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Sut Jhally

Media Education Foundation

Northampton, MA USA

"Being disillusioned is not as much fun as being impassioned. Go out there and be an active participant in the world."

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Sut's work combines: Education, Journalism, and Teaching / Mentoring

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Founder and Executive Director of the Media Education Foundation

I write about advertising and popular culture's role in the processes of social control and identity construction.

My path in life has been direct

1.
Born in Kenya and raised in England with Indian parentage, he was constantly trying to figure out who he was.
2.
When he was in college, a cultural theorist named Stuart Hall spoke at his university; he realized that examining identity and cultural trends could be fun.
3.
He's been teaching for thirty years-his studies focus on advertising, media, and consumption.
4.
Says his goal as a professor is to help his students "take the red pill," and open their eyes to issues that may be outside of their comfort zones.
5.
One of his studies culminated in a short film about MTV's negative portrayal of women; MTV approached him and asked him to stop showing the film.
6.
He stepped right up to the plate and challenged them back; when he told the media that MTV was trying to censor him, they withdrew their case.
7.
College was a transformative time for him-it helped him develop a self-identity-so he hopes he can construct a similar environment for his students.
8.
When students come to him and say, "I don't know what to do with my life," he says, "good, that's how you should feel."

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