Internet and Mark the Zark

So Steven Johnson, a writer, tells us how the internet has made us smarter and more engaged in this world....he could be right but he could be wrong when it comes to social connection.  Social connection websites such as Facebook, myspace, twitter, and dating websites are making us come in contact with more more and more people....but is the contact we are having with these people signifigant whatsoever.  Mostly not.  I have 1,200 friends on facebook and probably only slightly care bout 200 hundred of them....and if it wasn't for facebook I probably wouldn't have any contact with them.  However,  somedays I find myself creepin on facebook for no reason and its kinda ridiculous.  Instead of going and talking to people face to face I sit behind a screen and talk to them which is quite meaningless to me.  So why do I do it? Boredem.  Although these social websites do often prohibit more first hand social expieriences, I do so the upside to some of it.  If you have family thousands of miles away, contact with them is a click away thanks to these websites.  But if my friends sitting in the living room and im in my bedroom and i ask him a question via facebook I  find it quite ridiculous, lazy, and un emphasized the way I talk because there is no tone in a keyboard unless I use exclamation points which are way to overused anyway.  How do I know when someone is trying to use tone in a sentence on social networks when a exclamation point is used commonly after EVERY FRICKEN SENTENCE!!!! People will just say something as follows Q: Hey what did you do today?  A: Read a book!!!!!!! .......Face to face conversation is important and I think that a lot of social skills in children are possibly being effected by social networks.  Lastly I like want to like say that like I hate the word like.......people never know what they want to say anymore face to face because they are used to typing it instead of speaking it so thats like it for my like blog Ill see you all like later.  Like Stay Frosty.

WHAT ARE YOU LIKING!!?>>@!@>!@>

Want to know what cool is....step on in

Give your own definition of "coolness."  How does your definition relate to the definition given by Chuck Klosterman in "The Lady or the Tiger"?  Make sure to give examples that illustrate your ideas.

So whats cool? I think cool is acting yourself unless yourself isn't cool.  What I mean by that is don't try to be "cool" unless you are just a super lame person.  If your normal you don't really have to try to be cool it just happens by nature.  I also think cool is very similar to what chuck klosterman believes it to be which is orginial but not tooooooo original.  You don't want to be too original because then most people will just see you as a freak which is not cool most times unless its in the bedroom. haha Most times though people can tell if your trying to be cool and then you just come off as an idiot trying to be cool....so be yourself and don't change what you would be like in situations just to fit others molds because there are other people that will think of you as cool even if that person plays D&D because someone to play D&D with is better than not playing with anyone at all. ya know?  Ealier in this blog I told my self that I'm not going to filter anything I say so all of this may seem random including this sentence but just go with it.  Anyway I think that anyone can be cool as long as the fit into their own cliche of people because then someone thinks they are cool.  Just because I don't think that Brad Paisleys cool that doesn't mean that someone else doesnt want to do disgusting things to him because they love him so much.  Another thing about cool that we discussed is that it sometimes has to be somewhat exclusive.  This can mean many things but mostly it means that you possess or do things that only a few people do which makes you interesting.  Interesting is cool as long as its not too interesting.  Nevermind a mini giraffe is very damn interesting and thats definatly cool and exclusive.  The thing about have things that other people don't makes people envy you.....like lots of money, in home theater, or a hot tub.  See that's why rich kids in high school are usually cool people want to use them for their items like their cool cars and hot tubs I mean who the hell doesnt want to sit in a hottub....this guy does and thats what made that guy cool the exclusivity he possesses in his hot tub.  Its sad how things that are materialistic can make you cool but its the harsh truth...if you can exclusive things theres always gonna be somebody who will pretend to like you even if your not cool.  All in all cool is just more materialistic than anything in most cases most people are fake and blah blah blah the end.      Stay Frosty

Mean Girls is the new Star Wars....Maybe

So evaluating Generation X and why Star Wars was culturally significant to it Mean Girls was brought to attention in class.  And I though ughhh why would you say Mean Girls but then I thought about the whole concept of that darn teenage girl movie.  It's about a girl who knows nothing important (fashion) but wants to be part of a cool group of superficial girls.  When she finally gets in to the group with these girls just like when Skywalker became a part of the jedi masters, she was on a challenge of impressing these girls in order to continue being friends with them.  Lukes challenge was to impress OB 1 Canobie (have no idea how to spell that) so he can help rescue the princess.   Eventually they are both faced with a tough choice to stay with a group or not (Luke to join the Dark Empire with father) (Lindsey Lohan to stay with these group of girls who are not good for her life at all or leave it).   They both make the right choice in the end Lindsey ends up leaving the group for the greater good, and Luke blows of his father to stay with the rebels.  I hope I got somewhere with this because they are two completely different movies, but I do think that there are some connections here.  Tell me what you think and don't ask me why I have seen Mean Girls multiple times.  Stay Frosty.

Reality TV...not so real

I remeber the first time I ever watched "reality tv", it was when survivor first came out and I was obsessed. (and probably in kindergarden) Now I don't think this type of reality show is ridiculous, bad, or unwatchable for children.  However, recent reality television is getting just plain ridiculous in my eyes.  The ones that I would like to examine on this post are Teen Mom and Jersey Shore which both air on MTV weeknights at 9 pm.  Why do I know this? Women.  But anyway watching these shows makes me wonder who the viewers are why they are viewing it.  Whats interesting about watching highlights of 5 self absorbed "guidos" living in a house and partying everynight, and whats interesting about watching a 16 year old girl abandon her baby and go to jail? (like the most recent episode). Nothing to me, infact I find it wrong.  I find it wrong that this stuff is aired on television to ruin these young girls lives right in front of a camera.  People act differently when there is a camera in front of them, and if you disagree with that take a closer look at yourself next time a camera is on you.  This reality tv isn't reality.  It's taking peoples lives and making them look special and fun when all it is is people acting fake in front of a camera.  What this does to soceity by calling it reality tv is making people (mostly) teenagers to act in the way that they see on tv because its "reality".  And the adults that watch this television probably have a different perspective on nowaday youth culture.  If you turn on the tv and watch reality tv about young people, they all look like they are seeking drama at all times and have a really interesting life.  But in real reality their life is not like that.  Reality tv gives a fake perspective of reality to people that would like to believe thats the way some people live when they dont.  Reality tv is fake and i would like to meet some of the people that have endured these shows just too see how much MTV manipulates every scene that they put on air.  Stay Frosty.

Rappin and Twangin

Compare and contrast Country music and Hip-Hop.  Look at the musical styles, subject matter, selling points, and issues of authenticity.

Okay, rap and country, two different things right? Right.  Completely different in my eyes in fact.  Not only do they sound different I believe they contrast in subject matter most times, selling points, and authenticity.  Looking into the molecules of rap, I see the music style primarily being bass oriented, the subject matter mainly drugs and how it effects the rappers, and I also see the selling points as violence and drugs.  But I love it.  Why?  Because I feel like I'm going into someone elses mind, I feel like I can't relate, I feel like I'm learning.  How am I learning?  I'm learning how messed up people are and what I don't want to do from this style of music.  Also, some of these songs to me are poetic and heartfelt.  Country....I find the subject matter to mostly be depressing (not at all times), I think the selling points are love and being a loner, and I find the style to be mostly a guitar with voice.  Now I don't hate country but I do find the lyrics to be non-creative and pretty cliche and most songs.  For example "Should've Been A Cowboy" I think I could've wrote that song without and knowledge of being a country person.  But could I rap like busta rhymes? Hell no that's talent.  Authenticity wise I think country is probably a little more authentic because its much more simple lyrically.  Does authentic mean its better?  Not in my eyes.  I enjoy rap over country mainly because of the creativity involved with it even if it is a bunch of BS lyrics.  And also why would rappers care what the selling points are if the points are selling?  As Kanye West, "And if they hate then let em' hate and watch the money pile up."  Now I'm gonna leave you with a meaningful rap song, listen to the lyrics and tell me its not more powerful and have a more meaningful subject than most country songs.  And its by a man who had his "selling points" based off violence and drugs.  RIP Pac.


Stay Frosty

Creativity and the benefits

As the internet and video game technology gets better and better, I believe that so does the creativity in the young minds of Americans go up.  The internet has provided us oppurtunities to bootled easier and create some of our work off of others, such as mashups.  Now, some may think that people who do mashups are not being creative because they are just incorparating someone elses work.   However, going through this process makes the creator more specialized in these areas and gives them stragegical analysis skills by putting these together.  I also believe the same goes for video games.  Kids in America who play video games learn how to complete tasks, stick to a goal, and complete missons.  This can be incorparated into real life as we learned in the video in class.  Kids who have these stragitical skills from games are also creative and think outside of the box in many cases.  I agree that these kids who are developing these skills just need to find games that relate to real world problems such as the examples in the movie like alternative fuels.  These class periods have really opened up my eyes to how games can also have more benfits than just pure entertainment.  Although I must say in relation to mashups, I would be pretty pissed if people were stealing my work and benefitting from it.  But I don't have any good work and therefore do not have to worry about it.  Lastly, Stay Frosty my friends.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJx8usal73k  Check out this mashup its decent if you like rap

MARCH MADNESS!!!!!

Now that march is upon us it's only American for me to speak of March Madness.   This is a 64 team tournament for D1 college basketball that is highly popular to watch, breath, and sleep at this time during the year.  I know I do.  I will fill out my bracket after selection sunday religiously every year.  The question that I have is....why do I  and millions of other Americans do this?  I think we as a culture feel the need to compete outside of the box against our usual competition like our friends because we always want to compare ourselves to others, even if its others NCAA bracket picks.  We want to prove who's more intelligent, ballsy, and overall better even if its as simple as picking games.  Others can say they just do it for fun, but in all honesty its not fun to be let down year after year picking games wrong.  They do it so they can put themselves up against another person and compete because some people don't have much competition in their lives.  Overall,  I love march madness and am currently watching a number one seed Ohio St. being beat by a "cinderella" team George Mason.  And with that...Go George Mason and happy march madness to all.  Stay Frosty

 

Masculinity and violence....they go together

Mascunlinity and violence have gone together forever.  Why?  Because men have always been in wars, men have always competed against one another in sports, and men statistically commit more violent acts then women.  Men are always taught to compete.  Competing often times leads to violence in one way or another.  I'm not trying to say women do not compete, but I am saying that most men compete more violently then women.  For example: Football.  Although men have always been violent, in the media they seem to be portrayed more violently as time goes on. In the movie/documentary "Wise Guise" there are many examples of change including toys and movies.  In the toys part you see how GI Joes muscles increase as time goes on and in my opinion they look meaner.  Movie examples were from Humphrey Bogart in "Casa Blanca" with a gun to Sylvester Stallon looking like a killing machine.  Well my main point are men are the image of violence because they are more violent and that violence is becoming more drastic in movies and toys for that matter.  Do I think this is effecting society? No.  I believe that it just shows a more accurate depiction on what I would like to see in a toy and on the big screen.  Good day folks.

Stay Frosty

Mascunlinity and sports

American athletes today are what kids are taught is "masculine".  Little boys all around America look up to these guys who make millions a year because they are good at playing a sport.  This is because since a boy is born they are taught that winning isn't the right thing, it's the only thing.  I remember when I was little growing up playing sports and how much I wanted to win.  Why did I want to win so bad?  Who taught me this?  The answer is my father, and the media.  When I was little a typical night was practice, games, or watching games on the television.  My father loves sports and I was raised that winning was good.  Anyway, back to my main point.  American athletes in baseball represent what masculinity is because in these games you "step up to the plate" or are noticed on the field.  This is masculine to me because as one of these athletes you are not afraid of failure.  You go out onto the field knowing if you mess up everyone is going to know about it.  This is being a man or being "masculine" because youre taking responsiblity at a young age and you dont want to fail.  Either way sometimes these competetions get pretty damn serious.  I mean at times there will be parents in the stands cussing at eachother at little league games.  Your taught to be a man early because you have pressure on you and you care about something deeply.  It's good to have your kids in sports at a young age.

This is not pointed towards anybody viewing my blog.  Trying to show how serious sports get sometimes even at a young age.  Stay frosty

We have come to hate the human body

In the first five readings since January 25th I found the article about why we hate the human body the most interesting.  I think I found this interesting because I never really realized how sick people are for loving to watch the human body be destroyed in films.  I have become accustome to seeing the human body destroyed so frequently that I feel as if it is just another form of entertianment.  But thats wrong.  You shouldn't want to see the human body destroyed...everything that we love in our lifes somehow has to deal with the body (sex, eating, etc.).  Overall I found this the most interesting because now I view things on tv differently when producers are demoralizing the image of the human body.

Peoples' perception of "ideal beauty" changes due to advertisment

Ideal beauty is something that you could say is "in the eye of the beholder."  Or is it?  Advertising in America I believe is not letting people have their own ideas and imagination when it comes to deciding the question, "what is beautiful?"  In the media you constanly see woman with unrealistic features to their bodies.  The faces and bodies are changed graphically on the computer in order for them to have "beautiful" features.  This is effecting Americas view on beauty and what it means.  People are being drug into the idea that beautiful is the women they see in the advertisments or on the tv.  This is wrong, as you can see on the picture below you can tell these pictures are messed with on the computer anyway and are giving viewers a fantasy of reality.  Basically what I am trying to get at is that America brings down the self esteem of many Americans by giving a fake perception of what beautiful is.  At the same time though, Americans need to realize what beauty is, and if they think an non-eating basically computer generated woman is beauty, then so be it.

This is how we do it

Lets talk about sex.  Sex is awesome.  Sex is important.  Sex is a vital part in our culture.  In America sex or sexiness is being marketed everywhere you look.  In the magizines, on the tv, hell even a viagra commercial on the radio.  This is important to realize because this is how people are trying to sell things nowadays.  Our cultural interests are very sex-related in this generation and I think that it is making kids mature at a very young age because they see it everywhere.  Little girls don't want to be like thier moms anymore, they want to be like the skinny model on the cover of Cosmo.  I believe that we are introducing our kids to sex and sexuality at such a young age that its almost taking the innocence out of childhood. Partly because it is much to easy to access.  Anyone on the internet can say their 18 and click the "Yes, I am over 18" button.  We do not have any scensors and I think there should be more protection towards this viewing.  What this says about us as America is that we are caught up in the wrong things.  In America the internet is everywhere, which necessarily isn't a bad thing, but it makes life almost a fantasy when you're on there.  I believe this makes kids less social and less developed because they arent used to communicating with real people, they communicate with the internet or friends over the internet.  But anyway this kinda got away from sex, but overall I think sex is everywhere in America because we are a superficial country that thinks if your not pretty youre no one.  Which is terrible for children....and others.  Im done, peace.



Stay Frosty

Popular Cultures....What it is to me

        Popular culture is all around us.  It's  values, beliefs, and customs that belong to a culture of people and it is agreed upon.  This could mean what a certain culture finds funny, what they eat, or even how they show love for one another. Popular culture is what is most valued in a culture. 

        Popular culture to me is what I do in my spare time. While in the college life popular culture to me is staying up late and drinking or watching a game with my neighbors.  Although this may not be popular culture to everyone in the United States, it is to a lot of college students which is a culture within itself.