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

Talking Points 5, Wesch -- Hyperlinks

I really liked reading Wesch's article , "From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-able." I found some of his points really interesting and I agree with a lot of what he was proposing in this article. After reading this article I went right on youtube and began searching for some of the related topics mentioned in this particular article. Personally, I think that technology of course had its pros and cons but because I grew up in a time where computers, cells phones and ipods were becoming really popular and used a lot. I think that is why I think technology should be used in the classroom. I do not think that professor should be able to tell a student if they can or can not use their laptops during class.

Honestly, who wants to sit in a 2 hr class where the professor just lectures for two hours straight?! I know that I can NOT stand that. I like classes where technology is used, students can use their laptops and so on. The article also talks about how students who use laptops in class are social networking, or shopping online, and sometimes I'd agree but as a student especially in college they know right from wrong and if thats what they want to do during their class time so be it, it's essentially their money or parents money being wasted. There is a difference between checking your FB for 2 minutes and staying on your FB page for 2 hours of class. I do feel like some professors, usually the older ones do seem to shy away from using technology in their teaching methods, but I think they should try to incorporate it some way or another. In this day we should all try to be familiar with the basics. I know at work with my pre-school students I try to use technology in small amounts so that they can be exposed to it, then again the children use blocks and toys shaped like rectangles or something they pretend to be text messaging or talking on it, and that absolutely kills me but thats a whole other issue in itself.

This article also made me think about when you do go into a new classroom that you have never been in before, and if you do not see a TV or a computer your kind of thinking to yourself like....seriously? No TV or computer? Or if there is a TV with a VCR attached to it, your like pshttt no DVD player here?! What if you walk into a computer lab at school and you see 10 flat screen computers that are all taken and 3 dinosaur age looking computers, I'm sure you'd be a little ticked off having to use the older one. I know I would! I am sure that the new media environment for teachers is very disruptive, but instead of wasting their breath on it, they should understand that the technology isn't going anywhere and they should probably swallow their pride get over it, and say hey since it's not going anywhere I might as well get involved with it myself. It also makes me think like, when was the last time you received a syllabus for a class and it DIDNT mention anything about cellphone usage or laptops? hmm.

I liked when Wesch mentions students not wanting to pay attention because they know that the information being taught in class can easily be found online somewhere. That is very true I must admit that I think that way sometimes myself. When was the last time you went to the library to search for a book to help you with research? Or maybe it's much easier to just open your laptop and browse on Google instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tQH1nyrJG0&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YuMwLgzlFs&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Crff9fAuU&feature=related

^ lady is a drag but good info haha

Raby, "A Tangle of Discourses" Post 4

Quotes

pg 432

"In light of Steinberg’s work, it was telling that, while the idea of youth as an

essentialized period of disruptive change was echoed by some of my respon-

dents, particularl y in terms of rebellion, it was conspicuous how few respondents

discussed this conceptualization of adolescence in terms of biology. The topic

only arose when prompted, suggesting that it may be just too obvious, for some

it may be an area of discomfort, it is less central than many might think, and/or

these hormonal changes are as constructed as adolescence itself. In follow-up

interviews, I asked why it might be that people had not commented on bodily

or hormonal changes in earlier interviews. Rita and Elizabet h both suggested

that perhaps people feel that this area is private. Jazz and Angela both said that

bodily and/or hormonal changes were not that important to their experiences of

adolescence and those experiences of their friends"

Raby throughout this piece references Steinberg works, I agree with Raby and think that this evidence is quit telling. No one ever wants to talk about biological changes in teens, although I think they are quit obvious and that maybe why they are not mentioned as much? When she quotes the two teen ages girls about this topic they both said how they did not understand what people meant when then mentioned changes, or hormones, until after they had experienced it for themselves. We know as adults that teens are going through changes, but no teen wants to admit that they are changing, I don't think teens ever want to admit anything that may make them feel uncomfortable. I live in a very open family and rebellious acts, and bodily changes were always talked about and mentioned to everyone. God forbid one of my cousins or my sisters got their periods, everyone in the family knew about it a day later, nothing was really private in my family.

pg 433

"Less prominent in the more sensationalistic media, but nonetheless present in

much literature on teens is the concept of teenager s as ‘becoming’, usually

discussed in terms of self-discovery and/or identity formation. As Vienna

observes,

they assume that all teenagers rebel just because this is the age when

we start to become our own person. Like 12, 13 you really start thinking

about things for yourself and not necessarily doing everything that

your parent s do, you know? Becoming more independent … To Lesko

(1996b) , youth are perceived always in terms of what they are becom-

ing, rather than what they are being: they are potential, not yet fully

formed. "

What this quote means to me is that when it comes to teenagers a lot of what they are depends on a continuous assumption of how they are supposed to be or what they must be like because of the age group the fall into. When I was a teenager I was not allowed to go anywhere or do anything unless my mom new the parents of the other child and she would drop me off places and wait for me outside, I lived in a very strict household, I think it all depends on what the teenager is allowed to do that will essentially determine their outcome. Not EVERY teenager is rebellious and does bad things, but that is what most people assume. The good things teenagers might do isn't shown on the news, but the spray painted city walls are. What friends of the teenagers do and say is very important, and I don't think much of anything else matters. It depends on who they get involved with and become friends with. The city I live in has many sterotypes, and all the public schools are bad, and the education stinks, but i always succeeded and did well and it was because of the group of friends as a teen that I got myself friendly with.

pg 435

"Risk was a prominent pre-occupation for my respondents, particularly among

grandmothers. Jan was concerned that there is more stress and pressure on teens

today than there was in the past. Sandy said there are more hazards and

challenges , particularly with the in􏰁uences of drugs. Anne believes that teens

today have more responsibility becaus e they have to think more about their

futures, are less innocent, and are more exposed to the problems of the world.

Among the granddaughters, both Rita and Allanah said that there is more

violence for teenagers to deal with today than in the past. Such risks are also

gendered, with girl s particularly at risk of pregnancy or assault , and boys more

likely to get in trouble for things like drug offenses."

I liked this quote because throughout my teenage years and even sometimes now I hear people who are older than me and more experienced tell me the same things. My grandmother tells me all the time how hard it is today compared to when my mother was growing up. Its obvious that there are many more distractions today for teens than ever! Driven to work the other day on the radio there was a survey about teens and cell phones. 50% said they would give up food before their cell phones, and that just blew my mind. FOOD? Like are you kidden? I wish parents would really think twice before getting their teens a cell or a texting plan, what did teens for 20 yrs ago when they needed to get in touch with parents or frineds? House phones? Pay phones? Wait, do you even see pay phones anywhere anymore? NEVER. More over when this quote mentions pregnancy I also believe that teenage girls have it a bit more harder than boys and you do hear parents in situation where they have a daughter and son around the same age and the son gets away with a lot more than they girl ever would because of the chances of her getting pregnant.

Christensen, " Unpacking the Myths that Bind Us." Post 3

Argument

The article, " Unpacking the Myths that Bind us," by Linda Christensen is an article where Christensen is expressing her feelings towards relatively recent children's television, and movies. She talks about common films that we all are familiar with such as Disney movies like Mullan and Aladdin. Some children's television she refers to is shows like Looney Tunes and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Christensen argument seems to be that these movies, and shows that children familiar themselves so much with these movies and shows that they ultimately influence the children, the way they act and how they represent the world around them. Some where along the line the hidden racism, sexism within these clips is imbedded in the minds of these young children.

I like when Christensen says, " Our society's culture industry colo­

nizes their minds and teaches them how to act, live, and dream." I believe in this same idea as well because everyday I work with 5 yr olds and they get so into a character form a show or movie that they look up to. For example I have one student who is constantly talking, acting and thinking about ironman. He gets so into character that he seems to forget that he is in school. More than once a day I have to remind him that he is, ( and I tell him his name) right now and not iron man. He makes sound effects and body motions as if he was ironman himself. More over I also can relate to Christensen when she mentions in her article about Beverly Tatum, who wrote the book, " Why are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" And that particular part caught my eye because I always seem to notice, and or pay attention to things like that, and I have actually noticed that before. And I am sure it must be true for all ethnicities.

After reading this article, I couldn't help but to go to youtube and watch some Disney movie clips that represent these so called sexual oriented hidden secrets within the Disney movies, I don't know how to take the whole thing. I think it is weird, but at times it could be believable. More over the always popular Disney princesses, all my little 5 yr old girl students LOVE the Disney princesses, they all wear the clothes have the dolls, blankets, bedding sheets, the dance around and think its the best thing ever, but little do these little innocent girls realize is that they're being set up to think that they have to look a certain way. The princesses are always skinny, usually white and have curvy body frames. I also read somewhere that the newer of the Disney Princesses from the movie, " The princess and the Frog," she is a black princess, where that brought up plenty of talk, then the issue that her prince was white, and how a black prince wasn't good enough.