American Dream

Q.: What is being "normal"?  Why is society developed like this? How can we achieve power and control over our lives? Why do some people have to change who they are just to fit in to be "normal"? Why cant we different and be who we are meant to be without being judged?

A.:In Kevin Jennings' American Dream, he talks about some of the major cultural artifacts in his life that made his own social identity. While growing up in rural community in Lewisville, North Carolina, Kevin Jennings and his mother wanted what most people wanted in the 60s, the American Dream.One of the first cultural artifacts that affect Kevin Jennings was his father and his father’s ministry. He was brought up as a Southern Baptist and right from the beginning he was taught in his father’s sermons that, “gay people were twisted perverts destined for a lifetime of eternal damnation.”  He knew from a very young age of six or seven that he was gay and that because of his upbringings and his father that he needed to hide his difference and pretend to be wheat he thought was “normal”.

Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes

Q.: I really don't have any questions. The questions I have I answer them myself.




A.:In today’s society, there are clearly outlined rules and guidelines that explain how men and women should act. Although they might not be specifically written down on stone, gender roles definitely exist in popular culture. In his article, "Gender Role Behavior and Attitudes", Aaron Devor discusses not only what men and women’s gender roles are, but he attempts to explain why they have become so unflinchingly strict in today’s society.  He says masculinity is usually characterized by dominance and aggression, where as femininity is characterized by passivity and submission.  How exactly did the roles become established? Devor claims that gender roles are the result, rather than the cause, of status inequalities. He explains this hypothesis by saying that the ideology behind gender roles postulates that the cultural superiority of males is a natural outgrowth of predisposition  of males toward aggression and dominance. While females gender roles are based on evolution of the species, such as childbirth and breast feeding, essentially reflect the view that femininity revolves around heterosexuality and maternity.

Goin' Gangsta, Choosin' Cholita

Q.:Some teenagers dismiss gangsta and cholo styles as "affections." What does it mean

 

 to call something an "affection"? What are some examples of an "affection". Is the

 

word used positively or negatively? When we call something "exotic" what do

 

we mean? Is it a favorable or unfavorable comment? Where does the word

 

come from?

 

A.:

In “Goin’ Gangsta, Choosin’ Cholita: Claiming Identity,” Nell Bernstein argues that

some young people have claimed racial identities other than their own and this is not a bad thing.  Some young people are influenced by music and television, and then they begin to mimic the things they hear and see while other people claim to be races they are not because of association or they only claim part of their identity.  Bernstein explains that as time goes by the suburbs are becoming more diverse and people in the suburbs have become infatuated with the “city life”.  At the same time, others have found it too hard to be white or their own race, so they claim another ethnicity, or only part of theirs to fit in.  Bernstein believes that being who you want to be is what the 21^st century is all about.

Acting White

Q.: How does a white person "act"?  Why would people label what we do as a "thing"? Why do we need to be with other people like us?  Why are they just targeting black people?

A.:The fact of the matter is that is does not matter what your skin color is that defines how your future will be determined.  Only you can determine your future.  So you can go with the stereotypes of each race, or you can go against all odds and prove to society that there are no barriers.  I can also tell you that when you have a great home and family that you are able to support because of the hard work you have put into the past, no one will be judging you and saying that you "acted white."  Whatever they say will not matter because whatever you did worked and whatever they did, did not work.

Avatar

Q.:
There is one part of the film I didn't quite understand. The whole war at the end of the movie was to stop the humans to bomb the Tree of Souls. However, wasn't that tree already destroyed by the dozers the morning after they "mate for life"? Also, how was Jake with the tree praying before the war when it was destroyed? The Na'Vi look like a lot of different native peoples on Earth, with their war paint and their weapons and so on. Were they actually based on Earth tribes? So the Na'Vi are hunters but they don't kill too many animals. What's their main food source? Why do the Na’vi so readily accept Jake into their culture?

A.:
Avatar is a fantasy in which the history of colonization is rewritten, but it a fantasy specifically for white people living with a heavy dose of liberal guilt. And it is one that, ultimately, marginalizes indigenous peoples and affirms white supremacy.
If it were a fantasy for, say, the American Indian population in the U.S., the story might go a little differently. In that fantasy there would be no Sully character. It’s that simple.

The offensive movie cliche that won't die

Q.Do they label other nationalities this way as well? Not the term "magical negro" but something else? Are there films out there that have these roles reversed? Why does the author have to label blacks as "magical negro"? Why doesn't white people want black people to succeed? They have rights like everyone else. Why the prejudice?

A.:Not sure what to think of this reading.  Seems to me that the relationships between the "magical nergroes" and white men are potrayed as master and servant in films. I find it kind of racial that films are made that way. Shouldn't everyone be equal and not labeled like that. My thing is that the actors and actresses aren't even worried about it because they are big time stars in there own right. I don't agree how the author tries to label black actors and actresses thos way. If it was a problem then they wouldn't be known or be in the films.

"Race Relations Light Years from Earth

Q.:
As one of the most popular movies produced I find it hard to believe that it is regarded as a racist movie. Why would they even bring that up? I don't think Jake is the "whit messiah".  Wouldn't he have to be like one of them in from the get go not at the end? How are extraterrestrials of race? Are they basing this movie as racist because of this statement "How does it feel to betray your own race?" I don't know I'm confused with that statement. So why did the author change his mind at the end? Are there movies that are actually racist?




A.:
I don't think this movie is in anyway racist and to say that this movie is implies the director is a racist. In the movie the white actors discovery of another world in which extraterrestrials live. They send Jake Sully to the planet to befriend the people and to try and take their riches. So how does this movie to be racists. I guess it depends on ones opinion on the matter.

Class and Virtue

Q.:
Why would it matter how a movie is made or its intentions? Most people wouldn't mind but looking deeper into it. Why do they make assumptions that rich are greedy than the lower class. Couldn't it be the other way around? Is there any truth that it is happening now and the author is trying to get it exposed? Is there a reason why they have to brand people a certain way and how they should carry themselves?


A.:
In this reading the author presents the point that working people are "less desirable and less moral" than middle class people. This reading meets us with different side of the idea of richer or poorer. Many people see the upper class as more greedy and cruel than the lower class. This idea is described in many movies and TV shows that we watch. Everyone has desires , no matter what part of the social class they are. The difference in morals and values come from the lives they are leading.

The Thematic Paradigm

Q.: What would the outlaw and official have in common? I mean isn't the outlaw hero breaking the law? At least that is what I thought of them that way. I may be wrong.  with the outlaw heroes wouldn't the women be a big help and not misrepresent them? Are there outlaw heroes that have there act together? If an outlaw knows what right and wrong is why would he feel the need to break the law anyways?

A.:
The Author begins with somewhat of a background on the types of heroes that are portrayed in the movies. These are the outlaw heroes and the official heroes. They are opposites in personality and beliefs. The outlaw heroes more individualistic and the official heroes being more of family men. We want both of these extremes in our lives and we don't want to choose. These two heroes back each other up in their own  way which reflects the difficulty in choosing only one heroes' beliefs/personality.

Writing about pop culture

Q.: In this reading I found the information to be very helpful to me when I begin to write essays for this class. One thing that comes to mind is why popular culture? I find it odd but kind of challenging. How does reading about ads make us a better writer? Is it possible to write an essay and totally misinterpret what the ad is trying to tell us. What if this type of is not interesting to a student? How can it be become interesting? I found that the Questions for Analyzing Images to be very informative but its for images can we still use these questions for commercial as well?

A.: I'm glad this reading is in this book. It clearly took a lot of weight off my shoulders when I write my essays. This reading is very informative and not complicated in any way. It was broken down to make it easy when writing papers. Hope I can find more info in the book about these statement.

Dove's "Real Beauty' Backlash"

Q.: The main message of the Dove ad was that women's unique differences should be celebrated, rather than ignored, and that physical appearance should be transformed from source of anxiety to a source of confidence. But does this ad actually reinforce stereotypes, or contribute to lowered self-esteem? Does the ad feature more of a race than the other? Should we be so harsh on ourselves? I mean we think women are more beautiful than we think we are. Why are women of color on screen less than 10 seconds at most in the ads? Aren't we beautiful in our own way?

A.: The ad itself has been the subject of much criticism and controversy surrounding its true intentions but despite it all, the ad is still going strong after 10 yrs. after its initial launch. Dove continues to develop new initiatives that promote positive body image. It can be viewed as sending a positive message with the goal of changing women's attitude toward their perception of beauty. But some women still look toward people that they see on TV to define what their own bodies should look like. That's where self-esteem comes to play.  

Men's men and women's women

Q.: I read both readings and I'm not really sure if I did my first blog right or not. after hearing one of the class mates blog that was so good on Tuesday I really am confused and doubting myself as if I can do this or not. I'm not a very good writer. I almost wanted to use the questions at the end of each reading and answer those but that's what we are to do.

Masters of desire: The Culture of American Advertising

Q.: Why are Americans after "The American Dream"? In advertising it shows different ways and what they use to show different social classes and think that is discriminating. Why would advertisers do that? Why do advertisers feel the need to resort to showing nudity or flesh at all? Why do we fall for the advertisements for products and possibly go into debt? And why would we let ourselves get lured into buying these things?

A.: Is it to show people that if I can do so can you. But if that's the case things do happen in life that we cant have "The American Dream". But why chase after that. People need to focus and be content with what they have and not fall for the advertisement. Just because some people can afford the lavish things that the companies promote so well to a certain social class doesn't mean that we don't deserve the same advertisement procedures. I think sex is way overly used to get people to buy things. I think that they can sell whatever they are selling in a modest way. I think we do because it promises or says it does this and that. We want to show others that we can buy it like they can not caring at the moment that in reality we suffer and those that depend on us suffer as well.