Final Blog :'(

I cannot choose a least favorite topic because every week we were assigned an interesting subject that I had never really considered.  However, I did have a least favorite author.  The readings by Surrete didn’t always appeal to me as much as reading about serial killers, for example.  I suppose it’s because we are taught by the media that we should be interested in sensational issues.  If I had to pick a least favorite topic, it would probably be news in comparison to the other topics.  I still found the topic intriguing, though. 

My favorite topic would have to be reading about the Smart, Ramsey, and Peterson cases.  The readings for that week (except for perhaps the Surrette reading) were so compelling in that they told more of the story instead of presenting bare facts.  Plus, they seemed to relate to current news stories, especially with the trial of Smart’s abductor. 

I think it would be useful to expand the music and film segments of the course.  The readings we covered were appropriate, but I would have enjoyed going beyond Marilyn Monroe and Blood Diamonds if we had more time.  As for limiting information, I’m not sure what I would do.  I cannot imagine limiting or eliminating any of the topics.  I suppose I would choose to expand music and film. 

Prior to this class, I would have advocated a course based mostly around music, film, and the Internet.  After taking it though, I would approach the material as we did in class.  We covered so much more useful and engrossing matters than what pure music, film, and Internet usage would have allowed.  I would never have considered themes such as drugs and media effects before this semester.  Now, I think I would structure the course similarly to the way Professor Castle did, at least using the same topics.  The only change I would probably make is to expand the film and music sections. 

Overall, I really loved this class!  I’ll definitely miss it!

The Lord of the Rings

My favorite movie ever is The Lord of the Rings.  I know, technically it’s a trilogy, but I like to consider them as one incredibly long movie. 

At its heart, the movie is about an unlikely hero braving a world-changing quest, a king seeking his throne, and good destroying evil, but it also touches on several justice issues including racial stereotypes and gender stereotypes. 

Within the movie, there are exactly three female title characters compared to the dozens of main actors who are male.  Males comprise the entire Fellowship of the Ring.  Only Galadriel serves as a female ruler, and she even performs that role with her husband alongside her.  Arwen’s main function is to support her fiancé; she never has a role in any of the battles.  Eowyn is the sole female character who goes to war, but she must do so in secret.  Although she is the one character capable of defeating the Witch King, a powerful enemy, her presence as the lone female on the battlefield seems detrimental to her cause.  Why is she the only female to experience the drive to fight for her beliefs?  It makes her participation seem almost abnormal.  At the same time, however, the movie conforms correctly to the times it loosely portrays.  There were not many female warriors in existence during medieval times.  Those who did dare to fight probably had to hide their identities. 

Racial stereotypes arise as well.  Initially, Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf hate each other because of ancient grudges between their people, but they eventually overcome those prejudices.  Their situation speaks to the stereotypes many Americans hold today which prevent them from creating lasting bonds across racial barriers. 

Although the point of The Lord of the Rings trilogy remains the hero quest, it does manage to advance modern day concerns, albeit in a fantastical setting.

Love The Way You Lie

Love The Way You Lie featuring Rihanna by Eminem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uelHwf8o7_U&ob=av2e

[Chorus - Rihanna]
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
That's all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
That's all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

[Eminem - Verse 1]
I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like
And right now it's a steel knife in my windpipe
I can't breathe but I still fight while I can fight
As long as the wrong feels right it's like I'm in flight
High off her love, drunk from my hate, it's like I'm huffin' paint
And I love it the more I suffer, I suffocate
And right before I'm about to drown, she resuscitates me, she fuckin' hates me
And I love it, "wait, where you goin'?"
"I'm leavin' you," "no you ain't come back"
We're runnin' right back, here we go again
It's So insane, cause when it's goin' good it's goin' great
I'm superman with the wind at his back, she's Lois Lane
But when it's bad it's awful, I feel so ashamed I snap
Whose that dude? I don't even know his name
I laid hands on her
I'll never stoop so low again
I guess I don't know my own strength

[Chorus]
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
Well that's all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

[Eminem - Verse 2]
You ever love somebody so much you can barely breathe
When you with em you meet and neither one of you even know what hit em
Got that warm fuzzy feeling
Yeah them chills used to get em
Now you're getting fuckin' sick of lookin' at em
You swore you'd never hit em, never do nothin' to hurt em
Now you're in each other's face spewin' venom in your words when you spit em
You push pull each other's hair
Scratch claw hit em throw em down pin em
So lost in the moments when you're in em
It's the rage that's the culprit, controls you both
So they say it's best to go your separate ways
Guess that they don't know ya
Cause today that was yesterday
Yesterday is over, it's a different day
Sound like broken records playin' over
But you promised her next time you'll show restraint
You don't get another chance
Life is no nintendo game, but you lied again
Now you get to watch her leave out the window
Guess that's why they call it window pane

[Chorus]
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
Well that's all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

[Eminem - Verse 3]
Now I know we said things, did things, that we didn't mean
And we fall back into the same patterns, same routine
But your temper's just as bad as mine is, you're the same as me
When it comes to love you're just as blinded
Baby please come back, it wasn't you, baby it was me
Maybe our relationship isn't as crazy as it seems
Maybe that's what happens when a tornado meets a volcano
All I know is I love you too much to walk away though
Come inside, pick up the bags off the sidewalk
Don't you hear sincerity in my voice when I talk?
Told you this is my fault, look me in the eyeball
Next time I'm pissed I'll aim my fist at the drywall
Next time there won't be no next time
I apologize even though I know it's lies
I'm tired of the games I just want her back
I know I'm a liar if she ever tries to fuckin' leave again
I'ma tie her to the bed and set this house on fire
Just gonna

[Chorus]
Just gonna stand there and watch me burn
Well that's all right because I like the way it hurts
Just gonna stand there and hear me cry
Well that's all right because I love the way you lie
I love the way you lie

[End]

This song reveals a case of interpersonal violence that is often concealed in the media.  When it is portrayed, the stereotype of a man abusing his wife for the sake of domination frequently comes to light.  Victims in domestic violence are often motivated to keep quiet about their abuse because of fear and shame.  

However, when domestic violence materializes in celebrity couples, it usually becomes scandalous.  Eminem’s video and song delve into and illuminate the intricacies of the issue, revealing that the male in a relationship is not always the only violent partner in the case of domestic violence.  The video portrays violence on the part of both members of the relationship.  It also showcases the conflicting desires that partners in a relationship feel to stay together despite knowledge of the continuing damage. 

Overall, I think the video is not only valuable, but it brings the more taboo truths of domestic violence to light. 

Suicide Lecture

Before the guest speaker came in to speak to us about suicide, I thought the subject was fairly straight forward.  I had no idea that there were so many intricacies, from statistics to methods of addressing someone considering suicide.  I suppose I visualized the act as this distant, horrible thing that could never have an effect on my life.  Yet, publicity on suicide is increasing in the media and for good reason.  The stress of the educational system makes suicide more and more prevalent in college, so the presentation we heard was definitely appropriate and necessary.

“The Cat Lady” seemed rather personable, probably because she is a graduate student and thus someone to whom we can relate.  Regardless, her knowledge was extensive, including personal anecdotes, statistical information, and strategies.  She walked us through every step of the process of stopping someone from committing suicide, including traits to recognize that someone is considering suicide, methods we can use to confront that person, and telephone numbers to call in order to obtain professional help.

What made her presentation so interesting was that she knew how to speak to our age group about a very uncomfortable topic.  Her statistics, especially the one about how 80% of the population considers suicide, were shocking, yet informative.  As a result of her presentation, I know never to use the “we need to talk” line, not just when talking to a partner, but in serious talks about drugs and suicide as well. 

Hopefully, I will never have to use the suggestions she presented in a real life situation, but I feel more prepared if I do encounter that reality. 

Pranking on Halloween

With Halloween approaching, I find myself thinking about previous Halloweens back home.  My neighbors stopped handing out candy when their kids decided they were too old for trick-or-treating, so they always turn out the lights on Halloween night.  Thus, their house has become Prank Central.  Something happens to their house pretty much every Halloween now.   

           

Last year, a few neighborhood kids decided to get some kicks by egging one of my neighbor’s cars and completely covering a tree in their front yard with toilet paper.  They also knocked over the street sign and the stop sign near their house.  Additionally, there were several broken beer bottles scattered along the street. 

I wonder what provoked them into action and if they’ll decide to do it again.  They must think that their actions are justified because my neighbors do not hand out candy.  With the addition of alcohol and the incentive of groupthink, they become more and more likely to lash out violently.  Plus, pranking is a tradition of Halloween.  The house stands out as the one that refused to observe candy hand-out.  That makes their house a viable target for retaliation, one that groupthink, alcohol, and tradition can justify. 

I guess my neighbors need to learn to pass out Halloween candy!   

THE EVENT

I have been watching a new show on NBC called The Event.  After glancing through the reading for next week, I found that the program definitely has some relevance to the discussion on African Americans and other minorities in television programming.

In the show, the President of the United States is African American and the the son of a native Cuban.  He seeks to close down a prison facility (in the show, the facility seems to house aliens) and free the inhabitants, much like Obama’s efforts with Guantanamo Bay.  The show is a prime example of a new change in characters by the media involving African Americans.  In order to reflect the political direction of our country, fictional presidents in television are portrayed as being black.  This trend is also evident in the now cancelled show, Heroes.  In the recent past, however, presidents were almost always white males; Harrison Ford in Air Force One and Bill Pullman in Independence Day come to mind.  Now, however, casting a white male in the role of president would not be in line with current trends and could indeed be considered an insult.

President’s Obama’s leadership has definitely made a difference in television programming.  I wonder if the president in new shows would have been a female had Hillary Clinton won the presidency.  It would have been interesting to see Glenn Close as president instead of Harrison Ford.

Copycat Reflection

It was enlightening to see the copycat effect of the movies on an actual screen instead of just reading about it.  I found myself struck by the gore in the movie version and horrified that someone could be sick enough to repeat those heinous acts in real life.  The case that alarmed me the most was that of a sixteen-year-old boy who decided to kill his mother for the money to buy masks and start a killing spree.  One guy said that he would do whatever he saw in the movies, including slicing open someone’s chest.  And then, of course, there were the Honeymoon Killers who killed their new partners for the life insurance payment. 

One thing that seemed to be useful with these copycat killer crimes was that police could recognize the similarities between the movie murders and the actual killings.  Yet, these copycat crimes were extremely violent and sickening.  I watch very few graphic movies because the blood and gore freak me out, but the ones I have seen horrify me.  It is sickening to think that people could be inspired by movies like Saw.

However, I don’t think we can deprive the public of these movies.  Some movies that can inspire violent acts may also have positive effects.  In the reading, one woman who watched a movie where an abused wife killed her husband decided to perform the same act in real life, but many other women sought help as a result of viewing the movie. 

Thus, every movie, even violent ones, can produce different impacts depending on the person.  Some reactions might be positive, some negative.  We cannot cut out violent films entirely for fear of what some people will do, although perhaps we can limit the gory content.