Representing America - American Literature AP - Blog

Won't You Be My Neighbor

There are many stereotypes that were prevalent within periods of U.S. History, which have survived into the modern era. These racist views can be highly damaging to the population that they are directed towards. Eddie Murphy in this skit shows an exaggerated version of a stereotype for comedic effect. 

In this skit Eddie Murphy parodies Mr. Rodgers as done by a poor African American man. The setting is Mr. Robinson’s apartment in a poor neighborhood. This is gathered by the decayed state of apartment, the wallpaper is peeling and the paint is faded. He uses poor grammar and bad language in order to make a point about the stereotypes of African Americans. He is poor which is another part of the stereotype he is trying to parody.

When the white landlord comes to the door it presents a portrayal of the stereotypical white man. He is well dressed and has no compassion as he blows cigar smoke in his face and yells at him. He’s greedy as evidenced by his displays of wealth and his harsh treatment of Mr. Robinson.

When he does the puppet show he shows the African American population talking to the white president. The president puppet’s back is turned the entire time and he is completely apathetic to their needs. The questions they ask are related to government support which they receive which is another part of the stereotype.

This skit’s exaggeration of a stereotype serves as a commentary on its ridiculousness. The stereotype portrayed may be a variation of the racist views that became prevalent during the reconstruction era. 

http://www.hulu.com/watch/4189/saturday-night-live-mr-robinsons-neighborhood

Wierd Al's Take On Stereotypes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9qYF9DZPdw

Weird Al Yankovic did a spoof of the song Ridin' Dirty. His spoof is making fun how Americans think of white and black people in today's society. His song is basically a white stating how cool he thinks he is and how he should be hanging out with the gangsters with everything he can do, when really he is just a total nerd.

Happy days is my favourite theme song
I can sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
I'm fluent in Java Script as well as Klingon

The video is making fun of how people are stereotyping white and black people. It opens with a white nerdy guy mowing his lawn when some gangsters drive in a car that is slightly bouncing. He waves at them and tries to talk to them, but they lock their doors and drive away. The white stereotype Weird Al is making fun in his video is that all white people are super smart and nerdy, are obsessed with Star Trek, and wear fanny packs. The stereotype for black people he is making fun of is that all black people are gangster's who think that white people are too nerdy to hang out with.

Weird Al's video is basically a comedic way of telling society that all of the stereotypes are dumb and irrelevant and that people need to look through them when they see or meet a person.

The Idiocy Behind Racial Stereotypes

Last year a show called Outsourced aired on NBC. The plot of the show is that the company a man named Todd works for is being outsourced to India. He is then sent by his boss to train the new Indian employees. Todd and his employees go through many situations that involve the differences between life in America and India. Throughout Outsourced the stereotype that Indians are ignorant is highlighted and then satirized. .

One character on the show is named Gupta. Gupta depicts the stereotype that Indians are ignorant through all of his dumb actions. One example is that Gupta yells at customers while on the phone and lacks any talent for a call center. This example shows his ignorance because he does not know how to act with a customer. Another example is that he lacks self-awareness. When the employees are learning about how to fake being American Gupta sings and dances crazily and when the other employees ask him to stop he doesn't.. The way Gupta dances shows how he is ignorant to what others feel or that what he is doing is embarrassing. Although most of the situations Gupta finds himself in are very funny they all show the stereotype of the ignorant Indian.

Outsourced highlights many other stereotypes such as knowing little about America. In one episode the employees have to learn to fake American accents in order for customers not to hang up because the company is outsourced. Not only does this situation reinforce this stereotype but it also is comedic.

Outsourced shows that no stereotype can be true for everyone and how stereotypes are very wrong about the different races. When people see Gupta or the other employees on screen they realize how wrong the stereotypes are about Indians. Overall, Outsourced uses the stereotypes people think about Indians to make everyone laugh about the idiocy behind them.   

 

 

Michael Scott and Diversity

The subject of diversity and race have been prevalent in American thinking for many years. Certain stereotypes have been created about certain races as evident in this episode of the Office. Race has been a central part to American culture dating all the way back to the times of slavery. During the times of Slavery certain stereotypes were created about African Americans that simply were not true. These stereotypes were created because race is a social construction. People make it up. Race in America is not just about the color of your skin it deals with education, careers, and even politics. These stereotypes were evident in this segment of The Office.

This episode of The Office was about diversity. The employees were asked to have a meeting to discuss diversity in the workplace. Michael Scott being the branch manager decided to make a video to show his opinion. Of course he used humor in his video as he quoted President Abraham Lincoln terribly. In fact he did not even quote him, he made up an opinion about him. After showing the video Kelly one of the employees who is indian has to leave to take a call and Michael says,"Well if you leave then will only have two of you left". He was referring to the color of Kelly's and Stanley's another employees skin. This stereotype is that of skin color. Michael beleived that since they had the same skin color they were of the same race. However he was incorrect like many Americans today. This episode shows how race is brought into comedy and how it is twisted to make it funny.  

SNL's Portrayal of Hispanics

 

    Race is a very important issue in America and is used to define and categorize people. In many ways, race is a social construction based on the dominant stereotypes of a culture. This is seen all the time in culture, whether in a stand up comedy routine, movie, song, or TV show like Saturday Night Live. While many people to take a humorous approach to dealing with race issues, race has more effect on people than just portraying them in a stereotypical light on TV. Race comes up in important national issues like education, crime, gang violence, immigration, and affirmative action. While we are watching and laughing about funny racial stereotypes on TV, we should take a minute and sit back to think about what message the program is sending.

   In this episode of SNL, the cast performs a skit making fun of Hispanics, specifically Dominicans. The men and women's looks alone tell a story: the slick, black hair and mustaches for men and big, curly hair with bright colored, tightly fitted clothing for the women. Of course not all Dominicans look like this, and having Dominican family I can tell you that most don't even come close. The dancing is also a reflection of common misconceptions about Dominicans; not all Dominicans know how to salsa or merengue, nor would they break into dance every few seconds. Finally, SNL portrays Dominicans in an almost soap opera-ish light. The affair and accompanying drama is typical of a Hispanic soap opera. 

    I think that SNL was ultimately making fun of Hispanic stereotypes, not Hispanics. If the actors' behaviors hadn't been so over the top, viewers might have called it racist, but the ridiculousness of it made it funny. Additionally, SNL was making fun of parts of Hispanic culture that really exist: dark hair and bright clothes, salsa dancing, and soap-opera drama are definitely exist in the culture, but they are sometimes just over-emphasized by outside races. While I don't think that SNL was necessarily sending a good message, they were only playing up stereotypes that already exist in American culture. It is also nice to see a piece of culture humorizing something other than "white" or "black". While racial profiling is never a good thing, there is some fairness in all races being subject to it. 

30 Rock Stereotypes

 

For those of you who have not seen this episode of 30 Rock, the context is that Tracy is having issues dealing with his father so he is brought into Jack's office to see a therapist for help. Jack is soon asked to impersonate Tracy's father and, based on a few simple clues, is able to reconstruct his character apparently very well.

With only the facts that Tracy's father was from North Philadelphia, worked in a Campbell's soup factory, and had a droopy lip, Jack somehow drew that his father also enjoys collared greens and gambles away welfare checks. How was it that Jack "knew?" Simply because society constructs the way people typically act based on their race.

This clip plays off of the idea that we find it safe to assume that black people bust up chifforobes for a nickel and white people are nasally etiquette-nazis. We formulate stereotypes everyday even without thinking about it, and 30 Rock turned it into satire.

Color or Culture?

Today, the accepted understanding of race is that it is a synthetic idea created by humanity as yet another way to define people we don't know very well.  That makes for a pretty negative connotation.

While I won't say I disagree with that definition, I must say that I see race as more complex than a vague, bad idea.

Race, to me, is the combination of your biological family's place of origin and your family's culture.  Contrary to the original definition I gave, race does have to do with your biology.  If I, a very pale blond-haired, blue-eyed girl, grew up in a Mexican family, immersed in the culture, when placed in a room of strangers, I would still be seen as a short, white chick.

The way we talk, walk, and act--three characteristics mainly influenced by our cultural upbringing--do shape society's understanding of our race though. 

That makes things even more confusing.  If a pale guy (with a skin tone that would normally be associated with a white person) is brought up in a predominately African American community and you saw him hanging out, fooling around with his African American friends, talking, talking, and acting just like them, would you consider him Black or White?

Which is more factored in, color or culture?

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.

MANswers- demeaning to both men and women

Manswers is a show about common questions that an average guy would ask. This, however, is implying that the average man is sexist, likes to drink a lot of beer, loves guns, loves junk food, like huge explosions,  are obssessed with money and the majority of their thought process is devoted to sexual thoughts and questions.

If you have ever seen or even heard of this show, you know exactly what I am talking about. The show is jam-packed with explosions, girls, guns, and practically any sexually related question you can think of. This show is portraying american men as closed-minded and perverted. There are a lot more things going on in the minds of men then just this stereotypical garbage.

Although I admit that I find the show is entertaining, in the back of my mind i feel that all it does is reinforce the negative stereotypes. It portrays men as greedy, lustful, and overall just plain stupid. 

On the other hand, as it reinforces those negative stereotypes of guys, it portrays all women as if all they will amount to is just trophy wives. Every girl on the show, in my opinion, basically all look the same. The only girls that are chosen to be on that show are skinny, big-breasted, and almost all of the time are wearing a bikini. Also, not a single woman on that show isn't making some sort of sexual hand gesture and/or body movement with sexual condentations.

Only in America do we have the audacity to create a show like this. This show is so out in the open with its ignorance and stereotypes it is hard to take seriously. In the end, however, it's all about entertainment, and if that means extremely exaggerating stereotypes and playing off of men's attraction to bimbo-like women, then so be it. This is America, and whatever ignorant/sexist tv show idea there is out there, that you can legally air, you can bet ur butt its going to be on the air until it sucks up all the money it can. That is just how corporate america works.

On a lighter note, it is just a televison show and if it makes you laugh, it makes you laugh, but if your offended, just let ur frusrations out on a blog or talk to someone who actually cares about the garbage that is on tv. I watch manswers and I am entertained because i think it is funny, it is as simple as that. There is no need to take shows like this seriously just like how you shouldn't take life too seriously. Just chillout and laugh while you are still alive and healthy. There are a lot more sinister fish out there to fry. For instance, things that physically impact our lives, not mindless entertainment on a television screen.

 

Tide Commercial: Satire or Sexism?

 

When seeing this currently airing Tide commercial, I was immediately offended. The reasons are obvious: Why should girls have to wear pink? Why can't they play with blocks? Why are we pushing gender roles on such young children? The commercial seems so overtly sexist and dated that I was distracted from what Tide may have been trying to do.

After re-watching this commercial, I realized that Tide may be making fun of this stereotypical perfectionist housewife. The elaborately decorated living room, the pink cardigan, sensible haircut; it all fits. Is this commercial trying to present satire? If so, I don't think that they were obvious enough about doing so.

The satire presented is also sexist in its own way. The mother is portrayed as uptight, reserved, and repressed to the point of (maybe?) being humorous. However, society does expect women to control their emotions and perhaps be a little less sensitive. If women cry they're being drama queens; if they get upset they're PMSing. So why is Tide making fun of the controlled, pleasant, put-together housewife that many women strive to be?

Either way you look at it, this ad is probably sending the wrong message.

 

A Gleeful Look at High School in America

Over the past two years, the Fox television show, Glee, has skyrocketed to being one of the most popular and most watched television shows in America. Highlighting the lives of seemingly 'misfit' teenagers in the show choir ("glee club") in their Ohio school, the show takes on a different theme to sing about every week to display the dramatic twists and turns that high school has to offer. 

I'm as much of a fan of the show as any other teenager in America, but even I can admit that the stereotypes can sometimes get unrealistically out of hand. From pregnant teenagers to cheating couples, the show touches on all of what Americans envision as a stereotypical high schooler's life. This isn't to say that these stereotypes don't exist in the world, because they certainly do. But believe it or not, not every high school girl in the world is pregnant, and not every football-playing jock has a tendency to cheat on his girlfriend. There have been times while I've been watching the show and I have to utter a small scoff at what the adult producers seem to think high school these days is like. The show seems to go above and beyond the call of duty in making every teen in America feel like they can be accepted. And they do it very well. The themes of the week constantly differ from one difficulty to another in the lives of all the different characters. Everything from weight issues, to sexual orientation, to self image is brought up, sung about, and reassured in the end. You'd think, like most shows, that the general theme of "feel good about yourself" would start to get old, but it never does. The show continues to chug along on its course, with more and more viewers every week, stereytypes and all. 

The stereotypes don't necessarily make the show hard to watch, but it definitely gives it an extra does of cheesiness to go with the singing and dancing brought in by the show choir aspect. The stereotypes do, however, reassure non-Americans about what they already think they know. To any foreigner, our high school systems tend to seem a bit out of control, mostly due to the shows and movies that promote the same ideas that Glee does. The show's stereotyping ways tend to go a bit too far in the relms of reality, but it doesn't seem to be affecting the ratings of viewers all around the world. 

Pink Is Standing Up To The Stupid

 

The artist Pink has a music video for her song "Stupid Girl". Her song is saying that girls in today’s society are not being themselves, but rather following what everyone else does, and if you do what everyone else is doing you might be popular.

 She is talking about how girls think that being themselves isn't good enough anymore. An example is some of the lyrics from the song.

     The disease is growing, it's epidemic. I'm scared there’s not a cure.

 Then she goes on to say that she wants girls to stop being that way and to just be themselves.

       I’m so glad I don't fit in, that will never be me.

 Her video is saying how whenever she tries to fit in she ends up looking like an idiot because that is what they are showing the world they are when they get spray tans, or try to look pretty for a guy.

Pink's work help's girls, in a sense that she is telling them they don't need to be stereotypical hot bimbo to catch a guy or to be popular, you just need to be yourself. She is trying to reshape how girls see themselves and how they are seen in the world.

In the end of her video she shows and old woman who is very wrinkly and has bleach blonde hair, and is trying to be sexy, but just looks scary because she did so much in her youth to try to be “pretty”, she ruined her body.

Pink is trying to say that you should just be yourself and everything will be ok.

In America, Beer Equals Manly?

Commercials for beer reinforce multiple stereotypes of what American men are supposed to enjoy. The first, of course, is beer. In some commercials for light beer, the man is considered not manly if he settles for a beer that is not from the brand that is being advertised. In one commercial a man is shown wearing women's jeans and in another he is shown hiking in the mountains with a knapsack. These two commercials believe that men are supposed to enjoy beer of a certain kind or they are not manly.

Another stereotype that these commercials reinforce is that men enjoy watching sports, specifically football. Many beer commercials are centered on groups of men gathered around the TV watching football while drinking their beer. It is reinforcing the belief that to be manly, you have to enjoy watching football. Another way that these commercials reinforce this stereotype is that beer commercials are only on during sports games.

Teenage Transformation Stereotypes

Katy Perry has been a rising start for the past 2 years in the music industry. With her quirky style, and spunky personality nothing seems to get her down. Yet some may wonder where all her confidence comes from. After listening to one of her older songs "One of the boys," she strips down her outer persona to a more delicate side of her personality. The well known story of a girls transformation ranges from Cinderella to The Princess Diaries, and now is found again in Katy Perry's song. She starts the song saying:

"I saw a spider I didn't scream, cause I can belch the alphabet just double dog dare me, and I choose guitar over ballet, and I take these suckers down cause they get in my way."

As a tomboy she is fierce, and let's nothing stand in her way. Yet with all her "confidence" she is crippled by her lack of male attention.

"So in don't wanna be one of the boys, just give me a chance to prove to you tonight, I just wanna be one of the girls, and not one of the boys."

Her transformation takes her from an undesirable girl to a hot teenager. After that she seems to dedicate her life to the artificial world where girls who read seventeen can get a boyfriend. But why does she need to change herself to become pretty. Her song may seem to be empowering by breaking free of her old ways and taking on new challenges, yet she is still weakened by forcing all attention to her male counterparts. Even though Katy Perry seems to conquer the American stereotype of being a tomboy, she portraits many more by transforming her self to realize she is beautiful.

Equality: Is It Even Possible?

I think most people would agree that women still have reasons to be discontented with the supposed equality between the sexes.  It seems to me that the typical woman's role- the idea that women are weaker and that they raise the children, clean the house, etc.-  is something that was created hundreds of years ago.  The fact that this ideal is so long lasting has led me to wonder, will women ever be able to move past it?  Even today with a growing trend of stay-at-home dads and working women, housework still takes on feminine connotations.  Is it possible for women to ever truly be equal with men? Or was the damage that was done centuries ago to much to overcome for the female gender? What do you guys think? 

The Protruding Nail Gets Hammered- A Reflection on Individuality

Throughout this semesters reading, I (and, evidently, my peers) have noticed a strong theme of individuality in each of the texts.

However, I feel like you can interpret this individuality in two ways, strange as that may seem. Each of the strong characters of our readings, prime examples being MacNolia, Hester, Douglass, and Holden, all seem to both benefit from, and be absolutely destroyed by, their individuality.

Hester, who is able to grow stronger under the weight of the blazing "A" and the scathing eyes of the village, is also worn down by the very existence of Pearl, and by Dimmesdale's untimely end. She retreats back into the edge of the forest, the most distant possible place while still being "inside" the town. Hester is able to assert her individuality, but it leaves her old, weary, and alone.

MacNolia was able to express her originality by being a highly intelligent black child, and an intelligent, strong, and capable black woman. However, by standing out, she draws the fear, disregard, and hate of her racist world. 

Douglass is much like MacNolia, a brilliant black individual with an insatiable thirst to gain a higher education, and to be free. But though he had proven himself to some Northern abolitionists, he still causes fear and anger to strike deep into the hearts of Southern slave owners. No one really knows what to do with a slave, former or otherwise, who can think for himself. He becomes an oddity.

Holden, whose brash and oftentimes irritating personality isolates him from his peers, is certainly a unique individual. His life views are so different from those of everyone around him, and he seems to simply slip through life without a set destination. But this also means that he has virtually no one and nothing he loves, and almost no one or anything to love him in return.

So I wonder- is being an individual such a good thing after all, when it often times seems to be tainted with loneliness and isolation? Should we follow the American ideal that individuality is the thing to strive for?

What about the Asian idea that interdependence is the way to go? That individuals are to be contained is the common way of thinking, and there are two sayings which translate this sentiment well: "The Protruding nail gets hammered", and "The Crying bird gets Shot".

So, which is truly better? A unique lifestyle, no matter how lonely or isolated you are? Or is it best to keep your head down and work with the group to a goal which benefits everyone?

Douglass's Argument

Frederick Douglass's narrative must have convinced a great deal of people to join the anti-slavery cause.  I thinkwhat really moved the people of the time was his eloquence.  Douglass was a former slave, yet he could speak like he was educated with the top men of the time period.  Slavery was built on the idea that the slaves needed the institution, that they were happier under slavery than they would be without it.  Douglass's narrative showed the American people that not only was slavery demeaning and wrong, but that slaves were no less capable than white men.  I think ultimately, it was Douglass's highly educated way of speaking that convinced his readers of the evils of slavery.  What do you guys think? 

Are humans superior?

Humans have ued their knowledge and skill over the years to create new things and improve our lives, so that now we live in an extremely modernized and polished society. We consider human-populated cities more advanced than animals' habitats, which we deem wild and primitive. We keep animals as pets and lock them up in cages to look at for our own entertainment. Clearly, we humans think ourselves superior to animals. And we are superior... right?

Yes, the way that humans have judged, exploited, murdered, and condemned our own kind is far superior to animals' acceptance of difference and variation in their own species.

Humans have come so far in life because we are suposedly the smartest and most skilled species, but does this mean that we are morally and ideologically supreme? I don't think it does. I've always found it interesting how humans are so caught up on such a superficial aspect as race. Animals, on the other hand, worry about things like survival instead of the appearance of their peers and the superiority of their own appearances. A black dog and a white dog are, and always have been, the same species, and neither is better or worse than the other in a dog's mind. So why is it that throughout history humans have constantly exploited or discriminated against a particular group solely on the basis of physical appearance?

So yeah, animals are "primitive" because they lack opposable thumbs. But is this really any lower than discriminating against our own kind because of physical appearances?

Fast Food. Fast Fat. Fast Everything.

            McDonalds. Fat. Spoiled. Obesity. Why are these terms that come up in conversation when Americans are mentioned? Why are they some things even I think of when I think of our nation? It’s honestly pathetic. Instead of getting upset about the stereotype that I, as an American, have taken on-- I want to really look at the situation from an opposing standpoint. As saddening as it is, I’ve got to admit, in America, we enjoy immediate gratification—instant happiness, comfort and security, ease and simplicity...Thus, God giveth the Fast-Food industry.

    I can’t blame outside nations for looking at us as such a grotesque-like country, because when you think about it, it’s extremely plausible. Not to bash the guys at the corporate offices, or sound stupid, but why must they make everything so accommodating and fast? If we actually decided to get off our butts for a moment, and cook something for ourselves, maybe even eat outside…just about anything that’ll get us out of the drive-ways in the comfort of our cars, you know what I mean? I did some research and I found that no other nation has more frozen food (e.i: Totino’s, Kid’s Cuisine, etc.), packaged foods or processed foods than we do, besides Japan & Canada, but there's a vast difference! Some may argue that we’re just too advanced for our time, everyday filling meals are available at just a dollar, great for all financial groups, but at what cost? 

    I've come to see that within our laziness, we're tearing ourselves apart, and to be quite honest, I think it needs to stop, at least, I need to stop, I've noticed my eating habits have become crap! I think the economic business of fast-food production in the good ol' USA is going to keep growing and growing...until it outgrows us, and takes it's massive fast-food disease to the rest of the world. I wish them luck in fighting off the physically terrible, yet extremely profiting business we know as convenient & easy, but can the rest of the world fight off the sickness if the side-effects are so prosperous in the short-term? 

An Explanation of how the Kardashians Became Famous

Circular Thinking is when a person uses fact A to justify fact B, and then fact B to justify fact A. This proves that fact A was true and therefore fact B is true. Confused?  I think that might be the point...

It really isn't that complicated, though.  Here, I'll give you and example:

People often question why reality stars are famous for doing nothing.  Someone, somewhere decided that people should give the Kardashians attention.  The family became famous, then more people give them attention.  They become even more famous. That's circular thinking. Why are the Kardashians famous? Because people pay attention to them.  Why do people pay attention to them? Because they're famous.

Circular thinking is the fallacy that led to "Speidi".  That make it the most detrimental fallacy in American Culture.  Why?  Because it made Spencer Pratt a household name. 

Feminism: The Two Way Street

On the website FBomb.com, I found an article by Amber Q. titled "What My Father Taught Me About Feminism." Amber views feminism as the desire for equality despite gender assosciation. She explains the typical feminist approach that shows how women are stuck within the domestic sphere, but the article becomes interesting when she addresses that question that if women must work with in that sphere, where does that leave men?

Amber's question leads me to a questionable conclusion though, maybe men are trapped within their sphere, just as much as women are. Men are expected, in fact required, to be the bread winners for their families. I think this places an enormous burden on the male gender in that if we fail to provide for our families, then who will? As Amber puts it:

"I can only think it would be terrifying to think you have no choice but to take the lead and ‘be a man’."

Taking Amber's views a little further, I wonder whether a man loses utility if he is unable to provide for his family. Is a man defined by his ability to provide, and then is a man immasculated when he reaches old age, retires, or is injured and unable to work?

Although I am confident that women feel the negative effects of sexism more often, I can't help but think the assumption that men aren't effected by sexism is a form of sexism in itself.

The Mean Girls Reality

The post entitled The Mean Girls Reality touches the issue of stereotypes in everyday high school life. The author -Helen H. explains how typical high school films with evil popular cheerleaders and innocent new girls that are secretly boyfriend stealers influence the true outlook on reality. 

Particularly Mean Girls. Mean Girls is the typical high school film- with a blonde, vain antagonist (Regina George) who runs the school with her posse and with the new, pretty and naive protagonist (Cady Heron). Regina soon realizes that Cady is a threat to her popularity and comes up with a plan to annihilate Cady in order to keep her crown as Queen B of the school.

The author- Helen H. then uses personal experience to prove her point. She starts her first day of high school being a scholarship student at a expensive high school terrified because she was afraid of being an outcast as one of the scholarship students and also she was afraid that she would be in high school like Mean Girls.To her relief, nothing happened to her but she argues that if we see any similarities from typical high school movies to real life we make a connection that every one who is popular is automatically evil and manipulative.

I totally agree with the article- Hollywood shows us these images how high school is going to be and it turns out not to be right. I remember when Mean Girls first came out and I went to see it with my friend. We were freaking out because we actually thought that high school was going to be like that. Fast Forward, 3 years later-  I was in 8th grade at the Open House for incoming freshmen and seeing the cheerleaders and automatically thinking that they were mean. Turns out- they were the opposite.

So all and all, let's not take these high school flicks so seriously.

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What My Husband Thinks

In the article, "What My Husband Thinks", the author, a 23 year old wife, describes her experience as a wife to her lazy husband. She is the bread winner of the family, while doing every household chore, including cooking every meal. Even when she proposed to split up the chores, her husband continued to sit back and relax while she worked. 

When he author confronted her husband about this issue, he said " 'I don't know, now that I'm married I don't ever want to do laundry again.' " Maybe the wife never wanted to do chores after she got married either. But because of society placing roles on genders, she was stuck with the chores.

This article irked me because while it is almost expected that the woman take care of the home, this particular woman also was the only one working a full time job. If the husband was the one working full time, it would be out of the question for him to be the one to do the household chores.

It seems that with the role of a "good wife" comes a good housekeeper too. Not only does this woman have to provide emotional support for her husband, but she also takes care of his every need.

A Cinderella Story

The movie, "A Cinderella Story", is very cliche and gives the wrong idea to kids. It gives the original "Cinderella" a modern twist. It is one of those movies where the loser girl and the captain of the football team somehow end up together. It gives the idea to kids that anything can happen. I am not trying to crush any dreams here but I feel that it is unhealthy for kids to assume things like that can easily happen. It gives the "typical" teenage life of being emotional and only caring about the stupid things. This movie is the perfect example of all the high school stereotypes: the jocks, the popular girls, the losers, and the nobodies. Do you really want your kid to grow up worrying about which group they are going to be in?

This movie also portrays the idea of not needing to talk to people in any way besides electronics. Hilary Duff, who plays the "Cinderella" and Chad Michael Murray who plays "the Prince" communicate through IMing which is why he doesn't know who she really is. Kids might also get the idea that it is okay to talk to people over the computer that they have no idea who the person is that they are talking to. It is a very dangerous reality over the internet and kids should not think that it is okay to talk to strangers like they do in the movie.  

The producers tried to make the movie to show that you don't have to be popular to get the perfect guy. That point of the movie shows that finding the perfect guy is all that should matter to girls and women which should not be something that is followed by people. It puts down women and makes them seem like they cannot be independent and that they need a man to be happy. Although "A Cinderella Story" has good intentions, it still puts some negative ideas into viewers minds.

A Critic's View on A Birth of a Nation

A Birth of a Nation is a silent film produced in 1915 by director D.W. Griffith. It is a film that promotes white supremacy and uses propaganda to give a positive view of the Ku Klux Klan. It is based on the novel by Thomas Dixon's The Clansmen. During parts of film is it believed that the Ku Klux Klan's actions were justifiable because they were restoring order in the South. The movie depicts African-Americans as inferior to whites and shows the Klan as almost the police force of the South.

For many people who haven't seen this movie, you should. You should see it because not only do you need to be a critic and questions, but you also need to see to realize how much propaganda can influence the masses. Think about it, if you grew up in another country and saw this movie, not knowing anything about America and its people, how would you depict the African American and white race? Many people would depict African Americans as lower than the white race just from seeing this movie. However be aware, that this movie does not reflect D.W. Griffith personal views, it portrays the views of the novel.

This movie as well as many other things in America visualize propaganda. Which is why in many ways people should become more like scholars. And you may ask, "Why like a scholar?" Because scholars look at many different sources and use that information to create their own personal views. Many people today, even though America is one of the most educated countries in the world, don't look at other information, even though it would benefit them greatly. And another question you may ask is, "Why don't people look at other sources?" Well because it takes time and people don't feel like taking that time. So they see one thing; they stick to it. Even though it is the most common cliche', Knowledge is power. The more you know, the better the person you can be.

Finally, one book that people should read is The Revolt of the Masses by Jose' Ortega. It shows how the masses can be influenced and elect people like Adolf Hitler and Mussolini into power. Although I have not read the book, I have heard many great things about from other people.

In conclusion, people need to stop getting influenced from propaganda, and start to create their own ideas. To question is to think, and that is what more people need to do.

A Critic's View of "24"

“24,” a popular television show on Fox that has aired for seven seasons, deals with common American anxiety and obsession concerning terrorist threats. Each season of the show is one day and every episode is one hour of the day. The main character, Jack Bauer (played by Kiefer Sutherland), is the stereotypical tough guy who often stretches and even ignores the law in order to stop terrorist threats in time to protect the American people. His violent and often over-the-top actions make ordinary Americans wonder if morality has its place when it comes to battling the threats of terrorism. The show also explores how far ordinary Americans will go in order to protect their country and its citizens.

Jack Bauer, who is likened the Chuck Norris, is an incredibly tough character who is very rarely emotional. One of his co-stars in the last season, Renee Walker, is distressed by the fact that Jack often feels no remorse after killing, and that he shows little emotion in general.  He gets the job done any way he can, and often leaves behind a trail of bodies. At some points in the show, he is so brutal that the viewers are left to wonder if it is moral to be so cruel to people (some of whom end up being innocent) for the purpose of protecting others. Although they may not like to admit it, I think many Americans wish and even hope that they have someone like Jack Bauer there to protect them and the country at all costs, even if the moral integrity of his methods is questionable.

Often times in the show, ordinary Americans are threatened by the terrorists to perform actions against their own country. Many Americans in real life like to think that they would do anything to protect their country. The show often challenges this patriotic idea. When the ordinary citizens in the show are threatened (and especially when their families are threatened), they often do what the terrorists want. This is a very realistic portrayal of how ordinary American citizens would react under such a colossal amount of pressure.

Additionally, “24” has been criticized in the past for perpetuating the stereotype that all terrorists are people of Arab descent. This stereotype causes Americans to generally associate people of Arab descent as terrorists. One episode, however, attempted to disarm this stereotype.  In the episode, an Arab man was forced by the actual terrorists (who were not Arab) to take the blame for their violent actions against the United States. When Jack readily accepted the Arab man as the person behind the terrorist attacks, one of the Arab man’s friends accused Jack of racism against Arab people. Eventually, Jack saw the error of his ways.

Breaking Girl Next Door-Itis

Taylor Swift is one of the best country-pop singers of our time. Her most recent album, Fearless sold 592,304 copies in the first week. Fearless became the first album to sell one million copies in 2009. Her songs range from finding true love, heartbreak and losing the things that matter the most.

On Fearless, my favorite song is "You Belong With Me", I listen to this song everyday. Almost everytime I turn on the radio, this song is playing. This song has a familar message, that a large majority of girls my age can relate to. "You Belong With Me" is a about a girl who is in love with a boy but they are just friends and he is with someone else. The boy she loves girlfriend is the typical popular cheerleader and she doesn't appeciate the boy the way Swift does.

In the song Swift sings:

"She wears short skirts

I wear t-shirts

She's cheer captain

And I'm on the bleachers

Dreaming the day when you wake up

And find that what you looking for has been here the whole time"

The boy she loves and his girlfriend relationship is not healthy. They fight various times and everytime they fight he ends up going to Swift for comfort. This situation that Swift sings about is called the "Girl Next Door" stereotype. This stereotype is shown in many parts of American pop culture. It's when a girl who is typically not popular is friends with the a boy she is sometimes in love with, but he is dating another girl. Ironically, in the music video, Swift actually lives next door to the boy she loves.

At the end of this song, Swift and the boy she is in love with have a chance to be with each other. This song breaks the "girl next door" stereotype because they are finally together. I commend Swift for writing this song. She uses this song to show that girls do not have to change to get a boy to like them, The song has a good message of hope for girls that are "the girl next door".

Stupid Girls

P!nk, an American singer-songwriter known for her rebelliousness and platinum blond cropped hair, has reflected negatively about pop culture in many of her songs. Her 2006 song "Stupid Girls" exemplifies this trend in her music.

P!nk's stereotypical 'stupid girl' is consumed by her appearance and her ability to attract guys. She has no real ambitions except to be rich and famous - how she reaches her goal of celebrity is unimportant.

When describing this phenomenon, P!nk mocks celebrities with no talent, such as Paris Hilton, Mary Kate Olsen, and Nicole Richie. She also states her gratitude that she has not succumbed to this "epidemic" of stupidity:

    Disease's growing, it's epidemic
    I'm scared that there ain't a cure
    The world believes it and I'm going crazy
    I cannot take any more
    I'm so glad that I'll never fit in
    That will never be me

However, the poppy beats in the background and catchy, repetitive lyrics elevated "Stupid Girls" to number 19 on U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play. Does the image of Hollywood party girls dancing to the song denigrate its meaning? And should P!nk be defined by how she earns a living?

Maybe "Stupid Girls" does illustrate her true beliefs, but she seems to value her celebrity lifestyle, even if it means hearing her songs played in stores like Fred Segal, a trendy clothing she describes as the equivalent of a temple for insipid females:

    Go to Fred Segal, you'll find them there
    Laughing loud so all the little people stare
    Looking for a daddy to pay for the champagne
    (Drop a name)

Also, not all of P!nk's songs attempt to send a message to their listeners. "Get the Party Started," the lead single of her second album titled Missundaztood, contradicts "Stupid Girls" by describing the joy derived from materialism and luxury:

    Sending out the message to all of my friends
    We'll be looking flashy in my Mercedes Benz
    I got lots of style, check my gold diamond rings
    I can go for miles if you know what I mean.

P!nk also did not write "Get the Party Started"; it was penned by Linda Perry for P!nk's album. If P!nk wants to show off her genuine talent and separate herself from Hollywood socialites, she should write her own songs. After all, anyone can release an album and sing passably...even Paris Hilton.

Although P!nk may legitimately think that stupid girls are a prevalent problem in America, she does not act on her own principle. Until she stops marketing her songs as catchy beats to dance to, no one will actively listen to the lyrics and take a second to ponder the track's meaning.

Stranger than Fiction

Recently I watched the movie Stranger than Fiction, and during the movie I could not but help to notice the extreme blandness of Harold Crick's(Will Ferrell) apartment. Now this setting for Harold to live in is understandable because he is supposed to be the mother-of-all office cubicle robot. To an extent that his life is so precisely timed out that he spends a specified amount of time doing each of his morning routine, ending with a calculated jog of number of steps per second so that he can just barely make his bus in time for work. Now when his apartment is shown, it is so colorless and boring that it seemed to me that the producers had to spend a reasonable amount of time looking for bland boring objects to fill it with. They made his kitchen so devoid of color that all he had on his counter tops was a coffee maker with matching color, and Cheerios in a plastic container which were the same color of everything else, just a dull brownish color.

Now because Harold's apartment was supposed to be a reflection of his character, it just made me think that this is the stereotypical office worker that no body wishes to be when they grow up. The mechanized soulless drone that scrapes by day to day with absolutely no joy to lighten up their lives. Now this example might be on the harsher side of the stereotype but they way that it was captured in this movie was perfect in my opinion. The way it was portrayed just made me love this movie even more and I still never tire of seeing it.

16 And Pregnant

“16 And Pregnant” first aired this past year, with 8 episodes following pregnant teens and their decisions before and after childbirth. Although many people argue that this show encourages stereotypes of teen pregnancies, I think otherwise. On the contrary, I think MTV tackles teen pregnancy with an honesty and integrity that disproves stereotypes.

“16 And Pregnant” tracks 5 months of the lives of 6 girls: Maci, Farrah, Amber, Ebony, Whitney, and Catelynn. The show accompanies the girls as they struggle with jobs, high school, boyfriends, fiancés, childbirth, and life with a baby. The hour-long episodes look in on the very personal lives of the girls and their families, however, MTV does it in a non-intrusive way.

First of all, this show disproves stereotypes by showing that all different types of girls get pregnant; it’s not just one type of lifestyle that is interrupted by pregnancy. The girls on the show range from Caucasian to African-American, and from very wealthy to lower middle class. Also, all these girls have very different lifestyles. For example, Amber has been with her baby’s father for almost three years, and they get engaged during the show. Contrastingly, Farrah is no longer in touch with her baby’s father; in fact she even lied to him about being pregnant.

Next, some people argue that “16 And Pregnant” encourages teen pregnancy because it depicts the pregnancies from a cute angle. However, if you go to the official website of the show, you will see that MTV teamed up with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy and the Kaiser Family Foundation while making the show. The website also gives links to “It’s Your (Sex) Life,” “Have A Question?” (a site where you can ask questions on pregnancy prevention), and “Stayteen.org”, all helping provide information for teens.

This show is really trying to prevent teen pregnancy, which is necessary, considering teen pregnancies are on the rise for the first time in 15 years. Although the show can, at times, make pregnancy seem cute and enjoyable, the real gist of the show is that you shouldn’t have children until you are ready. All except Catelynn kept their babies, and most have said some variation of Whitney’s vow to “grow up as fast as she can to raise her baby.” Although some may see it as judgmental, I agree with the show when they imply that it is unfortunate that these young women had to make themselves grow up and lose their childhood, because they were not ready to have a baby.