Showing posts with label Jazmine Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jazmine Street. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Food Inc.
You wouldn't buy the cheapest car available at the car dealership.
You wouldn't buy the cheapest jeans at the mall.
So why do people only insist on buying food for as little cost as possible?
I just started a new job at a grocery store about a month ago, and I'm appalled at 'food' things people buy. Last week I saw a man buy 10 frozen microwavable banquet dinners. There were on sale, 10 for $10.
When he came to pin pad to pay he cheerfully announced "Dinner for a dollar. You can't beat that!"
I didn't say anything, only just smiled and continued to scan his other items.
People are just so bizarre.
Even more bizarre was the class reaction to Food Inc.
Where was the outcry? Why didn't more people walk out? Where was the heated discussion after class?
I talked to my friends in class, and I think they have opened their minds, but I'm not sure about other people.
When I learned about HFCS and it's ubiquitous nature to most of our processed foods, I stopped drinking pop and eating foods with HFCS.
The documentary surprised me, and decided to do some research of my own, and came to my own conclusions. Now, I keep myself informed by watching food documentaries and reading scholarly and scientific articles. The government and advertisers are failing to educate the people about the types of things they are putting in their bodies, so now it's up to us.
I really hope this documentary has inspired others to learn about the food industry just like it did for me.
Sadly, I can't just these types of things for work.
"Excuse me sir, did you know the food you're buying is full of preservatives, HFCS, and that your meat possibly comes from factory farming?"
What would you say to the cashier at the grocery store who said that to you? Would you believe them, or brush them off?
You wouldn't buy the cheapest jeans at the mall.
So why do people only insist on buying food for as little cost as possible?
I just started a new job at a grocery store about a month ago, and I'm appalled at 'food' things people buy. Last week I saw a man buy 10 frozen microwavable banquet dinners. There were on sale, 10 for $10.
When he came to pin pad to pay he cheerfully announced "Dinner for a dollar. You can't beat that!"
I didn't say anything, only just smiled and continued to scan his other items.
People are just so bizarre.
Even more bizarre was the class reaction to Food Inc.
Where was the outcry? Why didn't more people walk out? Where was the heated discussion after class?
I talked to my friends in class, and I think they have opened their minds, but I'm not sure about other people.
When I learned about HFCS and it's ubiquitous nature to most of our processed foods, I stopped drinking pop and eating foods with HFCS.
The documentary surprised me, and decided to do some research of my own, and came to my own conclusions. Now, I keep myself informed by watching food documentaries and reading scholarly and scientific articles. The government and advertisers are failing to educate the people about the types of things they are putting in their bodies, so now it's up to us.
I really hope this documentary has inspired others to learn about the food industry just like it did for me.
Sadly, I can't just these types of things for work.
"Excuse me sir, did you know the food you're buying is full of preservatives, HFCS, and that your meat possibly comes from factory farming?"
What would you say to the cashier at the grocery store who said that to you? Would you believe them, or brush them off?
21 Billion hours of gaming a week? Sounds like a dystopian nightmare to me.
I had my second oppositional reading on Tuesday of this week. It all stemmed from watching Jane McGonigal's Ted Talk called Gaming can make a better world.
During the video, McGonigal makes the claim that we 'can change the world though video games.' She believes that, collectively we can solve the water crisis, take care of America's gas addition, and defeat obesity. How can this be done? Well, by decreasing productivity, and increasing video game playing time.
That doesn't make any sense to me.
McGonigal says that collectively, we (the entire world) spend about 3 Billion hours a week playing video games. To improve the world, she believes we need to get that number up to 21 billion hours a week.
We, as human beings need to invest 7 times the amount of time we do with virtual worlds to fix our actual world.
Right..
Later in the video, she also goes on to say that Video Game companies are designing low power gaming consoles that run on wireless internet for people in China, India, and other countries. Sounds like these low power gaming consoles are perfect for spreading video game addition further around the world. Addicting this lower class, poorer individuals to video games and distract them from the real world around them is a great idea. Especially if you're planning a dystopian future.
McGonigal's 21 billion hours of gaming sounds more like virtual slavery to me.
21 billion hours of gaming sounds like, millions of people slouching over computer chairs at millions of desks, their faces illuminated by glowing LCD screen, and the sound of one highly synchronized "Click" every 15 minutes.
Forever.
Seriously, 21 billion hours a week of gaming?
Increasing the amount hours spent playing video games will decrease creative thought, creative output, and trap people in a virtual world.
Who knows what type of "world saving"tasks you'll have to do. I imagine it'd be something like, watching the water usage gauge for the country of Chile, and if it gets to high, clicking a button to send to "shut off warning."
21 billion hours of gaming a week, sounds like a dystopian nightmare to me.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Retroactive Blogging: Girlie Power and empowering young girls
I'll admit it.
I totally used to rock those "Girl Power!" t-shirts.
It started in 1997.
I was in 2nd grade.
My favorite t-shirt was bright yellow and with orange writing. "Girls Rule!" it read.
I'd have worn that shirt everyday if my mom had let me.
Spice Girls were my favorite band and the first CD I ever owned.
I think I had 3 Girl Power! branded notebooks, 2 journals, and a calendar in my room.
When we got cable in 1998, Nickelodeon was my life blood.
I learned everything I needed to know from television, and Nickelodeon was at the forefront of my education.
As an only child, watched a lot of TV, and absorbed all of my knowledge about the world from it.
The thing one thing I remember the most about my childhood TV viewing was the amount of girl power. It was everywhere. I don't even have to define the word, because it was so ubiquitous. It was the 1990s and third wave feminism was everywhere. Positive role models for women were seemingly everywhere and these women were empowered. Seeing empowered women creates empowered young girls.
Reading Sarah Banet-Weiser's article Gender, Feminism, and Nickelodeon was really a nostalgia trip for me. Reading the article opened my memory banks, and I could remember watching every show mentioned in the article.
Clarissa Explains it All was my favorite show.
When I was younger, I though Clarissa was the coolest "Older Kid" ever.
She was so smart, disliked her dweeby younger brother, and wasn't even enamored or distracted by boys.
As Told By Ginger totally was another favorite.
If I had to thank any one (or thing) for getting me through Middle School, it was this show. I was nowhere near cool. This show spoke to me.
Seeing two of my favorite childhood shows mentioned in the same context of feminism blew my mind. I'd never put the link together, but maybe, the things I watched on TV really did affect me. Years after seeing and following positive young female role models on TV have made me more aware of the plight of women and the limited roles of women on TV.
I don't watch TV anymore.
I'm too broke for cable, plus there's nothing good on now.
But maybe that's not a bad thing.
Me and thousands of young women like me are ready to move into the work force. We can be the ones to change this. If we can put positive and varying images of women and young women in the media, perhaps we can change political discourse and challenge women's role in media. We're going to seriously have to do something if television ever wants to rebound from this reality TV debacle.
I totally used to rock those "Girl Power!" t-shirts.
It started in 1997.
I was in 2nd grade.
My favorite t-shirt was bright yellow and with orange writing. "Girls Rule!" it read.
I'd have worn that shirt everyday if my mom had let me.
Spice Girls were my favorite band and the first CD I ever owned.
I think I had 3 Girl Power! branded notebooks, 2 journals, and a calendar in my room.
When we got cable in 1998, Nickelodeon was my life blood.
I learned everything I needed to know from television, and Nickelodeon was at the forefront of my education.
As an only child, watched a lot of TV, and absorbed all of my knowledge about the world from it.
The thing one thing I remember the most about my childhood TV viewing was the amount of girl power. It was everywhere. I don't even have to define the word, because it was so ubiquitous. It was the 1990s and third wave feminism was everywhere. Positive role models for women were seemingly everywhere and these women were empowered. Seeing empowered women creates empowered young girls.
Reading Sarah Banet-Weiser's article Gender, Feminism, and Nickelodeon was really a nostalgia trip for me. Reading the article opened my memory banks, and I could remember watching every show mentioned in the article.
Clarissa Explains it All was my favorite show.
When I was younger, I though Clarissa was the coolest "Older Kid" ever.
She was so smart, disliked her dweeby younger brother, and wasn't even enamored or distracted by boys.
As Told By Ginger totally was another favorite.
If I had to thank any one (or thing) for getting me through Middle School, it was this show. I was nowhere near cool. This show spoke to me.
Seeing two of my favorite childhood shows mentioned in the same context of feminism blew my mind. I'd never put the link together, but maybe, the things I watched on TV really did affect me. Years after seeing and following positive young female role models on TV have made me more aware of the plight of women and the limited roles of women on TV.
I don't watch TV anymore.
I'm too broke for cable, plus there's nothing good on now.
But maybe that's not a bad thing.
Me and thousands of young women like me are ready to move into the work force. We can be the ones to change this. If we can put positive and varying images of women and young women in the media, perhaps we can change political discourse and challenge women's role in media. We're going to seriously have to do something if television ever wants to rebound from this reality TV debacle.
Retroactive Blogging : Culture Jamming is a brilliant idea.
I loved the section on Culture Jamming.
Throwing a wrenching in everyday society!
Gumming up the airways!
Jamming the signal!
Brilliant!!!
I wondered; Why have I never thought of this before?
Everyday I see ads, hear speech, and walk by things that I don't agree with. Do I ever do anything about it? Nope.
It's like if I see an offensive or idiotic ad on TV. I can't just call up the advertiser and complain. I just have to deal with it. Next time I see the ad, I'll flip the channel. Instead of doing anything about it, or trying to change the situation, I'll complain about the ad to a friend.
Somehow, that passiveness leaked into everyday life as well.
We, as the consumer have just enough, if not more power, than the corporations when it comes to rhetoric and and now with technology as small and ubiquitous as it is, we can "talk" to the corporations and get our opinions out there.
My favorite lesson that day was learning about the Barbie Liberation Organization.
(Just in case your forgot about it.)
It makes me so happy that there are groups of people out there, somewhere who decided to "jam up" our normal everyday society and gender roles. Through Barbie dolls of all things!
There are so many conversations that people need to have about our society. Gender Roles are just one of many.
And, in a media saturated society like right now culture jamming is just the way to do it.
I want to see less of this..
(Instagram user phillips1823 )
And more of this...
(Instagram user aliciacurths)
Culture Jamming starts a new way of thinking and opens up more of dialogue between people and the way they view society.
Well, at least that's what it's done for me.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Hipsters? I think you mean 'Cool Kids'.
In class yesterday we were attempting to understand the idea of "Cool" and ended with an interesting class discussion about Hipsters.
What surprised me was all the Hipster Hate. I mean, do people still that? Hasn't everyone realized hipsters is now a 'catch-all' phrase for 'Cool Kids'?
Hipster hate has been going on for at least 4 years now. I can't pinpoint where it started, but I know "Look At This Fucking Hipster" was my introduction.
It was 2009, I was but a wee sophomore in college. I spent my days going to class, surfing the net, playing Playstation 2, and hanging out at the smoking section with my friends.One day, while clicking around on the internet, I found it, LATFH, Look At This Fucking Hipster.
I started checking back daily, and soon found myself fascinated by these skinny, awkward, fashion-ablely challenged, PBR guzzling, chain smoking 20-somethings. They were so cool, with their un-cool, uncordinated, looks-like-you-stole-that-from-your-grandma's-closet coat and their large framed glasses. They seemed to be the total opposite from what everyone around me thought was cool.
Weird right?
Now, years after my initial discovery of Hipsters, a lot of changed. They are no longer underground 'cool kids' who come from Brooklyn. They are a combination of everything we love and hate about the 'cool' kids.
(P.S. This video was posted over 5 years ago.. way back in 2007.)
So, what's with the hipster hating? It's so old fashioned. I mean, wasn't that cool, last decade? Back then George W. Bush was president, gas was under 3 dollars, and Hipsters where the new "What's Killing (insert city here.)"
It's been YEARS and
Hundreds editorials have been written about Hipsters.
Thousands of articles can be found on E-How, or About.com on "How to Be a Hipster."
and Millions of kids see 'Hipsters' daily on television
And.. it's still cool to make hate on Hipsters?
Well, here's the thing; Those Hipsters that everyone hates now, ones that are ruining Brooklyn, aren't real Hipsters. In fact, there is so such thing as 'real' Hipsters anymore. Because now, being a Hipster is synonymous with being cool.
Don't believe me? Check out any commercial on MTV. See those 'cool kids' trying to sell you something? How are they dressed? Is anyone in Flannel? What about Large framed Glasses? Skinny Jeans? Trucker Hat?
See if you can count how many 'Hipsters' are in this 30 second ad.
In the second shot (the one with the title), EVERYONE is a 'Hipster'.
In fact, the entire AD is FULL of 'Hipsters'.
The only thing missing in the gratuitous love for PBR and chain smoking.
What was once, a mass of 20somethings, rebelling from mainstream fashion, accessories, tastes, and habits is now mainstream. The Hipster image has been discovered, refined, packaged, and re-sold as Cool. It's been this way for years now. There is no such thing as Hipsters. They all died off. They're now just cool. First, Hipsters weren't cool, and they were hated. Now that they are 'cool', they're still hated.
So, everyone who hates 'Hipsters' is really just someone who hates 'The Cool Kids', because Hipsters, as they were, no longer exist. Why they hate 'The Cool Kids'?
It's beyond me.
Just go with it.
Besides, before you know it, Nerds will be cool.
Way back in 2010, Wired Magazine published an article called Wake Up, Geek Culture. Time to Die. The message? Nerd/ Geek Culture is OVER.
If anything, people shouldn't hate certain groups for being picked up by mainstream media, and then being commercialized If anything you should hate the media.
Remember guys, don't hate the player, hate the game.
What surprised me was all the Hipster Hate. I mean, do people still that? Hasn't everyone realized hipsters is now a 'catch-all' phrase for 'Cool Kids'?
Hipster hate has been going on for at least 4 years now. I can't pinpoint where it started, but I know "Look At This Fucking Hipster" was my introduction.
It was 2009, I was but a wee sophomore in college. I spent my days going to class, surfing the net, playing Playstation 2, and hanging out at the smoking section with my friends.One day, while clicking around on the internet, I found it, LATFH, Look At This Fucking Hipster.
I started checking back daily, and soon found myself fascinated by these skinny, awkward, fashion-ablely challenged, PBR guzzling, chain smoking 20-somethings. They were so cool, with their un-cool, uncordinated, looks-like-you-stole-that-from-your-grandma's-closet coat and their large framed glasses. They seemed to be the total opposite from what everyone around me thought was cool.
'Cool' teenagers in 2009
Weird right?
Now, years after my initial discovery of Hipsters, a lot of changed. They are no longer underground 'cool kids' who come from Brooklyn. They are a combination of everything we love and hate about the 'cool' kids.
(P.S. This video was posted over 5 years ago.. way back in 2007.)
So, what's with the hipster hating? It's so old fashioned. I mean, wasn't that cool, last decade? Back then George W. Bush was president, gas was under 3 dollars, and Hipsters where the new "What's Killing (insert city here.)"
It's been YEARS and
Hundreds editorials have been written about Hipsters.
Thousands of articles can be found on E-How, or About.com on "How to Be a Hipster."
and Millions of kids see 'Hipsters' daily on television
And.. it's still cool to make hate on Hipsters?
Well, here's the thing; Those Hipsters that everyone hates now, ones that are ruining Brooklyn, aren't real Hipsters. In fact, there is so such thing as 'real' Hipsters anymore. Because now, being a Hipster is synonymous with being cool.
Don't believe me? Check out any commercial on MTV. See those 'cool kids' trying to sell you something? How are they dressed? Is anyone in Flannel? What about Large framed Glasses? Skinny Jeans? Trucker Hat?
See if you can count how many 'Hipsters' are in this 30 second ad.
In the second shot (the one with the title), EVERYONE is a 'Hipster'.
In fact, the entire AD is FULL of 'Hipsters'.
The only thing missing in the gratuitous love for PBR and chain smoking.
What was once, a mass of 20somethings, rebelling from mainstream fashion, accessories, tastes, and habits is now mainstream. The Hipster image has been discovered, refined, packaged, and re-sold as Cool. It's been this way for years now. There is no such thing as Hipsters. They all died off. They're now just cool. First, Hipsters weren't cool, and they were hated. Now that they are 'cool', they're still hated.
So, everyone who hates 'Hipsters' is really just someone who hates 'The Cool Kids', because Hipsters, as they were, no longer exist. Why they hate 'The Cool Kids'?
It's beyond me.
Just go with it.
Besides, before you know it, Nerds will be cool.
Cool Nerd?
Oh. Wait a second...
Way back in 2010, Wired Magazine published an article called Wake Up, Geek Culture. Time to Die. The message? Nerd/ Geek Culture is OVER.
If anything, people shouldn't hate certain groups for being picked up by mainstream media, and then being commercialized If anything you should hate the media.
Remember guys, don't hate the player, hate the game.
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