CITYterm Pop Culture Blogs

Toys R Us

2010-10-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

TOYS R US is a magical place. When you step in you instantly feel like a five year old lost in the most wonderful building in the world, regardless of your age, gender or ethnicity. And yet, certain toys are clearly meant or not meant for you depending on those very categories. Just one look at the box of a toy informs us of its intended playmate. In the store, were specific sections devoted to toys for girls or toys for boys. Our group, comprised of three guys and one girl, were immediately drawn to the Nerf guns.

On the box of all Nerf guns, there is always the picture of a teenage boy with intensity burning in his eyes, looking down the barrel of his spring powered plastic weapon of choice. The box all but shouts Nerf guns are for cool boys.

Being the cool boys they are, all three of the guys in our group immediately began intensely examining the array of Nerf weaponry. We picked various objects and began to excitedly compare the features of each gun, already planning the epic battles that would soon unfold on the battlefield of the boys hall. Meanwhile, Victoria awkwardly stood there. Why is it that we did not envision a Nerf Gun battle involving all of CITY Term? Why couldn’t we see ourselves playing with girls? Was it that we assumed they wouldn’t want them to play or that we didn’t want them to play? In fact, there is nothing about Nerf guns that precludes girls from playing with them. There’s no reason they would not want to play with them besides the fact that Nerf guns have always been marketed solely towards boys.

Boys want to play with these Nerf guns fundamentally, because men shoot real guns. Because it’s a semi competitive game based on war, something that has always been associated entirely, and dominated entirely by men. Boys aspire to be men. But boys, especially in this era, have very little to do with war. What has remained is the social association between the two.

Nerf Guns are fun, everybody should want to play with them, they’re little foam bullets that don’t hurt, that anybody can use, that require virtually no semblance of coordination and skill. Yet the guys immediately left poor Victoria all alone to jump at the arsenal of Nerf weaponry, presuming that she would not want to join us.

In discussion, we realized that we were in fact an example of the gender roles we were so quick to criticize in class the day before. No amount of discussion or self-awareness changes the fact, that we are all subject, to social pressure.

"Havin' dem Bitchezz"

2010-10-17T15:59:00.000-07:00

“Look at this view”, “Good things come in threes”, “Don’t be jealous”. What’s the first thing that you think of when you hear these three phrases? Women. With no knowledge of the advertisement, one would automatically know that women are the basic premise of the ad just by looking at these quotes. Featuring Drake, Trey Songz, Pittbull and Rihanna, the advertisement promotes Kodak’s new camera the EasyShare. In Trey Songz’ ad he receives a picture of Drake in front of a sign saying “Drake Sold OUT” and responds with a picture of him on a balcony with a girl in the background. His catch phrase is “Look at this view”. The premise of the view is the background however, to the audience, the implication of the view is the woman. He then goes on to send the picture to Drake, Pittbull, Rihanna and Facebook. These ads are a series, with one celebrity for each commercial, four commercials in all. In the series, the competition of pictures trails on to Pittbull and Rihanna, who each submit a response, Pittbull’s being a picture of him with three girls and the caption “Good things come in threes” and Rihanna’s video being one of her surrounded by many women with the caption “Don’t be jealous”. In this series of commercials the viewer is exposed to many different kinds of success. It begins with Drake pronouncing his success with his sold-out concert but in order to one up him, Trey Songz flaunts his romantic evening with his partner. Pittbull does the same but instead of flaunting romance he flaunts numbers, numbers of women. Front row at fashion week, Rihanna tops them all with a video of her with many women, a lot more than three. All in all, with the premise of the camera being to easily share photographs and video footage with friends, the implication is that in this circle of successful idols the amount of women each celebrity is surrounded by defines their success. With Rihanna’s commercial, we found it interesting that she was included in a competition with men and in order to be included and beat the other men, she had to comply with their standard of success “havin' dem bitches.”

By Lara, Miles, Amelia, Phelix

Just Like Home?!

2010-10-17T15:51:00.001-07:00

The toy that jumped out at us most, was in the “girls” section of the Toys ‘R’ Us. It was called “The Deluxe Cleaning Set” made by the company “Just Like Home.” On the box it shows a little girl enjoying her “realistic look” cleaning supplies. The set includes a toy broom, dust pan, mop, scrubbing sponges, swiffer like mop, replacement cloths, heavy duty gloves, and a mop bucket. The set comes in either light blue or lavender.

We feel that not only does this show consumers that women are supposed to grow up to clean but they should enjoy cleaning and think it’s fun. The fact that this set was in the “girls section” and showed only a girl playing on the box emphasizes the notion that cleaning is a feminine task and not masculine. The words on the front of the box, “just like home” support the idea that young girls should grow up to clean. Also it indicates the company’s premise that at the children’s own homes the women take on this role. This and the selection of baby dolls, kitchen sets, and other cleaning sets made us wonder why society influences little girls to “play grownup” long before they should.

Some questions that this raised for us were: Why are little girls attracted to these toys? While we understand that there is a pre-existing stereotype for women to be domestic that causes the industry to produce toys like this, we wonder what makes these toys so interesting to young girls. If these toys weren’t so clearly marketed towards young girls, would young boys want to buy them too? Are products like these causes or affects of gender stereotypes? If the packaging on these toys were made more gender ambiguous would it contribute to the gradual changing of female domestic stereotypes?

-Mary T., Kate, Marin, Sophia M.

Grab a Bud and Head to the Game

2010-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

The advertisement that jumped out to us was the Budweiser screen in Times Square. It showed many Budweiser products on the large screen with interchanging sports and men as well as many refreshing images of ice and frothiness. No women were featured in this ad and the male scenes were associated with sports, primarily in the baseball field. The stereotypical American male is drawn to sports and by associating beer with the all- American past time it will definitely appeal to them. Not liking sports makes a guy different by not being masculine; therefore, this ad suggests that not liking beer makes you un-masculine. It’s expected of guys to enjoy sports, and by linking the two together it is showing that guys should be expected to drink beer to fit in at the sports games they love. This ad excludes women by not showing any female figures and focusing on sports. This could be an attempt to say that women do not or should not enjoy sports as much as men do, and therefore do not like beer as much as men do. This ad even extends to the point of suggesting that when a girl drinks beer or enjoys sports, they are losing their femininity.

Although we find this add to be stereotypical and generalizing the All American man, we have this type of advertising many times in toys, magazines, and commercials. Because of its prevalence, we can assume that these advertisements are the ones that sell. What does say about our society?

Blair, Adela, Rachel

KIDS THESE DAYS...

2010-10-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

We started our trip to Toys R Us by asking ourselves what types of toys we liked to play with when we were younger. Quela, Abby, and Mika mentioned Bratz, Barbies, and Hot Wheels, and Christian said he used to love action figures and Hot Wheels as well. There were overlapping interests for the “boy” toys, but not for the “girl” ones. Arriving at Toys R Us, the result was the same. There was a multitude of little boys and little girls running around in the Lego and Bionicle sections, but no boys in the Barbie house, and if there were, it was unwillingly for the most part. No labels clearly designated “boy” and “girl” sections, but when we asked an employee where best to find a toy for our young niece, he definitively answered, “2^nd floor. That’s the girl’s floor.” The 2^nd floor consisted of a plethora of pink and butterflies, the premise being that girls like pink, and boys do not.

Along with colors being assigned to certain genders there were unspoken implications in the packaging that we saw that seemed to say: Boys like red and blue, cars, fire, and things that move fast. Girls don’t like “boy things” and boys don’t like “girl things”. These premises lead to the implications that boys will deem it socially unacceptable to play with Barbie, and it will become socially unacceptable for girls to play with cars.

After going down the escalator we went right and found ourselves in the electronics section. After browsing the various products, we noticed a pattern; the most notable being the color scheme. For example, we came across iHome music players available in two colors; one being blue, the other pink. This further shows how color is so directly involved in societal gender roles.

After discussing what our reactions were to visiting Toys R Us, everyone in our group came to the mutual agreement that the toy industry is abhorrently sexist. They make assumptions and premises based on the stereotyped genders that are imposed upon young children today. These toys, whether it’s a remote-controlled helicopter or an Edward Cullen Barbie doll, are geared towards either the boy or the girl by embedding within the toys a specific influence of gender.

C H R I S T I A N

Q U E L A

A B B Y

Sex Appeal, What Are Times Square Billboards Really Trying To Sell?

2010-10-17T15:28:00.000-07:00

As we traveled through Times Square amongst the sea of advertisements two stood out to us the most. One a couple in Ugg boots dressed fashionably laying on top of a pile of logs and the other a sexy women peeling down her bikini against a beautiful beach backdrop showing her tan line. What we realized was that these billboards were trying to sell more than a trip to the Dominican Republic or a pair of Ugg boots, they were selling sex appeal.

The people in the Ugg add were romantically sprawled on top of the logs and what we realized was that this tactic seemed to aim towards men. We believe that Ugg is trying to interest men into buying their product for more business by showing off the fact that other men wear it. Ugg's are primarily known as being very feminine footwear. They are now are trying to be masculine by calling their product line "Australia," a place known for its outback and wilderness. Also the add shows a man caressing an attractive women next to him, which shows that if he wears Ugg's he will attract her attention.

The add for the Dominican Republic (DR) was a blatant reminder "sex sells." It catches your eye by showing you a half-naked women peeling down her bikini to show off her tan line with a "TAN SQ" inscribed in it. Obviously geared to attract men of the idea that if they take a trip to the DR they will be confronted by many sexy women. Any man who has felt the social pressure to fell masculine will immediately fell like traveling to the DR to meet these sexy women.

The social pressure on men to be as masculine as they can be is not only being used by media, but also fueled by the media to sell their product.

By, Joe, Jack, and Peter

"Wow Matey!"

2010-10-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Times Square is the commercial intersection of New York City. It is an overlapping of stores, billboards, window displays, restaurants, tourist traps and every aspect of the area is lathered in advertisements exclaiming, “this could be you!” Yet it was underneath the bright lights, and the numerous airbrushed giants that we found a shocking depiction of sex and gender in the big apple. Being mid October, the city has been growing Halloween stores right and left, like pimples on an adolescent. However, one particular Halloween store that we stumbled into in Times Square contradicted some of our fondest childhood memories.

Instead of our misty images of pumpkins and ghosts from the past, we found ourselves in a pot of sexual innuendo and scantly clad representations. In whichever direction you looked, your eyes found images containing long legs, short skirts, excessive cleavage, and pouty lips. Not only did the models look unreal and representative of porn stars, but the innuendo that accompanied the package was overwhelming. Strip officer, Tara U. Clothesoff, Beer Pong Babe (with a skirt reading “don’t forget to wash your balls”) Chick-A-Dee’s chick who was chocking a chicken, Naughty Nun, and Light Me Up Ladybug. These costumes covered a whole two floors.

Although there were some male costumes that were full of sexual innuendo, and penis jokes, none of them seemed as risky or revealing as the women's outfits. One particular representation that we found fairly contradictory was that of two sailor outfits. The males was plain white, entitled “Sailor” and covered up almost the entirety of his body. The models pose on the packaging was almost child like, and the model himself had plenty of what you would call “boyish charm”. However the counterpart to the “Sailor” costume, was the women’s equivalent, “Wow Matey!” made by Delicious: Sexywear of New York; this costume was in many ways an opposite. Depicted on the front was a young women with a bare stomach, her costume was tight and very revealing. The models pose included one hand on her hip, and the other playfully coiled in her pigtail. She was very thin, very tan, and to many men, very inviting.

We observed, that in this particular costume shop, men were not being objectified as objects of sex, whereas women were. And in the few cases, that men were being objectified, it was always in a powerful, masculine manner (pimps, wrestlers, warriors.) Different to the women, who it seemed were always there “to serve” the men and bring them pleasure. Not only was this somewhat disturbing, but we also found a whole section entitled “Teens and Tweens” who had similar outfits for young men and women.

The implications of these “sexy”, scandalous, skimpy costumes are that, they are giving women and young girls alike the same message. That they should be merely attractive whores. Some of us thought objectification of any kind was bad, yet others believed that objectification was okay, as long as it was being done to everyone. Our goggle-check also showed some interesting habits, like laughing and posing with all of these costumes while simultaneously being horrified. However, we all left wondering, what this store reflected of our modern day depiction of men, women, sex, and gender?

-Gracie, Paul, Tori, Leo

I'm A Barbie Girl

2010-10-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

What if all women had the same body as a Barbie? Studies show that the body type that Barbie has is physically impossible to achieve and function with. At the same time, women feel pressure to look this way because that is what the media convinces them is the norm. Since men and women are more likely to look at these over sexualized kinds of ads—men because they are attracted to this, women because they strive for the skinny look—they are used without exception by companies such as Barbie.

We kept thinking back to the days when we used to play with Barbies. Were the Barbies as over sexualized as they are now? No, they were not. While we were in “Toys ‘R’ Us,” we stumbled upon a section with collector Barbies, showing us Barbies from many years ago. Gradually, the Barbies became more sophisticated and over sexualized. These toys that are targeted for little kids are portraying more mature and older women in their twenties. As a result, young girls are exposed to ideas of what they should look like before they should be worrying about superficial pressures in society.

As we continued past “Toys ‘R’ Us” to explore more of Times Square, we noticed that almost all fashion ads for women were promiscuous. Advertising companies are under the impression that this is the only way to grab the attention of men and women. At the same time, men are over sexualized as well. Most ads include men without their shirts on or staring seductively at a woman, who bears lots of skin and wears the same expression as her male counterpart.

To make a long story short, advertising towards adults and even children has gradually become more sexual than it has ever been. These advertisements are sexist towards men and women, inspiring the wrong ideas in the minds of children of the next generation.

-Deema, Mary R., Lucy, Hunter

Barbies Vs. Legos: Caelyn, Lauren, and Sophia N.

2010-10-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we walked into Toys R Us in Times Square. We were hit with the memories of when we were 4 and getting to go to Toys R Us and pick out whatever we wanted. Everyone went to Toys R Us as a kid, it was the toy store to go to. This time it was different, we went in with different goggles on. We went in, however, not to pick out a toy, but to observe the gender stereotypes unconsciously built into toys.

When you are young your imagination is at its peak, children's toys are made with intension of kids putting themselves into the character. The pattern that stood out the most was girls characters were given unrealistic jobs, girls have dolls and Barbies that depict a lifestyle of, a princess, a girlfriend/wife, a mother, or prom queen. With the exception of mother, young girls are striving to be something that will not get them anywhere. Also all of them rely on someone else to provide for them. However boys toys have jobs such as: pilot, firefighter, doctor, or farmer. All of these jobs are practical and lucrative. Playing with these toys, boys will follow their dream and have a realistic profession, while girls dream of becoming a pretty princess. The likelihood of a boy achieving his dream is much higher then a girls.

To what extent do the gender specific toys affect the way children grow up?

Friends - Deema

2010-10-04T16:57:00.001-07:00

Every weekend, I tell myself one more episode, and then I will start my homework. Yet, one more episode turns into five more episodes, and Sunday afternoon turns into Sunday night. This is the addictive nature of the hit comedy called Friends. Yes, I have already seen every episode of Friends, and yes, every weekend, I continue to watch and rewatch the episodes. Maybe it’s the comical relief brought by Chandler’s witty jokes, Phoebe’s quirkiness, or Joey’s shocking immaturity, or maybe, it is Monica’s obsessive qualities, Ross’s geekiness, or Rachel’s self-absorbed behavior. However, together the six of them fall into hilarious situations in all aspects of their life – relationships, work, and other miscellaneous situations. Through the seasons, I began to watch them grow up as people, to the point where I feel as if I know them. I have heard people say, myself included, things like, “Oh, that’s such a Rachel thing to do”, or “I can’t believe Joey got that turkey stuck on his head.” Those who watch the show regularly speak about these six characters as if they had cultivated personal relationships with them. However, it’s not only that, I sympathize with Chandler when Janice randomly pops back into his life; I laugh at Ross when all of the characters make fun of his multiple failed marriages, and I get excited with Rachel when she finds out that she is going to have a baby. Not only that, during the 90’s, Friends was so popular that people were constantly asking for the “Rachel” haircut.
Friends is an attractive show to all because of the blatant but still funny humor. For me, there are some shows that people find funny, but since I can’t seem to understand the jokes, I just nod along and pretend to enjoy it. There are other shows, like slapstick comedies, that are obnoxiously funny that after a while they stop being funny and become boring. Yet Friends mixes up the jokes in a way that every episode is funny. I always find myself looking for a funny episode but then remembering, it doesn’t matter because every episode is funny. However, what is it that makes a friends episode funny? I looked up the top ten funny episodes online, and almost every list had “The One Where Everybody Finds Out.” If you look at the description of that episode, it combines all the kinds of funny. The basis of this episode is Chandler and Monica’s secret relationship, combined with Ross needing to find a new apartment. Therefore, you have one random situation and one relationship. When Phoebe finds out about Monica and Chandler’s secret relationship, each of the characters handles the situation in a way that fully embodies their personalities. Monica’s competitive edge shines through, as do Phoebe’s weird quirks. Meanwhile, Ross is desperately trying to get this apartment and resorts to all ends to do it. Finally, work issues get worked into the episode as well because Ross has been fired for his job for his intense rage and is trying to show his boss that he is back on his feet when he sees Monica and Chandler through the window and freaks out in a typical Ross manner. This episode meshes together all of the qualities that makes Friends a funny show. Everyone can relate to work problems, relationship problems and those random problems that just rattle your day. Friends attracts so many people because it is about everyday issues that people face everyday.

Hey Bro - Stefan

2010-10-04T00:07:00.000-07:00

There comes a time, when a man asks himself if they truly understand what it means to be a bro, and more specifically what it means to be in a broship. You hear about bros all the time, weather it be as I pass you in the hall and ask “what’s up bro?”, when somebody’s stray Frisbee lands at your feet and you hear “hey bro can you help us out”, or even as it was originally used, an abbreviation for brother. Bros, or the idea of a bro, are everywhere and shape our society in ways we can’t even begin to understand. I’m not kidding when I say, that the idea of a bro can lead a little boy cough* ten year old me coug* to their understanding of masculinity or their relationship with their friends. It definitely affects people’s idea of college, it’s value, and fraternities, but I’ll get into that later. We all see the word ‘bro’ in a different way, and it affects us all differently, because like any word, or concept, (words are concepts after all right?) it’s meaning is derived solely by yours and societies perception of said word/concept. So before my thoughts run away with me, I’ll try to project my understanding of what it means to be a bro onto you in the hopes that the whole world embraces it.
Of course we’ve all heard and some even seen what the comedic media presents as bros. Websites like College humorr will show you pictures or articles of trust fund frat guys drinking beers playin’ some LaX, icing each other and nailin’ some chicks. But the comedic media also portrays like, female high schoolers as, like, dumb valley girls, as if, portrays conservatively minded voters as George W esque, grammatically incorrect sentence forming buffoons, inhabitants of rural areas as gun tottin’, bible thumpin’, drawling fools, and eco conscious individuals, as bleeding heart liberal greenies who would sooner die of thirst than buy a plastic water bottle. The media does all this for one reason, and one reason only, it’s easier to make fun of an exaggerated or even falsified stereotype than the real thing. And I for one, simply refuse, to ever, ever accept that the beer drinkin, football watchin’, lax playin’, loud, annoying, bigoted college frat dude, is a bro.
Maybe I’m being idealistic, clinging to my what’ I’ve always held to be a bro, but as my bro put it, “a bro is someone you can tell things you can’t tell a friend, who you have a special relationship with where you start words with bro like: brolationship, broski, brossef. A bro is someone you can trust, because they’ll always be there for you.”
I concur bro,
I concur.
I know that said bro is my bro, through and through. The past five weeks of my life have shown me that there are bros out there. There are guys that you can stay up with for a few hours after the days work has been done, or more often than not put off till tomorrow and just talk with, make incredibly disgusting or offensive jokes with, and just kinda chill with. Because If you can just chill with someone, talk about nothing, the meaning of life, about your problems, or not say anything at all, than they are your bro. I can say without a doubt that I have found bros to last a lifetime, and if this doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, it should. For all my witty little quips, this is a truly beautiful idea and I’m opening my heart to it and to you; via blog…
The next time I pass somebody µin the hall and casually call them a bro, they should know, I don’t mean it. In the same way kids my age desperately try to convince each other that they simply “love this person” and don’t meant it. Maybe we’re trying to get people to like us by begin affectionate, maybe we’re desperately searching for love/a broship… I digress…
Nay, a bro is more than an insincere passing comment in the hallway. There’s a reason you put bro’s before ho’s. You can ditch your friends for her, but unless u loves that girl, bros come first, because a bro is a dude who’s there for you, no matter what.
And with that I can say to all the guys reading this,
I love you bro.

Where the Wild Things Are

2010-10-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

I have a fear of letting go of my youth. I am enticed by everything about being young, and innocent. I love reading, and rereading books from my youth, and trying to recreate the feelings that I had when I was reading the books for the first time. I especially love when books are transformed into movies. My favorite movies would have to be Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Cloudy With a chance of Meatballs, and my all time favorite, Where the Wild Things Are.

Where the Wild Things Are is a children’s picture book that was published in 1963. It was written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. The book was so popular that it became an animated short, and opera, and in 2009 it was made into one of the best selling movies in the country. The movie is about a boy named Max is sent to bed for misbehaving, where he imagines a place where the wild things are. The Wild Things crown him their king after the promises that he makes to them, though he soon longs to be with his family again.

I have found that more and more people are becoming attracted to the minds of children and infants, and this movie shows a perfect window into the imagination of them. I am one of these people. I am obsessed with the brain, and the things that change throughout the lives of people. I realized that as we grow older, we lose our ability to imagine, and we become more boring. We are conformed by the rules and standards set by our society. This is why I have a fear of the future; I have a fear of losing my imagination.

Max is a ten-year-old boy who is living with a snotty sister, and a single mother. He has no idea what is happening around him in the world, and he couldn’t care less. He is naïve, and in his naivety, he is blissful. I want to hold onto my innocence and blissfulness as long as possible. I want to be ignorant to the world, and live without fear of anything except a fear of the dark. If more people had the imagination of children, there would not be nearly as much violence in the world as there is now.

Children don’t think in terms of hate, they love everything, as adults should. Children don’t judge someone based on their race or their religion, they judge them on whether the person is nice or not; and even if the person isn’t nice, they don’t categorize everyone that looks like them into the “mean” category; they categorize them based on that specific persons’ personality, and persona.

If the rest of the world had the mentality of Max in Where the Wild Things are, we as a people would be much better off. There would be no prejudice, and no hate. I am learning that it is okay to grow up; I just can’t loose my childhood mentality, and be sucked into the dull world that hates people based on what they look like, or whom the look up to.

Wyatt

What's So Funny?

2010-10-03T19:42:00.000-07:00

Some claim the show is unoriginal. Some claim the show is offensive. Yet after nine seasons, most claim Family Guy to be one of the funniest and greatest shows on television. Yet why? The question here isn’t simply why people like it; the question is why it has caused the splash it has. Recently it has had ratings and viewers comparable to Dexter and Sunday Night Football. Sunday Night Football has on average, 18.1 million viewers. To be compared to that in a positive manner is ridiculous! Considering the fact that football is almost a religion in most parts of the country, having anywhere near that is amazing. So Family Guy with its 10.6 million viewers can be pretty much stated as a successful show. I personally love the show but I still can’t understand what brings me back every Sunday night. It’s not a drama, so there’s no background story to play out in the next episode. It’s not teaching me anything like any show on discovery, it’s just funny. However that can be said about comedy in general. Family Guy has many distinctions from the rest of the comedic genre. It isn’t placed in an interesting city, and it’s not live action. That narrows it down to pretty much just the animated comedy routine, but still Family Guy stands out. I know that the Simpsons is the longest running show in the U.S. and probably more nightly viewers but the question isn’t whether or not Family Guy is better, but why specifically does it work? The writers for Family Guy have produced their own breed of humor, topics and jokes that if a passerby heard not knowing about the show they would find horrific to say the least. But why does this entice us? Sure it has the usual array of bodily function jokes and hilarious physical violence but Family Guy takes it a step further. For instances here, where a simple bodily function joke goes in a direction no one has thought of, on any other circumstance this would be considered across the line having an entire family down Epicac to induce vomiting over a simple thing like the last slice of pie. Now to some this may be across the line but that’s what Family Guy does, it dances on the line and sometimes it pays off, such as in the hilarious scene, yet sometimes it doesn’t. Family Guy has been has already had three lawsuits and is still going strong. Not only have they danced with the legal lines but controversy has plagued Family Guy. Family Guy has been cancelled numerous times, not only because of competing time slots but because of just general offense that has been felt by its comedy. Venezuela banned the show from all stations because of an episode promoting marijuana. Perhaps that is where part of its charm comes from its ability to survive the worst of scandals. Another aspect that appeals to the public is its quirky uniqueness; I can honestly say that there is nothing like it on TV. Family Guy has the ability to pull off jokes that would bomb in any other context. They tend to stretch jokes to the point where they are hardly bearable and then cut to some other crack on some sensitive subject that make it either funny or offensive. For some reason this routine is found hilarious time after time by people such as myself. When they are using the same joke in a new context, they are probably prodding some sleeping bear of a sensitive subject, like religion. Some people are the first to get into a heated debate about religion while others are avoiding the discussion like the plague. But Family Guy crates a third category by diving right in, headfirst all while staying jocular. They make light of a heavy subject by putting religion into weird situations. Such as taking Jesus to dinner, on any other show this would be grounds for immediate cancellation. Yet Family Guy pulls it off and makes people laugh in the process. One of Family Guy’s trademark gags are cutaways, these constant random mini-scenes are iconic to the show. And though they can happen several times per episode and they seem to have no relevance, the audience takes it. When considering the audience of Family Guy however it makes sense. Teenagers are infamous for having low attention spans and a random scene with a small joke in it is just what one is looking for when sitting through a half an hour program. These scenes range from thirty seconds to two minute but no matter what they always seem to be a hit. Even with jokes that wouldn’t usually appeal to teenagers, such as musicals they seem to be able to form it in such a way that they bring the viewer to love it. I think that is why people find everything in Family Guy so funny, its universality. Family Guy makes fun of every group of people and walks away. I think that is why people love this show, it is such a break from the mold and it has the audacity to kick the rules aside and think nothing of it.
-Joe

Foniasophobia

2010-10-03T17:57:00.002-07:00

I have an obsession with serial killers. I read about them online, watch "Dexter" and other crime TV shows, and constantly tell others about serial killers. I promise I am normal, but I know my obsession is really weird. However, I am obviously not alone in my obsession, proven by the prevalence of the serial killer in American pop culture.
Albert Fish. Hannibal Lector. Ted Bundy. Dexter. In slasher films, crime shows such as “Law and Order SVU”, or even television shows such as “Dexter”, the idea of a serial killer fits right in with the portrayal of violent figures in Pop Culture including gangsters, spies, vigilantes and the like. Not only are fictional serial killers prevalent in American pop culture, but the media also obsesses over real life serial killers such as Albert Fish or Charles Manson, with multiple documentaries and books about these real life horror movie characters. However, some opponents of violence in the media suggest that such prevalence has desensitized the public to violence, and could possibly even cause admiration for such acts. But is this really possible? In horror movies, with what character does the audience empathize with, the killer? No, they empathize with the victims. So, the real question is: why is it that we as a society are obsessed with such characters? If we love horror movies, yet empathize with the victims, does our obsession just stem from a desire to feel fear? It may very well be the simple fact that like sex, violence sells. Perhaps it is as simple as that for most, but for me it is not. I cannot watch horror movies, but I obsess over their characters. I read about serial killers online, but only those with female victims. I have a paranoid fear of serial killers, yet I am obsessed with them. Why is it that I am obsessed with serial killers? Perhaps my motive is the same as the rest of the world; I want to feel fear. But if that is true, why don’t I watch horror movies? The extent of my horror movie experience is watching the trailers whenever they come on television. Well, it is actually watching the first two seconds of horror movie trailers before I run out of the room with my eyes covered. Why do I have this obsession with violence and serial killers but can’t watch movies featuring them? Perhaps my obsession comes not from my desire to feel fear but my paranoia. Perhaps I obsess over serial killers as a subconscious form of self protection: if I am an expert about my fear, than I can recognize it and avoid it in real life. I really am not sure, and throughout the duration of this assignment, I still have not been able to pinpoint why exactly I have this obsession or the reason it is so specific. However, I did come to one conclusion while on this project; I really want this book.

Victoria G.

Farmviller

2010-10-03T17:57:00.001-07:00

There are fun and addicting games online in the world today that are nearly impossible to avoid if you are a gamer, such as myself. Gaming web sites like Mini Clip, Addicting Games, Armor Games, etc. can be found in the history of any true gamer’s web browser. Even social networking sites like Facebook have picked up on the crave for online gaming and offer games of their own. These are popular games such as Happy Aquarium, Mafia Wars, and my favorite, Farmville.

Farmville is quickly becoming the most used online game in the world. On February 13^th, 2010, there were approximately 78,000,000 monthly active users. In one month’s time Farmville had approximately 83,000,000 monthly active users. In one month, Farmville gained approximately 5,000,000 users. Why are so many people playing Farmville? What is it about this game on Facebook that is so amazing? Well, Farmville is great for three reasons: it makes every day life easier, it relieves stress, and it allows you to express yourself.

Farmville makes your life so much easier. Why would you want a plantation in real life when you could have one in your bedroom and maintain it with nothing more than the movement of your thumb and index finger? You don’t need to worry about hurting yourself with real machinery when you can use plows, seeders, and harvesters on Farmville. Farmville provides you with 100% enjoyment without even getting out of the chair you’re sitting in. Also, maybe you’ll decide to buy some Farm Cash with the money you save on not buying sunscreen.

Farmville will help you relieve stress. My grand mother has a Facebook, my grand mother has a Farmville, and my grand mother is a level 40 farmer! She shared with me that she needs Farmville. She told me that when she goes to bed at night, it makes everything that’s wrong in the world for her, right. After a long stressful day at work, it feels amazing to go on Farmville. Visit the cows and sheep, pet the horses and feed the chickens. Leave all your worries behind with the ducks as they relax in their little pond.

Lastly, with Farmville you can truly express yourself. One could argue that because there is no killing in Farmville, because there are no fast cars, and because it is not fast paced that is not a great game. Those people are forgetting all the other possibilities Farmville has to offer. Farmers have 32 or more different crops to choose from, 17 or more different trees, and 12 or more different animals. Now I say “or more” because every holiday, season, or any other national event of any kind there are specials which include limited edition crops, limited edition trees, and limited edition animals as well as those already available. There is a huge selection of houses ranging from a rest tent to a villa. There are buildings for your animals to live in like dairy farms, chicken coops, and horse stables. There is also a great selection of barns to choose from in which you can store things away from your farm. With hundreds of decorations available you can make your farm look like none other. I know people who have farms that are meant to make profit with the maximum number of plots possible. There are also those who decorate their farms solely to look great. What ever you want your farm to be, you can make it possible because Farmville makes it possible.

Are you tired of your Facebook friends nagging you about Farmville and all you want to do is unfriend them, block them, and block Farmville from your Facebook all together? You know the old, “Howdy friend! Leo Schuchert wants to be your neighbor on Farmville!” All you want to do is write on Leo’s wall how much you hate him and how much you hate Farmville. But give in! Trust your friends to know what they’re talking about. They people of the world trusted Paul when he spread the word of Christianity! Give in to the spreaders of Farmville! You know it’s right. Although some see it as a waste of time, I see Farmville as the key to heaven. It’s just a shame not everyone’s found it yet.

Leo

Lil' Wayne - Kate

2010-10-03T17:57:00.000-07:00

When songs like “Got Money” and “A Milli” play on the radio, there are usually mixed reactions. Some opinions are stronger than others. According to one of my good friends, Julie Maffucci, “Weezy is God.” If you asked another friend, Frederick Mcnulty he might say, “Lil' Wayne with his raspy voice and crude imagery, has skyrocketed to the top of the hip-hop/rap charts within the last few years. Fully utilizing the abilities of the Internet, he heavily promoted himself by releasing numerous mix tapes, remixes, and freestyles. Personally, I enjoy listening to Lil' Wayne's music, especially due to his heavy usage of similes, metaphors, and symbolism - often making his music into a riddle of sorts, just begging to be deciphered. That being said, Lil' Wayne has a tendency to overstate his own importance, relevance, and talent - especially in comparison to more heavyweight rappers." Although Fred obviously has a bit more to say, each has a strong opinion on this artist. Both Fred and Julie, along with most other young adults in this generation know the name Lil’ Wayne and can usually recognize more than one of his over 700 songs.

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr, better known as Lil’ Wayne, or Weezy, joined Cash Money Records at the age of nine, as the youngest member of the label. He released his first solo album “That Block is Hot” in 1999. Although he had been part of two other hiphop groups, The B.G’z and Hot Boys, he decided to go solo for more creative freedom. After releasing two more albums, neither as successful as his first, in 2004 Lil Wayne released Tha Carter, selling one million copies. Then in 2005 he came out with Tha Carter ll selling 238, 000 copies the first week. His sixth album Tha Carter lll was his most successful yet, selling one million copies the first week and going two times platinum. Since then he has released I Am Not a Human Being, as well as releasing several mix tapes and freestyles.

Lil’ Wayne’s popularity has increased over the past few years. Many of his fans enjoy his unique raspy voice, catchy beats, and use of literary techniques such as metaphors and smilies. “More than even his music, Lil’ Wayne’s popularity and image in the media has had his fan base growing as well. Weezy is known for his “don’t care” attitude, vulgar language and obscene symbolism, tattoo covered body, and recreational use of marijuana and cocaine. Currently, he is serving a one year prison sentence for criminal possession of a weapon, as well as possession of a controlled substance. Despite the seriousness of his crime, his sentence has gained him even more fans and popularity. There is even a popular new t-shirt stating “Free Weezy.”

Although Lil’ Wayne is highly popular, there are also those who dislike his music, stating a lack of talent. On an iTunes review of his new album I Am Not a Human Being, a listener posted “Mumbling all over the album, can’t stay on topic for more than two bars, pure garbage, you people will listen to anything.” Those who dislike Lil’ Wayne and his music criticize him for a lack of substance in his lyrics, superficial and simple beats, and commercialized songs. The majority of Weezy’s songs are about sex, women, drugs, or himself. As mentioned before, mainly what makes him popular is his image, his catchy beats and voice. More serious hiphop fans look past the initial image given by the media and into more technical aspects of hiphop/rap. His lyrics don’t mean anything important, his beats aren’t unique or interesting, and his hooks are purely radio-friendly.

The way I see it, Lil’ Wayne is catchy. When one of his songs comes on I can dance, I can sing along, I can enjoy it. But it never goes past that, I can listen for fun, but I can’t respect what he is rapping about or the technicality of his music. What I can respect is his ability to create music that is popular and the business aspect of his career. Weezy writes flimsy lyrics, creates superficial beats, and makes millions of dollars. Despite either opinion, Lil’ Wayne is a successful rapper with a lot of money, a family, and a relaxed life style, although I can not respect his music, I respect his career.

Is Ugly contagious?

2010-10-03T17:55:00.000-07:00

When you watch the show, you can’t help but to tear up or cry a little bit. Is it because that you felt bad for Betty, or the fact that you can relate to it completely; either you were the ugly one of the whole class or that you picked on the ugly ones?
Ugly Betty launched in the fall of 2006 and ran for four seasons. Wish I could say: It ran for four season STRONG; but I can’t. Apparently, the show struggled with the ratings in season three, and ABC made the executive decision to cancel the show after the fourth season.
The pilot for the show started out with Betty struggling hard to find a job, finally ending up with the job as assistant for the new editor in chief for Mode Magazine. Betty received that job because of Bradford Meade, owner for Meade Publication, who wanted his son to have an assistant that he will not be tempted to sleep with. When Betty found that out, it devastated her, and if that wasn’t bad enough, Daniel (Betty’s boss) tried to sabotage her so she would quit her job. It was her look, her quirkiness, and “unique” style of clothes choice that made America fall in love with America, who was playing the role of Betty Suarez.
But after four seasons, they made “Ugly” Betty into “Pretty” Betty. Maybe more; she became gorgeous and beautiful. Why did they choose the end of season four to do that? Wasn’t the whole point of Betty being ugly was so that it shows “ugly” can be beautiful inside and out? I guess people evolve and eventually they get better at what they do… right?
Then there was Justin. Justin was one of the supporting characters for the show. He started out with the show being really flamboyant. However, at the end of season four, he comes out of the closet. It’s a tough world out there, but why did it take four seasons for them to get Justin to come out? Not to say it’s a bad thing because The Suarez family all support him to the max… to the point where he had a coming out party when he wasn’t even out yet. One reason the writers might have done that is to show that people takes time coming out of the closet. In some cases, they were really trying to channel the fact that Justin himself doesn’t know that he is gay but he can dress really well.
The typical Latino family consists of a really hard working family that really values the sense of family, trying to hold the family together. That was one of the essential thing that the father, Ignacio Suarez, did in the show. Ignacio really was the glue to the family and held onto to the Hispanic culture that they have.
Meade Publication basically tied the whole show together, the high fashion magazines company. The plot around Mode Magazine is so complicated that one must watch all four season to get the story line. Some of the major characters in that show involve Wilhelmina Slater, Marc St. James, Amanda Tanen and many more. All of them at one point or anther had made fun of Betty for her looks and the way she dresses.
With the story line spinning like crazy, how can ABC be so inconsiderate of people like me that love the show to cancel the show? Is it even remotely the viewers’ fault that the ratings dropped like that? I find it despicable that the station is blaming the viewers for not watching the show. During season four, the station tried to improve the ratings by moving the show to different time slots. First moving it to Friday night at ten, then moving to Wednesday night at ten. More than 5.8 million viewers watched the series finale, which in my mind is a lot of people. It is very saddening that they cancelled the show, but as America Ferera had said, people today don’t only watch shows on TV; they can catch it on Hulu, TiVo, and so many other media resources.
But many questions are not answered: Did they cancel the show because Betty has turned beautiful and there were no more story lines to write? Or was it the fact that Justin is about to come out and they thought no one would watch the show because there is a gay character on Prime Time TV? And what about the wardrobe? Did it cost too much for them to continue the show because not enough people were watching?
The show meant so much to people across the nation. For the Ugly Betty cast, the show was more than just another show; it was empowerment. The main character for the show is a Latino, and not even just a Hispanic person, but also a Latina female. For many of the people, they will have some sort of ugliness that they feel inside at one point or another that they can relate. It is also one of the very few drama shows that have fashion as one of the main themes. Ugly Betty will be missed and lets hope for a movie... soon.

Pee. El.

True Blood Trumps Twilight

2010-10-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

Vampires are the new fad. Twilight has taken over the tween scene on the big screen, while True Blood is heating up HBO on Sunday nights. But which one is better?

That debate is up to the fans.

It is arguable that they are very different because of their target audiences. Twilight targets tween girls who want to read about a romance sans any real intimacy. True Blood targets a mature audience who can stay up past 9:00 on a school night.

For those of you cave dwellers who don’t know, Twilight is a story about Bella Swan (Kirsten Stewart), an everyday “plain Jane” who falls for angsty vampire, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattison.) True Blood is also about love between vampire and human. Strong southern lady, Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) falls for the vampire Civil War vet Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) in the fictional Louisiana town of Bon Temps.

The Twilight films’ follow the general plot line of Bella and Edward falling in love, Bella and Edward staring into each other’s eyes, Bella and Edward running into some sort of trouble, and Edward saving Bella. It never becomes more complex than one conflict, nor does it move past the story of Bella and Edward.

True Blood episodes begin with some sort of conflict and sometimes end with the resolve of that one conflict but always end with new ones and some sort of cliff hanger. It’s all about conflict. Not only those of Bill and Sookie but also those of their friends. The characters of Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell), Tara Thornton (Rutina Wesley), Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), and Sookie’s brother Jason (Ryan Kwantan), among others, all share interlacing conflicts. (See Alan Ball discuss the end of Season 3)

Basically, if True Blood’s plot is the Hudson River, Twilight’s is some creek running through the backyard.

The female protagonists, Bella and Sookie, are relatively similar. Which character, however, is the better one?

Bella, a character who shows no growth throughout the Twilight Saga, is not the ideal female role model for tween girls. She is the ultimate empty character for any thirteen-year-old girl reading the books to insert her own personality into. She depends on her relationship with Edward to make her special, and defines herself by it. It is never actually explained why Edward has an interest in Bella. What makes her more special that other girls? Why can’t he read her thoughts when he can read others? As far as clear-headed readers know, Bella is nothing special and is no different from other girls.

On the other hand, Sookie is a character that has always been a strong woman. When Bill comes along, sure she is instantly infatuated by him, but she makes a point in saying she doesn’t depend on him. Unlike in Twilight when Edward saves Bella, it is Sookie who first saves Bill. If it weren’t for the show tendency to be risqué, Sookie would be a good role model for teenage girls when it comes to being an independent woman. Not only that, but it is revealed why Bill, and all other vampires, seem interested in Sookie.

In terms of the Vampire in both shows, the True Blood vampires are definitely more threatening than those sparkling creatures that call themselves vampires in Twilight. Here are the reasons why:
Vampires in Twilight sparkle in the sun. Vampires in True Blood burn up and die in the sun.
Vampires in Twilight are hidden from society. Vampires in True Blood have come out of the coffin.
The Cullens don’t kill humans. Bill kills a number of humans by the end of the first season. Not to mention killing a few vampires too.

Just with these three points, its agreeable that True Blood vampires are way more B.A. than those of Twilight.

As a fan of True Blood, I am totally biased and clearly feel that True Blood is the superior of these two Vampire phenomena and those are my reasons why. Whether or not you feel the same is up to you.

Tori J.

The Lord of The Rings - Sophia M.

2010-10-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

Since 1937, over 150,000,000 copies of The Lord of the Rings trilogy have been sold. As of 2006, The Return of the King ranked second on Box Office Mojo’s list of worldwide gross receipts with a gross product of 1,118.9 million, Titanic coming in first with 1,244 million and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone coming in third with 976.5 million. The Lord of the Rings online was the top selling PC game in North America and Europe in 2007. The saga is clearly a pop culture phenomenon, yet nowadays one is much more likely to see a group of teenagers gossiping about the latest Harry Potter movie or swooning over Edward Cullen than conversing about the adventure of Frodo and Sam in their quest to Mount Doom. The Lord of the Rings has become iconic of the more nerdy side of pop culture, as a dialogue from Friends perfectly describes: Ross and Chandler ask “Didn’t you read Lord of the Rings in high school?” to which Joey replies “No, I had sex in high school.”
Having two older brothers, I was exposed to The Lord of the Rings at the age of seven when it came out in 2001. I was and still am more fascinated by the fantasy world of Middle Earth than Twilight, High School Musical, The Jonas Brothers, or even Harry Potter, of which I am a huge fan. However, after my brother’s eleventh birthday, where after begging him for weeks to let me go with his friends to see The Return of the King he finally gave in and let me sit in the very back row by myself, I’ve felt that saying I’d rather be Arwen than Bella Swan is not something many people would agree with me on. Although the trilogy was a huge hit in the 50’s and 60’s, it seems as if today’s youth does not have the same appreciation for The Lord of the Rings. So what makes fads such as Twilight and Harry Potter so much more appealing?
Having always been a fan of The Lord of the Rings movies, over the summer I decided it was time to read the books. After receiving the trilogy as a birthday present, I was really excited to start reading them. However, after the first fifty pages, I realized that this excitement hadn’t really been fulfilled. I couldn’t believe that I, a devoted Lord of the Rings fan, didn’t love the books as much as I though I would. I tried to think of reasons why this would happen, and I realized that I had been expecting something. I had been expecting them to be like the movies. In order to be relatable to the general public, the movies are significantly more cliché than the books. I was anticipating the suspense, drama, and epic feeling that the movies embody. It wasn’t until I became conscious and got past this that I realized what I just read was an amazing piece of writing.
Boiled down, a huge part of pop culture is about making money. If something is popular, it needs to not only be a phenomenon but also a commodity. This sheds some light on The Lord of the Rings’ status in pop culture today. As Micheal A. Hall articulates in The Influence of J.R.R Tolkien on Pop Culture, while commenting on Tolkien’s struggle to get the trilogy published, “When considering the influence of Tolkien’s work on western culture, one cannot overlook the conflict between high art and the desire of marketers to make it a commodity for selling. Tolkien was making a work of art while the publishers undoubtedly were primarily interested in having a sellable commodity. This conflict between the “high art” nature of the histories of Middle Earth and the desire to make it a popular culture item that can be marketed and sold would continue up to the present day.”
In order to make money off of a pop culture phenomenon, the creators of the phenomenon have to make it relatable. When looked at closely, most pop culture books and movies contain relatively empty characters so that people can put themselves in the character’s place. Although I would argue that Tolkien’s characters are not empty, The Lord of the Rings books used to have a relatable quality that people seem to no loner identify with. One explanation is that what is “relatable” has changed. Although Tolkien is adamant about his books not being allegories, there have been many connections made between The Lord of the Rings and the real world, mostly in the 50’s and 60’s. The Influence of J.R.R Tolkien explores some of these connections and reasons why the trilogy was so relatable in the 50’s and 60’s. One very plausible explanation is the birth of counter culture during the time period. The elder generation considered the trilogy crap, which meant everyone in the young generation wanted to read it. Another explanation was that the time period was “a time of utter boredom and grey”, and The Lord of the Rings provided a completely new and alien world. Another theory of the time was that the books were a fantastical account of WWII, a relevant subject of the time.
The Lord of the Rings is not as relevant today as it used to be is because our generation does not value these concepts the way they were valued in the 60's. Teenagers as a collective don’t care about the connections between pop-culture phenomena and world politics, or the simplistic struggle between good and evil. In comparison to the younger generation of the 60’s, we don’t even really care about rebelling against the institution. Whereas people in the 50's and 60's were seeking escapist novels to get away from their own world, teenagers would rather read books such as Harry Potter and Twilight that are set in a world very similar to our own with one huge twist. It is a rare type of 21st century teenager that appreciates the detailed world that Tolkien has created in The Lord of the Rings. We, as a collective, relate to empty characters and plots because we can imagine ourselves in those positions. We would rather read books about a world similar to our own than experience something entirely strange. We care about beating the bad guys and getting the guy/girl in the end. However, I as an individual, find The Lord of The Rings appealing for the same reasons as people did when it was written. I’m more interested in good versus evil and the subtleties of the human condition than pining over the fact that I will never be with Edward Cullen because he is a fictional character.

Suri Cruise, posted by Caelyn

2010-10-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

Suri Cruise, a daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, was born in April 18, 2006, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. She is often called as 'Tom Kitten' by public and media, and this four year old girl is a top star. Type Suri Cruise on the google search bar. You will get not only myriad photos of and articles on her, but also related search words. 'Suri Cruise high heels', 'Suri Cruise ipad,' 'Suri Cruise outfits', 'Suri Cruise news', and 'Suri Cruise out of control'; these are all what people googled to learn more about her. Suri even has her own fan blog. The blog is full of her photos and comments on her fashion sense. In fact, what happens is: paparazzi wait in front whenever Suri leaves her house, and the world learns the brand and the cost of her clothes before the following morning. She is not a star. She is a world star. If you do not know her or never heard of her till this moment, you are definitely out of trend. People argue about her shoes preference on high heels as a baby, ownership of an ipad, and the degree of her 'spoiled-ness'. Who could have possibly imagined a four year old girl who never made one's debut yet will be this famous? She is not an actor, nor a singer, but a daughter of A-list movie stars.

By now, we all know how dangerous it is to be so famous in a young age. Many young stars including Macaulay Culkin and Lindsay Lohan have shown the side effects of prematurely achieved fame. Both of them were the center of attention of their times as an adorable child actor and actress, respectively. However, they went astray as they go through puberty. I'm not saying Suri will end up being one of the unfortunate case or anything. I'm just questioning the subject of this move. Macaulay and Lindsay at least had their will on walking a path of an actor and actress. Also, they have their signature movies, Home alone and The Parent Trap, respectively. On the other hand, what did Suri do? Suri herself did nothing as a 'star,' but still she is frequently on the front page of entertainment magazines. What are we doing to this innocent girl and her fragile life? Just because this girl is a daughter of the movie stars we usually gossiped about, does that mean we can do the same to the baby? It is wrong for someone's life to be shaped by the public. She needs to have her own choice on her life to be lived by her. So, lets stop googling about which top designer's clothes Suri wears, or if she owns the newest ipad or not. Please leave the parenting to her parents. I believe two parents are enough for her to be parented by.

Gaga Fever - Mary R.

2010-10-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Whether we will openly admit it or not, there is a time when all us of just can’t stop “rah rah ah ah ah-ing” to ourselves. If we’re not belting out Bad Romance, maybe we’re serenading Alejandro, or “just dancing”. Lada Gaga, love her or hate her, has the ability to take songs with catchy, annoying beats and catchphrases and imprint in our minds. I wouldn’t call myself a Gaga fan necessarily, but sometimes when open up I open up my iTunes, I find myself searching vigorously for Telephone. There isn’t much I can relate to with Lady Gaga; her lyrics don’t speak to me, her odd outfits aren’t cool and different to me, they’re weird, and I was horrified by her 2009 VMA performance. After Gaga’s controversial performance, John Kubicek, a writer for BuddyTV, took it to the Internet to write his review of the night. He said he believes Lady Gaga “delivered what [he] maintain[s] is the single greatest VMA performance of the last five years”. I’m not sure what attracted him to her staged death that came at the end of her song, made complete with fake blood spilled everywhere. I know she is taking a risk, breaking away from the norm, and making a performance that sets her apart and will be talked about, but I found this a little too over the top. I know that I may sound a little annoying as I was 15 years old when I watched this, and I am on the younger side as VMA critics go, but luckily, I stumbled across the Diary of a Hollywood Street King, Jacky Jasper, who shares a similar opinion to mine regarding Gaga’s performance. In his post he calls the “so-called artist’s” performance horrifying. He is “appalled” that Gaga would mock the handicapped, and he doesn’t agree with anything that blogger Perez Hilton is saying about supporting Gaga, and he believes that Gaga, with the help of popular blogger supporters like Perez are “furthering the destruction of real art”.
In continuing her destruction of real art, Lady Gaga kept the jaws dropping when she arrived at this year’s VMAs in an outfit made entirely of meat. Along with being disgusting, this can also be offensive to many people. She has taken her wacky style to another level, and is no longer wearing clothes that are not just socially weird and unacceptable, but are actually offending some people. While I am aware that the animal rights activists can be a little crazy and wait for opportunities to ounce on people, I think on this one Lady Gaga took it a little too far.
Although Gaga has stirred up many controversies, I don’t let it get in the way of my liking of her songs, and try to look past the crazy lifestyle that she leads to create an image of herself. After all, would people actually liker her songs if they weren’t accompanied by her absurd ways of life and shocking performances?

Blinded by Headlines: What Lays Underneath by Blair

2010-10-03T17:28:00.000-07:00

As a typical 21^st century teenager, I rely on the Internet as a primary source for information on news regarding the outside world. Not only are we dependent on technology, but we also rely on celebrity magazines in order to stay current on all the hot celebrity gossip and national news. According to many, they rely on these magazines in order to stay “in the know.” Can these magazines be considered a staple of American culture? I may not an expert on all these magazines, but I consider People Magazine to be by far the most popular. As a subscriber to this magazine, I have learned how to read and examine its data and in my personal opinion, I believe it is the most reliable.

While investigating this topic, the constant thought that ran through my mind was “how exactly IS a news source deemed reliable?” Although I could not find an answer to that question, I decided to try and figure out the answer on my own. Many times when I peruse the magazine shelves at the grocery store, my attention is immediately caught by the numerous headlines such as “Angelina Can’t Take Brad Anymore,” “Obama Reaches a Breaking Point,” and, “He Cheated on Me.” In fact, it is hard for me to trust these magazines simply because the headlines are so extreme. This makes me wonder where exactly do magazines get their data. I know the majority of People’s data is from interviews, but what about other magazines such as Star and OK?

I chose to examine other teenager’s perspectives on celebrity magazines by creating a survey. Out of 100 responses from high school girls from my school, 52% said they most enjoyed reading People, 10% preferred US Weekly, and 1% favored either Star, InTouch, or OK! Then there were 35% of girls who did not read any of these magazines. Then, when asked which magazine was the most reliable, 54% said People, 4% said US Weekly, 2% said InTouch, none said Star or OK!, and 40% did not know. Like me, most students preferred reading People Magazine and believed that it was the most reliable. Why is this? My theory is that it is because People’s headlines are not overly dramatic. They do not merely focus on celebrity gossip but instead choose to provide information on current events as well as celebrity’s personal lives consisting of more than just who their next lover is. While it may feel as if reading a magazine is like taking a birds eye view into a reality TV show, it is important to watch what you read. Do you really want to spend your $4.99 on magazine that has the most extravagant headline or the one with the most reliable information? Think about that.

"I like girls who wear Abercrombie and fitch..." or do I?

2010-10-03T17:14:00.000-07:00

I see those girls walking around the mall carrying their latest buy from Abercrombie and I wonder how they can let the store take control of them, and why would they all want to wear the same thing? I find myself judging them thinking who would want to look like those smutty girls on the walls of Abercrombie. But the truth is I was the exact same way at their age. When I was in 5th and 6th grade I was one of the many girls who thought you were only cool if you had the word Abercrombie or a moose somewhere on your clothing. I would beg my mom to take me shopping there, spend endless time on the website and even Abercrombie hand-me-downs from my sister were a treat. I am now one of those girls that wouldn’t be caught dead wearing Abercrombie because I think the morals of the store and the way they present their styles are appalling. Looking back on my Abercrombie days I remember thinking how good I looked with the word Abercrombie plastered across my chest with a little tank top and tight flare jeans. Clearly my idea of Abercrombie has changed drastically

Abercrombie is a company in our society that is greatly debated. For girls and boys ages 10-14 this is an attraction. The idea of looking older then you actually are is something that kids strive to do. The clothing at Abercrombie was originally targeted to teenagers 18-22 years old. The models in the store are around that age as well. But it ended up making younger kids think that if they buy these clothes not matter the cost they will look older then they are. Abercrombie is an extremely well known company the clothes are seen in tv shows and referenced in songs. Reading blogs from other people they say that they love walking into an Abercrombie, they love the loud music and the perfume that is always in the air. They love all the cute stylish clothes and the model picture on the walls. The parents that are paying for this expensive style look at it and a different way. What my parents always thought was the clothes are cheaply made and the kids will grow out of their new 50-dollar sweatshirt with in a matter of months.

The advertisement is one of the things that make Abercrombie so unappealing to parents and to me and a lot of my friends. The way Abercrombie is portrayed is all about sex appeal. They put their models in as little clothes as possible and post it all over their website and in their stores. The models don’t only make kids want to look older but the way the girls and guys are shown together makes people kids think that if they wear these clothes they too will get a “hot” girlfriend or boyfriend. This gives false assumptions about what these clothes will do for a person. The way girls are targeted is especially inappropriate. The fact that the clothes that are produced are so reveling and tight is another way that Abercrombie is trying to make girls think they should look a certain way. They want skinny girls to be able to fit and to a triple zero and anyone else to think they should. The sense of what girls should look like is so skewed. Shouldn’t girls be able to look they way they do naturally? To me Abercrombie is a horrible company but to other kids its all the rage.

Lucy

XOXO

2010-10-03T17:13:00.000-07:00

From the minute I started watching Gossip Girl, I was hooked. I loved pretty much everything about it. The plot, the setting, the characters etc…I loved how I could talk about it with my friends right after an episode premiered. I loved how easily I could look into a city I’d never been to through the eyes of the rich and glamorous. One of the most captivating aspects of the show, which made it stand out more than any other program I watched, was fashion. Not every teen gets to parade around in the season’s hottest trends and do it in New York, no less. I couldn’t believe, and I still can’t believe, how gorgeous and fashion-forward Blair, Serena, Vanessa, Jenny and all the other characters manage to be at every moment. In 8th grade, I remember it was my goal to buy a plaid trench coat because I was so enamored with the ones they wore on the show. Sadly, I never did buy one and now I don’t think I would, but it was definitely Gossip Girl that influenced me to love and becomes obsessed with fashion. On the premier episode of each season, it’s always a thrill to see what the characters are wearing and they never fail to impress. During the first episode of Season 4, I couldn’t get over Serena’s dress and found myself doodling models in class wearing something a lot similar to it.
On the more negative side of things, Gossip Girl caused me to develop a view of New York City that isn’t entirely true to what it is. In Gossip Girl, you see the glamorous Upper East Side…and that’s pretty much it. Whenever the show travels to Brooklyn, it’s portrayed in a much more negative light and the characters view it that way too. So it’s not hard to assume that I developed that same view. I thought that when I traveled to NYC, it would all be similar to the Upper East Side. It wasn’t until I finally came to the city that I realized it’s so much more diverse and interesting that what you see on Gossip Girl. There’s so much more to see and so many things that are more captivating than fashion, fancy penthouses (even though I wouldn’t mind living in one of those), and the Upper East Side. And Brooklyn is much cooler than I imagined it to be. Gossip Girl shows you, through a very tiny lense, a certain part of New York City, not the whole of it.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still in love with the show. But now my relationship with it has changed. Instead of letting the show control my view of New York City and everything about it, I just enjoy it for what it is and I let it take me to a different world every week. And that’s exactly what I think Gossip Girl should be to each person. But if it inspires you in some interesting way, let it! I’m not afraid to admit that Gossip Girl was one of the main factors for why I love fashion. Just don’t let it be the only source you use to analyze and get information on New York City.
This makes me wonder how others view the show. I think the people in my parent’s generation see it as a glimpse into how technology is such a huge part of pop culture for my generation. But Gossip Girl is a lot different for me. I don’t focus on the technology aspect of it because using my phone and my computer is so normal for me. And why would our parents watch it when it doesn’t really affect them? It delves into a lot of the issues that teens face. High school drama, college admissions, cliques, dysfunctional families etc...from more of a teen point of view. And though Gossip Girl puts those issues into a different setting and makes them much more dramatic, there’s something in the show that’s still relatable to me; and when you really get down to it, it’s just fun to watch.

Sophia N.

High School Musical - Lara

2010-10-03T16:58:00.002-07:00

Record breaking. A smash hit. A phenomenon. High School Musical was expected to be like any other Disney Channel movie; a pinch of romance, a parent’s disapproval, and resolved happily. Instead, it changed the world’s view of tween movies forever. The movie’s soundtrack reached the top of the Billboard charts in early March, a little more than a month after it premiered. This was unusual because CDs tend to reach their peak of popularity when they first come out and then go down from there. The movie’s premier in the U.S. attracted 7.7 million viewers and has been seen by over 225 million viewers globally. The movie was remade in three other countries and translated in many other languages.
I remember the tortuous anticipation of waiting 20 days for the first High School Musical to air on television. My friends were planning parties, I knew all of the songs by heart, and of course there was Zac Efron. As a newly-official-teenager, High School Musical gave me exactly what I was looking for in a movie. It was a corny, Romeo and Juliette type story about a boy and a girl trying to break away from their opposing high school cliques (jocks and geeks) by trying out for a musical. It fueled a fantasy about how a geeky new girl could get the hot athletic “big man on campus.” It only helped that the “big man on campus” was Zac Efron, the new teenage heartthrob. He had the full package: the looks, the voice, and the charm.
The premier of the first movie in 2006 was just the beginning; it was a puff of smoke in comparison to the mushroom cloud of its far-reaching implications. The first movie was so popular that there are rumors now of a possible fourth movie being made. Stemming from the movie are also concert tours, “on ice” performances, video games, clothing lines, action figures, accessories, a book series, karaoke sing alongs, an adapted auditorium version, a reality competition, and the soundtracks. If High School Musical was like so many others, why did it take off like a rocket while others were left in the dust? The screenwriter of the movie, Peter Barsocchini , said “What’s most people’s fantasy? To be a rock star, to get on stage…there’s a little of that aspirational magic in High School Musical.” The best example of this is towards the end of the movie when Troy and Gabriella show the whole school their talents by singing “Breaking Free.” I believe that Peter Barsocchini was on to something. I know, personally, that sometimes I wish I could get up in front of people and impress them with some hidden talent. I think that this hidden desire appeals to a lot of people because they like to see what “coulda-shoulda-woulda” been, if only they had the balls. Others believe that HSM was so successful because it was the musical movie of our generation. For the past few generations, the movie was Grease and before that, it was West Side Story. These movies all have teenage love mixed with sudden outbursts of song. I personally believe that the movie’s success was a combination of Barsocchini’s belief, the musical movie theory as well as the addition of technology into the mix because the “word of mouth” form of publicity was far more affective when tweens had access to cell phones.
Now that I am past the tween stage and therefore, the High School Musical phase, I don’t watch the movies or listen to the music any more but the lyrics and the dance to “We’re All in This Together” will forever by engraved in my memory.

Roger Federer vs. Rafa Nadal By Jonathan

2010-10-03T16:58:00.001-07:00

Yankee’s vs. Red Sox, Dodgers vs. Giants, Patriots vs. Colts; Roger vs. Rafa; these two men have single handedly transformed the tennis world, taken a world by storm with their amazing level of play. Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are the two best tennis players in the world today; both respectively holding the #1 ranked position at different times throughout the 2000’s. Rafa Nadal who at the time was ranked #5 in the world shocked the tennis world by beating Roger Federer on route to his first ever major title Defeating Mariano Puertat in the French Open in 2005.

This rivalry is a huge aspect of both men’s careers. Roger Federer had the most dominate run of any men’s tennis player of all time from 2004-2007, with an overall match record of 315-24. Rafa Nadal is the only active tennis player today who has a winning record against the 16-time world champion. In Roger’s quest to attain a Career Grand Slam, Rafa has been there to deny him of that privilege on two different occasions. All the while Rafa had started winning major titles himself. First capturing a French Open title in 2005 and then followed that up with another victory over Roger Federer at the French Open in 2006.
The rivalry has captured people from all over the world and when these two men step on the court against one another, people watch. When shots are hit people hold their breath and when titles are won people cry. Roger and Rafa, bitter rivals on the court but display the upmost respect towards each other.

Tennis is a gentleman’s game, and both of these men display a good-natured and gracious attitude towards each other on and off the court, showing no animosity towards each other only a high level of respect. Their rivalry is based on respect towards each other and what each other has accomplished throughout their respective careers. Federer is the winnings champion of all time, with 16 major titles. Rafa Nadal has 9 titles under his belt, along with an Olympic Gold Medal.

Their impact on today’s society can been seen not only through television ratings but the coverage of the sport as well. This rivalry between two tennis greats has generated more interest in the sport than any tennis rivalry in previous years. In 2008 their highly anticipated match up at Wimbledon drew record-breaking ratings for a tennis play across the continental United States and domestically in Europe. The match in 2008 was the moment when the world took notice of how great this rivalry really is. Rafa knocked off 6-time champion Roger Federer in dramatic fashion, in a five set tiebreaker, to capture his first ever Wimbledon Title.

Why is this rivalry so great? Every time these men step on the court against each other, you never know who is going to win, suspense is in the air, people hang off of each shot that is hit. People live and die by the points that are played, there is no rest for the weary when you watch these two tennis greats play. Why are we so intrigued by them? We as people always feel the need to separate ourselves from reality, we get draw in by these two players, putting ourselves in their shoes. It helps us break away from reality.

This rivalry has elevated the level of play in the tennis world to another level; it has created new stars and an excitement that has not been felt in a long time. If you look back at the all-time greats, no one has come close to the level of play that Roger and Rafa have displayed over the past couple of years. They have set the standard for excellence in tennis, winning major titles after major titles. They have changed the landscape of tennis, and they have brought the game to a whole new level, clothing lines, mass media commercials, they are not just stars in their respective countries but they have become international and global stars. Both Roger and Rafa respectively have gone past the persona of just being tennis players but they have become international celebrities.

I can guarantee you that not only we will never see a higher level of play amongst two outstanding athletes but we will never see such a profound cross-over into popular culture by two tennis players again. What we are experiencing now in the tennis world is something special, we are getting the best of both worlds, amazing level of play, exciting matches and the ability to follow our heroes off the court as well.
With all of this being said, too put it bluntly, Roger Federer is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be, there is no debate about that.

Our Fascination with Celebrity Couples: Heidi & Spencer vs. Beyoncé & Jay-Z

2010-10-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

Our Fascination with Celebrity Couples:

Heidi & Spencer vs. Beyoncé & Jay-Z

We are creatures of curiosity, it is undeniable. Us humans like to know everything, and it is for that reason we pursue (for the most part) all the knowledge that pertains to our curiosity, whether it be about specific scientific studies, the newest Marc Jacobs line, or our favorite band’s tour schedule. What I am curious about, is why so many Americans, and non-Americans alike are so intrigued with celebrity couples? Where does our stem for inquiry about celebrity couples come from? Why are we more attracted to some couples more than others? What meaning do these couples retain for us?

To begin to try and understand this fascination and curiosity, I would like to start by addressing and if possible summarizing the controversial celebrity couple: Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. Both Heidi and Spencer were reality stars of the MTV show, the Hills. They were co-stars for years, and had a fairly off and on relationship that was filled with desire, drama, and disappointment. Heidi and Spencers relationship was documented fairly intensely while the show was being filmed, and since then, they have stayed in the public’s eye. However, I would go as far as to say that the reason for their fame, is shy of talent, and revolves around constant drama. Although both Heidi and Spencer have tried to branch off from the title of reality star and make a name for themselves in other fields, these attempts have never proved very successful. Heidi tried in 2007 to make a name for herself in the music field, with help of hubby Spencer. Reactions to her music were varied, however most agreed with the youtube user below,

“What is this?!.. She has got to be kidding me if she thinks she is going to be a singer now. She isn't even an actor!! She is on some stupid "reality" show and she assumes she can take on the world now. Practically everyone and their grandmother these days have been on MTV”
-Jacquelinexrae

Heidi and Spencer’s drama doesn’t stop here. The copious headlines that include them mentions their on-again-off-again relationship (“fake” fillings for divorce?) mentions of them in relation to other co-stars (both from the Hills, and I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!) and mentions of Heidi’s (addiction?) to plastic surgery. It was in-fact this obsession with plastic surgery that got the couple the headlines they were hoping for, it gave them multiple magazine stories, television interviews, and even other kinds of exposure like a skit on www.funnyordie.com. However, no matter what they do, this couple always seems to fall off the grid, sure, the public loves to hear about the wild, and dramatic things they are doing this week, but does the public actually love them? I don't think so.

Now, I am going to warn everyone that this is about to get very opinionated, and personal. In addition to looking at Heidi and Spencer, I want to try and figure out the public’s fascination by discussing another one of Hollywoods most talked about couples, Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Jay-Z also known as Shawn Corey Carter, is a Brooklyn native and one of America’s most influential rappers of his time. In addition to his music career, Jay-Z has also established himself as an entrepreneur and has business holdings such as record companies, clothing lines, and co-ownership in sport bars and teams. His wife Beyoncé has just as much going for her. Beyoncé Knowles, (my personal idol) is a world recognized, Houston born Pop/R&B singer, songwriter, actress, fashion designer, and the definition of the word diva. Her career has taken her from Destiny’s Child, to single albums (Dangerously in Love, B’Day, I am... Sasha Fierce), to Grammy awards, to fashion lines, to numerous acting opportunities and to incredible opportunities like singing for the Obamas.

By now, you have probably realized that I am biased, but there is a reason behind my own personal fascination. Not only are they both incredibly talented, but they seem relatable, and endearing. Some find connection in Jay-Z’s lyrics, his persona, and never dying spirit. Some find connection in Beyoncé’s commitment to religion, her previous need for her alter-ego Sasha fierce (her sensual, aggressive alternate persona) and her new found comfort, "I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown and now I'm able to merge the two." For some, it is the everlasting humbleness and their contradictory privacy that draws the public to the couple, but for most it is the honest love story of the two, that attracts the publics attention, like children to ice-cream.

The two of them met in 2002 while working on an album together, and rumors started to circulate after she was featured on “ ’03 Bonnie and Clyde”. However, the couple were always discreet, and private, dismissing questions of one another in interviews, and keeping their relationship simply for themselves. After their marriage, they have become more open about their relationship (ex. Jay-Z on BBC) however, they have never been disrespectful and often refer to each other as “my husband” and “my wife”. They have collaborated multiple times, (Crazy in Love, How I Like It, Hollywood, ‘03 Bonnie and Clyde, Deja Vu, and Upgrade U) and Jay-Z often references Beyoncé in his songs (ex. “but... BK is from Texas.) With a couple this cute, how could the public NOT fall in love with them?

Now, if I were to try and figure out the public’s fascination with celebrity couples myself, I would start with the obvious hypotheses, we love the rich and beautiful, and having two of them makes it all the more fascinating. We want to be removed from our own lives, and find fulfillment in the modern love stories of famous stars. We are bored with our repetitive months of monotony, and find excitement in the never ending circles of drama that our celebrities present to us. Sure, these things seem pretty cookie cutter, pretty reasonable, and for the most part pretty true. It seems as if we, (the public) LOVE the drama, but we also LOVE the success, the honesty, the privacy, and the love.

Is this, what fascinates us with celebrities?

-Gracie

Silly Bandz - Abby

2010-10-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

In eighth grade, I asked a girl in my English class for a hairtie. She handed me a blue, elephant shaped rubber band. Two things wrong with this picture—1) my hair is curly and rubber bands are hell to remove from tangles and 2) she had a rubber band shaped like an elephant. What the hell? I said no thanks I would ask someone else. The next day she came in wearing about 10 in all different animal shapes and colors. Everyone thought they were dumb, because when you were wearing them they didn’t even look like normal rubber bands, they just kind of looked warped and twisted. Plus the girl was kind of weird. After that I didn’t see them again for about a year and a half. I didn’t even know what they were called.

In the beginning of 10th grade, my eight-year-old sister came home wearing a jillion of them on her wrists, and proceeded to tell me all about how her friend had given them to her and they were called Silly Bandz and did I want the kangaroo or the monkey? The next day she had 3 more and a few had changed because she had traded them with a boy in her class for some rock and roll ones. Apparently animals were not enough. Soon enough—Silly Bandz were EVERYWHERE. Little kids had them, teenagers had them, and one article even proposed that Silly Bandz were being used by college-aged kids to pick up dates at bars. People wrote funny raps about them; google turned up over 1,430,000 hits when “silly bandz” was searched; schools banned them and kids in school traded them anyways.

Even I thought they were pretty cool. I had changed my mind from thinking they were ugly and useless to thinking they were cute and funny. Was I really that shallow? To change my whole opinion on a thing just because everyone else did? What is it about everyone else having something that makes you want it so badly? Do you think it stems all the way from human survival? Maybe if you saw everyone running the other way from a wild beast you would think it was cool to do it too, so you would survive. Think on it.

This phenomenon of Silly Bandz did not end quickly. People still sport these funny rubber bands; in fact I got a couple from CITYtermers just recently (a duck and some Toy Story 3 characters). What is it about these bands that make them so intriguing? Is it their low cost? The maker certainly was conscious of the economy’s status when pricing Silly Bandz. Each packet only costs about $5.00 for 24 Bandz. Is it the fact that you can get them in any shape and color? This certainly would make it appeal to a larger audience. College kids would probably think it was funny to have beer bottle Silly Bandz, and little girls would more likely want a puppy or a princess crown over Spiderman or a racecar.

This trend had definitely had a lot of publicity. It has swept up young and old alike, and been picked up by even high-end newspapers such as the New York Times and Washington Post (which suggests that there may even be health risks associated with the little bands). But then again—remember the beanie baby explosion in 2001? And the neopets fad in 2004 and webkinz in around 2007? History definitely repeats itself when it comes to trends in pop-culture.

Critics never got nothing nice to say- Eminem

2010-10-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

Eminem
By: Lauren K

Contrary to Eminem's beliefs there are lots of people that have nice things to say. Marshall Mathers is one of the most popular rappers of all time right up there with P Diddy (Sean Combs). To be compared to him would be an honor. He had 6 very successful albums out and then poof he was gone. Where had he gone? What happened to the legendary rapper? We hear nothing from him for 4 years and then there was the release of RELAPSE. He was back, or was he? RELAPSE was respectable but not up to par with his past work. Everyone seemed to wonder if this was it, were we never going to see the normal Eminem again? Except then the music world held its breath waiting for the release of his album RELAPSE 2. Last minuet he Twitted "there is no RELAPSE 2". Wait what?! There is no album? Wrong, he deiced last second to change the name to RECOVERY, the music was to different, he said, it needed its own name. This album was either going to confirm everyone’s worries or would crush the music charts. Its Eminem what do you thing? Of cores it was fantastic!! RECOVERY was exactly that, a recovery, it saved his career. RECOVERY sold more than 741,000 copies in the first week (I pre-ordered the album). It was released on July15, 2010 and by August 1st it had sold 1.828 million copies. “Not Afraid” was released as a single in April and was number 1 on Billboard Hot 100. “Love the Way You Lie” followed closely behind and replaced “Not Afraid” as number 1 for the 3 weeks following.

Clearly the world loves Eminem, well what makes him so loveable? Personally I think it’s the fact that he raps about real shit. I mean most rappers rap about blowjobs, but Eminem talks about his real experiences, his mom and daughter, Hailie, and his drug problem. He talks about how he is discriminated against for being white and how his mother was never there in a lot of songs like “Cleanin’ Out My Closet” and “My Mom”. Then he has songs about his daughter and some even written for her like "When I'm Gone". One of his most famous songs is “Lose Yourself”, this song is about his life and making his passion a career.

I also think its because he’s clever. He spits rhymes so quickly and easily that you have to listen to a song a couple times before you can catch them all. All you have to do is listen to one song and you find numerous clever rhymes and catchy beats, some of my favorites from RECOVERY are “You’re Never Over” and “Cinderella Man”.

In general Eminem has made an impression on the music industry and he is not going anywhere. When he’s gone he will not be forgotten. He is a passionate lyricist who changed everyone’s view on what the typical rapper should be.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: An In-Depth Look by Christian

2010-10-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

It has teenage girls screaming, fantasizing, and even crying. Footnote: it’s not the Jonas brothers. When was the last time you saw the Jonas brothers with fangs? Last time I saw them they were in some tight pants belting out a bunch of acronyms with their purity rings on. Then who, might you ask, has won the heart of every teenage girl in America? That title would belong to Robert Pattinson (R-Patz), who plays the vampire hero, Edward Cullen, also known as that British guy your sister is obsessing over.

Ever since Stephanie Meyer’s newly acclaimed, bestselling Twilight series has hit both the bookshelves and the movie theatres alike, teenage girls have been swooning, fainting, and even sobbing over the mysterious and “sexy” Edward Cullen. The story focuses on two star-crossed lovers, Edward and Bella, who are so passionate for each other that it’s almost unhealthy, but it still manages to captivate the heart of every girl who reads or watches it and paints the ideal image for “true love”. Basically, it’s like Romeo & Juliet with vampires, which I’m sure has Shakespeare rolling in his grave. Are you kidding me? When did interspecies love get so popular? What did I miss here?
Despite the fact that they may sound like the ordinary couple head-over-heels in love with each other, Edward and Bella are not the norm at all. Let me assure you that they are actually the complete opposite. Edward is a vampire, (who has been around for hundreds of years), while Bella is a pale, neurotic, seventeen-year-old (I smell a felony). After seeing this day-walking vampire at school, Bella becomes enthralled with Edward and it doesn’t take long for the two to fall madly and irrevocably in love. Three movies and a laundry list some of the worst movie lines in history later, the Twilight franchise still remains very much alive and, like the immortal vampires it centralizes around, seemingly undead.
However, conflict seeps through the cracks when a trio of other bloodthirsty vampires catch a scent of Bella’s tasty, nom-nom worthy blood, causing Edward to vow to protect her, even if it means he spends the rest of eternity hunting down the vampires that yearn to suck her blood so much. In the end, Edward prevails and so does love. As if this wasn’t predictable enough, the franchise still has consumed teenage girls worldwide and for some reason has become the biggest phenomenon to hit tween America since Miley Cyrus. Need I say more?
Because of its worldwide effect, there is no denying that the Twilight Saga is an international phenomenon. Through this global intrigue, a subcategory of fans have emerged, like the website TwilightMoms.com and a staggering amount of LiveJournal users that dedicate much of their free time to immersing themselves in the Twilight universe. Although males make up for a miniscule fraction of the primarily female fandom, they are still out there, further showing how Twilight does not discriminate against gender. However, Twilight is also viewed by a significant portion of males as one of the worst things to hit this planet since Justin Bieber. As a result, websites poking fun at the franchise have emerged. They are, in my opinion, a comedy goldmine because it's such an easy target.
One of the most notable aspects of this series is the love triangle between the main characters – Bella, Edward, and Jacob. After Edward leaves Bella in New Moon so she can be safe, Bella falls into intense depression and turns to Jacob. As a result, the two of them fall in love until Edward eventually decides he wants to come back (shocker!). The third installment, Eclipse, focuses on the love triangle and Bella’s choice: the mortal werewolf with airbrushed abs or the immortal, smoldering vamp with feathered hair and porcelain skin? Much to my everyone’s surprise, Bella chooses Edward (*insert sarcasm mark here*). However, in all seriousness, this is one of the most fascinating aspects of the story to me. The Team Edward-Team Jacob dynamic is, in itself, a pop culture phenomenon because it implicates that everyone get involved and voice their opinion on who Bella should choose. In fact, this past summer, when Eclipse was being marketed for its theatrical release practically everywhere I went, there was a Burger King commercial that centralized around the Team Edward-Team Jacob dynamic, encouraging people to get involved and win some sort of sweepstakes.

While its safe to say that most fans have sided with Edward, there are those that sympathize with broken-hearted Jacob. Me? I haven’t even read the books, but I’ll admit I’ve seen the movies. The bottom line is that I don’t really care who Bella chooses. But it feels like everyone else does – and I’m not everyone, am I?

MANHATTANS ELITE

2010-10-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

by Miles Brenninkmeijer

Money. High Fashion. Hot Girls. Hot Guys. New York City. Drama. Gossip. It’s bound to be pop-culture. Which is why this hit series, Gossip Girl, is what people cannot get out of their heads. Whenever I’m not watching it, I ask myself, what is it that is so addicting? But as I sit on my couch, with my phone in my hands texting my friends to see if they’re wasting an hour just like me that could be put towards reading that section from our history book that the whole class has been dreading, I seem to find my answer. It’s unhealthy relationship that I am well aware of. What doesn’t help my unmanly obsession with the show is that my mother is a fan herself. So as I am up in my room, trying to complete that horrid history reading, my mother calls me to join her on the couch, I can’t make her sit alone, that’s just rude. She herself is addicted to it. It’s taking over all generations, young and old. My mother finds herself on the couch every Monday night due to the relationships that she built with the characters. Chuck Bass, your stereotypical rich douche bag. Daniel Humphrey, the sweet and intellectual NYU undergrad. Nate Archibald, everyone’s favorite, even my mothers. Serena van der Woodsen, the pretty tall blonde one who everyone wants to be. Blair Waldorf, the sophisticated, wealthy, perfect girl. Jenny Humphrey, younger sister of Dan Humphrey, the rebellious Brooklynite. And last but not least, Vanessa Abrams the modern day hipster bohemian long family friend to the Humphreys. What is so appealing to the avid followers of this “so horrible yet so good its bad to admit” too television series is that everyone who watches it can see themselves or can relate to a specific character in the show. But isn’t that what all televisions show are about? But why does this show specifically get their spectators hooked? The situations they experience are so abnormal that it makes the high school drama going on in your real life sound normal. It’s an escape from the real life. But that’s what all television shows are nowadays. Everyone loves good music, great clothes, money, beautiful people and New York City all in one, and Gossip Girl has combined all of those oh so well into one beautiful, over the top, OMG moment, jaw dropping, and simple yet complicated, addicting show.

Which character are you? Find out.

XOXO.

2010-10-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH

MARY T.

I must acknowledge a sad fact of our generation- most people reading this have more than likely never seen the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch, with Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell. You’ve probably never even heard of it. That being said, out of this movie came an image so iconic that although you may have never heard of the film itself, I would find it impossible to believe that you haven’t seen this picture. The real reason I’m writing about it is that it’s one of my favorite movies. I’ve watched it since I was a little girl, and I can quote lines from memory. I also find it interesting that an image so famous could have come from a now nearly obscure and outdated film.

The film opens on a steamy Manhattan summer day, as a man named Richard sees his wife and young son off on a trip to the seaside. It is, the narrator explains, a common practice for the working husbands of the city to send their families away for the hottest months while they remain behind to make the money. This results in, to put it delicately, much foul play by the smoking, drinking, cheating, and newly tattooed summer bachelors of New York. Richard, a naïve and goofy middle aged man with an imagination constantly in hyper drive, grits his teeth and avoids the many temptations that present themselves to him in his first day of freedom, insisting to himself that he will remain loyal, sober, and generally stay out of trouble. As he sits in his apartment, half heartedly attempting to get some work done this first night alone, he encounters a beautiful blonde girl he had seen in passing early in the day. Quickly, all of his resolutions go out the window, and he enters into a half imagined, always silly relationship with the nameless girl on the top floor.

In terms of turning windows into mirrors, one of the questions I had about this movie that intrigued me the most was what it was about the relationship between Marilyn Monroe and this married man that seemed so entirely innocent and fun. What I realized about myself through asking this, is that in any other real or fictional situation in a which a husband cheats on his wife, I would be utterly and entirely against it. I would judge the woman, I would judge the man, I would snap judge (and harshly judge) the whole situation. This question stuck out to me the most, I decided, because I felt differently in this movie than I would at almost any other time, and I wondered what it was about the characters that had this effect. What was it about Marilyn Monroe that made her seem like seem sexy, adorable, and sweet, rather than trampy or slutty? What was it about Tom Ewell that made him goofy and naïve rather than horrible or unfaithful? I think the answer lies in the innocence and humor that sugarcoats every scene of this movie. Richard’s character is made to seem as though he honestly just doesn’t know any better, the girl’s as though she’s just a little lonely and too cute to help herself, and the wife’s as though she knows her husband is a little ridiculous, but it’s just the way he is. All in all, the movie comes across as a playful romp rather than a shocking and heart wrenching portrait of adultery. It does help as well that they never share more than a kiss, but I think that it really has nothing to do with the seriousness of the action, and more with the way the movie was filmed and written.

Finally, I come to the portion of this blog in which I describe others points of view. The movie has seen mixed reviews. However, one thing that I found interesting is that is still being reviewed today, on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, just as it was over 50 years ago in the New York Times. When I asked around at CITYterm about the image of Marilyn standing over the subway vent with her white dress around her shoulders, Abby Cali said: “Marilyn Monroe is an icon of our society back in the 50’s and ’40s and that picture shows the era because it was the time of all the pinups and she’s innocence and seduction at the same time. She’s a sex symbol.” Wyatt Scruggs said that the picture “represents that she’s a sex symbol but she’s trying to stay classy because it’s a candid picture so it shows that she’s a sexual icon to many men and some women and she knows that, but she stills stays classy with the clothes she wears and all that.” Some people find this movie to be a bust, while others hail it as a classic, but either way, to me it will always be hilarious, iconic, and thoroughly excellent.

Where is the line between a real hipster and a wanna be hipster? By Amelia

2010-10-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

A hipster can be defined in many different ways. A hipster is a person who thinks they are too cool for everyone. In ordered to be cooler than everyone else they have to find things that no one else knows about. Eventually the hipster’s worst nightmare happens, the “cool” thing they found is now mainstreaming. All of their indie music is on the popular radio stations, and they have to fall onto plan b: Lil Wayne. A hipster will say Lil Wayne is cool because he is so popular and that is ironic. A hipster is ironic, wear vintage clothes, pretend their poor but live off of their parent’s money, and drink pabst blue ribbon.

When hipsters staring to emerge, everyone wanted to be a hipster. But the first rule of being a hipster is you can’t want to be one, and you can’t say you are one. Once hipsters became cool and well known many people started becoming one. After more people wanted to be a hipster, American Apparel along with Urban Outfitters emerged. All of a sudden there was a new type of hipster emerging. These types of hipster are known as poser hipsters. These people want more than anything to have the word hipster attached to them. Poser hipsters want to be viewed as a real hipster but they never will because they don’t give off the right vibe when they are wearing only Urban Outfitters or American Apparel. This new breed of hipster puts the real hipster in a dilemma. The original hipsters now have to try harder to find unique and ironic clothing, bands, and phrases to say.

For people who opt out of this culture they find it amusing to make fun of hipsters. People have created look at this fucking hipster where people post pictures of hipsters they see. The onion has also created articles about hipsters calling each other hipsters. This new age of people has created stores, websites, t-shirts, and much more.

I think a true hipster is someone who doesn’t have to try hard to be cool. They can roll out of bed and throw on old clothes and still look good. A hipster is someone who lives off of their parent’s money but pretend they don’t have a lot of money by wearing old vintage clothes. They drink pabst blue ribbon, are ironic, listen to popular music (it is so popular that it is ironic to listen to it) or indie music, hate mainstream culture, and can never call themselves a hipster. A poser hipster tries hard to become a “real” hipster but it will never happen because they are trying. A poser hipster wears too much American Apparel and/or Urban Outfitters and secretly is happy when someone calls them a hipster. Being a hipster is a way of life that only a few can truly acquire.

Do you want to know if you are a hipster? Just take this quiz!

Blackberry vs. iPhone: The Never Ending Feud

2010-10-03T13:41:00.001-07:00

By Phelix

Ever since the Iphone came out in January of 2007 it seems to have dominated the cellular scene but for those diehard BlackBerry fanatics, the iPhone is just another opponent.
The iPhone, a touch screen masterpiece was put on the market on January 9, 2007. It has many functions, including a camera, text messaging, Ipod, web browser, e-mail, Wi-Fi connectivity and, of course a phone. The idea for the development of the iPhone came from Apple CEO’s Steve Jobs’ inquiry into touch screen technology. Since the unveiling of the original iPhone , Apple has come out with three more models including the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3Gs and the iPhone 4. With each model the iPhone upgrades it’s software and it’s capabilities. For example, the newest addition to the iPhone family (the iPhone 4) is able to videochat via the phone with a software called Facetime. Apple says of it’s product, “While everyone else was busy trying to keep up with iPhone, we were busy creating amazing new features that make iPhone more powerful, easier to use, and more indispensable than ever. The result is iPhone 4. The biggest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone. People have been dreaming about video calling for decades. iPhone 4 makes it a reality.”

BlackBerry, a line of smartphone devices, was developed and designed by Research in Motion (RIM) in 1996. Each BlackBerry device is supposed to function as a personal assistant with address book and calendar capabilities. It supports music and video playback and can be used as both a video and still camera. One of the things that Blackberry devices are known for is their ability to send and receive e-mail and Internet data wherever network coverage is available or through Wi-Fi connectivity. However, each BlackBerry is mainly one thing, a messaging phone. BlackBerry has the largest array of messaging features in any smartphone today including auto-text, auto-correct, text-prediction, multi-language support, keyboard shortcuts, txt emoticons, push email, social networking, BlackBerry Messenger, and threaded text messaging.
Now, here’s the question. Which phone, the iPhone or the BlackBerry, is more generally liked by our generation? I asked some people my age and this is what I heard:

Question: If you had the chance to choose an iPhone or a BlackBerry which one would you choose and why?

Henry B. (iPhone Owner): “I love my iPhone. For one, I really like Apple products and own a lot of them. I like the ability for me to connect my phone into everything I have in my house that is Apple. I feel like Blackberry’s are supposed to be for business men in their 40s, which I am neither. Also, I’ve heard that John McCain helped create BlackBerry, and whether that is true or not I wouldn’t want to support him. I just think that the iPhone is overall, waaaaaaay cooler.”

Amy D. (BlackBerry Owner): “I was drawn to the Blackberry because of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) and the real keyboard. I’m not big on touch screen phones.”

Juliana R. (iPhone Owner): “I love the iPhone’s touch screen and the sleek design of it. I find it much easier to navigate than any BlackBerry.”

Lara L. (iPhone Owner): “I have an iPhone, and I love it. All of my friends have them but it was a difficult decision for me just because my entire family has BlackBerrys. The iPhone is really aesthetically pleasing as far as the way it runs. It’s like a miniature computer, for example the internet looks exactly like it does when you are on an actual computer. Another thing that I like about my iPhone is that it doubles as my iPod, allowing me to carry less. The only thing that would make me interested in the BlackBerry would be BlackBerry Messenger. The people that I know that have BlackBerrys all say that BBM makes texting so much easier. But on the other hand, Apple’s advertising is very appealing to a lot of people which helped me make the decision to get an iPhone.”

Amelia: (BlackBerry Owner): “I, for one, hate AT&T, which automatically makes me lean towards the BlackBerry. Other than that, BlackBerrys has been around longer than iPhones and, from what I know, they were created for business men. These things make me think that the BlackBerry is more reliable than the iPhone because it was built for organization and has had many years to update and add on to their original model. I also think that the Blackberry is more sturdy, and harder to break.”

Kevin M. (iPhone Owner): "Through this BlackBerry and iPhone feud a broader concept has arisen. Cell phones are an extension of identity for this generation. Tech savvy kids debates over which gizmo is cooler. But what it boils down to is what is newest. New things are cool. iPhone users defend their identity with a fiery passion because the iPhone "revolutionized" phones, it is more than a phone. It's media service. Games, music, video, etc. and all with fantastic quality. BlackBerry users are stuck up on the fact that it is the business phone, whatever that means. BBM is a joke. I still don't know what is so cool about it. And the BlackBerry's versatility is limited."

Janea H. (BlackBerry owner): "The only reason that I have a BlackBerry is because of BBM and because I really don't like touch screen phones."

I then asked people who own neither a BlackBerry or an iPhone and got these replies.

Mary T.: “If I could, I would choose the iPhone. For one, my parents have it and from what I know, they really like it. The touch screen is really cool to me and also having a phone, iPod and camera combined would be really convenient. I think another thing that makes me want an iPhone is that I know and have heard so much more about it. Maybe if there was more advertisements about BlackBerrys I would feel differently, but right now I like iPhones.”

Abby C.: “I would choose the iPhone if I could. But the thing is that I already have an iTouch and it would be an iPod overload to have both an iPhone and an iTouch. In that respect I would have to choose the Blackberry. Plus it’s better for texting.”

Lucy C.: “I like the BlackBerry. It does pretty much all the same things as the iPhone does except it has BBM. Also the iPhone seems a lot less sturdy and easier to break.”

Personally, I have a BlackBerry and love it. I had an iPhone before and the only thing that I did not like about it was the touch screen. It’s easier to type when you can feel buttons, and having no buttons was awkward and inconvenient. On the other hand,
the thing that I really loved about the iPhone is the amount of space it held for media. It made my music experience a lot easier.

According to the opinions of the ten people I interviewed, the outcome is 4:6, with the winner being the iPhone.

postsecret.com

2010-10-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

“ Sometimes when we think we are keeping a secret, the secret is actually keeping us” – Frank Warren. (for more Frank Warren quotes)This quote by the creator of the popular blog spot, postsecret.com has dedicated his life to allowing people a way to let their secrets out. postsecret was originally a blog site where 10 post cards of people’s secrets done in a creative way where posted every Sunday. The purpose of this project was so people could hopefully release themselves from the weight of their secrets. The site evolved and in October 2007 www. postsecretcommunity.com was created and since than more than 80,000 people are registered for their online forum. There has been a community created around postsecret through the four books, the comments section, events, and all of the people like me who don’t send postcards but check first thing every Sunday for the week’s secrets. I am clearly not the only one who is a post-secret addict as shown by post secret being ranked the 10th most popular site for female students in Youth Trends’ February 2008 “ Top Ten List Report”. Maybe the reason I am so hooked is because I have to admit that I, and probably the rest of America are nosy. I like to read about other people’s lives, and I like knowing that they are being released from the hold their secret has on them. Maybe in some way by reading their post I am helping them feel better. When it comes down to it that’s what postsecret is all about. Creating a community, a safe, non-judgmental place where people can share their secrets anonymously and still know someone else is reading them. The postsecret community is also formed around the idea the joy of reading someone else’s secret and thinking, me too. It’s nice to know you’re not the only one who feels a certain way. Does it matter that you don’t and never will know the people reading your secret? Or does it matter that your best friend may have been one of the readers? A common question posed by people who blog about postsecret is why are people able to share their deepest darkest secrets to the entire world through something so artificial like the internet, but not with their family and friends. Yes, it is good people are getting a sense of community through this web page, but what does this say about what the real world has come to. This total artificial community may be taking place of a simple one on one talk with a friend. I guess the idea of community has changed and now can be online but some people are upsets or confused by this evolution of community. I don’t really think it’s harmful to have a strong connective online community if it is helping to heal people. I guess? I just hope that people do not loose sight of real human connection as the years go on and the Internet continues expanding. Maybe the reason people can share on postsecret but not to their love one’s is because on postsecret they are anonymous and can get anonymous feedback. Just like any sort of feedback, these comments have shown to be both helpful and hurtful even though harmful is not the comment page’s purpose. At times they read congratulations, you can do it, or keep fighting. But others are insulting and make the person feel worse. An example of this is multiple comments judging a person for feeding bleach to her cat(see history section). The whole purpose of the site is for everyone to be able to share their deepest secret, so people should not take offence when they do. Another bump in the comment section of postsecret was when a person posted a secret reading, “ I am a racist and I am in a long-term relationship with someone of a different race. It’s hard because you know you’re wrong for feeling that way, but you just cant help it.” Neil posted on WWW. Racialicious.com/2007/07/20confession-of-racism-on-postsecret that even though this is upsetting to whoever reads it, this secret is something good for the writer to admit. The person is not saying they are happy they are racist, so people should try to understand that for the postsecret community to fully function at the same level as its potential, all judgments need to be dropped. He has a right to post what he needs for his own renual. This event shows that even though there is a great deal of positively within the postsecret site such as the 1800-suicide promotions which has saved many lives, its still a community like another. People are going to be offended and people are going to criticize the artificialness of the postsecret society. But at the end of the day, just like any community, people are coming together and helping eachother grow. Even though postsecret is a strange web of faceless connections; I see nothing wrong with a community that heals.
-Rachel

Current Favorite: A Closer Look Corrine Bailey Rae's The Sea

2010-10-03T12:36:00.000-07:00

By Quela

The first time I heard her was at a family gathering at my Great Aunt’s house on Thanksgiving. The sound that met my ears was so unlike the usual jazz that I had come to expect at these family functions that I had to listen. I soon found myself obsessed with the CD case, skipping to number 7, and then to 12, then back to track 4. I read all the lyrics in the case, which were followed by a small print that told me that each song was written and co produced by a Corrine Bailey Rae. Her self-titled album ended up under our Christmas tree that year. A gift from me to my mother with my handwriting reading to: Mom from:Santa, but as it sometimes and often happens this gift was really for the both of us.

Corrine Bailey Rae’s voice is still part of a grand routine in my life back home. I get dressed to “Put Your Records On”, style my hair to “’Till It Happens To You” and fall asleep with head phones planted in my ears as she sings “Seasons Change”. Her recollections of her childhood and past loves made my 13 year old mind wander, drawing images to match the sounds, constructing my own music videos to the things I was hearing. Her guitar strums never failed to put me in a good mood.

Corrine Bailey Rae’s second album, titled The Sea was released January of this year and it was in our CD player in no time. When I heard It I knew there was something different. It sounded... patient. It was an album that took time. I came to find that she started writing it in 2007 and went on to record it towards the end of that year. She continued to do more work on it up until March of 2008, took a break and finally came back to it in 2009. Quite a process.

The shadow of her husband’s passing in 2008 was somehow apparent in every song. It was slower, and much, much more personal, painful. I am careful not to call this grieving as I write. It would be more appropriate to categorize this album with understanding and closure. She speaks of the emotion love in a more mature way then I have heard other artists speak of it. The way I hear it, love in an emotional understanding is something that happens to you and something that you lose. But love as your partner is as lost as an angel, in that he is never too far away as I understood in her song “I Would Like To Call It Beauty”.

“So young for death,

We walk in shoes too big

But you play it like a poet,

Like you always did.

And I lay face upturned on the palm of God,

Pushed on by the fingertips of dreams,

They haunted me,

Consoling me.”

I came to see truly how much pain can inspire such beauty in the song “I’d do it all again”. I saw a new take on the common comparison between love and drugs, the substance of the song being that she lost the love of her life, her husband to a drug overdose.

“Ooh, you're searching for something I know, wont make you happy 

Ooh, you're thirsting for something I know, wont make you happy

 Ooh, you did it all again, you broke another skin 

Its hard to believe this time, hard to believe 

That my heart, my hearts an open door... You got all you came for, baby.”

Corinne Bailey Rae is counted among my favorite artists because she has done exactly what I expect from great artists. She has made it known that she is able to take the ugliest feelings and transform them into a universal beauty that everyone can appreciate.

Friends: The Sitcom Phenomenon (Hunter)

2010-10-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Everyone who watches television tends to have a favorite show. Friends, though, is a seemingly timeless sitcom that is enjoyed by nearly everyone. I have never heard anyone say that they dislike Friends. Although this is my own experience, I have brought up the show with enough people to realize that the general consensus is that it is a really interesting, witty, and charming show. Why do people like this show so much? Is it the characters? The quick and successful jokes? Or is it the happy-go-lucky feeling it gives you when seeing such drama-free friends hanging out? (Occasionally, drama is employed to interest viewers but the problem is always solved and there is a happy ending.) The show is so lovable because it is extremely intimate; the viewers imagine themselves as if they are one of the Friends. The viewer experiences the laughs, the tears, the conversations. The viewer hears Ross whine incessantly, sees Monica become ridiculously competitive, and is charmed by Joey's "How you doin'?" The timelessness contributes to the show's lovableness as well. The show ran for ten seasons and people still record the reruns on their TiVo. Also, each episode is something that one can watch more than once because the jokes don't seem to get old. It's also conveniently short (twenty minutes without commercials) so there's no effort involved in sitting down to watch it. The show had an extremely strong affect on society. Phoebe's rendition of her song "Smelly Cat" was turned into a dance mix and the name of a Portuguese comedic troupe called "Gato Fedorento." Rachel's signature hairstyle became known as "The Rachel" and was copied constantly. Joey's "How you doin'? became a common phrase, and "Central Perk" imitations popped up across the nation. Friends, the sitcom phenomenon, is, to this day, one of the most watched television shows on the planet, and plays a vital role in the universe of pop culture.

The Automobile: A Fad

2010-10-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

by Paul

In this day and age, cars are thought of as a necessity more than anything else. Some cars are an extravagance (BMW, Audi), some are a personal statement (Prius, Hummer), and others are a tool (Pick-up trucks, minivans). But automobiles are rarely thought of as a choice. Every soon-to-be sixteen year old dreams of owning a car, and every child has played with hot wheels as a child. There are 7.7 cars for every ten people in the United States, and these cars are used every day, all day. Every trip to the grocery, every commute, every family outing is taken on a gas-powered, four-wheeled vehicle.
Such a dependence on the automobile creates a certain mindset. But I want to look at the car in a different light, as simply another fad; one that has lasted an extremely long amount of time, to be sure, but a fad all the same. After all, an object or idea cannot become this ingrained in a culture without having its own introduction into pop culture.

The first gas-powered automobile was made in 1896 by Henry Ford. With the invention of the assembly line, Ford was soon able to churn out an enormous number of cars for very little money, making cars affordable for an everyday American. Over the next hundred years, cars expanded into every single facet of our lives.
But how did the car become such a pervasive part of our lives? Few Americans know that before the automobile, almost all of our cities had extensive trolley systems that served as the major form of transportation. People either lived very close together, or extremely far apart, and therefore had little need for a car. What made the car so immensely popular so fast?
One of the best reasons is simply independence. The United States is a staunchly independent country, on both a national and individual scale. All throughout our short history we have snubbed out noses at the established superpowers (until we became one ourselves, that is). So it stands to reason that an average American would leap at the chance to partake in one of the most fundamentally independent actions someone can take: driving. This is especially true when the car was first introduced, when walking was the most common form of movement, and trains the fastest (train companies were at the time considered corrupt, powerful, and malicious). The idea of owning your own vehicular transportation must have been an amazingly appealing idea.
Another reason the car became so popular was that the rich had already owned cars before Henry Ford made them affordable. This made automobiles a luxury item, much like private jets are now. Imagine if owning a private jet was suddenly cheap enough for every sixteen year old to get for their birthday. The change that would take place would be immediate and extreme, for the same reason and with the same effect as the introduction of the car.
Of course, the car’s dominance was helped along by the Model T, Robert Moses, the New Deal, the Federal Aid Highway Act, and the rise of the middle class, but those events were more of a symptom of the automobile’s rise to dominance rather than a cause. Independence and social aspirations were truly the reason the car became the overindulgence it is today.

But as the automobile has become a necessity rather than a luxury, it has also become a restriction rather than a form of independence. Once, driving meant speeding down a road without inhibitions, but now it means sitting on a slab of concrete in the hot sun, waiting for the car in front of you to move an inch or two. It means paying almost $9,000 a year to move from isolated point A to isolated point B. Ugly concrete parking garages have infested our cities. Suburbanization has crawled farther and farther from urban centers, with social, political, and environmental consequences that we have yet to fully understand; and highways have become a blight on our cities and countryside. The car’s popularity, coupled with our dependence upon it, has made cars the biggest impediment to the freedom that they are supposed to represent.

The Meaning of YouTube

2010-10-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

The Meaning of YouTube by Adela

For me, Youtube used to be a place where I would watch cute videos of kittens or hilarious shorts of babies. A friend would come to me with a video that I “just had to see”, for example, Charlie the Unicorn, and we would watch it, laugh, and then continue on with the rest of our lives, maybe quoting it once in a while to get a few laughs.
For many people, this is what Youtube still is; a place to watch stupid videos. I mean how much substance can a Youtube video have if it is only limited to 15 minutes?

The answer is, a lot.

Over the past couple of years, the way that I use Youtube has changed. I have discovered videos that not only have meaning, but that also can create change.
When I subscribe to a youtube channel, I become part of a community. I not only get to watch all of the videos that that youtuber has put up, but I am also joined together with millions of other people.

When a youtuber has a lot of subscribes to their channel, they will often gather all of those people, and take action. Most of the time it is something small, like answering a question of the day or taking a poll, but in some instances, the action goes further. For example, Hank and John Green of the vlogbrothers raised enough money through their subscribers to send five cargo planes full of healthcare supplies to Haiti. They have also created the “Project for Awesome” in which Youtubers create videos promoting their favorite charity. Charlie McDonnel, of charlieissocoollike, created an idea called Chart Jackers. With chart jackers, youtubers came together and created a song that they got to be #1 on the UK charts. All the procedes from that song went the charity Children in Need. Youtube has also been used to launch many people careers, such as Justin Bieber.

YouTube connects so many different kinds of people, and with that connection, it becomes so much more than just a website where you can watch squirrels ride on water skis. With the youtubers I choose to watch now, my experience no longer stops once the video is over. The videos can make me ponder my life and my surroundings; push me to think about my implications and views. Sometimes I will watch a video and my whole world will be tuned upside down. An idea will be explored or a question will be posed that I have never thought of before. I just recently watched a video by John Green that talks about how pennies are totally useless and how it costs 1.7 cents to make a penny. I never knew how much money pennies were actually draining and this video made me think further about our economy.

I am not saying that it is bad to watch those funny videos on youtube, I just want everyone to know that there is more out there.

So, I challenge you. Go onto youtube and find a video that makes you think. About yourself, your community, it doesn’t matter, just as long as it has some sort of impact. If you don’t know where to start, you can try a couple of my favorite channels:
Sxephil, charlieissocoollike, vlogbrothers, MysteryGuitarMan, wheezywaiter

Modern Warfare Series-what up with dat? by Jack

2010-10-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

Let’s go back, all the way back to October 29, 2003, when the first ever Call of Duty came out for the computer. It was rated one of the best games of the year. It was created by Infinity Ward, a gaming franchise, and then published by Activision. They went on to make another Call of Duty in fall of 2005, which released for the Xbox 360 only a month after the original game came out. However in 2006 when the third installment came out for the 360 called Call of Duty 3 it did not involve Infinity Ward, but instead, Treyarch. Treyarch, another gaming franchise, went on to make Call of Duty 5: World at War and are also about to release Call of Duty: Black Ops. At the end of Call of Duty 2 though Infinity Ward gave the rights to Treyarch, but took it back when they created Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which went on to be possibly, in my view, one of the greatest games of all kind. It was a first person shooter, also known as fps, (if your not a geek fps basically means seeing out of your human character that you control) that was set in a more modern time period. All the other games up until that point that involved Call of Duty was set during World War II. The idea of this more modern type of weaponry interested so many people because it was something that was going on in our own time period so to speak. The story line of Call of Duty 4, cod4, was basically that the Russian Ultranationalist party joined up with an unknown Middle Eastern Rebel group called the Separatists and started an uprising in this Middle Eastern country. This interested the players because of its futuristic like weapons. However short it may be you will still want to play through it at least twice to fully understand the story line of it. What appealed to many players is not only the intense campaign, but also the multiplayer experience. “Call of Duty 4 has awesome multiplayer,” said a member of Ign (Video Here). One got to choose which gun he could use along with what attachments he/she could use with it. This was the start of a revelation to the multiplayer experience in almost every single game. Plus a new idea was added to the multiplayer, which was kill streaks. In cod4 they had radar that showed where the enemy’s where, an airstrike, and a helicopter. Then in 2009 Infinity Ward created Modern Warfare 2, mw2, which once again changed not only the multiplayer, but also themselves. Infinity Ward decided to add more attachments and more customizations, like instead a scope they allowed for an upgraded scope and allowed you to carry something with a little more firepower than a pistol. The also added 12 more killstreaks to the multiplayer, like a nuclear bomb going off and your team winning even if it seems as though you’re about to lose. The campaign however was short again, but was awesome. Ign stated, “It feels like a highlight real of Front Line Warfare,” and “It feels like Infinity Ward came up with a laundry list of cool stuff they wanted to add and then worried about the story to connect it.” (Video Here) However many people did think it was short, but awesome because of the graphics and story line. Infinity Ward also added something called Spec Ops, which were little missions that had nothing to deal with the campaign that either one loved or one hated. You would need to do these with a friend though because it makes them more fun and so much easier. I can not count the number of times I tried to bet them by myself with one player, but once a friend hoped in it was smooth sailing from there.
What many players liked about this series though is its multiplayer. One could add a sight to a gun instead having just to use the built in sights for example. However in mw2 one could upgrade that sight and add another attachment to a gun. This allowed one to wreak havoc if he/she could use it right. Also what people liked was the perks, upgrades to your own physical attributes, which allowed for a more powerful shot or quicker reloading for example.
Many questions though are out about a possible Modern Warfare 3. It is said to release sometime in 2011, but that is all we know so far. However it will probably not be made by Infinity Ward because two the guys that helped a lot on the Modern Warfare series left and now Infinity Ward does not know what to do (Info Here). Either than that if you have any type of gaming system and do not have cod4 or mw2 then you are missing out on one of the greatest games ever invented. If you are not into this whole killing things with guns and all I understand, but if you are then what are you doing sitting there and reading this, go out and buy it.

The Jersey Shore: A Reality train wreck

2010-10-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Jersey Shore: A Reality train wreck
By Marin, CITYterm Fall 2010

We are all exposed to the world of reality television. Shows such as Survivor and The Amazing Race started television on a roller coaster ride of shows that, “presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors,” as defined by Wikipedia. But when does reality go to far? To the point where the concept for a show is to have poofed, spiked, muscle head, tanned, saline filled Italians, affectionately called Guidos and Guidettes, spend a summer together in a house. The show chronicles them as they spend their time fighting over who slept with who, girls having cat fights, clubbing, and occasionally doing this thing called working to earn their stay in the house. Welcome to the Jersey Shore.

Many ask, why have a show that focuses around the lives of trashy 20 year olds getting wasted and clubbing? What makes a show do good that is draws 5.5 million viewers to watch each episode? I believe it’s like the phenomenon of driving by a car accident. It’s morbid, sad, and disturbing, yes, but you just can’t look away. The show itself has drawn negative feedback from different media sources, including Time Magazine, over the terms Guidos and Guidettes, as they are “awful anti-Italian stereotype peddied on jersey shore,” written in the New York Daily News. As well as there being anger over the portrayal of Italians, many residence from both New Jersey, mainly the Jersey Shore area, and Miami are desperate for the show to leave their area. In a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 51% of Garden state residence has an unfavorable view of the show, while only 11% had a favorable view. The rest were undecided. At SILive,the main issue was over the fact that many local residence of the Jersey shore saw the cast and show in general as giving the area a bad reputation. Local resident John La Stalla, say, ""You're trying to create a family town, and you got a bunch of kids acting very rude, and it doesn't create a good image." Many residence have also been upset due to the publicity they are getting, since they feel it is over-rated. Cast members of the show have appeared on such major television programs as Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmell, and multiple award ceremonies. As well as being looked down upon, maybe people just see the show as a joke. YouTube videos making fun of the characters are common, as well as cartoons portraying the characters in a malicious way. However to many, their over the top exhibits of violence, drama, and partying have earned them the right to be laughed at as the trash of American society. CITYterm student Wyatt Scruggs believes that, "the Jersey Shore is purely on television for entertainment purposes, and really has no purpose. It shows that people will watch something just to make themselves feel better since the cast is dehumanized and derogatory towards women and others. It has no educational purpose and clearly is just for laughs."

However, some people see the “juiceheads,” as something to benefit from, including the Jersey shore store owners and law enforcement written in a recent MTV article. Since the beginning of the show last year, Seaside Heights has boomed economically. Shops on the boardwalk are booming, and the area is busy year round as tourists flock to the shore in search of the cast. As many store owners say, you can’t pay for exposure. With characters with names such as “Snookie,” and “Jenni J-WOW”, Jersey shore has become a revolutionary new reality show that draws in all types of viewers. Who doesn’t love cat fights, drama, and people that are so embarrassing that its funny? Jersey shore is definitely a train wreck, and while many media sources agree, it’s one I wont be looking away from any time soon.

gendered shirt...

2010-03-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

file:///Users/Eva/Desktop/IMG00108.jpg.webloc

check out this image...(sorry, it won't post so that's why there's a link)

it reminded me of gus' blog

happy break!

-Eva

wordle.net

2010-03-21T21:10:00.000-07:00



Hi folks!

WORDLE is a neat website that uses word frequency to create artistic images.
It is an AWESOME site that many of us who are still here at CITYterm
have been fiddling around with.
Check out the wordle for your blog posts.
You can click on the image to see the full-size version.
Pretty neat, huh?!

You can wordle your papers, e-mails, chats, blogs, whatever. It's super-fantastic.

Happy break!
Steph
Jason
Grover
Fenway
cats are OK - purrr
dogs are OK - wooof

Just a thought provoking ad I found...

2010-03-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

This is a Diesel Jeans advertisement, titled "Global Warming Ready"

*Note the background

What are your thoughts?

-Zoe M.

Can you google "solutions to gender stereotypes"? by Zoe M.

2010-03-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie, I laughed when I first saw this picture posted on a friend's Facebook. But a few moments soon after, I realized the problems with this image, and beyond that, what this image says about society at large.

Allow me to explain this photo before I dissect it:

When you start to type something into the Google Search Engine, Google suggests words to complete your search. This is a feature called Auto-Complete. It is meant to make the researching process faster, and minimize the chances of the person typing misspelling whatever they're searching for. The order of auto complete suggestions that pop up are according to the frequency of which they are searched. So if this is true, then why are such gender stereotypes so high on the list?

What does this say about the respect genders have for each other? How can we change it? Do people really feel this way or is it some kind of poorly thought out joke?

What are your thoughts?

Guys vs. Girls - by Max

2010-03-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

We all like to think that girls have just as equal an advantage in society as men. Sadly, this is not the case.
Why is that such a small population, of both men and women can answer this riddle naturally:
A father and his son are on an airplane. The plane goes down, and right before impact the father does a heroic dive to ensure the survival of his son, but he dies in the act of doing so. The survivors of the crash are sent to a nearby hospital, and the injured son is taken to doctor, the doctor replies: “I can’t operate on this child, he’s my son.”
Almost everyone I ask takes a good 5 minutes before realizing that women can be doctors too, and thus the doctor was his mother. Why is it that they have to trip over the fact whether the dad somehow came back to life? It’s weird to me that absolutely everyone has a hard time with this riddle, but I believe this is saying something. Society has a hard time seeing women in a high profile job such as a doctor.
In today’s day and age, the role of the man is to be strong, fearless, powerful and carefree. Women are to be fragile, precious, emotional little creatures. We often hear comparisons of men, to “beasts,” and likewise for women, “fox.” This is the norm, but there is also pressure in society to follow these trends. Would an adolescent girl who doesn’t know all the Jonas Brothers be the most popular girl in her middle school? Could a guy who doesn’t know who won the Superbowl be one of the bros? The society we live in does not really show this happening any time soon. However, society has changed over time, and become more accepting to differences.
When men and women first started, they lived in a very primitive barbaric society, where women were strictly for reproducing and nurturing, because the growth of our species was so important. Men were the hunter-gatherers, doing all the physical tasks necessary for his family to survive. The bodies of men and women are different, and in a way, these applications are very logical. However, in today’s modern society, so much has changed. Reproducing isn’t priority number one. In America, it is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This concept is what allows us for progress, but these instincts that our genders are born with will always be there, but I believe there will be a time when we eventually will have to disregard these instincts in order for society to function. Who knows, though?
All I know is that today, men still have the upper hand in society. Society pushes us to follow this template and thus, we are trapped in a cycle.

Feel like a Goddess OR Feel Like a Man

2010-03-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

By Eva and Alexis

“Power, and passion, spirit, and substance – Inside every woman there is a goddess waiting to be discovered.” A singer belting her tune confidently, a runner trudging like there’s no tomorrow, a painter whose paint strokes are as driven as the strokes of a swimmer. In the vibrant snapshots in the Gillette Venus, all of these “Venus goddesses” flourish amidst a burst of fire, a cloudless sky, a dose of creative energy, a flash of lightning. As the rainbow-like red, orange, yellow, green blue and purple razors will shave away your stubby hair, they will dually reveal your radiant potential. The advertisement illustrates these thriving (shaven) women and their fantastic, flamboyant, exaggerated dance-like gestures. These women would give Barbie (master of all trades) a run for her money. And so, the ad is a success. But wait a minute. Let’s get real. While this ad supposedly represents natural or women “shaven” to the core, the Gillette advertisement for a men’s body wash seems to mirror its audience more truthfully.

“Just because it says “for men” it doesn’t mean it is. New Gillette Odor Shield Body Wash targets and neutralizes odor up to sixteen hours because you have got a “man-sized” odor hanging all over you. Gillette Odor Shield Body Wash – wash like a man, feel like a man.” These opening lines lead the viewer into a standard blue and gray tiled shower facing the hairy calves of what we assume (given our scarce evidence) to be a (sole) typical American man. Given that the calves are consistent to the rest of this masculine physique, he is probably a hunk. (We’ll never know)…. Regardless, our fantasies are halted by the slew of wonder-man’s “masculine” possessions, which land clumsily (as a “man” would drop them) at his oh-so-adorable feet. According to our feminine eyes, the variety of objects seemed to belong to the stereotypical masculine gender. Furthermore, compared to the formal English accent of the narrator of the female advertisement, the narrator of the male accent speaks casually – mirroring the voice of an average American man. However, according to the perspective of a “typical” man who uses Gillette products (Jason Hult), the objects represented a variety of activities the man had successfully accomplished in that given day.

Gillette holds the mirror up to the male viewers they hope will lather themselves in their body wash after viewing the ad. So why is the definition of a man limited to the adult version of “action toys” falling at his feet, while the female advertisement summons the female to aspire to be more than what she sees in the mirror each day? Both ads are asking the customer to step outside of their bathrooms and do something more. By providing the male viewers with a mirror and the female viewers a window, the Gillette company seems to be trying to command (as one would command a dog) the males to be more productive while it seems to be attempting to inspire the female to step outside of the realm of the mundane routine of their daily lives. Perhaps the company is prodding at the systematic, logical brains of males while addressing the female’s empathetic tendencies—those that would lead them to respond to the brand’s passionate advertisement on an empathetic level.

If you use 16-hour body wash, you’ll be a man. If you pick up your Venus, you’ll be a goddess. Although Gillette’s products are designed for the two different sexes (male and female), they end up stepping beyond the sex boundaries, into the realm of gender expression. Gillette assumes that females are “girly” and males are “boyish”—whatever that means! Furthermore, the problem with the ads’ missions is that they’ve succeeded in convincing the viewer to purchase the product—says a Venus fanatic, “I do feel like a goddess when I shave”. But is this really the right message to be spreading? How would a gender-questioning person respond to such an ad? What happens if a man wants to feel like a god, or a woman wants to be “cleansed” after mowing the lawn and throwing a football around with her daughters?

Restrooms and Gender

2010-03-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

When I was in preschool the restrooms had no sign with a stick figure of a boy or girl. There was just the restroom, plain and simple. But at some point in my life the signs appeared. I want to say it was in 4^th grade. It was the first year I moved down to a classroom on the bottom floor of my elementary school. Instead of having just one restroom attached to the classroom there was a “girls” room and a “boys” room in the hallway. They were still single restrooms no stalls or anything fancy. In fact they were identical to the ones upstairs besides the signs on the doors. So why in 4^th grade did we need to separate the restrooms? In 3^rd grade the unisex restroom was just fine, now for some reason I had one restroom and could go in and want I could not. Because they were single restrooms and they were 100% identical the need to differentiate between “boys” and “girls” seems absurd. I mean maybe if there were stalls I’d see the point but to me this was just crazy. I would be waiting to use a restroom and there would be one perfectly fine restroom open that I was not permitted to use. It was ridicules. Can men and women not pee in the same toilet? We do a peoples homes all the time, so why in public places such as schools or libraries is it different?

I was in restaurant about a year ago and the women’s room was occupied so I used the men’s single person restroom. Upon coming out I received a weird look form an older man waiting. He looked at me as if I was from Mars. When really I had just used a restroom identical to the one next store. Why was it just a big deal to him? I had in no way tarnished “his” restroom. It was just as I had found it when I had came in. I am amazed at how much signs with stick figures control our lives. How the different sexes much be kept from using the same facilities. Every time I see a single restroom with a sign indicating a specific gender I am baffled. I always ask myself “Why?” and I always end up at the same answer, “There is no reason, it’s pointless to me.”

Teen Pregnancy Policy

2010-03-15T19:58:00.000-07:00

Rachel B.

At my all girls school there is a rule that states that if a student were to get pregant during the year and she decides to keep the baby, that student is “asked to leave” the school on the basis that they couldn’t keep up with the rigorous academic curriculum. However, it is my own personal belief that the real motive behind this policy is for the school to save face and not have their “pristine” reputation tarnished. Regardless of the motive, I think this policy is unreasonable and discriminatory towards the students of the school for multiple reasons.

I believe that my school is essentially forcing girls to choose between abortion or education. They aren’t open to the idea of adoption because they would have to wait until the girl comes to full term, which would be bad for the school’s reputation. They are also against allowing the girl to have and keep the baby, which I believe should be up to the mother and her family. This policy seems to be implying that either a girl can choose to stay, and be educated, and go to college, but get an abortion; Or, the girl can choose to have a baby, but will most likely be unable to finish highschool. I think that forcing these girls to make this choice is unnecessary and may force young girls to deny their religious, political, or familial beliefs.

This policy also seems unfair because both the male and the female equally participated in the impregnantion of the female. Just because the girl carries the baby, and other people are aware of that based on her appearance, she should be punished by expulsion? The father should have just as much responsibility for the pregnancy as the mother does, and yet no one at his school even has to know and his school definitely doesn’t consider expulsion. The policy shows that just because of the way a man is biologically built, he has the opportunity to finish highschool and go to college over a woman carrying his child.

Also, because women are biologically programmed to get pregnant, without the negative attitude that society has toward teen pregnancy, it would be a completely natural thing for a girl to get pregnant at any age. Therefore, taking away education because of the nature of a woman’s body is not fair and really doesn’t even make sense because it isn’t something that is in anyone’s control. Getting pregnant, which is a natural thing for a woman to do, shouldn't have anything to do with her academic career.

I am not at all promoting teen pregnancy. I personally believe that a girl should get pregnant when she is old enough and ready to care for another human being. However, I think that if a teen girl AND a boy make the mistake of getting the girl pregnant, a school should be supportive and compassionate towards the situation and refrain from punishing the girl for something she is biologically programmed to do.

What It Means to Be a Man by Dan L.

2010-03-15T19:38:00.001-07:00

While enduring the last two minutes of running on the treadmill during a vigorous workout, a wave of emotions Freud would have argued are manifested in the id and Thoreau would have argued are natural and authentic pervaded both my body and mind. They felt barbaric and raw. They felt the way I imagine Mohammad Ali felt like mid-punch in a championship match, or King Kong felt like on the empire state building— roaring and beating his chest to an honorable death—. But, as authentic as my emotions felt, they mirrored the emotions I’ve discerned from superficial billboards and commercials that advertising agencies have created to project what values and roles men should practice in society. (http://www.piolopascual.net/wp-content/uploads/piolobelomedical.jpg) Maybe I’m just a human commercialism has infected with the theory that being male is embodying the traits society deems appropriate for people with male genitals to exercise.
I want the emotions I experienced while running to be palpable only to people with male genitals. I want the emotions I felt to be an indicator that there are gross biological and physiological distinctions between men and women beyond our breasts, genitals, and varying levels of estrogen and testosterone. (http://www.parenting.com/article/Pregnancy/Development/The-Real-Difference-Between-Boys-and-Girls) I want my experience to mean emasculating experiences exist, because I want my life long self-identification with masculinity to mean more than I was a mouse in one of societies traps.
It’s possible that I want to fulfill masculine stereotypes, because after years and years of rap music, action movies, and football I’ve internalized the notion that the elements, which constitute an effective ad for selling Gillette Shaving Cream (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4L3bm6m3KQ), constitute what it means to be male. But, it’s also possible that I strive to emulate commercially masculine traits because my innate physiological instincts drive me to do so.
I don’t know whether or not I was born with the predisposition to fulfill masculine stereotypes. I don’t know by if the time I’m too old to care how I define my gender, I’ll have furthered my understanding of what it means. But, I do know that I’ll do my best to live free of any manacles that society secretly binds us to. Regardless of how my emotions were created, I’ll follow them in whatever direction they point me. There are over seven billion people on the earth, and there are over seven billion ways to live life authentically.

Re-defining "Co-Ed"

2010-03-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

By Kendall

At what age is it no longer acceptable for a boy or a girl to take a bath together? At what point is it taboo for two children of the opposite sex to have a sleepover? What is the oldest age a boy can get away with going into a women’s bathroom with his mother? Whatever you decide these cut-offs are, I think that they are chosen based on traditional societal assumptions yet are rarely ever thought about. Historically, men and women were kept separate due to their unequal privileges and roles in society, but I believe that now at the core of our need to separate girls and boys is a fear of how to deal with attraction. Parents who see how technology has made times less easy to control and has influenced kids to become faster, less protected from certain information, and more influenced by constant media attention. They fear what their children know and what they’ll do with what they know, and therefore separate them so they don’t have to face the truth that even at a young age there is a chance their child will want to experiment sexually. However, the ignored truth is that many of them don’t. Many just see members of the opposite sex as friends and by creating the “forbidden fruit” concept between men and women, they give children the idea that as their bodies take on greater differences, they must see the same boy that was just a friend in a more conservative way. When the damage has already been done, and your child is now entering college as an adult, do those rules of separation still apply? Due to the ways of modern relationships and the increasing number of people who have changed their sexual orientation or identity along the way, the answer is not easy.

Traditionally, colleges were either all-male or all-female and they have come a long way to create a truly co-ed experience. However, one separation that still remains is within school-sponsored housing. There has been an influx of controversy recently as schools have began to loosen their definition of “co-ed” and struggle to find a politically correct way to incorporate different types of relationships, whether they are friendly or romantic, into the living community, while still ensuring that people who still believe in the traditional mold of separation feel comfortable. The changes started with putting girls and boys in the same building, then progressed to including mixed halls, and the success of those changes how now given many school the nod to start instituting co-ed bathrooms. Although these changes already force some traditionalists to the tips of their toes, it is the prospect of mixed gender dorm rooms that will put them over the edge.

The intended students that would benefit from this change by the schools are vague and the unclear lines of who applies are causing much controversy. For example, if you’re going off of my premise that separations are based on attraction, the female/male split no longer does the job. Gays and transgenders now make up a large percent of college students who may have to struggle with forbidden attraction to their straight roommate or may get past the rules of separation in romantic relationships since both students would be the same sex. This isn’t fair for the gays who have to conceal their attraction, the straight students who have to feel as uncomfortable in a room as if they were rooming with a guy, or the couples who can live together while straight couples cannot. I don’t think co-ed housing options are perfect, especially with their high risk s and vague guidelines, but I do think they eliminate some of the tension built by this unfairness. If you are able to choose whether or not you want co-ed housing, it should be fine.

Although my position on the subject changes with new information, I believe that our society needs a paradigm shift from our concept of relationships between girls and boys to address the issue with multiple perspectives in mind. The increasing number of gays and transgenders adds a new dimension to how and when we separate based on gender and we need to reevaluate how we influence how young children have relationships with the opposite sex, and that we can no longer make general categories labeled “men” and “women.”

Touchdown by Ngina

2010-03-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

Drew Brees, Quarterback. Adrian Peterson, Running back, Steve Smith, Wide receiver. For some reason I can list all of these and probably no more than 20 others with little thought. Sunday nights, Monday nights, Pardon the Interruption, Around the Horn, Sportscenter, ESPN Classic, NFL RedZone, NFL Today, NFL Total Access, the Probowl in Hawaii, The Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York, and an array of random insignificant facts like who in the NFL’s faced criminal charges. This for an guy who watches football is basic information, surface stuff, the type of thing everyone would get correct on a test. However if I mention anyone of these things in conversation or Facebook status it’s usually followed by surprise, considered with apprehension, or the more common, “OK then, I see you knowing about football and what not”.

When I hear this sort of response from a male friend I usually smirk instead of pursuing conversation about why they responded in that way. Instead of challenging the concept that football is a males sport: played by males, understood by males, and discussed (most accurately) by males.

I don’t study the mechanics of football. However, I know enough about how the game works and who plays it in order to entertain a short conversation about the sport. When it comes to making educated predictions and analyzing plays, it is just as foreign of a sport to me as it would be to a person watching it for the first time.

I still however marvel in the experience of being able to drop a name of a not so widely known player. If you’re a girl you are expected to know certain football players. The cute one’s with reality shows (Terrell Owens), the one involved in dog fighting (Michael Vick), the one’s in relationships with admired celebrity women (Reggie Bush, Tony Romo, Kendra’s Boyfriend), and/or your home teams quarterback (Tom Brady, in my case). Now I would never drop one of these names in order to get “respected” or taken seriously by a male who follows the sport. Those are too easy, they undermine my (basic) knowledge of the Nation Football League. This knowledge I acquired by simply observing my older brother’s interest in the game. I was always curious about the sport, always asking questions. “Whose that?” “What team’s he play for?” “What number is he?” I would accumulate the answers to these questions, remember them on random occasions, during the right conversations. Jeremy Shockey, used to play for the Giants, just won the Superbowl with the Saints. Tight end. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals, Chad Ochocinco (formerly known as Chad Johnson), Bengals, Brandon Marshall, Broncos. All Wide Receivers. Sometimes I’d even surprise myself when I stated these random facts. I would say a name and it would be right, and I’d give myself an internal high five.

However, I would never outwardly express my pride, that to me would be a sign of weakness. It would make me just like the other girls, who are expected to know nothing, or a few things, such as what I mentioned above.

Two distinct kinds of pressure are created: One from the boys. Boys, including those who play, watch, and study football. Boys who know less that me but pretend in order to fit into this imaginary code of manliness. I’m expected to know less than both of these “types” of boys and this is obvious this whenever I discuss football with them.
The second kind of pressure is from girls. And unless these girls have knowledge that exceeds the criteria mentioned above (and there are some!) the response is the following. “She thinks she’s special because she can related to them about football.” Or “she thinks she’s important because can talk about Monday night’s game.” Or my favorite: “She thinks she’s better than me because she actually knows what she’s cheering about when watching from the sidelines.” And I guess there’s also the girls who stay out of it all together, as they’re expected.

*I will admit that I’m annoyed when its Superbowl XLIV Sunday and every girls Facebook status is “I love Reggie Bush.” Or “Go Saints” or something generic like that, when they know in their heart it’s the first game there watching all season (if they’re even watching it. . . ).

I think I’m somewhat different because I can talk and know what I’m talking about. But I don’t think it makes me any better. Like I said I know the basics, the simple stuff, the stuff that the boy is expected to know. And I wont go making impetuous statements about whose better offensively, or defensively because I usually don’t know. I envy those female Sport casters on the sideline or the girls who play flag football during Probowl Weekend. However, when I do know something, I will make it known to all those who aren’t expecting it. And give myself that well deserved internal high five.

Challenging the Feminist Stereotype by Rebecca

2010-03-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

Feminism in today's world is a somewhat sensitive topic. Although it has been around making changes to better women's rights since its first big wave at the turn of the 20th century, for some reason feminists today still sometimes get a bad rap. When one pictures a feminist, what might immediately come to mind is the image of a radical woman in the 1960s or 70s burning her bra to protest women's constraints in society. While extremists do exist, the stereotype of a masculine woman, battling against shaving or wearing makeup, is simply not what feminism is about. This cliché is in fact extremely detrimental to the feminist cause as it not only spreads a false idea of what feminists are like, but also makes less people willing to putting themselves in a group with others, and therefore less people supporting women's rights in general.

Back at home, I have a friend who decided around age 12 that she was a diehard feminist. She wrote articles for the middle school newspaper explaining topics like how Hermione made the perfect female role model or why sexy Halloween costumes should be frowned upon. At the time she was ridiculed for her strong opinions, which other kids had probably just not really considered at this point. While she stuck to her beliefs and didn't let others bring her down, it is amazing to look back on this a few years later and wonder what kind of progress could have been made if instead of instantly labeling her as another radical feminist just like others they had heard of, the student body decided to support her. Maybe there could have been a feminist club established, raising awareness of unequal pay between sexes or sexual harassment in the workplace, or even getting students to question why society praises unhealthy standards for women through the media.

Honestly, I don't usually describe myself as a feminist immediately, but I think that any woman who puts down feminism and refers back to the old stereotype is either in denial that there are still issues surrounding women's rights or is just a self-loathing person. How is it possible to not support a cause that you automatically, naturally fall into? Frankly, any woman or man who stands against problems ranging from women's salaries being disproportionate to men's, to rape and violence against women worldwide, should consider themselves feminists. I am someone who when asked has often said that I am a feminist, but not one of those "extreme" types. But what exactly makes someone an "extreme" feminist? Compare the number of people you know who believe men and women should be equal against the number of those people who represent the "bra-burning" standard, and you will realize, as I have, how unnecessary it is to become defensive when asked if you are a feminist, and how unimportant it is to make sure you are not grouped with others who feel too rebellious for you.

There is no guideline to being a feminist, as feminists are absolutely not all the same. Some of them will go to rallies to raise support for women's rights, some might volunteer regularly at a local battered women's shelter, while others will simply spread feminist ideas through everyday conversation among friends. While these may all seem like very different tasks, the fact is that each one of these people is supporting the same ultimate goal—a world in which women and men can live completely equally, to the point that feminists will not have to fight for women's rights or reclaiming derogatory words like "slut," used solely against women, and feminism instead will very simply be about being proud of outstanding woman figures in society and all that they have done. Our challenge now is to reach that goal, with accepting and supporting feminism as our first step. Next time you are asked whether or not you are a feminist, before becoming defensive or afraid of being labeled, think about what societal values are really important to you, and hopefully you will come to the conclusion that, just as I am a feminist, you are too.

Girls wear dresses and Boys wears pants- Why? Kathy

2010-03-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

I remember the hours spent in the fitting room of a children’s clothing shop called “Toddlers Place” in Ohio from the ages of three to seven. It was a large store with oversized teddy bears strewn across it divided into two sections; ‘toddler girls ‘and ‘ toddler boys’. Immediately upon entering my mother walked straight toward the frilly pink dresses and rows of headbands with me in tow. Within ten minutes she would have armfuls of shiny dresses and skirts all for me to try on for upcoming family or holiday occasions. By the age of four this seemed natural to me; pink dresses, purple skirts, sparkly headbands. Similarly, when my mother would take my brothers out for clothes shopping they would go to the sections painted in blue and red where racks of pants, shorts and collard button downs awaited them. They wore what my mother put on them without complaint (except when it came time to wearing tight ties.) I never recall them once questioning why we were dressed in such different outfits, nor did I ever question it myself. These two separate attires were the ‘norm’. It was how my friends and their brother’s would dress as well as all the adults around me. My mom rarely, if ever, wore a pant suit as I saw my father wear every day before heading off to work.
One of the factors that is prominent in this noticeable issue is society. From an early age a girl wearing a dress and a boy wearing pants is considered normal. All the dolls I played with, including my ballerina Barbie doll, were dressed in these outfits. Even the Cabbage Patch doll I had she was dressed in a yellow gown with lime green flowers. On the other hand my brothers would play with tough looking GI Joes dressed in camouflage pants and jackets. Even from a young age we’re shown what our sex is supposed to wear. I never questioned why this was because I never knew it was something to wonder about. From the time I became remotely aware of these difference, around the age of five, it just was. The only time I wanted to wear shorts was when playing outside in the yard but other than that I didn’t mind the skirts and dresses.
This classic idea of a woman in a dress and man wearing kakis goes back hundreds of years. It’s deeply pressed into our society that this is the correct and proper way to dress as your sex. As a fellow blogger, Erich Vieth, wrote about in his discussion of this topic, he said the reason why the sexes dress as they do is “just because.” There is no explicit answer for this question except that is just is. It’s been this way for as long as anyone knows but in time I predict it will change. Only in the past couple decades has this notion began to change form. People are beginning to question the gender bounds and what it means to be a woman and dress like one. The opposite is true with men. Does a man have to wear pants to be a man or can he wear a skirt and be viewed in the same light? As people keep questioning and pushing the sex and gender bounds this black and white issue will eventually turn gray. “Just because” will no longer be a suitable answer.

Taste of Her Cherry Chap-Stick

2010-03-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Experimentation. It’s not a word with much weight anymore. Our teenage years have become synonymous with this concept of “experimentation”. We are expected to “experiment” with drugs, alcohol, sex, sexuality, passions—this is the time we, as members of society, are granted a “freebie”. To a certain extent we can, and should, do as we like under the anthem of “experimentation”. We are meant to explore now so that by the time twenty-four rolls around we know who exactly who we are. Check that off the list please!
Yet the problem is, experimentation has become an excuse, a cover-up, for behavior. In particular, experimentation seems to have undermined sexuality and gender exploration among teenagers. It’s cool for girls to kiss girls at a party because they’re just “experimenting”. The next morning it’s no questions asked. Experimentation is a one-way street that still leads straight to heterosexuality. It’s not about exploration but about mistakes and thoughtless decisions. By labeling a lesbian, transgender, or otherwise out of the norm behavior “experimentation”, we as a group de-legitimize the behavior altogether. The acts are mere experiments—they hold no value or serious weight in our exploration of identity; they are fleeting.
Perhaps one of the greatest manifestations of this distortion of “experimentation” is Katy Perry’s I Kissed a Girl, which released in the spring of 2008. The lyrics are as follows:
“This was never the way I planned. Not my intention. I got so brave drink in hand. Lost my discretion. It’s not what I’m used. Just want to try you on. I’m curious for you caught my attention. I kissed a girl and I liked it. The taste of her cherry chap stick. I kissed a girl just to try it…”
While at first glance Perry’s song seems progressive and even daring, a closer look at the lyrics shows just how crudely the song hinders legitimate sexual exploration. Perry treats the event, her kissing a girl, like an out of control act—“I got so brave drink in hand.” It’s as if she only was able to kiss a girl because her judgment was inhibited. The same way girls whore themselves out at parties, using alcohol as an excuse, Perry uses alcohol as the reason behind her homosexual behavior. Furthermore we hear how Perry “lost [her] discretion”, suggesting that kissing a girl was just another slutty, erotic move; Perry was inherently NOT making a decision but rather acting thoughtlessly, carelessly and without consequence.
Perry’s I Kissed a Girl has merely fueled the image of sexy girl-on-girl hookups, which seems to have gained popularity and normality in the pop world. At parties, boys jokingly ask drunken girls to hook up—and girls do it! At dances, girls hook up with other girls simply to appear more provocative, and thus attractive, to boys. At the 2003 MTV Music Awards Brittany Spears and Madonna locked lips in front of thousands of viewers; during interviews following the kiss, Spears was shocked at the suggestion that she had ever kissed a girl before. In addition the interviewers often suggested the kiss was a “gift”; it was as if the kiss was somehow meant to pleasure male viewers—and it probably was considering the circumstances.
So what does this new phenomenon of “girl-on-girl” action mean? It means that teenagers may not actually be exploring their sexual identities. Suddenly, when a girl kisses another girl, she does not, cannot, contemplate whether she liked the kiss; we are programmed from our peers and from the media to see girls kissing girls as heterosexuals being a little wild and crazy. But what if wild and crazy turns into sincere and eye-opening? How many girls never allow that kiss to mean more than a drunken hook up or a bad mistake at a dance? Have we as a generation turned lesbian behavior into a heterosexual sideshow? Or am I being too critical—is the popular acceptance of lesbian hook-ups a sign that as a generation we are truly progressive?
-Zoe B.

Same Sex or No Sex

2010-03-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

by Alexandra Zeitouni

Living in a boarding school raises interesting questions about sexual intimacy between students. One issue that has been quite controversial at my school recently is that of parietals. Parietals, or intervisitation is the procedure for hosting a friend of the opposite sex in one’s dorm room. At my school, one has to ask the house parent for permission, and keep the door open and lights on. As well, it is specifically stated that parietals are not for sexual intimacy.
Since parietals were originally intended for opposite sex visits, how should boarding schools deal with same-sex relationships? According to the Concord Academy (my school) handbook, “For those in open same-sex relationships, the school expects that students will follow the same guidelines that everyone else is following. The school expects students who are not “out” to follow the same guidelines short of requesting permission from the house parent on duty.” Even though the school has included the section about same-sex parietals, there are some issues surrounding their solution. First of all, parietals rules exist based off of the premise that students will engage in sexual or intimate behavior in the dorm rooms. They are also based off of the premise that there is some sort of attraction between those of the opposite sex. Therefore, why should someone who is homosexual be allowed to have anyone of their own sex in their rooms, even if they are not in a relationship with that person, just like anyone straight would have to get parietals with anyone of the opposite sex. Second of all, since those who are not yet out don’t have to ask permission for parietals when they are in a relationship with someone and are just expected to follow the rules on an honor system, the reality is that not many people will. In fact, I am aware of multiple occasions when people in same-sex relationships have used the dorm rooms for sexual intimacy.
I have heard many complaints on the issue, yet these arguments don’t seem to get anywhere. While many complain that these rules are unfair, there doesn’t seem to be a set of rules that would work any better. You can’t ask an openly gay guy not to have other guys in his room, especially since he is living in an all guys door and he most likely has a roommate. Also, it is only fair to respect the privacy of those who have not yet come out and trust that they will follow the parietals guidelines. So what does this mean? Clearly, our society is still operating on a system built for heterosexual relationships. Rules are then amended or altered to include homosexuals, but our society doesn’t function in a way that makes all of these rules make sense. Most boarding schools, such as Groton and Holderness don’t even discuss same-sex parietals in their student rule books. While my school is still adapting, the reality is that society just isn’t fully prepared to deal with issues surrounding homosexuality.

A Cheerleader? Really? -- Alicia

2010-03-15T19:07:00.001-07:00

I think the first time I ever met of a male cheerleader I was maybe fourteen years old. It came as a shock. The concept of cheerleading is such a feminine thing; to dance around in a short skirt, egging your team on--for a traditional man, that's just coloring outside the lines. It also didn't help that he was the only male cheerleader. Or that he was potdealer. That did his own poison. So he didn't remember most of the games. And he was supposed to be the spotter; the safety person.
All hands down, this boy did not make a good impression. But, business and hobbies aside, it still struck me funny that he was a cheerleader. My first thought was that he was gay, but then he kept hitting on me in a sort of creepy way. So that was out, and I was really confused. He was a . . . straight . . . male . . . cheerleader. I mulled it over for a few weeks before I was at peace with the fact that straight, male cheerleaders exist. I had to work on the idea that men don'thave to do only "man" things in order to remain masculine. They don'thave to think "cook" means "grill," and they don't have to "wear the pants" in a relationship. Though, for that specific point, I may have been younger when I came face to face with that.
I was around six the first time I played the board game Life. It was (almost) as fun as Monopoly until it came time to get married. (Also, as a sidenote, they make it mandatory to get married in that game. Thinking back on it, I think that's strange. Does than imply one sex needs the other, or that they need each other mutually?) Your piece that you move around the game is a car. Into this car you stick little blue and pink pieces depending on whether the people are male or female (again, with the assumptions. Some girls absolutely loathe pink). I had myself, a pink piece, of course, driving the car. When I got married . . . did that mean I couldn't drive anymore? Should I switch my pink piece with my new husband's blue piece and relegate myself to the passenger seat? What was the right thing to do in this situation? It was a revolutionary thought when my father told me I could keep my piece in the drivers seat and have hubbie take shotty. Its strange now to think that my main original problem with the set-up was that the man appeared weak when he didn't take the wheel. He wasn't Prince Charming when he didn't steer his great white stallion. That, I think, was the turning point, when I let my little pink piece steer that little car past the church (nongender-related sidenote--only a Christian church? Really?)and on into baby-land and retirement.

Funny how a little game of Life changed my own.

You play ball like a girl!-Gus B

2010-03-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

There are many “disses” in this world in regards to sexuality and gender. Put downs and derogatory names have been a norm in society forever and won’t stop any time soon. Amongst the vast range of disses in modern society, there are a few that have been around for quite a while but have actually lost their edge in recent decades. For this blog, I’m going to highlight the use of the word “girl” in the way that boys, and girls alike, use it against one another. More specifically how it plays in sports.

Though some girls use the term “girl” against each other, it is most often found that boys use it amongst each other. Around the mid to late 20th century, calling another boy a girl was among the worst things you could say to somebody. We all remember the Ham in the movie The Sandlot saying, “You play ball like a girl!” Following that, viewers see about a half dozen jaws drop the ground and pure silence amongst the boys. Though a great line in an equally great movie, this line says a lot about the veracity of the accusation. Though society has come a long ways since those times, the term still exists today, only less severe. Back then, there was little female participation in professional sports and thus made a little bit of sense.

It has gotten to the point where boys throw it around loosely and not many take offence to it anymore (as far as I can tell). I should back up and say that to call another guy a girl is essentially saying that they are bad at something or do something poorly. Along with that, to say somebody is being a girl it suggests that they are acting dramatically or that they are lacking courage. For example, if a guy opts out of doing something dangerous and risky, peers would say something like, “don’t be such a girl.”

Despite all of these accusations, these have been disproved throughout the years. In the second half of the 20th century, for example, there was no WNBA(Women’s National Basketball Association) and to WPS(Women’s Professional Soccer), thus possibly making the assumption true that women are less athletic and calling a boy a girl almost makes sense in an athletic context. But now that these leagues, amongst others, have been established, to call a boy a girl does not make sense and is not valid in any way.

Gendered Foods by Callie

2010-03-15T19:05:00.000-07:00

Steak, hamburgers, bacon, and hot sauce: manly food.

Cupcakes, chocolate, salad, and fruit: girly food.

This is the impression that many people of America have about food. There are a number of foods that can be categorized by gender. Of course, there are many “gender-neutral” foods such as spaghetti and meatballs, and pizza. “Man food” is characterized by anything particularly meaty and/or that can be eaten by using fingers and hands as utensils. “Girly food” is only eaten with a fork or spoon, is a small portion, and/or involves packaging advertising low fat and the word “diet.”

How did people come to associate chocolate with woman and steak with men? It has to do with America’s standards of each gender. Women are supposed to be delicate while men are supposed to be powerful and aggressive. It has always been this way. Men and women have always been separate and men have always been the more powerful of the two. It’s both sad and ridiculous that what a person eats makes them more manly or more girly. Yogurt is for women, chili is for men. Tea is for women, beer is for men. According to Man’s Law #26, all men must eat meat to be a man. What happens if a man doesn’t want to eat meat? does that mean he’s not a man? What if a woman loves to eat meat? does that mean that she’s more manly than women who don’t eat meat?

There are foods that have recently been invented that are specifically and exclusively meant for men only, such as “manwiches” and “mancakes.” A “manwich” is simply a sandwich, but stuffed with extra meat. “Mancakes” mostly have alcohol baked into them and meat toppings to seem more manly than a traditional cupcake. Companies also used manliness to sell their products. Burger King had a commercial advertising their double whopper with men singing about how they are man and must eat meat instead of “chick food.” There’s even a brand name called “Hungry-Man” with a television commercial of a fisherman being blown away in the wind because he had an un-manly dinner.

Both genders are expected to stick to their own foods. If a man drinks tea, he is considered fairly feminine, and if a woman eats steak, she is considered fairly masculine. Why does food have to determine this? Shouldn’t what people eat be determined by nutritional value, not on a masculine-feminine scale?

Marry a girl, a boy, I don't care, just do it! by Shelby

2010-03-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Arranged marriage is a matrimonial decision made by a party other than the bride and groom. This is most dominant throughout South Asia and the Middle East. Throughout our sex and gender classes it has been puzzling me that there can be two people in love, but they aren’t allowed to get married just anywhere. I understand this concept, although I very much disagree, and it has been undergoing a lot of decision-making in the past couple of years, but then I got to thinking. What about people whose culture believes in arranged marriages? What if they are gay or lesbian? This really interested me as to what happens. I read a few articles and one that I found was about how much of a disgrace it is to be unmarried. It stated that, “Singleness means you never grew up. It's the biggest failing of parenthood -- the incompleteness of the unmarried child.” I was really shocked, but also happy, with these results. Often, when I forget to suspend judgment, I think of immigrant families as extremely conservative. In fact, most say that they would rather have their children be, “Gay, but with children,” as one Chinese mans’ parent’s decided. Others, whose parents are not as supportive, decide to ‘marry for convenience.’ This is when a gay man marries a lesbian woman so that they can fulfill their parents’ expectations, but mutually have affairs with the preferred sex. As much as this is their way of being happy, how far will that go? Sneaking around, faking family dinners with a spouse you have no true connection with, and not being true to yourself. I’m not sure what’s worse, having to marry to fool your parents into thinking you’re the perfect child, or that if parent’s did approve, the choice to marry is very limited. On January 1, 2010 New Hampshire became the fifth state to allow gay marriage, along with Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Iowa. Still, why are there designated areas? Especially if it is an arranged marriage, is the church denying a culture? Arranged marriage’s original purpose was to wed two young adults so that they will live with wealth, eventual love (hopefully), and to pass down the authenticity of the culture. Now, it has become a little more complex. Today there is something called a mail-order bride. Typically a woman is sent overseas to the U.S. to fulfill their husband’s needs as the ‘housewife.’ Cooking, cleaning, bearing children. Why would women agree to this? Education, money, opportunity. It baffles me as to why parent’s agree to such things. Letting their child be gay simply to be married, not because they want them to be happy. Letting their child be sent away to marry a stranger just so that they will have a chance in America. So much is given up for culture. The situation about gays and lesbians marrying is the most intriguing to me. Everyday, gays struggle to receive equal rights to wed as any other couple in America, and here are these immigrants whose parent’s push them to be married whether it be to a man, a woman, both, so to say, whatever, as long as they’re married. Which is easier? Personally, I don’t there will ever be an easy way out.

Changes by Rachel M.

2010-03-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, I was a man. Well, not a technically a man, but I definitely looked and dressed like a boy. When people look at pictures of me when I was a little kid, they tell me I looked like a boy. At first I would grimace and respond with, “Shut up!” But now I’ve come to embrace it. It’s interesting to see how I’ve changed over the years, and it’s not like I was the only little girl who refused to wear any form of pink.

At the end of second grade, my insane babysitter told me that she was going to give me a haircut. Being the second grader that I was, I permitted her. My mom came home that night to most of my long hair chopped off and completely uneven. This was the start of my tomboy years.

In third grade, I gave up my liking for dresses and skirts. Whenever I had to go to a fancy event with my family, I refused point blank to put on any skirt or dress my mom gave to me. “It’s too ugly,” “it’s too girly,” “it’s to frilly,” “it’s too pink!” I would complain to my mom. After struggling endlessly to make me wear a dress, my mother finally gave up and allowed me to wear the only thing I would comply to wear: a pair hideous velvet pants and a clashing velvet shirt. All in all, it was not one of my better outfits.

In fourth grade, I gave up wearing my hair down. At first it was too see how long I could go without my hair down; I thought it would be a cool thing to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. This idea didn’t make any sense at all, but to my fourth grade self it did. So, I continued to wear my hair down. After a while though, wearing my hair down became uncomfortable for me. I wasn’t used to my hair hanging down and I thought I looked weird and too girly.

Sixth grade was not my best year, or as I like to say: sixth grade never happened. Now my outfits were comprised of baggy sweatpants, a big sweatshirt down to my knees, and an alternation between a “Camp Playland” t-shirt and a “Camp Emerson” t-shirt. It’s hard to even look back on sixth grade; every time I think about it I want to cringe. It wasn’t just my choice of clothing though. I was awkward and I was weird. Yes, every typical sixth grader is like this, but I was five times weirder and six times more awkward than the typical sixth grader.

In the beginning of seventh grade, I got better. I started to wear long peasant skirts matched with a junk food t-shirt, preferably with a Sesame Street character or some brand of cereal on it. This was still not my finest fashion moment, but it was a step up from before.

At the end of seventh grade, I bought my first bra. This, I think, was the transition where I realized that I was a girl and not a boy. This was where I discovered what the difference, to me, is between a girl and boy. I realized that I could be pretty, I can wear dresses and cute clothes and I could even get my nails done if I wanted. After I came to this realization, I slowly and surely began to change. I started caring more about how I looked and dressed. I cared about how I acted; I became less of a slob. In eighth grade, my clothing style improved. In ninth grade, I got my braces off and I started wearing my hair down. In tenth grade, I began to straighten my hair and wear make-up. I began to transform into who I am today.

This whole experience makes me wonder though. Why have certain mannerisms become a way to landmark what girls are? Yes, I dressed in boy’s clothes and at one point looked like a boy, but what makes this different from “girly”? Why is there one general type of girl? What makes a girl a girl? Most of these questions I cannot answer. Most of the traits of a girl have been created and forced upon girls, myself included, for centuries. But girls don't have to just live and wait for the next womanly aspect of life to appear. They can challenge the gender stereotypes. So what if girls like football? Why is that such a masculine thing? So what if men like fashion? How did these stereotypes form and why did they stick? Just some food for thought.

Yes I am a woman, Yes I know the game, Yes I watch ESPN by Ariana

2010-03-15T18:40:00.000-07:00

Growing up with two older brothers, I have always been around sports. Whether I wanted to or not, I came to love playing and watching sports. If you knew me before CITYterm, you would probably say that I fit into the “jock” category of high school. I made two varsity sports’ teams in 8^th grade and a third varsity team in 9^th grade. But, this to some people brings certain assumptions and stereotypes. People are surprised that I like the colors pink and purple, or that I like to go shopping, or that I paint my nails. Why do hobbies have to be associated with gender? Can’t we do what we love to do without judgment, without having to defend our femininity or masculinity? Tiffany Davies, a writer for bleacherreport.com, said “we are not the women who watch baseball and football for the men in tight pants. We are instead the women who bring a feminine touch to the sports world.” As she puts it, watching and playing sports as a female, does not mean we are more “masculine,” we simply bring new methods and perspective on the games.

Why does society automatically correlate sports and sexuality? Whenever I tell someone that my sister is on the women’s hockey team at Cornell, they depict a certain image of her without actually meeting her. One of the most common stereotypes is that if you play women’s hockey, you are a lesbian. My sister is not a lesbian, she simply enjoys playing hockey. In fact, all but 3 girls on her hockey team are not lesbians. But for men, playing sports defends your masculinity and is associated with being “straight.” Why does society adhere so tightly to these false stereotypes, instead of rejoicing in the common ground that can be found between genders?

Each year from freshman to junior year, I quit one of my sports. Some people think I’m crazy for quitting a varsity team, but the y are the same people that pushed me away from these activities. I never stopped loving the game. The thrill, the excitement, the fun, the friendships, the education that I got from basketball, field hockey, and softball are still there. It’s the stereotypes that confined me and limited me in my life that I wanted to get rid off. Yeah, the time commitment, and the physical stress was part of the reason I quit them. But, I think the main reason was because I didn’t want to be labeled as athletic, or a lesbian, or masculine. Why can’t I be straight and like sports? Society makes it that you have to choose which side to identify with: masculine hobbies, or feminine hobbies. I enjoy both “masculine” and “feminine” activities; I broke the gender lines by playing and watching “men” sports. Some people may say that I am not being true to myself, but maybe freeing myself from these stereotypes will open up new paths in life. Maybe I should have been happy with the way society perceives me. I found that playing sports outside of a regular structured team is the easiest way to balance both sides of myself.

The Fall of the American Male - Bob

2010-03-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

Pop culture is well known to be trendy, full of fads, and very effective and profitable, but one aspect of pop culture that seems to be changing for the worse is the idea of manhood. Many big artists today seem to be very concerned with being tough rule breakers who are all straight and don’t show their emotions. They say this idea actually stems from an idea called misandry, a general hate or contempt for men. The first real shaping of what a “man” should be starts back in 1991 with a show called “Home Improvement.”

In what seemed a harmless and humorous attempt at an average man, ABC chose to air a show that made men into cavemen. Tim Allen quite honestly played a great performance, but unfortunately for him, it was for the worse. I’ve seen many episodes of the show, and after every one I wonder, how can such an absolutely stupid man be successful anywhere as an adult? It may seem harmless to adults who watch the show with their children, but the audience is in fact the very children they would watch the show with. All of the men in the show (excluding Wilson, the neighbor whom we rarely see) are buffoons who run around, yell, hit their head on things, and drink beer. Even Tim Allen’s sons in the show act like him. Whilst looking into some background on the show, I found that Tim is described in advertisements as “a stereotypical male who loves power tools, cars and sports”. Isn’t it sad when such materialistic ideals of power and wealth become the stereotype of the American male? What happened to intelligent thought and political or social accomplishments? In its entirety, its ratings never dropped below number ten for the timeslot. That’s just sad America.

Even today pop culture influences the male. Popular music of today is gangster rap, which is actually categorized as “a genre of hip-hop that reflects the violent lifestyles of inner-city youth.” It is known for its aggressive lyrics, closed-minded attitude, and all around violent feel. Many of its famous artists are huge in the United States, but one of the most well known and popular artists, Lil Wayne, is going to jail for a year, and this is his third time. Yet, his album was the best selling album in the US in 2008. How sad that the correlation exists between a multiple offender and popularity, because sadly, people like Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne who abuse drugs and women get their popularity by doing so. Men in America learn to idolize some of the very worst people in America, and the number of people following this bad trend is growing every day, and the worst grow richer and more powerful.

I really hope there will be a better future in store for the American man. One way for America to get out of its slump is quite literally to become cultured, and doing so means listening to better music. Rappers like Jahi are starting off small but they have a good message, even if it means they won’t get immediate huge fame. It’s not much, but Jahi is passionate about his music and ideals, and he wants strength in the family and educational prowess to be a focus of his music. He thinks if he can become popular, or even just one of many like himself in pop culture, there may still be hope for the American man. I really wish him luck, because without him, I might become an anomaly among American males everywhere. I don’t want to be living and working amongst brainwashed, violent zombie-like people.

Damsels in Distress

2010-03-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

By Maura

I stood at the Metro Card machine feeding my dollars into the slot. I only wanted a single ride but the machine was broken and only accepting exact change. An older man asked me if I needed help using the machine, but I assured him that I was fine. I am fully capable of operation the machine. It wasn’t like I had never used a vending machine before. While I dug around in my wallet looking for twenty-five cents in nickels and dimes, the man stepped up to the machine and put another dollar in the machine for me. I grabbed the card out of the slot, thanked him, and promptly went though the turnstiles. I had not been swept up in this moment of chivalry. More than anything, I was annoyed. I was perfectly capable of sticking a dollar into the machine myself. I hadn’t needed his assistance. I know he had good intentions, that he was only trying to be helpful, but I just couldn’t help feeling frustrated. I wondered if he would have given me the dollar if I were a sixteen-year-old boy. I couldn’t help but doubt it, I think he would have let me fend for myself, be a man. I didn’t want to be the damsel in distress; I’d rather save myself.

The idea of a damsel in distress goes back hundreds of years, but still persists in popular culture today. We have all seen the countless chick flicks where the young woman finds herself in a sticky situation and is swept off her feet by the handsome chivalrous young man. The fairy tales many of us were raised on rely on this archetype for their structure. Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Rapunzel all rely on their prince to save them from the tortures of their lives. Disney brings these stories to life in movies and creates the brand of Disney Princess. Almost every one of these princesses has needed a knight at some time or another. You could argue that Mulan really didn’t need one, but she’s really not the stereotypical princess. As we grow up, the damsel follows us. The phenomenon Twilight feeds directly off of this idea. Over and over again Bella finds herself in life threatening situations and needs either Jacob or Edward to come save her. Still, teenagers all over the world worship this story and all of its romance. I don’t think that Twilight would hold nearly any of its appeal if Bella could save herself. Edward would fall to the side and become much less interesting to the reader. But if Bella could save her self, then the story would basically lose purpose. No Twilight fan would want that.

There is a conflict between young women looking for independence and the old back up of the damsel in distress. We like to think of ourselves as strong, independent women, as portrayed by Destiny's Child. On the other hand though, teenage girls, me being one of them, love Taylor Swift. Everyone knows all the words to her songs and imagines that they would be good friends with her. She isn’t necessarily a damsel in distress, but Taylor pushes home that vulnerable fairytale vibe as you can see in her Love Story music video. Still, most people would agree that her persona is much classier than other Hollywood starlets. So is vulnerability even a bad thing? Does it even have to come in conflict with independence? It’s hard to find a middle place on the spectrum. It often feels like you can only be one extreme or the other. Personally, I would rather be independent, but there is definitely a market out there damsels in distress. There are even articles on how to master the art of the damsel. I’m not sure whom it even serves. I would like to think that women would rather support themselves than rely on someone else, but the damsel carries throughout time. It seems as if as long as there are “knights”, damsels will be waiting.

How about a pixie cut? by Leah

2010-03-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

When I was little, I was subjected to a serious psychological trauma: terminally short hair. It was a seriously bad bowl cut that my mom just loved. I’m not sure if she thought it was cute or if she just liked it because it meant that she wouldn’t have to brush it out all the time. Well, my mom does have short hair, so maybe she just wanted me to be more like her. Either way, I always had very short hair as a small child. I didn’t really care that much, except when people thought that I was a boy. That bothered me. So, the only thing that I could really do about it was wear dresses all the time. So, that’s what I did. But sometimes when I was wearing leggings people still thought I was a boy. It was a psychological trauma that I still have trouble forgiving my mom for sometimes.

And it lasted for a while. I didn’t have control over my hair until around age seven, when I decided that it was time to grow out my hair. The only problem was that my hair didn’t seem to grow. Even to this day it does not grow very fast at all. But back then I struggled to grow out my tragic bowl cut in to long, luscious tresses. It never happened. Whenever my hair looked “bad,” my mom would take me to get it cut again and again. I think it’s because she loved that little girl who didn’t seem to care what her hair looked like. My mom hoped I would never care what I looked like because she drilled the old cliché into my head tirelessly- “it doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside because all that matters is what’s on the inside.” In my experience, if you care what you look like on the inside then it makes sense to care what you look like on the outside. I’m still trying to grow my hair out.

Apart from people thinking I was a boy when I was a small child, this situation may not seem particularly significant. However, it has done a lot to my view of other women who choose to cut their hair short. I never made the choice to cut my hair short, but some women do. Models like Agyness Deyn (http://www.topnews.in/files/images/Agyness-Deyn6_1.jpg) and musical artists like Rihanna (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_30PRmkOl4ro/Sbjye8OtpHI/AAAAAAAALGw/XRLDj-ak_cs/s400/Rihanna+Short+Hair+-+Pixie+Cut.jpg) choose to cut their hair in pixie cuts. I really try to understand the appeal of this. First, I suppose it’s very low maintenance. No endless blow-drying and straightening or even bad hair days. That’s really the only appeal that I see.

I really do wish that I could look good in a pixie cut. There’s a fine line though between those women who can still look intensely feminine with a pixie cut and those who end up looking like boys. There’s something very powerful to me about being a woman who looks fabulous with short hair. It’s brave, clever, edgy, and beautiful. I wish that I could look chic and feminine in a pixie cut, but the past has taught me that, in fact, I just look like a boy. I’m scared to look like a boy again.

To further explore the experience of beautiful and edgy women with short hair, read “The Garden of Eden” by Ernest Hemingway.

Gender Identity and It’s Labels by Ivan

2010-03-15T18:19:00.000-07:00

Our experiences shape who we are. They also dictate the way we perceive the world. They tell us who we are. They are what our thoughts are based on. They are everything and anything. They could have happened or could have been imagined. Yes, even events that may have never happened are experiences. Every thought, every feeling, everything that makes you who you are has been implanted in you and decided by your experiences.

What is an experience?

Well, according to the dictionary it is “the process or fact of personally observing, encountering, or undergoing something.” This makes sense, but what about ideas, thoughts, and beliefs that we learn from other people? Are these parts of our experiences? The philosophy definition of experience goes more along the lines which I believe is experience. It is “the totality of the cognitions given by perception; all that is perceived, understood, and remembered.” So, if experience defines everything we are what give each experience its importance? In my opinion, it is other experiences. Cultural and societal environments have unsaid rules that the mind learns unconsciously about what acceptable experience is and what is not. The less acceptable an experience is, the more shunned the experience becomes. Upon being shunned both by the person and the culture and society, the type of experience may show up in the unconscious where it is either expressed without the person’s knowledge or is hidden until revealed. But, culture and society constantly change, and what was not acceptable before can be acceptable now, what was not acceptable before can be acceptable now, or what was done normally before now is considered unacceptable. Culture and society dictate what experiences will prevail in the openness for everyone to notice and when it changes it is up to people to either tap into their unconscious and accept the change based on that or built new experience.

Experiences infinitely vary and none is alike; every person has millions, billions of experiences that can be arranged in infinite patterns to form an identity from which one identifies oneself. Society or culture then labels this and although no label is suited for such a variance, society needs to separate the continuum of identities and draw the line somewhere. Gender/sex is one of those identities which carry a continuum. The standard is male and female, but where the line is drawn is being redefined. The extremes are the norms and that is slowly changing along with everything that has to do with gender like sexual orientation. Before our society only allowed the extremes to be expressed and the array of what gender one could be was set as female male. Now, there are labels all throughout the continuum like gay, lesbian, straight, bi, transmale, transsexual… Upon closer examination gender is not a continuum but a universe and the continuum could not apply to everyone. The idea of gender identity being a whole universe relates back to the infinite possible patterns of experiences one can form an identity from. This “gender” is just another identity which for the mind to rationalize must be placed under a label or a simple continuum of a label. The true language that can capture the true label for gender can never be acquired due to the fact that new experiences are constantly being added to our “logical” pattern of experiences which identify our identities. I sympathize with those that upon being asked their gender are confused or decide that it’s none of the above, but to make our society viable, everything must be labeled or at least tried to be labeled according to the current collective experience of the society.

My Girly-ness. By Jennifer

2010-03-15T18:01:00.000-07:00

My Girly-ness. By Jennifer

Four things a woman should know: How to look like a girl,
How to act like a lady, How to think like a man, And how to work like a dog.

In class we’ve been talking about transgenders and transsexuals and about why they would change their sex. We see men dressed up as women either with dresses, makeup, cosmetic surgery, and everything else in between.

I can see why they might want to be a girl. It’s actually fun. Personally, I wouldn’t change my gender. I like being a girl. It’s what I do and it’s what I do best. What I mean by that is that, I like being the stereotypical girly girl. No, I’m not as fragile as the typical girly girl and no, I don’t put a ton of makeup on every day. Yes, monthly surprises are a pain in the butt for four to five days. I like to wear heels and putting on makeup every morning, even though I honestly don’t need it. I love to go shopping. Although, my taste in music has changed from Britney Spears and N*Sync to Kelly Clarkson and OneRepublic, it still has a girly girl influence, just a more mature one.

My sophomore year, I lived in the dorms with a girl who had a ton of makeup and who put a lot on. She didn’t need it either. One day I asked her, “Why do you spend so much time putting on makeup when you actually don’t need it?” She replied, “Because it makes me feel safe and comfortable.” And now when I stand in front of my mirror throwing clothes everywhere and putting on finishing touches on my mascara, I can understand why I care so much. Being a girly girl makes me feel safe and comfortable because I know who I am and I don’t want to change it.

In class, we drew a timeline of the average girl life and one the timeline was the “tomboy” phase. I stared hard at the words “tomboy” and tried to remember a time where I actually went through that phase. The problem is is that I never went through one and I’m glad I didn’t. Two of my cousins went through a serious tomboy phase and in my family, being a tomboy wasn’t okay. It wasn’t “right” for a girl to dress and act that way. When I was younger my mother would always put me in dresses and would tie my hair up into a small pony tail with cute butterfly clips. Now that my hair has grown out more out of the innocent fine straight hair characteristics it used to have, the butterfly clips had to change into headbands or bobby pins. When I reached high school, I never realized that girly girls were able to be girly girls while being great athletes. My mother never put me through sports.

But now when I walk around the streets, I never see a “tomboy”. You see girls with too short skirts or girls in high heels. Where did the tomboys go to? New University writes an article about how young girls are growing up too soon in an article called, “Girly Girl Dominance: Death of the Tomboy.” The problem is that, in this article, girly-ness might be changing into slutty-ness and I can definitely tell you that I am far from slutty. Just because you want to wear a skirt shorter than your knees or you like to wear heels, doesn’t make you slutty necessarily. It’s just how you present yourself and in the way you act.

Being a girly girl comes so naturally to me that I don’t understand why there’s a Wikipedia article on “How to Be a Girly Girl”. I guess there would be downsides of being a girly girl. Guys think you’re too fragile to joke around. Your parents won’t let you sleep over at your friends’ house. People don’t really take you seriously which might make getting into the business industry hard. To me, there’s so much more to being a girly girl than liking the color pink. The color pink is something that I can rely on whenever I’m picking out anything whether it be a shirt or a slice of cake. So being indecisive as I am, this comes in handy. Shopping is so much easier for me because I know that I can always stick to ruffles or florals. If you were to ask me to describe myself, girly-girl would definitely be said and I’m sure darn proud of it.

How Different Sex Siblings Effect Your Own Gender by Ansley

2010-03-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

People's gender characteristics are often an effect from the sex of their siblings. A boy who grows up with sisters will behave and have differing characteristics than a boy who grew up with all brothers. The same goes for girls. For example I grew up with an older brother. This has effected my gender characteristics especially at a young age when many kids are looking up to their older siblings. I began dressing in my brothers t-shirts and gym shorts, disregarding the bows and dresses my mom laid out for me. I refused to play with Barbies and only wanted to play man hunt or capture the flag with the boys outside. I truly believe this behavior was a result of me having an older brother. All the "boyish" things he did were normal to me so I didn't understand why I would act any other way especially because I wanted to be just like my big brother.

Eventually I grew out of this stage but the effects of having an older brother has continued to effect my gender. I am much more aware of how some men of the opposite sex behave. Its like I have an inside look on how guys deal with girls and other stresses in their lives. I have been able to see nagging girlfriends and how ultimatums never work. The way my brother often treats women is similar to the way I am with my own relationships with guys. My friends often say joking "you're such a guy," because I don't typically become attached or too emotionally invested in my relationships.

These characteristics that have developed are extremely differing from those my best friend has because she has grown up with two older sisters. As a child she was extremely feminine and always dressed in her sisters hammy downs consisting of dresses and bows. She played house and with all her older sisters' barbies. Every time I would come over her and her sisters were always having a dance party which my brother and I never did. They would also play games like Girl Talk when I was used to playing Battleship. These little differences have effected the way we have grown up creating slightly different gender characteristics and behaviors as result of our opposite sex siblings.

On a whole I feel like these observations can be held true for the most part, although I am sure their are always exceptions. But I certain in my own personal life that my brother has had more of an effect on the way I portray my gender than he has any knowledge of. My question to you is how has your siblings effected the way you carry out your gender characteristics?