Making Connections

            Looking back on what I have learned from this course I think I have learned more about our society itself, than about the literature we were reading.  I find this very interesting, because it is not what I expected coming into the class.  However, I am very pleased that I decided to take this course.  What stood out to me (and I’m sure it stood out to a lot of people) was how closely our generation mimics the themes in many of the books and articles we read.  I personally am guilty of saying “Why do I need to learn this?”, “This has nothing to do with my life.” The list goes on and on, but now I will think twice before saying those mindless comments.  I do not want the future of our world to be anything like any of the books we read.  There would be no culture, variety, or individuality.  Everyone would be exactly the same.  The worst part about the characters in many of the books we read was that these people did not even realize how brainwashed they had become. 

            Fahrenheit 451 was not my favorite book we read this semester, but it was a big eye opener to me.  There are so many people today that are fighting for censorship in books, and people who just simply are not interested in reading.  The characters in Fahrenheit 451 influenced their society to be the way it is.  They had no interests, hobbies, or true friends.  They were too absorbed in their room sized television sets to realize how unhappy and unreal they actually were.  After reading Fahrenheit 451 I immediately thought of Culture Jam when Lasne was writing about families that did not even know each other and could not stand to be away from a TV for a weekend.  The thought of this is ridiculous to me.  I cannot imagine feeling closer to a TV set than to my family and friends.  There are TV shows that I regularly watch, but I would be more than willing to miss an episode to hang out with my friends. 

            Plentitude and Consumerism were two concepts that really stood out to me during the semester.  I knew how consumer driven our culture is, but to read about it and talk about it with others made it even more real to me.  We buy all of these items to make us happy, but our happiness with these items is so short lived so we purchase even more items to fulfill our “need”.  It is scary how much the media and advertising influences our lives.  There is literally nothing we can do to get away from it or stop it for that matter. 

            I was surprised as to how many people in our class had the same opinions as I did.  It seemed like many of them are interested in reading, seeing their family, and they realized how ridiculous reality TV can be.  If a small group of people all share the same opinion, than who are these American stereotypes being based off of?  Perhaps its people that did not go to college, or the generation below us?

The Hunger Games

"Eternal glory! That's what awaits the student who wins The Triwizard Tournament, but to do this, that student must survive three tasks. Three extremely dangerous tasks."

-          Albus Dumbledore

While doing the reading response homework the related media that I thought of was the tri-wizard cup in the Harry Potter series.  During the tri-wizard cup a wizard is picked at random to represent their school in a tournament against the other wizarding schools.  The tournament is designed to test magical ability, intelligence, and courage.  The tri-wizard cup’s playing field reminds me of a maze and it is different for each competitor.  Each player faces their biggest fears while trying to reach the cup.  It is possible for students to die while playing this game, but it is played each year anyway and everyone gets really excited for it – just like in the Hunger Games.  I think the quote by Dumbledore really relates to the things that occur in the Hunger Games.  The participants in both events will receive eternal glory if they win, but they also run the risk of not coming out alive.  Harry Potter has some of the same characteristics as Katniss does, both of them are genuine people and I think that may be why we feel such a connection to them. 

I was also really interested in the idea of everyone getting their 15 minutes of fame.  It is possible for anyone of us to become famous in today’s world.  For example, Laguna Beach simply filmed the everyday lives of a group of friends.  The only difference between them and myself was that they are rich and live in California and I’m not so rich and I live in Pennsylvania.  Now that I think about it I’m not so sure why I watched the show every week.  However, I did watch it and now these people are even more rich than they were to begin with because of me.  It is unfortunate that we never see any intelligent people, or people with exceptional talent on TV; most of the time all we see are people that know how to act like idiots.  What kind of message is that sending to us as viewers? It seems that it is telling us that the best way to become famous is by binge drinking, partying, cheating on your significant other, or having some type of problem that majorly interferes with your life. 

Reality TV

I have found myself asking this same question to myself before this blog assignment was assigned.  Why did I need to spend an hour of my night watching the bachelorette, when I could just watch the last 10 minutes to find out which bachelor did not get a rose.  My roommates and I always watch reality TV, so I just chose my favorite reality show to blog about.  The bachelorette is focused on what so many young women want – the fairytale story about falling in love and getting married.  However, this show is more than just about falling in love.  It shows the ups and downs of falling in love, and there is also heartbreak along the way.  The bachelorette from last season’s name is Ashley and the last two men standing were Ben and JP.  Ashley absolutely adores JP and she can’t keep her hands off him, Ben on the other hand makes her laugh and she has a blast with.  She is stuck making the decision between two great men.  In the beginning she started out with a large number of bachelors and each week gave away roses to the men she liked the most.  Whoever did not receive a rose was forced to go home without a wife. 

 Almost every young woman can relate to dealing with relationship trouble, so you really feel for the people on the show.  I always felt so bad for the people that got their heart broken, because I felt like I knew them.  But, what did I really know?  I only saw hour long clips of their life each week.  In the end, I probably knew more about my high school teachers than I did about the people on the bachelorette. 

 I think this particular show was so entertaining because I could really relate to all of the people on the show.  Sometimes I just wanted to shake the bachelorette for making the decisions she did.  Last season there was a jerk named Bentley who was a candidate for being her husband.  He talked badly about her behind her back and was rude to her, but she kept going back to him.  This is a relatively common occurrence in young relationships, so I could feel for what she was going through.  Another reason people watch these shows is because they are unpredictable.  The viewer makes their prediction of what they think will happen, but no one actually knows what the end result will be.  It is almost like playing a game with their lives.  In a sports game, you don’t know what will happen and that is part of the fun in watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I_NbXEPVYw&feature=related

This clip is of Bentley talking about making Ashley cry, and he feels absolutely no emotion for breaking her heart.  All he is concerned with is making sure his hair looks okay while he is doing it.  I think this clip shows that some characters on reality shows are only on the shows for their own selfish, they do not care about how they affect the people around them. 

Producers would not air a program if they did not believe it was going to get viewers.  Most reality shows are centered around either something people can relate with, or something abstract that we as viewers are curious about.  For example, sister wives is so obscure that most people are like “Wow, I can’t believe people live like that.”  My personal opinion is that I would never want to share my husband with multiple other women, so this show has a factor that really shocks people.  Other reality shows like the bachelorette, and the real world are focused around ideas that people can understand and viewers can really form relationships with the people on the show.  However, I am surprised to see people dressing up for Halloween as characters from shows like the Jersey Shore.  After seeing their behavior on the show, I can’t imagine wanting to look or act like them. 

1984

I have not read that far into the novel yet, but so far I do not view our society as Orwellian.  There are definitely some aspects that are Orwellian, but they do not really interfere with our everyday lives.  The amount of time it takes to board an airplane might be a ridiculous, but I do not think that is a bad thing – it keeps all of us safe.  If you have something incriminating to hide, why would you try getting on a plane?  This blog topic reminded me of when my classmate said facebook owns every single picture we post.  The thought of someone actually owning picture of myself really made me feel uneasy at first.  However, after I thought about it I realized it was not that big of a deal to me…there are no pictures of me that I am doing anything I shouldn’t be doing.  I might not like the picture, but it’s only a snapshot of a moment. 

In the novel Big Brother seems to represent the government who is constantly listening in and watching over people’s lives.  Big Brother is almost impossible to escape, Winston has a tiny alcove that Big Brother cannot see into (or can they?).  I was not sure what to make of the thought police, because I was not sure how they worked.  If they invaded your thoughts, wouldn’t Winston get in trouble for his diary? 

Big Brother exists today, but it is not as in your face as Big Brother is in the novel.  There are cameras all around our towns.  If you run a red light and no one is around, you will get caught.  My apartment complex also has cameras installed outside of our buildings.  They monitor who goes in and out to keep us safe.  In addition to watching us, I think the government is allowed to listen to our phone conversations if they think we are suspicious.  Privacy does still exist in our homes.  Unless you have done something to cause you to need to be watched you are basically free to do as you please in your home.  I do not feel that my basic freedoms have been given up to feel safe.  I would rather have a few cameras around than have people sneaking into my apartment.  I do not think that we are heading to an “Orwellian” way of life.  It is way too extreme and I think if the government invaded our lives to that level there would be mass protests and pure chaos would erupt. 

I wish that I could say I would be able to live as Thoreau did.  However, I know that there is no way I would be able to live basically in a box in the woods by myself.  I would survive, but I am pretty sure I would be a miserable person.  I might be able to do it if I had a friend or two, I have just become so comfortable with my current lifestyle.  On a more positive note I would learn to appreciate nature, and look at the beauty in the natural world.  I would probably see the "real" things in life as opposed to watching television or stalking people on facebook.  There are so many beautiful things in life that many people do not get to see since they're so focused on what is going on in everyone else's life, and what the most hip fashions are. 

It seem like all the texts we have read so far point to the idea that us Americans are becoming more and more wrapped up in what seems like ridiculous things.  For example, I would rather read about Britney Spears and her life than what happened 200 years ago in America.  Second Skin is another example of people becoming wrapped up in silly things.  The people in this video were sacrificing their real lives for a fictional game.  If we put all of our electronics to the side and focused on socializing face to face, what would happen? Are we actually able to make friends like people did before facebook and texting?

I would probably have developed a lot more skills if I was not watching TV, texting, or spending time on facebook.  Maybe I would know how to knit, or maybe I would be a better cook.  Anderson's book points to a future that we may be heading in.  The people in Feed did not seem to have any hobbies, they were always focused on what the Feed was feeding them.  The characters seemed like they were always going to parties, or shopping, or m chatting their friends.  Is this what is happening to us?

We are not the dumbest generation.

I most certainly do not believe that we are the "dumbest" generation, but maybe that is just because I am part of it.  However, it does seem like there is a giant gap between those people that are considerated to be educated literate people and those that can not meet basic literacy standards.  As a generation we may not know the facts that Bauerlein claims to be important, but that is how we grew up.  In high school I was always encouraged by my parents and teachers to do what I was interested in.  I was interested in math and science, so I loaded my schedule up with those types of classes.  I may not know what the biggest lake in the United States is, but I know a lot of other information related to my interests.  Many schools have also fallen into a rut of simply trying to get the best test scores possible.  They focus less on teaching kids about what is going on currently and more on making sure their math and reading scores meet the state requirements.  In my school district they began eliminating "specials" classes like family and consumer science and tech ed. 
It seems like society is becoming more and more specialized, so people have less of a need to know minor facts about everything.  Many job fields are becoming more and more advanced, so employees need to become experts in their field.  This increasing expertese allows less space in the mind for information not vital to you.  To be honest, I do not even think my parents know music composers and other tid bits of information that Bauerlein said to be important to know. 

I agree with Bauerlein when he says our generation is more lazy than ever, and although there are some dumb people out there...hasn't there always been?  It is unfortunate, but the technology we have today has allowed us to become lazy people.  We can go to school online, we can read the news online (we do not even have to walk to the end of our driveway to get the newspaper), and we can go online shopping.  Almost anything we could ever need is at the ends of our fingertips.  On the other hand I think it is completely unfair for Bauerlein to apply a blanket statement to all of today's generation.  I do not know a single person that the all statistics he pointed out apply to.

I was really surprised when he mentioned companies finding the needing to provide remedial writing classes.  Isn't that the fault of the company for hiring somebody that is unable to adequately write?  It is virtually impossible to graduate from a university without writing skills.  As a senior I have written a countless amount of papers and I have received good grades on almost all of them.  If professors are providing passing grades for papers that are of failing quality then I believe it is not our generation that is the dumbest.

Who are you without your virtual identity?

I think a lot of things we find online need to be taken with a grain of salt.  Anyone can create a website, claim to be a professional on the topic and publish it.  As easily as someone can create a totally bogus website, they can create a totally false identity on a social networking site.  You can be whoever you want to be when you're behind a computer screen, and no one will know who the real you is.  When people participate in this type of behavior it makes me wonder if they even know who they really are.  This reminds of a country song called "I'm So Much Cooler Online".  The fake identities that can be created online have no meaning once you walk away from the computer.  Once you leave the keyboard behind you're back to being the real you, which is probably the better version.  It is sad that some individuals today think that they have to act a certain way or have a particular look to be considered "cool".  I think that the media has a major impact on these thoughts.  A quote from Culture Jam that stood out to me was on page 76, it says "She understands that the sum of her worth, at that moment, to these people, lies in the image she presents."  Perhaps this plays a role into why people want to create fake virutal identities.  However, I think these identities are different than those created on games.

When people are playing these games it seems like they actually take the role of the character, they create the character and can control everything the character does.  Extreme gamers spend their entire day as this character - their identity is who they have created on the game.  The character is fictional, but in a sense it is not fake.  This identity is maintained through the duration of the game, and it is a reflection of who the gamer really is.  Unfortunately this character's identity has little significance in the real world.  On a job application you can't list the qualities of your character in World of War Craft, you need to list who you are and your capabilities.  The only positive thing I saw in the video was when the handicapped man was able to let his guard down and be himself during the game.  No one thought less of him because he was handicapped, he was just another player in the game.  It is sad that people have come to value such a fake thing, what happens during the game can not be applied to what is going on in your real world surroundings.  Maybe if people spent the time they put into gaming improving their lives, they would not need to go into this virtual world to escape the real one around them. 

Overall, I think the virtual world started as a wonderful thing.  Networking sites made it easy to meet people with similar hobbies, find a date, and just to talk.  It seems like some people took advantage of this, and started using it in a negative way.  Which is why there are issues like the Craig's List Killer.  Yikes.  Meeting people online is almost like ordering clothes offline ... you don't really know what you are going to get until you open the box (or meet them in person).  Getting involved in a virtual world is a risk you need to be willing to take.  Too much of a good thing is usually bad.  People are getting sucked into this virtual world and they can't get out.  Who are they?  Can they interact in a social environment? 

A Land of Plentitude

I found Culture Jam to be a total eye opener, I thought that the Kalle Lasn put into words exactly how many Americans behave, and it showed how much Americans value stuff and how we are constantly trying to keep up with our neighbors.  When I say that Americans value stuff I am talking about the chapter on plentitude.  Looking around my room I can see that I am guilty of committing plentitude.  I have atleast twenty pens sitting on my desk that I have accumulated throughout the school years, and I still bought new ones this year.  Why did I buy more?  To be honest I am really not sure, buying new school supplies is something I do every year before the start of the semester.  Another example of plentitude I found in my apartment was the three face wash bottles in my bathroom.  All three of them are half full, I bought them mostly because I saw them on commericals and thought "Hey, maybe this one will really clear up my skin".  However, deep down I knew they would work just the same as all of the other face washes I have ever bought.  On page 11 Lasne said "Most Americans have everything they could possibly want, and they still don't think  its nearly enough".  I found it sad how true this statement really is.  I have a closet full of clothes, shoes, purses, and coats.  I am thankful I have all of these items but, I still wake up every morning and say "Wow, I have nothing to wear."  I see what other people are wearing, and if I like it I am likely to go out and purchase something similar.  This continual spending is totally unnecessary, but I am probably not going to stop. 

Another passage that really spoke out to me was on page 18.  This passage is about how looking like a model will find you a mate, and how the media plays into this idea.  If we did not have all of these movie stars looking almost perfect, the standards we have for ourselves would probably not be so unrealistic.  One of the worst parts about stars being put in such a spotlight is that when they do look bad, or gain a few pounds magazines put it in their headlines.  In many occasions when movie stars gain a couple pounds they just look normal, and less fake.  I was watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians yesterday and one of the previews was for Kris (the mom) to get plastic surgery because she is looking "old".  This shows just how much Americans value looking good.  Aging is a totally natural process and plastic surgery takes away some of the natural beauty in life.  It gives average people false expectations of what they could look like.  There is no reason to volunteer to get dangerous unnecessary surgery.  In my opinion its ridiculous how many people are willing to take the risks that are associated with surgery just to look good. 

The poem we read - America, It's gotta Be the Cheese seemed to sum up a lot of the ideas in the book.  It mentioned how processed America and Americans are.  Plastic surgery is like processing a human, rather than a food item; it makes everyone look the same.  The statement "We manipulated the cheese until it suited our purposes" really stood out to me.  Scientists are creating genetically modified crops to meet our purposes.  The product may be either bigger, tastier, or grow better.  However, how do we know if these items are really safe and its hard to know when you're consuming them.  Overall, it seems like we are in a new age of consumerism and all we can do is try and keep up, or try and stop it.

Introduction

Hello!

My name is Kristin, I am from Grantville, PA.  Grantville is about an hour away from Shippensburg (right near Hershey Park).  I am currently a senior Biology major. I plan on going to graduate school for Occupational Therapy, so far I have applied to Thomas Jefferson and Indiana University.  One of my hobbies is playing softball, this summer I played for a womens league in my town.  I enjoy almost all music, except for metal.  I do not watch that many movies because I almost always fall asleep half way through.  On the other hand I do like to watch discovery health, spongebob, reality TV, and investigation discovery.  I also like reading when I have time.  Harlen Coben is one of my favorite authors, and I also like the Harry Potter and Twilight series.  The most recent book I read was called Plea of Insanity, it was a murder mystery type of book.

To be honest I probably would not have taken this class if it was not required,  English and History have always been my least favorite classes to take.  However, I had a great experience in my freshman writing course and my best friend is an English major and she recommended taking this course.    My past experiences reading "literature" have not been the greatest.  In high school I was never interested in reading Shakespeare, or the majority of the other required readings.  Most of my classmates shared the same opinions as I did about the books we were reading in class.  I thought it was hard to understand, and when my teachers would tell us about the hidden themes in the book I really did not see them.  It always took me forever to get through the reading because I would just read the same words over and over again and none of it would sink in.  In my opinion literature consists of those books that are read by almost every generation, and that have lasting themes.  They are the books that are usually read in high school English courses.  I wonder if "literature" is still being created, because all of the literature I was introduced to was written by authors many many years ago.