I have never paid much attention to the song "Blurred Lines" by Robin Thicke, mainly because I didn't like the song when it came out. The main reason why I never listened to it was because I thought it was annoying since all he sang was "I know you want it" over and over again. And trust me, I really don't want it. I'll admit that the song has a catchy beat to it that can get stuck in your head for days unfortunately. Also, I have never watched the music video before we saw it in class. My initial response is that I wasn't surprised at all by the content of the video. There are tons of music videos like that now a days. So I was pretty much expecting it when it was played in class. However I was surprised by some of the things in the two essays.
The first article was by Tricia Romano and is titled "Blurred Lines...Is Kind of Rapey." Since I have never really listened to the song this article pointed out a lot key lyrics that help tell what the song is about. One of the people that commented on this song in the article was a Canadian model by the name of, Amy Davison. “The women are clearly being used as objects to reinforce the status of the men in the video. The men have all the control and status because they are not vulnerable—they are completely covered. Whereas the women have no status and are totally open to be exploited ogled and used,” she said. “It doesn’t jibe with me.” I will definitely agree with this statement. I think having the women half-naked degrades them to nothing, while the men are in full clothing which makes them look like they have all the power. But I did not agree with the view that the song was "rapey." I think the song is meant to be more about temptation instead of sex without consent.
The second article was by Jennifer Lai and was called "'Blurred Lines' is Cocky, Yes. But Rapey, No." Lai took a position that I supported in the paragraph before. Yes, the song is demoralizing women. But, it is not "rapey." She also pointed out exactly why the song is not "rapey." "I know you want it" chorus isn't creepy, let's do a closer reading of the other lyrics. The end of the chorus goes: "The way you grab me/ must wanna get nasty/ go ahead, get at me." The last part, "go ahead, get at me" very clearly kills any "rapey" vibe. If you look at all of the lyrics they definitely aren't the kind I would want my kids listening to but they do not show any signs of rape at all.
I also find it interesting that of all of the songs there is to listen to, we pick this particular song to judge the lyrics and music video. There are so many worse songs than this one! And yet no one wants to bring those to attention? I wonder why it was this song that the media chose to heavily discus instead of the ones that are more degrading and inappropriate.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
The book I chose was one that was mentioned in the Wisconsin State Journal one day. I saw a review about it and was really drawn to it. It is about a man name Louie Zamperini. Louie is a former Olympian and solder in World War II. Ironically, when I finished the book Louie passed away and now his story is being made into a movie by Angelina Jolie. I thought that this book would seem like homework but surprisingly it didn't! Once I started I could not put it down. And since then I have re-read it for fun. I am in no way fit to give a good representation of the book, but I will try my best!
The story of Louie Zamperini starts off in his troubled youth. Louie didn't have a place to fit in and instead of making friends turned to bullying. He picked up athletics to help get rid of his anger, but only got kicked out of any athletic team. That's where is older brother stepped in and begged their principal to let him join the track team. That's where Louie found himself. He was a beast in high school track and smashed any record he put his mind to. He got a full ride to USC for track and continued his track reputation from there. He was driven to go to the Olympics someday and that's exactly where he went.
After the Olympics he signed up to be a pilot after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He became a bombardier on fighter planes. During one horrific mission his plane went down in a fatal crash. Him and two of his friends were the only ones who survived. They survived on two rafts for almost 50 days on nothing but rain water and bird meat when they were fortunate to catch one. As they neared their 50 day they drifted towards some islands they didn't recognize. Within hours they were picked up by a Japanese boat. As the war raged on he and his friends were bounced back and forth between Prisoner of War camps. It was terrible reading all the accounts of which Louis was beaten for no reason, but inspiring to hear how he never lost hope.
There is much, much more to the story of Louie Zamperini! And I highly suggest it to anyone who has the time to read a good book. There are many twist and turns and it's hard to believe how much he went through! RIP Louie
The story of Louie Zamperini starts off in his troubled youth. Louie didn't have a place to fit in and instead of making friends turned to bullying. He picked up athletics to help get rid of his anger, but only got kicked out of any athletic team. That's where is older brother stepped in and begged their principal to let him join the track team. That's where Louie found himself. He was a beast in high school track and smashed any record he put his mind to. He got a full ride to USC for track and continued his track reputation from there. He was driven to go to the Olympics someday and that's exactly where he went.
After the Olympics he signed up to be a pilot after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He became a bombardier on fighter planes. During one horrific mission his plane went down in a fatal crash. Him and two of his friends were the only ones who survived. They survived on two rafts for almost 50 days on nothing but rain water and bird meat when they were fortunate to catch one. As they neared their 50 day they drifted towards some islands they didn't recognize. Within hours they were picked up by a Japanese boat. As the war raged on he and his friends were bounced back and forth between Prisoner of War camps. It was terrible reading all the accounts of which Louis was beaten for no reason, but inspiring to hear how he never lost hope.
There is much, much more to the story of Louie Zamperini! And I highly suggest it to anyone who has the time to read a good book. There are many twist and turns and it's hard to believe how much he went through! RIP Louie
Thursday, August 14, 2014
If Men Could Menstruate
The articles by Fuller and Steinem come from different time periods, but both get the same point across. I never really gave any thought to these two articles so it was very interesting, new perspective for me. The article by Fuller was difficult to comprehend for me because it is from such a long time ago. One of the points from her article that I 100% agree with is that statement, "All men are privately influenced by women.." I think men should start to respect the female figures in their lives more. But are too "masculine" to show that they respect them.
The article by Steinem was humorous, yet it still proved a serious point. I found that the article by Steinem was much easier to relate to since it is more recent than the article by Fuller. Like I said before this article gave me a new perspective of thinking about what would happen if the roles were reversed. The idea of men menstruating is hilarious but also disturbing. Men would think of their menstruation cycles as a worthy event and " would brag about how long and how much." It would make it harder for women's rights to be as equal as to a man's because we aren't worthy enough to have such an "honorable" task as menstruating. Who knows maybe the government would give each man a week off of work while they were menstruating? Or they would blame some of men's actions on PMS? It's interesting to me to think about how the world would be if just one thing was changed. When you look at the world today women don't brag about their periods or think of themselves more worthy because of it. In the long run, I think today women and men are treated equal for the most part, but they are indeed different.
I also think that bringing up the topic of our differences can help us all appreciate the other gender more. Also, this can help us be more aware of the gender discrimination that goes on today still.
The article by Steinem was humorous, yet it still proved a serious point. I found that the article by Steinem was much easier to relate to since it is more recent than the article by Fuller. Like I said before this article gave me a new perspective of thinking about what would happen if the roles were reversed. The idea of men menstruating is hilarious but also disturbing. Men would think of their menstruation cycles as a worthy event and " would brag about how long and how much." It would make it harder for women's rights to be as equal as to a man's because we aren't worthy enough to have such an "honorable" task as menstruating. Who knows maybe the government would give each man a week off of work while they were menstruating? Or they would blame some of men's actions on PMS? It's interesting to me to think about how the world would be if just one thing was changed. When you look at the world today women don't brag about their periods or think of themselves more worthy because of it. In the long run, I think today women and men are treated equal for the most part, but they are indeed different.
I also think that bringing up the topic of our differences can help us all appreciate the other gender more. Also, this can help us be more aware of the gender discrimination that goes on today still.
Friday, August 1, 2014
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
The article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" posed some very interesting points. However, the author, Nicholas Carr, seemed to me to be complaining more about the use of technology now a days than accepting it. I understand his concerns, "Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski." But I also think he failed to acknowledge how great the internet can be. Sure it may seem overwhelming and maybe even scary to some people just how much knowledge the internet shows but we can also adapt to it just like we did to the clock, printing press, calculator, etc.
In this decade technology has been more present in our lives than it ever has. For those who have a smart phone, the internet is right in your pocket. And for those who don't have a smart phone, the internet is just a couple key strokes away. In my opinion that scares a lot of the elders in our lives and that's why that people are so worried about what it is doing to our brains. "When we read online, she says, we tend to become 'mere decoders of information.' Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged." I respect Carr's thoughts but to me I really don't understand this point. We don't read differently whether online or in a book. Reading is reading and if our goal is to read deeply while on the internet then we are capable of doing so. However, there are some things that I agree on with Carr.
On page 5 of this article the two founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page brought up the idea of artificial intelligence or an artificial brain. Brin said in a 2004 interview that "Certainly if you had all the world's information directly attached to your brain, or an artificial brain that was smarter than your brain, you'd be better off." This idea of having an artificial brain instead of your own attached to you haunts me. If we knew all the information the internet knows all the time I would go crazy. That idea is completely unsettling.
Even though there are many pros and cons to the internet, I think it is best if we learn to adapt to it just like we did with the clock, printing press, calculator, etc. Overall we won't know the affects of wide-spread internet use for a couple more decades since these past generations are the ones that are growing up with it.
In this decade technology has been more present in our lives than it ever has. For those who have a smart phone, the internet is right in your pocket. And for those who don't have a smart phone, the internet is just a couple key strokes away. In my opinion that scares a lot of the elders in our lives and that's why that people are so worried about what it is doing to our brains. "When we read online, she says, we tend to become 'mere decoders of information.' Our ability to interpret text, to make the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged." I respect Carr's thoughts but to me I really don't understand this point. We don't read differently whether online or in a book. Reading is reading and if our goal is to read deeply while on the internet then we are capable of doing so. However, there are some things that I agree on with Carr.
On page 5 of this article the two founders of Google, Sergey Brin and Larry Page brought up the idea of artificial intelligence or an artificial brain. Brin said in a 2004 interview that "Certainly if you had all the world's information directly attached to your brain, or an artificial brain that was smarter than your brain, you'd be better off." This idea of having an artificial brain instead of your own attached to you haunts me. If we knew all the information the internet knows all the time I would go crazy. That idea is completely unsettling.
Even though there are many pros and cons to the internet, I think it is best if we learn to adapt to it just like we did with the clock, printing press, calculator, etc. Overall we won't know the affects of wide-spread internet use for a couple more decades since these past generations are the ones that are growing up with it.
Monday, July 14, 2014
I always find stories about slavery and racism interesting. To me it is mind-blowing how people used to treat each other based off the color of their skin! It's absolutely ridiculous. Why did people judge each other on skin color and not eye color? I wonder what the United States would be like today if people back then discriminated each other based on eye color?
Any ways, this narrative astounded me and I couldn't believe some of the things that had happened to this guy. I would have been scared to do anything or get a job anywhere if I were him. It really shows how much strengths and resilience they had to have to keep going back to the same job. Or even finding a new job after being run of a job like he was at the optical company. If I were in his situation I would be so scared to go to work wondering what fears the day will bring. I now have much more respect for the African American people of this time. This article made me realize all the horrible things that could occur at any point and time! And they had to go through this for years so they could provide for their family. I couldn't imagine doing that, but they did and never gave up. Fortunately, things are changed for the better now. Even though racism may not be totally resolved, it is nothing like the Jim Crow Laws that used to be in place.
Any ways, this narrative astounded me and I couldn't believe some of the things that had happened to this guy. I would have been scared to do anything or get a job anywhere if I were him. It really shows how much strengths and resilience they had to have to keep going back to the same job. Or even finding a new job after being run of a job like he was at the optical company. If I were in his situation I would be so scared to go to work wondering what fears the day will bring. I now have much more respect for the African American people of this time. This article made me realize all the horrible things that could occur at any point and time! And they had to go through this for years so they could provide for their family. I couldn't imagine doing that, but they did and never gave up. Fortunately, things are changed for the better now. Even though racism may not be totally resolved, it is nothing like the Jim Crow Laws that used to be in place.
Friday, July 4, 2014
First of all, these two essays really took me by surprise. The section these essays were in, "Talk of the Town", seemed to happy to be about 9/11. But as I started reading I understood the meaning of that. It seems like "Talk of the Town" may be an understatement when referring to 9/11. The title, Talk of the Nation, seems more fitting for such a subject. I really enjoyed these essays and the vocabulary they used. I was able to get a start on the vocabulary assignment for the summer by looking up what some of the words meant in the essay to help me understand what the author was trying to convey. I vaguely remember watching the events of 9/11 unfold on the T.V. with my mom. At that age I wasn't able to comprehend what had happened and how much of an impact this would have on our country. These essays gave two different perspectives on one large event. The essay by John Updike was more about the city and how it affected everyone. The other essay by Susan Sontag took a more political side regarding 9/11 and how our leaders and media handled it.
John Updike's essay started off by witnessing the horrific event, then talked about the survivors and those on the plane. What interested me most about the essay was when he mentioned that America "has taken a hit". He also noted "American freedom of motion", meaning that before 9/11 anyone was able to go through the airport and fly across the country. We didn't have strict security in our airports but that has definitely changed. One of the suspects in 9/11 was quoted in the essay, "I can go anywhere I want to, and they can't stop me". This quote is essentially true still today. Of course you still have to go through the advanced security and other requirements but in my opinion if someone is going to complete an air born terrorist attack they are going to find a way to do it. Even though we try as hard as we can to protect our flights in the air there is no sure promise. As an example, we still have no clue what occurred on Flight 370. I'm not saying that terrorists were involved in Flight 370 but, even with all of our technology there is no sure way to protect a flight. But even after all of this being said we still continue to fly and we are all able to because of the price of freedom.
The last essay by Susan Sontag had a more political point of view than Updike's. She reflected on the word choice used by those reporting the news, Bush telling us everything is okay, and those in public office consoling us. One of the first things that grabbed my attention was Sontag's emphasis on courage and how it was used. I am no expert what so ever on wars and what has all occurred in our countries history with wars. But I would have to agree strongly with Sontag that the doers of the attack are not cowards. Another good point I agree with is when the author mentions that all our leaders and news commentators are just giving us a rhetoric version of what is happening. If we have a democracy where everyone has a say in the way our country is run then shouldn't we know the full truth?
Keeping these two articles in mind when it comes time for me to be able to vote, I will remember to look into the events going on in our country instead of just being fed only part of the truth by our leaders.
John Updike's essay started off by witnessing the horrific event, then talked about the survivors and those on the plane. What interested me most about the essay was when he mentioned that America "has taken a hit". He also noted "American freedom of motion", meaning that before 9/11 anyone was able to go through the airport and fly across the country. We didn't have strict security in our airports but that has definitely changed. One of the suspects in 9/11 was quoted in the essay, "I can go anywhere I want to, and they can't stop me". This quote is essentially true still today. Of course you still have to go through the advanced security and other requirements but in my opinion if someone is going to complete an air born terrorist attack they are going to find a way to do it. Even though we try as hard as we can to protect our flights in the air there is no sure promise. As an example, we still have no clue what occurred on Flight 370. I'm not saying that terrorists were involved in Flight 370 but, even with all of our technology there is no sure way to protect a flight. But even after all of this being said we still continue to fly and we are all able to because of the price of freedom.
The last essay by Susan Sontag had a more political point of view than Updike's. She reflected on the word choice used by those reporting the news, Bush telling us everything is okay, and those in public office consoling us. One of the first things that grabbed my attention was Sontag's emphasis on courage and how it was used. I am no expert what so ever on wars and what has all occurred in our countries history with wars. But I would have to agree strongly with Sontag that the doers of the attack are not cowards. Another good point I agree with is when the author mentions that all our leaders and news commentators are just giving us a rhetoric version of what is happening. If we have a democracy where everyone has a say in the way our country is run then shouldn't we know the full truth?
Keeping these two articles in mind when it comes time for me to be able to vote, I will remember to look into the events going on in our country instead of just being fed only part of the truth by our leaders.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
All About Maria LeFave
Hello, my name is Maria LeFave. It has been quite a struggle to set up this blog, but now I'm very happy to have successfully set it up. I would like to thank my friend, Lydia Howery, for helping me along the way. And now to start off this journey through AP Composition, I will begin by telling you all about myself and my hobbies.
1. I'm looking forward to being a senior this coming school year! Even though it seems very scary to me right now to be thinking about college, I'm also somewhat excited to leave the nest and live on my own.
2. After high school I plan on going to college. The one college that I admire the most is UW-Oshkosh. It is also one of the only colleges in Wisconsin that has the field of study I want to go into. What interests me most as of right now as a profession is Radiological Tech. and Sports Administration. I think X-Rays, Ultrasounds, MRIs, etc are very interesting. Also I love sports which is why Sports Administration sparks my interest.
3. As I mentioned before I love sports. I have played basketball and softball every year of high school so far and I plan to continue that through my senior year. I am also a huge football fan, especially the badgers! My family has had Badger season football tickets since my dad was in high school. So I have grown up around Camp Randall and all other Badger athletics.
4. One of my other favorite hobbies is creating memories with my friends! I am so grateful to have found such a great group of lifelong friends. We are constantly hanging out and making each other laugh until we get a six. One of our other favorite activities to do is eat. You wouldn't believe how much we love food. Going out to different restaurants for a nice dinner with your friends is always a good time. I will be so sad to part ways with them when we all go to college.
5. Even though leaving for college may be scary, I tend to think that spiders are much, much scarier! I can not handle any type of creepy, crawler. I mean ants and flies aren't that big of a deal, but anything else will have me sprinting in the opposite direction within seconds.
6. When I'm not wolfing down food with my friends or running from bugs I like to spend my time by myself without anyone interrupting me. Once I find a good book or series I will stay in my room all day reading if I could. I think it's good to always have some alone time. That way you can think without all the noise affecting you and you are able to sort all your thoughts out clearly.
7. If you have just read all of that, then I consider this a very successful first blog post
See you all soon in AP Comp class!
1. I'm looking forward to being a senior this coming school year! Even though it seems very scary to me right now to be thinking about college, I'm also somewhat excited to leave the nest and live on my own.
2. After high school I plan on going to college. The one college that I admire the most is UW-Oshkosh. It is also one of the only colleges in Wisconsin that has the field of study I want to go into. What interests me most as of right now as a profession is Radiological Tech. and Sports Administration. I think X-Rays, Ultrasounds, MRIs, etc are very interesting. Also I love sports which is why Sports Administration sparks my interest.
3. As I mentioned before I love sports. I have played basketball and softball every year of high school so far and I plan to continue that through my senior year. I am also a huge football fan, especially the badgers! My family has had Badger season football tickets since my dad was in high school. So I have grown up around Camp Randall and all other Badger athletics.
4. One of my other favorite hobbies is creating memories with my friends! I am so grateful to have found such a great group of lifelong friends. We are constantly hanging out and making each other laugh until we get a six. One of our other favorite activities to do is eat. You wouldn't believe how much we love food. Going out to different restaurants for a nice dinner with your friends is always a good time. I will be so sad to part ways with them when we all go to college.
5. Even though leaving for college may be scary, I tend to think that spiders are much, much scarier! I can not handle any type of creepy, crawler. I mean ants and flies aren't that big of a deal, but anything else will have me sprinting in the opposite direction within seconds.
6. When I'm not wolfing down food with my friends or running from bugs I like to spend my time by myself without anyone interrupting me. Once I find a good book or series I will stay in my room all day reading if I could. I think it's good to always have some alone time. That way you can think without all the noise affecting you and you are able to sort all your thoughts out clearly.
7. If you have just read all of that, then I consider this a very successful first blog post
See you all soon in AP Comp class!
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