One Piece: Reflection of The Real World

One Piece is a Japanese manga series created by the famous Japanese cartoonist Eiichiro Oka. Since 1997, it has been serializes in the Japanese manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Jump" for more than twenty years. One Piece is now one of the most famous anime across the world, it sets a Guinness World Record for "the most copies published for the same comic book series by a single author". 

Not like other cartoonists, Eiichiro Oka doesn't want his audiences to be narrowed down to only teenagers. He tries to make One Piece an all-age reading. The way he achieved that is using the concept of "intertextuality" to illustrate some historical social events and even deep thoughts toward real world politics while portraying those amazing pirate adventures and furious stories.  

  

By definition, intertextuality is the shaping of a text's meaning by another text. More specifically, it is a literary device that creates an interrelationship between texts and generates related understanding in separate works. The key story of One Piece focus on the adventure of a young man named Monkey D. Luffy. He has a stubborn dream of being the "King of Pirate" and finding the biggest treasure in the world named "One Piece". Under this big frame, the whole story can be divided into several chapters, and each chapter would have its unique storyline. Since the pirate crew is moving from one island to the next, Eiichiro Oka is able to portray a totally new environment whenever Luffy landed to a new island. Under this kind of setting, Eiichiro Oka has a whole bunch of space to add his own creative ideas and thoughts, and he often creates storyline based on real world events or famous media works. 

One typical example of Eiichiro using such technique is the story happened on an island named "Merman Island". It is the home of merman and mermaid. Human-being in One Piece used to enslave merman since they have huge power. As a result, many people now see them as inferior race even though they are not slaves. They would laugh at them, and even kill them without any reason. Merman and mermaid therefore can only stay on the Merman Island which is 30000 feet beneath the sea surface.

A merman named Fisher Tiger who eventually stand out, he escaped from a human's hand and liberated hundreds of slaves at the same time. After that, he formed a merman pirate crew to fight for equal status, and they continuous fight against the human government for the years.

Meanwhile, the queen of Merman Island tries to do the same thing. But instead of having wars, she comes up with a more peaceful idea which is negotiation. She lobbies all the merman and mermaid to trust human-beings so she can draw up an agreement between human and merman which will bring then to the real sunshine again.

Does this story sounds familiar? If audiences know some history of North America, they would realize this is actually an allusion of the African-American Civil Rights Movement which happened between 1954 and 1968. The race of merman here refers to black people and they share lots of common characteristics such as great physical strength and slavery history.

The two key characters in that chapter respectively represents two historical figures. Tiger Fisher, according to my research, is very similar to the 19th century abolitionist John Brown, who advocated actions and wars in seeking free rights and equality. One the other hand, the queen is more like Martin Luther King who advocated to use non-violence way to fight for black civil rights. To enhance this allusion, Eiichiro Oka even gave the queen the same fate Martin Luther King had-she was murdered by a gunner during a speech. It's just another hint that shows Eiichiro's implied message throughout this whole chapter.

Such example can be found everywhere in One Piece. In fact
Eiichiro Oka covered huge amounts of real world events and famous media works in his own works. There is another chapter that involves the idea of colonialism. The most recent chapter that is still on-going can be referred to the famous fairy tale Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 

The intertextuality Eiichiro applied is more like an implicit intertexuallity, because he never said this story is based on something else before he started a new chapter. But those who have prior knowledge about the original materials can easily notice that. By doing so, Eiichiro successfully made connections between the real world and his fascinating One Piece world. Moreover, in the perspective of audiences, it's easier to get involved and actively interact with the manga contents. Eiichiro obviously created a bond between his manga and audiences.   

The use of intertextuality made One Piece not only an entertaining media products, but a reflection of the real world. It allows audiences to think deeply about the world they are living in while laughing and crying with Luffy in that imaginary world. I believe that's the key reason for One Piece dominating Japanese animation market which has so many strong competitors emerge in every year.

Unhate - United Colors of Benetton

In 2011, Italian fashion clothing chain United Colors of Benetton debuted its rather controversial campaign, United “Unhate”. The ad campaign is composed of six photos showing global leaders kissing: President Barack Obama is kissing China’s Hu Jintao and Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez; Pope Benedict XVI embraces Sheik Ahmed al-Tayeb-the imam of the al-Azhar mosque in Cairo. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy kiss each other, as well as the supreme leader of North Korea Kim Jong Il and President of South Korea Lee Myung-bak; finally, Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is shown tenderly kissing the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas. The word “Unhate” in white is on the upper-left corner of all the photos. In smaller and in the lower right corner, one can see the logo of the brand, and the message “Support the Unhate Foundation”

United Colors of Benetton(UBC) is a leading European fashion chain, that has been labeled as one of the most globally responsible brands and is known for its outrageous ads. They launched the Unhate Foundation in 2011 as part of their new corporate social responsibility strategy, with their objective being “to contribute to fighting the culture of hatred". They have a strong business ethics and place emphasis on its corporate social responsibilities(CSR); it has successfully created a powerful brand that is not just clothing but carries a statement. Benetton's marketing strategy is concentrated in capitalizing on social issues and degree of CSR participation applied in their competitive and regulated markets. 

The elements and principles of design are used to intensify the visual effect of the kiss: the political leader’s heads occupy is placed in the center, so majority of the audience’s focus is on what’s happening in the picture. Using the rule of thirds, we can see that there is a clear symmetry revolving around the lips, creates a sense of equilibrium to the pictures. The use of vivid colors with a strong contrast and exposition on a blurred background, which makes the leaders the focal point of the ad. The photos are made-up to show movement; and the characters, with their eyes closed, their lips tightly stuck and their heads slightly bent, truly seem in the middle of a passionate kiss.

We can use semiotics to further analyze this ad. In each photo, we can identify two main signifiers, the leaders, who signify power, as they are the representatives of their respective country and religion; but they have been put next to their opposition or enemy. For example, the Pope and the Imam, the leaders of South Korea and North Korea. Thus, putting these conflicting people together evokes the paradigm of cultural, political, or national barriers.And those paradigms themselves appeal to some narratives, defined as pre-conceived stories or familiar sequences of events rooted in the our minds about these leaders and their stance on their opposition.For example, the strained relationship between Venezuela and the United States and the clash of Christianity and Islam. We are presented with the story of the opposition with the “other”, which leads to intolerance, hatred, and sometimes war. The purpose, and strength, of this ad is that it shatters those paradigms by reversing their message by uniting the opposing leaders into a kiss: sign of love, intimacy, trust, and in this context, peace. The message is straightforward, and evokes another well-known narrative: “Make love, not war”, the anti-war slogan from the 1960's.

This ad is undoubtedly and effortlessly very powerful. It uses provocative images to capture our attention, but is still effective and clear in carrying a message of tolerance. Obviously, the ad caused considerable controversy with the Vatican demanding Benetton pull the ad as Catholics were offended by such a use of the pope’s image. On the other hand, Benetton received no other complaints- as indeed, it is hard to fault such a message of peace.

However, there is something one might ask here: What exactly is the point of this ad? To carry a message of tolerance? Or to sell clothes? Sure, Benetton’s gets the public attention. And adds to adage “all publicity is good publicity”. As Journalist Christina Passariello and Jennifer Clark ask, “if you shock them, will they buy?”. Which leads to the important question: will you judge this ad by its effectiveness on shoppers, or by the power of its message?

Not Quite "Just Another Girl"

On November 11, 2013, the Killers released Direct Hits, an album comprised of their greatest hits in honor of their ten year anniversary. While the album is predominately a celebration of their most successful songs, two new singles were produced for the album; Shot at the Night and Just another Girl. The music video for Just another Girl captures the sentimental essence of the album by paying homage to the band’s career up until the album’s release. The video utilizes semiotics, specifically symbols, to depict the band’s noteworthy career.

The video opens with a shot of a marquee letter “K” which is quickly illuminated. Blurry scenes from a select number of the band’s previous music videos begin to appear on screen, spliced together with close-ups of a person’s walking feet. The camera then pans up to reveal a woman, who begins to lip sync the song. Throughout the video, the woman walks through a production set, where she frequently stops to shoot different music videos and make wardrobe changes. At the end of the video, she releases confetti which rains down throughout the set. The final scene of the video mirrors the first, as the marquee “K” darkens.

The initial blurry scenes are included in order to enhance the meaning of the media product. Throughout the video, symbols reference some of the band’s previous music videos for other songs included on the Direct Hits album. If audiences are not familiar with previous works of the Killers, they will not comprehend the video’s purpose; to celebrate the band’s career.

The video first utilizes symbols in its costumes. Throughout the video, the actress wears clothing inspired by the outfits lead singer Brandon Flowers has worn in previous videos. When she first appears, the woman wears a black suit jacket adorned with feathers. The jacket is nearly identical to the one worn by Flowers in the band’s music video for their single Human from the earlier stages of their career.

An additional outfit, which includes a black vest and blue bow tie, is a reference to the music video When You were Young. The video depicts the failing relationship of a married couple and also includes scenes of the band performing in a bar. The same formal attire Flowers wore in the video is worn by the woman in Just another Girl. She even dons a mustache, an additional symbol, which Flowers’ had at the time When You were Young was originally shot.

The costumes and the mustache symbolize the band's lead singer. The continual references to Flowers’ outfits and physical appearances from different music videos highlight the band's evolution and the changes they experienced in the first ten years of their career.

The woman herself is also a complex symbol. On a basic level, she symbolizes Brendan Flowers, since she assumes his previous roles within the music video. However, she also symbolizes the subject of the song; a woman whom Flowers' can't seem to forget despite the encouragement from his friends. According to Flowers, the song is  a narrative, which is reflected in the story-like plot of its video.

The depiction of Flowers as a woman suggests that the woman whom the song is written about has remained to be a significant part of his identity throughout the band's career. Although the band undergoes many changes throughout the video, Flowers is continually depicted by the same actress. Her constant role in the music video signals that Flowers' feelings have never changed. She not only symbolizes the lead singer, but also his enduring feelings.

Finally, the marquee letter "K" carries symbolic meaning. While many symbols in the video symbolize Brendan Flowers, the marquee letter symbolizes the band as a whole. The letter is a reference to the band's name, the Killers. However, it can also symbolize the band's evolution.

The music videos for Just another Girl and Human both begin and end with the same shots of the marquee letter. In a 2009 interview, Flowers revealed that Human was the band's biggest worldwide hit. The single strengthened the band's global presence in the music industry, which was a significant moment in their overall career. Therefore, the marquee letter symbolizes the music video for Human and the success it brought the band. 

The symbols in Just another Girl play a crucial role in the music video. The symbolism of the band’s previous works highlights their impressive career while simultaneously conveying a nostalgic tone. The music video celebrates the Killers’ history, mirroring the purpose of their Direct Hits album.

Shakespeare and She's the Man

In the movie, She’s the Man, Viola, the female lead character pretends to be a boy, her brother, Sebastien, in order to play soccer. Since the girls’ team at her high school was cut, she attends her brother’s boarding school while he leaves the country to perform his music with his band. As a man, a girl named Olivia falls in love with Sebastien, who is actually Viola. However, while at the school, Viola actually falls in love with one of the boys on the soccer team, Duke Orsino, and finds herself in a situation in which where she gets caught in her lie. At the end of the movie she reveals that she has been impersonating her brother the entire time she has been at his school. Although her coach and everyone at the school is upset that she lied to them, she helps them win the championship soccer game and proves that girls are just as good at soccer as boys.

This movie was based off of William Shakespeare’s play, Twelfth Night. In his play, he writes about a woman named Viola who wants to get a job under the Duke of Illyria, so she disguises herself as a man. Throughout the play she quickly falls in love with Duke Orsino. However, Orsino is in love with Countess Olivia, which creates a love triangle between the three people. The movie She’s the Man is a modern take on this movie. The entire movie is an example on intertextuality, for the two story plots of both She’s the Man and Twelfth Night are almost parallel with each other. The same names for the majority of the characters and places are the same such as Viola being the female lead in both the play and the movie as well as the other characters and where both medias are placed, Illyria. In Twelfth Night, Illyria is the kingdom in which the story is set. Likewise, the college that Viola goes to and pretends to be a boy in order to play soccer is name Illyria.

Although the play and the movie have almost parallel story plots and the same names for characters, the most important reason for making this movie shadow the play is to highlight the fact that a girl was able to overcome prejudices in order to obtain what she wanted. This contradicts what is ‘normal’ societal roles are. Both of these pieces of media portray the strength a woman possesses when she is unable to do something according to the power of men. She’s the Man was created in order to appeal to the modern generation and give instances that people of the twenty first century could relate to.

For instance, instead of Viola dressing as a man in order to obtain a job in Shakespeare’s play, she pretends to be a boy in order to play soccer because the girls soccer team at her school was cut. While both of these types of media were made for entertainment foe whoever watched them, She’s the Man created for a young audience since the entire movie is set in high school. As previously stated, the reasoning for making both the play and the movie were for entertainment. However, there is a deeper meaning within both of these. Although women are being subjugated under men in both Twelfth Night and She’s the Man, the prevail by showing men and others around them that they have the capability to do anything a man can do and in the case of She’s the Man, Viola contributes to the men’s soccer team’s win in the championship game.

In conclusion, She’s the Man incorporates Twelfth Night almost in its entirety with all the
examples of intertextuality weaved in throughout the movie. By integrating aspects of Shakespeare’s play into the movie, it sheds a light on how important the play is to convey to audiences of today. The message throughout both the play and the movie is to not listen to those who look down upon people because of gender because it’s never certain what they are capable of accomplishing.

Beautifully Unattainable

Set in an African Savannah in the 1950s, surrounded by wildlife and cameras, Taylor Swift brings us one of her latest music videos Wildest Dreams. The project was directed by South Korean Joseph Khan, which was also involved in other of Swift’s projects such as “Bad Blood” and “Blank Space”. Wildest Dreams tells the story of two actors, Taylor Swift and Scott Eastwood, who are making a movie, non-coincidentally titled Wildest Dreams. At first glance, the video is about these two actors that have an on-screen and off-screen relationship that comes to an end when the movie production concludes, and each of the characters has to return to their own lives. However, once one analyzes the music video with the song lyrics, Wildest Dreams is about a doomed romantic relationship between two star-crossed lovers that is worthy only for its memories. This romantic yet superficial relationship is beautifully unattainable and ill-fated, in fact, it is the “Wildest Dream” that the narrator, Swift, is talking about.

Swift that was once a sweet teenage girl, writing songs mostly about perfect loves and sweet romances, now writes songs and creates music videos that try to more accurately resemble real life. A love story that is destined to fail is the main theme that surrounds this astonishing video. From the start of the song, Swift uses juxtaposed words and phrases to hint that there is something bad happening in the relationship. Swift says things like “He’s so bad but he does it so well” and “I can see the end as it begins” displaying an evident conflict existing between the two characters and their troubled relationship. He is wrong for her and she knows it but she does not care, not yet at least. Taylor’s immense desire to have someone is stronger than the reality of the situation and makes her keep holding on, creating this fantasy of a perfect relationship but actually she is just fooling herself. All the juxtaposition she uses is to alert the audience and herself that all those moments she is living and all that magic she is feeling will eventually vanish.

This whole idea is encompassed in the first shot the couple films for their movie. Swift and Eastwood share a kiss once the director gives the signal and the shot is just perfect: rightly timed, with a picturesque setting, the characters perfectly placed in the middle of the portrait, surrounded by matching warm colors, full of passion and in simple words fairytale-like. However, at the same time the shot and the moment itself is pure illusion, just like a dream. The audience can see the cameras, the crew, and the director who are filming the shot. The whole moment is completely made up. This gives the idea that these kinds of relationships are too good to be true, and therefore unreal just like the love stories we often see in films.

Nevertheless, Swift also wants to make the point that even though these relationships are doomed from the beginning, they are still worth having for the memories they bring. In other words, from time to time one should get into a relationship with no future simply because the unforgettable memories and breathtaking moments will compensate for all the negative things that happened. In the video, when Swift is thinking about those worthy memories, we see flashbacks of the good memories lived with her lover. These shots, unlike the others we have seen, are more “real” and seem more “authentic” in a sense since we do not see the cameras, crew or director anymore, we only see her and her love interest. With this recollection of memories, the audience can relate and sympathize with Taylor.

Still, to what extent are these flashbacks and these memories entirely real is completely uncertain. They might be only a product of Taylor’s imagination, maybe she modifies them, or maybe they’re just a dream. The one thing that it is known for sure is that the memories she makes, or thinks she makes, with her lover are the only thing that stays with her when the movie is over. Once the production concludes, the relationship ends and the characters part their individual ways. Swift and Eastwood are brought back to reality when you see the green screen and realize that the jungle and the wildlife they were immersed in was all an illusion just like their relationship and the love they shared. This is the tragic yet inescapable reality of star-crossed lovers, they just form part of a dream that will eventually end when one of them wakes up. 

The real question about Wildest Dreams is what is Taylor Swift really singing about? Maybe she wants to make the point that relationships among celebrities are just a fantasy trying to imitate what they will so frequently do in movies but at the end of the day completely superficial, fake and just for the media. Personally, I believe the song and the video are about Taylor Swift herself and her romantic relationships that are doomed to fail. Swift is always in the media, presuming her new boyfriends every year, however these relationships never last that long. Wildest Dreams is about Swift and her struggle in finding real love. She only has memories of her relationships but to what extent are the memories she makes with these men real? To what extent are these relationships authentic and could they ever be? Maybe it is all created for the media and for this reason the illusion of encountering true love is just Swift’s wild dream: fleeting and unattainable.

The War on Drugs

In this blog post, I will be analyzing the messages and significance of the music video "Crooked Smile" by J.Cole featuring TLC. The song was released on June 4th, 2013 and was dedicated to Aiyana Stanley-jones, 7 year old girl shot and killed during a police raid back in 2010 which was nationally known and stirred some controversy. The song has been one of J. Cole's most popular songs that he's written. The song and music video's main reasoning is to fight the controversy on the war on drugs. J Cole wanted to bring attention to the war so people are aware of the violent acts that have been ruining families.

In the music video, there is a perspective of two people on opposite sides of the spectrum. J.Cole is a drug dealer and the other actor is part of the Federal Drug Administration. It starts out by introducing J.Cole's family, which consisted of his little sister and his mother and father celebrating the little sister's birthday at their house. It also introduces the FDA agent's daughter who he very much cares about and raises on his own. This introduction of family is very significant to the video's meaning as a hole as the importance of family is the reason why J.Cole wants the war on drugs to be over. As J.Cole's character get ready to sell his drugs, the FDA rolls up to his house to bust him. However, what is controversial here is that J.Cole's little sister is also in the house as well. During the bust, the little sister comes out of her room to see what was going on in the house. Alarmed, the FDA agent sees the girl come out of her room and pulls the trigger and takes her life. The scene right after this occurrence shows J.Cole's shock and the death of his soul as he falls to the ground in vain. Th next scenes imply the moral of the music video as it takes on the perspective of both J.Cole and the FDA agent after the shooting.

It shows J.Cole's memories of his sister and his sadness as he sits in the van and it shows the emotions of sadness that the FDA agent also feels as well. Then the scene is followed up by an imagination of J.Cole's sister and the FDA agent's daughter in school together in what seems like heaven. It also shows J.Cole and the FDA agent looking at each other, both dissatisfied from what had just happened. This symbolizes the strength of love for family members and that it is not worth losing innocent lives and family members for drugs. The way in which J.Cole and the FDA agent look at each other in dissatisfaction is a form of symbolism of how much this drug bust doesn't mean anything positive because of the death of the girl. The director sets this point of symbolism by introducing the two perspectives and their beloved family members (daughters) so they can relate to each other and feel each others pain. J.Cole does a great job of making the viewers aware of the problem on the war on drugs by bringing attention to what happened to the little girl.

The music video does a great job of creating suspense and displaying emotions throughout the video with its media effects. First, the spiritual music they play after the death of the little sister enhances the meaning of the death and is a good addition to the music video. The slow motion video effects for the iconic parts of the shooting, celebration, and aftermath really focus the attention to those parts, making them more effective. The camera angles of the shot and J.Cole falling to the ground from that same angle make the viewer engage to comprehend what just happened.

I believe this music video strongly tells the story of how the war on drugs are not worth the risk of taking innocent lives. The storyline of how a beautiful day with family turns into sadness create the ironic thought of the controversy. With the media effects, demonstration of sadness on both sides of the spectrum strongly portrays the wrong in the war. Overall, the message is well converted into the music video and serves a great purpose using the life of two sides in the war on drugs and portraying the emotions of both sides.

84 Lumber Super Bowl Advertisement

By: Kevin Grube, pledge

The “84 Lumber” advertisement was released on February 5th, 2017 during the NFL Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons. The advertisement that appeared during the game was only one minute and thirty seconds long. However, the full-length version of the advertisement can be seen on YouTube, and runs at approximately five minutes and forty four seconds. The full version has 11,109,826 views on YouTube, and was published on YouTube on February 5th, 2017. 84 Lumber Company is a construction store that sells various materials such as lumber, doors, siding, and engineered wood products. Moreover, 84 Lumber Company has locations nationwide, but is headquartered in Eighty-Four, Pennsylvania. The CEO of 84 Lumber is Maggie Hardy Magerko.

The ad centers around a mother and daughter’s journey from Mexico to the United States. While the advertisement is well-intended in nature, the end product has been described as extremely political, ultra-nationalistic, and tremendously stereotypical to those who are immigrating to the United States. This advertisement certainly feeds into the dominant ideologies about how U.S. citizens view immigrants, especially those traveling from Mexico.

The advertisement is extremely controversial on various levels. In the full-length version, the mother and daughter reach the United States after overcoming numerous environmental, physical, and emotional obstacles. They hitch a ride with “coyotes” (people who get paid to transport illegal immigrants), hop on trains, walk through desert on their path to a new beginning. When they finally reach the United States, they are shocked by what they see. A giant wall stands in their way to freedom. In the end, they walk through a humungous door (made from 84 lumber) that has a crack in it, which symbolizes peace, freedom, and hope. While this sounds like a happy ending, the advertisement clearly supports President Donald Trump’s idea of building a giant wall to keep out illegal immigrants.

The CEO of 84 Lumber, Maggie Hardy Magerko, is a “staunch” supporter of President Trump’s proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall, despite saying that the advertisement wasn’t about the wall, but rather the mother and daughters “treacherous journey” to freedom. In an interview with “People” magazine, Magerko stated, “We need to keep America safe… America needs to be safe so you and I can have the liberty to talk… The wall, I think it represents, to me, security. I like security”. This statement clearly indicates that the CEO was lying, for why even have the “wall” in the full advertisement? Interestingly enough, FOX actually rejected the original Super Bowl ad with the “wall” in it because it was too controversial to air on national television. The ad was only accepted by FOX after 84 Lumber condensed the length of the commercial and changed the ending. Regardless of the backlash and controversy, the company still published the full version of the advertisement on YouTube.

As stated earlier, this advertisement is also blatantly stereotypical and supports dominant ideologies about how many Americans views of illegal immigrants. The mother and daughter are from an impoverished village and are depicted as virtually penniless. They use their money to pay a “coyote” who smuggles them in a stereotypical truck that’s filled with other Mexican people traveling to America. They hop on trains illegally to lessen the physical toll on their bodies. They walk through desert with very little food and water. At one point in the ad, a generous Mexican man gives them water. They barely make it to the giant wall.

While they do walk through the “door of freedom” in the end, the “journey” doesn’t illustrate the path all immigrants take. Not all Mexican immigrants take this crazy journey and overcome insurmountable obstacles in order to reach the United States. In addition, it’s not clear whether these are illegal or legal immigrants, but one could assume that they are illegal since they go through a “coyote”, hop on trains, and travel by foot to reach the United States. Thus, this add subconsciously generalizes the voyage immigrants take to the United States, in particular Mexican immigrants.

Traditional gender roles and stereotypes are reinforced in this advertisement. The main characters are a struggling mother and young daughter who travel from an underprivileged village in Mexico. Although they eventually reach America, they are portrayed as virtually powerless and reliant on men, for the “coyote” and bighearted person who gives them water during their journey are both men. In addition, all the 84 Lumber construction workers in the commercial are men. Why couldn’t any of these characters be women? Thus, this ad unintentionally reinforces dominant ideologies about traditional gender roles, for the men are depicted as the “hardworking, strong, and dedicated” workers who handle powerful tools and machinery.

In summation, the “84 Lumber” Super Bowl advertisement is highly controversial, political, and stereotypical, despite intending to inspire hope and opportunity. The CEO is a supporter of the U.S.-Mexico wall proposed by President Donald Trump. The wall in the advertisement is undoubtedly in support of the President Donald Trump, despite her stating that the wall wasn’t meant to be political. FOX only agreed to air the commercial without the wall. Moreover, stereotypes are reinforced in terms of traditional gender roles. While they do overcome various obstacles on their own, men are the one’s who help the mother and daughter reach their destination when they need it the most. Thus, the advertisement sparked controversy due to its clear political stance of being ultra-nationalistic and ultra-patriotic. Moreover, dominant ideologies about immigrants and their journeys to the U.S. are reinforced, in particular those traveling from Mexico.