Is depression the new normal state of being or is it a cultural phenomenon? This is the question which was displayed on the last slide. I think it's both, they are overlapping but one state is above the other. Currently I think it is a cultural phenomenon but in a couple of years or so it will become a normal state of being.
Not My Edgar I
A forum for Blog Community #1 of CSCL 1001 (Introduction to Cultural Studies: Rhetoric, Power, Desire; University of Minnesota, Fall 2010) -- and interested guests.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Depressed? Really?
Is depression the new normal state of being or is it a cultural phenomenon? This is the question which was displayed on the last slide. I think it's both, they are overlapping but one state is above the other. Currently I think it is a cultural phenomenon but in a couple of years or so it will become a normal state of being.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Craigslist Personals
Twilight Connections
The Twilight project sparked my interest because like many I am a Twilight fan. Clearly they are fictional and meant to be read as fiction, however, I can definitely relate to the interest in vampires as entertainment. After Twilight, books series and TV shows have become centered around the idea of vampires and it interests me. I think the connection between vampires and romance can depict the reason that the population especially females like this form of entertainment.
Previous movies such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter all played into the fantasy worlds of people’s minds, however, this is the first that I know of to incorporate fantasy with romance.
In my experience, the majority of my guy friends enjoyed these fantasy movies and my girl friends thought they were kind of boring (at least Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.. even though I personally go against this claim because I loved these movies and always watched them in theatres with my dad.. I’m slightly stereotyping so go with it). Twilight attempts to incorporate this fantasy world along with a romance story sparking interest for both genders.
Cyber Bullying
Twilight
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Child Beauty Pageants
While reading these capstone projects many pointed out these things I have already known, plus much more. These project groups really analyzed not only what goes into these pageants but much more behind them as well. A huge concern I have, “Our parents really doing this for their children or for themselves?” As these projects all said, the parents do it in belief that their child will be able to speak publicly, have confidence in themselves, and just to have fun. As the outcome for the child are said to want to be successful when she grows up, win prizes, likes the competition, and to do it just for fun. I believe this can be true that some parents are doing it just for the fun of it or because there child is interested in it. While other parents do it to live a dream they never got a chance to. As you see on some of these shows and even in these capstone projects you can tell that some parents take it way overboard. And some parents even go to the extent to bribe their child into doing well.
Child Beauty Pageants are highly controversial for young girls in our culture today. These pageants relate to the society and the image to be perfect. As the capstone projects said, it shows these girls that they have to be perfect, and that their natural beauty isn’t good enough. I think these child beauty pageants push young girls to start bad habits early, like not eating well. They seem to push girls into thinking that beauty is everything and so is winning, and if these goals aren’t accomplished they won’t be accepted in society, which is totally false.
Before reading these capstone projects on child beauty pageants, and after really thinking about them I use to think it was for the fun of it. And that some of the little girls looked cute getting all dressed up and wearing fancy dresses. But after taking a deeper look, I took a step back and really looked at the overall picture and what was really happening, it wasn’t so cute anymore. The biggest thing that got me was the parents, and the way they acted. Why would you ever push your child to such limits to win some prize, is it really worth it? And to even spend thousands of dollars on these pageants or even work two to three jobs. Personally to me it’s not worth it and it only seems to hurt the girls in the long run. It is giving them false images of what they need to be in order to be accepted in our society. They do not excessive beauty enhancers, to be perfect, and these parents should see this. They should see that their daughter is perfect naturally, just the way she is.
By the way, Great job to all of you who did your project on Child beauty pageants! They turned out great!!
SpRiNg aWaKEnIng!!!
I read the capstone project on the Broadway musicál: "Spring Awakening". As an english major I have had plenty of close experiences with the world of theatre. This capstone project was an interesting overview on the history and cultural importances of "Spring Awakening". Well done Caitlin. But, I must say that I feel that there may be too much credit given to "Spring Awakening" in your presentation in terms of groundbreaking material brought up in a musical. I am sure that part of your approach is that the musical covers a vast array of topics. it is the schmorgasborg of sexual angst/teen drama in a musical, I suppose. But by no means is "Spring Awakening" groundbreaking, if anything it is just shoved down the audiences throats in a catchy fashion. The subject of abortion was even brought up as early as 1966 in "Cabaret" and homosexuality has been on the musical stage since the creation of musicals. I suppose my point is that the theatre has had its experiences with controversial material in many different venues and the such and the limits have been tested and pushed. This same sort of logic applies to cinema and if it weren't for the FCC I am sure it would have been surpassed by television. Admittedly, a masturbation scene on stage is certainly shocking, but what is being said by it? Sexual revolution? or a bawdy wow factory to stir the audience into a frenzy. I think both aspects work, but I think the forefathers to theatre and the art of performance have tackled much of the issues covered and brought up in "Spring Awakening" and that instead the audience being targeted is a younger crowd. In short, the material is getting raunchier for a younger audience. They are selling sex to the Glee generation (middle schoolers and college freshmen). I suppose this is the best way to keep audiences interested though, especially young hormonal ones. Sex sells as we all know, and that certainly applies to the theatre. Would you agree?!
Ashley Madison(.com) is a homewrecker?
One of the best points of your project is that this website is made for those already dishonest and cheating. So often when we see these types of things do we see through the constructed view our culture has made us, through the structure of feelings. I'll be honest, when hear the name Ashley Madison the words "dirty, cheating, home-wrecking, slut-creating, pieces of shit that ruin the holiness of Marriage." My feelings are so docile to culture that my body refuses to give it more thought. I never thought that most of the people who would go on this probably have a history of cheating. Then in the subject of cheating itself, I love how you pointed out the gender inequalities that our society has created. It is very interesting how we perceive promiscuity and fidelity differently based on gender.
Overall, great piece, you really captured the basic essence of the course! Good luck on the finals to all!
Disney Princesses
Cheating
What really stood out to me was the fact that the CEO Noel Biderman, who created the site claims that he is not a user on the site and that he would be shocked if he found out that his wife was cheating. This makes me think why did he make the site then? Obviously he can make a lot of money from it and thats probably why he did it, but that should create a moral dilemma for him. Without knowing it, he is probably breaking up hundreds of marriages a year. I think that this site is horrible for many reasons and says a lot about our culture in general. I hope that one day in the future I can find a nice, loving wife that does NOT use AshleyMadison.com.
An Interesting Theme Shared by "Jersey Shore" and "Abercrombie & Fitch"
Bridalplasty: For Better Or For Worse Is No Longer Good Enough
This YouTube video can summarize the television show that this Capstone Project is about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKFTd6ZEV1w&feature=channel.
Impressive
This group did a great job on their Capstone project. I really enjoyed looking through the PowerPoint they made. They presented something they found interesting and they left it open for the audience to formulate their own opinions. A slide they included in their PowerPoint, titled 'Ignoring the Facts', was very nicely put. They point out how the show does not address any of the dangers of plastic surgery. They are not encouraged to eat healthy or work out at all, but they are rewarded for winning challenges by being given procedures to improve their appearance. They tell us that a girl who was voted off right in the beginning that did not even want as many procedures done as the other girls but had a 'valid deformation due to removal of cysts in her breasts'. All of the other girls seem to want plastic surgery for ridiculous and unnecessary reasons. The group says that since the show displays a celebrity lifestyle of wealth and good looks, it argues for superficiality. I love how they said that! It sounds great. This group had a great way of putting things. Another slide I found a lot of interesting information on was titled "Reality?'. It really makes you think twice. I read that the host, Shanna Moakler, said to a contestant when she was booted off, "Your wedding will still go on, but it may not be perfect." Insane! I like how the group included the argument that could be made about why exactly Shanna Moakler decided to host this show. And what is this I hear about one of the activies being that the girls change their vows to include sex daily and foot massages? The plastic surgeon who performs these procedures... how does he feel? This group definitely did their research and came up with plenty of information to talk about in their Capstone Project. I can tell that they worked hard and did not try to talk about anything they were unsure of (also known as "B.S.-ing"). The PowerPoint presentation is really easy to read through, kept me interested and fired up, and it makes sense!
Questionable
Astrological Sign Capstone Project
The realist in me wants to absolutely disregard astrological readings and simply believe that life is up to chance. However I should not completely disregard ‘star gazing’ because for some people it acts as a sign of good hope, of faith, and for me being a Christian I have a duty to hold faith. It is hard for me sometimes to truly weigh the importance in faith in my life with how I am supposed to live it. I believe I have faith in something, in God, but I’m not sure and if you showed me someone who was absolutely concrete and sure about life I would think they were lying or just ignorant. That’s just how I feel. Faith to me, I wouldn’t say blindly but something close to it, is looking into something that I have no control over and hoping the best turns out. I believe in destiny and fate because I do believe there is a plan for me.
I don’t want to hop on board the astrological bandwagon however because my faith to me isn’t determined by the stars. It is hard for me to believe in horoscopes because I have no idea who writes them and who gives the people who writes them the means to do it. I know to some it is a science but the current writers of horoscopes now must be simply following the patterns of the predecessors and the predecessors before that until it comes down to one person who thought about this kind of reading. It just doesn’t make total sense to me, but then again neither does my faith.
I also feel like astrological readings are at time creepily correct, but there are so many readings out there that just because a small number have come true doesn’t mean they are all through a science. Us as a people tend to jump on things we know, and forget the things we don’t. Take Nostradamus. A philosopher who predicted such things as Hitler’s rise over Germany, the World Trade Center Collapse, and our soon to be 2012 apocalypse (however never in specifics only through interpretation.) Although ‘spooky’ Nostradamus made hundreds of astrological sign readings that haven’t come true yet. Time may tell if he was right, but for now it just seems like a popular culture thing.
But I am no basher to faith, and if this is people’s faith then so be it. I am a man to faith and I know there are critics to what I believe in, but apart of faith is just believing no matter what people say and to live strongly in faith.
CNN: The #1 Name in News
I watched/viewed the Capstone Project on CNN. I found the layout of the group’s powerpoint nicely done and interesting, as it as screenshots directly from CNN’s websites. Yet, as I looked through the information I saw how narrow minded and assumptive the group’s project was. On the third slide they talk about how different country’s had different news and looks on their website – as if CNN wanted to segregate people, which I found to be a very extreme look at what CNN is doing. Obviously people within the same cultural and geographic borders will care about similar things, this is the basis of the first unit of CSCL 1001 – and not CNN’s somehow scheme to make Americans only look at American news, it’s just common sense.
Secondly, the group attempts to make the argument that because TBS, the corporation and collection of TV channels/networks that owns CNN, owns so many entertainment-based channels that they their news channel must be bias. The group failed to say how this would make the news bias (political, religious, sensationalist, etc), but obviously all television networks have the number one goal of entertaining people, even news networks, this is the basic assumption of television taught in any general level political science course. Certainly ANY network, or any media source from newspapers to radio, wants people to watch/enjoy/participate them, that’s a fair assumption. Then in the seventh slide the group assumes that CNN is liberal and Fox is conservative. If I was going to buy into this generalization I would think that MSNBC (or NBC in general) would be the more liberal network and CNN would be, perhaps, left-leaning politically. Yet they make the claim that CNN is centrist (as if most of the American population), which, in my mind, would make them “the most trusted name in news.”
Then, lastly, the group reiterates that CNN’s goal is to “give people what they want” and that CNN’s relationships “can definitely bring these claims [of honesty] to question.” I think that the group fails here to properly conclude the theme of their project: CNN, the media, and “news.” They fail to talk about CNN’s use of twitter during broadcasts, different programs, or even the reporters themselves – which make me question the legitimacy of their project. Like ALL television that people watch today CNN wants viewers, money, and acclaim, CNN is not biased in this way comparatively, at least no bias is shown by this particular project.
Music--the means for the messages found in GLEE
I am writing in response to the project on Glee. First I want to say props to whoever did the youtube piece! I am a Glee-watcher myself and thought it was a great recap of the show, and it particularly showcased the MUSICAL aspect of the show, which unfortunately seems to be completely left out of the analysis part of the project! In the Circuit of culture, there is the “production” section. What is so important about Glee is that the show (and all of it’s themes, characters and controversies) are made possible through the means of music. In the powerpoint, there are references to how popular the show is and its appeal to people of all ages. The producers of Glee are genius. They set out to produce a show that would appeal to ALL audiences. Young, old, gay, straight, men and women. The themes and messages embedded in the show are either controversial (such as gay rights, teen pregnancy and divorce), or completely stereotypical (high school love, jocks v. geeks, etc). These issues in themselves would not appeal to a very wide audience, but the goal of the show is to reach as many people as possible. What is something that appeals to all audiences? Music, of course! Music is truly a universal language and can cross any boundaries between groups of people. The music in Glee is fun to watch and listen to and really puts you in a good mood and gives you a feeling of solidarity. There is something about watching a group of people put on a truly great performance that makes you connect to them want to be part of the experience. The music of Glee allows for the messages and propaganda of the show to be accepted—or at the very least, heard— by the audience. Without the music, Glee would not be nearly as successful as it is. It would simply be a controversial soap opera that would likely have gone off the air after its first season. Music affects everyone, and you could do a whole project on the role that music plays in our culture. But the main point of music is that good music connects people and appeals to all. The music sucks people into becoming Gleeks, and once they are caught up in the show, they are then bombarded with political and cultural messages (some of these messages come from the song choices, themselves), but it is too late for people to back out…they are already hooked! The producers are brilliant. Week after week millions tune in. And as long as they keep putting in a few hit songs, the producers of Glee have the power to promote whatever messages they so please to millions.
Reponse to "Religion"
I really enjoyed looking at your project about religion in our world. I'm a Catholic and it was nice to read about the Christianity section. What would have been great was if you had gone into some of the faiths within Christianity, such as Lutheran, Baptist, and Catholic. You could have shown how they are alike and different, and maybe why that is. One aspect that stood out for me was the section that said "Their lives here depends on their afterlife; whether they may go to Heaven or Hell." This is true with all Christians, but Catholics also believe in Purgatory, which is a state of cleansing before you reach Heaven...basically, if you still have the stain of sin on you, you can't enter Heaven, so you need to go to Purgatory first and be spiritually cleansed and made ready for Heaven. But in the end, it's either Heaven or Hell. But seeing more of a compare/contrast in the Christianity section would've deepened your project i feel.
(Bishop George Niederauer, right, presents LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley with Catholic Community Services' Distinguished Humanitarian Award on Oct. 5, 2004).
The aspect of religion in our society definitely plays a role in how we view one another. Just as I was writing this blog at my Granpa's house, two men knocked on the door. They were missionaries from the Mormon church. My grandpa is Catholic too, but he enjoys talking to them, so he asked them to come in and he wanted them to meet me. I talked to these two guys (Elder Brooks and Elder Gardner...Elder means "missionary") and i was a little hesitent to talk to them, but that's what culture has done to me...every time i see mormons out on their bikes and white shirts (stereotypical) i tend to avoid them and not talk to them. But these men were very nice and they respected my Faith and i did theirs. We talked a little a bit and I could see that we shared common ground (i.e. Jesus, missionaries, family oriented, etc). What was really nice was that I gained more respect for them. I'm sure it's difficult to leave home, to not watch tv or anything until your 24 months are up...that's what these young men do. They also travel all over and get doors slammed in their faces, so I can only imagine the hardship that makes on their daily lives to know that people don't care about them or their faith. I respect them, but I would never convert becuase I'm firmly rooted in my Catholic faith.
They are met with a lot of opposition, and I'm not saying that their beliefs are right or not, but people still need to treat them with respect. Check out this
vid (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onlo8bLSTVE).
Overall, your project was very well done. You got the aspects of some of the major religions down to a 'T' and you explain their beliefs fully. Religion plays a HUGE role in culture and my own life, so this project definitely stood out to me and I hope my suggestions and clarifications helped you out!!
Bridezilla? Plastic Barbie? Marrying a lady who is more fake than real?
"Bridal Plasty"! Not only did this powerpoint catch my attention because of its name (which I recognized) and the fact that my roommates and I had watched this show the other night (horrified to what we saw), but the fact of these two words put together ring so terribly, and I love that there wasa capstone project done about this in order to analyze this media shock. Although in my opinion a few years from now this "shock" may not be so shocking, based on the fact that the representation of women especially now that this show has come out, and there WILL be more like it, is that all of these ideals and perfection based bodies, faces, and anything else are REAL and ATTAINABLE with a little money and work done. It is that much easier to THINK you can feel good and happy about yourself by fitting a standard which our culture has created to be wonderful.
Friday, December 17, 2010
BridalPlasty
I remember when I first saw the commercial for the show BridalPlasty and I thought it was an honest to god complete joke. I felt completely disgusted and appalled by what I had just seen. It’s sad to think that a woman needs to completely change herself in order to have a perfect wedding. In most cases, the guy asked you to marry him because he already likes the way you look; he’s not expecting you to get a ton of plastic surgery. Honestly I don’t think plastic surgery is every necessary unless it will have extreme health benefits for the person, like in the case of severe obesity or a constructive nasal problem. Also the use of plastic surgery being given out, as prizes like on a game show is just utterly disgusting. To think of all the necessary surgery that needs to be performed on people in order to save their lives and the surgeons waste their time on surgeries that are completely impractical and unnecessary. I’m looking at the pictures of all the women on the show right now and they all look absolutely fine and actually probably what society finds very “attractive”. Even if they weren’t “attractive” according to society’s standards, they would look beautiful they way they are. I also find it very ironic that the one woman who the surgery was slightly “necessary” was the one who was off the show first. It’s like it’s not interesting unless it’s completely ridiculous and impractical.
One thing I would have been more interested in would have been the opinion the grooms. It would just be interesting to hear exactly what they feel about this. It’s sad that our society has created such insecurity in women about their looks that they feel like they need to completely alter them. In case you didn’t know, we’re supposed to look like humans, not plastic dolls or otherwise we’d be born that way. There needs to be a whole culture shift in the USA regarding body image, starting with the way we eat and the fact that were always sitting down watching tv or on the computer, which is where we encounter these images and societal claims that make some believe they need to completely reconstruct themselves.