Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The surprise bachelor
What's with all the fuss about "The Bachelor" this season? I mean FOR ONCE the guy is real and doesn't fall for the reality tv crap and then he gets shit on by everyone in the media.
Brad Womack, a bar-owner from Texas, refused to BS the final two women about a future with him and ended up sending both women home. Though I was singing him praise, it seems like everyone else in the world was giving him the one finger.
Ellen Degeneres had him on her show this week and the poor guy spent the entire time defending himself. Why should someone have to apologize for not falling in love? I mean let's be real...I've walked into a frat house of more than 25 guys before and not ONE of them was date-worthy, let alone, MARRIAGE-worthy. Do audiences really expect this guy to find a wife out of 25 women on reality tv?!
I mean common', the show has a 1 out of 14 success rate. The two would break up anyway. ¶ posted by Taylor at 10:11 PM • 0 Comments
Brad Womack, a bar-owner from Texas, refused to BS the final two women about a future with him and ended up sending both women home. Though I was singing him praise, it seems like everyone else in the world was giving him the one finger.
Ellen Degeneres had him on her show this week and the poor guy spent the entire time defending himself. Why should someone have to apologize for not falling in love? I mean let's be real...I've walked into a frat house of more than 25 guys before and not ONE of them was date-worthy, let alone, MARRIAGE-worthy. Do audiences really expect this guy to find a wife out of 25 women on reality tv?!
I mean common', the show has a 1 out of 14 success rate. The two would break up anyway. ¶ posted by Taylor at 10:11 PM • 0 Comments
Why is America obsessed with being famous?
After listening to Trish's presentation on teenagers' obsession with fame, it reminded me of a conversation I had recently...
I was chatting with friends at a party about school and careers and then one guy threw up his hands and said "f*** it! Lets start a reality show." He was dead serious and everyone in the group was for it. We talked about hiring a camera guy, having him follow us around for a few days, and then sending the tape in to MTV.
It didn't seem like a bad idea at the time, but now that I think about it- was this just a cop out idea to avoid the stress of graduation and a career? The lives of reality tv stars appear so glamorous, as if writing 20 page research papers and paying this month's rent are the last things on their minds. For example, the girls on "The Hills" became famous overnight and their entire lives are spent gossiping and club-hopping. Supposedly they have jobs, but I hear it's just for show. If they're getting paid to have fun, why shouldn't I?
Society is made to believe "The Hills" scenario is reality and since their lives seem so much better, we feel inclined to go after fame ourselves. But one has to consider, those girls are going to outgrow MTV in two or three years and then what? They're not talented, they have no education, and to be honest, they're incredibly boring.
Maybe it's time to rethink this fame thing. ¶ posted by Taylor at 9:29 PM • 0 Comments
I was chatting with friends at a party about school and careers and then one guy threw up his hands and said "f*** it! Lets start a reality show." He was dead serious and everyone in the group was for it. We talked about hiring a camera guy, having him follow us around for a few days, and then sending the tape in to MTV.
It didn't seem like a bad idea at the time, but now that I think about it- was this just a cop out idea to avoid the stress of graduation and a career? The lives of reality tv stars appear so glamorous, as if writing 20 page research papers and paying this month's rent are the last things on their minds. For example, the girls on "The Hills" became famous overnight and their entire lives are spent gossiping and club-hopping. Supposedly they have jobs, but I hear it's just for show. If they're getting paid to have fun, why shouldn't I?
Society is made to believe "The Hills" scenario is reality and since their lives seem so much better, we feel inclined to go after fame ourselves. But one has to consider, those girls are going to outgrow MTV in two or three years and then what? They're not talented, they have no education, and to be honest, they're incredibly boring.
Maybe it's time to rethink this fame thing. ¶ posted by Taylor at 9:29 PM • 0 Comments
The black guy is the bad guy yet again...
So I was catching up on my weekly dose of "Dirty Sexy Money" and I couldn't help but notice...the one black guy on the show turns out to be the bad guy.
Simon Caldwell supposedly has bad history with the Darling family and is possibly linked to the murder of Nick's father.
Typical.
It's so irritating when shows featuring a nearly all white cast make the superficial effort of including ethnic minorities and then go so far as to make them the enemy. The producers of Desperate Housewives did the same. When the Apple family moved onto Wysteria Lane, we knew they had a dirty little secret. Then halfway into the season we find out the son is a murderer.
For once I would like to see a primetime show that focuses on an ethnic family in a positive light. It would do some good to give audiences a taste of their culture and slash the negative stereotypes that society faslely believes is true. ¶ posted by Taylor at 9:13 PM • 0 Comments
Simon Caldwell supposedly has bad history with the Darling family and is possibly linked to the murder of Nick's father.
Typical.
It's so irritating when shows featuring a nearly all white cast make the superficial effort of including ethnic minorities and then go so far as to make them the enemy. The producers of Desperate Housewives did the same. When the Apple family moved onto Wysteria Lane, we knew they had a dirty little secret. Then halfway into the season we find out the son is a murderer.
For once I would like to see a primetime show that focuses on an ethnic family in a positive light. It would do some good to give audiences a taste of their culture and slash the negative stereotypes that society faslely believes is true. ¶ posted by Taylor at 9:13 PM • 0 Comments
Misrepresentation in Video Games
Though the television industry has made an effort to improve minority portrayals, it seems video games have missed the message.
A 2001 study by the U.S. organization Children Now, entitled "Fair Play -- Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games" examined some of the most popular games to assess the extent of stereotyping. It found that:
-Most protagonists (86 percent) were white males
-Non-white males were portrayed in stereotypical ways— seven out of ten Asian characters as fighters, and eight out of ten African-Americans as sports competitors
-Nearly nine out of ten African-American females were victims of violence (twice the rate of white females)
-79 per cent of African-American males were shown as verbally and physically aggressive, compared to 57 per cent of white males
Pretty messed up if you ask me...
These video games perpetuate racial stereotypes to such an extent it's inevitable that they'd filter into society. Kids learn to associate colored men with violence, women as objects and often times victims, and white men as leaders with intelligence and good morals.
If television can make the effort, why can't video games?? It's about time they wake up and make some changes. ¶ posted by Taylor at 7:11 PM • 0 Comments
A 2001 study by the U.S. organization Children Now, entitled "Fair Play -- Violence, Gender and Race in Video Games" examined some of the most popular games to assess the extent of stereotyping. It found that:
-Most protagonists (86 percent) were white males
-Non-white males were portrayed in stereotypical ways— seven out of ten Asian characters as fighters, and eight out of ten African-Americans as sports competitors
-Nearly nine out of ten African-American females were victims of violence (twice the rate of white females)
-79 per cent of African-American males were shown as verbally and physically aggressive, compared to 57 per cent of white males
Pretty messed up if you ask me...
These video games perpetuate racial stereotypes to such an extent it's inevitable that they'd filter into society. Kids learn to associate colored men with violence, women as objects and often times victims, and white men as leaders with intelligence and good morals.
If television can make the effort, why can't video games?? It's about time they wake up and make some changes. ¶ posted by Taylor at 7:11 PM • 0 Comments
Imus Returns to Radio
Don Imus returned to radio on Monday with his tail between his legs. His return comes eight months after being fired by NBC for a vicious racial slur against the Rutger’s women’s basketball team. The comment drew national attention—not in a good way—and it seemed like Imus was gone for good.
During his first morning on-air Imus vowed never to say “anything like that again,” but I am wondering if he can keep his promise. He also hired two black comedians, one male and one female, to join the show. It seems as though Imus is going to great lengths to clear his name. But it all seems a little bit too obvious for me. Hiring two black comedians to join the show doesn’t condone the comments that he made.
I feel like Imus is attempting to create a smoke-screen effect to hide his reputation. And it is going to take a lot more than that to gain even an ounce of respect from me, and I don’t think I am alone in that sentiment. Then again, maybe he is making a genuine effort to clear his name. His new co-workers better keep him in check. ¶ posted by Kristen at 6:57 PM • 0 Comments
During his first morning on-air Imus vowed never to say “anything like that again,” but I am wondering if he can keep his promise. He also hired two black comedians, one male and one female, to join the show. It seems as though Imus is going to great lengths to clear his name. But it all seems a little bit too obvious for me. Hiring two black comedians to join the show doesn’t condone the comments that he made.
I feel like Imus is attempting to create a smoke-screen effect to hide his reputation. And it is going to take a lot more than that to gain even an ounce of respect from me, and I don’t think I am alone in that sentiment. Then again, maybe he is making a genuine effort to clear his name. His new co-workers better keep him in check. ¶ posted by Kristen at 6:57 PM • 0 Comments
Video Games...the New IT Handbag?
I thought after finishing my second paper on video games that I would finally be able to forget them, but unfortunately I have had no such luck. I feel like video games have become the new it designer handbag: everyone is talking about them and everyone wants them. But why?
I received the best answer to that question during an interview for my final video game paper. "Girls shop when they are angry or upset or just for the fun of it and I use Halo 3 the same way," said a regular video game player. So I guess Michel de Montaigne and Sigmund Freud were right with their modern view of entertainment as a recreational tool to relieve stress, boredom, and unhappiness.
We all are attracted to different forms of entertainment for different reasons. However, it seems unfair that Neiman Marcus closes and video game systems stay open all night. ¶ posted by Stephanie Lauren Kahan at 11:50 AM • 1 Comments
I received the best answer to that question during an interview for my final video game paper. "Girls shop when they are angry or upset or just for the fun of it and I use Halo 3 the same way," said a regular video game player. So I guess Michel de Montaigne and Sigmund Freud were right with their modern view of entertainment as a recreational tool to relieve stress, boredom, and unhappiness.
We all are attracted to different forms of entertainment for different reasons. However, it seems unfair that Neiman Marcus closes and video game systems stay open all night. ¶ posted by Stephanie Lauren Kahan at 11:50 AM • 1 Comments