The bootleg community isnt anything new. We all have downloaded content off the internet or have purchased the fresh on dvd movies out of some guys car for five bucks. If you haven't then you are in the minority! Bootlegging has become a part of who we are a culture. It becomes easier for the masses to aquire what they want for little or no fee. I know that when I was stationed in Korea it was nothing for me to go into the village right outside the base gates and purchase movies that were either in theatres in the US or had just come out on dvd. Mash ups and getting the latest Mp3 online have become part of who we are just as much as recording songs off the radio onto a blank tape was to previous generations. Every generation had their own form of bootlegging we just are more technologically savy about it.
As someone that is not that into video games I still understand the pull that they have. I remeber playing against my brother and sister on the old nintendo console, playing super mario brothers. Trying to unlock secret levels and getting a leg up on each other. Playing for hours and getting mad when our mario died. I guess now Im just old even though im 24. I don't like computer games or the new games that are on the xbox and play stations. Video games are a part of life now more than they have ever been. Questions that I would have now for video gamers are; do your video games help you? can you see a difference since playing video games? I dont know and feel completely dumb when talking to someone about them. I reminice about the times when tag was THE GAME or simon says and red rover red rover. Do we learn as much from the games we play now? Or should we dust off those old clue games...dig out the uno cards and go back to what we knew when I was growing up.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Be a Man!
This past week we focused on how being a "man" is important with the male species. At a young age boys are taught that they need to be tough. They need to act like men and that being a man is showing how "hard" you are.
Boys are taught that if you do anything like a girl you are less than a man. You have to be able to beat each other up and be the best if you want to be a man.
I wonder if this want to show manhood not only comes from the media but is in our DNA. I mean when you think about it Indian men had to prove their manhood. Men in old time greece did the same thing. Manlier men were more highly re-guarded. I know that the movie "Tough Guise" says that the media shows this in movies and television as well as advertising but where did it come from? It had to start somewhere from us to start having these thoughts about men.
Animals fight each other to the death sometimes to show who is the alpha male. Men sometimes do the same thing. Gang members have initiations that have the person getting in get the crap beat out of them to show how tough they and if they fail then they don't get in. I don't know about you but I don't think i would enjoy a book club that I wanted to join to beat me to death with books because I wanted to join.
Men have used violence to show their masculine sides for years. I think it has gotten worse because we are putting more violence in our games, shows, advertising and letting our children see these things. Were basically saying that its ok for men to be and act violent.
Unless we completely rework everything. Nothing is going to change.
Boys are taught that if you do anything like a girl you are less than a man. You have to be able to beat each other up and be the best if you want to be a man.
I wonder if this want to show manhood not only comes from the media but is in our DNA. I mean when you think about it Indian men had to prove their manhood. Men in old time greece did the same thing. Manlier men were more highly re-guarded. I know that the movie "Tough Guise" says that the media shows this in movies and television as well as advertising but where did it come from? It had to start somewhere from us to start having these thoughts about men.
Animals fight each other to the death sometimes to show who is the alpha male. Men sometimes do the same thing. Gang members have initiations that have the person getting in get the crap beat out of them to show how tough they and if they fail then they don't get in. I don't know about you but I don't think i would enjoy a book club that I wanted to join to beat me to death with books because I wanted to join.
Men have used violence to show their masculine sides for years. I think it has gotten worse because we are putting more violence in our games, shows, advertising and letting our children see these things. Were basically saying that its ok for men to be and act violent.
Unless we completely rework everything. Nothing is going to change.
Friday, February 24, 2012
THERES NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!!!
"THERES NO CRYING IN BASEBALL" Tom Hanks exclaimed these words that have been recited at least a hundred times.
We seem to think that hitting like a girl, running like a girl, we just playing sports like a girl period isnt a very good thing. Why is that? From what Ive seen in womens sports, we "girls" work just as hard as the guys do! But I guess you need to look deeper into what Americans look at when it comes to their sports.
Baseball is America's past time! Our sports are monuments in our culture. We look at our sports as something that is America. We see them as a pillar of our culture.
We find our sports bring people together and allows us to get drunk and act like complete idiots as well as bring our family together and pass down season tickets from generation to generation. I know that my sons grandparents have season tickets to the Hawkeyes basketball and football games. That is a big deal in their family. You watch the football games every time its on and you go to the games as often as possible. Tradition comes with our sports.
So why are we teaching our children that if you hit like a girl that its a bad thing? Well for men..well boys growing up they are taught to have sportsmanship you need to be able to play like a man. They have to be able to be the fastest, the best and if your not then you dont make the cut.
When my half brother would have his baseball games as a young kid, my dad would be on the side lines yelling at him to "hit the ball" "dont miss, because the other team will score". I never heard him utter anything that was innapropriate although I did hear him talking to some of the other dad's about the kids that neither parent showed up for. How they didnt know how to play and that they hit like girls. I think that was one of the reasons why I chose band and not sports, not to mention I dont have enough coordination to play sports.
However when I heard that I couldnt help but thinking whats so bad about hitting like a girl? My sister who was in every sport she could get into was an awsome athlete. I know that it is going to take a lot of change to get people to look at things a little different but I know that when my son starts playing sports if that is what he chooses, Ill be proud to tell him he hits like a girl....because women athletes are just as bad ass as men are and he will be able to understand that.
We seem to think that hitting like a girl, running like a girl, we just playing sports like a girl period isnt a very good thing. Why is that? From what Ive seen in womens sports, we "girls" work just as hard as the guys do! But I guess you need to look deeper into what Americans look at when it comes to their sports.
Baseball is America's past time! Our sports are monuments in our culture. We look at our sports as something that is America. We see them as a pillar of our culture.
We find our sports bring people together and allows us to get drunk and act like complete idiots as well as bring our family together and pass down season tickets from generation to generation. I know that my sons grandparents have season tickets to the Hawkeyes basketball and football games. That is a big deal in their family. You watch the football games every time its on and you go to the games as often as possible. Tradition comes with our sports.
So why are we teaching our children that if you hit like a girl that its a bad thing? Well for men..well boys growing up they are taught to have sportsmanship you need to be able to play like a man. They have to be able to be the fastest, the best and if your not then you dont make the cut.
When my half brother would have his baseball games as a young kid, my dad would be on the side lines yelling at him to "hit the ball" "dont miss, because the other team will score". I never heard him utter anything that was innapropriate although I did hear him talking to some of the other dad's about the kids that neither parent showed up for. How they didnt know how to play and that they hit like girls. I think that was one of the reasons why I chose band and not sports, not to mention I dont have enough coordination to play sports.
However when I heard that I couldnt help but thinking whats so bad about hitting like a girl? My sister who was in every sport she could get into was an awsome athlete. I know that it is going to take a lot of change to get people to look at things a little different but I know that when my son starts playing sports if that is what he chooses, Ill be proud to tell him he hits like a girl....because women athletes are just as bad ass as men are and he will be able to understand that.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
I love him....I love him not...Now I love that guy!!!
Klosterman states that no woman is ever going to make him happy, however he also states that he will regret saying that when he is interviewed and is happily married. He blames this on the media and the "idea" of perfect love. He goes on to say that his girlfriend chose to spare his feelings when she spent time with another man she told him she was going to a concert. He is in a weird way as always right!
We as a culture want to have the picture perfect relationships. We fall in and out of love faster than we can wrap our heads around the reason why we are attracted to that person or even know who they are to begin with. We watch these shows like the bachelor and bachelorette and expecting to find the person that they are going to be with for the rest of their lives. Celebrities don't help how we conceive relationships either. They make up and break up letting people think that you can do the same and its ok.
Movies like the Vow let people think that true love is going to outlast everything, but in actuality there is a slim chance if you lose your memory and are wanting your fiance that you were previously engaged to, want to stay with you. They are eventually going to get frustrated and from there they may leave you.
Also the average person isnt going to be GORGEOUS! I love my boyfriend but he and I both know that we are celebrity sexy. We look past each others flaws and love each other anyway. We have our issues, but we arent perfect.
The media's portrayal of romance is what we want it to be not what it actually is.
We as a culture want to have the picture perfect relationships. We fall in and out of love faster than we can wrap our heads around the reason why we are attracted to that person or even know who they are to begin with. We watch these shows like the bachelor and bachelorette and expecting to find the person that they are going to be with for the rest of their lives. Celebrities don't help how we conceive relationships either. They make up and break up letting people think that you can do the same and its ok.
Movies like the Vow let people think that true love is going to outlast everything, but in actuality there is a slim chance if you lose your memory and are wanting your fiance that you were previously engaged to, want to stay with you. They are eventually going to get frustrated and from there they may leave you.
Also the average person isnt going to be GORGEOUS! I love my boyfriend but he and I both know that we are celebrity sexy. We look past each others flaws and love each other anyway. We have our issues, but we arent perfect.
The media's portrayal of romance is what we want it to be not what it actually is.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Beauty...its in the eye of the advertiser
Evil Queen: Mirror, Mirror on the wall whos the fairest of them all?
Mirror: Well you would be if you looked like snow white but since you dont, well you get the idea...
The perception of beauty in todays society is pretty harsh. Every where we turn around we see what we should look like. Namely women. I know that I cant sit in front of the television without being told that I need to wage war on my body in some way. Wether it's wrinkles, my cellulite, making my lips look kissable...you name it we as women we are told we need to alter it.
Because we get such harsh judgements on our bodies we then in turn become very harsh on ourselves and those who dont look like the air brushed models that have taken over 90% of our daily lives. We look at ourselves as inadequate because we cant fit into those skinny jeans. We get mad because we have those child barring hips. And the ads that we see say that those things that make us unique are what make us ugly.
Women in advertisements are shown depending on what your looking at can be portrayed as sexy or juvinile. We are made to seem like fragile creatures or that we are wanting to be sexed beyond our wildest dreams. Men however are shown as powerful figures even as children they are given poses that show off how masculine they are.
These trends are causing our young girls to have low self esteem and young boys to think that they can have anything that they want because they are men. Girls are being made to think that they have to make themselves super skinny or extremely sexual so that men will want them and to be socially accepted.
Sad but true...
Mirror: Well you would be if you looked like snow white but since you dont, well you get the idea...
The perception of beauty in todays society is pretty harsh. Every where we turn around we see what we should look like. Namely women. I know that I cant sit in front of the television without being told that I need to wage war on my body in some way. Wether it's wrinkles, my cellulite, making my lips look kissable...you name it we as women we are told we need to alter it.
Because we get such harsh judgements on our bodies we then in turn become very harsh on ourselves and those who dont look like the air brushed models that have taken over 90% of our daily lives. We look at ourselves as inadequate because we cant fit into those skinny jeans. We get mad because we have those child barring hips. And the ads that we see say that those things that make us unique are what make us ugly.
Women in advertisements are shown depending on what your looking at can be portrayed as sexy or juvinile. We are made to seem like fragile creatures or that we are wanting to be sexed beyond our wildest dreams. Men however are shown as powerful figures even as children they are given poses that show off how masculine they are.
These trends are causing our young girls to have low self esteem and young boys to think that they can have anything that they want because they are men. Girls are being made to think that they have to make themselves super skinny or extremely sexual so that men will want them and to be socially accepted.
Sad but true...
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Porn...
So last week in class we discussed porn...yes porn You would think that this would be a touchy subject but we actually had some really good discussions on the subject.
Porn itself is a billion dollar a year business but sadly is being put out of business by how easily it is to get to it online. In the videos that we watched, the people of the porn industry were telling us that with the ease of technology people are getting their porn free. Basically being able to get on and type hot girls in a google search bar, and within a matter of seconds you get porn.
With the fast paced life style that we have now the porn industry has to evolve just like any other thriving business.
When we looked at the video made in the later years porn was looked at as something that would fall into the hands of children, make them gay because they see pornographic images in a drug store. The movie made me smile at how narrow minded people can be.
The ease of getting porn now also makes it easier for porn to be made. Anyone with a video camera and computer can make their own porn. So who would want it for free?
We publicly show our sexuality and give it out to the world. We aren't selling an image like Pamela Anderson. We are selling ourselves online.
Porn itself is a billion dollar a year business but sadly is being put out of business by how easily it is to get to it online. In the videos that we watched, the people of the porn industry were telling us that with the ease of technology people are getting their porn free. Basically being able to get on and type hot girls in a google search bar, and within a matter of seconds you get porn.
With the fast paced life style that we have now the porn industry has to evolve just like any other thriving business.
When we looked at the video made in the later years porn was looked at as something that would fall into the hands of children, make them gay because they see pornographic images in a drug store. The movie made me smile at how narrow minded people can be.
The ease of getting porn now also makes it easier for porn to be made. Anyone with a video camera and computer can make their own porn. So who would want it for free?
We publicly show our sexuality and give it out to the world. We aren't selling an image like Pamela Anderson. We are selling ourselves online.
Monday, January 30, 2012
The pursuit of HAPPINESS!!
We pursue happiness all the time but in the end we realize that as a people we are only happy in the moment. Now, by people I say Americans. I can't speak for other countries and how they operate in the happiness department because to them happiness could mean something completely different so for the present let's just talk about Americans.
We are told all the time by subliminal messages that if we have that new phone then we would be happy or if we wear a certain type of clothes we would be happy, or even happier! Americans, we are like crack addicts when it comes to happiness! Once we get one thing that makes us happy we start looking for the next thing that makes us happy. Ok, I am dating Tom but oohh...Danny looks so much better and he would probably be a better boyfriend and in turn can make me happier! Yeah let me dump Tom and go out with Danny.
We see that the grass is greener on the other side and then when we hop the fence we realize that the grass on this side is the same shade!
Its difficult to predict what can really make us happy because we go from thing to thing. Person to person thinking that it or they will make us happy. We are only happy for the moment and then we get bored. You would think that since we knew this information that we would try and become happy with what and who we are. NOPE!!! We get bored and we are looking for the next best thing.
Since we do know that we get bored easy you would think this would be helpful in making sure that we don't get bored with what we have, who we have, or what we are doing. It isn't this information is helpful to the corporations that want your money for the next big thing that they want to show you is better and would make you happier. Its a vicious circle!
Let's take a look at someone that a lot of women look up to and has already set a horrible example for young women everywhere. Kim Kardashian.
Kim and her husband Kris Humphries were married for all of 72 days, now I can't say that I don't occasionally find myself glued to the television with Kourtney and Kim Take New York on with my boyfriend complaining that he never gets to watch what he wants while I just zone him out and complain how annoying Kim's voice is then wishing that I had money enough for an apartment over looking New York City!
With all that being said we watched them both spend a ridiculous amount of money on a wedding that at that time made them happy. Now fast forward sixty days later...They are both over each other and bored. No longer happy. Now divorced and looking to do anything to hurt each other in the press you would think that the happiness would last. NOPE!! That is because we get bored.
Happiness will always have someone pursuing it because we will never be happy until we learn how NOT to be bored or look across the street at the neighbors lawn and wonder...hmm maybe it is greener on the other side...
We are told all the time by subliminal messages that if we have that new phone then we would be happy or if we wear a certain type of clothes we would be happy, or even happier! Americans, we are like crack addicts when it comes to happiness! Once we get one thing that makes us happy we start looking for the next thing that makes us happy. Ok, I am dating Tom but oohh...Danny looks so much better and he would probably be a better boyfriend and in turn can make me happier! Yeah let me dump Tom and go out with Danny.
We see that the grass is greener on the other side and then when we hop the fence we realize that the grass on this side is the same shade!
Its difficult to predict what can really make us happy because we go from thing to thing. Person to person thinking that it or they will make us happy. We are only happy for the moment and then we get bored. You would think that since we knew this information that we would try and become happy with what and who we are. NOPE!!! We get bored and we are looking for the next best thing.
Since we do know that we get bored easy you would think this would be helpful in making sure that we don't get bored with what we have, who we have, or what we are doing. It isn't this information is helpful to the corporations that want your money for the next big thing that they want to show you is better and would make you happier. Its a vicious circle!
Let's take a look at someone that a lot of women look up to and has already set a horrible example for young women everywhere. Kim Kardashian.
Kim and her husband Kris Humphries were married for all of 72 days, now I can't say that I don't occasionally find myself glued to the television with Kourtney and Kim Take New York on with my boyfriend complaining that he never gets to watch what he wants while I just zone him out and complain how annoying Kim's voice is then wishing that I had money enough for an apartment over looking New York City!
With all that being said we watched them both spend a ridiculous amount of money on a wedding that at that time made them happy. Now fast forward sixty days later...They are both over each other and bored. No longer happy. Now divorced and looking to do anything to hurt each other in the press you would think that the happiness would last. NOPE!! That is because we get bored.
Happiness will always have someone pursuing it because we will never be happy until we learn how NOT to be bored or look across the street at the neighbors lawn and wonder...hmm maybe it is greener on the other side...
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