Pressure: pushing down on me, pushing down on you

Why is there the pressure to have everything figured out right away? Why does everyone expect you to know exactly what you're doing as soon as you graduate from college? It doesn't make sense to me that just because you have been in college for four years you suddenly know what you're doing with the rest of your life. Why do adults put that kind of pressure on students? Why do parents pressure their children in that way? I am so grateful my parents aren't kicking me out and off the payroll so to speak. I understand you want your children to be adults and support themselves but come on! Not everyone is going to get a job right away and not everyone knows what they're going to do! I also don't know how students are expected to complete full course loads and find jobs at the same time while they remain involved in activities (gotta keep those resumes fluffed) and maintain their sanity. Oh and don't forget about working! It just doesn't seem possible to me. And while I'm on it, why does everyone ask seniors if they have a job?!? So sick of the question. I know it's because they care but it gets old. I'm guilty of asking what's next but I really try to not ask about jobs. I am comforted to know that I am not the only graduate who doesn't know what's next.

Okay, rant over.

Peace

Oops, I need one more :/

I thought I was done blogging in my pop culture class and come to find out I'm not. So this is really my last blog:

So here I am thinking I'm doing so well. I have my blogs done by Tuesday. I had a clever title for it, I felt it was a good wrap up, and then silly me, I didn't read the syllabus close enough to see that all blogs must be at least 250 words long. Oops. Now I need another one. Crap, I'm scrambling trying to come up with another topic an my mind is blank. Then I pull my notebook out of my bag and out pops the Baghdad Burning blogs and eureka I have it.

When we read the Baghdad Burning blogs in class I was so struck by the words and the stories they told. I enjoyed our in class discussion. I think a variety of valid points were made. We talked primarily about the validity of the blogs as a news source. And even though I understand other people's points of view I think what is still the most important part of the blogs to me is their message and that it is getting out there. The novelty of a woman (or a woman's point of view) being told in the middle of a major conflict in an area of the world where supposedly women are oppressed was so awesome to me.

Then I went to my favorite website, Amazon (yikes, I know right?), to see if the book forms of the blogs were on there and one of my favorite Amazon features 'Other customers also bought' popped up a bunch of books about womens' perspectives of major conflicts. Now some of them were fiction but many were not. And this got me to thinking about how we aren't really made aware of these books. We know about the latest Nora Roberts and Dan Brown books but not about these stories of real life struggles by women. And I wonder why? I know that most people (myself included) who read for pleasure want to escape to a less complicated world but it seems to me that the real life struggles should be more emphasize in curriculums and by the media. Basically this all boils down to concerns about the superficiality of our society. (No judgment here, I can be as superficial as the next, just wonderings.)

Okay, I really think this is my last one.
Peace

Last Blog, Last Song, Last Thoughts

My last blog for my Pop Culture class:

With the knowledge that my last blog post was approaching I have spent the last week in contemplation of what I want to talk about. Of course there is the desire to be profound but honestly I’m not.

So, I think what I want to talk about is my concern for uncritical consumers and myself. The last couple weeks of class the books The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and The Giver, as well as the movies V for Vendetta and Gamer have been in my head. All of these works of fiction are about the future. In these stories society has lost the ability to choose to act on their own. They are spoon-fed the way they are supposed to act, the news, and all things. There is hardly any free will. So this makes me think about our own society. It makes me wonder about our future. I worry that someday we may end up like one of these depictions. I worry that not enough people question what is going on in the world. I worry that not enough people wonder why we are in a war. I worry that not enough people questions society’s values as depicted in some reality TV shows. I worry that not enough people realize that news sources have a responsibility to report the news but that they are also businesses. (Note I am guilty of all of the above at some point or another.)

I worry about myself as well. I like to think I am a critical consumer through my education, specifically classes like our pop-culture class but I worry. This weekend I too my baby sister (she’s 13) to see The Last Song with Miley Cyrus (mostly because I wanted to see it) and I really liked it. I can’t stop thinking about it. But as I think about how much I liked it (even though I cried like a baby) I wonder if I really liked it or if I’ve just been bred to like it the last couple months. I wonder if I like it because of the coverage it’s received because of Miley Cyrus. I’ve heard Nicholas Sparks created the story specifically for Miley Cyrus and then I wonder if the characters were specifically constructed to appeal to a certain type of audience member or if it was truly how Nicholas Sparks saw the story being. Needless to say I’ve been thinking in circles all weekend.

I think I’ve concluded that I liked The Last Song due to the emotions it evoked and the tale of redemption and love it told. (As well as super hot Liam Helmsworth, Cyrus’ co-star and boyfriend, lucky girl.) I also think that as long as those who have had the opportunity to become critical consumers remain critical consumers and spread critical consumerism we’ll be okay. (Maybe we’ll have to participate in some culture jamming as well though.) I also think that sometimes you have to just throw the towel in and forget consuming critically and just enjoy the pop-culture around us.

Sorry I’m so wordy.

Peace!

Rant - Wasted Tiime

I get mad when I do a lot of work for something and the work is just blown off. For example I spent the a couple hours this afternoon coming up with decoration ideas for an event. I had a really cool idea and it was blown off. I'm really not upset about the idea being nixed but frustrated I spent so much of my day working on it and it was so quickly dismissed. Not the first time this has happened to me. Anyway, not bitter, just felt the need for a little rant as I waste more time. Really smart. :/

Off to be productive with my Robin Hood music.

Peace!

Jane Austen - A Pop Culture Trend

There's a trend in pop-culture that has come to my attention, Jane Austen. Jane Austen's novels are available everywhere (with multiple covers). In addition one can find movies (or multiple movies) for each book, ie Emma, Pride & Prejudice, etc. Then there are the movies based on the central plots of the books a la Clueless and Bridget Jones' Diary. Now we can't forget the spin off books, Chronicles of the Darcy Family, Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma and so on and so on. Then there are novels that claim to be based on Jane Austen's novels. Stories that basically take the plot of an Austen novel and modernize it and add some kind of twist. I love Pride & Prejudice and like some of the others. I am amazed at the liberties people take with her 6 relatively short novels, the "sequels" they write. I think what is particularly amazing is how popular and what a craze one woman's relatively limited work has prompted. Sure there the central themes of the novels can be related to in any time period and Mr. Darcy is very gallant and dashing but, why such an obsession? I think what really gets me is the supernatural Jane Austen books: Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and one I saw recently where Jane Austen is a vampire. I think that let's us know that the "craze" has reached a whole new level. Now, I have read Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and the zombies added action to the novel that really enhanced it in my opinion. The core of the story remained the same but the plot sped along more quickly that without them.

Okay, whole point of this post was to verbalize a trend I've noticed in pop-culture. I hope this is no one's big project, sorry if it is. But if it isn't I think it totally could be...next year. :)

Toilet Paper - the bane of my existence!

Toilet Paper is the bane of my existence! It seems like every time I go to the restroom in a residence I have to change the toilet paper roll! I mean seriously it's ridiculous! It wouldn't be so bad but my family, specifically my siblings, are really bad about leaving 1-3 teeny, tiny, sheets of tp on the roll! So after you've sat down and done your business you reach for the tp and realize, o snap, I'm screwed!!! AGAIN!!! I just don't understand why it's so hard to take the roll off when there's only a few pieces left! I'm mean do some people get a sick pleasure out of forcing other people to change the roll? Do they think it's funny for GIRLS to be stuck on the toilet? I'm mean seriously, what is the deal??? In my perfect world the toilet paper roll would either a. never run out or b. people would never leave rolls with only a few pieces on them. I think I should start a national campaign encouraging people to "CHANGE THE ROLL, OR PAY THE TOLL" of course I don't know what the toll is, but that's besides the point.

Okay, rant over. I hope you all will think twice before you leave an empty or almost empty tp roll.

oh, and p.s. sorry for the multiple posts in one day, when I have a couple of blog ideas and the time to type them I like to take advantage of it.

New Thoughts on New Moon

It's Easter, and I'm watching New Moon with my family. (We finished Twilight about an hour ago.) Anyway, we're watching the movie and a couple things have occurred to me.

1. New Moon is WAY better than Twilight. Yes I appreciate it for what it is, for the memories I associate with it, and for the building block that it is.

2. I've really not experienced that much in my life. I've never been in love. I've never had my heart broken. I've never really "made out" before. I've been kissed and I guess that's something but...anyway, the point is in New Moon Bella has her heart broken and she's so distraut she has nightmares for months and I really have nothing to compare it to or relate with. (However, Stephanie Meyer is a good enough writer that I totally empathize with Bella.) So, New Moon has me wishing I've experienced more relationship wise but, on the other hand I like how choosy I am.

3. I have awesome brothers and dad who are willing to sit and watch Twilight and New Moon. (Granted we said they only had to watch it once and we'd not bother them again, but still event then some brothers wouldn't agree.)

4. I want to ride a motorcycle, cliff dive, and go to Italy.

5. I'm ready for a new book my Stephanie Meyer (and not this new one about Bree). I also want to read a new book that consumes me with its story line, I love my Robin Hood but the middle is dragging a little bit.

6. Taylor Lautner is SO good looking. I LOVE when that, now legal, boy takes his shirt off!!! But "Who needs a 6 pack when you've got a whole keg!" - courtesy my bro Ian

Okay, that's all my thoughts on New Moon right now.