The Best Things Are Unexpected

I have to say when I first signed up for this class, there was a part of me that was not looking forward to it. I had it in my head that it was going to be just like any other literature class where the professor/teacher just gave you a book and then discussed it and when on to a completly different book. I loved this class because it was not that. We read all types of books but each book tied in together. It forced us to look deeper into it and understand the connections in our own minds. I loved how this class opened our eyes to ourselves in society whether it was "traditions" that we follow or how easily we fall into plentitude. I see myself going in to my job at a grocery store and seeing myself looking down the cereal asile and wondering why we need all of them, and I do the same for coffee. Why can't we have regular and decaf and be done with it. Why do we need 5 different name brands and 3 off brands. I even see this in my friends. My best friend wanted to buy a new big screen tv but he had just reciently bought one 2 years ago and all I could say to him is you have one that works just fine, why do you need a new one?
I found a quote the other day that really made me think back to Culture Jam when we were talking about the skewed view that we have in ourselves, how we view ourselves, and even other problems. We are always quick to blame society.

"Everyone is so quick to blame society for our faults and flaws, but we are society."

 

This quote is so true and this class made me realize that. We are not forced into buying the new smart phone every three months or that new tee shirt when we go shopping. We do it because we want to and then we blame society for making is and using it as a scapegoat. We are society and if we want society to change the first thing we have to do is change ourself.

 

I love how this class constantly made me thing and rethink about my life and my place in the world. I love how we were talking about how books can be dangerous and I said how it can plant a seed in your head and it grows from that. I believe that is what this class did, except not for the bad. The Professor chose specific books in which we read and it planted a seed in our head that we didn't know about, and now our views our changing. I honestly didnt realize that they had done this till about five seconds ago. I loved this class and I am sad that it is ending but I have to say that I have taken some amazing things from it and it rekindled my fire for literature.

 

 

Do We Crave Another Life?

         A lot of our entertainment throws into detail the 
       stagnation and illness of how we live today-it's sad 
                   and it's sick... and it's profitable.
                                    Heather Donahue 

I have to say when I first saw this book on our reading list I never heard of it. I went and looked it up and have been looking forward to reading it. The book went right through my expectations and beyond so far that I have already ready the second and third one. I didn't expect myself to get drug into them like I was. I found it funny how we were talking in class and asked the question "Are we not yet entertained?". I found myself thinking about this, probably more then I should have but I look at myself and I not only look for entertainment in life but also in movies and even books. Is it a sad thing that I don't get enough entertainment from my friends, family or events in my life that I must find it somewhere else? That is why I love reading so much. These books take me to another place, just for awhile. They make my imagination run rampant and I can picture each page and each moment in my head. Was reading the first Hunger Games book not enough for me? Not enough that I had to go out and read the next two?  Or how about when I went to pick up the last Harry Potter movie the other night at midnight and there was a line of people waiting for the new Skyrim video game to come out. Are we really entertained with out lives? Are we really satisfied and happy with them? I feel that if we really were then we wouldn't need these sources of entertainment because we would already be entertained.  When we lack something in our lives, we tend to crave it more. We lack money, fame, or even that new shirt that Wet Seal just put on their shelf. Because we can't have it, or we are unable to obtain it, it makes us want it that much more.

I admit when I was younger I wanted to be on TV. I thought it was the coolest thing but now, being older and watching what TV has turned into I really don't want to even be on my local news channel. Heck, a few weeks ago I was in my hometown and this lady from my local newspaper came up to me and asked me if she could hear my opinion on something to use in her article and I told her no. I didn't want my name to be plastered in the newspaper. I don't want hundreds or thousands or even millions of people knowing who I am, or what I look like, or what I think. There are some people out there that crave this, they want millions of people to know their name. That's what they crave. They want to be known and they will do anything to get that even if it means to have cameras filming ever moment of their day watching as they get drunk and fall or go home and hook up with a random stranger.  I think that may be one of the many reasons that we crave these forms of entertainment. We crave it because we secretly wish we were in their shoes, maybe completely or maybe just for one reason like we want the money.  We crave it because we think our lives are boring and uneventful and we see these people having a good time "every night", something we can't do.

I found this photo funny because you have these "chickens" watching the other "chicken" get cooked. Its basically a metaphor for reality TV or even violent movies. Would you watch voluntarily someone get killed, or in this case cooked? No you wouldn't, but you would do it on a movie screen?  

P.S watch the The Hunger Games Trailer :D:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAWODq_dMFI

Keep Up with the Krazies

I have to say I do have my "guilty pleasure" shows that I like to watch when I actually watch TV and one of them happens to be keeping up with the kardashians. I don't know why I love it so much, I just do. I happened to be watching one of the episodes this weekend called "Blame it on the Alcohol".   In this episode the family heads to Las Vegas for Kims birthday and the tension between the family members build because most of them hate Kourney's boyfriend Scott. All in all the episode highlights Scott's drinking problem which climaxes to him shoving a 100$ bill into a waiters mouth.

I have a clip from the show that you can click on, its on the left hand side of the page.

I have to say the characters that I responded to the most would be Robert and Scott because they were the most entertaining out of the group. The entire episode all they were doing was drinking excessively which created an interesting environment.  I think what makes this show and other shows like it alluring is because it feeds our unconscious need to know other peoples personal lives. Why do we go on that girls facebook page from high school who you never really talked to and look at all of her drunk pictures? Is it because you want to be her friend or is it because it proves to be entertaining. Personally these reality shows show me how not to act in certain situations. Jersey shore has taught me that I will look absolutely ridiculous if I go out and drink  to excess and take 5 guys home with me or start screaming at some guy in a bar.   I mean, yeah, its a waste of time to watch, and I bet I could name 10 other things that I should be doing but its entertainment. Its my form of entertainment. Some people are entertained by gardening or reading a book. This happens to be mine. I realize that because i'm watching it, I am provoking these people to do dumb stuff but that is their choice. We are not forcing them to sign another contract for another show. They do it for the money. We do stuff for money, sometimes we lower ourselves just for a pay check. They may lower themselves to look stupid on TV for a paycheck. They are ACTORS. We pay 10$ to go see ACTORS in a movie. Why is it such a big deal to stay at home and watch them on your TV for free.

DISconnected

I know that I was doing the no technology project but my mom came into my room last night and told me that I had to watch this movie that was on MTV. It talks about how the digital abuse online. I was actually shocked and I think that everyone should watch this. I bet you can find it on MTV or some where online, but it is a must see and it shows you just what the internet and online bullying can do to a person.

http://disconnectedthemovie.com/

Thoreau Experiment #2

I wrote this blog on Sunday but I didn't get the chance to post it since i've been running around like a crazy maniac all fall break. The first few days were really hard. I kept giving into the urge to check my technology but by Sunday I started to get used to it. Saturday I went to Washington D.C. with my best friend and the only technology that I used was my digital camera to document it and my friends GPS and that was because I cant even tell someone how to get out of my development I am that bad with directions. Other than that, my phone was off the entire day and I actually enjoyed it. I was able to spend the day talking with my best friend and catching up since we haven't had the chance to talk the last few weeks. I have to say another plus to not using the technology was the lack of drama that was in my life. I didn't have to deal with my ex boyfriend or some of the problems that were going on with my friends. I just felt better. I know that once this project is over with I will probably just go back to how I was before, but I'm hoping that there will be some times that I am able to just turn off my phone and disconnect myself from it

I Always Feel Like, Somebody's Watching Me

As I am reading this I am still not sure who big brother is. Sometimes I think it could be this high status person but then I think Hey! It could be like that guy from Wizard of Oz. I am actually really interested in seeing who it turns out to be. I think our version of big brother is our social media sites. I mean take a look at the new facebook and their "ticker". I hate how I can see what my friends are doing on every second. I don't care that Suzie Smith commented on Jackie Johnsons changed relationship. If I really cared, I would just go look myself. I tend to block people on my newsfeed so that I just see what my close friends are up to because I honestly don't care about what half the people on my friends list are doing on a tuesday afternoon. The funny thing is that people think we have privacy on these websites because we have our profile blocked or our pictures hidden, but in reality we give up that privacy when we hit "I agree" to the terms and conditions that we don't even read. I remember when my step mom first got a facebook. When she found out that they owned the pictures she flipped out. I looked at her and asked, "well did you read the terms and conditions?' she said no and I said there ya go! You have no right to complain when you didnt take the time to read. That is exactly why I dont post things that I dont want other people to see. You post something, they have it forever. FOREVER. We give up our privacy without even realizing or taking the time to acknowledge it.

Thoreau Experement #1

Wow. I have to say I thought doing this project was going to be easy but I was way off on that one. I was doing fine when I got up. I resisted the urge to turn my computer on, I used my iPod to check my email and that was all. And then I got to my job in the Psychology Office where I am a computer attendant. I knew that being there, there was going to be temptation and I worked past if for the first 45 minutes. I ended up giving into my curiosity and bordom and I got on facebook. I realized that it was all I did at work and without it I just sat there. I collected myself from my relapse (its like i'm a drug addict :]) and started again. I picked up my kindle and started reading one of my books and that kept my mind off of it. I made it through most of the day without clicking on my bookmarked link when I had to get on my computer to do some homework. I think for the first day I did pretty well considering I tried to keep my phone in my room for the day and not use it. I did have to use it to call my parents about the meeting that I had, but for the most part other than a few give ins I stayed away from that. I felt like it was easier to say away from my phone than it was facebook and that kinda scares me. Im hoping tomorrow I will be able to put more self control over myself and stay away.