"Horning In: The Case for Feminist Metal" by Carissa Dahoney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsuTuAVJrF8


Heavy metal is thought of to be a highly dominated male community that consists of head banging, screaming, and guys being very brutal some harsh lyrics. It is not one of my favorite things to listen to, but of course I had to with my father whenever he was working out in the house. The head banging music was used to help pump up him and his friends. Looking back on it now I understand why they listened to this genre of music, it gets you motivated.
Within recent years, women have been gaining respect in this community and are becoming well known.Heavy metal is now viewed as not being gender binding, it is open to everyone and anyone. Bands like Vixen, Girlschool, and Meanstreak, just to name a few, started gaining their respect in the 1970s-1980s. Today bands like Kittie, Scarlet Sins, and Evanescence have taken over the heavy metal scene. To a great amount of people I'm sure that these bands have not been heard of, besides Evanescence, but these girls are going against the common view of a heavy metal band. Instead of guys screaming the girls are. The women are playing the bass and guitar and drums just as well as, or maybe in better in some cases, than the men of heavy metal bands do.
The link that is posted is of the band called Kittie. They have become popular in recent years and is an all female group. They still stick to dressing very feminine, but usually in all black. But listen to their music and you will soon find out that they can definitely play just as well as the boys. Their screaming lyrics along with the subtle female voice at times gives dynamic to the songs and adds to the meaning of the lyrics. At first listen you would not think that this was a group of females if you did not know. This group is helping to break the gender binding that are being put onto some communities in the world.

Post on "Keep on Trekkin'" by Kate Rights

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDNOB6TnHSI


I posted the link to a youtube video that involves a group of students at Ohio State University who created a flash mob. Essentially, a flash mob consists of a large group of people who put together a dance to perform in public, without the public knowing about it before it happens. It usually starts with a single dancer and as the song goes on, others join in. In this case, the students at OSU decided to perform their flash mob to the Glee version of "Don't Stop Believing". Glee is one of the most popular shows on television right now and has many different kinds of characters on it such as a gay student, two jewish students, cheerleaders, football players, a student in a wheelchair, asian students, and an obese student. My initial response to this video was amazement because the dancing is so out of place, and every time another group of students would join in, it completely surprised me. I'm also a huge fan of Glee. I liked it because there were all kinds of students in on the flash mob. Athletes, nerds, dancers, girls, boys, a mascot, and even an older man (possibly the chancellor). 


There are a couple of different reasons why I chose this video to go along with the article "Keep in Trekkin'". First of all, the article focuses on the fact that the show Star Trek had a huge fan base made up of not only men, but surprisingly women as well. I thought that this idea went along well with the video because the flash mob shows how diverse and how extensive the fan base for Glee's songs are, and also for the idea of living in a musical (which is in a sense,"fanfic").  The article also makes it seem more okay for girls to not necessarily be girly-girls which is related to the video because the show Glee has made misfits feel more secure in their own skin. I chose this video mostly for the diversity aspect of it since both Glee, the flash mob students, and the Star Trek cast all have people of different ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds represented, and also because Glee is, like this article, makes it okay for people to be different. Lastly, the idea of stereotyping people by what they watch is mentioned in the article. People who watch Star Trek and people who watch Glee are similar in the sense that they are either being a "trekkie" or a "gleek". 


Kate Rights
Tammy Oler
"Keep on Trekkin"

"That's my Jam" Jonnae' Johnson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE7B6Z6-rls&feature=related

What is culture jamming? I asked myself that before I even began reading this article because it was something I have never heard before, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. From the article I summed it down to this. Culture jamming is taking the same marketing strategy the media uses to persuade consumers to buy products, to expose the truth about those products.  Culture jamming is about sending a message, when people do this they’re not only changing what the Ad says but also what it means. Big companies use billboards, television commercials, and other forms of media to force their products, ideas, and beliefs into us.  When I read about culture jamming immediately I thought of the Truth about Tobacco commercials, many of us has seen how the media has tried to glamorize smoking but in these commercials they reveal what big tobacco companies aren’t. What I was most surprised about when I read this article is all the examples of culture jamming and who it is that does it. Many people all over the world do it that weren’t or aren’t represented in society. Culture jamming is done for religious purposes, simple rights, or even just to get people more aware. From reading the article I realized that sometimes we just accept what the ads are saying to us and do nothing to dispute it and that’s exactly what people are doing when they culture jam. They’re adding a different element to what we’ve already seen plenty of times. 

"Looking for Empire in the U.S. Colonial Archive" pgs. 135-140 - Megan Reynolds

                When I first read “Looking for Empire in the U.S. Colonial Archive” by Morillo-Alicea, I was sort of curious to how far the author actually delved into his topic.  However, as I read pages 135-140, I began to really get a better grasp on the author’s intentions.  In the second part of the article, the author mainly focuses on the classification of the documents and the photographs that he found throughout his process of researching our country’s history and so forth. 
                In the article, the author also talks about two particular photographs, one of barefoot children and another of a classroom of female students at sewing machines, where none of the females are looking at the camera.  I decided to compare this section of the article to a photograph that I found online.   In the article, the author mentioned that the photographs that he found in the archives of the Puerto Rican children in what is assumed to be a schoolhouse is an example of how we illustrated moving the other countries that we claimed into progression, fitting our typical uneducated stereotypes of those from other, less fortunate countries.  The photograph of the women sewing is just a further example of the illustrated stereotypes in the archives that the author mentions.  The photograph that I found online is just one example of the typical stereotype that exists for modern-day American women.  They are expected to always have their hair done, and dinner cooked for their husband as they arrive home from a hard day at work.  I thought that this photograph was a great example of another example of stereotypes that exist for certain groups of people.

"Are My Hands Clean?": Brittany Garrett

White Gold- The True Cost of Cotton

"Are My Hands Clean" by Bernice Johnson Reagon is a song written about an issue that often times goes unnoticed.  While reading the lyrics all that I could think about was how many different industries underpay their workers a large sum.  The cotton industry is one of the main industries that underpays their workers.  After watching the video that I have posted above I now realize how serious of a problem underpaying really is.  Before watching this video I was also not aware that there are many foundations set up to help the victims of underpayment and to stop the problem from continuing.  This video opened my eyes to a issue that I never thought about before.  Next time I put on a cotton t-shirt, which is an action that the majority of us thing is innocent, I will think about the women, men, and children that worked long hours receiving little pay so that I could wear a shirt on my back.  I believe that when Reagon posed the question "Are My Hands Clean?" she was referring to the innocence we think that is involved in making small items of clothes but in reality our hands are "dirty" because of what we are supporting by buying these garments.

Emily Hawks - Javier Morrilo-Alicea

What stood out to me in the article, “Looking for Empire in the U.S. Colonial Archive” by Javier Morillo-Alicea, was how the images portrayed an ‘Americanized’ Puerto Rico post 1898. The connection I found between the article and the image I chose to post was the understanding of how photographs can hold so much history and how that can help others learn the history of a place or people that may be unclear or hard to understand in  text. The photo I chose includes a group of school children standing outside their schoolhouse. The children appear serious in the photo, unsmiling. The girl in the front with her arms folded speaks volumes as to how the children felt about this modernization. Similar images to the one I chose were discussed in the article and depict this time in Puerto Rican history. Just as the article explains, and just as this image shows, children would pose in front of school buildings (usually with their teachers) in order to show that “The photos of children tell the story of Puerto Rico’s modernization, of the U.S. narrative that assured islanders and the world that they were being moved out of the barbarianism and into modernity” (Morillo-Alicea 138). In considering this statement, along with the image, it becomes clear how much we can learn through images. The image I chose illustrates the modernization that the U.S. forced upon Puerto Rico.

Morgan Hayes- Guy Trouble -Shira Tarrant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CWMCt35oFY
One of the things that stuck out to me the most in the Guy Trouble article is the focus on young boys today and how pop culture is affecting their masculinity. I know when I was a little girl I probably watched the same Disney movies more then once everyday. I believe that Disney movies do affect children more then parents or kids themselves realize. The role of the superhero or prince charming in every movie helps a damsel in distress or needs a beautiful girl to make his bride. Gender roles and evidence of masculinity is more obvious when looking at the bigger picture in the media of Disney movies. Children watch these movies and see big strong men fighting and being leaders and ultimately playing the dominant role in a society. In this class I am starting to see a second view on things in the media that I have never realized before. Society wants to shape a young boy into a man that is strong mentally and physically who willl have a family and support them. This idea starts off at a young age leading back to the Disney movies. Media teaches young boys to be that man with strong features who can be aggressive, attractive and get the women he wants. A young boy is consuming this idea of masculinity through multiple media sources such as, books, video games, television and movies. "The main message boys have always gotten from popculture is that being male in our society means being tough and invulnerable"(Tarrant 50). I completely agree with this quote in Tarrant's article because it shows how the media is affecting boys concepts on masculinity and how society makes them believe they should be a certain way. In the Disney clip I found it shows many clips from popular Disney movies and emphasizes on the role of a man and their masculinity.

Taylor Fitz: Unraveling Reality TV's Twisted Fairytales

Reality television shows are everywhere we look.  Whether it be a show telling us how we should look, act, dress, and how we should fall in love we get a false perception of bliss.  Contestants sometimes do not even have the intentions that the show may lead us on to believe.  I attached a picture of Joe Millionaire Evan Marriott.  I personally watched this show when it was on television.  I completely had a false impression of a fairy tale love that was set up in a lavish area even though the man was really a poor construction worker.  He seemed to really be interested in finding love and making a life for him.  The reality of it was that he was just in it for the money.  The ultimatum of the show for his choice, Zora was essentially love or money.  I find it funny how in the end Evan was only in it for money and had no interest in love.  False perceptions are forced upon us daily thanks to reality television.  We build up stereotypes of what is reality and what is not.  Thinking that love should be built in a glamorous and lavish setting is completely false.  Most people on television for love are just a way to get free publicity for themselves or other means of self-gain other than love.

Elicia Woehrman, Female Chauvinist Pigs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrpXxmDfIlQ
(watch from 2:45-3:11)

            Chapter 3 from Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy begins by highlighting the career of Sheila Nevins, who worked for HBO as its president of documentary and family programming. The chapter explains how Nevins was criticized for her work on the documentary G-String Divas, which depicts women in a sexual nature (specifically, the show was about strippers). The show was argued as degrading to women, to which Nevins responds proudly that she loves the “sex stuff” and questions, “What’s the big deal?” Nevins used sex to advance herself within a male dominated field, arguing that women taking off their clothes for the pleasure of others is far less degrading than the idea of not being able to provide for one’s family. Who’s to say Nevins is wrong? She is an example of a powerful woman, yet she uses sex to her benefit.

            Female Chauvinist Pigs highlights that women who embrace sexuality often feel empowered and confident. They let go of their “girly-girl” sides and embrace what men seemingly love: the sexual nature of females. Does this harm feminism or help to build it? By using sexuality to empower ourselves are we degrading the female body or does it make us powerful because we gain the upper hand? These questions are up for debate, but in the end it’s all up to your interpretation of the matter.

 I chose this clip from That 70’s Show not only because I think it’s funny, but also because I believe it represents this debate quite well. Jackie makes a point that sex can manipulate men to a woman’s liking, giving her power. The viewer may find humor in this because she believes Jackie is correct, or that Jackie is stupid and a disgrace to females. Again, it’s up to interpretation.