How Colorful is the Oscars?

      Everyone knows that the Oscars is a huge show that we all look forward to each year. The films that we watch and the actors that we love are all nominated for the biggest award in the entertainment industry and we get to be apart of that experience and predict and celebrate right along with them in the company of our own homes. A few days after the show, is when the complaining starts with who was more deserving and who should’ve won. This year, a lot of that complaining was directed toward racism. There were several films that were all films of color and were stories that I myself, very much enjoyed. Some fiction and others, real life events from inspiring African Americans who want to share their stories and hope to make an impact on the world. After this year’s show there were negative complaints toward the Academy, also known as the prime voters of the actors and films, that these films and the actors in them, were not recognized in the way that they should be. I will give an example with the film Selma. This is a true African American story and a spectacular film that received great reviews. However, it was only nominated for Best Picture, which in my opinion is one of the simpler categories that a film can fall into. I can see where people think that the film deserved more and was not recognized in the way that it should’ve been, along with the actors that play in it because it is based on a true story and inspires people and sends incredible messages to people all across the globe.

      Even through all of these complaints and views on which films should’ve won certain awards, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and too much thought is put into race and gender and how people are affected by it. It is a topic that is taken too personally. People say that 75% of the Academy voters are white and that is the answer to these films like Selma, not receiving the attention that it deserves. These are opinions, not facts, as the race and gender category is mostly opinionated anyway and based on feelings. I can say that there were white films that I enjoyed that did not receive the attention that they deserved, but the amount of white films that exceed African American films, is what gives so much power to the gender and racial arguments and complaints.

      There is no way of knowing how racist the Academy is. The voters change every year and the competition just to be nominated is something that we don’t see and is much bigger than we imagine. As I said before, this is mainly an opinionated topic and yes, statistics from previous shows many show us gender comparisons, but people form their own opinions on how racist the show is based on those stats as well. There is really no conclusion as to how it should be seen or conducted, but if you went all the way up to the head of the show, that would be an opinion as well.

This Ones for the Girls

This Ones for the Girls

My whole life I have been a strong independent women, and I definitely don’t need anybody or a man for that matter of fact to save me. Okay, maybe I’m not that independent but I am a part of the strong women community and we can do for ourselves whatever our male counterparts can do for themselves, and maybe some more. So my question is why won’t Hollywood give us our due credit. Where are our female superhero movies, we can save the world? Why must we always be portrayed as a worrisome nuisance to our male counter parts who are always having to save us? 

Maybe I'm a little biased towards how great our abilities are, and would love to see them brought to us on the big screen. I believe that a wonder woman movie would make a huge impact, she is a strong woman with many abilities that allow her to take care of herself, and she has empowering and intimidating presence as well as physique which is another trait that shows that she can hold her own. This is what I think it comes down to in making a female super hero movie, having the best candidate to really show our strength, and will send a strong message to our women.





A little girl by the name of Rowan wrote a ‘angry’ letter to the DC comics people, as she should, frustrated with the lack of female superheroes we have being represented on the big screen. She goes on to say, “I’m a girl, and I’m upset because there aren’t very many girl super heroes or movies or comics from DC. I love your comics but I’d love them a whole lot more if there were more girls. I asked a lot of people I know whether they watched movies, or read comic books where girls were the main characters and they all said yes. Please do something about this, because girls read comics too.’ She’s only 11, but shoot, someone had to say it and bring it to light.  

Growing up I’d always see cartoons or movies of Superman, Batman, The justice league, Hulk, Spider-man, Wolverine, Thor, Iron man and the list goes on and on, but with the same consistent concept of a male super hero. Each movie has the same scheme, the helpless damsel in distress finds herself in some sort of sticky situation and the superhero must come to the rescue, but obviously the movie director forgot to factor in us women’s resilience and the fact that we probably don’t even need saving. It’s not that their isn’t female super hero's, Wonder woman is the most strong and best representation of a women who can take care of herself! But Hollywood fails to put these women into action on the big screen. We have many young women who have been trained into obedience of what the world asks of them the common stereotype that you are supposed to always be protected and taken care of, and that you are to be a care taker of your children and let the men do the work, which in most cases is right but this doesn’t mean that we aren’t strong and that we can’t look after ourselves. 

Back to what I was saying about women superhero’s and to touch on the influence they have, because not only would that strengthen women’s conviction in her ability to take care of herself and for all the young boys to see to see this on a big screen would help culture views and biases that start from a young age, These young boys/men need to understand that women are in the same playing field in all aspects of life and if you don’t act right, a women could kick your butt. It’s crucial that we start to have feature films, where we empower them and also recognize there beauty, letting them exemplify themselves as they are not hiding what is so great about them. We must let women be who they want to be as it is said by actress Eliza Dushku, to truly empower our women which has been an issue we must let them be as sexy or sexy as they want to be, as they are powerful and independent. So what women will step forward and play the roles of these pivotal female superhero's, don’t be shy cause if we don’t have any takers soon I may have to step up and do it. Lets set the bar high for a future women who will run this country, that they can be confident with who they are and that they are strong leaders.

Works Cited

http://www.easyvegan.info/img/parks-goddess.gif

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/11429219/DC-Comics-send-brilliant-response-to-girl-who-wrote-about-lack-of-female-superheroes.html

http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2009/07/23/wonder-women-female-power-icons-in-pop-culture-at-san-diego-comic-con/

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01889/superheroes_1889130i.jpg

That's a (T)rap!

That's a (T)rap!
By Maddy Green

It is no surprise that rap music is one of the most popular genres of music in our country.  The problem lies when rap music starts negatively effecting our generation. Rap music now is certainly not what it used to be. It isn’t teaching younger children about how family is important or someone conquered an issue instead, it is encouraging drinking, drugs, sexual relations and violent behavior. This is the last thing younger generations need, more encouragement to act negatively and fear no consequences.

Rap songs such as Swimming Pools by Kendrick Lamar and Habits by Tove Lo encourage drinking to the point of passing out and drug usage. The song Habits says

“Can't go home alone again

Need someone to numb the pain

You're gone and I gotta stay

High all the time

To keep you off my mind”

Songs like these are encouraging the younger generation to not deal with their problems but instead use alcohol or drugs as a coping method. Whereas in the song Swimming Pools Kendrick is constantly talking about how he is being encouraged to drink more.

Teenagers are already easily influenced as it is and when they are listening to this type of music it sparks curiosity and makes them want to find out more or be more like these rappers.

Another popular rapper amongst teenagers is The Weeknd. The majority of his songs have a sexual connotation to do and also involve drugs. One of his songs, Earned It, was just featured in the new movie Fifty Shades of Grey. In his music video there almost fully naked women dancing provocatively and him making sexual advances at the women.
Young teenagers are watching these music videos and thinking that that is how they should be acting. Young men are seeing that they need to act extremely sexual to get a women's attention, which isn't true but how are kids suppose to know that?

This is the cover for The Weeknd's Album 

Although rap music has its flaws the type of rappers audiences need to listen to are rappers like Ryan Lewis and Macklemore.  The song which was released in 2012would eventually be certified double platinum in the United States, speaks on the issue of Gay rights and how our society handles this. The song has lyrics such as, “It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment. The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins. It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!” Although this rapper is a straight white male, Macklemore uses his music to bring to light a taboo topic in today’s culture. MTV’s article wrote about how his song was a step in the right direction for rap music.

     So what does rap music from artist like Kendrick Lamar and Tove Lo music say about our society?

It says that the music industry is taking advantage of the younger generation. Rap music is putting preconceived ideas into the listener’s heads. At the same time that rap music is hurting the youth, it is also taking a stand on topics that people are too afraid to bring up allowing our society to feel more open about expressing who they truly are without fear of being rejected. Although rap music has shown that it can negatively effect a person with help from rappers like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis who are constantly encouraging our society to grow up and open our minds, steps are being made in the right direction to end the negatives and promote the positive their music brings.

Sources:

http://www.mtv.com/news/1704448/gay-rights-hip-hop-jay-z-asap-rocky-macklemore

"Sir, Can I see your license for that firear.. Oh wait."

 

 

“Sir, can I see your license for that firear…. Oh wait.”

If a bill in the senate was passed that allowed anyone over the age of 16 to drive, regardless of if they possess a license or not, it would be dismissed within seconds. The possibility of someone being able to drive without proper training and experience is plain foolish. So I propose the question: Why would we allow this to happen with firearms?

            On Thursday, April 2^nd 2015, Senate Bill 45 was approved in Kansas. The Bill basically gives anyone ages 21 and up, the jurisdiction to possess a firearm without the possession of a concealed carry license, as long as the individual is not prohibited by either the federal or state law to possess a firearm. This poses a potential threat to everyone living in the states where this bill is active. It is a ridiculous bill and will end up putting firearms in the hands of individuals who for 1, could be dangerous, or 2, have no knowledge of how to properly use a firearm.

Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady, a Republican from Palco, told the media that one is able to learn gun safety without state regulations and it should be one’s own responsibility. He goes on to say, and I quote, “You don’t necessarily have to take a class to be proficient. Heck, I learned from Grandpa on the farm.” This may be true for some people, but many others may not have received the training that Rep. Couture-Lovelady did. To me, this just seems like plain common sense. A gun is literally the deadliest thing you can own. Why are we trusting that everyone who buys a gun is suitable to own it, and is not dangerous? According to an article by David Hudnall, posted on pitch.com, he says, “In 2014, the Attorney General’s Office issued 20,660 concealed-carry handgun licenses. During the same period, 82 initial applications were denied, 12 renewal applications were denied, 87 concealed-carry licenses were suspended and 52 licenses were revoked.” All of these were results of criminal convictions, or other sorts of violent actions. The conceal and carry system was in place for a reason, and with it, they prevented those denied applicants from receiving a deadly weapon. Stanford University conducted a research last November and discovered that the conceal and carry law was linked to a 22% decrease in the overall crime rate of the country. If this is working to reduce crime, why would we completely abandon it? It ensures that anyone who desires to carry a firearm, is capable of safely handling it, and is properly trained to do so.  I can’t seem to find the problem in that.

            

      Though there may be valid arguments that support this particular bill, we have to assume the worst. We can’t sit back and hope that everyone that wants to carry a gun has been properly

trained. The conceal and carry law educated people on proper gun safety and how to properly use a gun. It’s comforting to know that normal members of the community are properly trained to use a gun, and are there for protection if need be. With this new bill, it will completely abolish all sense of security in an already unsecure world.

If you don't look like the model, don't think about it.

Fashion is one of the most important and biggest industries in this world, however there have many fashion controversies in this society that has caused this to go down. After hearing about what the owners say, many people just shake their heads and lose respect for the company. This has not only caused a ruckus, but also made these companies lose many sales.
The fashion industry has made so many slip-ups, which caused their way to the media that concerned customers, designers, models and the designs themselves.

We all see the newest trends on social media or magazines, and desire what we see on those models. The main problem with that was the owners of the companies only wanted certain people with certain looks and figures to wear their clothing, shoes, and accessories.

There have been many controversies over many owners not wanting certain customers to wear their clothing brand due to looks and figure, but these are a few that have caused many companies to lose customers:

1. Lululemon

The yoga athletic apparel company has had many issues these past couple years over what the founder and chairman, Chip Wilson has said. He has made many controversial comments like:

"Frankly some women's bodies just actually don't work for [wearing Lululemon pants].. It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, how much they use it." Wilson


Not only is it towards body images but also towards Asians.


"The reason the Japanese liked [my former skateboard brand, 'Homeless'] was because it had an L in it and a Japanese marketing firm wouldn't come up with a brand name with an L in it. L is not in their vocabulary. It's a touch pronunciation for them. So i thought, next time I have a company, I'll make a name with three L's and see if I can get three times the money.... I was playing with Ls and I came up with Lululemon. It's funny to watch them try to say it." Wilson



This also happens to be a problem with..



2. Abercrombie & Fitch

An American fashion brand, known for its trendy wear for teens. This company also had the problem of not wanting over weight women wearing their brand so they didn't even run in the sizes of XL or XXL on their size chart. They only wanted the "cool kids," and they did not consider large sizes in that group.


"That's why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people and we want to market cool, good- looking people. We don't market to anyone other than that." Jeffries CEO of A&F




There is always going to be the misjudgment, but they are now changing by pursuing diversity and away from stereotypes. This has been an on-going thing for designers also, looking for skinny models because they think curves are not in the dreams, or designers think Americans need to lose weight, which leads to people suffering from eating disorders to try to get to that one certain size.
This will always be a problem in this society, but there have been many ways to solving this like H&M and Forever 21 opening plus size lines.

Even though this industry is so big, popular and trendy companies continue to have these controversies today. Because it is a world- wide problem, we need to learn how to value our bodies more and encourage diversity.

Works cited

Lutz, Ashley. "Abercrombie & Fitch Refuses To Make Clothes For Large Women." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 3 May 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/abercrombie-wants-thin-customers-2013-5>.

"Lululemon Founder Chip Wilson's 5 Most Controversial Quotes." Financial Post Lululemon Founder Chip Wilsons 5 Most Controversialquotes Comments. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://business.financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson-controversy>.

"Controversy in Plus Size Fashion." Plus Size Fashionista Guide. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://plussizefashionistaguide.com/controversy-in-plus-size-fashion>.

"Lululemon Athletica." - Old Strathcona. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.oldstrathcona.ca/Directory/327/lululemon-athletica>.

"Abercrombie, Fitch and Racism." Abercrombie, Fitch and Racism. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://abercrombiefitchracism.blogspot.com/>.

So Easy a Woman Can Do It

Most people this day in age have trouble opening ketchup bottles. However, in the 1940's the common consensus was that only women couldn't open ketchup bottles. 

The '40s were a very different time. In order to be seen as successful in society, you had to be a white male. It didn't matter what job you had. If you were a white male, you were successful. Woman were thought of as helpless and inferior. Society thought that a woman was only good for cleaning and cooking. They thought that women needed a man to help them with everything. This mindset of the helpless and fragile woman was heavily portrayed in advertisements of the time. In the 1950's and 1960's, a group of men in advertisement were known as the "Mad Men." They worked on Madison Avenue in New York. They were well known for their derogatory and sexist ads towards women. They were thought of as the most successful men in America due to their demeaning attitude towards women.

The "Mad Men" primarily advertised a brand of cigarettes known as 'Lucky Strike.' Most of the ads for 'Lucky Strike' one would see were created by the men of Madison Avenue. The leader of the most famous group of ad men in the country was David Ogilvy. Ogilvy was one of the most infamous ad men of the '50s and '60s. He was known for his daring and innovative ideas of how to market and sell products. HE was also known for his business ideals, drinking, and love of women. He was the ideal "Mad Man." Here is one of his most famous advertisements: The Hathaway Man.

The line "It's more than an ordinary white shirt, it's a lifestyle" is one that shows the way Ogilvy thought. He was a genius in advertisement.

The "Mad Men" weren't the only advertisement group to use sexism in advertising. Sexism and the idea of being derogatory towards women was commonly used in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s. Women were seen as objects rather than people. They had to exemplify sexuality while being the perfect housewife who cleaned and cooked. They had to be perfect. They had to have no flaws. One of the most well known advertisements involving sexism was for Schlitz beer. It reads:

This advertisement is truly one of the most sexist ads I have ever read. The picture shows a woman who clearly burned something in a pan with the husband saying "Don't worry darling, you didn't burn the beer!" The general implication of the ad is that the common housewife is helpless and cannot help but to burn everything she cooks. The husband tries to console her by telling her she didn't burn the beer at least. Which, of course, can't be burned in the first place. The idea that the woman is inferior in this advertisement was pretty common back then. While this seems like a horrible ad to us now, it wasn't out of place when it was published.

While the role of women in our society has changed drastically, the thought that they are only good for cooking, cleaning, and looking good is still a popular one today. I constantly see advertisements to help women "look better for their man" or to help them cook or clean better. Women are professional athletes and CEOs of major corporations, yet much of society sees them as the inferior housewife. Their bodies are plastered on billboards across the country and are judged simply by how skinny they are or how big their "thigh gap" is.

What does it mean to say something is "so easy a woman can do it?" The implication, of course, is that women are inferior and helpless. My question, is why do I still hear that phrase today? Many of the most powerful people in the country are women. Women have fought for suffrage and won. They have taken great strides to earn the respect they were not given years ago. Why are they still being treated like they were 50 years ago? The idea that women are only good for cleaning, cooking, and sexuality needs to come to an end.

Works Cited

Jacobsen, Michael F. "Marketing Madness: A Survival Guide for a Consumer Society" Westview Press. 1995.
<http://ase.tufts.edu/gdae/CS/Marketing%20Madness.pdf>
Edwards, Jim., Jacobs, Harrison. "26 Sexist Ads of the 'Mad Men' Era Companies Wish We'd Forgot" Business Insider. 8 May, 2014.
<http://www.businessinsider.com/26-sexist-ads-of-the-mad-men-era-2014-5>

http://www.tekilaklub.com/inspyre/you-mean-a-woman-can-open-it/

http://sites.stedwards.edu/socialmedia-joliver3/2013/02/24/hathaways-man-in-the-hathaway-shirt-campaign/

http://blogs.yis.ac.jp/15chungm/2013/09/05/stereotypes-in-the-media-schlitz-dont-worry-darling-you-didnt-burn-the-beer/

The Frenzy of Friends

The frenzy of Friends (the TV show) began with the pilot which first aired on September 22^nd 1994. Ever since then, most people have seemingly been able to find a connection to the TV series in some way. I remember watching it as a ten year old, watching random episodes during its slot from ten to eleven o’clock at night. Today, a lot of people have been be hooked on watching every episode of Friends since Netflix released all ten seasons on January 1^st 2015. But why the frenzy about friends?

            

Most people can find a connection to the TV show Friends through one of the six main characters. Each are so individual that it’s hard not to be able to relate to one of them. Monica is the obsessive-compulsive one who loves to clean and cook; she’s strong and powerful. Rachel is the independent woman who becomes a single mother and demonstrates her strength through that obstacle. Phoebe is the free spirited, the almost stereotypical dumb blonde of the group, but is actually really insightful. Ross is the smart nerdy man, who just wants to be loved. Chandler is the hardworking businessman of the group. Finally, Joey is the stereotypical man, with his love for girls, food and TV. They all have many more qualities that lots of people can relate to. The most prominent examples however, are Monica, Rachel, and Ross; they show the different ways the TV series plays with gender roles and the stereotypes that go alone with gender.

Monica and Rachel are linked together for one of the examples. In the second episode of the first season, the group is defining the differences between how men and women view sex and sexual acts. The beginning of the episode starts off with them talking about the importance of kissing for men versus the importance of kissing for women. Monica and Rachel high five each other after Rachel took a jab at the boys by using the metaphor of a comedian before a Pink Floyd concert. “Yeah, well, word of advise: bring back the comedian. Otherwise next time, you’re gonna find yourself sittin’ at home, listening to that album alone.” Rachel is instilling the sense of female dominance over males because the woman essentially has the power of the man in instigating sexual encounters, providing a great example for feminist ideals.

            

Although Monica Geller has her feminine stereotypical moments of being a housewife, she also has her moments of being a strong, powerful, feminist woman. She finds the importance of her relationships with men significant however; she is not dependent on those relationships. Monica seems to never be able to sit down and relax. She is always taking care of something, be it cooking or cleaning, she’s always doing one or both in every episode of the show. Feminist ideals are not only portrayed through Monica, but throughout the other characters as well, both male and female.

            

Ross on the other hand, typically attempts to be the mediator in most situations. In the second episode of season one, he attempts to level out the stereotypical look at the situation with the cave people in the museum.  “Doesn’t she seem a little angry?” “Well, she has issues.”

The frenzy about friends must be from the ability for most people to find a connection to the TV show through one of the six main characters. Each are so individual that it’s hard not to be able to relate to one of them. I’ve personally just felt a connection to the TV show because of how it challenged certain aspects of stereotypes, yet it upheld most of the positive parts of them. The typical gender stereotypes are associated with, upheld, and challenged by each character and the show promotes gender equality and has a feminist approach while still upholding older values of gender.

Works Cited

Davies, Michelle. "Friends for Ever: Why We're Still Loving the Hit TV Show 20     Years on." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 19 Oct. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-2465332/Friends-Why-loving-hit-TV-20-years-on.html>.

"Friends:." Review: "The One With The Sonogram At The End"/"The One With The Thumb" · TV Club · The A.V. Club. 6 June 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. <http://www.avclub.com/tvclub/friends-the-one-with-the-sonogram-at-the-endthe-on-98333>.

http://www.latintimes.com/pulse/top-12-friends-gifs-celebration-series-coming-netflix-269287

http://www.tv.com/shows/friends/community/post/friends-netflix-2015-141339556071/