As a kid, I was extremely sheltered from anything that could be considered impure or non-Christian. I wasn't even allowed to watch some PG and most PG-13 movies, or if so, with some censorship. I remember watching "Crocodile Dundee" with my parents, and my father had memorized where every cuss word was mentioned and seriously muted the t.v. every time a cuss word was coming. He fast forwarded through "racy" scenes: one with the woman in her swimsuit and another when she was wearing a suggestive red dress. I remember watching the movie when I was older and wondering what was so bad about it, because I had seen so much more "tarnishing" images.
I remember experimenting with cuss words that I had learned from either other school kids or my sister, and I got in trouble for saying something I didn't know what it meant and I ever said it wrong. I called another kid an "Asp." I also remember my older sister giving me a hard time anytime I didn't know a bad word. I would ask what that word meant, and she would say, "You mean you don't know what that means?" It would make me feel like an idiot, because I didn't know.
Many of my friends now and in high school would say I have missed out on many classic movies or songs, because I had never been exposed to anything outside of my bubble, if you will. My family always thought it best to shelter me from the world, and my sister also tried to shelter me from the violence and arguments between my parents. We would go play in our rooms at the first signs of a fight. And sometimes our parents would involve both of us despite my sister's efforts. I was confused when this happened, and I really don't remember a lot from the past. Maybe I blocked it out. Maybe, since I was never exposed to anger or negative feelings and situations in movies, t.v. or any media, I wasn't prepared for "the real world." And maybe I shut down, not knowing how to deal with these episodes. My family thought they were doing the best by "protecting" me from feeling pain, sadness, or other "negative" emotions, but, ironically, the very people trying to protect me from it all ended up exposing me to it.
I know they tried their best and I don't want to criticize their parenting, but in my adult life, I regret my naiveté and feel I'd be stronger if I knew what situations I'd be faced with. But you learn as you go along, and now I have more passion to understand the world and expose myself to new and unique experiences, adding to my cultural knowledge and depth as a person.
My conclusion is that there needs to be a balance between total exposure to the "real world" and complete sheltered naiveté. As long as the exposure is monitored and an adult figure is there to say "this is right" or "this is wrong," gradually, the child will learn for themselves and can come to their own conclusions.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Black vs.African American
Considering I am not black, I usually hesitate before I use any racial tagging. First, I try to ask myself, is it necessary to even mention this person's race? Not only to eliminate the use of racial tagging, but also I know I won't offend anyone by mis-using either word: black or African-American. It's usually much easier to address someone by their color if there aren't as many blacks as whites in a crowd. However, if I re-think about the situation, I'm sure there would be some other way to identify a person if I took the time to think - maybe the color of their shirt or pants, or a hat, something of that nature.
But it's also funny as hard as I might try to not offend and say something like, "That man in the blue shirt..." Someone might respond by saying, "Oh, you mean the black guy?" It seems like it defeats the purpose, but there's usually no need to spawn a debate about racial identifiers.
It's odd to think that we are so accustomed to labeling blacks, Hispanics, etc, anyone that is not "white," that it doesn't even phase us anymore.
It's hard to break that kind of mindset when it's been conditioned for us to use it. The Advertising Age article on "Is Black Back?" brought up very good cultural examples that helped shape our use of racial identifiers. Black first had a negative connotation in the Civil War times, then it was something to be proud of in the '80s. Then the 2000 Census made us even more aware of our physical differences and made us put labels on our own race, and we still can't seem to break that.
Black is once again becoming a positive word for most. However, should we still use African-American, and if so, when? I think that African-American sounds more politically correct (as long as they are in fact African descendants) and more formal. I guess the safest thing is try to eliminate racial identifiers as much as possible, but when you feel you have to use it, be aware of your audience and the possible feedback you might receive.
But it's also funny as hard as I might try to not offend and say something like, "That man in the blue shirt..." Someone might respond by saying, "Oh, you mean the black guy?" It seems like it defeats the purpose, but there's usually no need to spawn a debate about racial identifiers.
It's odd to think that we are so accustomed to labeling blacks, Hispanics, etc, anyone that is not "white," that it doesn't even phase us anymore.
It's hard to break that kind of mindset when it's been conditioned for us to use it. The Advertising Age article on "Is Black Back?" brought up very good cultural examples that helped shape our use of racial identifiers. Black first had a negative connotation in the Civil War times, then it was something to be proud of in the '80s. Then the 2000 Census made us even more aware of our physical differences and made us put labels on our own race, and we still can't seem to break that.
Black is once again becoming a positive word for most. However, should we still use African-American, and if so, when? I think that African-American sounds more politically correct (as long as they are in fact African descendants) and more formal. I guess the safest thing is try to eliminate racial identifiers as much as possible, but when you feel you have to use it, be aware of your audience and the possible feedback you might receive.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Porn in Fashion Industry
This is an interesting topic for me, because I work in a high-end fashion forward environment. We sell eyeglasses. You would think that it's only eyeglasses, it's not like any advertisement would contain sexually suggestive poses. Wrong. I remember one graphic we had for D&G (Dolce & Gabbana) that showed a man and woman, lips touching in a very sensual photograph, and it was displayed at the front of the store.
Another one that is posted now has a woman wearing D&G glasses with red lipstick, and it has a caption that says, "Your lipstick makes you feel flirty. Do your glasses?" And I actually had a female customer come in that was offended by that. I thought she was overreacting, but then I really started to pay attention to the kind of ads that had been displayed in the store. Thankfully, most of them aren't too revealing. But all of the female graphics, which are most of them, contain something regarding the appearance of the woman, how she should look and feel. Besides the one about the lipstick, there is another with a woman in her 40s wearing a black dress, looking confident and ready to go out, and the caption says, "That dress makes you feel ten years younger ... do your glasses?" This reinforces the idea that you must try to defy the aging process. It's unacceptable to look like you're as old as you are, so get the right glasses that make you look/feel younger. The only male graphic is a guy wearing D&G glasses, and his says, "your lucky shirt turns you into the guy who just can't lose ... do your glasses?" All of these ads are sending the message that if you get the right pair of eyeglasses, you'll be sexy and beautiful.
The truth is "pornography," as the book calls it, all of this sexually suggestive advertising, is everywhere. It's amazing when you think about it. I think as a society we are just accepting it and allowing it to happen. I'm in an odd position because I don't want to become desensitized to the advertisements, but I'm surrounded by them everyday and encouraged by my general manager to wear high fashion clothes, to know the fashion trends and am constantly surrounded by these porn-like ads. In the store, we have fashion magazines (one an almost 900 page Vogue edition). I know that many of these ads can be seen as degrading women, yet that is what the fashion industry is based on.
Another one that is posted now has a woman wearing D&G glasses with red lipstick, and it has a caption that says, "Your lipstick makes you feel flirty. Do your glasses?" And I actually had a female customer come in that was offended by that. I thought she was overreacting, but then I really started to pay attention to the kind of ads that had been displayed in the store. Thankfully, most of them aren't too revealing. But all of the female graphics, which are most of them, contain something regarding the appearance of the woman, how she should look and feel. Besides the one about the lipstick, there is another with a woman in her 40s wearing a black dress, looking confident and ready to go out, and the caption says, "That dress makes you feel ten years younger ... do your glasses?" This reinforces the idea that you must try to defy the aging process. It's unacceptable to look like you're as old as you are, so get the right glasses that make you look/feel younger. The only male graphic is a guy wearing D&G glasses, and his says, "your lucky shirt turns you into the guy who just can't lose ... do your glasses?" All of these ads are sending the message that if you get the right pair of eyeglasses, you'll be sexy and beautiful.
The truth is "pornography," as the book calls it, all of this sexually suggestive advertising, is everywhere. It's amazing when you think about it. I think as a society we are just accepting it and allowing it to happen. I'm in an odd position because I don't want to become desensitized to the advertisements, but I'm surrounded by them everyday and encouraged by my general manager to wear high fashion clothes, to know the fashion trends and am constantly surrounded by these porn-like ads. In the store, we have fashion magazines (one an almost 900 page Vogue edition). I know that many of these ads can be seen as degrading women, yet that is what the fashion industry is based on.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Sicko - Our health care system
Last night, I watched Sicko, the Michael Moore documentary on health care in the U.S. I already knew the health care system fails many people. And I've seen what people do to avoid going to the doctor or hospital. My own family struggles with this on a daily basis. My father has cancer (it's in remission again) and Multiple Sclerosis. My stepmother has many health problems, including knee cartilage issues, back problems, and many more. They are both disabled and have been for a few years. And due to many things either not covered by insurance, medications costing too much, surgeries, cancer treatments, etc... the bills started to add up and pretty soon, they were filing for bankruptcy.
I am very proud of them for watching this movie Sicko, because they are both very conservative, although my dad is more so than my stepmom, and they really don't like past Moore films. Although I know they can relate because the health care system has failed them numerous times. Last month, my stepmom tells me that her medications are so expensive, that she has to choose which ones to go without for a while. One medication costs $200 for a 30 day supply. She divides all of her pills in half, so she never gets the full dosage she is supposed to have.
Everyone has their stories or knows people that the health care system has failed.
It's time to start re-evaluating the system and what can be done to reform it. Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies are all making too much money. We at least need a system of checks and balances, but ideally it would be great to never have to turn anyone away for medical care, not because of money, not because of a pre-existing medical conditiong, not for anything. We are all human beings and we all deserve the same treatment. People need to start voicing their opinions now! We need to unite for what's right, for what we deserve. We united as a country after 9/11, why not now? My stepmom writes Congress on a regular basis and she encourages everyone to do so. Some people feel their opinion doesn't matter, but if they get enough letters, maybe they'll get tired of us and start considering some options. Sometimes all it takes is one person to really start changing people's minds - MLK Jr, Rosa Parks, You!
Moore gets a lot of criticism about the manner in which he tells his story. In one segment in the movie, he sends a $12,000 check to the very guy that has a website dedicated to bashing Moore, called Moorewatch. So, being the open-minded person I am, I decided to check it out so I can make a fair and balanced assessment about the documentary I just watched.
The funny thing was, most of the posts agreed with the opinions of Michael Moore and the questions he raises, but they rant about the way he portrays his opinion. They claim he edits the movies in a way that distorts the truth.
The most logical post was made by a British guy, and I feel he gets to the root of the issue. He doesn't agree with all of Moore's opinions, and he believes the man who runs the website is standing up for his beliefs. But the key issue is that Moore is passionate about getting people to talk about problems that could be fixed. This is a great issue to discuss, because so many people suffer from the injustices of the health care system. Let's elect those people that can maybe make a difference.
I am very proud of them for watching this movie Sicko, because they are both very conservative, although my dad is more so than my stepmom, and they really don't like past Moore films. Although I know they can relate because the health care system has failed them numerous times. Last month, my stepmom tells me that her medications are so expensive, that she has to choose which ones to go without for a while. One medication costs $200 for a 30 day supply. She divides all of her pills in half, so she never gets the full dosage she is supposed to have.
Everyone has their stories or knows people that the health care system has failed.
It's time to start re-evaluating the system and what can be done to reform it. Insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies are all making too much money. We at least need a system of checks and balances, but ideally it would be great to never have to turn anyone away for medical care, not because of money, not because of a pre-existing medical conditiong, not for anything. We are all human beings and we all deserve the same treatment. People need to start voicing their opinions now! We need to unite for what's right, for what we deserve. We united as a country after 9/11, why not now? My stepmom writes Congress on a regular basis and she encourages everyone to do so. Some people feel their opinion doesn't matter, but if they get enough letters, maybe they'll get tired of us and start considering some options. Sometimes all it takes is one person to really start changing people's minds - MLK Jr, Rosa Parks, You!
Moore gets a lot of criticism about the manner in which he tells his story. In one segment in the movie, he sends a $12,000 check to the very guy that has a website dedicated to bashing Moore, called Moorewatch. So, being the open-minded person I am, I decided to check it out so I can make a fair and balanced assessment about the documentary I just watched.
The funny thing was, most of the posts agreed with the opinions of Michael Moore and the questions he raises, but they rant about the way he portrays his opinion. They claim he edits the movies in a way that distorts the truth.
The most logical post was made by a British guy, and I feel he gets to the root of the issue. He doesn't agree with all of Moore's opinions, and he believes the man who runs the website is standing up for his beliefs. But the key issue is that Moore is passionate about getting people to talk about problems that could be fixed. This is a great issue to discuss, because so many people suffer from the injustices of the health care system. Let's elect those people that can maybe make a difference.
Friday, September 28, 2007
The Jena Six
I first heard about the Jena Six on facebook. I keep re-visiting the group "Free the Jena Six" to see what new debate has started. I suppose with any internet chats or blogs, it's very easy to miss the point of a debate, and people constantly go off on a tangent.
There were a number of posts that really shocked me. I know that unfortunately racism still exists and it is quite evident in some of these posts. One referred to blacks as "you people" and said that they "reproduce like rats." It is one thing to make a statement like that but another if you don't support your argument.
For instance, crime rates and teen pregnancy rates were some of the issues discussed. They both link to a lack of education. It is the system that fails the minorities. It is amazing to think that just 40 years ago, blacks and whites were drinking from separate water fountains, had separate facilities for everything, with the ones for "colored people" in the most run-down condition. And the scary thing is that this was the norm that was accepted.
There can be no justification for breaking the law, but you can closely examine the root of the cause for such behavior. And since slavery was such a widely accepted trend and for such a long period, albeit legislation outlaws slavery, racism is embedded deep within our country. It will take a while to break the trend. Because there is little money in their communities, little money goes to education, which creates a problem when trying to get a job. They get less pay but have the same demands as other races, thus making it a very easy decision to break the laws of a judicial system that has constantly let them down.
Also, it is great to see everyone peacefully assembling to protest this case. The Dallas Morning News even interviewed a white male cop and he said there were no problems, it was well organized, and that all of the organizations were cooperating with law enforcement.
Education is the root of many problems. So hopefully as more time passes and more people protest, more people become educated, and the system becomes more unbiased. But, that will take a very long time, and it will never be perfect. But it's a start.
There were a number of posts that really shocked me. I know that unfortunately racism still exists and it is quite evident in some of these posts. One referred to blacks as "you people" and said that they "reproduce like rats." It is one thing to make a statement like that but another if you don't support your argument.
For instance, crime rates and teen pregnancy rates were some of the issues discussed. They both link to a lack of education. It is the system that fails the minorities. It is amazing to think that just 40 years ago, blacks and whites were drinking from separate water fountains, had separate facilities for everything, with the ones for "colored people" in the most run-down condition. And the scary thing is that this was the norm that was accepted.
There can be no justification for breaking the law, but you can closely examine the root of the cause for such behavior. And since slavery was such a widely accepted trend and for such a long period, albeit legislation outlaws slavery, racism is embedded deep within our country. It will take a while to break the trend. Because there is little money in their communities, little money goes to education, which creates a problem when trying to get a job. They get less pay but have the same demands as other races, thus making it a very easy decision to break the laws of a judicial system that has constantly let them down.
Also, it is great to see everyone peacefully assembling to protest this case. The Dallas Morning News even interviewed a white male cop and he said there were no problems, it was well organized, and that all of the organizations were cooperating with law enforcement.
Education is the root of many problems. So hopefully as more time passes and more people protest, more people become educated, and the system becomes more unbiased. But, that will take a very long time, and it will never be perfect. But it's a start.
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