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.

Spoof Ads

McBaby

The advertisement is promoting that McDonalds will cause people to be unhealthy and on the chubby side. The baby is wearing a McDonalds bib and a French fry hat. Eating McDonalds starts as young as a baby, which also means that unhealthy habits could also start at an early age. Today in society, people are becoming too lazy to cook meals for their babies and instead eat at fast food restaurants. It is playing towards the laziness in society.

Absolute End

This advertisement shows how alcohol can lead to bad decisions. The advertisement shows a case in which alcohol ended with death. There is an alcohol outline with investigators surrounding it. In tiny print, it says, “Nearly 60% of automobile fatalities are linked to alcohol. 17% of North Americans are alcoholics.” The overall impression is that alcohol is bad.

Joe Chemo Bed

This ad explains how smoking is a bad thing. It can lead to things like Joe Chemo and how he gets cancer. He use to think he was cool because he smoked, but now he is stuck in a bed from cancer probably caused by smoking. He did not age well because the smoking caught up to him and now he looks like an old fart, and he is bald and wrinkly with an IV in his arm.

Nike

This ad explains a lot. Really. It is an ad against Nike because it wants to make us think how sneakers are really made, as in they are made in a sweatshop, in a poor country. Nike takes advantage of the people working in the sweatshops. People work hard to get the shoes while people who make the shoes work even harder while trying to stay alive. They want us to think about all of this globally and how Nike is bad.

How Does Media and Propaganda Manipulate Culture?

9:00

Propaganda and Culture

The mass media and propaganda manipulate culture by influencing people through psychological, emotional, and physical means. Propaganda is when information is used to promote people to think one way or another. Media and advertisement could be considered to be propaganda in the way that it is used. The government also uses propaganda too. They can encourage certain things through the media.

Throughout history, different forms of control were used. There was brainwashing in China. Propaganda was evident in the Soviet Union. During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union both used propaganda to persuade the citizens of each country that the other country is the enemy. They used the fear of nuclear weapons to scare people into thinking the way the government wanted; believing the other country was evil. In the present, mass media is the source of propaganda.

Companies and corporations research and investigate the human mind and what makes people tick. They exploit people’s insecurities so they can sell products. The way advertisements are used to sell things create a sense of what a perfect person in culture is. The products they would buy and use would define the ideal person. People would follow the described characterization by buying the brands. Commercials and advertisements some how sway people and influence their decisions.

Everybody sees many advertisements every day. Because so many people see the ads, people feel they have to listen to them. The way people are portrayed in commercials gives people an idea on what they should be. The ways ads describe the perfect person in an ideal life make people feel self conscious about themselves. Ad companies then take advantage of these insecurities. On the shampoo commercials, shampoo makes girls pretty and have a happy life. Without that brand girls can’t get glamorous hair. If they don’t have nice hair, they won’t have friends and then wouldn’t be happy.

News reporters physically tell and show people what is going on in the world. We can’t be sure that what they tell us is true though. What they report is considered news to people no matter what it is. The statuses and actions of celebrities are centered in news a lot of times and people consider this news. What one famous person does should not be more important than domestic or world news. Posters and billboards are also a part of the mass media and propaganda. During the Cold War, posters were displayed in support for the war and against the Soviet Union. Seeing and hearing the same thing over and over again would cause the idea to stick.

Propaganda and media convince people to do things mentally and maybe sublimely. Advertisements convince people to buy products. They play with people’s feelings and prey on their lack of confidence in themselves. Branding causes people to buy sometimes expensive and unnecessary products. There are different reasons for propaganda. In the Cold War, people were controlled by propaganda in the form of fear. Currently through media and technology, advertisements have been used as propaganda.

How Does Mass Media Shape Reality?

9:00 Class

Mass Media's Influence

The mass media is powerful and influential. It can pressure how we think, sway our actions, and how we perceive ourselves. The media shapes our perception on what being perfect is and defines the meaning for us. If you don’t conform to what the advertisements say, then you will not fit into society.

Companies and corporations have specific groups and scientists to figure out what makes people work and how they can manipulate them to buy or use something. Mass media and advertisements are some ways to, exactly that, control human behavior. The mass media is a functional myth. They study psychologically and mentally the human mind with the end goal to find ways to influence consumers to consume. Companies research and study to understand people’s desires, standards, and insecurities. Then they try to explore them, exploit them, and then get people to buy their products.

Commercials are directed to target consumers to alter their ideas. They give the idea that people are far from perfect. They tell consumers that if they purchase the product, then they will be complete or better off then without the product. Eating a specific brand of food will allow people to make friends and make them fit and healthy. Drinking a certain brand of flavored water will give you athletic abilities and driving a special car will transform you into Derek Jeter.

Commercials and advertisements create a sense of what a perfect person is. The ideal woman is shown as being skinny, tall, and pretty. Using a certain shampoo would give girls perfect hair and make them pretty. The ideal man is pictured as tall, athletic, having muscles, and handsome. Using a certain brand of deodorant will give guys special powers, attract dozens of pretty girls, and become the picture of the ideal man.

Media through the news outlet is especially powerful. The news they do tell us, we have to believe. We do not know if it is true or not. The government could be controlling what is being told or not. The news reports that are reported are chosen because they are interesting. Reporters would provide information that is only interesting and not necessarily relevant. More time would be spent on a small story. They might embellish a small story instead of reporting a big story due to the fact that the small one is more attention grabbing than another. For example, stories about celebrities are on a lot instead of world hunger. Because of this, we think that the celebrities’ life stories are important news instead of foreign and domestic problems. Each news station is also bias toward their own belief. For example, fox news is favored toward the republican standpoint.

Advertisements manipulate the human mind into thinking what the ideal person is. Corporations exploit people’s insecurities and provide products to fix the insecurities. Consumers buy the products though to make themselves feel complete and idealized. The mass media plays an important factor in our decision to buy a specific brand or eat a certain food.

Advertisement

9:00 Class

Relationship with Advertisement

Advertisements are in everything and are everywhere. They are unavoidable. People see them on the Internet, the television, music videos, magazines, and the radio. We see hundreds of advertisements every day. They try to make consumers want what they are selling by appealing to the target consumers’ style, senses, and ego. Seeing famous celebrities wearing that brand or eating that food could influence people to want the same brand or food. On commercials a lot, people take a kind of medication and seem happier and have more friends because of it.

Companies and corporations put a lot of thought into advertisement to entice the customers. They use visually stimulating images and logically appealing ideas. They use statistics and data to persuade customers one way or another. In commercials, they try to name everything that is good about the product. Then at the end, in small print, companies put everything that is bad about it. They also talk really fast to keep the emphasis on the positives. Advertisements also try to appeal to the five senses.

I know I see advertisements every day, but I don’t realize the amount that I actually do see. Walking out of the building, there are multiple fliers and posters for various things on the wall. When surfing the Internet, advertisements pop up. Some commercials are repetitive to the point where people remember the ad. The commercials could also be entertaining like the Old Spice commercial, where everybody knows about it.

My relationship with advertisements is an ok one. Most advertisements do effect me whether I know it or not. Sometimes the catchy tunes get stuck in my head, like the Meow Mix jingle. If I had a cat I would by Meow Mix over other brands because I remember it. When I watch a Subway’s commercial, I usually crave an Italian sub. Subways advertises their healthy options and their variety of choices. The five dollar menu sounds reasonable and appealing. The car commercials are visually and auditory stimulating. I would always want to own and drive the car, but I know I can’t. The producers make the cars seem like it has many functions and is in its own league.

I consciously think that advertisements do not effect me as much as other people. It depends on what the product is. When I watch television, I do not like watching the commercials. Usually I flip to another channel to avoid the commercials. The commercials that I do watch are usually interesting. I like to watch ones that are colorful and have a good song I know. If the advertisement is compelling, I might consider getting it. Advertisements do not influence me one way or another. If I see an ad for a product, I would not instantly go out and buy it. The product would be in the back of my mind though. The next time I see it, I would remember that I saw it before. Advertisements do help me make decisions though. I pick the products that I remember hearing or seeing before.

Free Write 10/7/10

I am one in a about a hundred in the bag. We all sit comfortably in the cool dark bag, until someone decides to open the bag and disturb us. Multiple grubby and oily hands reach in and touch everything and everybody. I am a pretty clean chip. I don't want someone's fingers touching me especially when I don't know where they have been. I know I am salty, crisp, and delicious, but why can't the person only stop with one? Am I that irresistible like it says on the package.

Rutgers Student

I think what happened at Rutgers was sad. The kid committed suicide because he felt afraid of coming out. He felt uncomfortable in his situation. I think what his roommate did was horrible. The roommate used the Internet to try and play a joke on him, which went too far. Clementi was so embarrass to a point that he committed suicide. The roommate violated Clementi's privacy and what he did was morally wrong. The media hurt Clementi, but also publicized him into a celebrity.

Wittig Quote

Megan Lee

9:00 Class

Life as a Story

I agree with Susan Wittig Albert’s quote in that our life is like our own story. As we grow and develop throughout life, our story also expands and matures. One way to tell and express our story is through writing. Writing allows people to reminisce about events, explore ideas, understand life, and respond to every thing they have encountered. Depending on what we have to write about and the assignment at hand, different aspects or “versions of ourselves” are created to accompany the task. For example, I focused on putting more description, imagery, and similes into the assignment because the objective was to do so. I wrote about my life, trying to tell and illustrate a story. The memories and experiences are like the chapters in my life. Most of my writing reflects my life and does reflect my beliefs. My writing is straightforward and clear-cut implying that I am pretty much a simple minded and a straightforward person. I usually tell the story as it is, but I do try and show more in my writing now. My writings are generally about important things that I feel are close to my life like my family, friends, and also shows my interests and hobbies.

Milestones in Future

In the future, I see myself accomplishing all of the milestones of education, independence, financially stable, marriage, and children. I plan on graduating in six years and get my pharmacy degree. I hope to get a job after I graduate college in the pharmacy area. I will then become financially stable from the job and maybe buy an apartment or a house. I also plan on getting married some time after college and having children after I get married when my job and home are stable.

Descriptive Detail

Megan Lee

9:00 Class

Candy Land

This was every child’s dream. This was a world made of sweet treats and goodies, desert heaven. I have never seen anything like it. The lemon drop sun was shining bright with a clear frosty sky. The clouds were like fluffy cotton candy. There was a chocolate waterfall, ice cream snow, gummy pathways, and licorice trees. The light sound of popcorn was popping in the background. There was a long, twisty, winding trail intertwining with itself. Everything was edible and unbelievable.

There is no such thing as a junk food fantasy. The world of sweets was actually my favorite childhood game, Candy Land. I think it was the first game that I ever played. It was a simple game where you didn’t need to know much. It wasn’t like Trivia Pursuit where you need to know random, useless facts. All you needed to play the game was to know colors. There is no strategy or manipulation; you just draw cards and play. Every day I would want to play with just about anybody. Even the cover of the box was fun. There was candy cane lettering and every kind of candy on the front. The vibrant colors made the game seem to come to life. The game put you in the middle of a Willy Wonka movie. Who knew a board game could be so fun. The goal of the game was to race to the candy castle. There were red, yellow, blue, green, purple, and orange cards that corresponded to the spaces on the board. I was pretty good at the game. I would win most of the time against my family. Every player started their gingerbread man piece on the entrance of the magical road of colors. On the way, we would pass by the Chunky Chocolate Mountains, Cupcake Commons, Ginger Bread Houses, Candy Cane Forest and Gum Drop Mountain. The giant swirly lollipops, sprinkle frosted cupcakes surrounded the playing board. The characters in the game also resembled sweets. There were King Kandy, Mr. Mint, Gramma Nutt, and others. Chocolate and ice cream cones threw themselves at us every time we turned a corner.

I would be looking forward to the game at the beginning of every week. Every Sunday night, my family and I would play the game. It was routine; I would set up the game after dinner. We would sit, crossing our legs, on the soft, carpet floor surrounding the table. My younger brother would sit next to me with my parents sitting across from me. The sounds of Tom and Jerry or Bugs Bunny’s voice from the Looney Tunes would be on in the background. I remember hearing “Be vewwy vewwy quiet. I’m hunting wrabbits.” My brother would say the phrase over and over again while we play the game.

I loved Candy Land when I was little. Some times, I still play Candy Land with the kids that I babysit with telling them it was my first game. Candy Land was my favorite game because the game is simple and I have a simple, straightforward mind. I also love the savory taste of sweet things. Candy Land now reminds me of the simple times, when I was young and didn’t have to worry about anything. Playing the game allows people to escape reality and return to their childhood.

Free Write

Write About Anything Free Write

I don't really know what to write about. I am not really thinking about anything since it is Monday morning. All I know is that right now, I am kind of tired and hungry. I did eat some breakfast this morning, but I am still hungry. I had a banana and Honey Nut Cheerios. I am happy though because this is my only class today. After this class, I can go eat something in the dining hall and maybe take a nap. Tomorrow I have to wake up earlier than today though for a seven thirty class. I have three classes tomorrow in a row, so I am not happy about that. I still have homework to do for those classes too. I also have to write up my lab report and read a couple of pages of philosophy, which I don't understand at all, for saturday.

Writing Profile

Megan Lee

9:00 Class

Writing Profile

Coming from a traditional Asian family, Megan Lee is expected to perform academically and to be hardworking in life. She has a desire to make her parents proud of what she does and to live up to their standards. She is small in stature, but big inside. She is quiet, but confident. Her dad describes her in one word, diligent. She tries to live up to her dad’s word in everything she does.

Megan is CPR and First aid certified. She was trained to be a lifeguard. People wouldn’t know it by looking at her. To obtain her certification, she had to go through a series of test. The written part was pretty easy, but the physical test was not. It was in the middle of May so it wasn’t hot yet, but it wasn’t in freezing temperatures. It was around fifty degrees. They had to swim fifteen laps in the frigid water. To pass the test, she had to save a three hundred pound man from the bottom of the twelve feet pool. She was doubtful at first, but was determined and did not want to give up. How could Megan, a hundred pounds, a little over five feet girl, rescue and bring a six feet three hundred pound man out of the water. It was like a mouse pulling a lion out of the water. To every body’s surprise and hers, she was able to save the instructor. She passed the test and earned her certification.

She does not like being a lifeguard though. It is not all fun in the sun and sitting poolside. She basically yelled at kids, “No running. No hanging on the the diving board.” She cares for people and hates yelling at people, especially little children. Being a lifeguard was a good experience though, being her first official job. Megan got to meet people, and gain connections. She is still certified currently and might lifeguard again in the summer.

Megan also has her black belt in karate. She only took the class because her brother took it. They passed the tests and got their black belts together. They grew and bonded through the time. They trained and practiced together. They broke boards, learned techniques, and won some awards. They leaned how to defend themselves and how to fight. They learned self discipline and many skills.

One of the things Megan loves doing is playing volleyball. She became passionate of volleyball through playing it. She started freshman year of high school. She met some of her closest friends through volleyball. The sport is competitive, a team sport, and overall fun. She gets underestimated a lot on the court though. People see her and think nothing of her ability. A couple of teams have said to pick on the little Asian girl. Little did they know though, she was pretty good. Once she served the ball at the other team, they quickly knew that she was good. Hearing that motivated her to push harder and to play harder. She would always give a hundred percent during practice to be better than the next person. She has to work twice as hard as the other people to make up for her size.

She is not the most interesting person, but she does try to live life to the fullest. She tries to live up to her family’s standards and make them proud of her accomplishments. Getting her black belt allowed her to spend time with her brother. She overcame doubts in being a lifeguard and overcame stereotypes in playing volleyball. She is small, but she can compete and keep up with everybody else. Megan Lee’s traits of diligence, hard working attitude, and discipline have been acquired from her family, friends, and accomplishments in life. Megan Lee will continue to make her family proud and be diligent.

Show Don't Tell

Megan Lee
9:00 Class
Thing 1, 2, and 3

This picture brings back a lot of memories. It reminds me of friends, volleyball, and all the good times we had together. It was a bittersweet day. I never thought the day would come when my high school volleyball career would end. It was senior night, the last game the seniors would play volleyball as a team on the home court. There were six seniors awaiting our last game together. It was sad and exciting. The thing we love to do was coming to an end. There was no more waking up really early in the morning for practices and no more grueling exercises. I was excited though, looking forward to senior day ever since freshman year. I couldn’t believe four years had passed by already. I was about to step on to the court for the last time with my teammates/ friends. I was anxious and nervous.

We won the game making the day even more special. After the game, we went back to our team room to celebrate. It smelled of hot pizza, and freshly, baked chocolate chip cookies. There were gold and black (our school colors) balloons floating every where. Decorative colors covered the cafeteria lunch tables. There was a lot of food and drinks. Pictures of the team were lined up on the table. There was a blown up picture of the seniors holding our tournament winning trophy posted on the wall. Each senior had one or two underclassman that were under them. The underclassman bought the seniors gifts. My teammates handed me a gift bag, standing next to me. I scuffled through the bag wondering what they got me. I reached into the bag, tissue paper crackling, and felt something soft like cotton. I knew it was some kind of clothing. I took the shirt out of the bag. The bright red shirt unfolded itself. I looked down and saw Thing 1 in black lettering in the middle of a white circle positioned on the middle of the shirt. My two friends standing next to me were no longer near me. I heard giggling and the flashes on the camera. At first, I had no idea what was going on. Then I turned around and saw my two friends with Thing 2 and 3 shirts on too. They had painted the words Thing 1, 2, and 3, on the shirts by hand. For Halloween we jokingly agreed to go trick or treating dressed as Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3. We never had a chance to do it though. It turned out to be our team’s inside joke.

The picture was taken in the team/ senior room located next to the cafeteria in my high school. We had just finished playing an intense game. We still had our jerseys, spandex, volleyball pads, and long socks on. The picture was taken when the three of us put our Thing shirts over our jerseys. Even though the three of us are not all looking in the same direction and it is not the greatest picture in the world, I still like the photo. The photo triggers memories of happiness, laughter, and exuberance. It reminds me of the great times we had and how we became close friends throughout the season. The three of would always be hanging out on and off the court. They became some of my best friends still to this day. We are in different schools now, but every time I look at the picture I remember the fun times we had together.

Frida Kahlo "Roots"

Frida Kahlo is illustrated as being part of a root like a vegetable or some kind of plant. She is orange like a carrot. Her face and arms are a lighter shade of orange than the rest of the body. She is lying down implying that she is in a relaxed position. The stomach area looks see through, where you can see the background. There is a white frilly hem surrounding her feet area. She is lying next to bunch of rocks. She is positioned in the middle of what looks like a desert. There are dark cracks on the ground she is on.

Because of her posture and position, she looks troubled and pained. She is in a painful, awkward, and uncomfortable position lying on one arm. Her facial expression is blank though. She hides her feelings inside. She had a hard past. There was problems and dissension in her family. Her grandpa is rich and her relatives were fighting over his money. They fought and argued so much that cracks grew between them. The family eventually split. There are green leaves and roots protruding out of her stomach and chest area. Her roots have caused her pain in which she can not forget. She believes in her roots deeply though and cares for her family.

Mustard Tiger

If calling someone a mustard tiger was an offense to the highest degree, it would be defined as someone doing something really stupid. They are adventurous, stupidly brave, and arrogant. A mustard tiger would accept any dare no matter how dumb or serious. They would dive straight into a situation even though they never did it before.

Cheeseburger locker describes someone who likes cheese a lot. They are obsessed with cheese and barbecue food. They put cheese on everything. They even store cheese in their bags when they leave the house in case they get a craving for cheese. They are usually fat and unhealthy. They love fast food places and the dollar menus.

Gender Expectations

Megan Lee

Gender Expectations

9:00 Class

Growing up, I remembered that my great grandpa always wanted a great grandson. My relatives kept having girls though. My great grandpa was happy that he was there to welcome a new member of the family, but deep down inside he wanted a boy. Eventually though, my great grandpa got his wish when my uncle had a baby boy. My great grandpa was ecstatic. His traditions and beliefs date back to his parents and then to his grandparents. He had a large ego, but had a lot of pride in the family. My great grandpa wanted his name to live on forever. Because of that, when I was little, I thought boys were more wanted than girls. In the present, I know that my parents love my brother and I equally, (at least I am pretty sure) but my parents do favor my brother more. He gets to pick which restaurant we go to, which car we get, which phones we get, and a lot more things. It might be because my brother is younger, but my parents do coddle him more than me.

In my family, I also got the idea that the boys were more favored towards than the girls. My great grandpa gave my uncles his land and property in China and did not give my aunts anything. I thought boys were more special than girls. I do not believe that anymore, but the idea of men supporting the family was passed down from generation to generation. There needs to be a man in the household to take charge, provide financially, and protect the family. The wife would be expected to clean the house, take care of the children, and cook meals. I think that the roles are now shared by all members of the household, but males, because of their identity with masculinity, feel they need to and have to take on the whole burden.

From example and observation, a family is consisted of a husband, wife, and children. In my family, both of my parents take care of my brother and me. We support and love each other. Each member contributes to the family in their own way. Both my parents work and provide financially. My mom does do most of the household chores and cooking, but my dad does chip in. He cleans the outside of the house, takes care of the landscape (with my brother), and barbecues food. The expected roles of women and men are no longer in use. The roles are shared at least in my family.

Group Discussion Gender Norms

GENDER NORMS- learned from society, culture and generations

Expectations of

MASCULINITY

Competitive, High ego, support family financially, eat meat, sleep, drink, some dependent, support women, hiding emotions, providers, tough, dominance, muscles, tall

physical dominance, power, authority, success

fighters; war

sports/ athletics

suppose to like women

ties, suits,

men more limited than women

FEMININITY

motherhood, serve men, cook, household chores, housewife, work butt off, support the family, today transgressing from norm, independent, looked down upon, emotional, sensitive,

make up, long hair, curves, fashion, smaller than men, petite

WHAT DEFIES THE NORMS?

Sexuality, factions, culture, actions, society

CONSEQUENCES

Division in society, accepting of transgression of norms,

TEACHES NORMS

media, parents, society, church

Femininity and Masculinity

I think that the idea of femininity and masculinity have decreased over time. It used to be thought that males were more superior than females. Males would have jobs, do work, and bring home the money. Females would have done housework and take care of children. Now the whole idea has changed. Women have passed men in education and in society. Women have become more independent. They say that both women and men have the same opportunities in life. But I think that it is still a male dominated society. Males still get paid more. Some males still believe they are better than females.

What defines femininity is independence, responsibility,

Times Article Response

Megan Lee

Times Article Response

9:00 Class

To answer the article’s question, people in their twenties are taking so long to grow up because of many factors like the economy, their financial situation, family, and their own personal beliefs. The traditional definition of reaching adulthood of completing school, leaving home, becoming financially independent, marrying and having children is not right. They can’t define what adulthood is by stating specific milestones. Everybody has their own idea on what adulthood means. Some people reach it faster than others, but people try to learn and grow.

Parents want their children to succeed and because of that, they help them in any way possible. Kids moving in after college is one of those ways. It’s not wrong to live with parents. In order to start a family, people usually want to be financially stable. It has become hard to be stable with the increase of mortgages, expensive college debt, the increase in unemployment, and the high cost of life in general. People are trying to become independent and survive. No one wants to depend on their parents financially or live with them throughout their twenties. It is embarrassing and is a blow to their self esteem. Some people live at home to save money on food, laundry, and rent. It is kind of smart financially speaking.

Everyone who is not married, has no children, is unemployed, and is in debt doesn’t make them less of an adult. People struggle throughout their lives. The article criticizes and generalizes the generation of twenty year olds as being lazy and being unsuccessful because they have not exactly become the definition of an adult. Becoming an adult is a gradual process. Different experiences and events contribute to the transition of becoming an adult. To be a true adult is to be responsible, sensible, emotionally mature, and have self determination. People don’t need milestones to define them as adults.