A Lil’ Bit o’ Reflection

 I just wanted to use my last blog (probably EVER!) to reflect on some of the things that I’ve learned this semester in this class (which has been a PLETHORA or information!).

I kind of thought that I’d seem like a nerd being in a media class, but even after the first day I knew that it would be very interesting and informative … and not nerdy (even in the video game lecture!). I guess I haden’t realised how vast the media is, and the fact that it is literally everywhere. This made for a very good reason to learn up on it.

If anything, this class made me open my beady little eyes to the extent of the media and how influential it is in our lives. Before, I would not have said that the media effected my life (other than allowing me to watch movies and check my e-mail). I am the complete opposite now! I am WAY more aware of how it effects me. 

 I think another beneficial thing was to learn that the media isn’t all bad. It provides us with information … even if we have to be very cautious about where that information is coming from. It entertains us, allows a convenient way to research and learn and compile information.

But it was a good thing to be aware of the negative effects. You can’t do much to change the many mediums of media, but you can be critical about it. You choose how the media effects you. And I think that’s pretty powerful when you think about it. We can point fingers, and blame, but in the end, it’s up to us to realise this impact and do something about it for ourselves.

As a future teacher, it also made me aware of how I can bring this knowledge to my students. To teach them, at a young age, to be critical and conscious about what they are seeing and hearing. I think that in today’s day and age, children are unable to comprehend what they see, they don’t know the difference between images and reality. And that is taking a toll on their lifestyles. Children are growing up way too fast. And we blame the media. But what we really should be doing is upping the education we extend to these children and let them know that these ARE images, and that it ISN’T reality.
We need to step up as a society and quit pointing fingers and starting approaching the problem in the only way that we can, through literacy.

I did my paper on Media/Advertising literacy, and was adament about this kind of education being exposed to our children. It is definately up to us to stall these negative effects and make our children aware of what they are seeing. This class has definately fed my passion for this topic, and made me want to make a difference in the lives of my students, as well as my own.

Tough Guise

I recently watched a movie in my Kinesiology class about how men are trapped into a box, limiting what they can do and be by certain characteristics associated with men and masculinity. I thought that this was really neat, because we talked a lot about how the media cornered women into these positions of submission.

The movie talked about how the media portrays men as tough, strong, unemotional, dominating, leaders. But not all men fit into this box of limited stereotypical behaviour. And for those men who don’t, they feel like they have to live up to these expectations or they aren’t “man” enough.

The other thing, was that there are also characteristics that men DON’T want to be known by that KEEP them in this box. Things like fag, pussy, girly, wimpy.

The truth is that we’re all human, we’re all unique and individual. There shouldn’t be a few key terms that will describe an entire sex. Just like there shouldn’t for a race, nation, or sexuality. This is so limiting. 

So I think it’s good to look at what the media is doing to portray men as well as women. We tend to think of women as the submissive victims, because the media portrays us that way. But rarely think that men are victims as well in the way that they are portrayed. I’ve said before and I’ll say it again, if my boyfriend didn’t show any weak, vulnerable, and emotional side, I would think he was just plain inhuman … not that he was more of a man! 

Media Literacy

 Throughout this course, and by having a critical “teacher’s” mindset, I’ve become so aware of how the media can impact our children. This has led me to be a strong advocate for media literacy and education for our children.

 The education system in Canada has stepped forward by making media education a mandatory policy nation-wide a decade ago. Media literacy takes up approximately 25% of English or Language Arts programs. The way that this is integrated into the curriculum is based on the individual teacher as there are many ways to do so. Discussing mediums and their strengths and weaknesses, discussing issues within the media and how they are reflected through different mediums, having a complete unit of media literacy, or simply applying it where the opportunity arises, in an integrated fashion. There are numerous guides and websites, as well as articles to present teacher’s with activities and lesson plans. But despite this effort within the schools, this is only one social institution, among many, that are socializing our chidlren. Undoubtedly school alone cannot literate our children.

 I’ve persued some research on this topic for both this class, as well as my education class, and found that being able to critically analyse these media messages if the key. Children under the age of 9 years old are unable to comprehend the difference between thee images and reality, therefore, what kind of messages are we sending to these children. Music videos, containing high amounts of violence, vulgar language, and sexuality are being exposed to children as young as 6, children who, again, cannot comprehend these messages. So what messages are we sending our children? And are we surprised when they start to swear, become violent, and wear inappropriate clothing? If we are, we shouldn’t be. Television acts as a babysitter for most children growing up in today’s society. They are literally being socialized by the message that they see during their Saturday morning cartoons, or whatever other shows they are exposed to. And that is simply one medium.  

 The media itself has been attempting to create positive messages for our children and youth, however, as we noted in class, many of these attempts are discouraged and often are banned for indirect reasons. Since this is the institution blamed for exposing children to these messages, it is possible to use it as the institution that also prevents these messages from being shown to our children. Children are literally saturated with these messages, so what will it take to turn this tool into becoming positive for society rather than as a downfall?

 The family is another social institution that is crucial to change in this domain. The school system cannot do it alone, if children are simply going home and sitting in front of the television or computer. If parents become teachers of media literacy within their own homes, and monitor the amount and content of what their children are watching, it could have a positive impact. Researchers argue that less exposure to the media can positively influence many aspects of life.

 It cannot be only one social institution to step forward and attempt change, because it’s many social institutions that are contributing to the problem. We cannot simply have the education system trying to teach our children comprehension skills, but still have the media exposing negative messages, and the family allowing children to be exposed to them. We need society as a whole to unite against this epidemic that could have detrimental effects for our future generations.

Vicious Cycles

 I was having a discussion with my roommate, and we came to the conclusion that so many things are perpetuated in a vicious cycle, and that this contributes a problem in the sense that if you don’t know where the problem is starting, how can you attempt to fix it?

 This makes so much sense when regarding the media. Certain values and norms are portrayed through media messages, and then adopted into North American society, and perpetuated through the citizens. And then, since the message has become more “real” within society, it is again portrayed as such through numerous mediums.
 It seems that so many topics in our class this semester grew this way. One major example being body image (namely breast size), and sexuality. Obviously these notions didn’t come out of thin air, so at one point this image of a thin, beautiful woman with large, firm breasts became the ideal image of a woman. Then once this image was portrayed through the media, it became the desired image for women in our society. And with different unnatural methods, also became attainable. Then, with numerous women achieving this look, and flaunting it around our towns and cities, this image became a reality. So now, when the media portrays this type of message about women, they may not see it as a constructed or created form, but rather a representation of what people can see in everyday life. So then where do we target as the source of the problem? These messages, or the “reality” that is portraying this within society – ideal women? And if we attempted to stall it during media exposure, would it make a difference since these ideas are already trapped inside our minds as what is beautiful? I think it’s become such an epidemic that it would literally take generations to reverse this idea of what perfection is in today’s society regarding women’s body image.

 Another example I had was guns. I know this doesn’t reflect the media (or I guess it could if you were talking about exposure of gun usage through the media), but it seemed to fit as a good example of this perpetuation.
American citizens feel the need to own a gun, to protect themselves with others who have guns. But when they become one of the statistics who own a gun, they then become the population which they were trying to protect themselves from in the first place. So if nobody owned a gun, no one would feel like they needed one to protect themselves. But as soon as one person owns a gun, everyone else feels the need to, in order to protect themselves against gun owners. A vicious, vicious cycle.

 So again the issue is to first of all decide whether this is a problem or not (anything from gun owning to unrealistic body images being portrayed). If so, a targetted area needs to be found… and then the problem is, where did this begin? It has been so wrapped up in our society for the past few decades that we no longer know when it started, but that it is cyclical.

 I think that the media is a good place to start. Because we know that these messages are being exposed with unrealistic expectations being placed on women. If these images are removed from our every day exposure of these mediums, then we are left with the reality of unrealistic women. But at least now we can see the realism associated with trying to be perfect. The botched plastic surgery, and leaking breast implants, the results after a decade of this abuse, rather than the next week. And then we can ask ourselves if it’s worth the real experience to be “perfect” and “natural” and “beautiful”. What is the price that we’re willing to pay to mimic these unnatural images that we see? 

You Got Me…

Video games, eh?

That is all.

Evolution into Society

 So the guest speaker last class was talking about breasts and how the media portrays them and how this idea has seeped into the minds of society. (I was going to put “female” society, but I would argue that it has just as much been drilled into the minds of males and their expectations of female’s breasts as well).

 I find it very disturbing that these images of the “perfect” breasts are being portrayed so widely on television. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. These images have been bombarding us for so long that they are now what we realistically consider perfect breasts.

 It is ironic that what we now consider to be “naturally beautiful breasts” are so enhanced, changed, and constructed that they are not natural in themselves. (This doesn’t just apply to breasts either, there are a plethora of images out there that are complete constructs) These messages have been so engrained into women’s thoughts of their body image, that it is now a huge desire to have their own, natural, breasts enhanced and constructed in a way that will make them more “natural”. The irony just continues.

 Now, we don’t only have women on television and in magazines with these perfectly round and perky breasts, we have them walking the streets of our towns and cities. The perpetration of this idea that breasts have to be this way to be beautiful and desirable has now moved from simply the media, to society in general. So, those influenced by these images (which we have now discovered is simply not children and young adults, but everyone) are seeing this ideal EVERYWHERE.  It is no wonder why men have such high expectations for women … they are seeing these constructed versions and begin to believe that this is what real women should look like. Real let down to realise that these women don’t exist.

 I hope that women, like myself, can learn to be happy with what they have, and to realise that these are simply unrealistic images. It scares me that so many women are looking to become something that does not exist.

Thank You Dictionary.com

 So Paul gave us some great writing tips in class last Wednesday, but he came across “split infinitive” which none of us really knew what was about. And then he didn’t really clear it up. So I just thought I’d do my part for society, and use my trusty internet dictionary to clear that up for everyone.

 Split Infinitive:
an expression in which there is a word or phrase, esp. an adverb or adverbial phrase, between to and its accompanying verb form in an infinitive, as in to readily understand.

 Is it bad that I still have no freakin’ idea what’s going on?

The Search for the Next Doll

 My moment has come. Ever since I accidentally saw an episode of “The Search for the Next Doll” (a show on Much Music by the Pussycat Dolls looking for another member of their “band”) I have been waiting to be able to blog about it. Thankfully the guest speaker said something, and now my time has come!

 You probably all know what I’m about to say anyways, but let me have my moment. I really need to vent.

  I have a real problem with this so-called girl band. (I’ve never seen them near an instrument, you?) When I first heard them I thought, “Wow, this is a catchy tune, I could dance to this”. I simply heard the beat, I didn’t go so far as to actually listen to what they were saying. It went like this until I got a little more exposure to these advocates of female empowerment.

 This is my problem. They call themselves spokeswomen for girl power and empowerment, but to me, this is the biggest joke ever! You see them come onto stage, or on their music video, and they are barely wearing any clothes, singing about wanting a man to undo their buttons. In their newest video they’re shakin’ their T&A in front of a male 8 year old’s face. Ok. This is what every girl group is like these days, so what is my problem? My problem is not that they are half naked, that they sing about needing “hot stuff” and getting their clothes taken off, because let’s face it, so does everyone else with boobs and tv exposure. My problem is that they are trying to disguise this degrading behaviour as empowerment. The reason I think this is such a problem is because our pre-teen sisters and nieces, etc. look at these images, and hear this message, and put the two together. And rightly so since the messages are being presented together. I’m half naked, this is female empowerment. So the next generation of females are growing up thinking that flaunting their bodies (which they have been socialized to think have to be unrealistically perfect) and being desensitized to sex is actually liberating.

 This disturbs me. We already know how bad the media is in portraying the wrong kinds of images to both males and females. But now they are trying to associate those images with desire and independance and liberation. On one of the episodes of ”The Search for the Next Doll” (yes, I have to watch now, I’m intrigued at their naivity) the girls trying out are asked to dress in fish net tights and little leather bikinis, and dance sexually inside a glass box. They call it female empowerment. I’m sorry, but I do not think that exploiting your body in front of a bunch of men (the villians in the girl power world) is anything but degrading.

 What kind of role models is the next generation being exposed to? Women who think that liberation includes being naked and singing about sex.

 These women are not doing anything good for society, they are simply corrupting an entire group of females. I’d like to hear what the feminists have to say about this.   

Searching in the Closet

 After reading the articles about Friends and Smallville I have come to a conclusion about male relationships in TV shows.

 The media has portrayed male characteristics for so long, and in such a way, that anything that deviates from that norm is considered a homosexual tendency. If someone was asked to describe traits that are associated with masculinity, they may come up with things such as, strong, unemotional, breadwinner, handsome. So when any hint of emotion or weakness is attributed to a television character, it is automatically assumed that they have homosexual tendencies. In reality, men are emotional, weak, and vulnerable at times, it’s just that this is not how men are portrayed through the media, and therefore not how we typically consider men. It also makes men themselves feel like they cannot display this type of behavious without being labelled “queer”. (I really don’t like that word)

 I think that if you look hard enough at any same-sex relationship of whatever kind you can find characteristics that aren’t going to match what we typically think of, and therefore you will be able to label in a homosexual manner. I believe this is the case for both of the articles. Because the relationship between two males (in both cases) isn’t the norm of how we think men should interact with one another, they get articles written about hidden gay characteristics.

 It’s time to step up to reality and realise that the sexes don’t have to reproduce the characteristics associated with them based on media images. Women can be tough and athletic and successful if they want, without having to be a lesbian! And men can be emotional and weak and vulnerable at times, without having to be gay!

 If I was with a man who didn’t show any emotions, who didn’t feel worried and overwhelmed, or who wasn’t vulnerable once in awhile I would be worried, because he probably wouldn’t be human.

Homosexual Culture

 Sexuality in today’s society has become (remains to be) such a hotly debated topic (I’m well aware that it hasn’t just become this, but continues to be so). There is so much controversy surrounding this issue, and I would argue that nearly everyone has an opinion on homosexual people (even if that opinion is that they don’t care).

 I’m one of the biology believers. I don’t think that people who are homosexual make a conscious choice (although they do consciously have to accept or reject the decision to persue that lifestyle), I believe that the same hormones and whatever in our brains that make us attracted to our partners in heterosexual relationships effect homosexual people in theirs, it is just that who they are attracted to happens to be someone of the same sex. If this is the case, I feel that it would be wrong to think less of someone because of a biological occurance. (Would you make fun of or reject someone with blonde hair or freckles because they had blonde hair or freckles? Biology.)

 Therefore, it is my opinion that whatever sexual orientation has been given to you, all the power to you if you embrace it.

 Horsley’s article proposes whether or not ‘gay’ should be a culture. Culture is so broad, and so subjective that it is hard to pinpoint an actual definition that will suit everyone. One of his points is how the gay community is portrayed through the media. This group of people should have every right to redeem themselves and the image of gay, but why should they have to do so in the first place? They are so misunderstood that they have to prove and justify their actuality? What a North American ‘thing’ to take a group that is misunderstood and perpetrate whatever image suits ‘the man’.

 In that case, maybe gay should be a culture. Sure they cannot be identified through certain physical aspects, but with the way that the media targets them, they should have some way of uniting against this beligerent disregard. It’s about time for society to wisen up, being gay is not a new phenomenon … and with all of our worldly knowledge, being accepted as a homosexual individual, and being appropriate portrayed through the media, should not take as long as freeing slaves did.

 (Since this is such a controversial topic, I did not intend for any of this to offend and I sincerely hope it doesn’t)