Rebecca Skloot

The presentation was pretty cool actually.  I got a kick out of her telling stories about the Lacks family.  It was different to see the writer in person and think back to her story and just imagine her being there and dealing with everything.  It was neat too that she wanted to be a vet tech before a writer and that one class in college changed her mind.  Or rather refined her ambitions.  She could still be involved in science but also use her writing ability to reach others, thats what she said anyway.  It was alittle long but over all not as bad as i thought.  The questions asked by other people attending were some of the same ones i had but was no courageous enough to get up and ask.  I still wonder if the Lacks family will ever get any part of a settlement or money for what theyve been through and the great things that Henrietta gave to us all.

Soul Plane

The movie we watched in class was actually really funny, way better than the movie from last week!  I think maybe because it was a newer movie or maybe because the humor wasn’t so sarcastic. It was just funny.  There were definitely some racial things happening in the movie with the airline being primarily African American. It was named Malcolm X, come on!  The black people in the movie were all gangster with their baggy sweat suits and jeans and the women had their skin tight pants and cleavage hanging out.  The plane was purple and had spinners for gosh sake’s!  The pilot, Snoop Dog, was dressed in what looked like a mechanics shirt and wanted to smoke weed.  The white family did not adjust well to their fellow passengers, at least from as much of the movie as we watched.  The son did get some clothes and a bandana but the dad is just in utter shock with all the ghetto booties surrounding him and the wife to be is petrified.  The daughter just wants to get away from the family and her teenage hormones let her settle in with the dark skinned boy she sits next to on the plane.  I really want to find this movie and watch the whole thing! It just seemed like a simple humorous movie.

Bamboozled

The movie wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, although it was really long.  I wouldn't have picked it to watch but all in all it was a decent movie.  I didn't feel it was very offensive but I could definitely see how the jokes would be to some people.  The watermelon thing was hilarious to me but I know some people who wouldn't think that was funny at all.  I think it is the kind of thing where the movie didn't make fun of anything about me so it wasn't bothersome to me.  But say if it had been about West Virginia I would probably be somewhat offended at what they would depict as our norm.  It would still be funny but it would also irritate me that we would be thought of how most people picture West Virginians.  Mantan was a bum off the streets, living in an abandoned building, performing on the street for money.  His friend was like a manager to him; he got the crowd interested and collected the money.  If they had been in a studio with fancy clothes then nobody would have thought anything less of them than respectable artists and men.  It is weird how much emphasis we put on jobs, race, class, and education.  I, myself, did it and still catch myself doing it even though I know that just because someone doesn't wear the most expensive clothes or have a college degree, they can still be the best people in your life or the smartest and most genuine person you know.

Presentations

The story of the Indian woman, Mankiller, was the most interesting to me.  The name caught my attention of course but her story was so interesting.  I just find it so crazy that she was driving along and wrecked.  But not only did she wreck, but killed the other driver.  But not only was it just a driver, it was her best friend!! It was just shocking because whenever I imagine a car crash I never consider that the people involved would know each other.  I also never thought of Indians having cars.  I know it sounds dumb but my mind was stuck in the stereotype of them riding horses and wearing loin cloths. I never thought about how they evolve as the majority of our societies do.  The name was also a neat story.  It’s a name of respect where she’s from.  In our society if someone earned the name “mankiller” we would be afraid of them. I sure would be! Because in our society killing someone usually doesn’t mean strength or gain respect.  Our killers get locked up, most of the time.

Class Week 9

Ever since we looked at the photo shop disasters website I have been looking at ads and T.V. commercials completely differently.  I have been looking to see what work theyve done on that person to make them look so perfect instead of thinking about what I would have to do to look like that.  I knew there was photo shopping but I never really thought about what that meant.  You can make a person look completely different with photo shop! We talked about how it is used to cover up flaws and how scars were flaws on women but are thought to make a man look more attractive because that means he’s a "badass."  That goes along with the persona that is tied to each gender.  Women are supposed to be soft and gentle whereas men are supposed to be edgy and tough, rough and dirty.  The pictures each group had printed out based on genders or sexes and class were great!  A couple groups did some redneck pictures or low class white trash.  I think that’s because we get that stereotype so often it is just the first thing that came to our minds.  The “People of Walmart” website had a lot of pictures of people who look completely low class and uneducated but you never know! Those same people could be rich or brain surgeons and just not care about their looks.

Class Week 8

There was sooo much masculinity in The Longest Yard.  The guy beating his head off the wall and bleeding and not showing any sign of pain was basically the biggest show of "tough guy"! Paul Crew showed his manly side when he ran from the cops without a thought to consequence.  He also showed that he wasn’t the alpha man because he gave into the guard when he first got in the jail and the guard beat him so he would say no to the warden.  Then the cafeteria scene Crew stood up to the guard which the guard didn’t like and had to prove his power by having the other guard punch Crew’s lights out, therefore he’s trying to act masculine but the other guy takes care of his business for him.  The “cheerleader” inmates definitely weren’t masculine, they had transgender identity! The one was feisty but fought like a girl by using insults and humiliating the one Mexican guy.  They also dressed as feminine as possible by tying up their shirts and wearing make-up to make themselves more attractive and appealing like actual women do.  The huge black guy that cried because the giant guy broke his nose was definitely not masculine.  He cried which just isn’t accepted as a “male” quality.  He also really liked to hug people and smile which are two traits most men do not have or don’t show.  We talked in class about how men are supposed to subdue their emotions except anger.  He did not tone anything down; he jumped and was giddy like a girl would be when the giant apologized for breaking his nose.

Midterm

I have to say I LOVE watching NCIS as part of a midterm!  Zeeva is not the stereotypical woman but Tony is a giant stereotype.  The one lady turned out to be the killer, also not usual.  Zeeva was sent to search the house at the time the initial interview was going on after finding the two dead women because she is not empathetic which is a more usual trait in a women.  Gibbs also holds the baby and comforts it when it is crying, that would be thought of as a feminine trait.  Abbey is definitely not the typical woman physically, but her need for human contact is a stereotype.  She is constantly giving hugs and worrying about the safety of the other team members.  Gibbs is typical in that he always gave the orders and the team was expected to follow all of them.  He is the definition of an alpha male in that respect.  The written test was really easy I thought, hopefully I did well! It was basically definitions and applying them.  The scenarios were clear cut and not meant to trick you which was greatly appreciated since all my nursing tests are based on trick questions!

Class Week 6

The movie in class depicted many of the same stereotypes we came up with in our groups.  The women grouped together and talked a lot.  In the intro to the movie they showed women in heels walking little dogs that were well-groomed and wearing collars that probably cost more than my car.  This relates to the stereotype that women are dainty so they need dogs that belong in the same category and that we are materialistic.  One of the stereotypes the boys used was "high maintenance."  The movie definitely showed it with the party and the hair/nail salon at Saks.  The women gossiped at the salon which is something that comes to everyone’s mind when a salon or parlor is mentioned.  Another stereotype I found really funny was the scene at the party when one lady asked why the supermodel was so angry and her girlfriend replied because she was hungry.  This plays on the fact that, stereotypically, women strive for a perfect and thin body even if it means suffering.  One thing that I, personally, found stereotypical of a woman was the fact that the blonde ran away from the problem of her husband having an affair.  For one, it was typical for all of her friends and mother to have advice on the situation, but another is that she didn’t confront the problem as a man would do.  She took a vacation to play mind games with her husband.

Class Week 5

We talked about our families and how most were raised in the traditional household with the mom cooking and cleaning and the dad working.  I was for part of my life then it changed when my mom got a very demanding job.  This happened when I was in Jr. High School.  She was and still is always traveling so my dad started filling in her shoes as well as working his full-time job.  Mom occasionally cooks and does laundry when she needs something but other than that my dad does it all in addition to his usual tasks such as mowing the lawn and caring for the cars.  He was the one who stayed home with me and my sister when we were sick or would take us to the doctors. It was different but we quickly got used to it and I never gave it anymore thought until it got brought up in class but in many ways he is the mom and dad of my family and when my mom is in town i just have an extra mother figure.  We talked a lot about gender roles and performance too.  You see it a lot more clearly in early childhood before they start determining their own personal preferences and morals.  The little boys fight and play rough to demonstrate their masculinity and little girls cook and take care of their dolls representing their ability to care for a household.  There are, of course, the people who don't grow out of this need to demonstrate their identity. For example, the men that lift weights all the time, start a fight whenever possible, and believe a woman should take care of them.  There are also those women that really want to be the one to take care of her husband and children and have no desire to be independent or hold down their own job.  This is definitely personal but i also believe it is in how one is raised.  If a woman teaches her daughter to just keep a man happy and care for them then she is most likely not going to have to ambitions to own her own business.  My parents taught me to care for myself and always be independent so I couldn't see being happy just being at home all the time depending on a man to provide things for me.

Class Week 4

In class we had mentioned T.V. and how they target their viewers.  Well I definitely agree with the food channel being contradicting! The show “Cupcake Wars” is amazing and makes me so hungry, then they ruin it by putting a commercial for Nutri-System or Jenny Craig on right after it.  Then I feel guilty about wanting that cupcake and vow to start eating better, but as soon as the show comes back on I want that cupcake again.  It's a vicious cycle that guilt trips me even though I haven't really eaten badly and just thought about it.  They really do know how to target who is watching T.V. when though!  Around dinner time there is more healthy food shows and around 7 pm the movies or series start because they know people are winding down for the night.  Another thing was Veronica Mars, (which is a good show, thanks for introducing me to it!) my group picked up on the fact that the rich preppy kids were all white.  When I thought about it I really noticed that we are kind of that way in real life too, some things are getting more racially diverse but the majority of shows or ads still depict the white man as wealthy (intentional or not).

Class Week 3

Last week we talked about bikers and the stereotype they recevie of being low class even though the bikes they are riding cost as much as a fancy car.  My dad and I talk about that all the time! Normally the discussion comes up when we are ordering our hunting supplies from cabelas.  That stuff is NOT cheap.  Someone may have a deer antler chandelier hanging above their dining room table and  it would be mistaken as trashy most of the time.  Those chandeliers cost around a thousand dollars depending on the type and size.  My mom would absolutely not let my dad get one because it was "redneck and trashy" until she saw the price.  Then she actually thought about it because it was an expensive piece.  That makes no sense to me! Another thing that makes no sense is the fact that in lower class societies and poverty areas no one can say no if they have something to give.  Theres no saving for yourself for a rainy day, you have to give to others on their rainy days.  Someone really would get mad or look down upon you if you had something extra and refused to share in those types of communities.  I like that they are so giving but its also very demanding and defeats the purpose of selfless giving in my mind. The whole point is to not expect anything in return, which as we talked about they don't expect it back, but it's also about not being expected to give it in the first place.  Its called generosity, not a duty!

Class Week 2

One of our discussions this week was about girls wanting to be princesses and boys wanting to be the knight in shining armour.  I believe in older days this used to be the exact way little girls and boys thought.  But our world is changing and so are our views.  It used to be that the womans role was to stay at home, cook, clean, raise the children, and look good.  The mans role was to provide for the family in a monetary way, basically rescuing them from despair as a knight would.  I think the majority of someone's views are what they are taught or see as a child.  Young girls would watch their mothers stay at home and would automatically assume that as their role.  Young boys were taught to be tough; the strongest survive.  Now we teach our children that they can be anything they want.  For example, toy stores sell doctor play sets which would have just been meant for boys a couple decades ago.  Now they come in pink as distubutors are targeting girls for their sales too.  Our society has even started accepting stay at home dads! Not everyone is comfortable with this deviance but it would have been unheard of not long ago.  I believe it is because soceity started telling their children that its ok to be who you are.  If a girl wants to play mechanic then thats ok, if a boy wants to play ballerina then thats ok, and if they grow up to be those in real life, well, then that is ok.

Class week 1

To set the ground work for my train of thoughts I will describe myself as I see it.  I am not much taller than 5 foot, fairly quiet, and not the usual girl stereotype.  I hunt, ride four wheelers, and love being outdoors.  I am very comfortable with who I am but have come to realize society is not as comfortable.  We talked about stereotypes and acceptance at one point during our class.  Although I have most of the qualities of the stereotypical West Virginia girl I still have all my teeth and wear shoes.  The snide remarks by people who come from bigger cities has always bothered me and our discussion in class reminded me of my trip to New York and the people my family and I met.  They were rude and blunt about where we came from and the fact that I was a girl and wore camo was not acceptable to them.  There are certain times when wearing a dress is appropriate but I still fail to see the problem in going to the grocery store in sweat pants!  Another topic we talked about was males gaining more power in the business world and taller people being thought of as having more responsibility.  Well I'm just glad I don't want to work in a corporate business or own my own.  I don't think I'd be taken very seriously at all.  I work in a pharmacy now and I swear some people walk in and think its "take your child to work day" until I start talking and they realize I DO know what I'm doing.  I can tell this class is going to bring out a lot of sexist and discriminatory issues and I can't wait to hear others views on them.