Rant & Rayve

Intro.....

2011-03-21T04:20:00.001-06:00

Well here we are. My blog. Its my little corner of the Internet where I get to say what I want. I have nothing for this but I feel obligated to introduce myself..... look..... just.... read on.

Ethernet Friends....

2011-03-02T00:00:00.001-06:00

One of the major conversations we had in class was "Can you be friends with someone you never met in person?"

In my opinion..... sure... why not.

With the new media of today, people spend more time on the internet. With the internet connecting us to people from across the world through Social Networks (Facebook), Games (WOW), Video chat (Skype) or message boards for common interests (Fan Fiction), there are so many more opportunities to get to know someone. If you get to know them through whatever means, why aren't you considered friends?

Scenario 1:
Brittany and Cory have known each other since the third grade. Although they only see each other a once or twice a week, they are still good friends.

Scenario 2:
Leah and Jessica met on a Twilight fan fiction site about a year ago. In that time they text each other constantly and talk on the phone for hours most nights. They've never met as Leah lives in Japan but they hope to one day.

In these two scenarios, who are the better friends? I say Leah and Jessica.

No Man Should Have All That Power: Repsonse to MEDIA AND IDENTITY:THOUGHTS OF REALISM

2011-02-24T00:00:00.001-06:00

When talking about your cousin, it makes me think back to the conversation the class had about how Americans interpret media. Are we critical or do we take things for what they are said to be. This is another example of how Americans do not think critically.

*Ok this next little point may seem to be a little off but just follow along...*

I've always been interested in cults. I always wanted to know how ration human beings would follow some nut job and let them talk them into killing themselves or someone else. I always wondered if these people listened to what cult leaders are saying. WHy didn't this raise a red flag. I know if my pastor told me she is God I would definitely have a "..... o__0 Wait a minute playa" moment.

Just like in the situations of cults, I believe many people don't think about the things they hear before they agree with them.

Skintone and Identity

2011-02-23T16:04:00.004-06:00

Is it ignorant to see someone and assume their ethnicity?

Everyone is guilty of it. When I see someone who exhibits the physical characteristics I associate with a certain race, I make an assumption of what race they represent. For example a person, black hair, yellow tinted skin and slanted eyes would be assumed as Asian.* In my own humble opinion, that doesn't make me wrong. Its association and everyone does it.
What would be wrong? If I were to come up to that person and start speaking Mandarin, or speaking English verrrrrrry slowllllly, then not only does that make me inconsiderate of personal space, but it also makes me ignorant. I believe the way you treat a person based on the classification you give them is more offensive than the act of classifying.

*-This sounds kind of sketchy but I don't mean to be offensive.

ProSocial Games: Response to I'm Ready to Graduate

2011-02-17T00:00:00.000-06:00

When I was little, the first video game system I ever owned was a Nintendo64. Being that I wasn't the only person in the house interested in the game, I had had to share the system with my older sister and my uncle. Being a teenage boy that did not wan to be stuck playing A Bug's Life and racing games, he went out and bought 007 GodlenEye.
The basic point of the game is to kill people. If you are playing the multi-player game, you simply hunt down your opponent and kill them. This is not the type of games a 9 year old should be playing. Yet.... that's exactly what I did for hours.... I still do when I go home. After each game, we wouldn't fight and pretend to kill each other. We would go on to the next game. Which was probably Doom on the MS-DOS computer (Don't Judge).

I don't think pro social video games really have an effect on children. When a child acts out something that happened in a video game, it is just the same as a man doing Wushu moves after a Jet Li movie. Does that man think he is a Wushu warrior? Is he about to try and ward of unsavory characters he may come across? Probably Not. Its just extending fun.... like continuing to sing a song after it went off the radio.

Gays on TV

2011-01-27T07:30:00.001-06:00

I watch a lot of TV, but one show in particular has risen to be one of my favorites. I've seen every episode of Will & Grace at least 5 times. Its to the point that in any episode I can accurately describe the story line of the entire series until the finale. But after watching the class video, it made me take a better look at how women and class are portrayed in this famous show.

- Women: Grace was born into a upper middle class family and became a relatively successful interior designer. Somehow, she is still portrayed as a mooch and a beggar who is irresponsible with money. The one time she is truly set with money is after she marrIER Leo, the Jewish doctor. (Leo being Jewish isn't a big deal in this post but that it was huge in the show.... if you watched, you'd know why).

Then there's Karen, the rich, alcoholic, pill popping, plastic surgery pioneeer, spoiled wife of Stan (Who's occupation I'm still not sure about). She was born into a lower class family and had a rough life until she met Stan and got married. Now she is excessive and has a room (that's bigger than most's bedroom) for closet that is filled with designer clothes. She works as Grace's assistant becasue Stan made her, but she never cashes her checks. She's married 3 times, all of which was for money. Her love of the men were up for debate until the middle of the series when Stan nearly dies and we all realiz Karen truly loves him.

In both of these cases, the woman's financial stability was set when married their rich husbands. Is every woman a gold digger? Will every woman's life be incomplete
until they find a financially stable husband?

I'm just asking?

A Black Princess!!!!

2011-01-13T00:00:00.000-06:00

Growing up as a child, Disney movies were my life! My house was (and still is) stocked with Disney movies. At any point you can find me humming the rhythm of a Disney tune or belting the last few notes of a ballad. When Disney decided to come out with their Disney Princess line I was elated... until I read the princesses who would be included: Aurora (from Sleeping beauty), Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, Ariel and Snow White). At that moment it hit me, there was no black Disney princesses! I was shocked.... befuddled... and any other word to describe shocked confusion. After I gathered my life back together, I decided to just let it go.

But one day, I got word Disney was making a movie with a black princess..... My world stuttered its rotation a little. A whole movie? About a whole black princess? But as soon as that excitement wore off, the worry set in.

Where was she going to live? How were they going to portray her? What is her name going to be? Is she going to be light-skinned and Europeanized? Who was going to do her voice? How were they going to make her talk? Are they going to BS this movie so they can say they did it?

All of these questions spun around as this movie was at the forefront of the media. Also, this movie would not only play a big part in some you black girl's life. There would be a princess she could relate to. This movie could possibly be child's first exposure to African Americans. I wanted it to be PERFECT! It had to be!

Well..... To sum up this post. The movie was PERFECT! Good music, funny characters1, a good storyline, and Tiana was represented as a hardworking woman with a dream. In my own personal joy, they had Anika Noni Rose playing Tiana. Idk why, but she's one of those stars I wish I could carry around in my purse! She's sooo pretty! I digress!

1: Especially Ray although I AM NOT PLEASED with his death. To this day I don't forgive Disney.

Perception and the Media..... Too Smart To Be Stupid or Too Stupid to be Smart?

2011-01-06T08:57:00.005-06:00

Whenever I have a conversation about the media's effect on people's perception, I get the same line: "That works on stupid kids who have low self-esteem. No video, magazine or picture can make me think I'm not beautiful." Yet these are the same girls who want a body like Nicki Minaj or Beyonce. I refuse to believe all of these girls are in denial about body image. I've come to the conclusion the media has gotten so good at implanting ideas into people, many don't even know it.

Being oblivious, just like denial, is dangerous because you cannot identify and combat the ideas that come your way. Thinking that you aren't susceptible to the influences of the media makes you all the more vulnerable.

The media influences not only what you think of yourself, but what you think of others. Through portraying stereotypes and created news, your idea of a group can be altered. Especially if you haven’t come in contact with the group personally.

All Jamaicans have dreads and smoke weed….. right?

It’s like someone installed a virus into your brain’s hard drive and they are altering information without your permission.

I would love to think I am too smart to fall under the influence of the media, but I say that honestly. Sometimes I find myself in the mirror sucking it in and having to remind myself that I’m fine just the way I am.