COMM 300- course evaluation

So as I was finishing up my paper on the ironic narrative of South Park, I have begun to think back on what an interesting semester this has been. As I've never taken a web class before this, I was surprised at how challenging this class was. With a topic like Television, Minorities, and Cultural Diversity, one is prepared to be open and honest. However, I found myself to sometimes be overwhelmed with course work. Mostly, though, I found this to be really enjoyable and much more intellectually stimulating than my other courses. I am so glad that I took this course and really got to understand more about race and diversity and how we still have many issues to deal with today in our society. I hope you all enjoyed this semester as much as I have. God bless, and happy holidays!

16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom

As much as I might try to ignore it, the television show "16 and Pregnant" caught my attention earlier this year. Now, MTV is showing a new series following moms from "16 and Pregnant" and showcase their daily struggles with parenthood. And as much as watching some particular spoiled moms make me very angry, I think that this is one of the more important shows on television. It really shows teens how much their lives change when they have a baby and tries to teach responsibility. However, I wish I saw more diversity on the shows in regards to both race and socioeconomic classes. The 6 girls in the first season consisted of 5 white girls and one girl who is half white, half black (and she is dating a very immature white boy). I found it interesting that she was the only girl who had real dreams- to enlist in the ROTC. I wonder if it was intentional of MTV to try to show any diversity in as good a light as possible in order to avoid planting negative stereotypes, but I feel that the show was sometimes trying to be a little too PC. She and another girl have not continued on to Teen Mom. I feel that the plight of the urban pregnant teen needs to be brought to attention, as they often can only depend on themselves for support for them and their child. I wonder if anyone else has seen the show and agrees with me, and any thoughts you might have on "Teen Mom."

Why spiked the eggnog?

So I'm going to straight out admit that I am a former band/music geek. Yep, there it is. So when I first heard the a capella group "Straight No Chaser," I was beyond thrilled. If you've never heard of the group, they were an a capella group from Indiana University in 1998 that had a concert which they taped. Years later, one of the members posted the videos on You Tube and it has been seen by over 10 million people, one of which was the president of Atlantic Records who signed them. 10 years after they taped their original concert, they started touring with their Christmas music. And this year, they came out with a new cd which showcases their famous "12 Days of Christmas" as well as covers from classic Christmas songs (You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch, Rudolph, O Holy Night, I'll Be Home for Christmas,Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Who Spiked the Eggnog by the Brian Setzer Orchestra, etc.). Pertaining to TV, Minorities and Cultural Diversity, they have a new original song called the Christmas Can-Can which also acknowleges Hannakuh and Kwanzaa. I find this to be awesome that in our PC world, we can find a happy medium and poke fun at our sensitivity to the holidays. So here are the links to the videos, I hope you all enjoy!!!

Christmas Can-Can:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E-47VmFopE

Who Spiked the Eggnog?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7byjAaLcRM

And just to relate it back to television, here's a clip of them singing a medley of TV songs. It's interesting to see how these jingles can bring us back to a different time and place!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMj1ZaWVc-8

MTV and Jersey Shore

I'm not sure if anyone else has seen the ads for this show, but to me it showcases a blatant stereotype of people from New Jesrsey. The commercials show men and women who are quick to get angry and take way too much time concerned about their appearance. What is it that appeals us to not only allow but to enjoy watching negative stereotypes? I talked to some of my coworkers who watch the show, and they said that it was funny to watch because they consider their behavior ridiculous. As I have absolutely no inclination to ever watch something like this, I really don't understand the appeal of the show. Perhaps it is due to my education through this class (Television, Minorities and Cultural Diversity) where I know what how these negative stereotypes inhibit our society. So I pose the question: have any of you watched this show? Do you like it? Because I don't understand the appeal at all. To me, the concept is offensive and portrays a bad image of our society. However, I have never watched the show so if it the commercials portray something different from the true message than I am making an unfair assumption.

What's in a name?

So I was watching the Tyra Banks show a while back and she was talking about people having racially stereotypical names, and it was interesting how people are perceived based on their name. The audience was shown a group of women and given a list of names for them to match them to the name. Once all votes were tabulated, the women revealed their true names, which most would assume belonged to other women in the group. One of the interesting points made was a black woman named Kim. Most of the audience members thought that a blonde haired, blue eyed woman was named Kim, and the expectations of the name Kim were that she was a cheerleader, homemaker, unintelligent and pretentious. The black woman said that her mother named her Kim in order to stay away from the stereotypes that come with stereotypical black names and would help her succeed. It was a very interesting episode that challenged me how to not pass judgement on just a name alone and not to make assumptions about someone by just learning their name.

Old SNL clips

Its funny to think how long SNL has been commenting on our society. I found two separate clips that I'm unsure would be allowed on TV today. The first is a parody of a commercial starring Gilda Radner, the second being the infamous job interview between Chevy Chase and Richard Prior. I absolutely love these clips, but I wonder if they would be able to be this controversial today. If you haven't seen this clips, I absolutely suggest that you check them out! This is SNL at its finest.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/61330/saturday-night-live-jewess-jeans Gilda Radner

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1477/saturday-night-live-word-association Chevy Chase and Richard Prior

"TV talk"

While reading Chapter 2 of "Television, Ethnicity and Cultural Change" by Marie Gillespie, I was struck by one of her methods of observing how television is interpreted by the Punjabi teenage students in Southall, England. It had never struck me how important these conversations are between friends and how these discussions guide these kids in how to interpret the various social issues including gender roles and especially family issues that contradict the mainstream British values. It made me look back and think of the various conversations that I had with friends in high school and what we discussed. Personally, Family Guy and South Park were two major television shows that my friends and I discussed. I now see how much more likely I am to accept humor in showcasing and pointing out issues in society than those who may not have watched these shows. Instead of watching MTV with the gender stereotypes rampant in many music videos, we watched shows that tried to make a point and made us more likely to be informed about these issues. I suggest reading this book, especially if you're interested in ethnographic research.

To Kill a Mockingbird

I was flipping through the (sorry to say) limited movie channels that I have when I stumbled upon the movie to my favorite book of all time: To Kill A Mockingbird. The story follows a girl named Jean-Louise Finch aka Scout and talks about growing up in Alabama during the Great Depression. The movie focuses on the trial of an accusation of rape of a white girl named Mayella Ewell by a black man named Tom Robinson, who her father Atticus defends. The story is a heartbreaking depiction of the inequalities that black people faced and the utter desperation portrayed by the actors is astounding. Though the book goes into much more detail about the separate lives white and black people lived, the movie surely shows how unfairly black people were treated. I was so glad to see this movie on television, but I wish that it was shown on basic cable. Why is it that important old movies like this can only be found on extra channels? Are we unable to watch black and white movies anymore? Though we have come far, we still need to remind ourselves of where we came from and that we still need to work as a society to make sure these inequalities do not occur to any race in this country. If you have not seen the movie or read the book, I highly suggest that you do so. It is a wonderful story, and the movie boasts some heavy acting (with Gregory Peck as Atticus, Brock Peters as Tom Robinson, and Robert Duvall as Boo Radley).

Medicine television commercials

Since my focus on my past few posts have been about advertisements, I've decided that I would discuss the influx of medicine ads. I was watching television yesterday, and within two commercial breaks I had seen six different medicine ads (Aleve, Excedrin, Slim Quick, Pepto Bismol, Tylenol, and Viagra). It's crazy how often medicine commercials are on television, which just showcases our problem with over-medicating ourselves here in the US. These 6 different ads were shown multiple times each in only a half hour segment in different commercial breaks, not including the ads for lawyers who want to sue doctors for using medications that have had adverse side effects. I can only imagine what the frequency of medicine ads are doing to children's viewpoints on medicine.

With that said, SNL does really well with parodying television commercials. One that plays on these medicine ads was a pill for "Racial Tension Headaches" by Excedrin which Queen Latifah starred in. The skit was absolutely hilarious, not caring about being politically correct and pointing out how ridiculous many of these ads are. The skit makes a point to show how white people can make unfair assumptions about black people that are extremely frustrating. It is great that in a PC world, there are still mediums out there that comment on the inequalities in a way that is attention grabbing and poignant. If you haven't seen this skit, please follow the link below!

http://www.hulu.com/watch/1605/saturday-night-live-excedrin-for-racial-tension-headaches

Mentos, the fresh maker!

What is it about snappy music that makes people want to buy the advertised product? I recently read an article about some of the most remembered commercials because of their catchy songs. Remember the mentos ads? Or how about asking yourself what would you do for a Klondike bar? Surprisingly, the Kit Kat ads weren't on the list. Number one on the list has people wishing they were a deli meat- thats right! 'Cuz Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A! Though these ads don't really say anything about diversity, it is interesting how influential television can be. If you remembered the Mentos jingle from ten years ago, thats very effective advertising! The power of television can be astounding. So pay attention to what you're listening to and how much you're persuaded by songs. Because what is cooler than the FreeCreditReport.com commercials? Here are some clips of some of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_KsOnyuCGA Mentos, the freshmaker!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDu5c73OHFY Gimme a break!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMXv0__CYSU They say a man should always dress for the job he wants...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrzW_YuO6_I Its truly sad that I remember this one, as I was a kid when it came out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5eNcFRit8M You know you had one of these as a kid!

Children and ADHD TV

If there is one thing I can say about television, it has certainly made its mark on every generation. For me, I feel that I grew up in the golden age of children's television. Reruns of the classic 80's nickelodeon shows such as "You Can't Do That On Television" as well as all of the tv shows of the 90's including (my favorite) Rocko's Modern Life, All That, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Saturday morning cartoons with reruns of the classic Looney Tunes, and not to mention the television shows not necessarily meant for television that my brother and I watched anyway (SNL, In Living Color...) One of our favorites was watching Wild Discovery. We were fascinated with watching the animals survive in the wild, and it became a favorite of ours. When I was babysitting my little cousins this summer, I was forced to watch the children's shows they have now, and I confess that I found myself lost. I didn't understand and couldn't follow most of the cartoons that were on, and I honestly couldn't tell you what they were about. All I know is that I saw a lot of things flashing by and faced paced action. It can be kind of a trippy experience to watch children's shows now... I don't think I have to point out how creepy the Teletubbies are to watch as an adult. The teen shows weren't much different, and I don't think I can describe into words how upsetting it was to have to watch the Jonas brothers for an entire afternoon. I did notice that my cousins wanted nothing to do with the History Channel or Animal Planet, which distressed me. Why does it seem that kids are even less likely to watch something educational? Perhaps my brother and I were the rare exception, but I feel like most children's television shows are pretty much required to be very colorful, extremely fast and follow the guidelines of having to catch the child's attention with something new every 60 seconds. I hope that future children's shows take the initiative to actually make the children learn something (remember learning geography with "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago?"?) otherwise the next generation will be an over-stimulated mess with no desire to learn from television and will only look to it for meaningless enjoyment. And having such a powerful medium being only used for entertainment when it has the potential to teach the world would be a complete waste and a great shame.

The best actors in all of television...

Its late at night, and you're flipping through the channels. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, you're sucked into watching an infomercial. These actors are by far my favorite (and most underrated) in all of television. There is nothing quite like the performance of how difficult a task can be like mopping the floor or cleaning a kitchen before they find the wonder invention that will change their lives. To me, it transcends any acting that comes from prime time shows. Because it is drama at its best. It transcends issues of race, ethnicity, gender- these people really know how to exaggerate a problem and look happy and completely satisfied with their new product. So next time you're watching "The Office" and loving the performance and shenanigans of Steve Carrell, you'll know he learned from the true masters. The actors of Sham Wow.

Oh how I want Samantha Brown's job...

One of my favorite channels on television is the Travel Channel. It is a channel that embraces different ethnicities and culture and showcases the positive aspects of traveling throughout the world. I feel that people who are more open are willing to travel to different places and explore for themselves. I especially like Samantha Brown, though I admit I am supremely jealous of her because she has such an ideal job. What I most especially like about the Travel Channel is that Samantha Brown, as well as Anthony Bordain and Andrew Zimmern, encourage viewers to experience new things, especially different foods. There is nothing like submersing yourself in another person's culture than eating with them and seeing first hand what their culture is like. Though many other channels on television showcase diversity and positive images of all races and cultures, the Travel Channel to me is the most positive and open of all television channels. Much like the History Channel, the Travel Channel also gives historical accounts of the different countries. I like Samantha Brown as well because she doesn't just hit the tourist spots, but interacts with true locals and goes to true cultural celebrations and tastes local cuisine that is not affected or altered to favor tourists. If you've never watched the Travel Channel, I highly suggest you start to watch. But a fair warning for you: it will make you want to travel, and if you're as broke as I am, it can be more than slighlty upsetting to realize that it won't happen too soon.

NFL's own South Park

I saw this article about an animated television commercial for the NFL network that makes fun of Jessica Simpson and her weight. Has it really come to fat jokes? Really? Why is there such an obsession with weight issues and women? Why is it that male celebrities never really get flack for gaining weight like female celebrities? For example, Alec Baldwin may have put on a few pounds and yet no one says anything. But people like Kirstie Alley or Oprah are constantly watching for papparazzi because the minute they look unfavorable, it is all over E! and trashy magazines. Why is it acceptable to make fun of overweight women? I just get so sick of the double standards in today's society concerning women. Because lets be honest, most if not all of the ex-NFL players who work on the NFL network are not exactly 'fit' anymore, and yet they do not face what female correspondents face in terms of weight management. Can you think of an overweight female correspondent who was not pregnant? Thats what I thought. Check out this article with the video clip and tell me if I'm overreacting:
http://www.popeater.com/2009/10/14/jessica-simpson-nfl-commercial/

Louisville and erectile-dysfunction

I recently read an article which showed videos for the latest television commercials for Louisville, Kentucky. I am still on the fence whether or not I like them. They are interesting because they make fun of commercials for erectile-dysfunction, depression medications, and even risque tatoos. Though I feel that these target a younger crowd, and yes they are very humorous, I am unsure if they should be shown on the air. Then again, I hate that I have to see tv ads for erectile disfunction all of the time. We are an over-medicated country, and all the evidence is in our television commercials. The ads showcase people of all races, religions, etc. and do not have any particular issues with minorities or diversity at all. I am just sick of watching commercials with two older people in tubs in the middle of nature (which I still don't quite understand) that promote medications for better sex drives or male enlargement. Check out the videos and tell me what you think- there's no doubt they are funny, but do you think they go a little too far?: http://travel.aol.com/travel-ideas/articles/louisville-ads-draw-criticism?ncid=AOLCOMMtravdynlprim0641

Pushing Daisies

One television show I have enjoyed watching is "Pushing Daisies." It is shot much like a movie, with vibrant colors, creative, imaginative shots and sets and special effects. My favorite thing about the series, along with its quirky characters and humor, is that there are many different scenes where the characters sing as if they were in a musical. My favorite character is Olive, who is played by Kristin Chenoweth, and her voice is absolutely incredible. She has a huge singing range and majored in opera in college. The show is based on pie-maker Ned who has the ability to touch a dead being/person and bring them back to life. However, if he touches the person twice, then they are permanently dead. Ned ends up helping solve murder cases with private investigator Emerson Cod and split the reward money to help him finance his failing Pie shop. Ned ends up saving the love of his life and childhood friend from death, but they can never touch as that would kill her. This is a wonderfully creative show with interesting characters that give a creative spin on 'real life.' It is a shame that more television shows aren't like this! It is certainly a welcome relief from reality television (for me, anyway). I suggest you watch this great (but unfortnately cancelled) show! Here are a few of my favorite moments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykFDdacG6cs&feature=related Pushing Daisies intro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbe1m30RS8c&feature=related Kristin Chenoweth "Hopelessly Devoted to You"

3rd Rock from the Sun

I was flipping through channels the other day when I saw a show that I had not seen in years- 3rd Rock from the Sun. 3rd Rock from the Sun took the premise of a sitcom and made it completely new with an unusual twist- the four main characters were aliens who came to the planet and adapted their physical forms into humans to learn of the culture here on Earth. With a stellar cast of John Lithgow, Kristen Johnson, French Stewart and Joseph-Gordon Levitt, the show was a phenomenal comedy, as these four characters gained not only the human bodies but human emotions, physical needs and other human qualities but without the knowledge of limits and how to deal with such emotions and needs. John Lithgow was the High Commander of the expedition, so he became the patriarch "Dick Solomon" and took a job as a college professor, which was especially funny to watch because he had no control over his emotions and was the most vain character on the show. The military officer (Kristen Johnson) posed as Sally, Dick's sister- she was especially funny as she was in the form of a beautiful woman but was very masculine. The information expert and oldest alien (Joseph-Gordon Levitt) took the place as a teenager and it was comical to hear an old man's complaints coming from a high schooler. French Stewart played the communications officer who was a very odd individual. The comedy came from the family discovering new human qualities and emotions and through interactions with the humans. In regards to my television, minorities and cultural diversity class, there was an episode where they realized that humans had different ethnicities and decided to choose one (despite the fact that they were already posing as a white family)- they ended up choosing to be Jewish because of their assumed last name of Solomon. Though I can't find this particular episode, I found a few full episodes off of tvland.com (which is sad as this show ran from 1996-2001). I suggest watching the "Just Your Average Dick" episode where the Solomons try to become the average American family and become exceedingly dull and, as they discover, less human. This episode shows how the majority is not the end all, be all. So if you haven't ever seen this incredible comedy, I suggest you check out a few of the episodes which you can find here:
http://www.tvland.com/prime/fullepisodes/thirdrockfromthesun/

The Departed on TV? Really?

First off, I absolutely love movies. Its a form of escapism that I truly enjoy. There are no commercials (during the movie) and it is a story that I get to follow from beginning to end without breaks. I am much more guarded when watching television- even though it is an act of escapism, I find that I let go more when I go to see movies. Though I am aware of product placement in movies, and yes I get annoyed when the ads before the film are seemingly endless, once the movie begins I submerge myself into the story. One of my favorite films is The Departed. I was more than surprised to see it on television one day on a cable channel (not HBO or any other movie channel). It was really disappointing to see such a great movie censored and cut up into sections. I've seen The Green Mile on television that is supposed to be 188 minutes, but on television it was a 4 hour experience- thats 52 minutes of commercials! And though I like the variety and watch some movies on television, others like The Departed or The Godfather Series or even DOGMA lose their appeal on television. There is something really wrong with not being able to hear the true swear ridden dialogue that Jay spews to Silent Bob, or hearing a mafia gangster saying "Forget you!" when they clearly meant something else. I totally understand that children watch TV and that it needs to be censored. So why do we bother putting these kinds of movies on TV in the first place? To me, it ruins the movies. Perhaps I'm overreacting, but I just altogether ignore watching rated R movies on cable television. I'll stick to my DVDs there. Nothing like hearing Marky Mark and Matt Damon in all of their Boston glory...

Jon and Kate plus media attention = divorce

So I am honestly sick of hearing anything pertaining to Jon or Kate Gosselin. I find it funny that people are taking sides- they both clearly have character flaws. Kate is a controlling, nagging person who needs to take a chill pill, there is no denying that, but I do believe she wants what is best for her kids. The problem is, her definition of what is "best" now incorporates a much larger paycheck and much more media attention than anyone needs, nevermind little kids. As for Jon, he had issues with letting Kate speak to him like that in their marriage and then being unfaithful. Perhaps she was to, I'm not sure nor do I care. And though I find it suspicious that now that he is being 'booted' off of their show that now is the time to get the kids off of television. However, I quite agree that the family needs to live their lives privately from now on.

I just feel for that family- divorce is not something that is easy to deal with. And those kids do not need to be spoiled any more- if I had kids that spoke to me like the older girls do at times, I would not be pleased. It goes to show you what money and attention from the media can do and how quickly it can destroy a family. Hopefully, they will work out their divorce and move on with their lives, focusing on the kids and what is best for them. I see both Jon and Kate as selfish people who now want the attention on themselves. Maybe they also are doing these career moves for the well being of their kids, but its not all about money. Negative attention from the media isn't something that money can fix. SO here's hoping that Jon and Kate wise up and figure out how to handle the situation for their kids and quickly, which will let me listen to more important topics of today. Because there is no denying that we as a country obsess over celebrities and people on television. But here's a question- why do we care? Let the people live their lives and go on with your own. I understand that people in reality television sign up for this kind of exposure, but I just don't understand why we feel we have a right to know, or why we even want to hear all of the details. Personally, I'll just stick to watching "The Office" and finally celebrating Jim and Pam getting married. After the show is over, I will go on with my life.

Joel, Tom Servo, and Crow T. Robot

If any of you have ever had the pleasure of watching Mystery Science Theater 3000, then you've been witness to some of the best commentary on television. The show themed around a janitor (Joel) who was cast aboard a spaceship by two scientists. To cure his boredom, he created robots with whom he watched mostly old B-rated scifi movies and made fun of those movies. The commentary frequently discussed (that not only were the people in the movies idiots) the social inequalities rampant in the movies. Often, they critiqued old instructional videos from the 1950s and its appallingly clear that in those times the men were the center of the family and society. Take a look at this clip and see how far we've come (and how awesome this show was!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYU_GSL1MGc A Date with your family

Notice the fact that the women are the only people who prepare for dinner- didn't the daughter have homework to do?! Anyways, I suggest you look at a few more clips and enjoy! Flippin' hysterical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE1YQPaAYBM Body Care and grooming

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRB3xDg5pnU Keeping Clean and Neat (they're two different clips, I promise)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8U2Zsr5Rpw Teenage Caveman (this one makes me ashamed as a white person... not gonna lie)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0n0EsHB0JY MST3K and Gumby!!!

Music and social commentary

I miss the days when music commented on societal issues. A screening I watched for my Television, Minorities, and Cultural Diversity web class was of the Public Enemy music video for "Burn Hollywood Burn," and it was amazing. It was not only a great song, but it made the listener re-evaluate the roles black people have had in movies and how unfair and racist their roles have been. One of my favorite bands of all time is Sublime, and their song "April 29, 1992" commented on the riots in Los Angeles and the poverty felt there. And no one can deny the awesome power of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" and what a great message it sends to the listeners. We need to get to a place where current popular music is less concerned with each others' disco sticks and get to important issues. Though I'm glad Katy Perry is open with her sexuality and that it is a positive message for lesbian and bisexual women, I would like to hear about more important issues. Where's the video talking about what crooks AIG were? Or the song pointing out the rising unemployment? Unfortunately we're going to have to settle with what happens when good girls go bad. Ugh.

Post 8: Celebrities on Twitter

With celebrities saying whatever is on their minds whenever they feel like it (Kanye West, anyone?), I must ask myself why we even care in the first place. The phenomenon of Twitter makes our celebrity obsession exponentially worse and I still don't understand it. I confess I do have a Twitter account, mostly because I wanted to follow the person posing as Edgar Allen Poe (as all his posts are quite humorous) and to follow Paul Pierce in the off chance of being able to get Celtic tickets for free. But I am still trying to understand why I "friended" celebrities to know their own stupid thoughts on whatever they are thinking about, which many times is as interesting as what they had for lunch or commenting about being tired. Fascinating stuff. Generally, they do not discuss topics that are especially important, and with recent celebrity deaths it has become acceptable to mention how sad they are on Twitter in lieu of an actual sympathy card (perhaps I am wrong and still sent a card, I'm not sure). Fans follow their favorite celebrities on Twitter to feel closer to them and to obsess over every post and every picture. What is more upsetting is that news organizations actually quote celebrities via Twitter. Why isn't the facebook status enough anymore? Why are we obsessed with celebrities to the point that they can't go out in public without paparazzi everywhere? I wonder what is happening to media today, where instead of focusing on important issues in America including health care, poverty, unemployment, etc., we instead talk about the incident at the VMA's (which was wrong, no doubt) for a long time. Yes, we need to address when celebrities act inappropriately because they are role models for children, but lets also be aware that we need to focus on other issues. So the next time you feel the impulse to go on Twitter to see what Ashton has to say, I encourage you to check a news website and read about issues unrelated to celebrities (ignore the Gosselin articles entirely) that have to do with the well being of all Americans or people across the world.

Post 7: South Park

One of my favorite shows on television is South Park. It is never afraid to comment on anything, anyone, anytime. The episode which depicted the vampire fad vs. the goth kids still gets me every time. Much like The Office, it comments on society's issues of today. With South Park, however, the creaters are unafraid to go above and beyond social commentary into flat out exaggeration and sarcasm. A fantastic episode revolved around the Jonas brothers and their purity rings, and they point out the irony of Disney selling sex to young girls and it being ok because the Jonas brothers wear those rings. South Park has gotten a lot of criticism over the years but it makes really relevant and poignant points on how messed up our society is, especially in small towns throughout the nation. And to keep it relevant, I will leave you with a clip form an episode last year following Kanye West's speech at an awards show where he called himself a genius:

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/224089

Post 6: Offend me, its ok, its comedy!

I am the type of person to give any comedian a chance. I love watching stand up, and I love to watch Comedy Central for new talent. What I noticed the other day was that I like all kinds of stand up comedians- Dave Chapelle, Jim Gaffigan, Lisa Lampanelli, Chris Rock, Kathy Griffin, Dane Cook, and many others. All of these comedians have different styles and different ways of looking at the world, and they are some of the most genuine commenators of society today. Though news organizations are paid money to find the 'truth', to me I feel that the most honest people in society are comedians. And the thing is- I find comedians that insult the audience to be funny. We all have our own weird ticks, and believe me when I say I make fun of myself all the time. I feel that we should all stop being so super sensitive about everything. But here's my question- do you feel that comedians who give their own spin and social commentary get too much leeway in saying things that could offend others and come off racist or stereotypical? I do not allow certain things to be said in everyday company, but then I'll watch Lisa Lampanelli (who insults everyone and very crudely) who says something that I would never say in any company and I find it to be the funniest thing. If anything, comedians are the bravest people in this country and the most willing to stir up feelings and push boundaries of being politically correct. In this way, we can work through what we find to be acceptable and unacceptable and go from there. So keep up the good work comedians in making us laugh and uncomfortable so that we can find out what is most important in our society. And just because putting up You Tube clips seems to be my thing, here are a few of my favorite comedians (warning: they swear, use harsh language, can be offensive. sorry! you've been warned) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjJCIbC9sxA Jim Gaffigan on Christmas & Easter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ2dquaHO7Q&feature=related Dave Chappelle on Clinton & Bush

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1VLDcS0FUA Dane Cook on nothing fights (audio only)

Post 5: Dunder Mifflin, Scranton branch

My abosolute favorite television show is The Office. To me, there is nothing funnier than the awkward scenarios and the drama that occurs on the show. It's my favorite show because it is unafraid to make the viewer uncomfortable. It is brave, as not other television shows really accomplish that sense of awkwardness and intensity. The characters are all very different individuals, and all cast members have great and diverse personalities. Though most of the characters are white, there is an African American man (Stanley, and this does not include the some of the warehouse staff), a man of Mexican decent (Oscar, who we later find out is gay), overweight individuals, an overly critical Christian woman (Angela), an Indian woman (Kelly) and other great characters. Ultimately, the characters are a group of people who hate their monotonous jobs and would rather be anywhere else but Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, PA. The show is unafraid to be politically incorrect and make the viewers react in different ways. The show titled "Diversity Day" was the second show on season 1, and it deals with the office having to go through a diversity seminar because the manager Michael Scott performed a controversial Chris Rock routine in the office which offended many people. If you have never watched The Office, I strongly suggest that you watch it! It is important to keep pushing the envelope in television to keep the issue of racism in America prominent so that we do not regress in our overall progress of eliminating racism. Here is a clip from "Diversity Day" which shows how the writers of The Office are unafraid to make the audience uncomfortable and keep people talking:

http://www.spike.com/video/office-diversity-day/2693508

P.S. Steve Carell was mortified when he had to do this bit- he apologized to everyone on set when performing this scene.

Post 4: 8 years later

As many people commemorate the attacks of 9/11, the History Channel has played many different specials on the events of that tragic day. Seeing the footage again made me realize once again how there is true evil in the world and that it needs to be stopped. The History Channel created a new documentary that they played today (which I plan on seeing later- thank you DVR) that showed first person accounts with pictures and interviews. The one quote that took me back was a person commenting on the debris once the towers fell. Many said that it looked like a nuclear blast, but one person commented that, "You couldn't see black or white people, onlly gray people." It reminded me that in utter tragedy, our problems are passed aside and we re-evaluate what is important and unified as a country. Unfortunately, we lost sight of this feeling years later and other tragedies like Hurricane Katrina had the reverse effect with the negative images of "black looters" and "white survivors." We need to remind ourselves how we can become unified as a country and that our issues of race/gender/sexuality can be put aside when we consider what is truly important. God bless those who lost family and friends 8 years ago, and God bless all those who gave their lives to save others.

Post 3: You're standing on my neck...

One of my all-time favorite television shows on MTV that I constantly watched was "Daria," which gave positive messages to teenagers that do not follow the 'in' crowd. Today, teenagers get to listen to vapid spoiled kids whose sweet sixteen birthday party will probably cost more than my wedding/down payment on a house. I especially liked the character Jodie, who was an African American teen girl who felt pressured to fit the role of being a perfect student so that she could represent her race well, when the white kids never had to deal with anything because race was never an issue. As my class focuses on cultural diversity, though regular prime time television shows should create more positive attitudes regarding race/gender/sexuality etc., I feel that television shows for teenagers today need more attention. Because what is the percentage of teenagers in this country that live like those snobs on Laguna Beach? We should learn from Daria that being yourself is okay, that you don't have to be the head cheerleader or the perfect role model student. Being yourself and celebrating your differences is a good thing. And so I leave you with a clip from this amazing show that shows how unique and wonderful Daria and Jodie are and that they should not change for anyone but themselves. Plus, the show is absolutely hysterical. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJepkT9z4J0

Post 2: Blackbird

As a tribute to the unofficial Beatles' day, I was looking for inspiration from Beatles songs to discuss in my blog. As I was talking to my mother (who is a Beatles fanatic and has been since she first saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964), she pointed out to me that the song "Blackbird" was written by Paul McCartney in 1968 in response to the racial tension that was prevalent in America. Charles Manson took "Helter Skelter" and other Beatles' songs as a sign to a 'race war' and used it to perpetuate racism. But when I listen to the songs, it gives me hope for a brighter future where we all see each other as equals. Let us believe in the wonderful insight and inspirational words of the greatest band that ever existed:

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night. "

"And when the broken hearted people
Living in the world agree,
There will be an answer, let it be.
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be. "

So for all those who have become discouraged by various experiences of ignorance and intolerance, do not lose hope for a brighter future. And if you need a little encouragement, I suggest listening to the Beatles, as it always makes me feel better about the world. Give peace a chance! :)

"And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make."

Nothing says culture like weddings...

I must admit, it took me a while to figure out the appropriate way to start this blog, which I created for my Television, Minorities and Cultural Diversity web class, until I realized I had inspiration from my work. For the past four and a half years, I've been a waitress at a function hall and I have seen the best and worst of people of all races, ethnicities, orientations, etc. (frequently worst at weddings...) Usually, it is interesting and fun to learn about other cultures. For instance, learning about how Jewish couples always break glass during the ceremony and how many African Americans jump over a broom into married life. One that I remember distinctly was a traditional Ugandan wedding that had ceremonial introductions with dances and music which lasted for a little over two hours, which was before they even ate (but took place after cocktail hour). With these different cultures sometimes bring cultural differences. Problems I have faced in particular are inequalities between the treatment of women in certain cultures. I worked a christening once where a gentleman accused a female coworker of mine of taking his drink that he hadn't finished (the glass was completely empty) and then calling our female bartender a "dumb b*tch" for not automatically getting him a replacement drink free of charge. He refused to talk to any women, even our sales manager, and he only calmed down when a male coworker came over to resolve the situation. When he came over, the individual calmed down and spoke to my male coworker with respect, as if the situation was not a big deal. The male coworker had to make his drink because the female bartender was "sure to mess it up," even though he had no experience as a bartender! Incidents like that have happened quite a few times, and it is one of the most frustrating things to face- an individual who completely disregards my opinion based solely on my gender. I know that I am lucky to have been born where and when I have as many other people in this country face (and have faced) much more bigotry and ignorance, but I still occasionally face sexism and it is something that brings the spirit down. I have huge respect for individuals like Cornel West ("Race Matters") and the millions of others who have faced such blatant ignorance and racism in everyday life. Though this country has come a long way, ignorance is still rampant and needs to be stopped for the well being of all Americans.