Directed Freewrite; Page 386
The music industry in America today is absolutely huge. Music has always been a large part of our everyday lives, as well as the media. Without it, I believe that not only would our daily life be bland, but also television shows, movies, etc. In order to conserve our music industry and keep it flowing with mass revenue, many critics tend to defend the sexuality and gender stereotyping in particularly hip-hop and dance music.
Hip-hop and dance music are two types of genres that seem to be extremely popular present day. You cannot go to a club or scan through radio stations and not hear these two types of music. Hip-hop tends to hold a more “hard” attitude with vulgar language and songs consisted with a flurry of information about the artist’s hardships throughout life. Although most hip-hop consists of strong sexual innuendos and statements, as well as derogatory statements and terms used against the opposite sex, I find that many critics tend to defend hip-hop. Yes, you would not want your eight-year old child listening to hip-hop, but that’s not really an issue with critics. I am a huge hip-hop fan and find that most reviews of albums put out by these artists almost always have a great review. For example, about a year ago “The Carter 3” was released by the popular rapper Lil Wayne. The album was stamped with the “parental advisory – explicit content” label and was full of terms degrading women. Despite all this, Lil Wayne managed to win four out of eight nominations at the infamous Grammy Awards this past year. From what I mostly read, many critics doted his album as “artwork and poetic.” Despite all of the vulgarity, critics focused more on how he expressed these inappropriate remarks. The same is applied towards dance music, which is mostly played at clubs because of its high level of sexuality. Although critics are known to be brutally honest, they show their utmost respect to most hip-hop and dance music artists.
Although critics mostly describe hip-hop and dance music as “well-thought of and creative” and even though most of it is about women and sexuality in derogative terms, I think that yes, many women do find both affirmation and power through this. Many popular female artists in fact write a lot about sexuality and gender stereotyping because that seems to be what sells the best. Look at Britney Spears for example, she’s been around for awhile now, and her music has always had some strong references to sexuality and men, especially recently. Her newest song titled “3” is even about sexual relations with two men at the same time. You would think this would change America and her fan’s view about her differently, but in fact it creates more interest. Britney, as well as many other female artists tend to sing about these types of things in order to gain fans as well as power because it sells more. We all know that money is money, no matter how it is earned.
The music industry is pretty simple, but it truly is funny how it works out. What we typically would call “inappropriate” seems to sell ten times more. Our mainstream media is scavengers among sexual relations, scandals and stereotypes that have to deal with celebrities. They typically try to demolish the celebrity they have attacked with these types of stories, however, our music sells more when doing this. If you think about it, our morals tend to go out the door when it comes to music. In my opinion, I think that it’s pretty ironic, actually.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A "Split" Second
It was a dull, lifeless, cold and gloomy morning; sunrise was just around the corner. The bags were all loaded into the truck and we were ready to go. Lindsey and I had a long drive ahead of us from Glendale all the way to Flagstaff, Arizona. It was a quiet morning full of yawns, but we knew what was ahead of us. We had a long day consisting of nothing but snow and our snowboards at the Arizona Snowbowl. The anticipation is what made kept me awake through the drive that seemed to lag on endlessly.
Eventually we made it. The drive was long, but that was in the past now because staring right back at us was a giant snow covered monster. The snow was beautiful; there was even a light drizzle of powder sprinkling onto the nearby trees. It was a beautiful sight, one you see on postcards, but I could not wait to mess it up by shredding down the mountain on my new Burton snowboard. This snowboard was like a newborn child to a newlywed.
After an endless line to load onto the ski lift we were finally up on our way ready to take on any beef with this monstrous mountain. To be able to have a carefree attitude consume your whole body while snowboarding is one of the greatest feelings in the world, especially with a shiny new toy to do it with. Lindsey and I had a few good runs and then decided to take a break. When we got back, the line was completely backed up. About twenty minutes later, we finally loaded onto the chair lift bench, but with another skier. Instantly anxiety took over my body because being a snowboarder on the same chair lift as a skier is always a horrible idea. Right as I boarded off the lift, the skier cut me off and tangled me with his skis. Of course, he managed to untangle himself and make his way down the mountain even though my body was laying in the cold, freezing snow in extreme agony. My brand new snowboard had snapped. If it did not break in half, the fall would not have been as fierce as the one I took because I ultimately dislocated my shoulder. The pain took complete control over my body the instant I hit the ground; it felt as if the trees were closing in over me. Somehow a few short moments after, my shoulder managed to “pop” back into place and I eventually grew enough strength to strap my boots in and start boarding down the mountain. At that point adrenaline was pulsing through my veins uncontrollably. Not only was I in an extreme amount of pain, but I was willingly snowboarding down to the medics rather than being taxied down. Although I was technically disabled, I fought the circumstances and built up enough courage to fight through the pain.
Even though I ended up having to get surgery on my shoulder and was an entire snowboard short, I still believe that I won that day. Not only did I conquer the mountain in ways I never thought possible, but I never developed a fear of falling and still find myself snowboarding every winter. Life throws obstacles at you sometimes, but determining on how you overcome them truly determines your inner strength and character. I definitely now see myself as unstoppable on the mountain!
Eventually we made it. The drive was long, but that was in the past now because staring right back at us was a giant snow covered monster. The snow was beautiful; there was even a light drizzle of powder sprinkling onto the nearby trees. It was a beautiful sight, one you see on postcards, but I could not wait to mess it up by shredding down the mountain on my new Burton snowboard. This snowboard was like a newborn child to a newlywed.
After an endless line to load onto the ski lift we were finally up on our way ready to take on any beef with this monstrous mountain. To be able to have a carefree attitude consume your whole body while snowboarding is one of the greatest feelings in the world, especially with a shiny new toy to do it with. Lindsey and I had a few good runs and then decided to take a break. When we got back, the line was completely backed up. About twenty minutes later, we finally loaded onto the chair lift bench, but with another skier. Instantly anxiety took over my body because being a snowboarder on the same chair lift as a skier is always a horrible idea. Right as I boarded off the lift, the skier cut me off and tangled me with his skis. Of course, he managed to untangle himself and make his way down the mountain even though my body was laying in the cold, freezing snow in extreme agony. My brand new snowboard had snapped. If it did not break in half, the fall would not have been as fierce as the one I took because I ultimately dislocated my shoulder. The pain took complete control over my body the instant I hit the ground; it felt as if the trees were closing in over me. Somehow a few short moments after, my shoulder managed to “pop” back into place and I eventually grew enough strength to strap my boots in and start boarding down the mountain. At that point adrenaline was pulsing through my veins uncontrollably. Not only was I in an extreme amount of pain, but I was willingly snowboarding down to the medics rather than being taxied down. Although I was technically disabled, I fought the circumstances and built up enough courage to fight through the pain.
Even though I ended up having to get surgery on my shoulder and was an entire snowboard short, I still believe that I won that day. Not only did I conquer the mountain in ways I never thought possible, but I never developed a fear of falling and still find myself snowboarding every winter. Life throws obstacles at you sometimes, but determining on how you overcome them truly determines your inner strength and character. I definitely now see myself as unstoppable on the mountain!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
To Be Or Not To Be..
The Gay Side of Nature
Directed Freewrite, Page 340
Homosexuality has been a dominant debate in our society for the past few decades. There have been numerous arguments regarding the acceptance of it as a whole, but the issue is just as hot and two-sided as the arguments about abortion.
One of the most recent prominent arguments is one that Jeffrey Kluger elaborates on in his essay, “The Gay Side of Nature.” He explains how we humans share homosexuality with many other animals (Kluger 337). According to Bruce Bagemihl, a cognitive scientist, “the animal kingdom is a more sexually complex place than most people know – one where couplings routinely take place not just between male-female pairs but also between male-male and female-female ones (Kluger 338). This has definitely raised some eyebrows in communities all across America. If animals have same-sex relationships naturally, then why can’t humans? Even mammals, including bears bring their young into homosexual unions, raising them with their same-sex partner (Kluger 338). Sounds all a bit too familiar, doesn't it? Honestly, it makes sense to have this as a strong backbone and as the first step to realize that our society should truly accept same-sex relationships. After all, it is nature therefore it’s a natural act. It seems like animals have it down pat when it comes to having a bond with the same gender, but unfortunately for them there is no shades of grey and fine lines on whether it’s wrong or right.
There are always two sides to every story, as well as every argument. One who is very religious would disagree strongly with the debate that because animals unite in homosexual unions then it makes it okay for humans as well. Take Christianity for example. In the Bible it states that homosexuality is not a course of nature, but rather a sin so it is deemed unacceptable. Like politics, religion is also another tough subject in which there usually is never an agreement with opposing sides. In my own opinion, I believe that this debate will remain unsettled for quite some time whether or not other living things besides humans live homosexual lifetstyles.
Directed Freewrite, Page 340
Homosexuality has been a dominant debate in our society for the past few decades. There have been numerous arguments regarding the acceptance of it as a whole, but the issue is just as hot and two-sided as the arguments about abortion.
One of the most recent prominent arguments is one that Jeffrey Kluger elaborates on in his essay, “The Gay Side of Nature.” He explains how we humans share homosexuality with many other animals (Kluger 337). According to Bruce Bagemihl, a cognitive scientist, “the animal kingdom is a more sexually complex place than most people know – one where couplings routinely take place not just between male-female pairs but also between male-male and female-female ones (Kluger 338). This has definitely raised some eyebrows in communities all across America. If animals have same-sex relationships naturally, then why can’t humans? Even mammals, including bears bring their young into homosexual unions, raising them with their same-sex partner (Kluger 338). Sounds all a bit too familiar, doesn't it? Honestly, it makes sense to have this as a strong backbone and as the first step to realize that our society should truly accept same-sex relationships. After all, it is nature therefore it’s a natural act. It seems like animals have it down pat when it comes to having a bond with the same gender, but unfortunately for them there is no shades of grey and fine lines on whether it’s wrong or right.
There are always two sides to every story, as well as every argument. One who is very religious would disagree strongly with the debate that because animals unite in homosexual unions then it makes it okay for humans as well. Take Christianity for example. In the Bible it states that homosexuality is not a course of nature, but rather a sin so it is deemed unacceptable. Like politics, religion is also another tough subject in which there usually is never an agreement with opposing sides. In my own opinion, I believe that this debate will remain unsettled for quite some time whether or not other living things besides humans live homosexual lifetstyles.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Happily (N)Ever After?
“After All, Maybe It’s… Biology”
Page 310, #1 – “If we view love and relationships as largely matters of chemistry and biology, what kinds of changes could this view bring about in our beliefs about such seemingly mystical (or at least mysterious, since they involve the human heart) things like falling in love, physical attraction, courtship, and the like? Even more important, in what ways could such changes in beliefs affect our behavior, our cultural traditions, and institutions? Write an essay exploring these questions, ultimately settling on what you believe to be a likely answer or set of answers to them.”
What exactly is love and why is it so mystical? Honestly, I feel like there is more to love than just courtship and a marriage license. Helen E. Fisher’s essay, “After All, Maybe It’s… Biology” opens up numerous pathways as to why we fall in love. I’m not talking about the love we see in movies with infatuated individuals showering their partner with chocolates and roses, but more of how our bodies and minds are functioned and made to love rather than us changing ourselves in order to love.
Our human bodies are wired to love, just like any other animal on this earth. I do not think that many individuals realize this and think of it more as a learned trait. As a society we have a way of thinking that our Prince Charming just comes along one day, we date, get married, and have kids in that white picket fence surrounding our cute little house. But is there more to it than that? What makes us fall in love? More importantly, why do we fall in love? Nature has designed us women and men to work together (Fisher 300). In many cultures, there are several gestures to lure in the opposite sex, and many of them tend to be similar with that of certain animals. In many Western cultures, “men and women often stare intently at potential mates for about two to three seconds during which their pupils may dilate – a sign of extreme interest” (Fisher 300). This gaze triggers a primitive part of the human brain, immediately producing two emotions – approach or retreat (Fisher 300). Not only is our brain functioned to perform like that, but also animals like baboons tend to gaze at each other during courtship as well (Fisher 301). Such facts as these bring up the fact that chemistry and biology play a large role in our “fairy tale” love stories.
Like I said earlier, not many people realize how the human body is made up in order to lure in the opposite sex. We actually have certain odors that trigger infatuation from the opposite sex (Fisher 304). Who even knew that?! The fact that biology and chemistry makes up for why we love can change the perception we have on love completely. Before reading this essay, I always thought love was something that just happened out of nowhere; something you couldn’t stop. Now, that may be true, but now I know how and why we love, thanks to the anatomy of our human bodies. But what if our society only focused on the biology rather than myths and old fairy tales? It would change some cultural traditions. We wouldn’t really make movies about falling in love anymore. That just wouldn’t be our interest because we were just made to love, and how boring is that? It would change courtship and how we date. We wouldn’t consider a guy attractive anymore because of his money and material possessions. If we knew that we were built to love and attract the opposite sex, then why would we need matchmakers and books on love to tell us what to do? Would that really matter anymore? We are animals, even though most of us don’t think of us that way, and we do our have our own natural instincts just like any other animal on this Earth. Instead of living in a world filled with drawn out hearts and candies, it would be more animalistic and to the point. I think we should stick with our mystical and mysterious love lives – to me it sounds more fun and we can always leave it up to our own imaginations.
Page 310, #1 – “If we view love and relationships as largely matters of chemistry and biology, what kinds of changes could this view bring about in our beliefs about such seemingly mystical (or at least mysterious, since they involve the human heart) things like falling in love, physical attraction, courtship, and the like? Even more important, in what ways could such changes in beliefs affect our behavior, our cultural traditions, and institutions? Write an essay exploring these questions, ultimately settling on what you believe to be a likely answer or set of answers to them.”
What exactly is love and why is it so mystical? Honestly, I feel like there is more to love than just courtship and a marriage license. Helen E. Fisher’s essay, “After All, Maybe It’s… Biology” opens up numerous pathways as to why we fall in love. I’m not talking about the love we see in movies with infatuated individuals showering their partner with chocolates and roses, but more of how our bodies and minds are functioned and made to love rather than us changing ourselves in order to love.
Our human bodies are wired to love, just like any other animal on this earth. I do not think that many individuals realize this and think of it more as a learned trait. As a society we have a way of thinking that our Prince Charming just comes along one day, we date, get married, and have kids in that white picket fence surrounding our cute little house. But is there more to it than that? What makes us fall in love? More importantly, why do we fall in love? Nature has designed us women and men to work together (Fisher 300). In many cultures, there are several gestures to lure in the opposite sex, and many of them tend to be similar with that of certain animals. In many Western cultures, “men and women often stare intently at potential mates for about two to three seconds during which their pupils may dilate – a sign of extreme interest” (Fisher 300). This gaze triggers a primitive part of the human brain, immediately producing two emotions – approach or retreat (Fisher 300). Not only is our brain functioned to perform like that, but also animals like baboons tend to gaze at each other during courtship as well (Fisher 301). Such facts as these bring up the fact that chemistry and biology play a large role in our “fairy tale” love stories.
Like I said earlier, not many people realize how the human body is made up in order to lure in the opposite sex. We actually have certain odors that trigger infatuation from the opposite sex (Fisher 304). Who even knew that?! The fact that biology and chemistry makes up for why we love can change the perception we have on love completely. Before reading this essay, I always thought love was something that just happened out of nowhere; something you couldn’t stop. Now, that may be true, but now I know how and why we love, thanks to the anatomy of our human bodies. But what if our society only focused on the biology rather than myths and old fairy tales? It would change some cultural traditions. We wouldn’t really make movies about falling in love anymore. That just wouldn’t be our interest because we were just made to love, and how boring is that? It would change courtship and how we date. We wouldn’t consider a guy attractive anymore because of his money and material possessions. If we knew that we were built to love and attract the opposite sex, then why would we need matchmakers and books on love to tell us what to do? Would that really matter anymore? We are animals, even though most of us don’t think of us that way, and we do our have our own natural instincts just like any other animal on this Earth. Instead of living in a world filled with drawn out hearts and candies, it would be more animalistic and to the point. I think we should stick with our mystical and mysterious love lives – to me it sounds more fun and we can always leave it up to our own imaginations.
Week 7 Blog Reviews
Group 1 Blog Reviews
Aubrie Rach
Your “Is Monogamy the Key?” post was full of information. You had a fulfilling amount of facts as well as commentary. It was also well constructed with perfect manner. Your last paragraph really set across your entire point for the post and was well concluded with a great sense of closure!
I also really enjoyed reading your post about what college you were deciding at the time to go to. Let me just say that you picked the best college, :)! Now back to the academics! I thought your post was well constructed as well. You were able to tell the story and back it up with facts from the reading in a manner that was easy to follow. Great job!
Krista Sigala
I really liked your intro paragraph on your “cheating” blog post. It got straight to the point without any excess facts and commentary. I also like how you introduced what evolutionary psychology was as well because not most people know that off the top of their head.
Your other post “You Aren’t Listening!” was full of information. You did a good job summarizing the reading as well. I also enjoy your vocabulary usage… it’s not just everyday words but more intriguing which makes the writing seem much more professional. Awesome job!
Monique Perez
In your post, “Saving Monogamous Marriages” the citations were a bit off. Professor Patel explained how since we all know what book we are using we should just cite with the author of the actual essay you are basing your post on. So for this case, instead of using the author of the entire book as a whole, use Buss, the author of the essay you evaluated! I was definitely confused at first too when it came to citing our posts! But all in all, the entire post was great. I really like how you pointed out how we all believe in our own fairy tales. Not everything is a fairy tale, and you’re right, we do go into relationships thinking everything is going to perfect when in reality we need to work on them. Great post overall!
First off, I’m so jealous you’re going on vacation soon! Your writing had great information in it, however, I thought it might’ve been a little bit easier to follow if you followed your story with facts from the reading as in to why your spouse did what he did in the argument you guys had. Instead, I almost had to reference back to what the story was about in the previous paragraph. But other than that everything else was amazing and you had great posts!
Aubrie Rach
Your “Is Monogamy the Key?” post was full of information. You had a fulfilling amount of facts as well as commentary. It was also well constructed with perfect manner. Your last paragraph really set across your entire point for the post and was well concluded with a great sense of closure!
I also really enjoyed reading your post about what college you were deciding at the time to go to. Let me just say that you picked the best college, :)! Now back to the academics! I thought your post was well constructed as well. You were able to tell the story and back it up with facts from the reading in a manner that was easy to follow. Great job!
Krista Sigala
I really liked your intro paragraph on your “cheating” blog post. It got straight to the point without any excess facts and commentary. I also like how you introduced what evolutionary psychology was as well because not most people know that off the top of their head.
Your other post “You Aren’t Listening!” was full of information. You did a good job summarizing the reading as well. I also enjoy your vocabulary usage… it’s not just everyday words but more intriguing which makes the writing seem much more professional. Awesome job!
Monique Perez
In your post, “Saving Monogamous Marriages” the citations were a bit off. Professor Patel explained how since we all know what book we are using we should just cite with the author of the actual essay you are basing your post on. So for this case, instead of using the author of the entire book as a whole, use Buss, the author of the essay you evaluated! I was definitely confused at first too when it came to citing our posts! But all in all, the entire post was great. I really like how you pointed out how we all believe in our own fairy tales. Not everything is a fairy tale, and you’re right, we do go into relationships thinking everything is going to perfect when in reality we need to work on them. Great post overall!
First off, I’m so jealous you’re going on vacation soon! Your writing had great information in it, however, I thought it might’ve been a little bit easier to follow if you followed your story with facts from the reading as in to why your spouse did what he did in the argument you guys had. Instead, I almost had to reference back to what the story was about in the previous paragraph. But other than that everything else was amazing and you had great posts!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Till "Divorce" Do Us Part..
Our Cheating Hearts
Directed Freewrite #2, Page 292 – “On the basis of evolutionary psychology’s insights into human sexual behavior, write an essay arguing that heterosexual, monogamous marriage ought to be either preserved or abolished, drawing on points in Wright’s essay, as well as on your own opinions and ideas, if relevant.”
Until recently the infamous line of “till death do us part” seemed to define almost every marriage. Now, presently, whenever I hear those words, I almost want to say, “Yeah, right.” Although I strongly believe in marriage and that there really is such a thing as “true love,” I can understand why our society is so hesitant about marriage. With divorce rates increasing, it almost seems as if there’s no hope when it comes to exchanging vows.
Robert Wright’s essay points out numerous relevant facts about marriage today and why it is so corrupt. According to evolutionary psychology, it’s natural for both men and women to commit adultery and to suddenly find a spouse unattractive, irritating, and wholly unreasonable (Wright 280). This has always been part of our human nature in the past and presently, but why do we cheat and ruin marriages? We all know that love between a man and woman is a human universal (Wright 284). Evolution has not only invented what we call romantic love, but from the beginning it has also corrupted it, according to Wright (Wright 284).
There are several different factors that have affected monogamy over the years. The lies and images our movies, billboards and magazines produce have shaped the human mind (Wright 286). Males are taught to think that blondes with bigger breasts and tiny bodies are the only type of “pretty.” Images like these flood the male mind with false advertising of finding the perfect girl that our society has created. One of the largest modern obstacles to making monogamy work is economic equality (Wright 286). A man’s social status can help his children later on in life, so it is only natural that women should lust after men with higher statuses (Wright 287). In our society today, a higher status consists of an affluent amount of money and good looks, which rules out thousands of possible compatible men. With all of these bumps in the road of marriage, it almost seems impossible to make a marriage last.
So is there hope despite all of these obstacles? I think so. It takes a strong and smart person to reject what our media feeds our eyes and ears each and every day. One needs to realize that not every woman or every man will have a perfectly tanned and toned body along with a fat wallet. Our society as a whole needs to wake up from this dream we are all living in. Yes, infidelity is natural, but I believe that if you truly love someone, you can stop yourself from doing the dirty deed. Charles Darwin once believed that the human species is the only moral animal species. Yes, we humans are moral, so we do have the capability to decipher right from wrong because we are aware of what is going on around us. We are potentially moral animals, so we should not make up excuses for our actions. It’s not all these outside factors that have corrupted marriage, but it is us who have done so. All in all, monogamous marriage should be saved, but the first step is to realize the monster we have created.
Directed Freewrite #2, Page 292 – “On the basis of evolutionary psychology’s insights into human sexual behavior, write an essay arguing that heterosexual, monogamous marriage ought to be either preserved or abolished, drawing on points in Wright’s essay, as well as on your own opinions and ideas, if relevant.”
Until recently the infamous line of “till death do us part” seemed to define almost every marriage. Now, presently, whenever I hear those words, I almost want to say, “Yeah, right.” Although I strongly believe in marriage and that there really is such a thing as “true love,” I can understand why our society is so hesitant about marriage. With divorce rates increasing, it almost seems as if there’s no hope when it comes to exchanging vows.
Robert Wright’s essay points out numerous relevant facts about marriage today and why it is so corrupt. According to evolutionary psychology, it’s natural for both men and women to commit adultery and to suddenly find a spouse unattractive, irritating, and wholly unreasonable (Wright 280). This has always been part of our human nature in the past and presently, but why do we cheat and ruin marriages? We all know that love between a man and woman is a human universal (Wright 284). Evolution has not only invented what we call romantic love, but from the beginning it has also corrupted it, according to Wright (Wright 284).
There are several different factors that have affected monogamy over the years. The lies and images our movies, billboards and magazines produce have shaped the human mind (Wright 286). Males are taught to think that blondes with bigger breasts and tiny bodies are the only type of “pretty.” Images like these flood the male mind with false advertising of finding the perfect girl that our society has created. One of the largest modern obstacles to making monogamy work is economic equality (Wright 286). A man’s social status can help his children later on in life, so it is only natural that women should lust after men with higher statuses (Wright 287). In our society today, a higher status consists of an affluent amount of money and good looks, which rules out thousands of possible compatible men. With all of these bumps in the road of marriage, it almost seems impossible to make a marriage last.
So is there hope despite all of these obstacles? I think so. It takes a strong and smart person to reject what our media feeds our eyes and ears each and every day. One needs to realize that not every woman or every man will have a perfectly tanned and toned body along with a fat wallet. Our society as a whole needs to wake up from this dream we are all living in. Yes, infidelity is natural, but I believe that if you truly love someone, you can stop yourself from doing the dirty deed. Charles Darwin once believed that the human species is the only moral animal species. Yes, we humans are moral, so we do have the capability to decipher right from wrong because we are aware of what is going on around us. We are potentially moral animals, so we should not make up excuses for our actions. It’s not all these outside factors that have corrupted marriage, but it is us who have done so. All in all, monogamous marriage should be saved, but the first step is to realize the monster we have created.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Just Being a Male Can Be Deceitful.. ;)
Sex, Lies, and Conversation
Directed Freewrite, Page 246 - "Describe a conflict you have experienced in trying to discuss something with a member of the opposite sex (or invent a conflict). Then discuss how your application of some of Tannen's ideas might have helped resolve, or at least explain, the conflict."
Arguments with the opposite sex can almost seem exhausting. Sometimes I feel entrapped as if there’s no easy way out of the issue at hand. About a week ago I found myself in one of these situations and it wasn’t very pretty. However, if I would have read this essay prior, I think I would have found myself in a less messy situation!
Deborah Tannen explains why many women think that men are stubborn when it comes to heated conversations. In order to fully understand why men are so different than us women, there are a few things to consider first. First, the bonds between boys are based less on talking and more on doing things together (Tannen 242). Since they don’t talk as much as girls do, we should probably consider that they don’t know what kind of talk we want. Also, their group of friends are usually larger and are more hierarchal than our friendships with other women (Tannen 242). This might be a reason in why they don’t like listening to our problems, because it might make them feel like they are lower down on the ladder. These are pretty obvious, but I feel as if not that many women consider them a factor in relationships or friendships with men.
These few facts would explain why my guy friend and I got into an argument last week. One of my friends tends to compulsively lie to me and our group of friends. It doesn’t matter how close he is to the individual he’s lying to or whether or not he’ll get caught, we will still find him lying constantly. After awhile, I finally just got fed up with one of his lies and completely caught him off guard by calling him out on it. During the argument, it didn’t seem to be close to resolving anytime soon, and he didn’t consider anything that I had to say. Tannen explains how in her example of boys in tenth grade how they dismissed each other’s problems, while girls typically respond by asking questions and expressing a sense of understanding (Tannen 243). This would explain why he was so dismissive with my allegations, even though he admitted that he was lying. I found this completely frustrating that he wasn’t listening to anything I had to say because he didn’t seem like he was saying much. According to Tannen, men consider overlapping and finishing each other’s sentences like women do as an intrusion and lack of attention (Tannen 243). I wish I would have known this at the time!
We eventually came to a conclusion, but it seemed like a thirty year long war to get to that point. After reading this essay, I can now consider how the other sex works and why arguments tend to be more of epic proportions rather than subtle with another female friend. Thanks to Deborah Tannen I can now maybe find a way to win every argument with the opposite sex, and I’m being dead serious! :)
Directed Freewrite, Page 246 - "Describe a conflict you have experienced in trying to discuss something with a member of the opposite sex (or invent a conflict). Then discuss how your application of some of Tannen's ideas might have helped resolve, or at least explain, the conflict."
Arguments with the opposite sex can almost seem exhausting. Sometimes I feel entrapped as if there’s no easy way out of the issue at hand. About a week ago I found myself in one of these situations and it wasn’t very pretty. However, if I would have read this essay prior, I think I would have found myself in a less messy situation!
Deborah Tannen explains why many women think that men are stubborn when it comes to heated conversations. In order to fully understand why men are so different than us women, there are a few things to consider first. First, the bonds between boys are based less on talking and more on doing things together (Tannen 242). Since they don’t talk as much as girls do, we should probably consider that they don’t know what kind of talk we want. Also, their group of friends are usually larger and are more hierarchal than our friendships with other women (Tannen 242). This might be a reason in why they don’t like listening to our problems, because it might make them feel like they are lower down on the ladder. These are pretty obvious, but I feel as if not that many women consider them a factor in relationships or friendships with men.
These few facts would explain why my guy friend and I got into an argument last week. One of my friends tends to compulsively lie to me and our group of friends. It doesn’t matter how close he is to the individual he’s lying to or whether or not he’ll get caught, we will still find him lying constantly. After awhile, I finally just got fed up with one of his lies and completely caught him off guard by calling him out on it. During the argument, it didn’t seem to be close to resolving anytime soon, and he didn’t consider anything that I had to say. Tannen explains how in her example of boys in tenth grade how they dismissed each other’s problems, while girls typically respond by asking questions and expressing a sense of understanding (Tannen 243). This would explain why he was so dismissive with my allegations, even though he admitted that he was lying. I found this completely frustrating that he wasn’t listening to anything I had to say because he didn’t seem like he was saying much. According to Tannen, men consider overlapping and finishing each other’s sentences like women do as an intrusion and lack of attention (Tannen 243). I wish I would have known this at the time!
We eventually came to a conclusion, but it seemed like a thirty year long war to get to that point. After reading this essay, I can now consider how the other sex works and why arguments tend to be more of epic proportions rather than subtle with another female friend. Thanks to Deborah Tannen I can now maybe find a way to win every argument with the opposite sex, and I’m being dead serious! :)
Week 6 Blog Reviews
Group 1 Blog Reviews
Aubrie Rach
First off, I just want to say that I love the movie Troy! I think this movie was a great choice to compare with the reading we had for that week. You really got into detail and got your points across really clearly. It was an interesting post for me to read and also very easy to follow along with!
I also really enjoyed your second post. It’s true, with new technologies such as Facebook, it really does change the shape of relationships. I remember back in the day I used to get tons of Christmas pictures in the mail from tons of relatives and family friends, but now it’s just like, “Let’s go check their blog or Facebook!”
Good posts, I look forward to reading some more!
Krista Sigala
I just want to say I really like your blog design!
I have never heard of The Descent, but it sounds like a very interesting movie. You got your point across pretty well while also summarizing to the reader what the storyline of the movie was. However, I thought you could’ve compared it a little bit more to the essay we had to read.
For your second post, you’re so right. It’s almost as if I feel “naked” without my cell phone. I’ll be five miles away from home and still turn around to go get it! It’s crazy to see how much society has changed because of the advancement in technology. I loved your closing sentence and I completely agree one-hundred percent - we seem to feed off of new technology like vultures.
Great posts!
Monique Perez
I like how you chose Enough for your comparison. It was definitely a different movie to choose from, but you proved your points very well. You’re right, she ultimately did fight back, unlike many other women in the same types of situations. I also really like how you took your time to summarize the movie, making your post full of information. It wasn’t too short, yet it wasn’t too long either!
We definitely picked the same technology advancement for our second post! Although we wrote about the same subject, we both wrote about different outcomes and what not. It was very interesting to see someone else’s thought about the same subject.
You had great posts full of information. Good jobbb :)
Aubrie Rach
First off, I just want to say that I love the movie Troy! I think this movie was a great choice to compare with the reading we had for that week. You really got into detail and got your points across really clearly. It was an interesting post for me to read and also very easy to follow along with!
I also really enjoyed your second post. It’s true, with new technologies such as Facebook, it really does change the shape of relationships. I remember back in the day I used to get tons of Christmas pictures in the mail from tons of relatives and family friends, but now it’s just like, “Let’s go check their blog or Facebook!”
Good posts, I look forward to reading some more!
Krista Sigala
I just want to say I really like your blog design!
I have never heard of The Descent, but it sounds like a very interesting movie. You got your point across pretty well while also summarizing to the reader what the storyline of the movie was. However, I thought you could’ve compared it a little bit more to the essay we had to read.
For your second post, you’re so right. It’s almost as if I feel “naked” without my cell phone. I’ll be five miles away from home and still turn around to go get it! It’s crazy to see how much society has changed because of the advancement in technology. I loved your closing sentence and I completely agree one-hundred percent - we seem to feed off of new technology like vultures.
Great posts!
Monique Perez
I like how you chose Enough for your comparison. It was definitely a different movie to choose from, but you proved your points very well. You’re right, she ultimately did fight back, unlike many other women in the same types of situations. I also really like how you took your time to summarize the movie, making your post full of information. It wasn’t too short, yet it wasn’t too long either!
We definitely picked the same technology advancement for our second post! Although we wrote about the same subject, we both wrote about different outcomes and what not. It was very interesting to see someone else’s thought about the same subject.
You had great posts full of information. Good jobbb :)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Cheers to the Future
Capitalism and Gay Identity
Directed Freewrite: Page 236
For me, I found this essay intriguing. It was extremely interesting to actually think about how lesbian and gay individuals weren’t very prominent back in the day. I guess it’s not that they weren’t prominent, but more hidden would be the correct word to use. I never really thought about how the gay community grew so much over the past years until this reading. I thought John D’Emilio hit the subject right on and wrote a very interesting piece. John D’Emilio opened up several topics in this essay. As we all already know, we are all experiencing a shift in our economic and social life due to the rapid growth in our technology. I believe that this shift is just as important as D’Emilio’s discussion about our capitalist economy. Not many people realize how much technology has an impact on our everyday lives, as well as our future. Technology ultimately will contribute changes to the future of American families, communities, etc.
Technology is a great thing. Although America is so set on advancement in technology and new cool things, like upgraded cell phones and touch screen computers, I don’t think many people realize how much it can affect us in ways we wouldn’t really ever consider. Think about it, with technology almost anything seems possible. Today, we are able to switch sexes surgically and create surrogate mothers for couples who are unable to give birth on their own. This is a great advancement in technology, don’t get me wrong! I love seeing couples who have tried for years to be able to finally have a child of their own. I also love seeing individuals who are unhappy in their own body and being able to finally be happy in another body. You also have to look into the future though. I think this goes hand in hand with what D’Emilio was explaining about capitalism. According to him, “capitalism continually weakens the material foundation of family life, [but] on the other [hand], it needs to push men and women into families, at least long enough to reproduce the next generation of workers” (D’Emilio 235). Although this advancement in technology is great, I do believe strongly in D’Emilio’s statement. He’s one hundred percent right. With all of this change, we still do need to remember what the foundation of a family is. It’s a proven fact that with the increase of lesbian and gay individuals, then the birth rate will ultimately decline. If the gay and lesbian community was not as prominent back then, but currently now it is, then what’s in store for the future? I do not want anyone to take this the wrong way because I’m definitely not saying we should stop gay relationships altogether at all, but we should consider this fact for our future!
Ultimately, we cannot escape social and economic structures in our society. We can only learn from them and grow from them. Without change, then America would be one very dull country!
Directed Freewrite: Page 236
For me, I found this essay intriguing. It was extremely interesting to actually think about how lesbian and gay individuals weren’t very prominent back in the day. I guess it’s not that they weren’t prominent, but more hidden would be the correct word to use. I never really thought about how the gay community grew so much over the past years until this reading. I thought John D’Emilio hit the subject right on and wrote a very interesting piece. John D’Emilio opened up several topics in this essay. As we all already know, we are all experiencing a shift in our economic and social life due to the rapid growth in our technology. I believe that this shift is just as important as D’Emilio’s discussion about our capitalist economy. Not many people realize how much technology has an impact on our everyday lives, as well as our future. Technology ultimately will contribute changes to the future of American families, communities, etc.
Technology is a great thing. Although America is so set on advancement in technology and new cool things, like upgraded cell phones and touch screen computers, I don’t think many people realize how much it can affect us in ways we wouldn’t really ever consider. Think about it, with technology almost anything seems possible. Today, we are able to switch sexes surgically and create surrogate mothers for couples who are unable to give birth on their own. This is a great advancement in technology, don’t get me wrong! I love seeing couples who have tried for years to be able to finally have a child of their own. I also love seeing individuals who are unhappy in their own body and being able to finally be happy in another body. You also have to look into the future though. I think this goes hand in hand with what D’Emilio was explaining about capitalism. According to him, “capitalism continually weakens the material foundation of family life, [but] on the other [hand], it needs to push men and women into families, at least long enough to reproduce the next generation of workers” (D’Emilio 235). Although this advancement in technology is great, I do believe strongly in D’Emilio’s statement. He’s one hundred percent right. With all of this change, we still do need to remember what the foundation of a family is. It’s a proven fact that with the increase of lesbian and gay individuals, then the birth rate will ultimately decline. If the gay and lesbian community was not as prominent back then, but currently now it is, then what’s in store for the future? I do not want anyone to take this the wrong way because I’m definitely not saying we should stop gay relationships altogether at all, but we should consider this fact for our future!
Ultimately, we cannot escape social and economic structures in our society. We can only learn from them and grow from them. Without change, then America would be one very dull country!
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