Grade that I Deserve

I think I deserve an A.

Megan Lee
9:00 Class
Analysis Essay

Pillows and Nostalgia

When I was six, my parents bought my brother and I a mini pillow. It is smaller than a regular pillow, but is soft and is comfortable as a regular one. The actual pillow is white. There are baby Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse characters on the pillow case. Mickey Mouse is wearing a blue pajama set with yellow buttons. Each Mickey Mouse is holding a blue blanket and a red pacifier. Each Minnie Mouse is wearing her signature pink bow and a pink pajama set with yellow buttons. Both Mickey and Minnie have the large white four fingered gloves as hands. The Minnie Mouses are holding rainbow rattles. The background is white with a light blue checkerboard pattern. My parents gave the pillow to us because of the long commute we had to do every day. My family and I lived in Staten Island, but I went to kindergarten and elementary school in the city and my parents worked in the city too. So every morning, we would all get up early and drive to the city. In the car, I would always want to sleep. I would want to put my head on something so my parents bought me the pillow. I think I used that pillow almost every day on the ride there and back. I would lean against it when I was not sleeping. I still have the pillow today. I do not sleep on it like I used to, but the pillow is sitting in the back seat of my car. The pillow reminds me of my childhood and the car rides that my family had together.
I think I grew up into a good family. I have two loving parents that would do anything for my brother and me. I also have a younger brother, who I fought with some times. My parents took care of us, raised us, and instilled us with good values. They gave my brother and I pillows because of the long car rides. My parents might have spoiled us a little bit, but with good intentions. They want my brother and I to be happy and to live better lives than they did. My parents ultimately want the best for us and want us to succeed in life.
The role of nostalgia in our lives is important. People like to remember their childhood and the good old days. As people grow older, life gets more complicated. They have more responsibility and have more things to worry about. In school, the higher the grade, the harder the work and the more amount of work. Also, most people get physically weaker when they get older. The elderly always talk about their pasts and reminisce about their teenage years. Nostalgia of our childhood allows us to remember the simpler times, where we did not have to worry about anything. We just ate, watched cartoons, and took naps. In a hectic world, it is nice to be reminded of the uncomplicated past if only for a few minutes.

Media Addiction

Girl starved to death while parents raised virtual child in online game

Society has gotten so attached to the internet to the point where it has become a part of life. People are now more dependent on the internet, television, and online games than ever before. I think what happened to the infant is an extreme case when it comes to internet addiction, but it is sad and wrong. A couple in South Korea left their infant alone to take care of a virtual family. The infant eventually died due to starvation and neglect. I don't think internet addiction was the only problem though, I think the couple is a little messed up and has something wrong with them mentally. There has to be something wrong with them. I can't believe the couple left their own baby for a fake baby. Online games can become addicting like in the case of the couple. Online games give the creator a chance to create anything they want, basically their hopes, dreams, and desires. They find themselves have better lives online than in reality that they get caught up in the fantasy world. In reality though, people are addicted to the media.

Media Free Week

Media I use:

Cell Phone

Computer

Tv

Internet

Facebook

Skype

I usually go on the computer and use my phone constantly. I don't watch tv as much since college started. I go on Facebook occasionally when I am bored. My parents and friends would probably wonder what happened to me if I didn't go online for awhile. My biggest fear of doing the media free week is that I think I am going to be really bored. I would also miss talking to my friends and family. I don't think it is impossible, but it would be hard to go without these things. I wouldn't be able to connect with people other than the people here. From doing this project, we could see how addicted we really are to the media and how much time is spent on the computer and the cell phones.

Research Project

The research project is on how men have to fit a certain mold to avoid harassment and to fit in to society. Men have to be physically fit and independent. The media and advertisements portray men that are strong. The models show muscles and a fit body. Movies like Rambo and the Terminator also show an independent and strong leading character. The men use violence to further enhance their power and independence. As time went on, the muscles and guns seen in the media has gotten relatively larger. In movies, the small little hand gun has evolved into a big automatic machine gun. If regular men don't fit into this criteria of dominance, strong, and respect, then they get looked down upon and get called names.

Exploitation of Food and Animals

Exploitation of Food and Animals via Food Production in the US

Companies ultimately exploit animals and food in the US. Their goal is to always grow it faster, bigger, and cheaper no matter the consequences. They shut up farmers by threatening business contracts and fees. Meat fillers and substitution causes fast food to be so cheap. But it makes natural vegetables and healthier foods more expensive compared to the unhealthy foods. The good costs more than bad, which causes people to be unhealthy. The production of food caused the food society to be skewed. People are trying to engineer new food from corn and other materials. I think it is wrong the way the animals are treated and used for mass production. The companies do not care about anything but their profit and production. Animals are harshly treated. They feed chickens so they are fat for people to eat. The chickens become so obese and unhealthy though that their weight overcomes their ability to stand. The chickens' feet breaks and can't walk. Then people herd the chickens; they grab them from the pen and throw them into a truck. I don' t think I will be able to eat chicken or meat for a while.

Tough Guise

Megan Lee

9:00 Class

Tough Guise

I think that the film, Tough Guise, made some valid points. I never realized that there was a specific connection between men, violence, and the media. Most people are influenced by mass media. Something interesting that the film said was that to understand culture, look at the mass media. In society, the constant message of men being violent has been conveyed over and over again. So much that the association of violence and men has become normal. The way men are displayed in sports, television shows, commercials, and movies give an ideal image of men. In order to be a man, he has to be athletic, strong, independent, rugged, and powerful. He has to be dominant and feel in control.

According to the movie, in an effort to look masculine, men put on a front or a disguise. Men never want to look weak physically and emotionally or immasculated. The fear of being different and not being a man causes men to pose and use a disguise. The disguises and ideas used are gathered from the media. In movies, men are displayed with lots of muscles and a sense of authority. Regular men try to be the illustrated man from media. For smaller and scrawnier men in media, they use guns to even the playing field. The struggle for power is a main theme for men in mass media.

The need to become stronger, bigger, and more aggressive has developed over the years. The sizes of guns in movies have grown throughout movies. It used to be a small handgun that was intimidating. It developed into a medium sized gun in the James Bond movies, then rifles in western movies. Then in Rambo, a huge machine gun is used. A gun used to be a symbol of power and control. Now the body is also considered a means of power and intimidation. The bigger and more muscular, the better the man is.

Through media and society, men have associated masculinity with violence. Men are more likely to be violent than women. One in four men will commit some kind of abuse. Eighty five percent of murderers are men. Statistically speaking, men are just more violent. The desire to be the definition of masculinity, men follows the ideal man portrayed in media. People are not surprised when men commit violent crimes, but are astounded when women commit the same crime.

Sports instill good qualities like teamwork, discipline, and sportsmanship. But sports in general have become more aggressive and strong. The fights in hockey have become more violent. Fights even incur in baseball and soccer. The tackles in football have become more vicious, where people would gain a concussion or even become paralyzed.

The mass media defines what the present culture is and how people think. The media currently shows men with big, strong bodies, a tough guy attitude, an aura of dominance, and a feeling of independence and power. Throughout history, movies, shows, and sports have become more aggressive and power. Often times, violence is now correlated with masculinity. Men put on a disguise to look masculine defined by society.