Reflection #2 Prep

This semester I have improved my writing skills in many ways.  To keep my writing clear and coherent I need to stay connected and keep my focus on the main argument of my essay throughout my writing. I learned to keep it simple and not get too complicated, or “wordy” when explaining something. I struggled to be coherent in my writing when I used a quote, sometimes I would go off explaining the wrong message presented in the quote. Compared to explaining the message that pertains to my topic of the paper. In my writing, a grammar issue I also struggled with is the use of commas. I would find myself being “comma happy”, and placing commas all over the place rather than having them where I needed. 

            Another issue I tend to still come across when writing is changing tenses in my writing. I may start the paper out in present tense but will throughout switch to past tense. This is bad because it confuses the reader and doesn’t help my message get through to the audience. In order to fix these issues, when writing I will keep an eye out for this mistake and try to correct myself. Along with reading my essays out loud. This helps a lot with correcting mistakes especially when I change tense because it is more noticeable when I read it out loud. I learned that the website Purdue Owl is a trustworthy website, it is easy to navigate and helps me cite any source in the correct format. For example, in the research paper I am confident in my works cited page, it even made me more willing to use more sources than necessary because it wasn’t a hassle to cite them.  It is important to gain proficiency in this area because I will be writing the rest of my life, whether in emails or for a future job. It is extremely important to have good grammar and proper skills, so I can stand out in a positive way in the future.

            After writing a research paper for this class, I have gained and learned many skills. For example, this research paper has made me realize how important it is to have trustworthy sources to back up your information. Scholarly research is not only trustworthy, but the amount of information provides a different advanced level of research compared to many online articles or personal blogs. For my research paper I found many sources, one large source was a documentary which was very beneficial. I saw a tutor along with re-reading my paper out loud a few times.  In order to find trustworthy sources and validate their position, I looked into the authors background. Many people had previous experience with SeaWorld, some were even former whale trainers and knew people who were harmed by Orca aggression. 

            The paper was a little difficult because I was not used to the length of it. I found it hard to make sure everything was coherent and flowed. I was nervous all the information I had was repetitive, but sometimes I just had to take a break from writing and come back to it. Social interactions in the tutoring process are huge. They make a large difference because it’s good to have a second or even third opinion. Other people point out issues you may have never noticed or even known about. For example, I never realized I constantly switched tenses until a peer told me. Ever since then I have been working on the issue and have been slowly improving.

Brainstorming

The issue I am writing about is Orca Whales in captivity and the methods and treatment used by the organizations. I believe Orcas should not be kept captive, organizations should not breed them in captivity and the remaining Orcas should be placed in ocean sanctuaries for the rest of their lives.

I care about this issue because Orcas are living beings and many signs show they are very similar to us. They are social, intelligent and emotional beings. When they are treated with cruel punishments and are kept in a pool sized tank, they resort to mental instability and unfortunately aggression, this puts many trainers at risk.

This my peers because organizations like SeaWorld that hold these whales, provide the public with lies and use propaganda. Many people are not able to think critically, and therefore they are not able to see through these lies. By not recognizing this they end up supporting this immoral behavior by buying tickets, or donating money. SeaWorld tries to say they are a relief and support group helping the animals, when frankly they captured these Orcas from the wild and treat them with little respect by using food deprivation techniques, having them live in pool sized tanks, taking them away from their family, and force breeding them in captivity. But through the commercials and ads, SeaWorld places themselves on a pedestal and are presented as the hero in the situation. As a person in society, they should not want to support such a corrupt organization.

Personally I can continue to educate people on the topic. I can educate others and inform more people so they know not to support groups like this. By spreading the information, then our communities will be more aware and we can try to stop buying tickets to the Orcas shows. By hurting the profit of SeaWorld and voicing our concerns, they may have to think out another solution on their part. As a state and nation we can join events such as protests and their is a 5k for one of the trainers that died. Also, we need to be a society that can think for itself and realize why this is wrong siuation and stand up for what is right.

Issue Exploration

List of Issues(1.)

-Animals in captivity: whales in seaworld

-sexual assaults on college campuses
-suicide
-child labor
-endangered wildlife
-stress of young students today

Expand on Issues(2.3.4.)
-Killer whales are extremely large, social, and intelligent animals. There is no record of violence between an orca whale and a human in the wild. Meanwhile, in captivity the whales resort to violence because they are treated horribly and are not provided the proper space, nutrition, and essentials in order to survive. This is an issue because it sways society into believing the animals love being a show animal, but realistically they are going mentally insane because stye are treated so wrong. Solutions to offer would be educating the public, so they can critically analyze seaworlds advertisements, and also trying to stop promoting this by not buying tickets to see them. http://www.blackfishmovie.com

• Example: Whale Tilikum, he was captured from his family as a baby and placed into captivity with other captive whales. He lived in captivity for many years and was a show whale, he resorted to violence and was aggressive toward many trainers, due to his depressing and sad lifestyle.

-Sexual Assault on campuses is an extremely relevant issue today and may people tend to get away with it. Many campuses do not want to handle the issue or draw attention to it, because they believe it will hurt their reputation/appearance therefore, they push it under the carpet. But what needs to happen is students need to feel safe and protected, especially in times where they are abused. Students will feel embarrassed, lose confidence, and feel alone when they could not control what happened to them. They need someone on their side who will support them. Solutions involve,  education to students and everyone on the topic. Along with better precautions for those affected, campuses should have people and a group that is there with them, who will help them if they were to go threw a traumatic experience like this. https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/preventing-sexual-assault/

• 2nd Observation: Many times campuses try to avoid the topic because some of their star athletes are the culprits. Many big name large colleges or even smaller ones, want their sports teams to do well and if a student athlete who plays an essential role on the team is accused of sexual assault, people decide not to believe it because they don't want that person to get in trouble. Therefore, they ask questions like "Were you drunk and asking for it?" "What type of clothes were you wearing?" These questions would just discourage the victim and make them embarrassed when they are not the ones at fault.

-Stress levels of many students today are going up. With more rigorous courses for students to take at young ages and the way social media is today. Students are being raised in a different environment, one that makes kids worry more and stress out.  Students need to have the proper environment and support in their life to get them through times when they stress out. Growing up especially in todays society with a lot fo influence from the media is hard, and kids facing change need to express their feelings rather then keep them in. In order to fix the issue, we need to support the kids and make sure they are provided the proper support, resources. If they have to see a therapist, possibly provide them with that. https://childmind.org/article/social-media-stress-mindfulness/

• Secondary Idea: I could tie social media into this, because social media has a huge affect on young kids. It often leads to them comparing themselves to others, which hurts their confidence. Also, the idea that kids at young ages are not able to think critically because they haven't prettied/do not understand do they are very susceptible to falling for the fake propaganda, etc. that is shown on social media.

Paragraph(5.)
             Orca Whales are amazing, intelligent, social animals that have never had any record of violence with humans in the wild. When they are held in captivity, they are malnourished, placed in swimming sized tanks, and ripped apart from their family. They resort to aggression toward each other and their trainers. Many animals today should not be held in captivity. I care about these whales because no person or animal deserves to be put through what they go through every day. Others should care about this issue because Seaworld is using fake propaganda to make people spend money and support this behavior. This large organization if making money off of the uneducated public and they are getting away with it. People today should not want to support this unethical behavior of keeping these incredibly intelligent animals captive. In order for us to stop this action. We need to educate others and try to stop purchasing tickets to Seaworld. If we can cut their profit down, then maybe they will take action and stop kidnapping whales from the wild and stop captive breeding whales.

Midterm Reflection

            Reflecting back on what I have learned in this class thus far, I am very happy with my newfound ability to dig deeper and analyze artifacts today. I can now pick up on certain societal, gender, or racial stereotypes presented. I have learned the effects these hidden fake realities, have on everyone today. Writing in my blog, I feel a sense of comfort knowing I can speak freely and express my opinion on any controversial topic. I have realized I love talking about and discussing these controversial issues. I have learned in order to be a successful and interesting writer I need to be decisive and pick a side when expressing my opinions.
            In my writing I have stretched my abilities by finding topics I enjoy, which allows me to easily research and go into depth in my writing. Also, talking about these controversial topics has made me step out of my comfort zone. I get to pick a side and defend it. I truly love to be educated on these topics so I can write with confidence. So far participation in class, I would say I have participates a decent amount. I enjoy discussing in groups and explaining my views with a partner or small group. I will speak up in class sometimes, and when I do I enjoy talking and hearing others speak up. I also feel my blogs have done a good job of showing that I am an active reader, and that I am interested in the subjects.
           Throughout the writing process, the tutoring sessions definitely were beneficial. They helped with sentence variety and small grammar issues. Also, I learned that I tend to switch tenses in my writing after the tutoring they helped fix that. I also enjoyed the conferencing, that gave me a good idea of where my writing was and what level I was at/what need to be fixed. Evidence to prove I went to a tutor could be all my essays printed out and marked up in my folders. Along with different copies saved onto my computer. The writing process was very beneficial and I thought it helped enhance and help my writing.
          I found the writing process to be a positive thing where I could invent and re-think/make edits to my paper all throughout the process. There were times where I would go through the last step by having a conference with my professor and following the conference I had to re-think and write more. I find writing to be a fun way to invent images and messages I want to express. Writing is a social and collaborative process because it takes more than just one brain to provide a full well-done essay. The help and input of others can't hurt therefore why not get others opinions on it. After the writing process, I learned that it is much easier and much more fun to write when it is about something I enjoy talking about. In this class, I was fortunate enough to enjoy the topics presented and even have a background talking about many of the prior. Therefore, I learned it is so much easier to write about topics I enjoy, it also makes my writing better.

Bowling For Columbine

• The issues addressed in the documentary are the circumstances that lead to the high school massacre at Columbine. He addresses the gun laws in the U.S. and how easy it is for really anyone to buy and own a gun. He also explores the idea of the high homicide rate in America compared to other countries and wants to figure out why.
• These issues continue to have meaning and relevance today because there are still high school shootings in the U.S. Unfortunately we are still facing these issues today and they are getting worse, more high school shootings have occurred and more children and students have dies due to the loose laws on gun control.
• Moore uses an example of Kmart and how they sold ammunition. They showed how easy it was to walk in and buy it. He also used the example by showing that you get a free gun by giving a bank your business. 
• Potential bias the filmmaker has is he ads in his side of the story every time, he doesn't seem to get other views involved. While he does talk to many pro gun individuals, the questions he asks can sometimes be hard for them to answer without them feeling judged, so they are hesitant in explaining their opinion. He asks one-sided questions where he sets up their answer basically for failure, so they do not know how to respond and don't fully get to explain their views.
• The example that persuaded me was him walking into Kmart and easily buying ammunition. Then he goes on to talk to other individuals living in Littleton and how easy it is for them to receive a gun. This then explains why an elementary student can perform the action he did by shooting a fellow student. This example, is terrifying to hear about and really scared and persuaded me that gun laws need to be stricter.
• Solutions offered by the film, are to create awareness and not sit back. Like they did to Kmart by talking to people with authority and getting press involved. Together we can make steps to improve gun laws and create a safer environment. Many people, much less children should not be able to get their hands on a gun and therefore to stop this we need to spread awareness and make an effort to eliminate massacres such as the one at Columbine.
• As a result of this film viewers should spread the knowledge and inform society, that what was going on in 2002 is getting worse today and we don't need to see more people, and children die in order to start making a change and a difference. We need to unite and work together to make people of authority pay attention and make a difference.

Getting Started

What is your artifact: Pop star music videos, Pitbull music videos.

What do you want to say about it: Many music videos today sexualize and dehumanize women. It is degrading and creates a toxic environment for women growing up.

How would you describe the artifact: In the music videos you see women in little to no clothing, often bathing suits. They have a full face of makeup and their hair is perfectly curled, etc. The camera focuses in on a certain body part that makes these women look more desirable based on societal norms (breasts, butt, etc.). A lot of women act as mens counterparts, they surround men or fancy objects such as cars and boats. Also women are shown with alcoholic beverages.

Who is helping you say what you want to say: In her lecture about advertisements and social media today, Kilbourne emphasizes that "Just as it's difficult to be healthy in a toxic physical environment... So it’s difficult to be healthy in what I call a ‘toxic cultural environment,’ an environment that surrounds us with unhealthy images and constantly sacrifices our health and our sense of well being for the sake of profit"(Kilbourne). She exemplifies the idea that in todays society we are surrounded with images of false reality. This means models and images in advertisements are not real and not whom we should compare ourselves to. These advertisement influence our views and try to promote stereotypes and emphasize societal "norms", which in turn creates a toxic environment.

In her lecture about culture criticism to the audience, Kilbourne acknowledges “...The body language of girls is usually passive, vulnerable, and very different from the body language of boys and men.  Women are often shown in very silly poses, whereas men are generally afforded dignity and strength, even as children”(Kilbourne). She explains that women are presented in ways that influence other people actions. Sometimes when they are shown as passive men then are violent and overpowering because they believe that it is their role. As people today we need to think critically and understand that these objectified women do not represent women as a whole. Thinking critically is an important skill to master in todays society with all the false news and fake propaganda.

Jean Kilbourne. "Killing Us Softly 4 Advertising's Image of Women" Youtube, February 7th, 2018,      -                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnAY6S4_m5I October 19th, 2018.

How do I get this thing started: The presence of a flamboyant yacht overwhelms the computer screen as a young girl begins to watch the music video to her favorite song. A predominant, assumed to be wealthy man dressed in a white clean cut suit stands on the deck adjusting his designer watch. It is difficult to focus your eyes on this man as he stands acting like his position of wealth is a typical day for him, because he is surrounded by beautiful women. All the women have on sexy bathing suits and they all show off their perfect bodies. These women are standing and laying down to show off their smooth legs and large breasts. Also, they are all drinking pretty alcoholic beverages that look tasty. The young girl watches the music video Fun by Pitbull featuring Chris Brown, and takes it all in and whether she critically analyzes this video or not, she is influenced and is pulled into the toxic environment we live in today.

ICE Method

Introduce:
In her lecture about culture criticism to the audience, hook acknowledges "Thinking critically is at the heart of anybody transforming their life... (hooks)

Cite:
(hooks) Google how to cite a youtube video.

Explain:
She explains that children in this world are exposed to all forms of media early in their life. What these children view influences them when they do not think critically. Thinking critically is an important skill to master in todays society with all the false news and fake propaganda. When we think critically, we are able to see through the toxic environment presented by media today.

_____________________________________________________________

Introduce:
In her lecture about advertisements and social media today, Kilbourne emphasizes that "Just as it's difficult to be healthy in a toxic physical environment... So it’s difficult to be healthy in what I call a ‘toxic cultural environment,’ an environment that surrounds us with unhealthy images and constantly sacrifices our health and our sense of well being for the sake of profit."

Cite:
(Kilbourne)

Explain:
She exemplifies the idea that in todays society we are surrounded with images of false reality. This means models and images in advertisements are not real and not whom we should compare ourselves to. These advertisement influence our views and try to promote stereotypes and emphasize societal "norms", which in turn creates a toxic environment.

Practice Citation

Gaunte Kyle. "10 Responses to the Phrase Man Up." A Love Song, A Death Rattle, Battle Cry.

_____________________________________________________________

Introduce:

Cite:

Explain:

They Say, I Say

1. The introduction title is "Entering the Conversation" this reveals that as a research/argumentative writer, we need to be involved in the conversation and be able and willing to give our own input. Our role is we need to add information into the conversation, involve ourselves so we can gain all the info necessary for our research. Also as argumentative writers, us as writers need to be understanding and willing to listen to all sides of every story, not just be one-sided and believe our own personal views are the only views.
2. The "They Say, I Say" formula is important in your research writing because not only do you want to include your opinion but you also need to include what others have to say. To argue it is helpful to include both sides or positions on the topic, so the audience has enough background knowledge to agree or disagree with the presented information. All good academic writing will provide the audience with both sides of an issue not just a one-sided paper.
3. After looking at the templates in "Ways of Responding" the purpose of these templates are to set up a way to disagree or agree on the topic, at a sentence level. It shows me that it is important to include your position and these templates allow you to do so in an easy smooth way. We should consider using them because they help enhance writing, without your stance on a topic, your writing will be flat.
4. The Dr, X story illustrates that a writer or speaker needs to clearly indicate their thesis, but also they need to clearly state their opinion on the thesis and how they are responding to it. If they disagree or not.
5. -Common sense seems to dictate that_________    -My whole life I have heard it said that_________     -At the same time I believe________, I also believe_________
6. The most common response when responding is a in between response, meaning the person does not want to totally agree or disagree for many different reasons. Sometimes they don't want to have to explain themselves so they do this, other times they want to see what others say. Our responses to everyday texts influence reactions and answers to other topics. 
7. It is a good tactic to not directly jump into a mass of detail, but state clearly whether you agree or not with heh subject.
8. I think I am going to write critically about: a music video, and examine issues of gender, and societal norms within this media. When I pull back the curtain some of the messages I see are how they objectify and sexualize women and how these videos set a societal norm on appearance and actions. What I want others to understand through my analysis is these videos form a toxic environment for children growing up surrounded by and watching them. They should promote positive messages in attempt to boost confidence levels not drag them down. They need to stop promoting the wrong ideas.

Music Videos Representation of Women

Watching many music videos today, you see women constantly wearing little to no clothing. They are surrounding a fancy or wealthy scene, sitting on cars or expensive boats. The are presented as objects and are there to help advertise and essentially sell the image or scene presented. It is worth noting that they sometimes are seen with alcoholic beverages and I think this is not by accident.  Sometimes the women are doing things or are framed to look unintelligent and uneducated. They are positioned in a way when seated or standing to show off a part of their body. These women tend to where small or tight bathing suits or inappropriate clothing. Not to mention, they are covered in makeup to help enhance their beauty because these videos love to follow the societal beauty norm. These images are often unrealistic as well, you will see a women in a bathing suit but yet she will have her hair perfectly curled and a full face of professional makeup done. When you analyze and dig deeper into the actual scenes presented in these music videos it really shows the intent of the video. These videos are trying to sell certain ideas and promote certain images, these images are not what children growing up today should believe to be the "norm".  These things are shown in many music videos today and it is devastating and unfortunate to witness. I am thinking about writing about music videos.

Critique #4: Video games or Music

Choice 2: Music

Many music videos today, this one included sexualizes women and makes them look like objects. The  women have no lyrics or actions, they honestly are just placed in the video to help enhance the male leaders "reputation". There are many things wrong with these music videos. First of all most women in these videos are wearing little to no clothing and are again portraying society's ideal image of beauty. This can be related to the quote “...The image isn’t real; it’s artificial, it’s constructed.” This quote is true even in music videos, these women are altered and edited. They do not always look so flawless, they have loads of makeup to help them fit into societal beauty "norm". Second, these videos constantly promote the same images. They show a successful male figure in a wealthy car or boat, wearing designer clothing, with women who are beautiful and half naked. These women act like their counter parts, they are not presented as people. This relates to the quote “...turning  a human being into a thing is almost always the first step toward justifying violence against that person.” This quote clearly exemplifies how women are constantly treated like objects and counter parts, which does nothing but hurt their confidence and allow men to believe this idea is okay, which it is not! We need to think critically watching these videos because many people view these music videos growing up, and then they constantly compare themselves to these women and get this image of them acting like objects in their head, this is a toxic environment created. Not only do the videos create this sad image but the lyrics also present many degrading and dehumanizing ideas about women.

Quotes and Connections

"Movies are a 'lead propaganda machine' working against equal rights movements for women and minorities. Movies, and popular media, have the potential to reverse the progress made toward eradicating intolerance and bigotry in society today"

I agree with my quote. It explains how movies are leading propaganda and really promoting racial and gender stereotypes that are offensive. This quote relates to my previous critiques because it shows how directors are purposefully placing certain actors of a certain race or appearance or gender into a movie because they think this is what will make the movie more appealing for viewers, meanwhile it is just working against equal rights movements for minorities and women. Many movies today still sexualize women and make them helpless characters who are society idea of "beautiful" but can't speak or fight back for themselves. Movies also may place someone of color as the criminal in a scene, because they are playing off of stereotypes and feels that makes the most sense, it doesn't. This is extremely degrading and is making society take steps backwards, rather than progress forward, when fighting for equal rights for women and minorities. I agree with this quote and believe we all need to come together in order to put a stop toward this, because the world needs to be moving forward and taking strides toward equality, not get kicked backwards due to popular culture events (such as movies, advertisements, ect.)

My peers had similar ideas, they connected the ideas presented in the quote to motivated representations shown in Hooks analysis of movies and directors. I really liked what others said about how when kids are young they are not capable of telling what is wrong versus right and what they should watch versus what they shouldn't. This is important because it all starts when you are young. It all starts when you can't consciously choose what shows you watch are good or bad so you just end up watching cartoons which then in turn can correlate with stereotypes. Young brains are then introduced to societal standards or what is considered "normal". Kids think that they should look or act a certain way based on stereotypes presented to them in movies and media today. Also, we can choose to ignore lots of media or movies but we are all surrounded by it and one way or another are influenced by it.

Critique #3: Bell Hooks

In Hook's interview she says "Part of the power of Cultural Criticism is to say that there really is a conscious manipulation of representations. Media is not about magical thinking, it's not about pure imagination or creativity, it's about people consciously knowing what kinds of images will create a certain impact [on viewers]." This quote is interesting because it is true and prevalent today in movies and advertisements we are surrounded by. The quotes presented explain that people especially directors of movies are consciously knowing what images produce a certain impact. People continue to promote stereotypes because they feel this is what people in our world today will respond to. A more recent movie that plays on stereotypes would be the movie Kissing Booth. This movie presents the young girl as an object, she is constantly being fought over by guys and seems to be passed off like it's not a big deal.

Critique #2: Kid Stuff

The ideas encountered in the above texts explain that shows children of young ages are exposed to, are stereotypical and frankly bad influences on the children. Many Disney movies tend to frame generic characters and present them in stereotypical ways. These movies only show heterosexual relationships, where the male is extremely masculine, and follows all these unspoken rules about his appearance. Usually, the men are the hero and the woman is the one swept off her feet, who is thin and pretty. Not to mention almost, if not all are white characters. I agree in believing that these are bad for children to watch and then believe they need to look or behave certain ways. Writers critique Disney by showing their use of stereotypes, they also do say that sometimes Disney is emphasizing the women's power, such as Mulan. She plays a significant female role in a Disney film.The broader messages are children should not grow up thinking these things are the norm, because it makes them become judgmental of others and themselves. TV shows such as Doc Mcstuffins, need to be present and available for all children so they grow up learning and understanding that everyone is different and they should love themselves. Also, these education shows teach young kids important principles
about life and being safe. When I was younger I loved Mulan. Today I see that the movie really hypes up the stereotypical ideals of a mans appearance. In the following clip, the movie sums up what a man should look like and be able to do strength wise.

Counter Culture

Today, after listening to Guante's poem, it truly opens up the idea to everyone that ads today and stereotypes that are heavily listened to are degrading and wrong. No man or women should ever have to be judged or judge themselves based on their appearance and who they are. Unfortunately the world today shaped our views and has effected every single person in this world, whether the believe it or not. We are surrounded with images, phrases, stereotypes that constantly make us rethink who we are and make many of us follow unspoken rules to be "normal". What is normal, cisgender, is a word that essentially means you grew up to be a boy when you were born male, or you grew up to be  girl when you were born a female. This word is attempting to make you think,  this word attempts to denormalize the idea of being normal. In my opinion it accomplishes this, and makes the audience think about titles and if they really matter.  Yes I am a female who grew up to be a confident girl, I am cisgender. This word can easily come off as weird to others because it seems different because maybe it sounds like transgender, because it is not normal, but it is nothing to be ashamed of. It shows that anyone should be able to associate themselves with what they want. No one, no ads, no images, no society should tell them who they have to be.

Pop Culture Critique #1: Kilbourne

Popular Culture-7 minute Writing

When I think about what I watch online and on television today, I think of Shameless and Atypical. These are two of the Netflix shows I am watching. Both do a decent job of showing a diverse cast, but when I think about shows I sed to watch when I was younger, it is easy now to realize the shows were entirely white, no other race was in the cast. Today, this still needs improvement. I love to watch Ellen today as well, she is an amazing influential person that many people look up to. She has an incredible day time talk show where she expresses her opinions on topics that are controversial and she talks about the issues in todays society but she does so in a light nicer way. Therefore no one gets too angry, she uses humor to help express her opinions. Ellen brings in people of different backgrounds, races, genders, social statuses and recognizes many people for the good they do in the world. My favorite artist today is Bryce Vine. These artists and shows define who we are as a society because it shows how even today, we don't give many people enough credit. I mean many people of different races. Racism is still very present in our society and we need to address these things. Many of our favorite artists or actors, are not white, and people love them when they are famous, but others who are not famous assumptions are made.

Critique #1

Kilbourne’s message throughout the incredibly impressive lecture, was clear to the audience. She explains using many example ads and statistics that advertising today and in the past, objectifies women in a horrible way. Ads today try to sell concepts of love, sexuality, success, and tells women today, tells us who we should be. Ads try to normalize the idea of female beauty, and they create a public health problem. They create a toxic environment for women growing up today.

A few examples that really sparked my interest was specifically the part where she explains that many ads are computer generated. I understand people use editing to get rid of blemishes and lighten hair color, etc. But what I did not realize is sometimes the women in ads are not even real. More often than not, one image of a women is actually 4-5 women put together in order to make her look like their idea of “perfect”. This is not only horrifying that they can do this but also disgusts me knowing that they have to edit beautiful women just to gain this “societal idea of beauty”. People especially men tend to have a fixed idea of beauty due to these ads that are not real, and it makes society judgmental and it results to young girls judging themselves.  A second idea that I found interesting and unfortunately not hard to believe, is a study showing that from these ads younger girls are now more at risk of depression, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. No wonder there is a correlation. When girls are introduced to this ideal image of beauty at a young age (which is typically shown as young, thin, blond, and blue eyed) they want to look like that. So therefore, they attempt to look like this by using unhealthy methods and it lowers their confidence which is extremely devastating. 

A third example from the lecture that rattled thought, was the fact that 1/3 of all women in our country are killed by their male partner. This fact is extremely sad, but it also relates to advertising because in many ads it is not uncommon to see violence towards women. Many ads show a woman in a vulnerable, passive position. Where the men are then showing dominance and confidence over her. Ads promote women to appear as nothing more than objects and men’s counterparts, which is not only degrading and extremely offensive, but also correlates to men reacting violently with their spouse. Ads have also shown or hinted at men kidnapping, or even killing women. These ads allow men to grasp the idea and unfortunately act certain ways resembling the idea. Finally, one last thing that sparked my attention and made me sad, was the idea that many ads today are made to show older sexualized women child-like. They are promoted to have child-like features or dress/act in a childish manner. This juvenile approach promotes child pornography and is frankly terrifying that men approve and enjoy ads like this. Ads like this make sexual assault and domestic violence worse. Ads like this are disgraceful and heart breaking.

 This message Kilbourne brings up, absolutely needs to be payed attention to and we need to do something about it. No longer can we stand aside, especially females. We need to act out together as a group to fight. Activism and education are a huge step to fight against these degrading ads. Together we have to change this environment that girls are growing up in.  Today there are still extreme advertisements that follow the same principles, but there are some rare ads that give us hope for the future. This ad for Always, is my favorite ad of all time and fortunately it does the opposite of the scary ads shown in Kilbourne's lecture. It shows the innocence of young girls, not corrupted by ads and these "societal norms". This ad gives women confidence in who they are, and that they should be proud to be themselves. While it is so important to pay attention to these scary ads and fight for women’s rights, ads like this provide us with hope and shows us what we are fighting for!

Journal #6: Alternative Assignment

I watched two episodes of W. Kamau Bell's series of The United Shades Of America. I watched an episode exploring Chicago Gangs and an episode about Immigrants and Refugees. In the Chicago Gangs episode, Bell explained how Chicago is a segregated state, south Chicago (housing many gangs) is extremely different then north Chicago. Bell touches on the common theme that the lack of education in the lower income areas correlates with the violence of kids which results in many of the south Chicago problems. The high gang rate in Chicago is increasing the number of deaths.  Bell talks to members of different gangs, and it seems that people in these lower income areas join gangs because they provide individuals with a sense of community and love, which they wouldn't get otherwise in the real world. Living in these neighborhoods many don't have a strong family bond and are left to fight on their own, they don't get to experience love, so gangs provide them with bonds and friendship that helps them move on. When talking with members of some gangs, many people say that social media makes the gang violence much worse. This is called cyber banging, and it does not help with the violence. Black Lives Matter also is explored and Bell gets many opinions of people living in south Chicago on the topic. They explain that they are not anti-cops, they like cops that do their job correctly. The want to stay safe just like everyone else, but they do not want cops who jump to conclusions and act out in violence towards people just because of their skin color. Next in the Immigrants and Refugee episode, Bell explores the idea of many people traveling to America to work hard and live a better more promising life. He explains that more people are supportive pf immigrants after Trumps election, in 1994, 63% of Americans though immigrants were a burden to society. In 2015,  51% of Americans thought immigrants strengthened America. Bell continues to explain that 50% of start up businesses in America were founded by immigrants. Many popular businesses like Tesla or instagram. In both episodes Bell explores many important topics people should not look past.

Bell engages the viewers into the topics by using humor. His constant use of comic relief helps engage the readers and make them more intrigued. Bell does an extraordinary job of using humor, he is on a very fine line in relation to what jokes he can make. But he knows when to hold them back and what to say in the right time and place. He makes it easier for the audience to continue watching rather then get upset at what people truly think/say over these controversial topics. Also, to keep the audience interested Bell does a good job of incorporating normal everyday people. He constantly gets feedback from people on the streets of all ages, genders, races, and incomes. People that the audience can relate to. The idea to incorporate opinions from all over. He incorporates polar opposite views from all different people and confronts every idea, not by getting angry but by laughing off what is absolutely crazy and horrible and just listening to others, then remaining come and respectfully responding.

Throughout the episodes, racism and inequality are addressed in many different ways.  Bell brings up past events and gives examples of racism such as police brutality. He explains many different recent instances, along with talking to people who currently face constant racism. Bell touches on the idea of unequal education systems in lower income neighborhoods and the effects of this. He also talks to many immigrants that face inequality everyday such as in the workplace. Throughout both episodes Bell is constantly asking his viewers overlying question of what can we do. What can we as viewers, as the audience do about these challenges that face our life. We as audience members need to stop standing back in hopes everything fixes itself. We need to inform others and stop being racist. We can control out own behaviors and attitudes and we need to spread awareness. Today, I absolutely see the racism and can make a connection of all these topics to the real world. I constantly see new stories on the news about police brutality or a tweet from a political figure, that degrades immigrants or people who aren't white. It kills me every news article that is racist but in todays society it is very prevalent and as informed individuals we need to get out there and do what we can to stop racism.

Journal #5: United Shades of America

Issues Presented in Reading and Video
After reading another chapter of Bell's novel and watching the first episode of the United Shades of America, it helped open the audiences eyes to situations people of color face, which many white men never would have even thought about. Both the reading and video address that people of color are more at risk just walking down the street, the reading really touched on the idea that policemen are racist and more likely to use violence right away with a man of color, compared to someone who is white.  Bell mentions "My whole life, and since the dawn of this country, big Black men have been targeted. It's a reality of life in America" (Bell 183). This quote truly shows that Black men, have to take precautions doing everyday activities and not draw attention because many people will easily jump to the worst conclusion just because of the color of their skin. Not only is the idea that people jump to conclusions and dislike those who have different colored skin in the reading, but also in the video. In the episode it shows that this racism is present and is still occurring today. Most people think racism isn't as present today but groups like the KKK still exist and still believe that people of color are inferior and that they should not have the same rights as those who are white. The video showed the beliefs of many clan members and how they wouldn't even be opened to the idea of sharing a playground with people of different races. Both the reading and video opens the eyes of readers and shows the the reality that is occurring today.


Bells Use of Humor
Bell uses humor in his writing a fair amount, and he uses humor to frankly make these horrible stories a little more tolerable because they are so sad for anyone to hear. He still tells the full story but he tries to use in a way comic relief to help the audience regain their emotions. For example Bell states "Finding humor in these situations is what I have learned to do. I can't imagine being able to take all this horrible in without processing it with jokes" (Bell 183).  His use of humor helps him deal and comprehend all the non-sense and frankly horrific sad stories. He uses humor as a coping mechanism, he has to cope because these stories involve people like him. Cultural segregation and racism clearly still exists today. I know many people turn a blind eye to it or think that its so much better than the past and therefore don't believe we need to take further action. But this is the complete wrong mindset, it is just as prevalent today as it was years ago, the only way for us to make it better and free these people from living in fear of walking down the streets is to help. I think a start would be to make sure there are consequences to police who decide to take rash violent action against innocent people. These cops need to stop getting away with it and need to have consequences. As individuals we need to be aware and and create awareness, teach people what is going on around us so we can take action and try to prevent it.

Extension 
Bell uses humor in his writing a fair amount, and he uses humor to frankly make these horrible stories a little more tolerable because they are so sad for anyone to hear. Bell wants to be as honest and tell everyone the full true story. By using humor he doesn't mean to make it seem like a joke. Frankly, he does the opposite. He still gives the real story and in a way increases the importance by mocking it and showing why certain people are so crazy. He also uses humor to help his emotions. If it weren't for humor I'm sure his emotions would turn into anger and he needs to be able to keep himself together in order to get through his ideas.  Also Bell does need to be careful using humor. Because like I mentioned earlier, there is a thin line from enhancing the importance to making the story more of a joke and he needs to clearly identify what point of view he's going for. His use of humor almost makes the audience more interactive. After I read this chapter every time I found him using humor it almost seemed like I was rooting for him, like "Go Kamau", I wanted him to really stick it to these horrible people he continues to describe. It is extremely impressive to hear and watch in the video the situations he has seen and been through and see how he acts. He handles everything in a brave, impressive, composed way. Especially with the horrible things these people are saying he seems to really stay composed and respond the proper way.

Real Life Connection
The article attached explains a story of an older man, Brian Jones and the racism he faces. He experienced some similar things as Bell, some different. He learned similar habits to Bell, when he walks in a store he makes sure to keep hands out of pockets, not carry a bag, make eye contact and speak to people with confidence, these things many white people never even think about. He also had a sad experience in his mainly white high school, where one White boy placed a noose in the locker or another Black boy, and his only consequence was a lame apology. Jones decided to try and silent protest by having all the other Black students wear a black arm band, this resulted in students and even teachers in class encouraging students to laugh at the action. This middle aged man now, still faces things today that are related to his race.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/06/growing-up-black-in-america-racism-education

Journal #4

Bell considers himself an outsider throughout his writing because he constantly finds situations where he does not fulfill the stereotypical decision of a man with the same race. Bell talks about the ideas that if as a Black man, if he does not listen to rap or hip-hop music then he is an outsider. He tells a story of him on a plane and he is asked what type of music he is listening to by another man of his race on the plane. When he tells him, Bell already knows what the response will be, because he is not listening to rap or hip-hop the man most likely won't have an interest. Bell continues to write that "being a Black person who does not listen to hip-hop as his music of choice by definition makes you an outside" (Bell 62). This quote shows how so many people jump to conclusions due to others race or religion, etc. This is no way to go through life assuming others personality or character or hobbies just due to their race. Bell also throughout the chapter comments on the television shows he watches. He mentions "I knew I loved the Good Times, but I also knew I loved The Brady Bunch. I never thought to pick" (Bell 57). This statement is an innocent pure thought that should arrive in every child's head early in life. He should not and does not have to pick. Going through school and growing up he unfortunately realized that in school and throughout life, people assume and judge others due to their race. Therefore, he felt it was underlying pressure, like there was this non spoken rule that he had to choose a certain show due to his race. Not everyone has to conform to the social "expectations" or social norm that others his age and race follow. It is very unfortunate the racism that appears in our everyday lives, back then but also today. We need to stop making assumptions due to others race, and treat everyone with equality.

Journal #3

Your name defines who you are because it's essentially your title. When you hear it you respond, everyone has a common way to get your attention and that is by using your name.  I personally think, your name does not define who you are, your personality defines who you are. One issue which was heavily discussed in the reading was how people would jump to conclusions and not hang out with the author due to her non traditional name. Many people make cultural assumptions and are prejudice when they do not respond or react the same to someone because they have a non traditional American name. I would not change my name but the reason behind that is luckily I never had to go through what the author of the article and what her family went through. I do agree with the author and believe that her story's about interactions with others and their bullying due to her name are true. It is a sad truth but it is reality today. I believe we need to start teaching people in our world to start listening and learning, in order to help prevent discrimination and stereotyping today.

• sad truth to names, people judge based on names
• It is very obvious people usually assume others race and ethnicity due to name
• Names can have a large effect on children 
• People who wanted to change their names they were all of a different race, we saw no caucasian people who wanted to change their name, no white person has maybe even thought about changing their name
• Interesting how studies show that parents in unfortunate low level circumstances/living conditions have higher chance of naming their child a unique name

"I'm From"

I'm from an area where laughter and smiles reach the faces of all.
A place where old and young reunite and most of my family is involved.

I'm from where phones are left behind and we get up the minute the sun shines.
Where we throw on bathing suits and race for the early innocent water.

I'm from where nature is admired and you can find a relaxing place on the boat when you get tired.
We get to listen to the crashing waves and see people kayaking, swimming and paddle boarding in different ways.

I'm from a cabin amongst tall trees where the sun streams through the leaves.
Where we get to read on the dock and no one looks at the clock.

I'm from where active water sports are a must, but the crazy face planting falls you never really trust.
Where everyone laughs at the fails of friends trying something new, but its okay because we all help and them get through.

I'm from loud family dinners and grilling, to watching funny movies and chilling.
Then after, we go for late night boat trips to ice cream, watching the yellowish-orange sunset is like a daydream.

I'm from the smell of a camp fire and s'mores at night,
and then laying on the dock to see the quiet water reflect the moon and star light.

I'm from Deep Creek Lake,
my favorite vacation place.

Journal #2

Meaningful Place

My family and I pull down a gravel driveway, as the car shakes we are all eager to get out and stretch our legs. After a long 4-hour car ride we have arrived, the door shoots opened and my little sister races to the trunk to get her oversized suitcase and go inside. But it is not just her who is excited, it’s obvious we all move with a little pep in our step because we cannot wait to get settled in, get our bathing suits on and head down to the lake. My family’s lake house in Maryland, is my happy place. Everyone seems to have that one place in mind, where they go there and feel safe, that place for me is Deep Creek Lake. I love this place for more reasons than I can express in this short blog, but first and foremost, I love how happy it makes everyone. At Deep Creek I find myself surrounded by friends or family who all seem to just forget about any stress or worry in their life and come to have a good time. 

I love starting the day off by waking up bright and early at 7 am. I walk down to the boat in a soft sweatshirt and hear the slight breeze shake the leaves of the surrounding trees. I get onto the boat and see the smog slowly rise above the water. The silky water has an innocent look to it in the morning, where it looks calm and natural where no boats have yet touched it, no one has continued to pollute it with fuel, it’s comforting. I get to hear the fierce yet calming rev of the boat’s engine. Following I see my mom jump into the chilled morning water. Then I watch as my family and I participate in many different water sports and enjoy the day forgetting about any worries we have. 

This lake house has been around my entire life, before it was my families it was my grandparents. I cannot remember a summer without a visit here. Deep Creek has helped me realize that life is short, and you have to live in the present. Moments at my lake house make it all worth it, there have been times where I was stressed out about school or family and took a trip to Deep Creek and realized in the grand scheme of things, I need to live in the moment and not stress out too much. In my short fun weekends I have at deep creek, I create memories that last a lifetime. This place has allowed me to realize life isn’t always an easy slope. You face hard challenges all the time, but I have to keep in mind that I should continue to look at the big picture. In the times where I am stressed out I have to remember my family and friends. The people that make the memories at Deep Creek so great, these people are always there for me. Deep Creek has made me who I am today because it helped me realize how important family and friends are, and now when I get stressed I try to look at the big picture and live more in the moment. 

Writing Exercise

Where we come from is extremely important and plays a large role in developing our character. Growing up around your family, you learn many different traits and begin to develop opinions, usually similar to your parents but sometimes different, both are good. Everything we experience helps shape who we are as an individual. Our financial situation, the size of our family, the relationships between our family members and friends, the environment surrounding you. Everything adds to your complex character. Personally, I come from a supportive large Italian family. This teaches me so many valuable things. Starting with communicating and not being afraid to jump out of your comfort zone to start a conversation with someone new and different. In my family we usually host a Thanksgiving of 50 people, each year there is someone new, we all are inviting and love to welcome them in and say hello and start a conversation. My family and I are very opened with each other which helps when anything stressful or concerning jumps into life. My immediate family looks out for me, as I do for them. I can talk to my siblings about anything and to me that is really important and has helped me become more empathetic. 

Journal #1

Introduction

My name is Laura Fazzini, I come from a large Italian family. I have three siblings, an older sister and brother, and one younger sister. I love to play soccer and I play for the Shippensburg Women's Soccer team. I like to be active and spontaneous with my friends. I enjoy relaxing on the beach and wake boarding/waterskiing in the summer. In the winter I love to ski.  I am majoring in the business field and am excited for the upcoming year!

Writing Experiences

 My writing experience is not too interesting, it starts and ends in school. I find myself only writing papers in class, not outside of class. My personal experience with writing is I think it has potential to be fun and be a great way to express myself, but in high school I was too focused on filling out an outline and the writing felt forced and it did not seem to flow. I enjoy writing when it is about a topic that interests me.  One of my weaknesses would be where and how to start a paper. The beginning is difficult for me, I never know how to start. That said, once I do begin then my pencil seems to go and not stop.  In high school, I did very well in English class and I got good grades on papers.  Another weakness is I tend to change tenses when writing. I will maybe start in past but halfway through switch to present tense. In this upcoming class I hope I can become a more confident writer and I hope that I will enjoy writing more.

New Goals

Three goals I would like to set and improve on would be summarizing, being able to learn more about the background information of an article, and staying focused and connecting with the article.  I want to become better at summarizing because I tend to struggle picking out the most important information. Also I want to work on taking the time to learn more about the subject or topic I will be reading and learn more about the background knowledge. If I get into the habit or researching the topic before reading it so I can further my understanding. Finally, I want to try and work on staying focused.  Often I lose focus and don't understand the reading. I really want to pay close attention and if I do happen to lose focus, then I need to work on going back and re-reading, this will help me learn more.  To achieve these goals, I would like to read more and practice.  In the end these will help me become a stronger and more confident reader.  To create the right conditions I have to put myself in a good place, I need to attend class and continue reading/practicing these skills. 


Critical Thinking Example 

My critical thinking example was a picture of propaganda in commercials today.  Many adds or commercials try to sway opinions and make fake realities. My image explained how Starbucks coffee makes you the best person you can be. Many adds use a similar technique where they make you believe that if you buy their product you will feel a certain way, like in the Starbucks add they made you believe that if you drink their coffee you have a higher chance of feeling more confident.  But in reality, this is never the case.  Therefore, it shows that as critical thinkers we need to dig deeper, analyze, and form our own opinions to find out the truth in many adds, commercials, etc. today.