Is it possible to look at bell hooks as an activist version of Oprah Winfrey? Both are women, black, vocal on issues and same age group.
Yes, their backgrounds differ in the context of life experiences but contain some form of influence in the representation of both women and black.
One cannot ignore the current take of the media on representation. Black representation currently is most likely taken from the angle of a 'the black success story' of which Winfrey fits the profile perfectly. The question then that is remained to be asked is whether the influence or power of media does not reproduce and conserve these kind of representations?
Engaging with these two woman on the issue of vocality and representation leads to alot being said. The powerful glamorous position of Winfrey in the media and the vocal postion of hooks about the media.
What would be the impact of bell hooks be if she were invited to a show like Oprah?
Why has Oprah never invited bell hooks?
About Me
- nextmovement
- bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins) was born September 25, 1952 in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She is from a working class family with five sisters and one brother. She graduated from Hopkinsville High School, Kentuchy, earned her B.A in English from Stanford University in 1973 and her M.A in English from University of Wisconcin-Madison in 1976. After several years of teaching and writing, in 1983 she completed her doctorate in literature department from University of California, Santa Cruz with a dissertation on author Toni Morrison. She gained widespread recognition as an influential contributor to postmodern feminist thought decades after the publication of “Ain’t I a Woman?’. In 1980-85 she was an assistant professor of Afro-American studies and English at Yale University, New Haven, CT. In 1986 she became associate professor of English at Oberlin College until 1994. She was City College of New York professor, then distinguished professor of English from 1995 – 2004. Early 2004 she became distinguished professor-in-residence at Berea College, Berea, KY. She is a social critic, educator, writer and co-founder of Hambone literary magazine.
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The last question almost answers itself. bell hooks would only be acceptable were she to define her discourse within strictly mainstream terms, even were she to talk about race and gender. But the more radical she gets, the closer she would come to violating the premises of Oprah's enterprise.
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