Vanessa Ray Quotes

The cartoons which I enjoy have caused some kind of out rage, but they have got people talking about these issues out in the open and in essence that's what its all about.

Growing up, I remember my parents feeling a little wary of 'The Simpsons.' This was the late eighties, and there was a wave of articles about TV shows that were bad for America. Then we all started watching it and loved it.

Shows like 'All in the Family' and now 'Mom' - there's a tradition of tackling real issues.

As a socially conscious person, I have my views on matters like gender inequality and progressive movements. But being a mother, children's issues have affected me a lot.

I was raised in a home where we grew up where we discussed issues. I've always been really politically aware. My wife and four kids are very aware. They make me more attuned to a lot of things I would not think about. Especially women's issues.

Reality TV to me is the museum of social decay.

I'm convinced that Sanford and Son shows middle-class America a lot of what they need to know.

Hollywood likes to boast that it can elevate the national conscience.

Horror stories give us a way of exhausting our emotions around social issues, like a woman's right to an abortion, which I always thought was the core of 'Rosemary's Baby,' or the backlash against feminism which I always thought was the core to 'Stepford Wives.'

Whether it's a popcorn movie or some really intellectual sociopolitical movie, I think to some degree they're all influenced by the social climate that we're living in.

Yeah, I don't deal with current events or pop culture, and I avoid politics like the plague.

Bridget Jones has a lot to answer for.

It gets quite difficult for me when I listen to pop music. I don't often understand the words, but when someone translates them to me, I think, 'What is this song representing? That women are just there to be treated like objects?'

Certain issues have been associated with contemporary feminism and in a certain sense circumscribed for that reason.

It seems a lot of straight men need a word coach or a lawyer when it comes to discussing 'Sex and the City.'

It's hard to decide if TV makes morons out of everyone, or if it mirrors Americans who really are morons to begin with.

I would say Politically Incorrect is my favourite right now.

To me, it wasn't 'Star Wars' that shaped me; it was more 'Mary Tyler Moore' and, nowadays, 'Louie' and 'Girls.'

I think all these pop cultural media often reflect conversations we're having in the real world at that moment in time. I think one of the big conversations we're having as a culture is we thought we'd solved sexism and racism, and we're realizing more and more that we haven't.

Modelling, fashion and film have all encouraged me to learn more about issues and to feel empowered enough to do something about them.

It really is true that when an issue becomes pop culture, it changes faster, and it's really great for the issue.

I think 'Empire' is entertaining. It's a soap opera. Does it touch on stereotypes? Sure, it does... I don't know if that's necessarily good or bad.

Beyonce may be a gifted entertainer, but no one should really care what she thinks about any serious issue confronting our nation.

We go to the theater to be entertained, but if what is left after you watch the movie is a sort of eye-opening perspective on some social issues, then it can be a really powerful piece of art.

'Looking' is more than just a television show. It's contributing to the cultural conversation, and for me, those are the most exciting projects to be a part of.