Super Sweet!

There were some other clips that we had looked at for our presentation, but didn't include. I thought I would post them here if anyone was interested! The show is really ridiculous on so many levels. Anyway, I really enjoyed everyone's presentations today! They were all awesome :)



"No nerdy ass bitches allowed", Yashika!



The LimoBob episode, Bobby's Party.

Choice #3: Mixed Messages from the MTv World

Choice # 3: Mixed Messages from the MTv World


When flipping through the endless array of channels that seem to have invaded television, it is impossible not to stop on one of the music stations. These networks, such as MTV, have an endless programming schedule that contains not only popular music videos, but also a wide variety of half-hour and hour long shows. These shows range from My Super Sweet 16, which documents well-off teens planning their elaborate and ridiculously expensive birthday parties, to shows such as Laguna Beach, which features teens who lead lives of wealth and privilege in Orange County, California. With the endless array of shows running on a 24 hour loop, MTv’s programming is far from reality, sending mixed signals to its teenage viewers, reinforcing that wealth and materialism are all that matter.

One popular MTv show Laguna Beach, follows the lives of a group of teenagers who live in Orange County, California. Whether the show is real or scripted (which has been debated), the main themes of the show seem to be popularity, vanity, sexuality and materialism. Many of the show’s characters live in unbelievable houses, drive expensive cars and are always dressed in the latest designer clothes. A comparison can be made between the characters on Laguna Beach and the teenagers featured in “Fast Forward” by Greenfield. According to the preface to Greenfield’s project, “Early on in the project, three seventh-grade boys asked me what I was doing. ‘A project about growing up in L.A.,” I told them. One boy shot back, ‘If you are doing a story about growing up in L.A., you have to show money. That’s what it’s all about.” A main focus of the show is materialism and having enough money to spend, which in reality was also documented by Greenfield as being a major influence on teenagers living in L.A.

Even though financial status may be important for the stars of Laguna Beach and the teens featured in Greenfield’s piece, the show is sending the wrong message to its teenage viewers. Many of the viewers of the show are everyday, middle-class teenagers, who do not live lives of wealth and leisure. The show sends the message that wealth and status are everything, sending mixed messages to the viewers who may not have the money to spend on the latest clothes and expensive cars, creating greed and envy.

Among the issues of materialism and wealth, there is also the push to be an adult, in return, growing up too fast. Shows on MTv, such as My Super Sweet 16, showcase teens who are in a rush to grow up. The show follows “sweet sixteeners” as they plan their elaborate birthday parties that can cost upwards of $100,000. Each show follows the same process, the teens make outrageous requests, their parents cough up the cash, there’s drama and of course and extremely expensive luxury vehicle. The emphasis on money, materialism and acting grown up, while at the same time complaining if they do not get their own way, sends the message to viewers that it is cool to want to be an adult, but not behave like one.

As Greenfield stated in Fast Forward, “Whether it is the desire to be an adult when one is a child, to be a gangster when one is privileged, to be famous when one is unknown, or to look like a model when one does not, young people are preoccupied with becoming other than they are.” MTv is sending the message to its teenage viewers that it is best to become something that you are not. Whether it is wanting money when you do not have any, or wanting to be an adult, but not really behave like one, teens are being sent mixed messages through MTv’s programming, especially concerning sexuality, materialism and wealth.

Choice # 2: Leisure Activities of the Young & "Rebellious"

Preface to my choice#2 assigment:
For this choice I decided to take one of my papers from Soc 300 (Classical Sociological Theory) and make connections to this class. The paper focuses on smoking as a leisure activity among teens in the 1990s, making references to a few articles I read for Soc, and then transitions into drinking/partying as a leisure activity for today's teens. It also focuses on the use of Facebook/MySpace among teens and the popularity of posting drunken pictures of themselves for all to see. It doesn't really fit into a specific choice assignment, but the connections were too much for me to ignore, I had to use it somehow! Enjoy!


Choice #2:
Leisure Activities of the Young and "Rebellious"

Adolescence is a time when teenagers, both male and female are trying to determine where they fit into society. In high school especially there is a powerful emphasis on finding a place to fit in among peers. Boys tend to have an easier time, many being heavily involved in sports and forming friendships along the way. For many girls, this task is much more difficult. High school girls tend to fall into cliques based on outward appearances. The groups have not changed much over time, the cheerleaders, popular girls, geeks, so on and so forth. According to the article by Wearing and Wearing, girls also find a place among their peers by following the dominant ideologies of that group. In the 1990s especially, girls found acceptance through the image created by lighting up a cigarette. Currently, many teenage girls find that same acceptance through other leisure activities such as drinking and partying.

Smoking can be viewed as a fashion accessory for these girls in many ways. According to the article, “Here we can see that for adolescent girls, unsure of their identity, smoking can be a commodified and glamorous fashion accessory, which has the illusion of the assertation of individuality, while receiving the support of the group” (Wearing 4). For many teenage girls, being part of a group or being viewed as popular is essential. Throughout high school, image is everything, and through smoking, girls were able to portray an image of maturity, sophistication and glamour. At least that is what the cigarette ads and the media lead them to believe. Smoking takes on a new life with these young girls, turning into an element of fashion, such as the latest designer bag. A fashion accessory that includes a girl in her desired group, or puts her above her peers in a coveted position of popularity.

This conspicuous consumption that is cigarette smoking, is more about the notion that the girls ability to smoke, rather than the actual act of smoking. Veblen’s idea of conspicuous consumption is a factor in this social phenomenon among young girls. According to Wearing and Wearing there is an image created of defiance and rebellion, but also sophistication, which is acquired through smoking. As stated in the article, “We suggest that, for the adolescent women with whom we are concerned, smoking as a leisure activity may have short term benefits in establishing status among peers and autonomy from parental figures and in providing a form of resistance to prissy, confining ‘good girl images” (Wearing, 3). For the girls who are smoking, the desired appearance is more important and the short term benefits that follow it, than the years of addiction or illness that may follow.

Currently, among teenage girls especially, drinking and partying has become very popular. Since the introduction of Myspace and Facebook, two social networking websites, very popular among teenagers and college students, many users have begun posting drunken and completely embarrassing self-portraits. In my opinion, drinking and then posting the evidence on the internet for all to see has become a contemporary form of leisure, one that is beginning to rival smoking. As Digital Natives, these teens are taking pictures on their digital cameras at parties and then uploading them directly to Facebook or MySpace the next day; well, after the hangover is gone that is.

Many high school and college students, especially girls are posting pictures of themselves and/or their friends, drunk, sometimes half dressed and just completely a mess. Even though this may sound like a destruction of personal reputation, these images are praised by the girls’ friends online. The girls then receive floods of comments about the pictures, creating the notion that posting drunken, half-naked pictures online equals instant popularity. According to the article, “Identity Production in a Networked Culture: Why Youth Heart MySpace” comments are used as signs of affection and means of motivation for the teenage users. The comments posted in response to these pictures, praise the girls in them and just further reinforce that this is a positive activity, which in the long run it is not.
Through the 1990s when smoking as a leisure activity served as a fashion accessory and now with drunken pictures, there is a common theme. That self-destruction is the only means of acceptance into a social group for teenage girls. Smoking creates many health hazards and triggers pre-mature aging, but that is not on the minds of the girls who smoke, there is only room for acceptance. Drinking in excess causes countless hazards for young girls, let alone the posting of drunken pictures online. There is no telling who can get their hands on those pictures after they are posted, that is what these girls should be worried about.

This all ties into a point made by Wearing and Wearing, “In adolescence then, girls using smoking behavior as a leisure activity are trying on identities into which they may develop and which they may pursue throughout their adult lives” (Wearing,3). There is no question about it; the teenage years are a time for trying out different identities and trying to determine which the right fit is. Some girls find that fit in a less rebellious manner, connecting with others through meaningful activities, such as clubs and sports. While others go a different route, into smoking and the party identity. Throughout this process, hopefully the girls are able to determine which identity will help them in their adult lives.

Listen Up!!

After looking around the website for quite a bit today in class, I was able to identify many common themes among the video clips. Many of the clips tackled big issues, such as teenage pregnancy, human rights, environmental awareness, family issues and important decision making, while others focus on smaller more personal issues, such as fears.

Among the videos, a few stood out to me as amazing examples. The video entitled, Babies, Bottles & Diapers: Reality of Teen Pregnancy, was a good example of a video that focused on the lives of teenage mothers and fathers. Overall, the video had a message that we as a society need to open up the discussion further about teen pregnancy, because as one young mother in the film put it, teens are definitely having sex! The clip also highlighted resources that are available to teenagers who are sexually active, or those who are teenage mothers and fathers. A community resource called "The Door" was showcased towards the end of the clip. At The Door, birth control is readily available to teens, as well as prenatal and parenting classes for teenage parents. The Door serves as a positive resource for teens who are sexually active, or teenage parents. As is discussed in the clip, the discussion about sex and teens needs to be happening more, if that happens, more places like The Door may be available for teens all over the country.


Also while looking around the website, I found a short "pamphlet" viedo entitled Juvenile Asylum. The video discusses teenagers rights if they are subjected to a search by faculty or school security. The video follows a male teenager who is targeted everyday at school when he walks through security. Even though searches are only supposed to be performed if the metal dectector beeps, this teen is targeted everyday, even though he never sets it off. The video uses him as an example of illegal targeted searches. According to the video, the law says that searches must be warranted and random, this is not the case everywhere, especially in inner city schools. The video did a great job of presenting basic rights that teens should be aware of, such as the right to remain silent.

Overall, Listen Up! seems like an interesting resource for teens, with a wide variety of topics being covered by the documentaries. The site also serves as a positive outlet for teens, I'm just curious about the process that is involved with being featured on the site. Is there a selection process? I'm sure with a little big of further looking I could get my answers!

Locks of LOVE on Youth Media

While looking around the Youth Media Network site for tomorrow's discussion, I found a video that was posted by a girl who donated her hair for Locks of Love. This video was created by two young girls who donated their hair to the organization. The video was short, but documented them talking about why they wanted to donate their hair and what the process was like. This video hit home for me because I am currently growing my hair out to donate. One of the girls said she was donating her hair because one of her brother's friends was diagnosed with leukemia. It is great to see compassion from teenagers, not many videos make mainstream television or even YouTube that feature teens performing self-less acts, such as donating their hair. Letting teens put their voices out there, voicing what is important to them in such a creative manner, makes the Youth Media Network a great site.


On a personal note, I decided to grow my hair out to donate to Locks of Love for my mom. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February of 2006 and I watched as she went through chemo treatments, losing her hair and self-esteem all at the same time. Then I saw that confidence come back after she recieved her wig. There is no measuring how much joy that brings to a cancer patient. Even though she didn't recieve her wig from Locks of Love, the effect was still the same. If my ten inches of red hair can bring that much joy to someone who is suffering from such a horrible disease as cancer, then as long as my hair keeps growing I'm going to keep on donating!

Talking Points: Kid Nation

Talking Points: “Kid Nation”

I’m getting a “Kid Nation” overload today, as I just finished writing a choice assignment about the show. However I will try my best to find a different aspect of the show to focus on right now. One article that I connected with was the one written by Nancy McDermott, “Kid Nation: it’s not exactly William Golding”. She discusses the overblown criticism of the show, including the argument that it violated child labor and abuse laws. Personally, I think that the very notion of this is ridiculous. So what if the pioneers of “Kid Nation” had to do a little bit of hard labor in order to survive? Many adults would probably argue that the work, which included cleaning outhouses, preparing meals and hauling water, was good for the pioneers’ overall sense of work ethic. Throughout their experience on the show, the pioneers of “Kid Nation” became more confident in their own abilities as human beings and their ability to live without the constant hovering of mom and dad.

According to the article by McDermott, many parents of the pioneers' parents were criticized and labeled as unfit parents for allowing their children to be on the show. This goes along with one of McDermott’s main points, that parents today are over protective and everything concerning their children is blown way out of proportion. I admire the parents that allowed their children to be one the show. I feel that their intentions were pure, simply wanting their children to have an experience that McDermott compares to overnight summer-camp. A chance to have once in a life time experiences, meet other kids from around the country, and hopefully learn skills to help them in the future. Unlike Megan Daum’s view of the parents’ intentions, I do not feel that they were in it to make their children into mini-celebrities.

One question that I have is what would have happened if the pioneers were really left to their own devices. I understand that a production crew, medical staff, etc have to be present for safety reason, just as on “Survivor”. What if the pioneers were given handheld cameras to document their experiences, and the journal, dictating the direction of each show was removed, would the audience have a purer view of who kids and teens really are? Would we be able to see how they react to certain situations, without the watchful eye of adults present? What would happen? I understand that many of you probably haven’t watched the series and might not be able to answer, but for those of you who have, what do you think would happen? Would it make for a better show? Thoughts?

Choice # 1: "One Nation, Ruled by Kids?"

Choice #1: Analysis of a TV Show

As much as I sometimes hate to admit, I am a huge fan of reality television. My DVR is filled with episodes of "Survivor", "The Biggest Loser" and "The Amazing Race". When I saw the previews for a new series called "Kid Nation", I was intrigued by the simple idea of the show. Setting 40 kids of all ages free in a "ghost town", with no adults around, just to see what would transpire, sounded like a pretty interesting show. Not many reality shows feature kids and teenagers, I was interested to see how these young pioneers would be represented. I began watching the show religiously, never missing an episode, and at the same time getting my boyfriend, Casey, hooked as well.

The show featured 40 kids ages 8-15, from different states and ethnic backgrounds. From the beginning, the "pioneers" of "Bonanza City" were separated into four districts, each with a representative to serve on the governing board of the town. These council members would read a journal every morning, left by the previously unsuccessful settlers of the town. The entries in the journal focused on specific issues, such as the presence of religion in the town, formal education and delegation of tasks. After reading the journal, council members would then disclose the information presented in the journal to the rest of the pioneers at a town meeting. The theme of the journal would then serve as the major theme for the episode and the challenge to determine class and jobs assignments.

In "Kid Nation", there are class designations that each districts receives based on their performances on the physical and intellectual challenges featured in every episode. The rank of a district then determined what jobs they would be responsible for around town. The ranking classes included the Upper Class; members of this class were given the highest salary of $1.00, and were assigned no specific duties in Bonanza City. Some members of the Upper Class chose not to help around town, while others pitched in, helping to cook meals and clean the out houses. Following behind the Upper Class, were the Merchants, receiving a salary of 50 cents, the members of this class were responsible for running the stores in town, including a candy shop and a saloon that served up killer root beer floats. Next were the Cooks, who were responsible for cooking three meals a day for the 40 pioneers of Bonanza City. The members of this class earned their 25 cent salary, struggling to satisfy everyone's hunger and battling the mounting of never ending dirty dishes. Finally, at the bottom of the food chain were the Laborers. The most undesired class ranking in Bonanza, the pioneers of this class were responsible for all the hard labor around town. These tasks included, hauling water from the well, tending to the animals, and most disgusting of all, cleaning the outhouses. Members of this class received the lowest salary of only 10 cents.

I agree with some points made by Ellen Goodman, in her article, “Kid Nation: CBS’ New Reality Show Creates Little Capitalists”. Her overall criticism of the show is very harsh, and some times way over thought. However, I connected with a few of her main points. She criticizes the production crew for pretty much determining the direction of the series, instead of letting the pioneers take it in their own hands. According to Goodman, “But the real founding fathers of "Kid Nation" leave little to chance or choice. It's the producers, not the so-called "pioneers," who determine the structure of the town called Bonanza. It's the adults who lay the cultural grid down the main street.” This quote from Goodman lays the foundation for one of the only problems that I had with Kid Nation, the overwhelming presence of the so-called “absent” adults.

One thing that I was disappointed with right from the start was the not always visible, but still evident presence of adults. The premise of the show was that these kids would be left to their own devices, without parents or adults around to steer them in the right direction. That was simply not the case. The pioneers were given tasks based on a journal that was left by settlers of the town in the late 1800s; this was a little too much for me. Some of the older pioneers were obvious to the fact that the journal was written by the producers of the show, even if they never admitted it to the cameras, but the younger ones were completely fooled. The journal put ideas of education, religion and government into their minds, ideas that then served as the theme for the entire episode.

The pioneers of Bonanza City proved themselves to be very intelligent human beings, capable of leadership and conflict resolution. Even though the journal gave the pioneers something to focus on, I would be interested to see what would have happened if the journal had not been present. The pioneers would have discovered and dealt with ideas that were truly there, not put into their heads by a fictitious journal from the 1800s. For me, the presence of adults through the journal reinforces a common stereotype of kids and teenagers that left without the guidance of adults, the children will rebel and nothing of meaning will be accomplished. I challenge CBS, in the future seasons of “Kid Nation”, ditch the journal and see what happens, when there really are no adults calling the shots.

Children and teenagers are often not seen as being capable of leadership, or simply the completion of chores, falling into the common stereotype of “kids today are so lazy!” “Kid Nation” attempts to challenge this untrue myth about kids and teenagers. Even though there were times when dishes went unwashed and jobs were not completed, the pioneers of Bonanza City were able to band together and complete the tasks at hand, eventually. One pioneer from the show that stands out in my memory is Michael, a 15-year-old pioneer who was able to unite Bonanza City into action with his motivating speeches during town meetings.

Melanie McFarland, author of the blog, “Birth of a Kid Nation”, also shares my strong fondness for Michael. She quotes one of his rousing speeches to his peers, “You guys do realize you're not just representing yourselves," he said after stepping in front of everyone. "This is to prove that kids of all age groups, like you guys, can actually take control, get organized, and that you can actually work together cooperatively...You guys really need to think of your job, and to take control of it, and after we do that, we'll just become a working machine and we'll work out a lot better." According to McFarland, Michael’s speech “Stopped the enterprise from descending into chaos.” Even though Michael did not serve as council member until the end of the show, he embodied leadership, confidence and compassion for others, attributes that many teenagers possess today, but are not given the chance to truly showcase. I remember watching the show and turning to my boyfriend and saying, “That kid will be our President someday.” His presence and dedication to making Bonanza City a better place, was that compelling.

Overall, I enjoyed being a viewer of “Kid Nation”. Despite some of the negative reviews of the show, there need to be more shows like this airing. Shows that feature children and teenagers uniting together for a common cause. Proving to the critical and stereotyping adults out there that young people are capable of much more than playing video games and being disrespectful to their elders. I was pleasantly surprised by “Kid Nation”, expecting to see a bunch of kids whining about the lack of computer games and television, but instead I witnessed kids and teens showcasing their leadership abilities and compassion for others. Two attributes that many kids possess, but are not given the opportunity to showcase.

project idea?

For my Sociology theory class I'm reading an article that looks at smoking as a fashion accessory for young girls in the 1990's and I got an idea for the project. The article describes how in teenage years young women are trying on different identities and sometimes, being the girl who smokes, and everything that goes with it, is that identity. The article points out that smoking as a leisure activity for teenage girls may be seen as having some short term benefits such as, "establishing status among peers and autonomy from parental figures and in providing a form of resistance to prissy, confining ‘good girl’ images. In the long term however, it cannot provide sound basis for identity development or will have detrimental results.” The article went on to discuss how teenage girls want to emulate the sophistication, success, beauty, sexuality, popularity and ease of living of those smokers portrayed in movies, TV shows, music videos, advertisements, etc.

For the project I was thinking of not only focusing on smoking, but drinking as well. So many times on Facebook and Myspace I see pictures of teens who are partying, and in these pictures I see a common theme of teenage girls. They pose in sexual ways for the camera, some are passed out drunk,etc. I'm thinking that if I can find a connection to TV shows, movies or videos that targets teenage girls specifically, I can show that these teenage girls are trying to emulate the partying featured in the media. I don't know if this idea makes sense to anyone, its just a start, but hopefully someone can see where I'm trying to go with this! :)


-the article also focuses on alternative leisure activities for young girls, maybe this could also be included...just a thought!

Why not teach the facts?

"Sex & Teens: Why Abstinence Isn't Working" -O magazine

I was flipping through a copy of O magazine, the one Oprah puts out there and I found an article
about teens and sex, a topic that seems to always be in the headlines. The article focused on the failures of abstinence only sex education in this country. According to the article, the government has spent more than $1 billion since 1996 promoting abstinence only education for teenagers, because they are convinced that telling teens to wait until marriage will reduce the risk of pregnancy, HIV, STDs, so on and so forth. Hello government officials, its not working! To drive the point home even further that abstinence only education isn't working, the author states that by not properly educating teens about safer sex practices, they have an even greater risk of contracting HIV or other STDs. Teens do not want to hear that waiting until marriage is the only solution, they want the facts.

According to a study featured in the article, "Abstinence only programs did not lower the incidence of unprotected sex, the frequency of STDs and pregnancy, or the number of partners students had; nor did it get them to use condoms more often, or ironically enough, pursue abstinence." This quote says it all, there needs to be a more comprehensive program in place for teenage students. Teens do not want to be lectured, or scared by educators falsely comparing condom use to playing a game of Russian roulette. Teens that are sexually active do not want to feel guilty or disgusting, they just want to have the knowledge of proper protection and to know that the education they receive is useful in their lives.

A quote from the article that sums up the main point is, "Successful programs are those in which every single activity is designed to get the students to realize that they should not be having unprotected sex, that abstaining completely is purely the safest and best, but if they do have sex, they should always use condoms and other contraception." That pretty much covers my beliefs too, that teens should be given all the information out there about safe sex. With that knowledge they will be able to make the choices best suited for their lives.

Lauren Greenfield

"Fast Forward" Lauren Greenfield

The lives of teenagers involve delicate balance between who they are on an individual level, and what media/society adds to that individual. Lauren Greenfield gives an interesting introduction to her work in this preface. She describes teenagers growing up in the diverse neighborhoods of LA and all of the outside influences that truly impact their every day lives. She began in an affluent private school, and worked her way into the inner city schools, documenting the teens that she encountered along the way. There were many obvious differences between the teenagers, but at the same time there were many similarities.

One quote from the preface that really resonated with me was, "Whether it is the desire to be an adult when one is a child, to be a gangster when one is privileged, to be famous when one is unknown, or to look like a model when one does not, young people are preoccupied with becoming other than they are" (Greenfield). In this quote I found truth, it is human nature, especially as a teenager to dream of a better or different life. From a young age children are taught to dream about the future and what they want to be when they grow up. From Greenfield's perspective, this aspect of childhood is amplified. In her journey she witnessed affluent teenagers acting like gang members and inner city teens acting as though they were wealthier. This all boils down to the old saying that, "The grass is always greener on the other side." As members of a society influenced by images of the media, children, teenagers and adults alike are always wishing for the better toy, the new clothes or the better paying job. There seems to be no satisfaction with accepting ourselves at face value, but that is what society has led us to believe.

The only part of the preface that I had some trouble with were the references to gang violence and the inner city culture. This was simply because I have no concrete knowledge about it. The only images of gang violence and culture that I have seen have come from television and movies, which is tainted with what the media wants viewers to see and think about it. I have also never spent any significant amounts of time in the inner city and to truly get an understanding of a place, in my opinion you have to be immersed in the culture for a period of time or live there.

Another quote from the preface reminded me of the documentary that we watched during Marco's presentation about hip hop. "Kids from all sides of the tracks idealized the images of gangsta rap and mimicked those that were missing in their own lives. Affluent kids dressed and talked like gangsters; inner-city kids simulated the trappings of wealth." (Greenfield) She brings up the point that media effects teenagers from all walks of life and does not discriminate, everyone is pretty much receiving the same message, but may interpret those messages in a different way.

Towards the end of the preface Lauren Greenfield discusses how, "The pictures are not intended as portraits and do not attempt to portray the "essence" of individual subjects. Rather, I have tried to make pictures that reveal an element of our culture as it manifests itself in the lives of children." I would like to find out what elements of our culture were the most prominent in the teenagers she documented. From reading the preface I would guess wealth, but I wonder if anything unexpected turned up during her research.

"A Style Nobody can Deal With: Politics, Style and the Postindustrial City in Hip Hop" Talking Points #3

"A Style Nobody can Deal With: Politics, Style and the Postindustrial City in Hip Hop" by Tricia Rose

First of all, I have no experience whatsoever with the culture of hip-hop, so all of this is very new to me. It was hard to connect with some of Rose’s topics, but for the most part, I think I understand her general message. The beginning of the piece discussed the origins of hip hop and how it has transformed since the 1970’s through 1994, when the text was published. Rose discusses the development of hip hop, “Worked out on the rusting urban core as a playground, hip hop transforms stray technological parts intended for cultural and industrial trash heaps into sources of pleasure and power” (Rose, 401). She then goes on to explain how hip hop brought people together in urban communities, whether through break dancing on the sidewalks or rappers and DJs with microphones hooked up to the electricity of street lights. Rose says that rappers and DJs, “revised the use of central thoroughfares, made ‘open-air’ community centers in neighborhoods where there were none” (Rose, 402). New York City in the 1970’s, is where the hip hop culture has its roots. Even though hip hop has transformed over the years, today’s hip hop still uses the basics of “attitude, dance, style and sound effects” (Rose, 402) from that time period.

I also understand that hip hop culture, which includes dance, graffiti and rap, has significant undertones of political, social and economic issues. Not being a huge fan of rap music, I was unaware of this theme. After reading Tricia Rose’s piece, I have a better understanding of what rap music and the hip hop culture is derived from and also the issues that are being expressed in a very creative and unique manner. “It is, in fact, the dynamic and often contentious relationship between the two—larger social and political forces and black cultural properties—that centrally shape and define hip hop” (Rose, 402).

Even though I can somewhat understand the development of hip hop and the issues that it addresses, I am still overwhelmed by this piece. There were many words ( Afro-diasporic , phantasmagorical) that I had to look up and many of the themes were foreign to me. I hope that during class on Monday night some of my questions will be clarified and I will hopefully have a better understanding of the hip hop culture. I’m definitely open to learning new things!

"Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants"

"Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" by Marc Prensky

While reading this article, all I could think of was my somewhat unsuccessful attempt to help my 85 year old grandfather use his new laptop. Last year he decided to buy himself a brand new Dell laptop and junk his old PC, which was still using Windows 95 and dial-up AOL. Needless to say I was surprised by his decision, he really loved that old computer. After researching for months and looking around at different models, he finally decided on a Dell laptop complete with Windows Vista. By the summer everything was in order, he had his laptop, high speed internet access and even a wireless network so he could sit outside and still be connected. Then he actually started the computer and was so overwhelmed by the difference between Vista and Windows 95, that he immediately regretted his decision to buy the laptop. I tried to help him learn what was what on the screen, how to find solitaire, get on the internet, etc, etc...but my attempts were unsuccessful. Even after spending hours with him, writing things down, he pretty much gave up. To this day, months later, his laptop is sitting on the coffee table in his living room untouched.

In the article, Prensky refers to my generation as "Digital Natives" as we have grown up with technology and it has become integrated into every aspect of our lives. On the other hand, he refers to older generations, like my parents and grandparents, as "Digital Immigrants." They are newcomers to the world of technology. Some are interested in using technology and have adjusted, like my mom, who is proud of herself for figuring out how to pay bills online. Then there are other "Immigrants" like my grandfather, who have given up on learning how to use technology in their everyday lives. He describes it well on page 3, "Smart adult immigrants accept that they don’t know about their new world and take advantage of their kids to help them learn and integrate. Not-so-smart (or not-so-flexible) immigrants spend most of their time grousing about how good things were in the "old country" (Prensky, 3).

I agree with many of Prensky's beliefs about the need for technology to be completely integrated into the education of the younger generations. Many twenty-somethings like me and teenagers can be reached on a different level by using technology. We use different forms of technology everyday, we listen to music on our I pods, keep in touch with family and friends by cell phone, use the internet for anything and everything, the list goes on and on. What is important however is the fact that technology has become stitched into every little part of our lives, except for education. Many teachers, as Prensky points out are "Digital Immigrants" that do not speak the same language as their "Digital Native" students. When this language barrier has been eliminated, technology will have an important and influential role in classrooms of all levels.

On pages 4 and 5, Prensky discusses how engineers learned the new CAD Software by playing a videogame that taught them as they went. I have a problem with videogames being used as educational tools. The whole idea of a "shooter" game being developed to teach CAD really bothered me, even though primarily adults were the ones playing the game. Games that feature violence, especially in an educational setting, I feel should not be developed, especially for use by younger students. Rather than videogames, that are often played alone, with no social interaction, I think games played that are played in a small group are more beneficial to students.

After finishing the article I began thinking about how we can close this gap between "Digital Natives" and "Digital Immigrants," I think the answer can be found by putting more of an emphasis on the younger generations helping the older generations learn how to use new technology. Even though my attempt to help my grandpa was not very successful, that does not mean that all older people cannot be helped. There need to me more programs in place in the community, maybe through high schools or senior centers, where the “natives" can help the "immigrants" become fluent in the language of technology. Do you think programs like this could work?

No one fights like Gaston!

When I got home from class tonight my head was spinning. I may not say a lot in class, even though I'm constantly thinking. Anyway, I found the topic interesting and decided to search youtube for anything about race, class or gender issues in Disney movies. This is what I found...

"Sexism, Strength and Dominance: Masculinity in Disney Films"- A project by Sanjay Newton

A new view of Disney movies!

My boyfriend and I were actually talking about this very topic the other day. We were discussing our favorite Disney movies, Snow White being mine and Aladdin being his. Looking back, we both realized that violence and uneqaul portrayal of characters based on sex, class, etc, were all present in our favorite Disney movies. It was interesting to read Christensen's article because she brought the discussion to a deeper level. She writes about the "secret education" that is present in many children's books, movies and television shows. In the introduction she writes,"...that world depicts the domination of one sex, one race, one class, or one country over a weaker counterpart" (pg. 126). Just by looking at my favorite Disney movie, I can see the truth in this sentence. From what I can remember, every character in Snow White was in fact white. All of the female characters were either portrayed as wicked, such as her evil step-mother, or waiting around for price charming to "rescue" her, such as the main character, Snow White.

It would be nice to stay "happy and ignorant" such as one of Christensen's students suggests in the article, but I think it is important to recognize that these message that have made their way into mainstream children's culture. Children are like sponges when they are young, absorbing every little piece of information that is presented to them, these messages about race, sex and class also being absorbed, even if their parents do no realize it.

Today, I think that improvements have been made in children's television shows. There are shows such as "Dora the Explorer" which has a strong, independent and adventurous little girl as the main character. To address the issue of broadening exposure of children to different ethnic groups, Dora also exposes pre-schoolers to the Spanish language and customs. Even though some shows on TV have improved, there are others that could use some work still. The little girl I babysit for is completely obsessed with Hannah Montana. Even at just five years old, she already believes that being popular, blonde and a rockstar is the way to be. She likes to crank up the volume on her Disney Princess CD player and shake her hips as she dances around, just like Hannah, Miley or whatever her name is. I notice the themes that are being presented in the show, even though Hannah is a strong young woman, doing what she loves with her life, there are other aspects of the show that could be better.


I'm hitting a writer's block with this topic now, the concept is a lot to process... I think I'll finish my thoughts later.... :)

Talking Points 1

The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager
By Thomas Hines

"The problem is rather, a way of thinking about an important time of life and how people ought to spend it. The problem is with the very concept of teenager."-Hines (Pg. 3) This quote from Hines' introduction pretty much sums up my understanding of his main point. The concept of the teenage years has changed greatly over time. In the 1800's if a girl was 15 years old, she was expected to setttle down and start a family, now she is expected to go out with her friends and text message 24/7. A teenage boy would have been working, usually hard labor in fields or mines, now he is expected to play sports, hang out with the guys and get a sweet car by the time he's 16. I understand Hines' point that the term teenager, and everything it entails is changing everyday. Teenagers 100 years ago are not the teens of today nor will they be the same as the teens of the year 2050.
I can understand Hines' point in chapter one, how teenagers are not viewed in a positive manner. Teenagers are expected to do well in school, hold down a part time job, make friends and be respectful to their parents, when at the same time, they are viewed as being irresponsible, immature and unable to handle themselves in a number of situations that are deemed "too old" for them. The way in which teenagers are viewed is very pessimistic. As Hines says on page 11, "This mystique encourages adults to see teenagers (and young people to see themselves) not as individuals, but as potential problems." Pretty much, the way in which adults view teenagers and teenagers view themselves, has set them up for being a problematic, irresponsible, disappointment, or so it may seem .

I can relate this to the subcultures activity that we just completed for class this week. Teenagers throughout history have belonged to a number or subcultures such as students, slaves, farmers, miners, frontiers, mothers, fathers, the list goes on and on.

Teenagers are viewed as problematic, if young people were given more credit for adding positively to society, would that change the overall view of what a teenager is?

When I was 13...

When I was 13...I was an eighth grader at Coventry Middle School. At the time I was extremely shy and awkward, as most of us were at that age. I had a small group of friends that were essential to my survival of the sometimes challenging middle school years. My family was also a huge part of my life then, as they still are today, supporting me in every way, shape and form. I played the saxophone in the concert and jazz bands. Your typical "band geek", but I loved being a part of that group and part of me wishes I had stuck with it in high school. I played softball and basketball in the town leagues, even though I wasn't the best player on either team, that didn't matter, I just enjoyed getting out there. My musical tastes have changed slightly since that time, as I no longer listen to N'SYNC or Hanson everyday, but I will admit to currently having both on my Ipod! For the most part, I am the same person that I was then, just older, taller and maybe a little wiser.