Although we all would like to believe that black and white workers are equals in the work force, the harsh truth is that they are not. Especially during recessions, black workers take the biggest hit. It is much more difficult for black workers to find jobs even after the recessions have passed. In the 1980-1982 recession, black teen unemployment reached an unrivaled value of 50 percent (Elam paragraph 2). Although the teen unemployment rate may seem unimportant, it is a crucial indicator of the future success of blacks as a whole; as many struggle to find a job as teens, they may get caught up in an endless cycle of trying to find low-paying jobs, never finding their true potential and settling for the bare minimum.

Poverty is blatantly presented throughout most of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. We can readily see the misfortunes of the Breedlove’s by taking notice of anything in their home; their furniture is aged and fading, and their heating system is faulty and unreliable. While we would like to believe that this family was simply unlucky to be this unfortunate, the harsh reality is that they are victims to the racist America; employers would hire a white man over a much more qualified black man the vast majority of the time, just because of the difference in skin color. Had the Broodlove’s been white, I believe they would be in a much better financial situation than they face now; I certainly do not agree with this cold judgment, but this just shows how ignorant and racist much of America was in this time period.

 Although a recession widens the gap between black and nonblack workers, one is not required for this gap to be present (Elam paragraph 3), as can be seen with the Broodlove family. This gap has been slowly diminishing over the years, so it is hard for us to imagine the level of separation as seen in the novel. Even the skilled black workers could only squeeze by with a minimum-wage job the majority of the time.

As a nation, I believe we have made great progress towards having equality among races. We certainly are not perfect (and probably never will be), but most people should be impressed to see how much our nation has leveled the workforce playing-field since a time such as the 1940s. If we continue with this tremendous progress as a nation on the whole, I believe we can count on our country improving even further so that a segregated workforce will become a distant memory.

Heterosexism

In a world where the majority of shows on television completely ignore the issue of homosexuality, South Park is one program which has a history of addressing the issue through many episodes. In one such episode, “Probably”, we follow Satan, the homosexual emperor of Hell. Satan is a very physically masculine character, but is very sensitive emotionally. He struggles to choose between his boyfriend, Chris, and his lover, Saddam Hussein in the depths of hell.

Satan is torn; Chris is a great friend, but he is simply too nice for Satan. On the other hand, Saddam is the lover Satan has always wanted, but he is too mean and inconsiderate. Throughout the episode, Chris is portrayed as a very stereotypical gay man; he talks with a lisp, wears tight and flashy clothes, and is very feminine. Saddam Hussein gives no clues of his sexuality through his actions, besides from the constant dirty-talk with Satan.

By the end of the episode, Satan ultimately consults God for help, who tells the Prince of Darkness that he should not take either man since he is not completely happy with either.

Overall, Satan is portrayed as a very powerful man, and for the most part his homosexuality does not seem to hinder his ability to maintain power. Only at one point is his sexuality shown as a weakness; when delivering a fiery speech to newbies to Hell, he breaks down and is unable to finish the speech because of the relationship drama he is involved with.

I believe Matt Stone and Trey Parker do a superb job of bringing homosexuality into South Park. While some parts may be flat-out ridiculous, they succeed in showing a variety of possibilities of lives of homosexuals, which is much more realistic than showing one cookie-cutter homosexual lifestyle as many shows tend to have. The gay community may not be too fond of the choices, but making Satan and Saddam Hussein gay just serves as a comical way to bring the topic to light.