Representing America - American Literature AP - Blog

The Voice of a Generation?

“I think that I may be the voice of my generation... Or at least a voice…of a generation." -Lena Dunham, Girls.

 

Girls, a relatively new show that airs on Sunday nights on HBO, has received a skyrocket of popularity in the last few months, It's creator, writer, producer, and star Lena Dunham received two awards at this past Grammy's. However, the show has also drawn an uproar of criticism, at both extreme ends of the spectrum. Some websites deem the show "today's funniest show on tv", and view it as a vital addition to today's television programming, such as Rolling Stone Magazine. However, others have severely criticized the show's morals, sexually explicit content, particularly Dunham's almost guaranteed-per-episode nudity, and especially it's completely whitewashed cast. Dunham and fellow producer Judd Appatow have responded to these race criticisms, yet many are still unsatisfied. Dunham has explained that she's writing from personal experience, and what she knows. She has also cited the religious and personality differences of the characters, as if that helps the situation. However, critics make many vital points, such as it is incredibly unrealistic that in Brooklyn one would never run in to a person of color. Others also argue that maybe a lack of diversity wouldn't be such an issue if the show didn't have the extremely broad and inclusive name "Girls"

Another related issue with much of today's still unfortunately white dominated media is adding "token" colored characters, such as the "sassy black friend" or the intelligent, successful Asian coworker. As someone who is personally interested in writing and art, I have often wondered about the debate of whether there is a suggested "line" as to which characters to write about - for instance, because I am a girl, would I not have enough "first hand experience" to write from the perspective of a male character? Or a character of a different race? However, wouldn't writing from the perspective of a diverse array of characters create interesting art, that could potentially also reveal internal stereotypes about those who are different from the author?

In a recent episode of Girls' second season, Dunham added an African American love interest. However, not only was he African American, but he was Republican, which was an obvious, immediate contradiction to Dunham's character's and the show itself's values, and it thus wasn't at all surprising that he was written off after only one epsidode. Personally, this attempt at adding diversity on the show felt half-hearted and really quite pathetic.

I didn't initially plan to center my examination of race in today's media and culture around Girls, but I feel that it is a fascinating segway in to society's thoughts on this issue. Girls is blogged about and discussed online, in print, and in television far more than any other currently running television show, even though it is on HBO, a network that isn't even available on standard cable. Although the quality of the show is arguably higher than most sitcoms, sitcoms which are often obviously offensive and that thrive off of popular stereotypes, Girls appears to receive harsher criticism.

Although racism and outdated, offensive stereotypes continue to thrive in much of today's media, I do feel that media is beginning to improve, although far too gradually. Because so much of the world is able to voice its opinions to a large audience, such as through blogs, social media, and podcasts, this has inspired a trend of youth voices gaining substantial power in today's media. (The fact that most teen bloggers are girls is a whole other issue). OPRF student Tavi Gevinson's online magazine RookieMag thrives on a diverse writing staff and fascinating, sophisticated articles that more accutaly represent today's teenagers than the majority of adult-produced works. Girls creator Lena Dunham is only 26. I think that this trend of young voices permeating media and culture offers excellent opportunity to put an end to the outdated stereotypes and racist tendencies that still dominate in today's culture. Will they take advantage of this opportunity and produce high quality, possibly controversial art that more accuratly and fairly represents current American society? That is the real question, but from what we're beginning to see, I think it's safe to say they (we) will.  

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 Loss of a Genius

With his black turtleneck, wire-rimmed glasses and conspiratorial grin, Steve Jobs was arguably the best ambassador ever between androids and humans.

When Jobs died Wednesday at 56 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, the world lost a valuable shuttle diplomat between computers and tablets and gadgets and animated robots, and the people who so desperately long to relate to them.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away" Apple, the company Jobs co-founded, said in a brief statement. "Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve."

In memories, the Apple.com website featured a full-screen photo of Jobs — turtleneck, glasses and grin — and this quote: "Apple has lost a visionary and a creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."

The tech world lost a leader. The creative world lost a soul mate. He is not gone. He will not be forgotten. His soul is in the machine.

 

10 Items To Finish On Top

Watch this video before reading!

 

Superbowl ad's are always trying to outdo each other, trying to have the most comedic commercials of them all. This FedEx commercial tries to entertain their audience by listing out the top ten criteria to make a successful commercial. It starts off with "1.Celebrity", saying if you have a celebrity in your commercial everyone else will buy it because of them. Then it goes down a list, "2. Animal 3. Dancing Animal 4. Cute Kid" and so on. 

The fallacy used in this commercial Non Sequitur. The overall meaning to this ad is because you have all these things listed in our commercial, you will have a successful commercial. There are no others options to choose from in this commercial but the one's presented. Many other brands have presented good ads that include non of the following yet have became very popular and effective. 

This fallacy was used in a comedic way in order to capture the attention of millions of viewers watching the football game, yet it nonetheless is still a misconception. 

Coping With Emotions: Why Oskar Invents So Much

Throughout Extremely Loud and Incredibly Closeyou are entertained with Oskar's many inventions. He makes inventions such as an ambulance that shows how the person inside is fairing, a hiking anklet that leaves yellow dots every time you take a step, and a birdseed shirt that you put on when you need to fly away from somewhere.

As i was reading i noticed that all of he told you about a new invention after he has drama in his life or is upset about something. Oskar doesn't seem to tell people how he is feeling when he is upset so i feel that when he is upset he gets his feelings out by inventing a way for the event that occurred to not happen.

For example, he invented the birdseed shirt after his dad died in the World Trade Centers and the hiking anklets after he runs away from his grandma.  Oskar can't physically tell someone that he is upset about something so he expresses himself in his own inventive way.

our obsession with networking +

since the launch of my space, there have been many attempts at social networking, some successful like Facebook, others not so much. but  since rise of Facebook i think we as a people feel more connected, almost a need to be connected. kids are finding it easier to post and talk and find out whats happening in others lives. Informant ion is whizzing over our heads and through our computers at one hundred miles per hour. we are all connected all the time. its a part of our culture to be constantly in the loop. but has it gone to far. 

 

the point that this video is making is that we already spend so much of our time, linked together by the social networks we already have. so why do we need more. we should be spending more time actually socializing than on-line in a virtual reality. personally i try to spend as much time as i can away from Facebook and more time in real life. 

america, epically the youth have an obsession with social networking but has it gone too far,with new platforms popping up all over the place trying to gain users. At this point its just to much for me. 

"Road & Track" on a Cultural Drive

Road & Track is a highly informational magazine that focuses on newest and most expensive cars on the market. It reports on cars made in America as well as other countries and advertises the need for the and desire for the latest and most high tech out there. 

However, it also does articles that applies to the working middle class people that don't have the money for one of the extremely exotic cars but who also enjoy the thrill of a car that is fun to drive. The magazine displays lists and articles about the best cars that one can buy at a reasonable price. 

Therefore, this magazine fits into the major American stereotype of wealth but also appeals to the common folk that still have an interest in quality automobiles. We as Americans see that even in most American car commercials, they advertise the toughness of their vehicle compared to the work ethic of an American laborer. For example, the slogan for Ford right now is "Ford Tough." It is shouted at the end of almost every Ford pickup truck commercial to get the point across that this truck is suppose to resemble the working man.

Now, even though Road & Track reports about foreign cars, it is an american magazine and will occasionally have entire issue that advertises and test american cars. So the magazine plays into this ideology as well.

In the upper class of American, the car is seen as a status symbol and sigh on ranking. It is expected that the nicer the car you have, the better job you have, the more money you make and so on. And Road & Track plays right into this as well. They report on the most ridiculously expensive and most exotic cars on the market because that is what appeals to the wealthy. M 
ost of the time the magazine even has a car like that on the cover to attract the attention of the people interested in the magazine.

In the end, the magazine balances itself out because of the effort it makes to appeal to both the wealthy and the common worker that are both interested in cars. 

Maybe our minds deteriorate as we age.

I was talking to a friend about movies the other day. She told me that she cried during every single Pixar movie she's seen. Most people would think, "Really? Pixar movies? Aren't those for little kids?" And the answer is yes, they are made for kids. But most Disney or Pixar movies today get to the heart of real issues and present much deeper meanings than the movies teens and adults enjoy.

Most of the movies that come out today are romantic comedies like "When in Rome," or action movies like "Transformers." I watched "When in Rome" a few months ago and thought that it was actually one of the wirst movies I've ever seen. Sure, the overall idea was kind of cute: a girl picks up coins from Trevi Fountain in Rome, and all of the guys who threw in those coins immediately fall in love with her. But the "comedy" that the movie used was just corny, and the ending was completely predictable. Of course, it ends with a happily-ever-after wedding, and everyone ends up happy. And "Transformers"... well, while it is entertaining to watch cars that turn into machines smashing a bunch of buildings, Shia LaBeouf driving really fast, and things getting set on fire, what do you take from a movie like this? Absolutely nothing. I'm no movie critic, but I can safely say that a good majority of what teens and adults watch today is completely shallow, unrealistic, and unmoving.

What I've realized over the past few years is that the some of the best movies I've seen have been "kids'" movies. Not only are these movies adorable, entertaining, and funny, they also leave me thinking when I walk out of the theater. "Wall-E", for example, addressed a real problem in the world - people are ruining the environment, and someday it will lead to the downfall of mankind. "Up" deals with the difficult process of coping with the loss of a family member, and conveys the message that you can only mourn for so long before you must accept the loss and move on. And perhaps my favorite, "Toy Story 3," challenges kids' and teens' ideas of growing up. While most media that kids and teens see and hear glamorizes growing up and makes them look forward it, "Toy Story 3" illuminates the downside, the hard part about growing up. While Andy is conflicted about leaving his toys behind when he goes off to college, the toys represent his childhood, his home, and his family. College is always depicted as fun and exciting in movies and television, but this was the first time I had ever seen a movie show a teenager's hesitation to leave his childhood behind. The movie truly made me reshape my ideas of college and adulthood.

So why is it that children's movies are so much more meaningful than "adult" movies? Is it because our society is trying to teach kids morals and life lessons while they are still young? Or is it because our minds deteriorate as we age? Is it possible that we start life ready to take in new ideas and progress into mindless beings that simply consume and wish to be crudely entertained? I think - thanks to today's movies, music, television shows, and magazines - the answer may be yes.

Lost in the American Culture

Imagine boarding a passenger airplane. You depart from an airport in Sydney, Australia, and plan to land in Los Angeles, California within hours.  Midflight, the plane hits severe turbulence and begins to drift off course. The jet’s system breaks down and the equipment can no longer function. Oceanic Flight 815 violently crashes down on an uncharted island.  There are many deaths, but you and the rest are wounded and scattered along the island’s shore.   With no communication with the outside world, you are forced to team up with complete strangers to survive in the wilderness.  You don’t know when help will come; all you can do is wait.

The smash-hit television show Lost captivates the mystery and adventure of this experience, interweaving “flashbacks” about the passenger’s lives before the crash.   The diverse group of characters on the show represents all the different nationalities, social classes, and subcultures of those who reside in America.  Some of the main characters include: a single mother, a heroin-addicted rockstar, a Latina policewoman, a high-status surgeon, a con artist, a woman fugitive, an interracial couple, an Iraqi, a package salesman, a Korean princess and her forbidden husband, and an overweight lottery winner.  The list goes on.

Although the differences between the characters are extreme, it is interesting to see their social interactions on such an isolated island. Who would have thought that John Locke, the package sales man, would become the main hunter and mentor of the group? Who could have imagined that Ana Lucia, the policewoman, would fall madly in love with the conartest, Sawyer? In the real world, the chances of completely different social groups living and mixing together is limited, but the show offers a cool look into what life would be without a predetermined government or social class system.

Lost also points out our culture’s reliance on technology and manufactured products. On the island, there is no car to drive, telephones to call for rescue, or beds to sleep in.  There are only raw materials surrounding the survivors.  Because of our highly industrialized society, none of the people are prepared to be living in such primitive conditions. The challenge of this transition can be seen throughout Claire’s pregnancy when she cannot get the medication she needs.  Our culture is so heavily reliant on formulated medicine and high performance technology that we often forget how to live “naturally”.  The creator of Lost peels back the layers of the material world to show the start of a completely new, integrated society.

9

During the weekend, I went to see the new film called 9. The story was basically about machines taking over the world and a few puppets, (I guess you could call them) are trying to destroy them. After the movie, I began thinking and soon asked myself, what if technology gets out of hand? I mean think about, more wars, more destruction, just country fighting country with machines(and that's the scary part)! Machines and technology are more capable of destruction more than people. Here's an example about how scary our world can be in just a few years:

A couple months ago, I was watching the history channel and it had to do with the subject of magic and how to trick the naked eye. One part talked about how in 2007, the British army was conducting a camouflage experiment with their tanks. Witnesses said that the tanks literally disappeared from sight! Now imagine that, whole armies marching through cities easily and undetected. This type of technology could possibly be the reason how WW-III is going to occur. It is not only scary, but think about the invasion of privacy!(ha) We soon need to ask ourselves and say just because we can create something, does it mean we should?