The Overlooked Role of a Cyberbully

Here is our video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjuN3NfdmIE&feature=youtu.be

Just in case! 

African Americans in Sports

     After watching the part on African Americans and their role in sports, I feel that they have taken a progressive role in turning the hate into positive light. Just as the video said, it takes a lot to turn down sponsors to just believe in what you believe. African Americans have had to battle white superiority since the beginning of modern industrialization and honestly still battle with it.
    Muhammad Ali to me, was just a man who boxed or wrestled. I knew of his famous quote, but knew nothing of his goals, life, or beliefs. Today, I was shown how much more there is to this man and what he stood for, not just in the jock-ocracy, but in life itself. I wasn't aware that he went in partnership with Martin Luther King Jr. or that he had changed his name. All these things make a person more than just a famous quote.
     The author of the video did a tremendous job with comparing examples to back up his claims and to show what he was talking about. I feel more informed on how media has been able to channel "norms" into our lives and we just blindly accept and not question things as to why they happen. In a sense, it's kind of scary to think that we and a culture can be manipulated without even being aware of it happening. I hope that one day we can all learn to question reasoning, to not just sit back and be manipulated by commercials and videos, to be able to justify our beliefs with more than just "because I said so." This class has helped me to not just think in the way that I have thought for twenty years of my life but to now think outside of my general reasoning.

Military: The New Game

     First off, before I get into anything, I would just like to say that I support the military 100%. The things I may say in this blog post, do not necessary hold true to what I believe. I will be simply exploring the militarization of sports in general.
     So to begin, I have played sports my entire life, and as a girl, I don't know what my life would be without those experiences. The game has taught me to grow, believe in myself and others, and to be able to work as a team to accomplish a common goal. All these things are life lessons and values that men or women must obtain to be successful. It is not uncommon for women to play sports in the 21st century; however, only maybe 50 years ago, it was a totally different situation. Now that that is not the case, we face a different norm: the military in sports.
     I feel that it is okay to take the opportunity to honor veterans or those enlisted at a sporting event. It seems logical, take a group of select men/women and take them to a big crowd who will cheer and applaud so loud, your ears will ring for days. But, the game itself has changed from a sport to that of much like a video game- "blindly training." Seeing the major NFL star go from being honored as an NFL to Military man at his death with a COVER UP story to his death seems like a grave injustice to the man and what he stood for. He said he had done "nothing" by playing NFL and after 9/11 he joined the military. That statement alone shows how players are subliminally taught to believe that the military does more for you as a person than any sport can or will do.
     I really like how informative and content driven this video is and look forward to finishing it!

Geekly Chic

     What is it to be a geek? Well, after the discussion in class, my thoughts are a little more informed. I always saw the stereotypes with the beautiful girls in the black framed classes with her claiming she's a geek. Yes, I feel that that is not a geek! Some say that it's a fashion statement, but not all identities are instantly formed from a pair of black framed sunglasses.
     Being a geek brings a whole knew realm of expectations, realities and assumptions to the table. Is being a geek apart of the culture of cool? Is it an actual reality? Is it just a "style"? All of these questions can be answered with heat and backup information on all side of the discussion. I typed in "Geeks" into the Google Image search and this is some things I found. Thought it might be interesting to share! Is this fair?

     Notice that the men are either "good-looking" or not and the women are obviously portrayed as, well, you can see. Is this okay? I feel that the culture of cool may partly influence the discussion of what it is to be a "geek." It's not just a definition or a brand, it's a choice of interest. If women want to be involved in cosplay, then so be it; however, dressing and acting like a "geek" does not mean that she need to sexualize the hulk or assassin's creed. I feel that Caleb did a very good job in channeling tension or questionable thoughts into an educational response!

Prince's and Princess's: Where Did it Start?

     As a little girl, I grew up thinking that I wanted to be just like Pocahontas. She's brave, daring, beautiful, strong, driven, independent: all the things I wanted to be when I grew up. Then, media hit. Why is it that when we are born (boy or girl), we either get a tiara or a superman cape? Pink or blue? Balloons or flowers? My mom told me that I was, unfortunately, bald until I was almost two-years-old. And GUESS WHAT! Many people told my mom that she had a beautiful baby BOY.
     Wonderful. As a child, I grew up with TV shows that had girls who were in charge, boys who were mean but wanted to be cool and awesome. The "Princess Culture" has kind of woken media consumers with discussions and photos such as these.

     This Tumblr account Disney Gone Wild contains much more in depth conversation about the media and how this tumblr is going against media norms and stereotypes. While the princess culture has positives such as: independence, empowerment, fighting for justice, but this culture also contains negatives like: submission, consumerism, changing for others, etc. But here is the kicker, instead of this happening through our childhood, it still happens now and even when we are old. When you are an adult, women still need to look good, workout and have the perfect body. They should wear high heels and promote herself  in a sexy promiscuous way. Women are supposed to entice the men either with their body, their looks, or their material lifestyle. That being said, the men are driven to be muscular, strong, brave, and an unemotional rock. What kind of life or relationship is that? This is the princess culture influencing more than just the clothes you come home in-but even then the rest of your life.

Video games are the New Vision

     When I walk through the halls of the dorm or even visiting friends, violent video games have seem to have had an impact on the adults of tomorrow. But has it? After reading and listening to our discussions in class, I feel it necessary to say that I am neither against GTA5 or COD; however, nor am I for it.
     Why is it such a big deal for youth of today to play a video game where violence is such a major role? But at the same time, why should they not be allowed? Part of me feels that one, if you are going into the military because of video games where you think you can "respawn" within 5 seconds, you should maybe rethink your choice to join, because let's be honest here, you won't respawn. At the same time, I feel like the video game industry has taken advantage of a popular culture medium that we have opened as an inlet of information to us as consumers.
     Buying an Xbox 360 or a PS3 each come with their own "perks" but, Xbox and PS3 both know how to cater to their buyers. When we buy something, we expect to get something in return, yes? So, what if the military is using COD Black Ops, GTA5, or Battlefield 4 and an outlet to gain something (or members later on) in the future to better help their industry? Is this technique they use wrong? Why is it wrong? Or is this strategy just another use of popular culture and we just accept it as we accept commercials of why Windex makes your windows cleaner than other name brands. Who doesn't use Windex? Exactly.
      What if you would stop and think about FIFA2013. Has this soccer game inspired youth to want to become the next David Beckham? What if the role was flipped? What if we lived in a world where soccer was an elite form of exercise and was looked upon, as a powerful influence on society, and the military was just the norm? It's what every young man grew up to do, and was expected to do. Would the media twist and turn FIFA2013 into a horrible representation of a real soccer career?
     Good, bad, or indifferent video games are held to a different standard to other forms of media.  Is it fair?