Television Show Activity

The show that I chose to watch was "House of Payne." This is a show that I don't normally watch because of the time which conflicts with the day to day running of my household and night time schedule. When I turned the sound off, the character (Curtis) seemed to be this type of guy who was always yelling and trying to exert his male domination or energy onto the people that he came in contact with. Basically, he waved his hand a lot, and he pointed his fingers at everyone as if to delegate the jobs or tasks within the household. His nonverbal cues suggested that those around him knew that when he pointed and waved those hands, that whatever he wanted them to do had to get done. When I turned the volume up and I was able to hear Curtis's voice, I realized that my assumptions had been wrong. Curtis does yell, but the yelling is actually humorous to those around him because they appear to be used to him doing this. Also, I found out that Curtis is one of those animated characters who uses his hands to express his feelings, whether it is to demonstrate happiness or sadness. Overall, after turning the volume up, I realized that Curtis's sense of humor and animated gestures were the basis of the show. My assumptions would have been correct had I been watching a show that I normally watch because I would have known what to expect and who to expect it from. I also would have had background knowledge of the characters involved. I think that this activity opened my eyes to a lot of things. For the most part, it is preparing me to be more objective within the classroom because there are a lot that is going on within the classroom that is based on my perceptions. Perceptions can be wrong which is why we should investigate the matter before going on what we perceive to be true.