Talking Points #10 TWILIGHT! extended comments to LEXI!

So I am going to consider myself somewhat of a hypocrite for this post, only because I truly enjoyed reading lexi's post on twilight but, I have some background behind this whole twilight ordeal. No one talked more trash about twilight than I when it first came out and everyone was going crazy over it including my friends, nieces, sisters, cousins, and well, some moms that I saw on t.v. I would come up with anything possible to shoot down twilight because from the outside looking in I thought it was pathetic. So one summer evening out of boredom I decided to put Twilight on, and I have to admit I instantly fell in love and read all of the books in like a month. All of my spare times consisted of reading those books. YIKES. Never thought I would publicly admit that butttttttttttt then again, reading a blog post like Lexi's seems to remind me that, well maybe I was right the first time it is pathetic. Did i mention that I have a huge framed poster of Edward Cullen in my room?

Anyway, I think that Lexi brought up some great points on her blog, some of which never actually crossed my mind before. I thought that her point about Bella as loosing her independence is in fact a true statement, and Lexi's examples on this totally persuaded me as to believing so. I also never picked up on him "forcing" her to do things, probably because I always figured she should have been doing those things anyway like going to prom and applying to college, so I never really thought of it like Lexi did. And I actually did pick up on the whole Bella being non existent whenever Edward wasn't in her life, and I do not think that is a good look for young girls watching the movie at all. It just tells them that in a man in their life leaves or isnt around to basically give up on themselves. I know that my 12 year old neice is only allowed to watch the first movie and thats it, but I dont think mentally she even realizes half or any of these bad messages.....yet. I still do believe that Bella does show signs of her independence but I also do think that her independence is overcome a lot of the time because of Edward. As far as the books being for teens that does horrify me, because I feel like its not appropriate for teens? But I think when I was a teen, things now are different with teens. And that was really only a short time ago.

The video at the end of Lexi's blog was funny, and everyone should watch it!

<------ shirt i made/wore to new moon haha opps.

Talking points#9 How Being a Good Girl can Be Bad for Girls extended comments on Melissa M's blog

After reading through some of the Talking Points 9 posts, I really enjoyed reading Melissa's. She brought up some good points, and she also incorporated links, and videos to support her suggestions, which made reading it that much better. After reading Bad Girls, Good Girls I also thought of the whole Miley Cyrus ordeal over her bad girl image, and I thought that was all so ridiculous. But for Miley's situation, what I think made it worse was because she became famous off of a disney show, so she always has the connection stuck to her back through disney, and disney characters, and girls are not supposed to look like she did when she came out with that video.

As far as Alice in Wonderland is concerned, I did not think of Sue Slyvester as an example to relate to Alice in Wonderland but I did laugh a little when you did mention her because I don't think one would ever really think to put these two characters together in some kind of relation. Watching the clip Melissa posted of Sue from Glee is funny too, her character in the show is great! " Let me buy a small diaper for your chin because it looks like a baby's ass!" HAHA! Moreover I agree with Melissa when she says " I notice that the villain female characters in texts are often dominant and contain some male characteristics. I think of Sue Sylvester too. " I agree with Melissa too when she brings up similar points between the villain and Sue. She says that neither of them have males in their life, so maybe that is why they feel as though the have to take on some of the male dominant roles.

Before having to watch it for class, I have never seen or heard of Atlanta. I have to say I actually did like watching it, kind of? It was slow, but I almost feel as though I knew that outcome of what was going to happen 50 seconds into watching it. Between Atlanta and Alice it just goes to show young girls that they can do whatever they set their minds to despite the stereotypes and societal norms, no matter what time period of circumstances.

I think Melissa using Christina A video " cant hold us down" was also a very good idea. This song tells a good message but what I do find ironic about it is that the females in the video are wearing short shorts and tiny fitted shirts? So I am not exactly sure how they don't like being called names when there dressed that way? But anyway! I think Melissa did a great job anaylzing this article and relating the topics above.

" And thats how Sue "C's" it."

Talking Points #8 Final Project Ideas

What I am thinking on researching is maybe teenage pregnancy , teenagers and the mall or prom. Im not quite sure, but I think I am going to begin a little research and see what I find, and what has the most information. I think teenagers at the mall is a good one, I worked in retail for 6 years, and working friday and saturday nights at a mall was the most annoying thing ever, because of the teenagers. The funny thing about that is when I first started working retail I think i was either 16 or 17, a teenager myself and I remember listening, and watching the teenagers walking back and forth from 5 pm to mall closing and thinking to myself like... are they serious right now?? Ha. Anyway, I still have friends who work retail, and i'm thinking maybe interviewing them with a few questions about it?? Or doing an observational study , where I go to the mall and watch them for a period of time? Here are a few things to observe:

* What are they talking about?

* more girls or boys? Mixed groups?

* What are they wearing

* What are they drinking/eating

* Language?

* Making any purchases?

* Cell Phones?!

Cant wait to hear about the other topics people are thinking of....see you Tues.

I can not figure out how to make videos show up on my blog?! But here are some URL's copy and paste them if you want to watch some videos I found on youtube of what teens do at the mall!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiC7Kw7aKV0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxCsZ8PjMTQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd_cTpbU-yU&feature=related

Talking Points #7 - Hip Hop Mass Media - 21st century colonization

Part one pf article- This author, Jared A. Ball, talks about his take on 21st century colonization and its influences. The way the media intuprets "Black America" is different than it actually is. As far as the music industry is concerned, they would only take what the want out of it, and not everything that is offered from it. " the pervasiveness of self/community-directed violemce, misogyny, conspicuos, consunption, product placemenr promotion, and general lack of ingenuity in popular hip-hop is the aforementioned specific systemic need produced systematically via its media representative, in this case, the music industry." What Ball is saying here basically is that the people involved in the music industry essesntially have the say in exactly what it is they want to promote, hear, the content involived and the direction of the music. Music that does not fit the "political" expectations of how they want it, is thrown away. Ball says that this is an exmaple of how it affects the black colony because it sets of speceifc image of them, that sometimes isn't even the case. He says we live in a culture that the "primary component of mecanism of social control, that which becomes "pop culture" is fraudulent in that it is forced." Moreover, because of mass media and ideology, the "black colony" has been unable to to improve its popularity and overall sucess because that population and of greater society remains intact, not allowing it to suceed. what it all comes down to who has the power, and what their doing with it. Its all "intentionally" done.

Talking Points #6 - GLEE

I do enjoy watching Glee, whenever I catch it on or hear about it i am always interested. I think the show gives the audience a little humor, with some other underlying images of teens. I do think the show, most of the time is some what unrealistic, but the makers of the show had to have got the ideas for each show from somewhere, and that it real teenage life styles. The cast is typically a bunch of high school misfits who all seem to have some kind of flaw or issue they are trying to deal with. Do I think in reality that that particular group of kids would ever be that close and friendly with one another? No absolutely not. Those kids would know of one another but freely and willingly hang out with one another I just don't think is very likely. Jocks are way to busy with their sport(s) to sing and be part of a glee club, cheerleaders are too busy cheering on the jocks, and the punk it too busy in the office, the geek is way to busy studying, and so on. Glee kids or musical kids are just that, they don't do 40835843 others things, or maybe they do, I have personally never seen it. By high school I think that kids typically know what it is they like and what they want to do with their spare time. When they are younger that is a time to do many activities and figure out what it is that they like or enjoy the must.

More over I would like to relate glee to scawmp. The majority of the cast is straight, with a few exceptions and some uncertainties. In Never been kissed, christianity is out in the open showing the religious figures in the scenes with the blonde guy and girl cheerleader characters. And some of the girls at the school not allowing the boys to do anything but kiss them. The cast for the most part is white again with a few exceptions which seems to be the common theme within the series. Typical, yet with a few exceptions. Everyone seems to be able bodied besides obviously the boy in the wheel chair. The families seem to be financially stable for the most part and have their own living spaces and properties which suggests they are allbalanced. financially

I guess I do think the show does show a bit too much at times, but for the most part I feel like the show itself is on the right page, it defiantly focuses on topics that teenagers today are faced with, using humor and musical as a different approach to each situation. I think from watching the show one can assume that not all teenagers are the same and I think people consider all teens to be represented under the same bracket, when that is not always the case at all.

My Digital LIfe youtube link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxxERPyW1lE

HELP

I can not figure out how to get my digital life video on YOUTUBE.... from imovie i clicked share and uploaded to youtube and it gives me a youtube link and my video does not show....someone HELP?

Thanks

Taylor