Information and the Internet

There is so many different ways that we can get information off of the internet. Many times you can get accurate information or you can get false information. There are so many sights that you can visit such as Bing, Google, or Ask.com to get answers to your many questions. With just one click of a button, you can find just about anything you are looking for.

However, there are a few downsides to getting information off of the internet. This would include the question of how accurate the information you got off of the web really is. There may be several different sights that you look at and they have different answers to the questions that you have. How would you know which information is correct or how you could even know which source you could trust. Another downfall would be that you learn to lean so much on the internet that you don't use your brain as much.

I do have to admit if I can't find the answer to something I immediatly go to the internet to find the answer. If i'm in a hurry and need to find something I check the internet first. I have learned to lean on the internet I think maybe to much. I guess which ever way you look at things the internet is easier access than a text book and they keep finding new ways to make the internet more accessible. So the choice is up to you, do you go old school and use the text or do you keep current and use the internet?

Coolness????

I'm not really sure how I would define coolness. I think it is way more than a definition. When I think of whats cool, I think of the cars we drive, the clothes we wear, and who our friends are. I guess I believe that coolness is a very broad term, and I'm not positive that it is just a definition. I think coolness is how other people see you and the things we have.

I think that Chuck Klosterman's definition of cool compares alot to what I said people would consider cool. He uses the definition of A products exclusivity is directly proportional to its social cachet. Which is what I stated above in different words. I think that the exclusivity of an item owned by a person is a huge part of what society would call "cool". Some examples would be the newest pair of Jordans, an expensive car that not alot of people could own, or anything that somebody would own that not alot of people could afford.

Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz

I guess I don't really know alot about star wars or the other movies mentioned in class, but I do know I have had my fill of the wizard of oz as it was my little sisters favorite movie growing up. I chose to compare that to Star Wars.

Luke and Dorthy have alot in common. Starting at the beginning of each film they both have to decide between good and evil. Luke had to decide whether to go with his evil dad and dorthy began her encounter with the wicked witch of the west. I would say the next similarity they have is when in the film we watched in class referred to the cantina scene. In the Cantina scene it was unfamiliar territory for Luke and Dorthy entered unfamiliar territory when she woke up and she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

When Dorthy woke up after the tornado, she had to figure out where to go and what to do without help. Luke had the same perdicament. Both Luke and Dorothy picked companions along the way. Dorthy had the Lion, the tinman and the scarecrow. Luke had his companions that he picked up along his journey as well.

Like I said I don't know alot about the star wars films so I only know what I learned in the film we watched in class. I believe that both of these films have some significant similarities not only to each other but to us in our real lives.

Hip Hop and Country Music

I think that hip hop and country are different in some aspects but similar in others. I think hip hop is more lyrical and uses alot of slang. Hip hop has its own attitude. I think that the younger generation tends to lean towards hip hop. It is about the rythm and the bass, and alot of dancing. Hip hop is used more in the clubs for dancing. However hip hop may also become a negative influence on people because it glorifies violence and drugs, and exploits women. Country on the other hand is more laid back. Country music seems to lean more towards relating to the listeners. The country that I have listened to tells a story and the message it sends is usually simple and clear. When I think of country I think of love stories and stories of heartache. Both Hip hop and country are authentic because they both tell a story and both relate to their listeners.

Creative Consumers

I think that consumers who experiment with things like mash-ups and video games are extremely talented. They put two songs together to create a totally different mix, that most people can't imagine. I also believe that these consumers give a fresh feel to an old song. I believe that these people have a creative side and should be alowed to do these mash-ups. I know if I heard a mash-up with and old song that I haven't heard in years, I want to either download it from itunes, or go buy the cd depending on who the artist is. I have a friend that makes these mash-ups and I personally love the different kind of mixes that he comes up with.

I also believe that the consumers who create video games are extremely talented, I for one play some video games but my daughter and her dad play them every chance they get. I wouldn't even know how to start to create a video game and I doubt that I would even have any idea on what the game would be about. I think that with technology the way it is today, anyone who has a passion or desire can do about anything they want to.

Masculinity and Violence

I think that masculinity is linked to violence because the media has made it this way. In the film Tough Guise, Jackson Katz showed several different examples of how violence is linked to masculinity. It has changed alot over the last 50 years. The size of their bodies, like in Batman, and Pro Wrestling. The size of the guns and the toy figures has grown considerably from 50 years ago.

The media has linked masculinity to physical strength, the threat of violence, and the ability to scare people. The fighting in sports, and that we gain respect by disrespecting another person. Pro Wrestling shows the celebration f dominance, the projection of power and links being a man to being abusive and violent.

We need to teach our children that being masculine is not all about the fighting and dominance. It's about vulnerability as well, we need to teach them that it's okay to show people how they feel. If you listen to some of the old "soul music" like Marvin Gaye, Al Greene, and the Temptations, they all show signs of their vulnerablility in their music. There are also movies out there that show this as well.

Masculinity and Sports

Masculinity to me is a man who is muscular, athletic, has the macho attitude, and usually plays football, basketball, and maybe some baseball. I'm sure that these are not the only sports that they would play. When I think of a masculine man I think of the athletes who play sports. They always work out, they always practice and always have this "i'm all that attitude."

I guess in order to play football you would have to be masculine, because it is a tough sport. Watching it you see people getting hurt because they were thrown to the ground by a 250 pound man coming at them from the opposite direction. In basketball I would say that you have to be more athletic which in a way that is part masculinity. You run the ball up and down the court for long periods of time.

I do not find myself interested in or most of the time even caring about what these people think. I can not stand people who are full of themselves, and people who judge people they don't even know. I think that most of these athletes are completely full of themselves and that to me is not masculine at all.