Tuesday, April 21, 2009

DAMN MY SLOTH

As I was watching videos *shout out to the Doll Call*, I couldn't help but think how lame I was. I wish I had a totally rad video on a totally rad site. I guess my teenage years are an epic fail (^_^) I love the fact kids are almost setting the record straight about themselves, like hey! we are the teens, let us tell you how its all affecting us! I think it is a rebellion against being spoken for and I, for one, totally dig it! I'm going to poke around more...

Project Revolution. God, where is that from????

Me, Meg, and Vanessa met in Donovan and pretty much quickly got everything under control. Parts of the project were assigned and I can say that it just might rock your socks off. so there, shazam! And just a quick question, what the hell with 4/20? Honestly, I mean, if you smoke pot, i really don't care, but I'm sure you are still smoking it the 364 days that aren't April 20th. So why the "holiday"? And furthermore why do non pot smoking people go around saying happy 4/20? ..... I don't know, just something I noticed yesterday. THOSE CRAZY KIDS AND THEIR CRAZY MARIJUANA
Watch Reefer Madness and laugh your ass off at that us and them idea

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

DAMN YOU SOCIAL NETWORKING!!!

*sigh* This is where i get tricky. Let's just start with a quote shall we? "Or, as one teenager said, “If you’re not on MySpace, you don’t exist.” " Ok, we all can say that I exist, correct? Then I am living proof one can NOT have a myspace in high school or out and still have blood pumping through my veins. Now do not misunderstand, I have fallen to facebook, very shamefully might I add. Henry Jenkins fights for this social networking, saying it is a place for teens to hang out with their friends. Umm, wasn't that usually the basement of whoever's mom didn't care that there were 7 to 10 of you there for unknown periods of time? Since when do we need to hide in a computer to talk to our friends? I guarentee that your post of your day is just repetition of the texts you have been sending/recieving from all the myspace friends. Ok, to it's credit, it is very useful in keeping in touch with people. Facebook allows me to talk to my friends that are at URI, since our hectic schedules don't allow for many visits on each end.
On the other hand, it does allow for the public to view you and anything you write (unless it is set to private and whatnot). Issues of pedophiles is great, but HELLO!! Child pornography was almost diminished in the 80's and the internet has allowed it to skyrocket. We have organizations, such as Interpol, who are trying, and doing a good job, to control this. I think if you don't want the attention of some guy in his late 30's still living with mom who's idea of a good time is with jail bait, then why don't you pull your pants to where they are supposed to be because i dont want to see your thong, get a correct fitting shirt so your boobs aren't hanging out, and can we just sum it up with stop portraying promiscuity and "sexyness" (which just comes off as slutty) when you are 14-16? There are ways to enjoy the social networking without adding to the already existing dangers.
AND NOW A SHORT BREAK
We are back to talk about snotty fricken trust fund kids! yay! Ok, what does one do when they are at an amazing private school, have everything handed to them, not have to worry about the future? would they
a) thank their fricken lucky stars
b) realize how good they have it and strive to make sure its not wasted
c) find the most meaningless shit to bitch about
IF YOU PICKED C YOU WIN!
Ok, so there was a teacher who some agreed was not so fun. umm, i think i can count the ones I've had on both hands, so you bitch, of course, but you get over it. And this whole men haven't had their voices heard? I think maybe its time you just shut up. I'm not cooking for you, or cleaning, or staying home to raise the kids, or doing everything i can to allow you to "run" the house better. I am getting an education so not only can I surpass you in the company, I will be the breadwinner of my house and quite frankly if you cannot handle my strength and independence you can just turn around and walk, I don't need another little boy playing in big boy pants. Any questions?

Join me next week, same bat time, same bat channel

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Pictures can say so much... or just be another picture of dan flipping off the camera, it varies.

Lauren Greenfield rivals my radtasticalness. So I had to fight back. My weapon of choice was "Indigo Scumbag", needless to say, I won. So as the undisputed Radtastical Beth, I bring you the awesomeness of pictures. Greenfield argues that children are growing up too fast. Which, I can agree. Children are dressing more adult like. I see tweens showing more skin than pop stars. Its scary. My little sister is 14 and I worry that her age is getting to be engaging in other activities too soon as well, such as obviously sex. Watching the kids over emphasize the theme of "adult", we are coming to an age where kids want and expect to be older than they are. My pictures weren't portraying the "growing up fast" aspect that Greenfield found, but rather I found "average" teens that showed me a story of the expected normal teenage life *see Prep post and giggle with anticipation* These teens were really just happy. I found it odd. The dominant theme says that they are angry and whatnot. I had to laugh because they seemed so carefree and happy while I am feeling stressed. They are lucky. Most people say they never want to be a teenager again. But, for me, maybe a day trip would be nice.

Prep, mmm... tasty

Prep did little for my apetite, it was like pork fried rice, I was hungry later. But I liked what it was saying. It definately fit into my photography project (I know I havent done the Lauren Greenfield post yet, but I guess thats the one good part of catching up, you can connect more). Sittenfeld questions the "normal teenage life." You are either in or out, there is no inbetween, so you better find out what's cool and conform. I mean, if you are out, then you are nobody. Individuality is for people that aren't good enough to be with the cool kids. Ok, I really almost threw up there. UGH! I hate the media filled bitch slap of forced normal teenage life. Mine had nothing of normalicy. Media tells us that we should be having fun all the time, with our horde of friends, and our boyfriends/girlfriends, and having sex, and getting all the latest fashions. (dry heave) I worked pretty much full time since I was sixteen, had a string of very short lived relationships and wasn't having sex at the time. My friends consisted of our tight group of about 5 people and we hung out when we had time with our nameless threads diggin the fact that our Walmart shirts are full of smoke smells from our fire and damn it, dan set his shoes on fire with citronella again. I wish more people realized the lie that media feeds us as they tell us what is a "normal" life. Not all of us live on a creek, Dawson.

Men are bleeding, but not because i hurt them :(

Gloria Steinem makes me smile a little smirk and thank goodness that things are they way they are. Now, don't get me wrong, like everyother female I bitch that a guy doesn't have to bleed, which in turn comes to the fact they don't have to give birth (bastards, sorry not you brian). But Steinem got it down to a fricken T. It would be something revered by the world and seen as sooo manly and hot and sexy, not shameful, closeted, and disgusting. I believe that there are women that fight this, even the simple act of buying tampons and not turning red and being embarrassed because the Walgreen's cashier is super cute (you know, just an example from a random 14 year old at the time). Now I pretty much slam it on the counter in this Hell yeah, I am female, I get my period, and I think its so cute that you are squirming when I'm not embarressed, little cashier boy. I think in a way Steinem also plays into the dominant theme that all men are competitive, "Men would brag about how long and how much." What if it was taught as shameful as it is to women? Would they be so quick to accept and in turn boast of something like this? I mean, lets be honest no guy is boasting about his wet dreams eh? Maybe its better to be comfortable with yourself over it all. I don't think women should be ashamed of their periods, but I also don't think it shoud be the way that Steinem portrays men's version. Maybe it is a happy medium that I am at. I'm not announcing to the world everytime I bleed, but I refuse to be embarressed or shameful of one of the most natural things for women. But I can still smile, because if men got their periods now women can finally say "don't trust men, why trust something that bleeds for seven days and never dies."

Hine, I wish i really was from outer space

I absolutely adore Thomas Hine. He tells us teenagers are lazy and crazy, and any other word that ends in -azy. Then he flips and is almost going "hahaha, no actually the adults just wish they were still young, you're fine you awesome teenagers." :D love it. To be honest, thought, he does say something I totally agree with. Teenagers every year top the "craziest" story of the year before. "On the night of June 6, 1997, an eighteen-year-old woman from Fork River, New Jersey, gave birth to a six-pound-six-ounce baby boy in the women's rest room of the catering hall where her high school senior prom was taking place. Her son was found dead, tied in a plastic bag in a trash can in the lavatory where he was born. His mother, meanwhile, was dancing, smiling, and to all outward appearances, enjoying what's supposed to be a magical night." FTW???!!! That is quite insane, but it is also the exception. I look at my "teen years" and I listened to rock music, did my stint smoking pot (got over that quickly), and smoked cigarettes. I did great in school, I never skipped, my parents trusted me, I was not a bad kid. And that is the general truth. There are bad parents, there are bad kids, don't blame it on a set of ages. Everyone is so quick to say that those teenagers are out of control. Because of one story? really? I'm sure any generation of teens can find one horrible, shocking story of the previous generation. When they assume that all teenagers are the same off the wall, insane, naive group, who really is the naive ones?

Catch up part deux: MMMMEDIA LITERACY

Its for the few that actually care : Media Literacy. Now do not get me wrong, I;m sure it is taught in school and all that jazz, but come on, face it, many people cannot use media literacy in a defensive way. One thing it is "used" for is detecting propaganda. Umm.... HELLO??!!!! Almost all of the world is fooled from one source of propaganda or another. But you know, I'm glad they made up a word for "be intelligent enough not to believe everything you hear, question everything my dear friend", because quite frankly that was getting to be a mouthfull. On one hand I'm glad that there is some sort of education so kids can learn this earlier and not be sucked into the bandwagon. But maybe there should be a mandatory class when you get into college. This is where people need it! So many people just jump on the "big issue" bandwagon. Whatever is most liberal and coolest to agree with gets the most people. For example, the easiest example is the Obama/McCain election. I know many of people had reasons for voting for who they did, and by golly I am in no way shape or form insinuating that anyone in the class or anyone that voted for Obama was "on the bandwagon". However, think about it, Obama is a democrat and after eight years of Bush, everyone was all about the democrats. So many people hated Bush, so how easy would it be to vote for Obama for the sole fact everyone else was going to? I think college is a hard time where we think we know everything and we are merely just believing our own shit. Maybe a media literacy class could help us, let us be able to open our minds to tricks that arent as obvious as drink this type of vodka and get laid.

Playing catch up: The love hate relationship with Christenson

OH LINDA, OH LINDA, you make me actually think when I really just want to vege out, how I loathe thee. But not really, maybe a little, there's a thin line between love and hate. Before this class I have analyzed films in many classes, and to my dorky credit, with my mom for funsies. It is important to be able to watch a film analytically and be able to get pissed off when the woman can't do anything herself. Oh, I forgot, we can't do anything more than put our make up on, how silly am I? Christenson says that we cannot just watch and be content. Why are we content? Why did we love it/hate it? What dominant themes are seen throughout? Why are all the "beautiful" women so damn skinny? Why are every ethnicity besides white seen as lower class?
Why do we watch this and not get angry? As much as I want to get some popcorn and flip on a Disney movie, I get that feeling that I should be mad that Ariel cannot talk ( oh by golly that's another post for another day). Christenson makes me question what I find normal and change the dominant ideas that I deem normal. I mean, come on, who is normal these days anyway?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Im the Hiphopopotamus, my lyrics are bottomless..... Im also the rhymnocerous

Reading Tricia Rose, I sort of let my bias get the best of me. My idea of hip-hop can be validated by her: Hip hop is not dead, but it is gravely ill. When I think of hip-hop, I think of Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, and for a recent musician, I think of Atmosphere. I believe the hip-hop genre has taken a nose dive in society for a few reasons. The one I care about? They sing (for the most part, of course there are exceptions) of NOTHING!!!!!!!! I really don't care how big that ho's ass is, nor do I concern myself with how much bling you got, or how crunk you are. What I care about is songs like "White Lines" talking of how bad the addiction to cocaine is and telling his fans outright in the song, "don't do it, baby." Now we have to listen to less hard hitting lyrics, telling of REAL struggle. We have, as Tricia Rose referenced, T-Pain, with his song "Low." "She had them applebottom jeans, boots with the fur, the whole club was lookin at her. She hit the flo', next thing you know shawty got low, low, low, low, low." ANYONE ELSE FEEL THEIR IQ DROP? Give me some lyrics that make a difference, give me lyrics that distiguishes this generation's hip-hop as more than just songs about sex, riches, and drugs. Let's make a ruckus with social and political commentary and for the love of god, someone get flava flav off the tv! Anyone else remember when his clock around his neck meant time is running out for the white man, not you can stay in the reality show? I hope at least Bryan does....

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Marc Prensky is part of my mob

The reading for this week was Marc Prensky's "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants". Honestly, it's odd actually reading what the generation has been thinking, but with way less slang and swearing. I do believe that we have come to a point in our education system where something must give. I guarantee it will not be the headstrong youth. Trying to bring technology into education is an idea that, thankfully, is no longer cutting edge. If my cell phone can bring up information on history faster than one can teach it, why should I pay attention? That is one big question Prensky asks. He then goes on to say that the older generation, which he dubbed the "digital immigrants" for their learned, not instinctive, knowledge of technology, needs to catch up.
Here is something I battle with, I feel as if our reliance on technology has made us in essence, a dumber society. Can the average teen find information in a book? Remember those? They are like the internet, except you can hold it!! There is a hard balance between advancing our intelligence through technology and advancing our sloth through it. Don't agree? Watch Idiocracy (starring Luke Wilson and Dax Shepard). It is meant as a comedy, however, through laughing you will get scared shitless by the parallels between the extreme of the movie and now. Although I agree with Prensky that our society needs to accommodate to meet the needs of a new way of thinking, learning, and living, I also believe we should make sure that our advances do not lead to our demise. Quite frankly, I love those crazy little books. Stuffed with words and not constantly being questioned of its authenticity (take that wikipedia!).

Sunday, February 1, 2009

When I was 13...

My story is like everyone else's. I was not who I was to become and yet undecided of who that should be. Granted I had that horrible temper that would get me in trouble almost all the time, either from teachers or parents, however I was pretty much "normal". I got great grades, I was the "hopeful" out of my 3 other sisters. That drastically changed, however, when I began to identify myself with a genre, so to speak.

I fell in love with the goth, punk rock look. The drastic tones, the almost taboo clothing, it was enough to make my head spin and I fell into it so easily. Black was my calling card, backed up by "I don't care" attitude. It was something i felt comfortable in. In the later years, as I took my angst out on a crumpled pack of obligatory clove cigarettes, (regrettably looking back at my stupid choice to start smoking, now that I'm at a pack a day of menthols), fighting with my parents, and the general "you don't understand me" fights.

Thirteen was such a sucky age. You don't know who you are and you don't know what you want to be. I'm unsure if it comes like lightning while you are still thirteen but inches away from fourteen when you get this epiphany of the person you want to be (even if its just for now). However, thirteen held an innocence, a naievity that is quickly lost. If I thought thirteen was bad, god, sixteen is hell on earth. Perchance that will be a different blog....