Rebecca Raby's article on teenage discourses reminds me of everything that i was told as a teenager, as well as things my family tells me now. Raby conducted her study to show the difference between teens and their grandmothers views on adolescence and the topics brought up growing up. I have to admit I had many reminiscent moments while reading this.
For example on page 433 the first topic is on "discovering one's self" When your a teen the first thought you may have is "where do I belong?" I know from experience that this was the most influential part of my growing up. I could not figure out where I belonged in the world. Coming from a family of 5 girls people would expect me to know exactly what I was going to do. Everyone though i would grow up to be just like the rest of my sisters. But because I grew up with my great grandmother and not around my sisters 24/7 things turned out to be the exact opposite. I was socially awkward and seen as strange when I went to high school. I can say that when I became a teenager I was forced to move in with my mother (because of my Nana passing on) and learn what it was like to grow up rather quickly. Part of me now thinks that it may have had some negative aspects on my life. I also went to a catholic high school, that was full of many stereotypical cliques and "popular" groups that I just didn't seem to fit in with. I ended up being the loud obnoxious student that was always having detentions because of my actions and bullying underclassmen.
On page 434 it talks about at-risk teens. My mother always thought I was going to be one of those kids, and she was right. I received good grades but I was still the troublesome kid that wanted to rebel and do things I wasn't allowed to do. But because my mother ans step-father kept us locked in the house most of the time I wanted to explore the world. I'm not saying that I wanted to go out steal, have sex, go to parties, do drugs and alcohol and get pregnant. But because my parents acted the way they did about all of these things, it made me want to do these things more. It felt as if I was Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden trying to decide whether to eat the apple or not. I had the temptation to be "bad" because it was so wrong to do. I ended up doing all of the things my mother didn't want me doing, including getting pregnant. I know I disappointed her by doing all these things, but I used to blame her for it. I can understand that my mother wanted me to be the best I could be, but I think if she had sat me down and approached the subjects in a manner that I would understand it might have happened differently, or not at all. And if my mother had not assumed me to be that at-risk teen I probably wouldn't have had to worry about those things.
One of my close friends is going through the exact same thing now in her adult life. She is 20 years old and is not allowed to go anywhere by herself unless it is school. She isn't allowed to drive her car, hang out with friends, or have company. Her parents did the same thing to her that my parents did to me. Her parents want her to be a diligent student, and do everything to make them proud. However everything she seems to do comes out wrong. She isn't allowed to drive her car at all because she picked up a friend one day. She has to take the bus from Scituate everyday instead or drive because she "isn't trusted". Her parents take her to counseling and make her take medication. Part of me thinks that her parents are trying to sedate her in order for her to become a model citizen. She attempts to try and intervene, explaining to her parents that if she isn't allowed to do it on her own then she will never learn. Her parents in return have issued her psychiatric help and say that she doesn't know how to listen, and unless she learns she will be a disgrace to the family.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
blog 3 Christiansen unlearning the myths that bind us
Quotes
Quotes
"They win because of their beauty and their fashionable attire. Both of these tales leave young women with two myths: Happinness means getting a man, and transformation from wretched conditions can be achieved through consumption- in their case, through new clothes and a new hairstyle." Pg 133
This quote stood out the most to me in this article. Disney princesses like Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and Cinderella, all the women want to do is find a way to a man's heart. They act like powerless beauties that doll themselves up to look good for the proper suitor. When children watch these cartoons, and movies they get the impression that the article talks about. They are looking good to get their way and to be with a man. I have seen how it can effect a child just recently, my neice and I was watching The Little Mermaid and she asked me if I knew why Ariel wanted to be a real girl. I told her no and asked her what she thought. She said " she has to get her man, so she needs legs so she can chase after him". I was speechless hearing that from her because she is only 4 years old. As a little girl watching a movie, those are the things that she noticed as the main plot to the story. These princesses are shown in movies doing everything that it takes to be with the prince or "her man". And once they fine their true love that will make everything become happily ever after.
"They cant escape, and now they've started analyzing cartoons, they cant stop analyzing the rest of the world. And sometimes they want to stop. Once a student asked me, "dont you ever get tired of analyzing everything!" Pg 134
When reading this artice, and doing activities like SCWAAMP it makes you wonder, how many other things am i missing? Thinking about these things can give you an entire different outlook on all media. I was reading a magazine the other day and noticed an article about rap artist nikki minaj. The article was from several months ago before her fame really had gotten started. The picture was really simple, she was wearing a black camisol shirt and short shorts. I ran to my laptop and searched her on google. New pictures that are on the internet, people consider her outfits and hairstyles ridiculous came up first in the search engine. Looking at the two pictures i analyzed how much money, credibility, and fame could do to a person. NIkki had looked like a totally different person. Another time I had watched Spongebob Squarepants and was watching the episode when Spongebob and Patrick adopted a baby clam. It made me think was Patrick and Spongebob a homosexual "couple" ? Later in the episode it shows Spongebob acting as the loving mother, taking care of home and the baby clam at all times while Patrick went to work. After several days of going through the same routine you see a very exhausted Spongebob with rollers in his hair, bags under his eyes, an apron on pattin gthe baby's back, ironing, vaccuuming and cooking at the same time. This scene made think was spongebob moment trying to depict a visual of how housewives that never get a day off spend their days? All of those things are thought about because I find myself trying to analyze things that I see in the media.
"Indians in Loony Toons are depicted as inferior beings..... We begin to imagine Indians as savages with bows and arrows with long black braids." Pg 131
As horrible as this quote sounds it has been depected as true on TV. When you watch a cartoon it shows anyone who was not white as someone inferior. Whether it was as a servant or an assistant there werent many leading roles for any minorities. But the discrimination of Native Americans did not begin there. In history books there are paintings and drawings of Native Americans looking as the bad guys during the 16000's and the exploration of the Spanish and English to what is now the United States. They are seen with hatchets in their hands and weapons while the "defenseless" English men tried to escape their wrath.
Quotes
"They win because of their beauty and their fashionable attire. Both of these tales leave young women with two myths: Happinness means getting a man, and transformation from wretched conditions can be achieved through consumption- in their case, through new clothes and a new hairstyle." Pg 133
This quote stood out the most to me in this article. Disney princesses like Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, and Cinderella, all the women want to do is find a way to a man's heart. They act like powerless beauties that doll themselves up to look good for the proper suitor. When children watch these cartoons, and movies they get the impression that the article talks about. They are looking good to get their way and to be with a man. I have seen how it can effect a child just recently, my neice and I was watching The Little Mermaid and she asked me if I knew why Ariel wanted to be a real girl. I told her no and asked her what she thought. She said " she has to get her man, so she needs legs so she can chase after him". I was speechless hearing that from her because she is only 4 years old. As a little girl watching a movie, those are the things that she noticed as the main plot to the story. These princesses are shown in movies doing everything that it takes to be with the prince or "her man". And once they fine their true love that will make everything become happily ever after.
"They cant escape, and now they've started analyzing cartoons, they cant stop analyzing the rest of the world. And sometimes they want to stop. Once a student asked me, "dont you ever get tired of analyzing everything!" Pg 134
When reading this artice, and doing activities like SCWAAMP it makes you wonder, how many other things am i missing? Thinking about these things can give you an entire different outlook on all media. I was reading a magazine the other day and noticed an article about rap artist nikki minaj. The article was from several months ago before her fame really had gotten started. The picture was really simple, she was wearing a black camisol shirt and short shorts. I ran to my laptop and searched her on google. New pictures that are on the internet, people consider her outfits and hairstyles ridiculous came up first in the search engine. Looking at the two pictures i analyzed how much money, credibility, and fame could do to a person. NIkki had looked like a totally different person. Another time I had watched Spongebob Squarepants and was watching the episode when Spongebob and Patrick adopted a baby clam. It made me think was Patrick and Spongebob a homosexual "couple" ? Later in the episode it shows Spongebob acting as the loving mother, taking care of home and the baby clam at all times while Patrick went to work. After several days of going through the same routine you see a very exhausted Spongebob with rollers in his hair, bags under his eyes, an apron on pattin gthe baby's back, ironing, vaccuuming and cooking at the same time. This scene made think was spongebob moment trying to depict a visual of how housewives that never get a day off spend their days? All of those things are thought about because I find myself trying to analyze things that I see in the media.
"Indians in Loony Toons are depicted as inferior beings..... We begin to imagine Indians as savages with bows and arrows with long black braids." Pg 131
As horrible as this quote sounds it has been depected as true on TV. When you watch a cartoon it shows anyone who was not white as someone inferior. Whether it was as a servant or an assistant there werent many leading roles for any minorities. But the discrimination of Native Americans did not begin there. In history books there are paintings and drawings of Native Americans looking as the bad guys during the 16000's and the exploration of the Spanish and English to what is now the United States. They are seen with hatchets in their hands and weapons while the "defenseless" English men tried to escape their wrath.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
2nd assignment... hip hop sees no color. lesile grinner
Hip hop see's no color was an interesting read. It brought up the idealogy of SCWAMP and uses Save The Last Dance for various examples. The media as a whole has been at a point where you can pick out several different examples of scwamp and be able to see where and why it was done. MTV had started out intergrading black entertainment videos with Michael Jackson's Billie Jean. Even though since that video has aired, many others have made their way to the mainstream and opened up many new doors to music and culture.
One sentence that stuck out to me was " We learn about Black women's sexuality or Black men's materialism through the representations presented to us in music videos. In, short this is a space where Blackness is preformed before and consumed by the world. "(page 180) I was not too fond of this sentence because it makes me feel as if being "Black" is a new world craze. There are a lot of people, my friends included that talk about wanting to act, be, and or talk Black. But calling it that does not make sense to me. I understand that there are codes used and slang talk that is common to our youth and neighbood "street talk" but saying that "blackness is preformed" sounds like Blacks are puppets.
All of the other outlooks on the movie Save The Last Dance and SCWAMP are also great examples. The few that stood out were also all of the steryotypes that I had noticed in this movie myself. They bring up how Black males are seen as intimidating, mean, ignorant, always seeking out trouble, lazy, deadbeat fathers, having dysfunctional relationships, etc. How Derrick (the main male character in the film) is one of the lucky few to "not be like the others" and "found a way out" of their troubled neighborhood due to his intellectual abilities.
One sentence that stuck out to me was " We learn about Black women's sexuality or Black men's materialism through the representations presented to us in music videos. In, short this is a space where Blackness is preformed before and consumed by the world. "(page 180) I was not too fond of this sentence because it makes me feel as if being "Black" is a new world craze. There are a lot of people, my friends included that talk about wanting to act, be, and or talk Black. But calling it that does not make sense to me. I understand that there are codes used and slang talk that is common to our youth and neighbood "street talk" but saying that "blackness is preformed" sounds like Blacks are puppets.
All of the other outlooks on the movie Save The Last Dance and SCWAMP are also great examples. The few that stood out were also all of the steryotypes that I had noticed in this movie myself. They bring up how Black males are seen as intimidating, mean, ignorant, always seeking out trouble, lazy, deadbeat fathers, having dysfunctional relationships, etc. How Derrick (the main male character in the film) is one of the lucky few to "not be like the others" and "found a way out" of their troubled neighborhood due to his intellectual abilities.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
media and ideology 1st assignment
Media and ideology go hand in hand. On page 160 it states, that ideology is related to concepts such as worldview, belief system, and values, but it is broader than those terms. It refers not only to the basic ways in which the world is defined. In the media teenagers get a "worldview" outlook on various things such as religion, sex, family, race, culture, as well as many other questionable matters. The way things are presented in the media can change their beliefs upon it. For example technology itself has created a drastic change in the way teenagers grow and learn. I was talking to a friend of mine and she was trying to purchase roller skates for her teen daughter and explained how frustrating it was trying to find a pair. It seems as if technology is creating that impact because they are not doing the "normal" things we or our parents did as teenagers. Most teens today love to be on the Internet, play video games, talk on cell phones, and watch TV in their spare time. Back when we were teens and growing up in general we were mostly subject to activities such as playing outside, preforming arts and crafts, calling friends and hanging out at a park or skating rink, etc. Just because teens are doing such things however does not mean that they are doing anything wrong. It is just what they see as the "norm" in society. TV shows like Jerry Springer and Maury are the "normal" everyday shows to watch. Being different and out of the box is becoming more and more acceptable, and teens want to idolize these types of people in the media. People such as Nikki Minaj, Justin Beiber, Usher, and Kim Kardashian are becoming icons and role models for teens instead of doctors, teachers, and businessmen/women.
all about jas``
Hey everybody,
I have been looking forward to coming to school all vacation, yet every time im ready for a aproductive day. it snows! I'm Jasmine Scott. its my fourth year here at RIC. I'm a Elementary major with a concentration in History. I am 21 years old and engaged. I come from a very large family( i have over 400 cousins) but love every moment of it. When I'm not at RIC I'm usually the busiest. I have 3 jobs, one of them is on campus(Unity Center) I work at a nursing home and at McDonalds. I also love to clean, cook, dance, and just hang with friends. I can't wait to meet everyone!!
I have been looking forward to coming to school all vacation, yet every time im ready for a aproductive day. it snows! I'm Jasmine Scott. its my fourth year here at RIC. I'm a Elementary major with a concentration in History. I am 21 years old and engaged. I come from a very large family( i have over 400 cousins) but love every moment of it. When I'm not at RIC I'm usually the busiest. I have 3 jobs, one of them is on campus(Unity Center) I work at a nursing home and at McDonalds. I also love to clean, cook, dance, and just hang with friends. I can't wait to meet everyone!!
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