Representing America - American Literature AP - Blog

Anti-Feminist Designers?

The recent Chanel window displays show female manikins in elegant gowns wearing large, feature-hiding, white-feather-covered, Venetian masks. One of these women is also sitting in a large, human-sized, golden birdcage.

Chanel’s design, while intended to capture a woman’s attention and draw her into the store, is extremely derogatory toward women. The masks objectify women, turning the manikins into body parts for passersby to look at anonymously. The manikin positioned happily in the birdcage suggests she is submissive and passive.

Chanel, a high quality brand that sells to wealthy, influential women, has determined that showcasing stereotypical attributes of women will sell their products. Their marketing strategy shows how much America is influenced by traditional views of women as obedient, passive, simple beings.

The "Clueless" Life of Women

The movie Clueless follows the life of a teenage girl who does not have the much poise or elegance when she enters her new high school but Cher, the most popular girl in school, feels that it is her duty to transform Ty, the new girl, into a stereotypical popular figure. As displayed in the trailer, Ty has no sense of style and not even a sense of speech when she first enters her new school but as Cher takes on her mission, Ty slowly morphs from a tomboy to a preppy, pretty, well-liked girl. Through Ty’s transformation and the duration of the movie, including moments of Cher and some other females, the roles of women are very obviously portrayed as inaccurate, specifically in physical and mental aspects of their character. The roles of men are also falsely displayed in the movie, giving a strong emphasis on only two types of guys: the cool guy and the outcast, no middle ground. The artifact of our generation shows a general interpretation of what men and women are expected to be like in society.

Clueless begins with Cher in the classroom and while she presents her project, the writer of the film made it very clear that she was supposed to portray a very ditsy and superficial girl who cares more about her appearance over anything else. This stereotype gives a false impression that women are not as intelligent as men and only care about the feminine things in life. In addition to the false claim that, mentally, women are inferior, the physical appearance of the women in the movie comes to be one of the most significant topics. From the close they wear, to the make up the put on, to the perfume they put on, everything in the film is carefully dissected. The movie even goes as far as to incorporate a vast majority of the girls at Ty’s new school have plastic surgery. The skimpy outfits the girls are put in reflect the opposite of the potential lingering attachment to “separate spheres” by making the ideal of “pure” to be unheard of. The scandalous outfits in the film give women a stereotype of being seductresses and sex objects.

Men have a great deal of stereotypes in this film as well. The two main men are the ex-boyfriend of Cher and the potential boyfriend of Ty, only if she was to choose him. Cher’s old boyfriend displays the definition of a jock and a player who gets all the ladies and is a strong, attractive figure. Ty’s crush is the outcast in the movie, but he does have a lot of friends. This boy is a skateboarder and a pot head who seems to be the polar opposite of Cher’s ex. These stereotypes reinforce the societal view on the typical man, or the typical outcast.

The movie mostly takes on the gaze of a man, shown by the filming of the women and the emphasis on their physical appearance. The movie does give women agency by giving Ty the ability to choose if she wanted to become popular or not, and by women being able to push men around in subtle ways throughout the movie. I would not consider this piece of modern culture feminist because of the derogatory view it has on women and the stereotypes that it reinforces for both genders show its overall intent to exaggerate “typical” high schoolers.

More Than Meets the (Doll) Eye

Not only is this picture incredibly creepy, it also says a lot more than what one might first notice. When one initially looks at this advertisement, they see an advertisement for eye makeup. This is fairly obvious from the caption in the bottom left corner and even the remarkably unnerving photograph. These women literally look like dolls. Based on this idea of women looking like dolls, this ad constructs gender by enforcing stereotypes and shaping the ideal body image for women.

Because this advertisement depicts women as dolls, it enforces the stereotype of women as an object. Dolls, being the epitome of an object, have absolutely no say in what they do, they just go along with whatever is playing with them at the time. This is a horrible idea, especially when translated to be applied to women. Women just sitting there limp, waiting on their man and having no say whatsoever, is a sad, sad ideal that this advertisement is trying to get the viewer to buy into.

Furthermore, this ad, playing off of the idea of women as lifeless dolls, shapes the way women feel about how they look. Dolls, often considered to be flawless in beauty, have a sense of perfection that go along with them. Also, this idea of physical perfection goes back several decades to the invention of the Barbie doll. This revolutionary and iconic doll shaped millions of girls' self esteem around an impossible, stereotypical image. However, no woman could ever have perfect looks, even with the dieting, the makeup, and the clothes. When this dream falls short of becoming a reality, the results of the emotional states of these women could be catastrophic. As a matter of fact, almost all eating disorders are developed from a poor self body image.

Based on the fact that it portrays women as a stereotypes of sex objects and creates an unhealthy body image, this ad praises the regressive ideas that women have fought so hard to get rid of. As about as anti-feminist as something can get, this image truly constructs gender in a negative way.

The Vision of a Real "Black Swan"

Side Note: There are a lot of spoilers in this critique of Black Swan. Sorry for those who haven't seen this awesome film yet.

In the "Black Swan", Natalie Portman (the main actress) plays Nina who's a ballerina at a very well-known Balle Company. Thomas (the company's artistic director) gives Nina a very important role by casting her as the black and white swan in "Swan Lake", but he gives her the role after he sexually assaults her. In the film, the relationship between the male ballet leaders and their female dancers is pretty strange (seriously, It's strange!) For example, Thomas always have a creepy look when he's challenging Nina, including when he attempts to give up Nina's pursuit to happiness and perfection. Thomas (I forgot to mention, his name is pronounced "Tomah") that uses his own body against Nina's to force her to find her strength is part of what Aronofsky’s film wants to critique, but also partly what makes watching it uncomfortable and kind of explicit. The fact that Nina wants this role so badly, Thomas would do anything to have it his way, which sexually assaulting her over and over. As her relationship with Thomas gets more strange, she begins to suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.

Beth (another main character) is known to be one of the best dancers in the company and she is also a fan favorite. However, she is forced to retire so that Nina can take over her spot. Due to Beth's success with the company, I would assume that Nina was really jealous. As a result, she steals Beth’s lipstick, a pack of cigarettes, and a letter opener, totemic objects that Nina carries as talismans for her own benefits (Jealousy a huge factor in this situation.) Beth doesn't want to retire, but her fame and fortune went completely down hill from there on. Due to her large slump, Beth decided to cause a scene at a benefit party and then throw herself into New York City traffic, landing in a hospital where she is left with scars. She remains in the hospital, in a wheel chair, with her head down as it shows how her career also decided her fate. Nina visits Beth from time to time, but relaizes that the frequent trips to the hospital are completely and she begins to break down.

Darren Aronofsky(The author of Black Swan) signals his vision of his own leading lady with heavy-handed shots of Portman(main actress) fragmented and multiplied by the various mirrors in which her life is continually reflected.In the claustrophobic apartment she shares with her equally insane mother, Erica, a mirror by the front door is cut into pie-shaped wedges that breaks Nina’s image into pieces, and the three-sided mirror in which she practices and obsessively laces and re-laces her toe shoes ensures that even at home, she’s always onstage.

Erica was a corps member herself before she stopped dancing to raise Nina. There is no father (This is where things got awkward to me)  just the two women who represent different generations of the same dream. Erica both wants Nina to succeed and desperately needs her to fail, so that her daughter will cling to her, imprisoned in the child-like state Erica insists on preserving. Nina’s bedroom is lined with rows of white and pink stuffed animals that stare down at her bed, and every night, she goes to sleep with the tinny music box sounds of “Swan Lake” that her mother sets in motion to soothe her. Erica intrudes on Nina’s privacy, checking the rash that appears across her daughter’s back, stopping her for mutilating herself and at the same time, helping Nina hide her wounds. When Nina is cast in the lead role in Swan Lake, Erica doesn’t set out to sabotage her success, but willingly abets Nina’s fast downward spiral when it begins.

The real agent of Nina’s downfall is the woman who might otherwise be her savior. Lily (played by the lovely Mila Kunis) arrives in the company from LA full of self-confident sexuality.  Nina catches a glimpse of her first on a subway, distracted from her own image in its Plexiglas windows by Lily’s hair and the headphones she wears. Lily makes her first appearance at the studio by banging open and closed the door while Nina is dancing, causing her to stumble in her audition for Swan Lake. But Lily’s dtermination proves a refreshing counter-balance to a ballet world in which young women are wound tight, can’t eat, throw up what they do get down, and like Nina, are so disciplined to be perfect that they have no lives outside their dancing.

(I've decided to fast forward a little in order to get to the important parts of the film.)

Ever since the beginning of Black Swan, moments that seem true are suddenly proven false. In the bathroom of the ballet benefit party, Nina’s ragged cuticles begin to bleed and she can’t get them to stop, eventually peeling a three-inch strip of flesh from her finger. But when she’s interrupted by, as it happens, Lily knocking on the door, Nina looks down to see her finger suddenly healed. This girl bleeds terribly and her toenails break from dancing on them, her back bleeds from scratching, and blood continually reddens the water in which she bathes and washes. But we’re never sure if her wounds are real, and neither does Nina seems to be healed either.

 In the climax of the film, Nina allf of sudden kills Lily due to serious anger. She also smashes everything in the room (including the mirror) and hides Lily body. She then goes on to finish the Second Act to Black Swan where her performance as the Black Swan including both rage and anger. (How Ironic!)

 

What can we make out of the Black Swan is that Nina is slowly becoming a monster, unable to distinguish what is real from what is not. Her anxiety drives her to scratch herself until she bleeds, and from her wounds, feathers emerge.  As she dances, she spreads her wings, but the wings are black.  She is a good girl gone bad.

 Her flirtation with darkness is accompanied by crippling paranoia.  Nina witnesses self-mutilation, passionate sex, and even murder-- but her eyes cannot be trusted.  From a first-person perspective, the audience is left to feel as helpless and confused as their hero.

Initially, the producer calls her frigid.  But he is magnetically drawn to her after witnessing her transformation.  Unfortunately, this triumph is short-lived.  Nina experiences the duality she always yearned for in her final moments, but it's too late. To end this analysis, all I can say is that Darren did create a film that mostly focused on excessive violence and artistic cruelty. Even as Aronofsky dismantles the foundation of Nina's world and her sanity/insanity, it keeps the viewer equally unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. To conclude this, Portman (Main actress) holds the audience in such a way to remain on Nina’s side, hoping that she’ll be victorious against all the forces that lined up against her.

The Game's Heroine

WARNING: If you haven't read the Hunger Games there might be some spoiler alerts in this blog, they are marked in parenthesis before the sentence containing them.

The Hunger Games is a popular book series in our modern day culture. When one takes a first glance at this all they see is a story about 24 kids fighting to the death, an entertaining plot. But if one would look closer they would notice that there is an underlining feminist argument.

Suzanne Collins, the author of The Hunger Games trilogy, uses the primary character, Katniss, to present her feminist argument. Katniss is the heroine of the story. She is put into an arena to fight to the death, and is motivated purely on returning to her family.

When we first meet Katniss, although she is not a mother, she has many characteristics described in The Cult of Domesticity. Katniss strives to take care of her little sister, due to her mother's absence, and take care of the house. This shows Katniss's domesticity aspect, she is the caretaker of her home. While Katniss takes up the role of the stereotypical "mother" in our society, her real mother fails to do so. Thus, Collins is making Katniss a stronger character than a women is expected to be, beginning her female empowerment plot. 

Although Katniss does posses the domesticity values, she is nothing similar to the rest of the ideologies in the cult. Katniss is the farthest thing from submissive, with her relationships between men Katniss is not afraid to speak her mind and challenge them. In the novel Collins uses the area of the Capitol to show the norm of women. Women usually are extremely submissive to men, especially President Snow. The Capitol is also an extremely patriarchal structure of a society. No women are in any position of major power, and if they are in some position they are under the rule of a man. 

But in the Capitol women are not the only submissive ones. Due to the extreme stratification, the lower your district (class) the more submissive you are to the Capitol and the men in charge of it. For example, (spoiler alert) in the end of the first novel Katniss stands up to the Capitol's rules of the Hunger Games when she and Peeta almost kill themselves at the same time.

Another example, (another spoiler alert) is when Rue dies Katniss decorates her body with flowers and sings her to her death to show respect to her life. Katniss ends her song with kissing three fingers and raising them to the camera, an old symbol from district 12 to say goodbye to someone you love. This symbol is unwelcome by the Capitol and especially the games because it defies the brutal image that the Capitol wishes to get from the games. This displays the overall agency that Katniss has in this patriarchal society. Although this action came with major consequences, Katniss stood strong like a true heroine. 

Katniss is also empowered when she defies the expectations of purity and piety in the Cult of Domesticity. Some might say that the Hunger Games world could not expect the women to be pure when they put them in an arena to fight to the death, but if one focuses on the pre-game interviews of the tributes they can see how purity is still expected. When other women go up to the stage they have an image. Glimmer is the "seductress" and captures the audience by being blatantly against purity and piety.

Although this captures the viewers attention, the viewers do not gain respect for this tribute. Unlike Glimmer, the youngest tribute Rue plays the innocent pure little girl for her image. This makes her extremely loved by the audience but she also looks weak to the other tributes. Thus, (spoiler alert) when Peeta declares his love for Katniss, she is angered because he made her look weak. 

Katniss's lack of desire to be the perfect woman is the base of Collin's feminist empowerment. In the beginning of the book Katniss seems powerless, just another pawn in the Capitol's games, but by the end of the novel she is holding all the cards. Collins makes sure to make the main aspect of the book to be Katniss and her heroine aspect rather than the men. The strength of Katniss's character makes this feminist argument strong. Every little detail that Collins puts into the female characters, especially Katniss, is to defy the norm of the Cult of True Womanhood. The stereotypical hero is finally, and successfully, portrayed as a woman.

Becoming an Object to Males

The article I just found on http://thefbomb.org/2012/02/jean-kilbournes-killing-us-softly/ has turned my skeptical view on being labeled as a feminist toward the direction of definite support for the issue! The topic the author was covering was a particular sect of feminism, which was the roles women play in society physically, in the most broad sense. She was particularly emphasising the fact that women have so easily become an "object" because the media forces an unconscious feeling that we must fulfill a certain criteria displayed in ads. The fact that most shocked me throughout the reading, and made me realize that feminism is not JUST aimed at men, is the fact that many women who decide to get breast implants have proven to feel LESS stimulation after the surgery; quite literally making themselves an object for men. This little bit of knowledge should be spread to women of the masses because it truly shows how the media has taken something that is so precious to each individual, which is physical appearance, and has shaped it to seem that all women should, in some respect, look the same... as in possessing things that appeal to the eye. It is extremely unfortunate that women have stooped to such low levels that they would give up a natural sense in their body to feel wanted by men. If all women were to understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this problem would not present a problem. And I believe that it is to women and through women that we will be capable of surpassing the external pressures that males have brainwashed us to have about ourselves.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo: Film vs Book

I didn't see the Swedish mini series of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" so I can't speak about that but I did find Fincher's movie closer to the book and I would think that it maybe includes more details. I also found the actress playing Salande plays it well as it includes the right mix of sharp edged nonsense and insecurity that a girl who'd been abused in so many ways from such an early age would be. I had read the books first and didn't think the American version could possibly be any good but I was really surprised. Even the guy who played Blomkvist, even though he brought that 007 aura with him, played the part better. I didn't find anything even really interesting about the book-version Blomkvist. Craig (although he's too hard body, Blomkvist was supposed to be way out of shape) played a guy who was confident in his skills but kind of goofy and definitely not used having his life threatened, which is how I pictured Blomkvist when I read the books. I could see how women might find that intriguing, how a confused young woman might find him a "safe" enough male to get involved with. And now I can't wait until the next installment of the series is released in theaters. I think the movie did a good job in portraying the book. If you guys haven't seen it yet, you should check it out!

Writing an Original Argument

For the next blog post, please write an original argument on one of the following topics below.  Whichever topic you choose, support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation or experience.  Your argument does not need to be multiple paragraphs, but you should have a clear structure, where you make claims, back them up with data, and provide a warrant for how the data supports a particular claim and your overall argument.  Feel free to establish exigence and make your thesis as complex as possible.

Topic #1: Richard Corliss writes in Time magazine:

Ask any reader who has seen the movie version of a favorite novel, and the answer will usually be, 'The book was better.' That's because readers of a novel have already made their own perfect movie version. They have visualized it, fleshed out the locations and set the pace as they either zipped through the book or scrupulously savored every word. Often they have even cast it.

Many lovers of books argue that films are a lesser art form.  Even if the film is a masterpiece, it will never provide the viewer with the same rich, thoughtful experience as a reader gets when reading a book.  Write an argument which defends, challenges or qualifies this assertion.

or

Topic #2

If you have not been following the Republican presidential campaign closely, watch the following statement from Republican candidate Newt Gingrich about food stamps and the African American community.  Also, for background you might read the following news article about Republican candidates using racially-tinged rhetoric in their campaigns.

Leonard Pitts, an African American newspaper columnist, writes:

I got my first job when I was 12. The deacons at my church paid me $2 a week to keep it swept and mopped.

So I do not need Newt Gingrich to lecture me about a good work ethic. In this, I suspect I speak for the vast majority of 39 million African-Americans.

There has been a lot of talk about whether Gingrich's recent language, including his performance at last week's South Carolina debate and his earlier declaration that Barack Obama has been America's best "food stamp president," amounts to a coded appeal to racist sensitivities. The answer is simple: Yes.

Gingrich joins a line of Republicans stretching back at least to Richard Nixon. From that president's trumpeting of "law and order" (i.e., "I will get these black demonstrators off the streets") to Ronald Reagan's denunciation of "welfare queens" (i.e., "I will stop these lazy black women from living high on your tax dollars") to George H.W. Bush's use of Willie Horton (i.e., "Elect me or this scary black man will get you") the GOP long ago mastered the craft of using nonracial language to say racial things.

So Gingrich is working from a well-thumbed playbook when he hectors blacks about their work ethic and says they should demand paychecks and not be "satisfied" with food stamps. As if most blacks had ever done anything else. As if a jobless rate that for some mysterious reason runs twice the national average does not make paychecks hard to come by. As if blacks were the only, or even the majority of, food stamp recipients.

Then write an argument in which you defend, challenge or qualify Pitts' assertion that Republican candidates are using racism -- stereotyping and insulting black people, in particular -- to win votes.

The Importance of Being Earnest: Satire at its Finest

The movie (and play) The Importance of Being Earnest, is one of the most perfect examples of satire in our culture.  Although it is set in England, it makes fun of the upper class.  The play uses dramatic irony to show how Oscar Wilde sees the upper class as too formal and snobbish.  It is dramatic irony because the characters in the play obviously think that they are high class with their multiple houses and butlers even though the author thinks that the upper class is too snobbish.  

The show also uses hyperbole to make its point.  Every character in it is exaggerated.  The characters Jack and Algernon are both willing to change their names to Earnest just because the women they love say that they will only love a man named Earnest.  This is an example of how much emphasis Wilde believes that society places on love and how important it its to us.

Weird Al Yankovic - "Fat"

 

This is a video by "Weird Al" Yankovic called "Fat". It creates humor with parody and situational irony at the beginning of the video. The song and the video are a parody of Michael Jackson's "Bad". This video is a parody because it replaces all the words to Jackson's song but still keeps the beat and the rhythm. The reason why it is because the video focuses on the issue of obesity in America. It uses hyperbole and dramatic irony to highlight this. The hyperbole would be the fat suit suddenly inflating when there is a showdown between the two groups of fat people. The video also uses dramatic irony when the two fat guys ambush Al and ask him why he isn't eating with him and making fun of him for being on a diet.

The video is supposed to show frequent and prominent obesity is in America. It makes you think about your eating habits. For me, personally, it sends that message "if we continue to eat fast food, this is what gang showdowns are going to look like in a couple of years except without the dancing". The video force you to look at your lifestyle and think about how your eating habits are affecting your body. It criticizes the fact that, at the time, a large number of  Americans were and still are becoming more obese. This video sends the message that we should eat healthier to live longer

Wii Fit Parody

This parody of the new spin off of working out called the Wii Fit, is quite hilarious. The director, or at least the narrator, uses irony throughout the entire video to conduct a complete opposite meaning of what the product is attempting to have people do.

The Wii Fit sends a message to the viewers of its commercials and the consumers that buy the product that working out can be as easy as pulling out your Wii, standing on a white piece of plastic, and moving the equivalent amount of walking about a half of a block. Also, through the original commercial, the Wii is advertising the product to be something that can bring the whole family together to have fun, but lets be honest, when one wants to get in shape the first thing they think of is not usually how they can get their family involved.

The real message behind this, I believe, is the unconscious image that the media embeds into the heads of many Americans that a perfect body is necessary for a happy human and the Wii is telling America that it is as easy as moving your leg back and forth to get that ideal body. 

The parody includes situational irony through elaborating on how what the people are doing in the commercial is the close to the exact opposite of what you have to do to get in shape, is very comedic and does successful take on the ironic form of satire.

The Frederick Douglass Story

I find this video to be very informative. Even though we've just got through reading about Frederick Douglass, they're probably still a few questions you have in mind that you want to be answered. This 20 minute documentary tells the story of Frederick Douglass and how he fought for his freedom.

 

Racial Profiling in the Depths of Social Media

Racial stereotyping and profiling have become an unintentional, and normal occurrence since slavery took a turn off the road of normality and seemed to have created racism. Currently, race is something that is not only immediately judged by many just based on their outward appearance but is taken into consideration on other factors too that seem, sometimes irrelevant to a topic of concern.

For instance, on college surveys and standardized tests they always ask for your race, and although that my be taking a count on a recent study or statistic, the college one goes to or the grade one receives should not be determined by the color of a persons skin.

Modern day media has completely blow up the idea of race by emphasising racial stero types in TV shows and movies of all different generes. Believe it or not, just a few minutes ago I got home from viewing a play called Doubt. The purpose of the production was not at all to point out racial stereotypes, but in looking deeper into the play, there are many clear distinctions of the hints at racism.

In the play, the african american, eighth grade, boy is attending an all white private, Catholic school in the mid- 1960s. Although it could have been interpreted as his family attempting for him to come off as a "coon", his character, who is never directly seen in the play, remains pretty steady to his roots. His mother is called in to speak with the principal for a wrong doing and they are trying to put emphasis on treating him "like the others", just completely pointing out his differences form the other kids.

The mothers character was very strong in the play and she represented a strong black woman, but with the Principal being a white nun with extremely formal way of presenting herself, the mother does not restrain from the "soul" that she seems to behold just from what she must have been raised in. 

This play pointed out the small things in racial stereotyping that many people would not notice by deeply observing the meaning of race within the play. The difference in the way the black people and white people act in the play is most defiantly noticeably different, which gave away the continued struggles with racism in the 60's. The problem has yet to be resolved, or even reduced, but due to the different colors of skin and the reputations each race has built up, it looks like we might have to get used to people judging others based on race.

Chris Rock's Kill the Messenger: The message on race

So…culturally, in America we try to avoid talking about race in some instances because well it can leave a really bad impression of people. Dr. Laura who was a radio personality said it on her show and got a lot of flack for it. Senator Doug Lamborn was highly criticized for calling President Obama a “tar baby”. I think that racism and the concept of racism is still an issue in this country because there are people's grandparents who have worked fields in the south and had to survive segregation. There are people’s parents who grew up in the Civil Rights Movement and saw the country change before their own eyes. After the civil Rights movement, Black people had a huge surge for whatever term they wanted to be associated with. Blacks were vehemently against any word that was used to refer to them when they were in slavery or segregation. The ironic part is the most offensive name that blacks were given is still in use today. Because of the civil rights movement and the constant awareness of race; there is a conception that white people should not use this word. Chris Rock addresses this issue in Chris Rock’s “Kill the Messenger”.

WARNING! : THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS A LOT OF CURSING INCLUDING THE N WORD AND THE F BOMB. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CURSING OR THESE TWO WORDS, I STRONGLY ADVISE YOU TO FIND ANOTHER VIDEO TO READ AND/OR COMMENT ON.

 

With the civil rights movement came these walls or topics that Americans, specifically white Americans, couldn't discuss without setting up a mine field of emotion: Black stereotypes, race, what certain people can and cannot do. The biggest thing of all was what to call Black people. For a while people said, we want to be called Afro-American, then it was African-American, and then it was just Black. However, Black people regarded the following terms and phrases to be derogatory: The "N" Word, coon, tar baby, mammy, jungle bunny, jiggaboo, schwarze, boy, pickaninny, darky, buckwheat, Aunt Jemima, Spook, Porchmonkey, Kaffir, Colored, Spade, and Zulu. These are only a few terms.

I would have to say that Chris Rock addresses a stereotype about white people which is that people really don't know how to act around black people because they are afraid that they will offend us. This is shown with the stereotypical white people not being able to know when he/she can use the "N" word. This also points to the stereotype that black people are constantly think that all white people are racist and that they all want to bring us down. (hinted in the extra words to the song in the video). While these stereotypes aren't true, racism has become such an easy excuse for people to be angry at one another. For instance, I know that sometimes someone(we're just going to name them  would say, "Mrs. Q gave me an F on my paper and she gave Trevor an A. Trevor's paper was terrible! Mine was way better than his. I'm telling you that lady is racist." This is an example of how quick we as Americans are to jump to conclusions of race and how extremely confortable we are with pinning someone down as being a racist.

Now to answer Chris Rock's question, the answer is No. There are too many people who are sensitive to the word and that sensitivity indicates sensitivity to race on a certain level. There remains this sense of cautiousness when we address any one. I think that the video addresses this issue of race that White People are constantly trying to not offend black people for fear that we will react in an unreasonable manner. I think that this particular situation is very prevalent in some cases because a lot of music that teens listen to by black artists do contains this word. So I understand the frustration that someone can feel when faced with a situation like this.

I know that doing this blog entry on the "N" word was a little extreme but there remains the fact that even black people use it because hey we're black. My opinion is that we, Black people, shouldn't use the "N" word because we are putting ourselves down when your won race when in fact your own race is still trying to get people to stop using it because it is degrading.

The Message of "Crash"

The central theme of the film "Crash" is simple: Everyone is prejudiced; black, white, Asian, Iranian and, we assume, anyone from any other racial or ethnic group. We all carry around racial/ethnic baggage that’s packed with unfair stereotypes, long-stewing grievances, raw anger, and crazy fears. Even when we think we have made progress, we find ourselves caught in frustrating complex racial webs from which we can’t seem to get untangled.

While viewing “Crash” may make some people, especially white people, uncomfortable during and immediately after viewing, the film seems designed, at a deeper level, to make white people feel better. As the film asks us to confront personal prejudices, it allows us white folk to evade our collective responsibility for white supremacy. In “Crash,” emotion trumps analysis, and psychology is more important than politics. The result: White people are off the hook.The core problem is not intolerance but white supremacy and the way in which, day in and day out, white people accept white supremacy and the unearned privileges it brings.

“Crash” paints a multi-colored picture of race, and in a multi-racial society recognizing that diversity is important. Let’s just not forget that in the film "Crash", the color of racism is not only white, but all colors.

Here's a video showing some of the racist clips in the movie. (Don't mind the comments in the video. I think this person just hates the movie. But pay close attention to the clips that are shown from the movie.)

 

Wait, I Thought Lenny Kravitz Was Black

Everyday we either check boxes in which we categorize our self’s to what race we belong or where we live. Does it really matter? It seems that identity no longer weighs into how we view ourselves. We either get stereotyped or discriminated against based on what color we are or where we come from. Culture, Religion, Technology, Gender and Class are categories into which we put ourselves and others into daily. These criterion are synthetic ideas that we come up with to create identity. I think by removing these titles that we link to our persona we can establish a true identity. If we merely speak of what material things make us, we'll become people who are ignorant to what truly makes us unique, our ideas.

I saw an old chappelle episode the other day where there was a skit that involved different races drafting biracial celebrities to 100% fully become a part of their own race. This totally embodied how we judge people especially celebrities based on appearance. I thought that its interesting that Chappelle used the concept that a race would what to own a person completely even though the people genetically belong to another race.

 

Sorry If the text is backwards, I think the user had problems uploading it. (it was the best one i could find)

 

Personifying the American Rugged Induvidualism

Throughout America's relatively brief history there have been a great number of traits we as a country developed. One of these traitsis our rugged individualism. Rugged individualism is our ability to be a nonconformist, a complex person made up of many ideals and moral standards which coincides with multiple cultures and or religions. One character who personifies America's rugged individualism is Nathaniall in "The Last of the Mohicans".

Nathanial is of a very different background than most colonial Americans. He was born to a white family but was raised by his adopted Native American. Later in life this gave him the ability to be a colonist and a frontiersman but also kept him connected with Native American methods of living and fighting.

Another way which makes Nathanial a rugged individual is the way in which he lives. He says he does not consider himself a British subject.He also lives on the frontire and he utilizes many different methods of survival from the British and the Native Americans. One way he shows this is the fact that he is well trained in hand to hand combat using blunt weapons while he is also a very good marksman. Nathanial personifies the American rugged individual.

 

Steve Bartman vs Chicago

Steve Bartman is an individual who is famous for stealing a foul ball from Chicago Cubs outfielder Moises Alou. Steve Bartman was doing what most people would do when given the opportunity which was trying to catch a foul ball. However, the Cubs was winning 3-0 but shortly after the incident, the Florida Marlins scored 8 runs in the inning. The Cubs ended up losing Game 6 of the NLCS and losing Game 7 of the NLCS the next day. All the eyes were on Steve Bartman. Many fans associated the Bartman incident with the Curse of the Billy Goat, allegedly laid on the Cubs during the  1945 World Series after Billy Sianis and his pet goat were ejected from Wrigley Field. The Cubs lost that series to the Detroit Tigers in seven games and have yet to return to the championship round. Bartman was also compared to the black cat that ran across Shea Stadium during a September 9, 1969 regular season game between the Cubs and the New York Mets. The Cubs were in first place at the time, but after the cat appeared, the Cubs lost the game and eventually fell eight games behind the Mets in the standings, missing that season's playoffs entirely. On Fox, Brennaman said of the incident, as well as the Marlins' subsequent rally: "It's safe to say that every Cubs fan has to be wondering right now, is the Curse of the Billy Goat alive and well?" If so, Chicago is considering Steve Bartman as the billy goat which is an example of Individual vs Community.

Individuality Is Greater Than "Fitting In"

Being an individual is easy to want, but hard to attain. Teens nowadays only want to fit in, not to stand out. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines individuality as total character peculiar to and distinguishing an individual from others. Being an individual is described as being yourself. Not many people want to have that feeling. They want to feel normal, just like everybody else. Individuality is a wonderful thing, though, that can only be accomplished by loving yourself. 

There's room for everybody on the planet to be creative and conscious if you are your own person. If you're trying to be like somebody else, then there isn't.' That quote was said by Tori Amos and it is so true. There's no room on this earth for imitators. When everybody wears the same clothes, has the same hairstyle, talks about the same things, and has the same beliefs, all the kids in the school hallway just blend together into one blob of boredom and dullness. That is why individuality is so important. No one wants to live a totally predictable life. 

No one who hates themselves will be a true individual. If you dislike yourself, why on earth would you want others to dislike you for being different? Someone who loves themselves and embraces their flaws will achieve being an individual. If you are confident about yourself, you can feel comfortable standing out. You can glow from within, as if saying to the world: Here I am! This is me, and I'm going to shine. You may not dress in popular clothes, you may not have the new iPhone, and you might be a huge geek that joined math club, but it's okay. You can be yourself without worrying about others. Who cares what they think? Most likely, they're jealous because they are not strong enough to be an individual. 

Flaws should be seen as a blessing, not a curse. They remind us that we are all human, and not being good at something gives others who are good at it a chance to shine. There will always be some people who don't care to be different; who just conform every time a trend changes. But you don't have to be one of those people. You can stand out, feel proud, and be a true individual. Be peculiar and distinguish yourself from others. And always remember this: "Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it is better to be absolutely ridiculous than to be absolutely boring." (Marilyn Monroe)

Me being the only child, I'm used to having that feeling of isolation and individuality. "Fitting In" with a crowd doesn't really make you look better as a person, but it shows how you can't accept who you are. Things that we do are meant to express, not to impress. If us humans go by that saying, society would be a place where individuality can be seen anywhere. 

Gay Marriage

Gay marriage has similar characteristics of Romanticism in so many different aspects. It consists of strong emotion obviously between homosexuals. Although individuals cant get in trouble with the law for loving someone of the same sex, they can if attempting to document it. This battle for gay marriage has been going on for so long and homosexuals have been misjudged and misunderstood.

Being misunderstood is not a bad thing. Its just that homosexuals have a completely different ideology system. Galileo and Newton were misunderstood and so was Ralph Emerson. Be an individual. Romanticism is present because gay marriage is a step away from the traditional heterosexual relationships which were the only marriages documented until recent years.

The tradition of heterosexual marriage has been going on since the Bible days. Its understandable why change isnt on the bland citizens mind. Romanticism requires individuals to break the chains of tradition.

Another example of romanticism in gay marriage is not caring about being excepted socially. Romanticism also requires individuality and being strong enough to endure the pain others may cause to keep tradition flowing. Don't discriminate against different ideologies. Create some because imitation is suicide.

The Affect of Transcendentalism Today

Transcendentalism, a movement of the 1830s-40s, was the counterculture of its day. Rather than a coherent philosophy, it was known by what was protested such as: the pervading Christian emphasis on original sin, society's demand for conformity, the position of women, rigid educational systems and the institution of slavery. The transcendentalists believed in the importance of individual conscience.

The basic counter-cultural impulses can be seen in the early years of the 21st century. People are beginning to explore old and new ideas about self-sufficiency, sustainable living, ecological concerns, a desire for harmony with the natural environment and exploration of new age philosophies and religions. The concerns of the time may have changed, but the push back against societal conformity remains the same.

Popular transcendentalists included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Margaret Fuller and many ministers, Unitarians, and social reformers. A movement of mostly New Englanders around Boston, the transcendentalists strove to change their society.

 

Chris Christie Too Fat to be President?

The Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, is contemplating on whether or not to participate as a candidate during the 2012 presidential election. However critics are bashing him for being overweight and being too fat to be president of the United States. This is an example of Non Sequitor because being slightly overweight has nothing to do with how successful he could potentially be as president.

The news reporters have been comparing him to former U.S. president William Taft who was over 300 pounds and had to get a custom made tub because he was too fat to bathe in one. Reporters are also stating that overweight people are less likely to get jobs and are paid less than average sized people.

This is an awful technique in my opinion because an individual's weight doesn't have much to do with their intellectual decisions. An overweight man is capable of running this country. It's not like he is severely overweight and it is causing his health to decline. Therefore this is Non Sequitor because being fat does not follow the premise. Being president does not include running a marathon.

20 Years Doesn't Make it Good

We've all seen commercials where the advertisers say something along the lines of "serving you for over 20 years" or something like that.  These advertisements are examples of the appeal to tradition logical fallacy.  What these commercials are saying is pretty much that their product is better because it is older.  They are not really selling their product with real reasons. 

One example is the Mercedes Benz commercial inserted at the bottom.  Even though it doesn't explicitly say that it is better because it is older, this commercial starts with a very old car and progressively gets newer.  It is trying to show that because the company has been around for a long time, it is obviously the best. What they are trying to say is that their car is the best one and that if a company hasn't been around as long, it is not as good.  This is the reason that the fallacy is a fallacy.  Older doesn't necessarily mean better, it just means older. 

 

A Puppy Pity Party

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO9d2PpP7tQ

 

It's those commercials. You know, the ones with the close ups of the really sad looking dogs while Sarah McLachlan sings and begs you for money after preaching to you how many animals have been abused? Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. We've all seen them and some of us have even had to change the channel for fast forward just to avoid the heart-wrenching, tear-jerking sight. This is a perfect example of the sob story/appeal to a pity sentiment logical fallacy. The people of the ASPCA foundation work to make you feel so bad for these poor animals that you have to donate to their cause or you will be left sitting on your couch feeling like a total jerk for not saving a puppy. And it works. This commercial has made millions of people feel bad enough for sad-looking animals that they will pick up their phones and call. Well played, Sarah McLachlan... Well played.

Cheese Run = Beer Run

 

Okay watching the SuperBowl is always fun, especially watching all of the funny commercials. Seeing this commercial still makes me laugh. The logical fallacy that it sends me right off the bat is that a wine and cheese tasting is so boring that men have to hide their beer and miniature tv just to get through the evening. This would be hasty generalization. This is not completely true because it you had paid attention to the beginning of the commercial, you would have seen at least two men having a good time. I even know some people that enjoy wine tastings so they can enjoy their food a little better when they go out to eat. Logical fallacy number 2: red herring. The men literally hide their secret stash of beer and things  inside these snazzy little containers not to bring attention to themselves. The only problem is that the cheese is way to big.  This is all to get  you to reason that 1) a football game is way better than a wine tasting, 2) a football game without beer. (I mean he goes to get more beer.), and 3) Beer is better than wine.

Feminization At Its Best

Before any girls play the "just jealous" card, hear me out. I as well as many other guys have been wondering what the deal is with this Justin Bieber kid, among other large name pop stars out there today. Sure, his music is just typical pop that we see around today. With lots of breakups, parties, and pimples, teenagers can "relate" to a lot of this kind of music. But why has he seemed to skyrocket above everyone else? Yeah I'll give him that he's a good-looking dude, but there have been equally attractive stars before him. Is it just me or have male celebrities, particularly those aimed at the teenage girl crowd, seemed to become more and more effeminate within the last decade?

Bieber is certainly no exception. He has truly taken the cake for most feminized male celebrity to this day. With a nail polish line, women's perfume, and even his iconic hairstyle, JB has become one of the most desired stars of all time, and I can't help to think his effeminacy gave him a little extra boost. Tabloid magazine covers on his and Selena Gomez's celebrity relationship say "Jelena: Her Promise To Never Break His Heart," and "Justin and Selena: How She Won His Heart." If I'm not mistaken, isn't it typical that the guy wins and breaks the girl's heart? Isn't the girl always the one to be made out as a prize to be won? Justin is really breaking the mold on this one. 

 

Justin Bieber is simply a tool used by the music industry to make incredible amounts of money, and that is it. Granted, he is making millions of dollars and has become an icon, but the exploitations that he is undergoing is unbelievable. I am less calling out the Biebster than I am calling out the teenage girls with "Bieber Fever" to face the facts that not everything they see on TV and not every way a celebrity is portrayed is a reality. And at the very most I give props to Justin's producers for knowing exactly what these girls will eat up.

Striking line from ELIC

    So many people enter and leave your life! Hundreds of thousands of people! You have to keep the door open so they can come in! But it also means you have to let them go! (ELIC,153)

After Mr. Black said this to Oskar, it forced me to contemplate on whether or not Mr. Black knew about Oskar coming to his house. I know that Oskar explained how he thought his mother talked to the people he met during searching for the true meaning of the key but that wasn't 100% true.

This quote is also forshadowing the end because Oskar realizes that he has to let his father go and move on with his life. When I say let him go, I dont mean forget about his father completely. It means that except the fact the he died and just be greatful he was in your life for that period of time.

This quote can relate to your everyday life. Makes you think about who you should continue to tolerate and who to dissent from. Also you must seperate seasonal people and people who will be with you for a lifetime.

3,270 Years Of War

The novel Extremely Loud & incredibly Close focuses on the themes of loss, love, hope, and forgiveness. These concepts are exhibited through 9/11, in which the main character's father dies. Oskar deals with his father's death by inventing but he can never bring himself to forgive the person who piloted the plane in the World Trade Center. Oskar's grandfather is also showcased as having a struggle of coming to terms with his own tragedy that is tied to the Dresden bombing. Oskar's grandmother is also a survivor of Dresden. It seems to me that an underlying message in the book is how countries are constantly at war with each other.

Oskar says at one point:

"Did you know that in the last 3,500 years there have only been 230 years of peace throughout the civilized world?" (161).

I really made me sit back and think. How did we put up with it? How do we have alliances and trade with countries when we have both slaughtered members of the opposing country? How do we forgive or even forget about that? The bombing of Pearl Harbor isn't as a famous now as it was in the 1930s. I had never heard of the bombing of Dresden until this year. How many other events and cruelties have the global population just put on a shelf to walk by and acknowledge every once and awhile? When did these events stop resonating so deep in our spirit and pride?

I don't have all of the answers but I think that after awhile countries move on. I don't know when we stopped putting so much emphasis on Pearl Harbor or how the Japanese can even begin to forgive us for what happened with the nuclear bombs. I dod believe that countries find some other struggle to immerse themselves in so that they don't have to think of all the pain that they felt in the latest battle. Maybe they think that if they win one war, all of the lives that were extinguished will be worth something.

Seeing Glee in a Different Light

The celebrated television hit, Glee, has won the hearts of many because of its relatability and "great messages".  Although many view Glee as a show about the underdog coming out on top and the importance of individuality, the topic of an undying social hierarchy remains one of its main themes.  The ultra popular TV show ends up reinforcing the overrated ideology of a high school social structure instead of encouraging deviation from the status quo.

In one episode, Rachel, one of the "outcasts" decides she wants to influence the popular fashion at her school.  To do that, she recruits one of the popular girls in glee club, Britney, to promote her fashion.  In no time, everyone in school is copying Britney's outfits.  Rachel never gets credit for her "fashion genius" simply because no one cares about what she wears because she's not popular.

In another episode, popular couple, Finn and Quinn, are struggling to stay on top of their school while in glee club.  They even try wearing sunglasses in school as a solution to the ridicule.  It goes so far that Finn quits glee, and even though he ends up back on glee and football, the idea comes across that it could only happen on a TV show.

Consumer Review: Mad Men

 

Mad Men is a period drama featuring the American business world in the 1960's. The show is immensly popular across many generations and shows a different way of American life that many young people have never experienced. While the show is entertaining and well written, it in many ways romanticizes an era in which sexism and drug/alcohol use were widely accepted. The show, which ironically centers around advertising, is giving consumers an idealized view of the 1960s. 

Sexism is a prevalent theme in Mad Men but is never really brought to the surface by writers or seen as a major issue by consumers. Most of the women in the show are either housewives, secretaires, or struggling to break into a male-dominated field. Joan, who is the main secretary, doesn't seem to have any problem with her role in the office. She realizes, in fact, that she is there not to enjoy her job, but to satisfy the men working above her. She even tells Peggy (another secretary) to stop "dressing like a little girl" if she wants to be taken seriously. She also tells Peggy that technology in the office was made to be so simple that "even a women can use it".

Betty, the main housewife on the show, is also stuck in a sexist rut. She works at home raising children, is cleary unhappy because of her husband's conspicuous cheating, and doesn't speak up for herself until she finds another man to take care of her. She is always financially dependent on some man, and it is clear that she makes no plans to change that.

Even Peggy, the most self-sufficient woman on the show, is hindered because of her sex. She has to work 10 times harder than any man in the offies to advance professionally. She realizes that she is not living up to society's standards, admitting sarcastically that "it's not as important as getting married". 

In addition to sexism, Mad Men normalizes heavy cigarette use and alcohol consumption. Nearly every character on the show smokes and drinks both in their professional and personal lives. Smoking multiple packs of cigarettes a day and drinking whiskey at 10 in the morning is encouraged. Even Don (the main character), who clearly struggles with alcoholism, is always creatively on top of his game and with some new, attractive woman. Why not drink more than what is healthy when you can make tons of money and get so many women?

Mad Men should be seen as less of a nostalgic look to the past and more of a portrayal of major issures that America is still dealing with today. Most modern Americans believe that we have come very far from the days of Mad Men, and in many ways we have. However, sexism and drug/alcohol use are still very much issues today and Mad Mens should not be glamourizing them.

 

Just curious: Do any Mad Men watchers think the opposite of what I just said? Does the show portray the 1960s through a modern lense and emphasize its demerits as a way to make fun of/ warn against the era's ideologies?