Introduction to Issue 3:
Identity

or some, identity is an ongoing quest or an evolving process (just look at Al Gore). For others, it is a stable and fixed idea, a proud assertion based on a single characteristic 
("I am a Latino"; "I am a mother"). 

The power of identity lies not only in how we define ourselves, however, but in how we are defined by others - most notably by the media and in the political realm. As a result, representation of identity - or in many cases, a lack of representation - is more than a superficial cultural force. It determines the possibilities of personhood.

The struggle for representation stretches across a broad landscape. If we look at television programming, for example, we see that teenage identity has become the hottest primetime commodity. While they are vilified as antagonists in the new Fox series Boston Public and in the standardized political rhetoric of "teacher accountability," they are the bold searchers for personal and communal truth in the metaphorical worlds of the WB series Roswell and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer.

What about minorities? Some would argue that the number of television shows and films that feature complex black, Latino or Asian characters are few and far between. Do caricatures of ethnicity and race perpetuate stereotypes? When minority actors are cast in non-ethnic roles, is it a sign of assimilation, or simply a reflection of "what sells"? 

Or consider the new out-of-the-closet gay man. Is he the ultra-mainstream, practically a-sexual non-threatening Will, or the flamboyant, hyper-sexualized comic relief Jack? Is he deserving of the same "rights" as married couples, or is he tearing down treasured institutions?

The commonality in all of these cases is that these identities are at crossroads. That’s where the latest PopPolitics issue comes in. The markers of race, gender, class, sexuality, ability, age, etc. are more than just postmodern PC clich’s. They are the parameters by which society is formed and judged. Amidst these external forces, individuals must create their own space, their own narratives. 

For the next six weeks, we’ll look at these individual stories and the larger issues at play. Join us by discussing your thoughts on "identity" in the Pop Forum as we take a look at who we are, or who we are thought to be.

Read the identity issue
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