Bittersweet

Hey y'all I just wanted to say that I truly enjoyed this class. This was really the best class that I have taken so far. I am so sad that this semester is over because I learned so much from each and everyone of you in the class and I want to contiue learning, but we must keep it moving. I am excited to take what I have learned and apply it to my daliy life. CONGRATULATIONS AT ALL THE GRADUATING SENIORS!!! until next time(if there will ever be a next time) haha...later guys :-D

TALKING POINT #11

I didn’t know where to start so I decided to look up “Teens talk back” into the Bing search box and I found that there were a lot of parent advising sites that help parents to control their children when they get out of hand. I find that very interesting because it gives parents pointers on how to deal with their annoying and disobedient teens etc.  I just don’t understand why everything has to be so negative when it comes to teens? I also noticed that a lot of sites are run by adults who are trying to spark up conversation within the teenage communities about dominant ideologies. But actually came across this website called teentalk.com which brings up different topics that teenagers go through and have teens talk on it. I think that this website/blog is a great opportunity for teens to really go in and express themselves and prove to the adults and everyone else that they are not annoying, disobedient, disrespectful and other negative things characteristics.  I love the fact that a teen got up the courage to start the blog, and start a youtube show that helps everyone see and understand how teens really are and also what they think about themselves. Although this is a great opportunity for teens to express themselves, this blog is not being utilized as much as it should, that is just a tab bit disappointing.  Another thing that is disappointing is out of all 10 pages that I looked at in the search I only seen about three sites that were ran by teenagers.  I feel like there should be more teens who is willing to take a stand and talk back. If we can get more teens to participate in this moment we wouldn't have all there stereotype of Teenagers. 
Question: What do you think the reason is for the non utilization of these teen blogs? 

GLEE!!!!! talking point #10

I must say that this is my first time watching Glee and I LOVE it!!!! For years my sister has been trying to get me to watch this show but I refused because for some reason I thought it was whack. I was wrong, this show is the bomb.com!!!  I was in show choir in high school and I would have loved to have a glee club, it would have made my senior year experience more enjoyable. But anyways the reason for my post, in the pilot of the show I could clearly see struggles of being a teen, many people not wanted to join the glee club because it was not the popular thing to do. Finn Hudson who was on the football team was talented and had a very beautiful voice but chose not step up and join the glee club because the pressure of feeling like he was going to be a outcast by his football teammates. Because it was not accepted  in the football community, Fin felt like he couldn't branch out and do what he loved which was sing because the boys would make fun of him and call him a wimp. But the episode that really got me was “Never been Kissed”. It brought up a very touchy subject in the teenage/high school world which is homosexuality.  Kurt was an openly gay male and that didn't sit well with one of the foot ball players (Krofsky). I later found out that this Krofsky was also gay but he seem like he was confused about it. It reminded me of the Kimmel and Mahler reading. Clearly the reason why He was bullying Fin is because he felt like he was not a man anymore since he was gay. He used force and violence to try to prove to him and others that he was masculine(tough Guise act). Poor Kurt, I felt for him because he did nothing wrong, he was a normal kid just like all the other high schoolers and for him to get bullied because Krofsky (the loser) is beside me. It’s also interesting that for a while no one paid attention to him getting bullied. They all turned the other cheek and didn't treat it how they would normally treat the situation if it was a straight student.  It hurts my heart to know that LGBTQ bullying is out there running rampid in schools. This episode definitely pushed against some of the dominant ideologies masculinity and what it is to be a “man”.

Talking point #9 Reflection on Tricia Rose

I have never really been a fan of the hip hop world. I was more of an R&B type of girl but I listened to hip hop every now and then because my older brother was a big fan of it. I believe that back in the day the quality of music was definitely a lot better and had deeper meaning than what it had now. I completely agree with Tricia Rose when she said in her interview with TIME magazine that hip hop isn’t not completely dead. We still have some great artist who are out there, granted they are not as popular as Two chains, or Kanye West but they are out there making great music. I respect the fact that people like Common (which I LOVE listening to his music),Most Def, and Talib Kweli decided not to transform their music and follow the dominate ideology of “dumbing” down their music to sell more records. They are doing their job right; they are reaching others and having a positive impact on who they reach. The ones who started to dumb down their music slowly began to change the game(and made it harder for the rap songs with substance). They set the stage for the rest of the rappers who come after them.  There is just something about listening to a song that actually has meaning, it becomes more relatable and people appreciate it more. At the end of the day the majority of artists are going to go with where the money is instead of staying true to who they really are and that in my opinion they are selling themselves short. I believe if we continue on this road in a few years hip hop will be completely dead, there will be no substance in any kind of music.

Question: why do you think people feel the need to dumb down there lyrics?

Masculinity, Homophobia and Violence...Talking point #8

This reading was very interesting to say the least, some ways it made me a little uncomfortable. Because this is a slight shift on what we were talking about the past few week, I was not expecting to read this for our reading assignment and I must say that it took me by surprise. When I first started reading this I was totally against what was being said.  The writers disagreed with experts who made very great and valid points. Points like violence stems from a violent house hold, exposing child to violent movies when younger, allowing children to play video games that involve shooting, and killing, child abuse, absent fathers etc. I was all for what experts had said until a point was made that violence and shooting was only a male problem. This made me atomically shift my thoughts, I began to think about girls who come from broken homes, who play violent video games along with the boys and whole love watching violent movies and listening to music that talk about violence.  I then began to really think. It just didn't make sense to me, there had to have been more to this. As I began to get more into the reading I started realizing certain things. There are a few quotes that I to address and add my few cents to. 

The first quote that I want to talk about is The quote of Eminem on page 1145. He says “The Lowest degrading thing you can say to a man…is to call him a faggot and try to take away his man hood”.

First of all I HATE that would It seems to me that the word “faggot has taken on a whole different meaning, it went from being bundles of twigs that was used to violently burn homosexuals, to being gay, to now stripping someone of their manhood? Can someone please tell me how that adds up? This was very upsetting to me to see how the horrible meaning of the word faggot losses its meaning REAL in slag and becomes something so different. I atomically thought about how this world is in constant evolution, it definitely shows in how the meaning of words are lost.

The next quote that I will be talking about is on page 1446 and it states: “There is much at stake for boys and, as a result, they engage in a variety of evasive strategies to make sure that no one gets the wrong idea about them (and their manhood)”

 This shows that boys would do anything to prove that they are not and have not lost their “manhood”, this includes killing people who have hurt them by, picking on them, bullying them, calling them names etc. If they feel like they are losing their “manhood” they automatically jump on defense and start plotting for ways to help them redeem this manhood of theirs, this plot most likely will be a violent one because that is what boy identify with for protection.

The last quote that I will address is on page 1450 which says “unlike girls, boys  do not lose their voice, they “gain a voice, but it is an authentic voice of constant posturing, of false bravado, of foolish risk-taking and gratuitous violence-what some have called the”boy code”, the mask of masculinity. The once warm, empathetic, communicative boy becomes, very early, a stoic, uncommunicative, armor-plated man."
This “boy code” stems from the dominate ideology that men are suppose to be hard. They can’t cry nor are can the show emotion, if they do then they are not tough and they are called a “wimp”. Any boy who is not in this bracket of what a “man” is suppose to be, ends up getting bullied and because this boy feels like they have their “manhood to prove they go off killing people. 

talking point 7:Connections

Although I didn't pick up all the subliminal messages in the cartoon in general, there were just a few things that I can say that I subconsciously picked up on.  Growing up I watched a lot of Disney movies but I can’t say that I was an actual fan of it. I watched it mostly because my class was watching it or because my mom or aunt put it on for me and my cousins to watch. Thinking back I was a weird child, I was very girly but never really picked up wanting to live the dream of being a princess. But I must 

say that I wanted a prince charming to come sweep me off my feet and ask for my hair in marriage. Peggy Orensteins states in Cinderella Ate My Daughter  
 “There is ample evidence that the more mainstream media girl consume the more importance they place on being pretty and sexy.” (p.16) I automatically thought back to Unlearning the myths that Bind Us.  There is little paragraph that states: “Because we can never look like Cinderella, we begin to hate ourselves. The Barbie Syndrome starts as we begin a lifelong search for the perfect body.” This also made me think about me think about a song called “Unpretty” by TLC. This song touched me and really spoke what I couldn't at the time, I felt like I was not pretty enough and all the odds were against me but when I was younger I could really form it into smart enough words to help someone understand me and what I was feeling.

Media TRULY does matter and affects everyone no matter who you are!! No, the movies don’t bluntly come out and say that you have to look a curtain way to get the boy or get a head in life but the simple fact that is it implied over and over again and there cartoon shows and movies. As children we are not smart enough to pick up on little hint like that but let us watch it a few times we will subconsciously pick up on it and it will get in our spirit and hearts.   As a kid I though Princess weren't all that cool but I sure liked the fact that they always got the man and the happy ending. Brave was so different I can actually say that I loved that movie. That movie I feel challenged some of the strong ideologies that has been floating around. First off Merida is a red head which I loved!!! Who said that blood blue eyes are the only attractive ones???  I love how Disney Portrayed Merida. She is BEAUIFUL, smart, strong minded, knows what she wants, outspoken, and in your face, she pushes the limits but was still respectful. Unlike the common movie where the girl is passive, listens to whatever everyone says and is prissy, she is the complete opposite. I admire that because not every child is the same. You have some girl who was girly like me but you have other young girl who is just like Merida. She did what she wanted even though her “calling” went against it. This movie shows everyone that you don’t have to be what society says you have to be or look like. Just be yourself. It will make the young ones more comfortable and not force them into this certain box in order to prosper and feel beautiful.

My question to yall: I know it will take more than just one movie but do you think that this will affect the way children think?  as far as what they(media) perceive beautiful looks like after watching the movie Brave or do you think that I wont matter?

Final project!!

Since music is a very big part of our everyday lives, I think it would be a great topic to do for my final project. Music touches so many different lives in so many different ways. Some songs influence and motivate, and other songs not so much. It is not a mystery that listening to music does something to the brain which then leads to curtain acts. For example, when a person is shopping in a store notice that there is music playing in the background. This is because some way somehow it keeps us in the store longer and makes us spend  money. I am a big fan of music and I can testify and say that music can change a way a person thinks, feels and acts. I thought it would be a very good opportunity to do a deeper study of music and its effect on teenage behavior. I not only want to look at music but I was thinking about also looking at music videos and dissecting curtain videos and talk about how it could negatively or positively  effect teenagers.  The video that we partly watched in class one day called “Big booty hoe” really disappointed me and upset me because one, the title itself is disrespectful and degrading to not just African American woman, but woman as a whole. Once you get past the title and actually listen to the lyrics you will see that there is more disrespect to woman. Now the video, as if the song is not bad enough the video is worse, showing woman close to being naked shaking the butts all in the camera. I couldn't even watch the entire video because I was so disgusted. I am at complete shock that a video like this would go out for the world to see. Think about what this song is doing to our young teenagers, both boys and girls.  I know music influence thoughts and emotions, and behaviors but does it influence the style of dress or is the just videos?

Midterm assignment

Midterm assignment: Craig and I decided to do present on the course assumptions. We are going  to elaborate a little bit more using some of the readings that we went over so far. We are using prezi to help present our project. so far we have 1/3 of the project done, The first course assumption and the third assumption is pretty much all set to go. We are now going to work on the last assumption together this week. We will finalize everything this week, this will include adding quotes and and fixing up our first and third assumption and making sure everything that needs to be addressed is added in. That is pretty much what we need to do.

“From knowledgeable to knowledge-able”

 Extended comment….

From knowledgeable to knowledge-able by Wesch was a very powerful presentation. And I completely with what he is saying. Society has set up these institutions called school which a lot of these institutions are mostly created for students to sit and “learn” This type of environment is not necessarily the proper way or the most effective way to learn. “If students learn what they do…what are they doing sitting here?” “here” meaning in  the class room. I find that so true, As I stated in the comment that I left on Noelle’s page, I am a student that needs to be interested in what I am being taught, if I’m not it becomes a big problem, I no longer want anything to do with what I am attempting to learn. I am the type that will not go to class if my interest is lost, and most of the time I have to buckle down to do what I have  to do to pass my class. But I am the type of student that loves learning hands on, the best way for me to learn is to actually get out there and apply myself. There is a time and a place for the classroom but I believe all our time shouldn't be spent there. I don’t think that we should spend our time and money on the majority of professor who don’t even care whether we pass or fail the class, professor who don’t even show interest in us student, and even professor/teachers that want to stick with the old way of teaching. Don’t get me wrong there are professors who care and and are willing to take that step and make their class interactive and applicable but there’s only a few out there. Not only getting out there and doing but also bringing in things like technology to interest students more. We are a media and technology driven people so it only makes sense that these type of things get brought in to help teach. That’s why I really enjoy professors Bogads class. She understands this and has brought in media and other things that are relevant to help us understand what she is trying to teach us. Not only is she involving technology in her lessons but she gives us an opportunity to speak out minds freely on the subjects of the class. She doesn't stand and lecture for 2 hours but she engages her students. It’s time we stop using and looking at media so negatively and tap into the positive.  We can start this in the school system, instead of trying to resist something that has become so dominant that it’s taking over, lets fight to turn this into something beneficial and not to mention FUN!  

THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES!!

So I went to go and see the vagina monologue on Saturday and I just want to say that it was really good this year. I went last year and I wasn't expecting to hear what I heard so this year I was more comfortable because I knew a little bit more on what it was about. I must say that everyone did VERY well!!!  As I was at the show the price on disclosure kept popping in my head. It was so crazy how these women at first spoke so low of their vagina  they were all thought that it was a spot that was so bad to look at, touch and even think about, their vagina's were forbidden!  I was raised to think this as well. I'm mean when you’re a child your parent tell you things to protect you and it and I understand that, but is there a way that we as mothers and mothers to be can change how we talk about it? We should attempt to not make it sound shameful.  As teens most females grow into having self-esteem issues and body because of the media’s ideologies which some never grow out of, can we make it so that girls know that their vagina's are for the time being not access able but it is still beautiful?

Now, to the pieces that I really enjoyed. “The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could”  The girl who performed it brought it to life. I read this piece before and I knew what it was about but there was something about her, it seem like see took on this person...she felt her pain when she was hurt and felt her pleasure when she was pleased. 

Next is “The angry Vagina”. It made me laugh so hard because that is exactly how I feel every month and every time I have to go to the obgyn. It's like my vagina gets so mad at me because I'm doing all this extra stuff to it  because society says that we have to, it made me think  and I was happy that I could relate to this on EVERY level.

Then we had The fun fact about  the vagina, again it made me think about disclosure. Finally we have positive disclosure that doesn't frown upon a woman’s body. It is something that takes a female part and instead of putting it down lifts it up! I was proud to say I had a vagina..haha..oh yeah!!

Lastly I want to address the One billion rising video. That video was so empowering!!! To see all these women from difference cultures and backgrounds go threw horrible situations which happen everyday and is over looked was crazy!! To see them in the end stand up and fight back really touched my heart, it was like we are finally fighting for us, fighting for our rights!!  After watching that I got excited that we are taking back our power and it made me want to get out there and be apart of this fight as well.

Talking poitnt # 5(hyperlinks)

This reading makes me think of course assumption number two Youth is a culturally constructed category. Teens evolve over time but they are the same person when they become adults. Most adults forget or try to makes it seem like they forgot who their "past teen was" when really they are still a teen inside a more grown mature looking body. Personally I am a firm believer of this, I am the same person who I was at 16 than I am now. Some experiences that I went through helped me grow but never really changed who I really am thoday. I am still that loving caring, shy at times,crazy once comfortable, love to dance and have fun type of girl. I'm my culture adults are very important, they think the know everything because they were once "teens" not realizing that they are still who they were before. A lot of them look at teens as rude, cant speak for themselves,wild, crazy, rebels who cant get along with adults.Adolescence and Adults: why working together seems impossible is a site that condones all these negative thought about teens. The article speaks as if adults and teens are from two totally different planets. People need to realize that teenagers are not some alien life form. Here is another article that separates teens and adults,Why do adults hold teenagers and children in such low self-esteem. They speak ask if teens and adults are so different. It blows my mind that I can't find anything that talk about teens and adults being the same person but just more mature. That makes me think, what is an adults? what are the qualities that adults have to have to fit in that bracket? is it just age that makes a person an adult?

A Tangle of discourses: Girl Negotiating Adolescence” by Raby

While reading, so much was coming to my mind because there was so much information that was being read but “A Tangle of discourses: Girl Negotiating Adolescence” by Raby , kept bring me back to guiding assumptions that was addressed the first few day of class. In particular I thought about the category “Teenagers are not some alien life form”. There is a section in this piece on page 440 that talks about teens being stereotyped as being moody, emotional or going through a phase. She actually asks one of the girls (Jess) that she interviews what she thinks of that stereotype and the girl actually agreed with that statement. In all actuality I can say that being moody does not depend on you being a teenager it depends on what kind of personality you have in general and also what kind of things you are going through. I am 24 years old and I find myself moody all the time. I passed that stage of being a teenager a very long time ago so what will that make me? She talks about being in a bad mood like that's a mood that only teens go through, in don't think that a person would ever grow out of being moody or being in a bad mood. Some might experience these emotions more than others a but it's always there. I will say when I was teen I was never moody, I was always in a a good mood (well unless someone pissed me off ). I can say that now I have more emotions running through me than ever before and that I believe is because I’m going through a lot personally. Everyone has this preconceived notion that teens are the worst thing ever, forgetting that they was once a teen before, and that they are still that same person that they were when they were a teen, we all just transformed into a more mature teen if you ask me. I truly believe that media has a great deal to do with this stereotype as well which takes me back to the “Unlearning the myths that Bind Us” piece.  We all know that media is one of the main reason why we do what we do and believe what we believe. Unless we make a change a huge part of the world will continue to flow with the dominate ideologies, but now that I think about it, is it realistically possible? And if it is where do we start?   

“Unlearning the myths that Bind Us” by Linda Christensen

“Unlearning the myths that Bind Us” by Linda Christensen definitely brought up some good points. First off “We” as a people like to think that we are so different and we have our own style and our own way of expressing how we feel through our dress, which in fact is not so true. I don’t really believe that we ever have a mind of our own. We have been influenced someway and somehow since birth. It starts from our parents with influences of what colors boys and girl are “suppose” to wear, to the kinds of toys genders can play with and even down to gender roles such as, females cook and clean. As children we tend to keep what we have learned and put it in the “norm” category. Not blinking an eye to realize that media defined what the “norm” is and has implanted a thought in our parent’s mind which has it trickled down to us. This is a cycle that then continues on and on.

Now the real issue that I would like to address is, children shows and different stereotype of races. When I was a child I watched a lot of children show but I never realized that they were stereotyping different races. This is showed by how a show has a certain person act, to how they dress, and even some of the background music that is played. Where did they even get theses stereotypes from? I never realized that African Americans were always made out to be a servants or not there at all. Now we are made out to be ghetto, have attitudes, tell people off and naturally know how to dance or not educated. Who says that we are all these things? Naomi sims was the first African America super model and was also a business woman and she published two books,Then we have Garrett Morgan who was the inventor of the gas mask and traffic lights and lastly there is Mae Jemison who was a physician and first black woman to travel into space. And wait, let us not forget PRESIDENT OBAMA who made history becoming the first black president. We as a whole should work on killing these stereotypes so that our children won’t have to deal with this crap.

My Thoughts on Croteou

Media and Ideology by Croteau was a very interesting reading. There was one section that really stood out to me which I didn’t quit agree with. Ideology as normalization talked about the media and explained how it’s not an ideology it is simply a mirror image of the world. I completely disagree, I believe that it is an ideology and is not a mirror image of the world today; it’s more like a skewed image that is transforming into a mirror image. Yes the world has some issues with drugs, murders, teen pregnancy etc. but I feel as if the media glorifies it and takes it to the extreme. The tv and movies take sex which I believe was meant for marriage, and force it into high schools and grade schools and then the parents wonder why their children are experimenting earlier.

The media is desensitizing normal people on the other side of the television, movies and the ones who are looking at media as a guide to living this life. Media is taking an ideology and slowly turning it into reality and we are too blind to see that. I remember there was a time where showing skin was looked down upon and even kissing was a bit risky but the media has taken a belly shirt and high wasited pants and turned it in to a bra and short shorts which after a period of times becomes acceptable and everyone starts to follow the fad. There was also a time where swear words and drugs was not permitted to be shown on tv but I was in for a surprise when I was watching a movie on BET a few weeks back when two characters were  smoking marijuana and they showed everything and that to me is unacceptable. 

HEY YA'LL!!

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! My name is Rachelle. I'm a laid back relaxed type of lady who when gets real comfortable is  loud and crazy! I am extremely family oriented! I LOVE my family and would do anything for them. I am a transfer student from CCRI. I am taking this class because it looked very interesting and I figure that it would help me out when I start operating in my field of counselling young children through teenagers. Lets see....what did I do over the vacation????? I was on the RIC campus working at the recreation center 5 times a week, which sucked cause I had no time to myself but I was making money so I'm not complaining too much. If you want to find out more about me facebook friend me!!!!