Get Rid Of Your Toughguise

This week when we related violence to males and their need to be masculine, I realized that they go through self-image issues as well as we females do, just in a different way. I know plenty of girls who have a standard for their men. They prefer them to be tall and jacked and not as short as them or as skinny as them. So we are guilty of wanting an ideal guy just as much as men are guilty of wanting an ideal women. However, guys don't realize that we are more accepting of their flaws, than they are of ours. Men are always competing for masculinity because they feel it gives them a sense of power and status which is not needed. What they don't know is that most of the time girls don't like that superficiality. We want a man who has feelings and emotions, not just some hunk of muscle(though I can't speak for all of us). The men who are involved in these school shootings and violence against women are not emotionally or mentally stable. It is all stemmed from insecurities and self-esteem issues. The guys who ridicule others and demean them(the bullies), are often the ones who are the least secure with who they are. Men can hit the gym all they want, but that won't give them the values they really need in order to lead a fulfilling life. I mean, we have always been taught that a bully does what he does because he has issues of his own. So why are we so affected by what people say or think about us? It is society and the media that tell us if we don't look and act this way then we are failures. They tell men that if they are not jacked and do not take control and dominate then they are weak, and god forbid, feminine! The last thing a guy wants to be is like a girl. This is what the media has taught us. So when boys who are not "manly" are constantly harassed for being "gay" or a wuss or anything that is not up to par with society's standards, that is when they lash out. They think that they are proving their bullies wrong. This goes along with that video that begins with the scene from the Incredibles.  When the villain says "now you respect me, because I'm a threat," it is portraying the idea that as long as you gain dominant power over someone, you will be respected. This lesson that males are taught, leads them to be violent and is sadly engraved in their brains starting as early as their childhood.

Not Your Average Girl

I like that we addressed this issue of the impossibly achievable standard in our class this week because it opens people's eyes. In my media class, I'm learning about how media and society have made people view women as solely objects and nothing more. I also did my junior research paper on how media effects body image. We are judged, and criticized on our looks constantly. This forces us females to naturally compete with one another and always be a little insecure because of the expectations we are pressured to chase after. The message we get from media is that if we don't look like the idealistic girl they have created, then we need to fix that somehow. We should not have to live with this superficial burden over our heads. Guys will say they don't care about our looks, and yes they may accept us for who we are and won't break up with us if we get fat(though it could happen), our imperfections are still known. This has effected me and every other female all ages. I work at Hollister, so people tend to get judged a lot based upon their looks. I have been hearing talk about how all the males I work with have created this list with two categories. One is the hottest girls and one is the most datable girls. So yes, there are SOME good intentions there, but most of it is based off appearance, and then personality. Initial attraction is important, but shouldn't be the basis of judgement. We always think that no matter what, there's always someone prettier or skinnier, that we have to strive to become. This can get tiring. And what's sad, is that people are so used to it being such a natural part of our culture and society that they don't see anything wrong with it. We expect these models in advertisements to be perfect, otherwise they wouldn't be representing a product, right? It's hard to fathom how our society developed one type of girl that is dubbed as acceptable. This girl is tall, skinny, has big boobs, long hair, and other features we decided are satisfying to the eye. Also, most people don't know that nobody naturally looks like the people in the ads, ever! Without makeup, photo shop, and styling, we are all just normal people striving to be a fictional character.. it's ridiculous!!

Human Nurture

I agree that as a child grows up, they're environment shapes who they are forever. It is beyond ridiculous how a parent, or anyone for that matter, can literally lock their child in a room they're whole lives. I don't care if you are trying to keep them out of danger, I am sure you can find a better way to do that than depriving them from living their life! The girl in this video is forever affected by her lack of a childhood and will have to live with limitations the rest of her life. It is terrible to think that anyone could ever do such a thing. I have been greatly affected by my family, friends, and anyone that has made an impact on me throughout my life. My parents raised me with certain values, common sense, and a specific understanding of the world. My friends have also shaped my personality and the way I interact with others. I also agree that humans crave socialization and love to interact and connect with others. Which is another reason why I sympathize so much for this girl who never had that privilege when she was growing up. She barely had the opportunity to feel emotions or think thoughts. Us humans tend to get bored very easily. We are always planning something, doing something, thinking something and don't usually like to just sit and have nothing to think about and nobody to socialize with. I am so thankful for my family, friends and others who have helped shaped me, mostly for the better( I hope!!) and gave me that push to become who I am today, and who I will be in the future.

Nothing

By detaching myself and trying to do nothing, I realized that everyone is always moving or talking or thinking. It was a hard thing to do. We have never been told not to do anything. There is always something expected of us. Some of us get bored if we aren't doing anything or are just not satisfied. We're so used to being busy, planning, and having deadlines that we never take the time to stop and smell the roses. We are taught that in order to be successful we must get and education then work work work! People work 40-80 hours a week and some have multiple jobs. We are so busy we don't make time to think about what really matters in our lives. We don't think about what shapes us as a person or why we are who we are. Most of us just race through life without having any meaning. Doing this experiment made me realize even more how much society affects each and every one of us. We have no control over it at all, not even our parents do. It's inevitable that we just adapt to the life around us. This relates to the "fish bowl theory." Fish don't know anything outside of water because they are surrounded. We are so surrounded and influenced by society that we don't even realize it, we don't see it.

Greek Heritage

When people see my last name, their response is normally to ask "what are you?" or "that's Greek right?" ...so I have always referred to myself as being Greek. However, after doing the essay outline on American culture and participating in the activity we did in class, I realized, my heritage may be Greek, but my nationality is and always will be American. We so commonly define ourselves based on where our ancestors came from but not where we ourselves came from. When anyone becomes an American citizen, I believe they are American. Whether they come from Russia, Italy, Poland, or Greece, in one way or another, they become Americanized. I know I can pretty much apply every American value to my life. As we grow up, and life becomes more "serious", in a sense, we develop more and more of these values. Especially in High School. We are taught to manage our time with assignments and studying. Because of this, we value efficiency and become very inpatient when it comes to getting what we want or need. We compete in sports, and mostly start at a very young age. Competition is also brought into our education and our work place. Whether it's competing for the highest grade or for that wonderful promotion. In order to strive for that higher level of status, we use self-help and are initially looking out for ourselves. People say it's a "dog eat dog world".. but I think it is more often applied to our specific country. This need to get ahead and be self-sufficient is taking away from our moral ethics and our well-being. We are more materialistic, while other countries are spiritual. We value physical items more than thoughts and ideas. These values we have obtained over time, in my opinion, are probably not the best way to live a satisfying life.