Homosexuality In Media

Gamer Culture. Good or bad?

As I said in class, I am torn between this topic. I understand the importance of video games and what they were intended to do. But because I am kind of against them and don't play them myself, my opinion is a little bias. I truly believe, in moderation, video games are excellent. It teaches kids how to work together/interact with others (minus the name calling and screaming at the 12 year olds in China), problem solving skills, and reaction skills. All of these combined make video games sound pretty cool!

Now, I'm not saying Grand Theft Auto is exactly the perfect game for this, but Halo or Portals were really fun and not as violent as the game I previously mentioned. My parents wouldn't let my brother get anything rated "M" until he was in high school. They also wouldn't let us play more than a certain amount of time per day. We were limited to how much TV we could watch as well as how much video game time we were allowed to play. I was never into video games (except for the arcade games on the Wii.) I was more interested in going out with my friends and doing something outside than sitting in a dark room playing games all day. But that is my personality.

What I am saying is that video games were intended to be good....as long as you play them in moderation. Just like  the top of the food pyramid. Along with wine and other awesome stuff that has good potential, but not if it's abused.

Food Inc.

After watching this video....I was disgusted. And it was right before I go home and eat lunch too. As a college student price is extremely important to me when it comes to food. Aldi is like heaven to me. I know it isn't THE BEST quality food out there...but I didn't think it was awful and then I saw this movie.

If I had the choice, I would LOVE to go to a famer's market and get everything fresh. However, it is so freaking expensive that it is hard to do.

And to be honest, I'm not too concerned with how the animals are treated. Yes, I would like to think that the cows live a happy and long life on a green pasture where Old McDonald took care of them everyday. But these are corporations, not farms. They are concerned with how much the animal is taken care of, they are concerned with money.

With that being said, I am concerned with health and safety. As a server I know how important sanitation laws are when handling other peoples' food. To be honest, I wouldn't want to eat somewhere where I would be grossed out by the kitchen. No. That is not okay. So why would I want my food coming from bad conditions in an unregulated plant?

Corporations should be FORCED to follow all sanitation and safety laws put in place by the government. If restaurants can get shut down for failing health inspections, why can't food plants? It is unacceptable  I know after that movie I will definitely be more conscious of where my food comes from.

Food In Popular Culture

The American culture is obsessed with time. We want everything fast, cheap, and quick. (I said it twice because that is how important it is.) I strongly believe that if we want a change in our food supply we need a change in our culture. A majority of American's are perfectly fine with going through the drive-thru or whipping up some Hamburger Helper. I am using the Italian culture as supportive evidence for my thesis.

During the summer of 2010 I had the privilege of going to Italy. Also during this time Eat Pray Love came out in theaters. The Italian culture is what those of us who strive for "healthy food" need. Everything was DELICIOUS there; absolutely amazing. We had McDonalds before we left (at the airport) and it was disgusting. I can say that Olive Garden is not as nice as you think it is. But all of these things are because they value what they put into their body and their culture is not rushed.

The Italians have a saying: "Dolce far niente." - The sweetness of doing nothing. In Eat Pray Love the Italians make fun of Americans for not knowing how to relax. They say that watching TV isn't relaxing and that we work too hard. They take the time to enjoy the little things in life like food. They go to the bakery, market, and other places to get fresh food EVERY DAY. Do you know anyone who goes and gets food EVERY DAY? I sure don't.

Food is the center of Italian culture; it is what brings families together. A popular saying is that you can't pull an Italian away from the dinner table. They spend hours preparing food and hours enjoying it. They do this so they spend quality time with family and friends. I am a good example of this culture change because I felt SO relaxed and happier while I was in Italy eating!

So, I am saying that in order for our food suppliers to provide healthier food we need to change the way we view and consume food. As long as our main focus is on fast and cheap food, this change will never come. Organic prices will never go down either. Trust me, I wish I could live the Italian lifestyle.

Militainment

To be perfectly honest, I didn't care too much about this lecture. War will always be apart of our culture as long as there are guns and religion. Period.

With that being said, I do believe that it is the parents' responsibility to filter what their kids watch, buy, and play. Personally, my brother was not allowed any games that were rated MA until he entered high school. (I have never been an avid video gamer.) In high school he played those games ALL THE FREAKING TIME. In a dark room, for hours, yelling at kids who were 12 and he had never met before. I found this all ridiculous. However, I would probably look up to him in the case of a zombie apocalypse or something ridiculous like that.

However, he isn't like that anymore; it was just a phase. It does not rule his life nor does he have any interest in joining the military nor does he think war is "cool." This is because my parents actually did a really good job at raising us. (Even though I hate to admit it.) They made sure to instill morals and values to know what is just a game and what is fantasy.

Also, media and our culture have pushed war on us for years. Who could forget Uncle Sam? (I want YOU!) Or even Keep Calm and Carry On is a WAR PROPAGANDA!!! A lot of us seem to forget about this and yet none of us that like Keep Calm are glorifying war.

In conclusion, it is up to you to realize that Call of Duty is just a video game. War is awful and shouldn't be done...but it happens.

First Impressions

As a Fashion Merchandising Major, people automatically assume that all I care about is looks. FALSE. In class today, after watching the video, all I could hear was people bashing those that were concerned with their looks. Although looks are not the most important feature we posses, it is still something to be concerned about.

I have actually done a lot of research on this topic and actually wrote a research paper on this subject. First impressions MATTER. And I know most people may disagree with me but the way we present ourselves matters. Consider your personal hygiene and clothing as a cover letter and resume when applying for a job. This is the FIRST thing someone notices about you before you even open your mouth to speak. It takes less than 10 seconds to make a first impression and years to change someone's perception of you.

Looks do matter. It shows the person you are interacting with how you handle situations. I'll give you an example. What would your first impression of someone be who smelled, never washed their hair, and wore pajamas all the time? Exactly. We all think it, none of us are just willing to say it out loud.

But we can't be criticized for what we have learned through adaptation over the centuries. In my paper I discussed a certain study that concluded EVERYONE judges. Everyone. If you say you don't, get over yourself. It is programmed into our behavior. When you first do something new, what do you do? You asses the situation to see if it is safe or not; if it is worth your time. It is due to our "fight or flight" nature. We automatically make assumptions based off of what we see to decide if we are safe or in danger.

What I am trying to say is that the way one presents themselves tells others how they feel about themselves. If you want to make a good first impression, be your BEST self as much as you can. Don't change yourself, that isn't what I am saying at all...but be your best self.  And if someone doesn't like you, oh well. You can't please everybody.