Prep

(Ahhhhh) Prep, by Curtis Sittenfeld was not my favorite article to read. Not to say the novel was not well written, because it was. I just thought the plot was not well-developed. I felt as though I was reading a dairy..which is indeed interesting, however if I am going to read someones diary I would want to read something more "juicy" or dramatic. I thought that the idea of the novel was neat...the coming of age theme. but i guess i really did not think much of this novel, SoRRY Sittenfeld :(

Media Literature

Media Literacy- (Definition by Wikipedia)

Media literacy is the process of accessing, analyzing, evaluating and creating messages in a wide variety of media modes, genres and forms. It uses an inquiry-based instructional model that encourages people to ask questions about what they watch, see, and read. Media literacy education provides tools to help people critically analyze messages to detect propaganda, censorship, and bias in news and public affairs programming (and the reasons for such), and to understand how structural features -- such as media ownership, or its funding model -- affect the information presented. Media literacy aims to enable people to be skillful creators and producers of media messages, both to facilitate an understanding as to the strengths and limitations of each medium, as well as to create independent media. Media literacy is an expanded conceptualization of literacy. By transforming the process of media consumption into an active and critical process, people gain greater awareness of the potential for misrepresentation and manipulation (especially through commercials and public relations techniques), and understand the role of mass media and participatory media in constructing views of reality.

Media Literacy is was way for people to educate themselves about the media. Its a way to critically analyze what they see on tv, movies, magazines or hear on the radio..etc. rather than just taking it as it is. In a whole it gives people a better way to analayze the media and also connect the effecs of media to their everyday lives.

http://www.medialit.org/

http://www.medialiteracy.net/

http://www.ced.appstate.edu/departments/ci/programs/edmedia/medialit/article.html

Thomas Hine

"The Rise & Fall of the American Teenager" by Thomas Hine explained how teenagers came to be and how they are now. He gives the history of the teenager up til this point and also explains the "fall" that teenagers now face do to actions without the thought of consequences. THis pieces was well written and I was specifically interested on how the teenager "came to be." I had always thought that there was always such thing as a teenager. I like how he called teens "barbarians at the gate" , because thats how many people view teenagers. I do understand how many adults look at teens to be self-destructive. Some teens are indeed careless, destructive, nieve, etc. However I do not believe it is right that they stereo-type all teenagers.

The best part of HIne's article was about the 18yr old woman who threw away her baby, touched up her make-up, and then went back to dancing at her prom. OMG how crazy is that?

Anyways...i was trying to google this horrific story when I came across this picture...haha can you believe this girl really went to her prom like that..I just thought it was histarical!

MYSPACE

I honestlythought that Henry Jenkin's article was sooo boring. Everything they said about Myspace and Facebook I already knew.I must admit I am a "myspace head"! I just love it. I think its an awesome way to network and showcase your music or creativity. It is also a way to keep in touch with friends without "keeping in touch." I mean all you have to do is check out their profile and see whats new by looking at their status, bio, new photos, etc. The one thing I do not like about Myspace is all the young kids that I see have myspace. I see alot of young kids (especially girls) who have this alter ego on myspace which is usually more sexual & provocative. I do believe it is a good idea for parents to monitor their children if they do allow them to have myspace. The Horace Mann piece was a little more interesting ....probablly because it involved drama. All I can say is nothing on the internet is actually private. IF you do not want something to be "leaked" out to others, dont put it on your myspace, facebook, blogs..etc. simple as that.

Tricia Rose (Hip Hop)

I absolutely love this article!!! Tricia Rose is a genuis. I agree and love everything that she had to say. I love hip hip & do not think it is dead, however it is seriously "ill" as she would say. I love artists like Nas, Lupe, Kanye, and Common who are versitile and have much more to offer to the game than just clothes,partying,women,and sex. They really take the effort to educate there fans. I feel like hip hop, today, is not even representing "true society" as a whole. I mean honestly, most people are struggling to pay bills and feed their family during this recesstion, but most of the songs that I hear on the radio is about buying out the bar at the club, wanting to have sex with every girl in the world, and owning a "pimped" out ride. Its really sad because most rappers claim to come from poverty stricken upbringings, yet it seems the second they under the "spotlight" they only can talk/rap about materialistic matters. I watched another video on youtube on tricia rose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7gUu4DYZO0 ; she talked about hip hop & the way it portrays women. I loved that she touched this topic because it is something that I am very passionate about. Women are portrayed as sex objects or "walking bling" .....only physically & sexually shining for the camera. This needs to change. I like how tricia rose doesnt blame JUST hip hop for the reasoning behind sexism, however she does point out the realities. People need to understand that hip hop is not the only driving force behind certain teenage destructive behaviors & artists need to realize that they are held responsible for their actions.

Nas-What goes around lyrics

Sisters up in my hood trying to do good given choicesWhen pregnant drop out of school or have abortionsStop working hoping that they find a man that will support themUp late night on they mothers cordless, thinking a perm orBleaching cream will make better when they gorgeousWhite girls tanning, lypo suctionFake titties are implanted, fake lips thats life destructionLightskin women, bi-racial hateful toward themselvesDenying even they bloodI don't judge Tiger Woods but I overstand the mental poisonThats even worser than drugs...It's all poison, all of my words to enemies it is poisonRappers only talk about ki's, its all poisonHow could you call yourself emcees you ain't poisonThink about the kids you mislead with the poisonAnd any thoughts of taking me down is all poison

Fast Forward by Lauren Greenfield

*Brittney *Rhianna *Christina

Lauren Greenfield's Fastforward was extremely interesting to read. It touched on alot of points that we discussed in class and reminded me of the video Killing Us Softly. Places like LA & New York are no longer the only places where materialism,sexuality,and celebrity obsession are enormously effecting young people. No matter where you go, teenagers are targeted to fall prey to this shallow way of thinking of themselves and the word around them. What is exotic and what is familiar to us? Does nothing shock us anymore? Our culture has indeed gone numb to alot of "shocking" things because they have become all too familiar to us.

Quotes

• " The popularity of reality television and the phenomenon of the “web cam” have glorified celebrity as a worthy and attainable goal for young people. Precocious sexuality among teens and pre-teens is now a familiar part of the cultural fabric."

Teen culture has now become obsessed with celebrities & thier lifestyle. Most teens care more about what their favorite celeb is wearing or doing rather than helping out in their community or raising money for schools. It can be very draining for a teenager to always compare their real life to celelbrity life. Teenagers forget that the celebs they look up to so dearly have makeup artist, personal trainers, photoshop, etc. Television shows and movies glamourize sexual and intimate encounters between young people not really showing how awkward and "non-pretty" it actually is. These Television shows and movies also do not show enough of the consequenses of sexual activites such as teen pregnancy,STD's,and emotional damage.

• "They are disturbed by what is exotic and what is familiar. They recognize themselves or their children and at the same time insist that their lives and values are not like those represented in the book."

No one wants to admit that they have become distanced from their personal values. Many Americans have become numb to the things that were once mortifying to them at some point in time.

• "My son has does not listen to the radio but knows Eminem lyrics. He is not allowed to watch television but is on a first-name basis with Sponge Bob, the Hulk, the Muppets and the Pirates of the Caribbean."

The media is everywhere!!!! Not just on television & on the radio. There is no hiding from it...kind of scary!

• "Fourteen-year old Italian girls wear thongs deliberately hiked up over their low-riding pants and rip revealing holes in their jeans"

Its crazy what girls will do for attention. I modeled as a young girl, and have just begun modeling agail. I have come across photographers who are interested in working with me hoping that I would be interested in a more revealing shoot than what I am use to or willing to do. Its tough to stand your ground because females are very competitve; when they see another female getting more attention (even if its for the wrong reason) then them it sometimes causes the to want to step of their boundries. I take pride in being a independent/classy female but like I said it can be difficult. I feel like at a young age girls were told that looks are everything and that boys/men are these sex driven creatures who only recognize what they see. (rather than personality,humor,kindness,intellegence..etc) It is also confusing to young girls because one minute they are told by the media,other girls, and boys that its important to look sexy or "put out", yet the girls that do that are then called sluts and whores, and boys do not want them once they have "had them" and feel that they deserve something better. I believe that is extremely confusing for young girls to understand.

• "I began Fast Forward as a local story, specific to my hometown of Los Angeles. By the time I was done, this body of work had become about something that went beyond L.A.; the early loss of innocence in a media-saturated society and how kids are affected by the culture of materialism, the cult of celebrity, and the emphasis on image. Much of the phenomena I documented are now taken for granted all over the country.

Image,Materialism, and the cult of celebrity is now universal. This is indeed very sad because all three things do not make life meaningful nether does it help anyone find true happiness in life. NO matter where one lives, they will have to hold on to their "innocence" in this media-saturated society.

Christensen {Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us}

THis is a really great piece. I had read this in an Education class that I took last semister. It was really hard for me to read this article because I love love love disney movies! I mean who doesnt? The pretty girl falls deep deep in love with the hot man of her dreams. My favorite was Jasmine because she was brown skinned and had long black hair just like me. I also like pocahantos. But It is really sad that I really only "looked up" to only two of them because they were the only ones I related to. And today, at the age of 20, I still can really say that I identify with just Jasmine & Pocahantas......HOw sad???? I mean the rest of them are white...skinny..and mostly blonde hair. SO how about the rest of the little girls who grew up adoring disney the way i did? I was a confident little girl but how about the girls who not so confident, or the girls who are not so skinny, or pretty? It is honestly pathetic. I believe All women are beautyful no matter race, color, or size, yet we are programed to believe that there is one type of "beautiful." The media is constantly telling young girls how they should look like and who they should look like...instead of worrying about instilling confidence and positivity into them. Like Christensen said..we must "unlearn" what we have been taught about our roles as woman & body image. We must also go on and educate others around us. Its funny because I educate my boyfriend on this all the time. He has watched videos on the negative effects of the media on women and also the negative effects on pornography. Its really neat because he gets a different view on how women fell about certain matters and it sheds light to things he may not have really understood. I advice alot of girls to do the same with their boyfriend. It opened alot of doors for me to be able to express how I feel without me just babling on about my feelings or opinions. Like I said before...in order for change we must start small. So whether its educating your mom, sister, neighbor, or boyfriend...its still a change for someone. Women must stand up against the status quo! Because if we dont no one else will