay and lesbian couples continues to grow since the early 2000s, representation of transgender men/women is still embarrassingly low. The first gay character appeared in 1977 on a show called Soap, followed by a lesbian character on All My Children in 1983. Now, discussions/representation of the LGBT community makes up most of the content on ABC, FOX, NBC, and CBS. But transgender representation remains at a stand still, as GLAAD reports that there are no constant trans characters on broadcast TV. GLAAD plans to expand it's analysis of representation to online-platforms, i.e the Netflix Orginial Series, Orange is the New Black.

"“desensitizing people to the shock of seeing a gay couple on TV, [softening] the blow for people who are, quote unquote, not ready for that, says Saum."

"The goal is to “[take] the novelty out of it,” she says. “To normalize it as life."

I was unaware that GLAAD did not take online-platforms into account. I am curious about their commentary of Laverne Cox's character and whether it would 'pass' the representation test. Hopefully, we will see the same trend of audiences becoming 'desensitized' to gay couples with transgender people, too.

Reports from GLAAD

Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), an organization that strives to promote acceptance and understanding of the LGBT community, reports that the representation of gay and lesbian people has been scarce and inaccurate. Seven studios were taken into consideration, each one earning a less-than-adequate rating. Gay men are represented much more frequently than lesbian women, Male LGBT characters outnumbered female characters 64 percent to 36 percent, and transgender men/women are almost never represented. GLAAD uses a Vito Russo Test, a test that requires a film to meet certain criteria, i.e. characters not being defined by their sexuality, and only seven out of seventeen passed.

“The advocacy organization found that, of the 102 releases from 7 major studios, only 17 included characters that identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual”

“Transgender characters received the least (and most offensive) representation”

I was not aware that GLAAD existed, but I very much appreciate their work. It is good to know that this organization speaks out and conducts these studies. Simply having representation is not good enough, sexuality, gender, etc. should be portrayed realistically and equally.

Gays on TV: It's All In the Family

With TV shows like Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, and Modern Family featuring gay, lesbian, and transgender characters, people are becoming more tolerant toward the LGBT community. In the beginning, some more-conservative viewers were concerned with this representation of homosexuality and spoke out claiming it made same-sex relationships seem “desirable.” Among the shows that portray homosexual couples, Glee earned te most backlash. Dan Gainor, representing the Media Research center said, “merely pretends to be a show for young people” while actually serving as an “assault on traditional values and morality.” But there has been a shift in tolerance and complaints have decreased significantly sincethe 2000s. Producers like Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy) and Christopher Lloyd (Modern Family) are shocked at how quickly public opinion has changed.

"In five separate studies, Mr. Schiappa and his colleagues have found that the presence of gay characters on television programs decreases prejudices among viewers of the programs."

"That warning would not appear today, as complaints about gay characters on shows like “Modern Family” and “Glee” barely ever bubble to the surface."

I'm overjoyed that this positive representation is changing the perspective on the LGBT community. State after state grows more tolerant, allowing same-sex marriage, and a main catalyst are these TV shows. I too am surprised at how fast opinion has changed and am hopefull that the influence of this representation continues to yield positive responses.

Had Kindle Killed the Book Cover?

This article brings to light the shift between hard cover and digital book covers. A particular case was studied-the cover of Daylight Savings. This cover allowed for a count-down of the book's release as well as an interactive element; it allowed users to drag their finger along the cover, creating a water ripple and splashes. This innovation poses the question: what exactly is the limit of digital covers?
Carin Goldberg further explored this idea with her design students, challenging them to incorporate animations, unique typography, and audio into digital book covers. Designers must not get swept up by the new gadgets and functions, however. A book cover must remain legible and accessible. This digital growth allows for the idea of cover testing, a practice usually utilized by magazines. Magazines design 10-20 covers and release all of them, watching closely to see which sells best.
All of this innovation brings to mind the early stages of eBooks; originally, eBooks did not include a cover. Being immediately thrust into a book, without a cover/introduction page, made many uncomfortable, as the lead-in into a book is traditional and expected.

"Increasingly, instead, they scroll through Amazon's postage stamp-sized pictures, which don't actually cover anything, and instead operate as visual portals into an entire webpage of data (publication date, reader reviews, price) some of which can also be found on a physical cover and some of which cannot."
"The cover "functions as an emotional visual touchstone," Goldberg says."

This article has been my favorite so far. I think it is important for reads and traditional designers to stop and realize eBooks aren't necessarily the demise of books. eBooks have revealed new ways to design and market, not destroyed an old one. The idea of adding animations to a book cover is so interesting to me, it is a form of growth, a new platform for designers to toy with and perfect.

Works That Works

Heller, S. (2015, January 1) A Design Magazine That's More Than Just Pretty. Retrieved January 23, 2015

Works that Work is a magazine built for the design community. Not only does it have a unique, accessible layout (pandering to the graphic design community), but it's articles feature intriguing photographs of new/upcoming technologies. It is available in print and digital as well as a hybrid print-digital format. Although the 'digital era' is here, their audience much prefers the print version of the magazine, even though it is twice as expensive as the digital version.

This magazine does something else differently: they don't use a middle man in their distribution. This allows them to save money on distribution while also gaining some free publicity.

"Over 90 percent of the sales come from the print edition, even though it is twice as expensive as the e-book version."

"“It probably has to do with the fact that the magazine is impeccably produced,” Bilak says, “And long-form essays are easier to read on paper.”"

This magazine intrigues me. Even though it costs €30,000 to print one issue, the magazine continues to break even due to their method of distribution. I would think that a middle man would be necessaryto make a profit, but if WTW continues to do well, it's possible that other magazine companies should consider their 'social distribution' concept.

Book Sales on Twitter?

Alter, A. (2014, December 8). Hachette to Experiment With Selling Books on Twitter. Retrieved January 15, 2015

There is yet another platform that authors can sell books! Authors with an established Twitter following are participating in an experiment with the Hachette Book Group to engage their audiences in a new way to buy books. An argument can be made against this experiment, however. Some say Twitter is primarily a space for socializing and status-updating, not a market place or book store.

“Authors with large Twitter followings, like John Green and Paulo Coelho, have become publishing powerhouses.”

“But some authors say they are eager to try anything that will help them sell more books.”

“Many social media users still see sites like Twitter, which introduced a buy button this fall, as a place to share ideas and experiences, not to sell merchandise."

The idea of yet another book-selling platform in competition for sales is somewhat tiresome. It would require a new way of formatting the book covers (new dimensions, new designs)

Implementing this program would cause for more advertisements and sponsored messages on users' timelines-the idea that authors will limit themselves to only their followers in doubtful.