Select any exhibit and analyze it with 400+ words. Use the yellow "Critical Lenses 101" handout. Look in the EXACT way the "Critical Lenses 101" handout tells you to as a critic. Ask the EXACT questions the "Critical Lenses 101" handout tells you to ask. Have the "Critical Lenses 101" handout with you as you study your exhibit and as you write this blog task. If you do not refer to the "Critical Lenses 101" handout enough or effectively, your grade will be cut in half because you are not following directions and are not thinking in the directed way.
“EXHIBIT” = novel, play, song, sculpture, film, poem, concert, painting, myth, sketch, poster, artwork, photograph, t-shirt, television show, biography, speech, advertisement, event, place/building (school, office), game, practice, rehearsal, ritual, haircut/style, website, routine, brochure, suit coat...
Two sample exhibits: a Syracuse basketball game and a men's suit
100 comments:
A chose to analyze the book Fall of Reach. The novel is all about a bunch of kids who are taken from their homes in their early childhood by the government in a futuristic world. The kids are taken and replaced with clones so the parents will never know. The kids begin their training to become the governments new “super soldiers” at the age of six. The power system functions in this exhibit because the government has all the power and the kids have none. The kids at the beginning know nothing of why they are taken or why they can’t return home. The government throws them straight into training and forces them to excessive conditions in order to turn them into soldiers. The leader of the project know as Spartan II is at a constant inner battle with herself, she tries to reassure herself that what she is doing is for the best and that it is the only way to save the human race but at the same time that it is wrong to steal not only the children from their homes but also from their childhoods. Money doesn’t really function in this exhibit. There is no battle for it nor does it really matter who has it in this novel. The soldiers don’t find a need for it because the government they believe gives them everything they need and are raised to always have a constant faith in their superiors. This system is very exploitive to the children they are constantly trained to be soldiers at put through experiments to enhance them that even kill some of them. There is no class climbing in the book beside one slight one John number 117 becomes the leader of the soldiers and everyone looks up to him and trusts him with absolute devotion.
Through a feminist lens we can see that the leader of operation Spartan II is Dr. Catherine Halsey a women. Gender functions in this novel because she becomes like the Spartans mother. They look up to her and trust her and seek protection from her. Dr. Halsey is portrayed as a very powerful woman. Everyone in the novel sees Dr. Halsey as a very competent leader and is perfect in her job. The other woman in the novel is Kelly another Spartan. She becomes one of the main characters and is close to John but, only as a soldier to a leader. She plays a very powerful role; she is very intelligent and is the fastest Spartan in the group. John constantly chooses her for missions because he trust in her ability it makes no difference if she is a woman or not.
Jackson_6
Looking at "The Beverly Hillbillies" through the lenses listed on the "Critical Lenses 101" handout, the easiest lense to look through I think is the Marxist Lens. The social classes in this movie interact with each other through the event that the Clampett family moves to Beverly Hills and intermixes in the lives of the higher/upper classes. They join upper class jobs, schools, and other organizations that the lower classes don't normally go to. The system of upper class members are semi-oppressive to the formally lower class Clamett family. For instance, when Allimae, the daughter, goes to school she has to have an upperclassed son come around with her to explain to her how some things are done and what some things are. He sometimes talks to her as if she was stupid. For some reason when referred to a lowerclass person, you are assumed to have less of an education than the upperclass. This shows here. However, for the social tensions, there seems to be little, or at least the Clampett family is oblivious to them because they tend to think of everything as equal even though it is obvious that it is not. Both the ruling classes are happy and the lower classes are happy throughout this movie. The lower class is happy the whole way through the movie because they don't follow any kind of rule system at all, but the upper class seems less happy at the end for some of them because they lower class tended to take over the upper class wedding at the end. Both upper and lower class seem to be given equal freedoms in this movie because there is a law system that proves that the more money you have the more freedom you have.
I can't see much from the Feminist Lens in this movie for the reason that both males and females seem equal, other than the part where Allimae is shown around school by the upper class boy. The boy didn't seem too happy that he had to do this 'favor' for his dad at first because he didn't want to hang out with a girl all day. But when he saw her and noticed her good looks, he was more than happy to help out. Through a feminist lens, it seems that Allimae is liked only for her looks for some of the movie. The "natural" role of women in this case is probably just to fullfil the attraction desire of men towards women.
Through the Freudian lense, there are many dreams /goals/urges that each character tries to pursue. For instance, in Allimae's mind, her goal seems to just be to not marry someone she doesn't know but to somehow become more lady-like. Another expample is in Jeffro's mind, his dream is to impress his crush as well as get a "big flashy car." Granny has a dream as well, and that is to just move back home because she doesn't like living in Beverly Hills. Each character has one or more dreams/goals/urges.
Sara Barnes
Pd. 6
I am going to use the Critical Lens handout to analyze the movie “The Secret Life of Bees”. This movie is about a little white girl (Dakota Fanning) who accidentally shot her mother when she was younger, and then is forced to live with her mean, alcoholic father who works in the peach fields. This movie was set in the times where black people were treated very poorly and were discriminated against in very sickening ways.
Dakota and her housekeeper (who is a middle-aged black woman) run away from her father and go seek answers of her mother and where she came from. When they get to the place they are looking for, they find out that they make and produce honey. The women who inhabit the house are black.
Using a Marxist lens, I asked the question: How does money matter/function in this movie? In this time period, if you were a white man, you most likely had money. There was no way that a black person was rich. But in this movie, the black women do in fact have money, a big house and are very comfortable. I also asked, how does power system matter/function in this movie? That answer is very obvious, if you are white, you have power.
During the beginning of the movie, Dakota’s mother is very oppressed and is abused by the husband, this is why she leaves also throughout the movie Dakota is not treated well by her father either. The roles reverse in the latter part of the movie, the women in the house have power and they have control of the honey factory and what is going on in their lives. At the end of the movie, Dakota’s father finds where she is hiding and goes to the house to try to retrieve Dakota from their care and take her home, the women protest and promise to take care of her and enroll her in school. This is also and example of how roles are reversed, the father is no longer the power figure, and the women take over. The black women are portrayed as strong and intelligent in this movie. This is almost the opposite of the stereotype that black women in this time period have. They are thought of as dumb and weak people.
Using the Freudian lens, I noticed that Dakota keeps having these nightmares and flashbacks of what she accidentally did to her mother, I think this happens because this is the last time she saw her mother and she was only trying to help, but it turned out bad. Dakota carries around a horrible burden, and the only way to help her is to seek what her mother is coming back for.
The movie “The Secret Life of Bees” is a very eye-opening movie that has a little bit of something for everyone.
I decided I’m going to do Marxist lens on the tv show Spongebob. Money matters in this exhibit because Mr. Krabs, the lobster revolves his happiness around money. When things happen like his money vanishing or when he runs completely out of money, he gets depressed and starts to cry. He literally kisses his money. Social classes react to each other by separating the rich and the poor. Mr. Krabs, along with Squidward, the squid live in nice houses while Patrick, the star fish and Spongebob, the sponge live in not so nice houses. Spongebob literally lives in a pineapple and Patrick lives under a rock. Although they don’t have as much money, they seem happier while Squidward is always mad and Mr. Krabs depressed. Spongebob sometimes feels “suffocated” from Mr. Krabs. They work together at a hamburger place and Mr. Krabs always brings up the fact that spongebob has to make more burgers or do better for more money. Even though Squidward would be considered higher class, I think he would be the person who has less freedom because he’s in that class. He’s always wishing that he had more time to do things on his own like playing clarinet or going on vacation but he’s always working to please Mr.Krabs to make more money. In some episodes there are tensions because Mr. Krabs rules over them. He takes away their happiness and they are at work for most of the episodes if not all of them. In a feminist light, there is a squirrel named Sandy. She’s an important character because she’s always stress free and gets to do everything she loves a lot. I think she makes Spongebob less stressful from work and Mr. Krabs doesn’t always like them hanging together. He even fires Spongebob once because he’s having too much fun playing karate with Sandy. Sandy would be considered more “higher class” because she gets to have her own home under a globe full of air and she walks around with a globe around her head to breathe. She’s considered as a strong, intelligent woman. She has a lot of muscles and always shows Spongebob up. He wants to be more like her in a lot of ways. Sandy’s roll could almost be like a man’s because when they are lifting, she can lift a ton while Spongebob has to use fake muscles to try to lift a lot. The roles are almost reversed.
The second exhibit I choose to analyze is the November 2009 issue of Seventeen Magazine. Using a Marxist Lens this magazine tells you that you have to need to spend money to look a certain way. In every issue there is a section on clothes that look best on your body or clothes that are in for the season that is upcoming or makeup for the perfect skin and look. This issue in particular has an article on the basics for your shape, but instead of using everyday people they use celebrities that have the money to spend on whatever they want. One question to consider when looking at this magazine is, How does Gender matter/function in this magazine? In this magazine there is an ad for the Twilight saga, New Moon. In this ad there is Robert Pattinson starring off all manly with a girl hanging on him with a huge smile. This ad makes it seem like the girl need him to be happy and without him her life would be miserable. This ad could also be referring to the point that if a girl does not see this movie she will be unhappy and miserable, which is untrue. While this magazine gives many tips for making the readers look their best, is it to give the reader self confidence, or to make her more attractive to men? Another question to consider from the literary lenses packet is, How does a creator’s gender affect an exhibit? Because the creator is a woman I do not really think it had much of an effect on how this magazine was created, but the ad manager is a male and that might be why all the ads in this magazine are degrading to women. From looking at many exhibits including this one, I believe society puts limitations on society. If we had never known anything else it would not be weird to see men being stay-at home dads, who always have to look good for the wife, but because of exhibits like this magazine we have been taught that women are suppose to stay at home and do the housework and that the only way to attract a man is to look “good”. Using a Feminist Lens this magazine makes women think that they NEED a man to be happy, when in truth women can be self-sufficient and happy by themselves. This magazine makes girls think that the only way they can be successful in life is if they have the right clothes, makeup, and hair. While they do have an article on college every month it is usually about partying, making money, or meeting new people. They never mention how it takes lots of studying and hard work in college to be successful. While you can learn beauty tips from this magazine, gives girls a distorted picture on what it really takes in life to be successful.
The exhibit that I chose to analyze is my Sunday brunch for Mother’s Day at Braccos. Braccos is a family restaurant in a newer development in Sioux Falls. It is a more upscale restaurant but you will still feel comfortable wearing jeans and a nice t-shirt there. The Sunday brunch buffet is quite extravagant, with all sorts of breakfast, lunch, and desert items to choose from at a reasonable price. There is a bar area for seating, booth and table area, and a luxurious patio that has a peaceful waterfall and pond near it. There are mostly browns, gold, and cool blue and purple colors used. There are fireplaces in the entry way and where the buffet is located. The marble is white/tan in color to give you the feeling of being in a palace.
Using the Marxist Lens this is what I observed. Really the only way that money matters in Braccos is how much you want to spend on food and expensive drinks, for the buffet though it is the same price for everyone. Plus if it is some rich couple do you really think that the wife is going to gorge herself and risk gaining weight? Psh no. Power comes in different ways at the restaurant I noticed. We had not made reservations so we were stuck waiting for a table. As families walked in and were seated right away others sitting around them gave sent sneering, glaring, sad, or jealous looks their way. They were the ones with power and they gave it to themselves. One family I noticed did not look to be ‘rich’ but had a reservation; another couple that was ridiculously snooty just gave them the meanest look ever. It was like they were thinking that they should get to go in front of them just because they thought they were better than the other party and should not have to wait. So classes do kind of clash in this environment, especially on Mother’s Day it seems because families that do not normally go there do for this special occasion. I saw an old lady that had on this long black dress and had diamonds like rain drops in her hair. Then I would turn around and see a younger guy in a faded t-shirt and old comfy jeans.
To apply the Feminist Lens in this situation you cannot look into it too much. Women seem to be treated more respectfully as a customer in restaurant situations; the server using Miss or Mama when addressing someone. Also people always seem to be more polite, saying, “oh no, you can go first” or always remembering to say “excuse me” when turning the corner. But on the negative spectrum women waitresses are not always treated the best in some situations; drunken men hitting on them during happy hour. I do not think that is really a problem at a restaurant like this though. A way that gender does matter though is that the man is expected to pay in situations like this, especially because it is Mother’s Day. Some women expect the man to always pay and if he asks her on a date then it makes sense that he would pay. For couples that have been married for awhile though it is different. My mom will pay for meals when we go out sometimes, but my dad still pays the majority of the time.
The Freudian Lens at Broccos has a lot to do with people’s ID. There is so much food there and sitting there waiting and looking at it makes you want it all. When you do get up there you just cram your plate with food and no one thinks anything of it because they are doing the same exact thing. Whether people are watching their weight or not they are going to eat until they are bulging and full, to get their money’s worth of course. Men take women out to make them happy and so they can show off how pretty the girl they are with are, but as we all know there is always another side. Now day’s guys will pay for supper but expect something in return from the girl, which is wrong and that is not how it is supposed to work, but some guys are desperate; seeing that this is a family occasion though this is not always the case.
I am going to analyze the book “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher. This book is about a teenager who committed suicide but leaves behind takes as to the thirteen reasons why she committed suicide. Then she starts the task of sending the tapes to the thirteen people who caused her to do this, and they continue down the line of people.
Feminist:
How does gender matter in this exhibit? - There are two main characters in the novel, a girl, Hannah, who committed suicide and a boy, Clay, who is listening to the tapes. In a feminist lens it does matter on gender. The female in this novel is the weak one who committed suicide, but yet she is strong enough to want everyone to know what they did. The male, Clay is stronger than Hannah. He is walking around town and trying to figure out why she committed suicide and why no one could have helped her. As the tapes continue, he begins to break down and become weaker and more confused. It is typical for a male writer to make the weak person a female. Why could it have not been a male that committed suicide? On the critical lens 101 handout it says feminist critics ‘question whether men and women are essentially different because of biology, or are socially constructed as different (subjugating women as worse than men in the important ways)’ And in this novel the female is the weaker one, she could not handle her situations and so she killed herself.
Marxist:
‘How does money matter/function in this exhibit?’- Maybe if Hannah had been of higher class she might not have committed suicide. If her family had more money, maybe she would have been more popular and not been as depressed or had someone to talk to that would not stab her in the back. ‘How does a power system matter in this exhibit?’ – The high school Hannah went to was where most of her problems occurred. If it was not for her high school maybe she would not have felt so alone.
Freudian:
Hannah wants everything in her life to be perfect. She lets little things get to her and bother her to the point that she cannot handle it and she kills herself. He ‘id’ took over and her ‘superego’ lost. She listened to the worst possible thing would make everything better. ‘ What is going on in the mind of any character in an exhibit’- Fortunately in this novel we get the insight on both characters since Hannah says it out loud on the tapes and Clay thinks it in his mind, but the novel tells you exactly what he is thinking. He is very confused and frustrated that he couldn’t have helped Hannah. He really liked her and wishes that she was still alive, and that she could give him another chance. Clay feels guilty that he did not try harder to get to know Hannah or that he did not save her from herself.
I chose to analyze the television show "That 70s show." The show shows the 70s where perspective were different and things were viewed differently than nowadays. With a feminist lens we can see how Kitty Forman always acts like a typical woman. She stays at home and is expected to cook and clean and do everything for the men of the house. The show makes it look like it is something that she enjoys a lot and that other women should enjoy it too. She also drinks a lot when she is home which shows how women might be construed as alcoholics. They also portray Kitty as a very hormonal woman which is very derogatory. She freaks out at the simplest things and also cries a lot. Another thing we can see through a feminist lens is the two teenage girls, Donna and Jackie. The two girls are harassed by the men and often fantasized by them. They make them feel like objects and are mainly tools for there pleasure. The girls put up a mild fight but usually give in to the sexual banter. With a freudian lens we can see how the guys only think about sex. In the beginning all of the guys harass Eric and Fez about how they are still virgins. By doing this it pressured them to have sex. Also the guys like to talk about it all of the time sometimes even fantasize in front of their girlfriends which also violates a feminist lens. The show portrays as sex hungry pigs who have nothing better to do. Also with a Freudian lens we can see how drugs always messes with their minds. They always seem to talk about philosophical ideas which gives you an outlook of what people back in the days thought about drugs. They usually seem to enjoy the drugs. Also when they are confronted by their parents while under the influence the room is always spinning which the viewer can use to for comedy. With a Marxist lens we can examine Jackie. She is richer than the rest of the gang and makes sure they realize this. She always flaunts her wealth and looks down on everyone else. She also tells everyone how they are poorer than she is and brags about it. In the end it comes back to bite her. She is very rude and obnoxious about her wealth. You can also see how the Formans usually complain about their income and try to cope with financially difficulties. They also complain about how they always have to take in stray kids.
The exhibit I chose to analyze was the movie The Blindside Side. This movie is about a poor black boy that is taken in by a Southern, white family. The critical lenses work well with this movie. Using the Marxist lens, we see that this movie deals a lot with the issues of money. Micheal Oher (poor boy) was extremely lucky to have had the Tuohy family rescue him. Without them he would not have succeed in school and going off to college. Leigh Anne (mother) has this group of rich friends that when they heard that Leigh Anne took in a poor black boy they immediately judged her about her decision. Their first question to her is if this was another one her charity cases. They thought that the only reason she took him in was to make herself look good. Leigh Anne’s friends started joking around about taking out their checkbooks and donating money to him. This just shows how rich people think that they are better than Micheal because they have money and are ranked higher in the social class. In the end you see that Micheal was able to come from a poor family and be a successful college football player. We learn from this movie that money is not everything, that you can be happy with just a supportive family. This movie would not be as good if it did not teach us an important lesson on money and social class.
Using a Feminist lens we see that Leigh Anne is not the average house mother. Leigh Anne does not depend on her husband to bring home all the money, Leigh Anne works a hard job and makes sure that she brings in a fair amount of money as well. Along with her job she has to make sure her kids get to school on time, that she attends their athletic events and that she takes care of her new member of the family Micheal. Although Leigh Anne fits most of the gender expectations there are some qualities that might be consider more manly, like when she tries to teach Micheal how to play football. If it weren’t for Leigh Anne teaching Micheal football the way he understand that I don’t think Micheal would have made it in college football. Another way of looking at the Leigh Anne with a Feminist lens would be how they objectified her body. When Leigh Anne is out on the football field teaching Micheal we see all the boys and couch staring at her body. They have her wearing dresses and high heels all the time when she could be wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. Overall this movie is amazing made and teaches people a good lesson about money and social class.
Ashley Christensen
Pd. 5
The exhibit I am going to analyze with critical lenses is golf. Through a Feminist Lens, males dominate this sport. But some women would argue that there have been great women golfers such as Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa, and Kathy Witworth. Kathy Witworth has won more tournaments than any golfer in the LPGA or the PGA with 88 wins. But to most male golfers, women are portrayed as being weak and not as talented. Men have naturally been able to hit the ball farther and shoot lower scores than women. Golf has traditionally been called the “gentleman’s game” and not the “woman’s game”. So originally this game wasn’t intended for women, just like basketball, even though both sports have seen very talented females take part in the sport. Accomplishments made by women in male dominated sports seem to be overlooked as well. Even though Kathy Witworth has the most professional tour wins for the LPGA and PGA combined, most people do not even know her. And yet names like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer are common among the sport.
With a Marxist Lens, the game of golf can be broken down into money=power. The one with the most money from winning tournaments has a lot of power. Every time a pro wins a tournament, they receive money, a trophy, and an exemption to stay a pro for the next couple years regardless of how they finish in later tournaments. But they also receive respect. And the more respect you have, the more power you have. Winning a tournament can also bring opportunity. In this game, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. So in order to keep your power, you have to compete and outperform your counterparts. Individuals could be seen as being mechanized, robotocized, and zombiefied in a way though. The golfers travel from point A to point B, hit a white ball around and put it into the hole for four straight days. Each player is doing the same exact thing over and over again. And ultimately, all of this is serving the larger cause and only producing for the “greater good”. The PGA brings in millions of dollars every year, but it also gives out millions to charities. Each member of the PGA helps out with these charities in some way. They each receive their individual earnings, but each helps the PGA with its goals also.
Through a Freudian Lens, golf is a good example of the superego/ego/id example. Every player is the ego. They each have a superego and an id. The superego usually comes out when they call a penalty on themselves or give an honest score to whoever is keeping score. The id comes out when they move their ball for a better shot, they do not call a penalty on themselves when it is necessary, or when they lie about their score to make it a better one. Frustration in golf is another good example of the superego and id. When a player gets frustrated, the superego is evident when they hold back slamming or throwing a club, or if they choose to not freak out and yell or curse. The id comes out when the golfer throws or slams their club, or when they freak out. With a Freudian Lens, a golf club can be looked at as a phallic symbol because a golf club includes a grip, a shaft, and a head.
The exhibit I have chosen to analyze with our critical lenses handout is the movie The Lord of the Flies. Much of the film consists of power struggles. So, the first question I would ask myself is, “how does a power system matter/function in this exhibit?” The answer is that a power system is what most of the plot is based upon. At first, Ralph tries to establish a government with the conch. Whoever has the conch gets to speak. This doesn’t last long until Jack branches off forming his own sort of dictatorship. Jack is like Hitler, leading others to follow what he says; even when they know it’s wrong. He doesn’t like the structured life that he had before. He ends up going from a good little boy to the most savage unthinkable killer. Another question I can ask myself on a Freudian matter is, “do any characters represent the id, the superego, or the ego?” The answer is an absolute yes. Jack is a boy who is living his life simply on the will of his id. He does not think of any consequences of his actions. Piggy is an example of the superego. He thinks about what is right and what society would do in their situation. Another Freudian question that can be asked is, “are there any sexual symbols; if so do they have anything to do with power?” One example of a possible sexual symbol would be the spheres that Jack’s group use. They could be a symbol of being a man, they are a phallic symbol. The spheres also show power. For example this is proven obvious when all of the boys stab Simon to death with them when they think he is a monster. Simon is also a symbol. He has puzzling dreams and ends up suffering greatly being stabbed to death. It seems like Simon is a Jesus figure. With the Feminist lens a good question is, “how does gender matter/function in this exhibit?” All of the characters are male, but they start to take society’s roles for men/women. For example, Jack is like a father because he goes hunting (bringing home the bacon). On the other hand Ralph acts like a mother, he wants to make a plan. Also, Simon takes the role of the motherly caretaker and nurse. It is very ironic that the most femininely portrayed boys are the ones killed and Ralph almost killed. I ask myself, “would this story be different if it were little girls?” I think in ways it would be different, but they would have the same power division as the boys did.
The exhibit I chose was the show “Kendra.” It is on E! Network. Kendra Wilkinson now has her own show. She was once on the show Girls Next Door with Holly Madison and Bridget Marquardt. She ended up meeting a new man named Hank Baskett who plays for the Colts and marrying him. This all led to her show.
If you analyze her show with a Freudian lens you will see that Kendra is all about sex. She has her very own stripper pole in her house, which proves she still wants to be sexy even though she is getting older and starting a family. Being a Playboy makes her more sexual also. She has been posing nude in magazines and at events for a few years. Kendra wanted desired more than just being another girlfriend of Hefs. So she liked Hank and left the mansion. She liked Hank more Hue Hefner because Hef was a nasty old man. Her libido wanted a man her age, not a man older than her father. Kendra also acts a certain way on her show because of her mind set. When she thinks people are watching her she puts on an act. I think she is “real,” but I also think she thinks she has to be funny and has to say silly things.
If you analyze her show with a Marxist lens you will se that Hank and Kendra are now rich. They both were very successful people. Kendra was a Playboy and Hank plays professional football. They are upper-class people who live in California. California is also known for wealthy, famous people. Their money matters to them because of the people they associate with. All of their friends are wealthy. Because he is a professional football player he obviously should have a big house. Since she is a Playboy she is not going to leave the Playboy Mansion lifestyle for something much less. Kendra also came from a poor family, so she is well-liked. She did what the system wanted her to do to benefit herself and her family. She used what she could to be beautiful and became what she needed to be so she could have power and money. To anyone money equals power, freedom and happiness. It gave Kendra the opportunity to be famous and find a good husband.
If you analyze her show with a Feminist lens you will see that she is upset with herself because she was one a Playboy and now has her baby fat. This show proves that sometimes gorgeous women have problems too. Kendra was a skinny Playboy with huge boobs and after having her adorable baby she is a little heavier set until she can lose the weight. She feels bad about herself because her friends are still skinny and her eyes she is ugly. There is an episode where she cries because she feels left out like the “other,” because she is not “pretty” anymore. The world today cuts women who are not “perfect” down. There are so many products women can buy to make themselves “better.” It makes women seem like they are just pieces of material. Playboy also cuts women down. It makes women seems like sluts or whores for being naked. If you look at it another way these women are being strong and showing how proud women should be of themselves and their curves. Sure not all women look like them, but all women are beautiful in their own ways. There are many types of women who are in a Playboy magazine and that proves that not all women have to look the same or be the same shape or color. Once again though, not all of these women are naturally beautiful, they have had breast implants, lip lifts, or any surgery. You name it and I’m sure some of these women have tried it to be in the magazine.
For my second analysis I am going to analyze the TV series, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. This show is about intern students at a hospital going through the ups and downs of the hospital.
A Feminist would be disgusted by this show. All of the female characters are ‘sluts’ and sleep around. They sleep with their bosses, not necessarily to further their career but because they are all in a complicated web of infidelity. The main character Grey ends up sleeping with ‘McDreamy’, a brain surgeon, who is married to the OB doctor. The brain surgeon and the OB doctor are on a break though when this occurs, because the OB doctor cheated on her husband with his best friend a world famous plastic surgeon. This plastic surgeon ends up sleeping with Grey’s little sister from her father’s second marriage. Confused yet? That is only one strand of the web. A feminist would spit on this show mainly because it paints the female characters as bimbos who only want to get laid. The writer even has people hooking up at the hospital when they are on their break. The women in this show are not just bimbos; they are very smart doctors however that side of them becomes over shadowed by the other side quite a bit.
A Marxist lens could be used on this show by showing how put together the rich doctors are compared to their destitute patients. The doctors are predominantly white and high class. Which signify ‘good’ in most people’s eyes. There have even been studies showing that children, of mixed nationalities, would rather play with a white baby doll instead of a black baby doll. They say they would rather play with the white one because it is ‘good’ and the black one is ‘bad’. They hear it all the time, white is good and black is bad, that is why they believe it. I think most people think that because that is what we have been taught. White is pure and is good, black is associated with the devil and evil. The patients are however mixed with different races, religions, beliefs, and cultures. It comes down to it doesn’t matter how much money you have in this world. If you are rich and sick with the same thing as someone who is not as rich as you, it doesn’t mean you come before them or that you should get better treatment than them.
A Freudian lens would have a hay day with this television show. Every other sense has some sort of sexual reference to it. The complicated web continues and people become pregnant. It shows an unrealistic story line of the hospital work place. Or is it possibly accurate? The characters are together for twelve to twenty-four hours at a time. Being with someone that much will lead to relationships and more.
The exhibit I am going to analyze is the novel Memoirs of a Geisha. The book is about a girl who enters an unfortunate new world where appearances are vital and where her virginity is sold to the man who bids the highest on it. In addition she is taught to captivate the most wealthy and successful men and is also led to believe that love is an illusion. Through the Marxist lens we see that money plays a key role in this brutal Japanese society. The more money the men have the more power they have within this culture. The men with the money get the most beautiful geisha in their beds and also have the opportunity to claim the innocence of many beginner geisha. How do social classes interact with each other? The lower social class basically serves the higher class and women are in sense their own class, which is at the bottom of the totem pole. Do any characters climb the “social/economic ladder”? Yes the main character, Chiyo, moves up a social class because she becomes a geisha, which is better than just being a normal Japanese woman. She now entertains the wealthiest men in all of Japan instead of being sold as a sex slave elsewhere in a more harsh area of Japan. Through the Feminist lens we see that most of the women in the novel are sex dolls and used primarily for the entertainment and mere pleasure for the higher society men. Women do not have any rights or power in this particular society. They are treated extremely inhumanely almost as slaves working under their tyrant owners for no money whatsoever. They are trained to charm men and keep them as amused and entertained as possible. Serving, obeying, and entertaining men is their one and only job. They are taught that complying with men’s needs and wants is basically their only purpose in life, and if they do not fulfill this task they are in essence shunned from society. Are the social norms different for men and women? The social norms for men and women are most definitely poles apart. Women are expected to tend to anything a man may want, while men do business, make money, and sit around and bask in their own glory. If a woman in this Japanese society wanted to further her education and become successful she would be shunned immensely. However, men are expected to get jobs and try to be as successful and wealthy as possible. Who puts limitations of genders? The men in this novel put many limitations on the women. Women to them are for sex and a show; they are limiting the intelligence and also women’s pursuit of happiness by making them their personal slaves. Through the Freudian Lens we see that love is simply an illusion to women in the novel. They will never truly fall in love they are only allowed sleep with the men they come in contact with. Is the id winning in any character? The id is winning in almost all of the characters in the novel. All the men give into their ids constantly by sleeping with the geisha and partying nonstop. Are the characters repressing any of their true urges, dreams or goals? Absolutely, Chiyo does not want to be a geisha but she is forced by her society to spend the best years acting promiscuously and serving men.
The exhibit I chose to analyze is the book Dear John. It is about an angry rebel, John Tyree, who is enlisted in the army. On leave, he meets Savannah, the girl of his dreams. While overseas they keep in touch through letters, only to grow further apart. Savannah ends up marrying an old time friend Tim, leaving John without a father and all alone. Using a Freudian lens, it is easy to apply id, superego, and ego. John is the id, because he does things on an impulse without considering the outcome. In the beginning, he just decides to enlist in the army without considering any other jobs. Savannah is the superego because she is always thinking rationally and following the rules. She respects her parents and their rules and spends a great deal of time volunteering. Tim, Savannah’s husband by the end, is most likely the ego. He desires to be with Savannah at first, but doesn’t stand in the way of her and John’s relationship. He is really close to Savannah, but sides with John on an issue between John and Savannah. Tim is the peacemaker. Using a Marxist lens, we see that there is one rich family and one poor family. Savannah’s family is rich and really close to one another. John’s family is poor and it is only John and his autistic, non-social dad. John feels the need to enlist in the army because he isn’t very smart, unlike Savannah who is brilliant and goes to college. You can see that Savannah’s family, by far, has the money and power. The only thing of value that John and his dad have is his coin collection. This is an important element to the book. It is the one thing that his dad feels comfortable talking about. He puts all of his time and effort into it. After he passes away, John’s id kicks in. On an impulse, John trades his dad’s coin collection in for cash. He gives this to Savannah and her husband Tim, who is battling cancer. He didn’t contemplate the effects of this generosity beforehand. It was the only thing he had left of his dad and now he has absolutely nothing. Using a Feminist lens, we also see that women have power. Savannah has the power to choose between waiting for John, or building a relationship with Tim. She decides to be with Tim, and they both have to live with her choice.
I chose to analyze the cover of a magazine I found on the coffee table in my living room. The magazine is the May 2010 issue of Prevention. I have never heard of her before, but Andie MacDowell is the cover girl. There are many short phrases about the stories inside: “Eat to Rev Immunity, Metabolism, Brainpower,” “Best and Worst Supplements for Your Heart,” “Home Remedies Doctors Swear By,” “Beautiful Skin at Any Age,” and the main one is “Slim By Summer!” All of these phrases are meant to capture a customer’s attention in hopes that they buy Prevention and read it. Prevention is all about smart ways to live well. The main lens to use in this exhibit is a Feminist lens. One important question is, “How are women portrayed/depicted in this exhibit?” Andie McDowell is dressed in a low-cut orange tank top or dress. The top has a gathering and tie around her waist. Her brown hair is full and curly. She is wearing hoop earrings and has a natural look to her. She is portrayed as a strong and confident woman in this photo. Her arms are loosely crossed, showing her strength, and her chin is held high, showing her confidence. Andie McDowell’s low-cut shirt shows some cleavage. This is somewhat of a stereotype for women. It is as if women are encouraged to show cleavage and be more like the objects a lot of men see them as. Her smile shows off her beauty. It seems as if all cover girls are required to be beautiful; they cannot only have a good story. I dislike this stereotype. Why can’t a woman with good morals that is not perfectly looking be a cover girl? On the yellow handout, you ask “Are there ‘natural’ roles men and women fill?” Women tend to be objectified by men. A statement often thought to be true is “a woman is beautiful.” It seems like people are attracted to beautiful women. All women are beautiful in their own way, I believe. It does not just have to looks. Through a Freudian lens, you ask, “Are there any sexual symbols?” in relation to this Prevention magazine cover. The cleavage that Andie McDowell is showing can be thought of as a sexual symbol. Through a Feminist lens, woman who show cleavage can be seen as easy or sluts. Her curly hair could be seen as tousled. This is a sexual symbol, as if she just was in bed. Everything on a magazine cover is there for a reason. It is all there to make you want to buy that magazine. The bright colors and bold font draw a customer’s eye in hopes that they will buy the magazine.
I am going to use the feminist lens to analyze the front of a Hollister store that I saw in Washington, D.C. This store was located on the forth floor in the Pentagon City Mall. The outside looked like our Hollister in Sioux Falls, beach theme on the outside that looks like a building. There was a nice sized porch and on both sides were manikins with girls’ summer attire and a guy right behind them. In the center (leading into the store) was a wooden table on a rug, with two big comfortable chairs by it with tall green plants on each side. Above the table is a huge chandelier with about twelve different candles on it, each with a different lamp shade. Behind this all hanging on the wall is the biggest picture of a man starting at the nose (not showing the eyes) and down to his shorts. He is not wearing a shirt and has abs to die for. How does gender (having a guys abs) matter in this exhibit? Well to answer that question from the "Critical Lenses 101,” I believe that the picture of the guy reels in the ladies. Women are already known to be the ones to shop it is a natural thing for them to do; so if they are going to be in the mall anyway, why not grab their attention by placing a set of good looking abs as big as can be in the doorway of a store. I believe that the creator’s gender does affect an exhibit because if a guy is making it to attract the women, he will have to put on “his” feminist lens in order to see what they see. Society values the money men make that their women spend. The chandelier is very elegant and women are attracted to things like this: shiny, elegant, and expensive. The perfume smell outside Hollister stores is always extremely strong. Smell is an attraction in itself, whether it be food or perfume or garbage, you are either going to be attracted or repelled to it. Smells don’t only attract women but both genders, if it is a stronger women smell a man is more likely to be attracted but a women is still going to think the smell is nice and possibly want to buy it and vise versa. A “woman” is usually seen as the shopper it is their role, that’s what they are meant to do.
Brittney Myrlie pd. 7
Wright_7
I will be analyzing Spike TV's _Deadliest Warrior_ for my exhibit blog. A new hour long episode is released every Tuesday, premiering at 10:00 P.M. and shown again at 11:00 P.M. _Deadliest Warrior_ is shown at various other times of the day, as well. Whether it be a bloody buccaneer fighting a noble knight, or a valiant Spartan attempting to vanquish a ruthless Cherokee Native American, _Deadliest Warrior_ almost always ensures constant violence/entertainment and always "brings the heat".
First of all, , there is a constant power struggle between opposing forces. Both sides claim to have the "Deadliest Warrior". They attempt to persuade the judges with their dexterous demonstrations of their weapons and/or with the flawless accuracy of their weapon's effectiveness. Things tend to get more than heated, to say the least. Dissenting opinions arise, and the viewer can sense the tension between the two groups of warriors.
Nevertheless, throughout the show, strengths and weaknesses are discovered on both sides. There seems to be a moment-to-moment struggle for power; (Ex: say the knight wins the battle for best long-range weapon, then, say five or so minutes later, the pirate (opposing Deadliest Warrior) wins the round for best short-range weapon, etc., etc.). Money does not matter or function in this exhibit, as it is irrelevant. Brute strength, cunning, and other valuable assets for a warrior are the only valuable forms of "currency" in this show. Additionally, there seems to not be a type of "class", either. Both sides are portrayed to look evenly-matched, regardless of how obvious it seems in the viewer's mind. Class doesn't mean a thing, either (Ex: US SWAT vs. German SWAT, who is blue collar class?).
The individual warriors seem to be "...dehumanized, mechanized, roboticized, zombiefied--..." as the Critical Lenses packet suggests. They are not human; they are animalistic; they are "walking, talking ids" -Mr. C., quote about Step Brothers, 5/10. The warriors have no dialogue throughout the show, the mere reason they are on _Deadliest Warrior_ is to look cool, act tough, and kill things (inversely, the only reason why fans of _DW_ watch it is to view things being killed, guys acting tough, etc. I acknowledge that I fall into that group.) These warriors are "...only producing for 'greater good' theme". At the end of the show, the last warrior left standing has truly "climbed the social ladder"!
Unfortunately, Feminist critics would reject _DW_ within a heartbeat. Scarcely is a woman found on this show. Many of the characters portrayed are strong men from their time frame and era. At first, this does not seem fair; however, not up until recently have women been allowed to serve in the armed forces, and some are still not yet allowed to in some parts of the world. Perhaps _DW_ is attempting to represent the overall "warrior" with proper respect to those who gave their lives throughout history (not to say that women wouldn't have, but you get the point). It's hard to say. Anyway, this show further condemns women as having a side role in society, and especially in war (I DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS STATEMENT). _DW_ also gives many of its viewers the idea that men are valued more than women and that the stereotypes are stronger than ever (the social norm/expectation is lower for women).
Wright_7, continued
As stated before, ids dominate _DW_. The only visible superegos are the techie nerds that calculate the logistics and stats for the Warriors, to see who wins the competition and who is the _DW_. They are merely doing the hard work for the Warriors. The coordinator and TV spokesperson of _DW_ is the ego; he decides who wins between the nerds' stats and the warrior's brawn. The warrior's weapons are almost all shaped like phallic symbols (battle of the penises, whose is bigger, better, stronger?). This aspect can be applied to almost any exhibit. The mind of any character is saying, "Kill, Impress, Kill, Impress" over and over. This is a stretch, but a theory of mine regarding narcissistic bliss is this: We as Americans are so bothered by our current age of warfare, the guns, roadside bombs, grenades, nuclear weapons, WMDS, etc. that we as a country (and maybe even as an entire planet) want to return to a time of narcissistic bliss, a time where swords and shields prevailed. A time where the threat of a nuclear holocaust wasn't in the back of our minds. A time where warfare was safer and, compared to modern times, so primitively simple. Everything in our world is so wrapped up with modern technology, so, my thoughts are that Americans believe that it's cool/unique/interesting/enlightening to place ourselves next to an ancestral warrior and watch an epic battle after a hard day at school/work.
This ends my exhibit on _Deadliest Warrior_ on Spike TV.
I have chosen to write about the movie “Twilight”. First it through a Marxist lens. Money plays a very important part in this movie because Bella is and average girl who falls in love with a beyond rich vampire. This shows how important money is because Bella has a beaten truck about to die; whereas Edward has a Volvo and the rest of his family have BMW and a Porsche. Money plays in the factor for college later on; Bella wants to stay around because she and neither of her parents can afforded it; but because of Edward he will pay for her education. A “power system” functions in this movie through the vampires. Because they are rich they can spend more time on be strong vampires. Vampires have a very understanding system. First there are the Volturi; these are the cream of the crop; they are the royalty to the vampires. Then the vampires such as the Cullens; they are powerful because some of them have special powers. Last are the new borns; they are dangerous and die faster then most because they do not know how to control themselves.
Next is Feminist lens. Gender function is that of ordinary and unordinary. Ordinary because the women vampires are very strong even stronger than the males. Victoria who is one of the “evil” vampires is better at containing herself around humans than the males. But on the other hand you have Bella. She is helpless, clumsy, and always needs Edward for her protection. Bella also relies on her father, Charlie. He does everything for her such as putting on chains for her truck or letting her go to a city alone. Last are Bella’s friends; Angela and Jessica. Jessica is a dumb blonde that does not get anything and only cares about boys. This is a stereotype because she is blonde so people expect that out of blondes. Angela then is “geek” of the friends. She does not get asked to the prom she asks a boy, for this we see geeks can not get dates.
Last is the Freudian lens. Bella is the just plain girl who gets this gorgeous vampire. I believe this is particularly interesting because when one thinks of vampires you think of monsters; and that usually means they are ugly. But this movie flips that, everyone in the movie besides the vampires are just ordinary people; who are good looking but are not as drop dead gorgeous as the vampires. Also the werewolves are sexy. We again have a monster as being sexy. I believe that this happens because this movie appeals to women. Yes there are beautiful women but crazy hot guys. This creates the sex drive; girls, women, and even mothers go crazy for these men.
Resident Evil is a great example of the horrors and destruction of technology. The Umbrella Corporation is the leading supplier of computer technology, medical supplies and health care. This is a mask that they use to stay beyond the control of any government and generate massive profits through military technology, genetic experimentation and biological weapons. They have a massive, underground laboratory called "the Hive" where thousands of employees believe they are creating the products that run the corporation. A incident occurs where a highly infectious virus escapes from the Hive and spreads to the nearby Raccoon City. Alice is a security guard for the Corporation and has knowledge of its inner workings. Once the virus merges with her DNA, she becomes an unstoppable killing machine with lightning fast reflexes as well as telekinetic powers. The virus eventually eradicates all life on the planet until all that remains are Alice and Umbrella. At this point Wesker intervenes. Wesker is superhuman like Alice, but he works for Umbrella and wishes to dominate the world with the virus. He is the ultimate mastermind behind the creation of the virus and is drunk on his own power. He cannot die and he will stop at nothing until he has complete control over everything.
MEAGAN DONOVAN
I will be analyzing prom through all three lenses. Prom definitely displays “natural” roles of men and women. Men are supposed to buy flowers, wear a tux, pay for dinner, drive to the dance, and not think any one else looks better than their date. Women are solely expected to look pretty and have a good time. Women are also commonly expected to “put out” after prom, and consider themselves as sexual objects by grinding all night long bent in half in front of their date. Prom is a completely degrading experience if looked at through a feminist lens. If looked at through a Marxist lens, we can see how social classes interact with each other. Many students of the same monetary status, considering their parents income, group together to enjoy the evening. This grouping also puts extreme pressure on the other members to look as decked out as everyone else in order to feel accepted. If we examine the wealthy students, I am sure we would find that their parents paid for majority if not all their expenses for the evening while they dance and dine, while the lesser students worked 40 hours every week for a month to pay for the date and dress. Wealthy students definitely have more freedom on this night. Through a Freudian lens, prom is intense. We are completely narcissistic. We spend an entire day getting ready for three hours of sweaty dancing. We get our nails, makeup, and hair done. We go tanning which endangers our health and well being, but do it anyway just to look cool. It is completely a “self” experience. We also can tell a lot about a person’s sexuality based on their dress for the evening. The typical slutty girl will be wearing a dress with slits everywhere and a very risqué hemline. The thoughts going through minds of prom-going students are simply: Do I look good? Will my date think I’m sexy enough? Will my hair stay up? I hope pictures look good, and I look thin. It is just ridiculous the emotional stress we place on ourselves for one night of “enjoyment.”
I'm going to be analyzing my favorite show, That 70's Show. I own every season, so I've watched it plenty of times. Starting off with a feminine lens, We will look at Kitty. She is Red's wife and Eric's mother. She is the epitome of the word "mother." She works as a nurse and when she is not doing that she is cooking and cleaning and doing whatever for the men in her home. When Red loses his job, Kitty has to become the provider in the family, exceeding her gender expectations. She works double shifts and does it to support her family. Next we will look at Eric's sister Laurie. She is called a slut, whore, etc throughout the show. She is very provacative and easy in the show. She gets with her professor (who for that reason wants to get her back into college after flunking), Kelso, and wears barely any clothes. Donna is Eric's girlfriend. It seems as though her and Eric switch gender roles in their relationship. Eric is small and scrawny and weak, while Donna is big, and strong. Jackie is the last girl in the gang. She is spoiled and rich because her father is a lawyer. She is Kelso's girlfriend and does anything for him and is basically his bitch. Kelso does not value Jackie for everything she does for him, and she seems to think that buying him things will make him love her forever. The women are all very different in this show. They are portrayed as what women are always stereotyped to be. There is a motherly figure, a whore, a rich spoiled brat, and a tomboy.
For the guys, we will start with Red, Eric's father. Red is a hardass. We can look at him through a marxist and Freudian lens. He never tells Eric that he loves him and usually only tells Eric to help around the house or puts him down. On the other hand, Kitty encourages Red to be nice and that Eric is her baby boy. This shows the "Oedipal complex" perfectly. Also when Red loses his job, he is no longer the power system in the house, and that bugs him. There is an episode where Eric applies for a job behind Red's back and Red gets mad because he doesn't want Eric and Kitty providing for the family. Next there is Eric, he is a scrawny guy, who has his dreams repressed because of his families' ecomonmic struggles. He wants to help as much as he can. He is also a wonderful example of narcissistic bliss because Kitty spoils him beyond belief and babies him constantly. Next is hyde. He is a good example of the Freudian lens because he lives by the guidelines of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. We can analyze him also in a Marxist lens. He does not have much, not even a mother or father to look after him. He is his own support system. He is still happy. He has the art of music and his friends to keep him happy. Kelso can be looked at through a Freudian lens. He is all about girls and sex. That seems to be all he cares about. His ego has taken him over completely and he is obsessed with his own looks. He is sure that his looks will carry him through life, and he is very stupid. He also is the typical male, playing the role of only caring about sex and not on an emotional level. Lastly there is Fez. He is a foreign exchange student and also is looking for women to care about him. Throughout the show he is always trying to impress the ladies and lose his virginity. This is a social expectation of males. That 70's Show is a great exhibit to look through the lens. Even though it is racy and daring it is extemely funny and my mom says it is very true to what life was like in the 70's.
Laura Hieb
my exhibit is the song billionaire by travis mccoy. mr. C plz listen to this song, it is an amazing song and it is completely clean. all it talks about is how he would live his like if he was a billionaire. how does money matter/function in this exhibit? it is the main thing in this song, he talks about being next to oprah and the queen and on magazines and just doing whatever he wants with billions of dollars. and without this money he would be doing nothing. he talks about having power and taking care of the people in katrina and even adopting young kids from other country's. travis mccoy talks about climbing the social ladder and become famous because he wants money and fame and anything he wants. he talks about being suffocated in his life he's in now and wanting to get out into the high life the good life.
[Travis "Travie" McCoy]
I’ll be playing basketball with the President
Dunking on his delegates
Then I’ll compliment him on his political etiquette
Toss a couple milli in the air just for the heck of it
But keep the fives, twentys (?) completely separate
And yeah I’ll be in a whole new tax bracket
We in recession but let me take a crack at it
I’ll probably take whatevers left and just split it up
So everybody that I love can have a couple bucks
And not a single tummy around me would know what hungry was
Eating good sleeping soundly
I know we all have a similar dream
Go in your pocket pull out your wallet
And put it in the air and sing
he doesn't mention drugs or acohol at all, he says throw up your waters, this shows that he's a good clean guy and wants the money the good way because a lot of rappers these days rap about trapping and selling drugs to get money like gucci mane or young jeezy.
Brittany Bolter
period 4
For my exhibit i am going to analyze prom. Prom has alot of examples of all the critical lenses.
Marxist~ Prom is the time when you can go out and spend alot of money and no one really cares. Prom night for the rich is a time to get the “perfect” dress and have the “perfect” hair and “perfect” date. But what about those students who are the lower class? They may not have the money to buy the perfect everything but they still get that perfect night. At prom social classes combine. Everyone just has funs and mingles all together. You dont really care who the person is dancing right beside or behind you. Even if the lower class cant buy the most expensive dress some people cant tell. Your dress does not give away what class you are in. My dress for instance was really cheap but i loved it! just because i had a cheaper dress then some doesnt make me a lower class and vis versa. Prom night is when the lower and middle class climb the social ladder and we are all higher class. Prom is just like a ball that prince and princesses have and only high class is able to go. Every class on prom night is happy.
Feminist~ The roles of men and women are filled. The guys should be the one to ask the girl to prom. He should be a gentleman and open the doors for her and tell her she looks beautiful. But of course my date didnt do anything of that, but he was still a fun date. Also the guys should be the one paying for dinner. its just the way things are. girls spend alot of money to look amazing prom night so they shouldnt have to pay for dinner too. There is not really a limitation on any gender prom night. Around prom the females tend to go a little crazy and freak out alot.
Freudian~ The Freudian lens is shown alot at prom. Some dreams are full filled. Many females dream about prom, i know i did. This years prom was everything i have wanted. i could not have asked for a better senior prom. True urges are getting expressed, look at the guy. I heard about a few stories where they found used condoms at prom on the dance floor. not my type of thing, i think it is very slutty but i guess whatever floats your boat. The way we dance at prom is very sexual. Females know grinding up on the guys will get them excited and ready for anything. I think what is going on the in the males head is what they are expecting after the dance. Alot of them think they are going to be getting lucky by the end of the night.
I'm going to analyze a SandMaster Footbag a.k.a. a Dirt Bag. This is the basic concept of a cloth bag filled with sand or "dirt" and you kick it around with your feet. You can stall it on your head, shoulders, feet, or anything else you can stall it on. There's many ways of playing this game but you mostly just kick it around with your friends and see how many "hacks" you can get. A "hack" is when everyone in your group hits it at least once without it falling to the ground any time between. How does money matter/function in this exhibit? Money is not a matter here, my bag cost about eight dollars and that's all you ever have to spend on it. There's no other way of spending money on these after you have already purchased one. The fun is unlimited and free! Unless your like some people that ruin theirs to where their sand falls out or they kick it somewhere where it's physically impossible to go get it back. How does a power system matter/function in this exhibit? Well the only power you use would be your own personal energy with bring your foot up and hitting the bag as many times as you can or pass it to someone else and see if you can get a big chain going. To recharge just drink a powerade or something. Now with playing hacky sack people might put you into that category of skaters or punk kids. I dont know why but it happens, I don't judge but that may be because i play the game. I think they're just jealous of our mad skills. Now the time consumption of this game all depends on how long you can go without getting to tired or bored if you stink and keep having to bend over to pick it up. Other than that, this game could be very time consuming, it's better with more than two people, because having just one or two people gets really really boring fast. The scenery around you when normally playing is open and nothing is in your way, this way if you jump back or quickly move your not running into anything or tripping on stuff. Best place to go is a parking lot with no poles or cars around you for a good twenty feet. Bad place to go is anywhere that has roofs you could kick it up onto or anywhere that has a lot of miscellaneous junk laying around,that becomes a pain in the rear quick. How do some social classes interact with each other? Well I've played with men in suits, girls in really preppy clothes and goths and emos, I've also played with a police officer on duty. Everyone can play this game, it just takes time and build up of skills. Is this system oppressive to its members? Uh no! This system is awesome and lots of fun, the only time i could see it as being oppressive is when everyone tries throwing the bag at your private parts. Other than that this game is awesome! I like it.
An exhibit I have decided to choose is about Halo the video games for the Xbox 360. In this video game, basically all the important figures of battling and winning are men. Through the feminist critical lens you could ask how are women portrayed or depicted in this exhibit? In Halo, I would say it is completely sexist towards women. Men fight out wars against aliens (set in the future) and women just help with small technical stuff, or are not involved at all. If they are involved it is only because they are romantically involved with one of the characters. This game is basically saying all men are superior to women. Men fight huge intergalactic wars against aliens and even zombie type aliens, supporting the human race, and doing what ever they can to have humans survive. Women has the only role of being a damsel in distress or at home making more fit warriors for the cause, by bringing up their young and making them into soldiers. Another question to ask in the feminist lens is how does gender matter or function in this exhibit. Women are totally insignificant in this video game, but men are definitely way more superior to women in the sense that they are battling to the death for their race, while women do nothing but sit at home raising babies. Which in the long run is good for the future of the army, so I really do not see why it is that much of an issue. If women were out fighting the wars, who would provide the next generation of soldiers? Personally, I like the idea of a "stay at home mother", because in this case, they do more help staying home than they would on a battlefield. I am not saying they are not cut out for war, I am just saying it is probably better for the future generation of the human race, so they can have a more abundant amount of soldiers. The only significant role in this game for a woman is a computer with the digital form and voice of a woman. She is essentially the damsel in distress, but without her the human race could most definitely be extinct. The makers of Halo probably set this computer as a woman so women playing would not get offended by the lack of females, and also to attract the minds of male players so that they pay attention more. If the digital woman were real she would most likely be a hot woman. Some gamers get fantasies like that because they can not get anything else, and makers of Halo knows this.
Danny Sellers Pd 6
Samantha Hagen pd. 3
I chose to analyze the website Facebook. I am going to use the critical lenses handout to deeply answer questions involving this website. Facebook is used by people of all ages. I know people who have face books for the babies and then my grandparent also use Facebook. Facebook is a way to communicate with people you normally would not be able to as easily and it is super fast. Facebook is a great way to stay in touch and an easy way to post updates on how you are doing and things you have been up too. Im going to analyze Facebook using all three lenses , Feminist, Marxist and Freudian and see how closely face book relates.
When looking at face book through a Feminist lens you would ask yourself how does gender matter/function in this exhibit? Well on Facebook some girls will have there display picture very revealing and it makes them look slutty and they hope it will attract attention, because they think they look hot. Some guys may set there display picture to a group of girls with just him which he wants people to get the impression he is a player. Facebook has a application called R U Interested and basically people click yes or no on you based on you picture alone, so some girls will try to put there most “sexy” picture on there which attracts the wrong type of attention. Another question that would analyze face book in a Feminist way would be; who grants privilege to genders? The answer to this is the opposite gender, such as when a girl is getting attention from guys for the type of pictures and posts she puts on Facebook, she will most likely keep doing it, same for a guy if he likes the attention he is getting if he has picture like with his shirt off he will probably post more. Now if I were to use a Freudian lenses for Facebook I would say that the things you put on your page and post on people walls is all superego usually. Normally your Id isn’t really doing much because when your typing something you know what your doing before you push “share.” A question to ask would be, what is going on in the mind of any character in an exhibit? And sometime you will never know, but a lot of times people of Face book post there life stories. If there having a bad day, they are tired, sad, depressed, drunk, high, happy, having a great day or any other emotion you can usually find out within being on face book for two minutes. Lastly I am going to analyze face book in a Marxist lens. The question being how does money matter/function in the exhibit? It really doesn’t make a difference you don’t need money to have face book its completely free so really no one knows who is rich and who is poor. How do social classes interact with each other? Facebook makes it very simple either you can write on each others walls, chat or have your own group. The last question Im going to answer is to any characters climb the “social/economic ladder? And the answer is no, in face book there is no room to be more popular just using face book, yes you could be outside of the website but just using Facebook wont change you.
For this blog task, I will be analyzing the film _Up in the Air_ starring George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, and Anna Kendrick.
In this movie, George Clooney plays a man who fires people for a living. He also falls in love with a married woman (Farmiga) and has to train an ambitious Anna Kendrick.
Through a Marxist Lens~This movie was made in 2009 and it has to do with the bad economy and people being "let go". In the movie, actual people who got fired were put in the film to "act" as the people Clooney was firing for the movie. The reactions are not of actors acting like they are being fired, they are real people who were fired who are reliving how they felt at the very moment they were fired. In the beginning of the film, Clooney is very unemotional and indifferent to people's reactions. He just does his job, gets paid, and flies to the next company. Throughout the movie, we find that his whole goal is to get as many air miles as he can to become a part of this special club. All he wants is sex, to be rich, and to be a part of this exclusive fliers club. He thinks he is better than women and treats them as objects or business opportunities, not as human beings. Clooney is working for a system, and this system is giving back to him. He flies around the country--so he gets miles. He fires people--he gets money. How do the social classes interact?-the rich are firing the poor and the rich get richer, and the poor live off of unemployment checks. Is a system oppressive to its members?-in this film it is. The people who are being fired gave thier hard work and time to the system, but the system did not give back and eventually rejected them.
Through a Feminist Lens~In this movie, Kendrick comes up with a way so that the company Clooney works for does not have to fire people face to face (which is extremely cowardly)Kendrick is an empowering character but is also sort of naieve and subjective. She comes up with this great idea, but the whole reason she is even AT this company is because she followed a boy. We (women) feel empowered by her up until we find this out. But eventually she leaves the company because she actually has a soul and can no longer deal with firing people. She follows her first job opp and gets it and starts living HER life.
Farmiga is also empowering becuase she lives for the moment, yes she is sort of a slut in the movie but we like her anways because she is so carefree and seems like the perfect woman. Later we find out she is married and she breaks Clooney's heart. This can be seen as empowering for women-SHE IS THE HEARTBREAKER not he. Should we scrap our created gender roles and stereotypes?-yes because this woman has the exact same job as Clooney, she is just as powerful as he is.
Throught a Freudian Lens~How does libido influence this exhibit? It is the driving force behind Clooney and Farmiga's meetings. They only meet to have sex in the beiginning, but then it seems that their relationship is blossoming. They both want to fulfill their sexual desires while on the road (they are away from home for about 270 days out of the year)and they do this by meeting when their schedules permit. They both (Clooney and Farmiga)also get off/get excited about finding out how many miles they each have. At one point Farmiga is even moving her hands asking "how big" Clooney's number is which is of course and allusion to package size.
Im chosing that 70's show to anaylize. through the marxist lens they are all a group of friends that are from all different money classes and there parents all have jobs but not jobs that supply a lot of income for other things they get by with the basics. Hyde is in the very lower class cause he doesn't know who is dad is and his mom has left him so he lives in erics basement. The marxist lens ask how does a power system matter/function in this exhibit? It shows a lot even including jackie whos dad is very wealthy and she wear expensive clothes and she always is complaining about things. How do social classes interact with each other? Jackie is always making fun of hyde for living in the basement and not knowing who is dad is but hyde also makes fun of her cause she always complaining about the little things in her life. Are the lower working classes exploited? Yes they are cause in a episode Red Foreman gets hurt and kitty Foreman ends up having to go back to work as a nurse making the money for the family and they also talk about stuff like how they can't afford to buy stuff cause they have to pay for things that will let them live. Through a feminist lens Kitty is a nurse and also a housekeeper and she is always happy. Are there natural roles men and women fill? During the 70's woman were treated very differently from what they are today. most woman back then were nurses or housekeeper and they were always trying to keep the family relaxed and happy as kitty does. She is always baking or trying not to be mad when she really is. They might overly portray as this type of character in that 70's show but its what adds to the comedy of the show. who puts limitations on genders? I believe we as people put the limitations on them cause as a man we should be doing the things that involve hard work and a lot of physical labor not saying a woman cant do it but its just something that us as males have been taught to do is look out for the female. In that 70's show you never see kitty trying to fix something or any of the girls trying to either its always the men that are doing the grunt work and moving things around. As the years have gone on more and more woman have become more independant and can do everything just as men can.
Martinmaas_5
I would like to analyze the people in this world that think its okay to hurt/kill other people. I use a Marxist lens to show that many people will do this for a living to get money to survive. Like this morning when I woke up I have an alarm on my TV and I happened to see That Melissa Hukabee plead guilty to killing her daughters 8 year old friend, but nobody knows why. did she need the money for something that we don't know about? Or maybe she is mentally sick which is really weird because her grandfather/father don't remember which but one of them is a pastor at the church where she killed the little girl. Not to mention she raped her with a foreign object as well. Through a Feminist lens really all I can say is that the poor victim was a girl and was stuffed in a suitcase and thrown away like a piece of trash. How pathetic, we are animals in every way possible maybe not here in Brandon, but elsewhere we a complete animals. Is it really necessary to go around and hurt people because you are hurt and feel bad? What does this make our society look like then if we are doing such things as these? Through a Freudian lens I Can say that this woman is pretty animalistic in the way that she treated this poor little girl. In any fact I think that the lady that did this needs to recieve the same treatment as the little girl got from her. I think that is why many people are going missing, it shouldn't matter whether you are old enough to go out on your own you need to make sure that you and your children are safe. At any cost we don't even know who could be lurking around just waiting for a poor, innocent, defenseless victim to snatch and do what they please with them... Makes me sick to my stomach.
ReannaMennis_6
For this blog I will be analyzing the tv series House. House is a show about Dr. House and his team of other doctors. House is the head of the team of diagnosticians at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Dr. House is a very unconventional doctor, he does not care about the needs of his patients, he just wants to figure out the puzzle behind their sickness. Instead of having what doctors call the "messiah complex"-wanting to save every person, House has the "Rubiks complex"-wanting to solve the puzzle.
Using the yellow hand out I will analyze House through the Marxist lens. Dr. House is an individual who is trying to beat the system. He does not consider typical hospital policies, rather he creates his own rules. Since Dr. House is the head of the diagnostic team he often uses his power to get his team to do other tasks for him, like spying on his female boss, or digging up a dead body in one episode. This show also shows Dr. Chase's background as a Catholic school boy affects him as a doctor now. Chase has a hard time with religious patients because he was going to be a pastor but his father forced him to be a doctor.
Using a feminist lens women are often objectified in the show House. Dr. House and his one and only friend Dr. Wilson often have prostitutes over. Dr. Cuddy, House's female boss, is a women in a very powerful position. She is the head of the entire hospital. In some of the middle seasons of House, Cuddy is longing for a baby, something that is seen as typical for women to want, but since she is a powerful women, she does not have a boyfriend or time for a baby. One of the "natural" roles of women is portrayed in House, Cuddy is often the emotional one, who rationalizes decisions before making them. House on the other hand is very rash about his medical decisions. House also can be analyzed with a Freudian lens. There is an Oedipal complex with Dr. Chase and his dad. Chase does not like his dad at all and is kind of happy when his father dies suddenly. Also, House is a narcissist in every sense of the word. He does things to get what he wants and only cares about himself. He is a drug addict, which I think is to oppress his guilt of shutting out everyone around him. One other Freudian example is Dr. Cameron. A female team member, she uses sex to get her ideas across to House. She uses sex as a form of power.
Hidden from the average, public eyes, there is an enormous superstructure made up by the law enforcement. In a Marxist lens, you are asked by critics, a major question.... 4. Are there social tensions? are the ruling classes happy? are the lower classes miserable? etc etc. Now every kid/young adult knows that the police seem to drop into our lives at bad moments, but in question number 4, we are asked, is there social tensions? Do me a favor. Look around. Don't you see the people around. I garrenttee almost everyone is a criminal somehow. Alot of people DELIBERATELY commit crimes to retaliate, or be "bad-ass" for once in their boring life. In the present day, not just the local fuzz, but surrounding areas too, it seems that the po-po has cracked down, compared to when our parents were our age. why shouldn't there be tension? I mean, by creating a tension... we're stating our opinions, just in actions not words. we are not conforming because we don't believe in something. when our parents were young, the local sheriffs gave them rides home after parties. they still give rides now, but only lights and sirens, "we gotta get you to jail cuz you're a criminal" type of rides. another question in number 4, Are the lower classes miserable? I wouldn't say MISERABLE.... but upset with how we can potentially get overly punished for something that doesn't harm others. "it's not what your intentions were/are, it's the potential danger involved with this activity." being told this, and i have been by "upper class" people, is really demeaning and just sets a person over the top with anger. if you refer to question number 1, how do the social classes interact with each other? you might say that they are friends but the type of friends that only wave at each other in the hallway, not the real friends that you hang out with. and then you may easily upset that person by words/actions even if it was meant to be a joke or prank. question number 6, are characters given more/less freedom by their class? i believe so. many people are restricted because of their low ranking. for example, under 18, no tobacco. under 21, no alcohol. etc. etc. we see this is many other circumstances also. Now if you look at it from an officers standpoint, they sometimes get a little bit "too cool" and do some things that are illegal but yet get away with it cuz they are the law. i am part of that lower class (under 21 and not part of the 5-0) that feels that many many bad things happen behind the scenes, but not only behind closed doors. we are too caught up with trying to be a perfect town. the school/cops are turning this area into an "Oceania" and are like the thoughtpolice. our town will be brought down by its own problems, brought right down to the ground because of the actions of the "upper class/party."
Joe Egge
P.5
how can you be directed to think a certain way? kind of acts against the how to think not what to think ideal on your wall in your room. its one of the biggest topics you stressed during 1984. What better lens for an individual to analyze some subject matter that their own?
-Cade E.
Club Gymnastics :) I chose the wondrous sport of club gymnastics because it is an exhibit I know a lot about and will be able to write oodles on. Beginning with the Marxist Critical Lens question of “How does money matter/function in this exhibit?” I would say that money is the blunt of this sport; it costs a lot to do. Insurance for the owners, equipment is outrageously expensive, leotards, warms up, ect. Not saying it is the most expensive sport out there but it is up there. You need special training facilities. You can not just go into your backyard and seriously and safely train. But as Patrick Hicks mentions it is not only about where you are physically but also where you are mentally. Physically you may be poor but mentally if you have the compassion, desire and drive you can figure out a way to do gymnastics. Next Question: “Is a system oppressive to its members?” In a way yes. Gymnastics is almost the forming of muscular and flexible little robots who can do crazy tricks. The Coaches try to dehumanize you and make you learn what everyone else is learning, especially in the compulsory levels. These are the younger and lower level team girls who all Do the same routine on every event. Reviewing the question of “Are characters given more/less freedom by their class?” Once again the answer is yes. When you move up levels and get to level 7 and above these are known as the optional levels where you get to make your own routines but still have to abide by the “rule book.”
Feminist Critical Lens
“Are there 'natural' roles men and women fill?” Women/Girls are generally the gymnasts that have male coaches. Believe it or not MANY coaches are male simply because they are stronger and can spot or help the gymnasts through things. Also is more common to see girls in gymnastics than males because society finds it less acceptable. Who knows why?! I believe gymnastics is a great way for not only females but males to become a well rounded individual. Which leads me to the question of “Should we scrap our created gender roles and stereotypes?” Yes especially on male gymnasts. You should never be aloud to “judge a book by its cover,” whether it is a football player to maybe even a male ice skater.
Analyzing the FUNCTIONS of Exhibits in our Lives:
Gymnastics can “show beauty and possibilities” through body movements. Also through the movements of the body gymnasts and dancers make music with no words and virtually no meaning into a story. “Order and attempt to understand what it means to be 'human'.”
The exhibit I chose to analyze is the movie "The Parent Trap." I chose this movie because I recently watched it and caught myself analyzing it. Through a Marxist lens I noticed how money did matter. Both Hallie and Annie (the twin girls played by Lindsay Lohan) have huge houses. Annie lives in London and has a beautiful house, even the outside is just a magnificent garden. Hallie lives in California on a vineyard. Her house is also gigantic and beautiful. Annie's mom is a wedding dress designer in London, can you say rich? Hallie's family grows grapes to make wine, again they are rich too. Also, Hallie and Annie both get to go off to summer camp either across the country or in a different country, that had to have cost a lot to send them there and then to pay for the 8 week long camp. You also see the social classes somewhat. You know that Hallie and Annie are in the upper class not only because of where they live, but also because they have nice things and even butlers! Annie has Martin who caters to her and her mother's every need and it very professional about it. He is always wearing a suit and speaks formally to them. Hallie has Jessie as their "servant." She is more of a mother figure in the movie, but she really is there to serve them. This shows that people like Martin and Jessie are in a lower class and are treated differently than Hallie and Annie who get everything done for them. So to answer the question, are characters given more/less freedom by their class? Yes because Martin and Jessie have to do what they are told to do by the upper class people (Hallie and Annie). I don't think the characters are suffocated by their class rules. I think they are actually happy where they are because at times you see Annie and Martin having a good time, like when they do their secret handshake. Under a feminist lens you see how women can be completely different types. You have Elizabeth James (Hallie and Annie's mom) who is a wedding dress designer, sophisticated, and independent. Then there is Meredith (the woman who is dating and trying to marry Hallie's dad). Meredith is a classic portrayal of a stuck up girl who only wants to marry for money. You see her driving up in her sporty convertible and sitting by the pool all dressy drinking a cocktail. Having her act this way shows how some people can think that stereotypically all women act like that. By acting like that I mean, thinking they are better than everyone else and marrying a man for money. When the family decides to go out on a camping trip they are walking down the mountain and the entire time Meredith is just complaining and whining. Then when they get to the lake the family is going to eat trout and she is just disgusted and wants to be catered to. When she doesn't get what she wants she just goes to bed and pouts. This is showing that women want to be pampered and get whatever they want and that they are incapable of being outdoorsy. They are setting a stereotype in this movie by having Meredith in it. There are also social expectations of men and women being shown in this film. The whole plot of the movie is Hallie and Annie trying to get their parents back together. They want their parents to be back together not only because they want to be together but because it is normal to have your parents married. At the time that this movie was made it was becoming more and more popular for divorces but it hadn't become such a common thing yet like it is today. The girls didn't want to have only one parent. It was an expectation that men and women were supposed to stay together. You could also say that they gave the woman (Annie's mom) the role of being girly and crafty because she is a wedding dress designer. You would say they gave the men (Hallie's dad) the role of being a tough guy because he owns the vineyard and is practically a farmer in a way.
Through a Freudian lens you see that our brain influences us to go to some crazy measures to get what we want. In the movie Hallie and Annie are twins and have lived with one parent for their life having no idea that she had a twin sister. Then the two girls end up going to the same summer camp and figure out that they are twin sisters. They then decide to switch places just so they can meet their other parent. The girls are both following their ID's because it is just absolutely ridiculous to try and become another person and essentially trade lives with them. Who could possibly pull this off, especially since they have never even met the people that they would be living with? Each girl just wants to fulfill their narcissistic bliss no matter how hard it will be or how much trouble they will be in. You could also see an Oedipal Complex in this movie. There is a scene in the movie where Annie meets her dad for the first time and she is just on cloud nine. On the way home she keeps talking and talking and at the end of every sentence she says the word dad. Her dad then picks up on it and asks her why she keeps saying dad at the end of each sentence. Her response is that she hasn't gotten to say the word dad her whole life, but she then realizes what she says and changes it to, "I mean the last 8 weeks." This could be showing how desperate she is to be with her father, (the opposite sex). She can't stop saying his name because she just wants to be with him. Towards the end of the movie when the parents of the girls meet each other again and are trying to switch the girls back, the girls pull a little trick on them. They decide to not tell the parents which girl is which. This is showing how these girls are attempting to re-achieve that narcissistic bliss that they had before their parents found out they weren't the right girl. They are trying any last minute thing just to have that perfect happy time back. The girls, Hallie and Annie, in this movie are the Ids because they are only looking to fulfill their dreams. The parents of the girls are the superegos because they don't care what the girls want to do or have to say because they want everything back to normal and the way it was supposed to be.
For this blog I chose to analyze One Tree Hill because I think it is one of the best teen shows on TV. I have grown up watching this show and have never thought, "Wow that was a waste of an hour" when I get done watching it. The story lines are always exciting and make people want more.
Through a Marxist lens, we can see that each character is wealthy enough to have nice houses and possessions. Brooke owns her own fashion line and clothing store, but we never really see her doing much work. She is usually just there talking to one of her friends. Nathan is very successful in that he is a star in the NBA, but the basketball season seems to pass in 3-4 episodes and then he just gets to hang out in his huge house and play with his son, Jamie. Lucas wrote a successful novel and since then, he was always seen with is girlfriend Peyton. Peyton started her own record label, but only has 3 artists come through the doors in the 2 seasons that she was at the studio. This makes it seem like people don't have to work hard for what they get and most people also wish that they wouldn't have to work so hard to be successful. I don’t think that there is social tension between the characters in One Tree Hill because all of the main characters are in the same social class. They are all wealthy people and very successful.
With a Feminist Lens, we notice that all of the female characters are very strong people; Brooke with her clothing line, Peyton with her recording studio, Haley with her music career, and Alex with her acting career. Most of the girls seem very independent and don't rely too much on guys. They are all driven and I think that they can set a good example for other women in that way. With that said, Brooke is also seen as slutty. She sleeps around with many guys and usually gets exactly what she wants from them, and then moves on to the next guy. It is shown as slutty when Brooke sleeps around, but Nathan has many girlfriends, parties a lot, and openly cheats on his girlfriend, and he is shown as the stud of the basketball team. There is a huge double standard for these characters. Haley on the other hand, is the motherly figure in the show. She gets married at a young age and also becomes a mother at a young age, but that didn’t stop her from being valedictorian. Peyton is kind of the art-sy girl. She draws a lot and is very interested in music. These 3 main girls fit into the “natural” roles of women.
The exhibit I chose is the TV show American Idol. The entire show is about being judged and winning the popular vote to stay week after week until America decides who is there idol for the season. There are four judges two women and two men with a host who is a male. Through a Marxist Critical Lens the social class of the contestants brings out more drama on the show for example one person this season was a paint salesman before auditioning and is now a big icon. This makes the viewers more attached to the contestants thus for getting more votes and more views. The contestants climb the social and economical ladder fast with sponsored items such as clothes and finer things making them look new and full of money and importance. The social tensions on the show would be the judging part of the show. When looking at American Idol from a Feminist lens there is only one women left on the show out of over a million people around the country who tried out. The top 24 consisted of twelve men and twelve women even. Also there is more male roles in the show such as the host, and the back up band is filled with men. One of the judges Randy Jackson uses the term dude, and man a lot also looking through a feminist lens which some women take offense to. Society also values men more then women coming back to the whole deal with there only being one women left on the show. The men are valued through America as being hot the women are voting more and want to see the man on TV next week rather than a women. Looking at American Idol through a Freudian and psychoanalytic lens there super ego depends on if they are going to make it big in the music industry or if they were simply on a TV game show and that’s it. There childhood effects the contestants because most of them on the show aren’t well off they need this show to jump start there careers because the money and other issues are standing in the way. The bliss that everyone on the show hopes for is making him or her known in the music business. They want to be on that stages with crazy fans cheering so loud you are in a dream like state. All together American Idol might just be another game show but there is a lot more to it if you look deeper.
The exhibit I choose to analyze is a movie. The movie I am picking is Cinderella Story; with Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murry. It is just a spin on the classic story of Cinderella. In this case she loses her cell phone instead of her shoe. And Prince Charming is in search of the mystery girl.
You can easily use the Marxist lens when analyzing Cinderella Story. This movie has social class interaction and money. This movie deals a lot with the differences in social classes. Sam Montgomery is considered unpopular, unknown and a loser. She has to work; she has to work so she can have enough money to go to Princeton. On the other hand, Austin Ames is the popular, very well known and a football star. He doesn’t have to work, he gets things handed to him. They don’t interact well throughout the movie but despite the differences they become friends. Carter is Sam’s best friend. He is considered a geek, loser and unpopular. And he dreams about having Shelby become is girlfriend. Shelby is the popular cheerleader. She totally ignores him until she doesn’t know who he is or until he becomes an “actor”. She kind of only looks for something/ someone who will only help her popularity. Examples are football star, Zorro and an actor. The two wicked stepsisters are Brianna and Gabriella. They try to be cool and fit in with the popular crowd. But they are not able to get into that elite group so they will do whatever to make it in. They do whatever they had to but it still doesn’t make them the popular group, they are still the “wannabe’s”
Using the Feminist lens can help analyze this movie as well. Fiona is the wicked stepmother. She doesn’t do any work. She pretty much just sits and watches everyone else do all the work so she just gets paid for watching. Rhonda also works with Sam at the diner. She is the person that watches over Sam, who cares for her and protects her. Rhonda is there when Sam needs a place to go, when she needs someone to help her shop for a costume. Rhonda is always there for her.
Emily Gardner_7
The exhibit I am choosing is Sponge bob Square pants. First through a Marxist lens I will examine it. How does money matter/function in this exhibit? For some of the characters money does not matter, like sponge bob, he works but he never expects any money from it because he just loves to work. But for Mr. Krabs he is obsessive over money to the point that he gets labeled as a cheapskate and a skinflint. How does a power system matter/function in this exhibit? Power is weird in this show because it allows leaders to be aggressive to the people under them and jump on them and beat them up. Power depends on the episode, different people are in power in every episode of the show. Make a division between the “overt” (manifest or surface) and “covert” (latent or hidden) content of a literary work. On the surface of the show it is perceived as a absurd, funny and at some points it does not make a single bit of sense. Under the surface of the show it can have inappropriate or sexual meanings to some of the humor. The creator of the show Steven Hillenburg had a big interest in marine life, drawing and painting so all of those degrees that he earned just led to sponge bob square pants. Nothing is said of the social class but he was probably born into wealth. Next I will examine it through a feminist lens. How does gender matter/function in this exhibit? In this show females seem to have power over females because most of them are physically stronger and smarter than the males and tend to use them as punching bags more often than not. Also many times in the series Squidward gets referred to as a lady. It does have men as strong people but it also has men as buff and strong and they use weaker men as punching bags if they get ito their way. Are there “natural” roles men and women fill? They don’t really have any definite positions for either gender because it shows both men and women in different positions depending on the episode. To what extent are our roles created by culture? History has made white people the dominant of the ethnicities and cultures, but it shows no cultural divisions in the show except for the different species of fish that are in the show which are not any different than others because they show no dominant species. If the world were like this show it would be better because it shows that both genders can do certain things and there would be no hate other than people thinking that they are better than others.
Although slightly disgusted at being "directed" to think in a certain way...My Exhibit for this blog task is the Ferrari 458 Italia. Through a decidedly Marxist lens the questions i addressed was how social classes interact with each other when this beautiful car is involved, if whether or not when somebody owns this car his/her class is effected by either a raise in the social ladder or by getting some other "perks" to owning such a perfect machine.
When a person owns one of these amazing cars it is usually a sign of some kind of clime in the social/economic ladder. This sign is because when most people think of brands such as Ferrari, Porsche, and Lamborghini they often think of something flashy, fast, and extraordinarily expensive. I think that somebody driving a 458 Italia would have experienced a rise in social status because often times the people that are already higher class care more for simple, classy comfort than something more flashy and sport-like. An example of that sort of mentality would be in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in which those who possess "old money" live classy, less extravagant lives that the people who are new into there wealth because they are used to being rich and do not see any reason to celebrate there money as the "new Money" people do. This connects to the car scene because many wealthy people that are used to their wealth are often more likely to opt for a classy Rolls Royce, Bentley, or a Mercedes-Benz. so the buyer of a Ferrari 458 Italia is most likely, in my opinion, among those of "new money."
In the case of a flashy new money person who'd definitely be proud of what he/she had accomplished would buy something that would attract attention from the lower classes. The 458 definitely would buy this attention with its delicate curves and swooping lines that combine into a perfect aerodynamic beast that anyone car enthusiast or not can admire.
I have read stories in car magazines in which people driving such magnificent super-cars as this were driving at exorbitant and were pulled over by police officers and instead of fined for there extreme irresponsible behavior are bombarded with questions about there beautiful cars and complemented before being allowed to drive off without any punishment. Hopefully this freedom is not taken advantage of.
I definitely want a Ferrari 458 Italia. I WILL have one. :)
The exhibit I chose to write about would be "The Secret Life of American Teenager"
In the show there are many things that can be constueed by a fruedian lense, example when Amy is living with her mom, father and sister who are very wealthy, while the father of the baby was living in poverty, money plays a big row in this show because they use it against ben(the father) when he is trying to get custody of the baby, and he doesnt get custody because he cant afford it, and they seem like he's the only one that doesnt have much money, because everyone else in the show, they make very clear they have money, or there parents do.
With using the Feminist lense, in this show its equally designed so there are the same number of girls as guys, but makes girls seem like they should be staying home and taking care of the kids in the home while the husbands go out and work, and come home and food should be on the table, which interpreates back to the old days when that was how it was.
Byy: Katie Carlson Pd-6
The exhibit i chose to write about is rap/hip hop music. Rap is showing up everywhere. In magazines, games, TV, radio, movies. Rap has become a big part of my everyday life. Rap music helps me skate better because of the flow and power it gives off. It also helps me concentrate, so i listen to it alot when i drive; work; and even homework. Im actually listening to Jay Z's new album "Blueprint 3" its pretty good. Rap music in general has made me a calmer person because i can relate to alot of the artists i listen to. Im not a wanna be gangster or a "wigger" as some people call white kids that listen to rap. It is just over all good music and is really creative and appealing to me.
Through a marxist lense rap is about money and power. Lil wayne says "i am the best rapper alive" which is true in alot of some peoples opinion, even i think he is extremely talented. Lil wayne has a song titled "best rapper alive." He has put out more albums already than most rappers do in there whole carreer. Since he joined cash money records in 1997 as a teenager he has put out over 20 albums in his carreer and still going. His next album is The Carter 4. By doing this im pretty sure he has a little bit of money stacked up, and with money you have power. He wouldnt have gotten as far as he has if his music was not good. In rap power comes from your fans. Because without fans no one would buy your music and with no one buying your cd's or going to your shows, there would be no money.
In alot of music the artists write about money, girls, cars, clothes, shoes and all of these things are cool. But some rappers talk about even more personal things like girlfriends, brothers, or even there mom. I like rap music because i can listen to it and feel the music. I want money cars and clothes and so do alot of other people. I think that is why alot of kids in our generation choose to listen to rap instead of other types of music.
I am going to look at the difference between girl’s sports and boys sports. Gender matters for sports because at a boys basketball game girls support and are there for fun not really that big of a deal guys play harder, but the refs let them do what they do more than at a girls basketball game. During girls games usually guys do not come and if they do the whole time they are making comments on how it is a complete joke and usually not very many people pay attention. But at a boy’s game more people are there, even in the parents section and everyone is paying attention. Girl’s basketball is portrayed as a “nonsport” because they play basketball without fighting, but in boys basketball it’s a huge battle. Even at football there is more people there then there is at a volleyball game, usually people would rather go to a boys event instead of a girls event. Pro football, baseball, basketball, and wresting are usually what is on ESPN, usually there is not a girls sport on, because turns out everyone supports boys events instead of girls events, or more than girls events. When sports were invented men were the athletes that played sports, women had no say. Yes, we now have girl’s events but they are still less popular then boy sports. In sports girls have more self-esteem and have more fun, and boys are more competitive. I think that every person puts limits on the gender roles in society. Girls go to boy’s games, if we didn’t go to boys games then who would? It is more like rebelling, but at girl’s games not very many people com usually there is more girls there then boys. So if we use “revenge” to prove our point, I am not sure if we would get anywhere but I still feel like we limit ourselves in the fact that we are supportive and play but do not get support. We grant the privilege for the boys to play because the crowd gives them adrenaline, when girls don’t have as big of a crowd so they have to work harder to win, I think that there is a difference when the girls have a crowd because then they also get adrenaline. I think that society is changing for the better and we should drop the stereotypes in everyday life but for sure in life because in sports girls have the same ability as boys.
The exhibit I have chosen to analyze is the store in the mall called Victoria Secret.
In the Marxist lens money matters a lot in this store. Everything is much overpriced for what you can get. You should only shop there if you are higher on the social status and are more than financially stable. It is harder for people in the lower class to buy at Victoria Secret because of the prices, which could cause the upper class to mock or make fun of the lower class because they can not have as good lingerie as them. They also draw people in saying if you spend over this much than you get free under wear or something similar to that. They coax you in with a bribe.
When one uses the Feminist Lens one will see how they are conveying women as sex symbols. In the window in the front of the store there is usually a woman in just a bra and underwear. This can make women feel self-conscious about them. In order to be a Victoria Secret model you have to be 115 or less and you can not be any taller than 5 foot 10 inches. These girls in the windows obviously won the genetic lottery and make other women feel they must be skinny and tan just like them. These girls also give men the wrong perspective of women because of the big picture in the front window. Men now can see women as an item and will use them for their own pleasure. Women are very important to Victoria Secret because without women they would not have Victoria Secret. Victoria Secret needs women to keep business because without them Victoria Secret would not exist.
When looking at Victoria Secret in a Freudian lens there are many things to see. The whole store promotes sex. They have bras and underwear that are sexy and cute. No one would make sexy and cute underwear or bras if they were not trying to tell you should have sex. This makes men also think they must get this for their girl to get them to feel sexy. The men will be happier because they may think that their significant other is sexier with the lingerie from Victoria Secret than a store like Wal-Mart. A women’s id is telling her to buy this lingerie to have greater sexual desires. The ego listens every time a woman walk is into Victoria Secret and buys any item from that promiscuous store.
For this one i am going to look at V for Vendetta threw a Marxist lens first. V for Vendetta has party members who basically have all the money in the country. They control everything everyone does in it. They monitor you all the time. The people in power are corrupt and need to be taken down they are in it just for the money. The proles in the movie are the working class and they really do not know what is going on in the higher up government. They think that the virus was released by terrorist when in truth it was its only corrupt system that did it to make its own people fear full.
Next i am going to look at Eve threw a Feminist lens. She starts out looking like any other women. She gets attacked by 3 men and tries to fight them but fails but then V comes to save her. She then goes to work the next day and finds that people are looking for her and she hides so she is a very smart women. She then saves V but in the process gets knocked out and V takes her back. She once again uses her smarts to get away from V and running to her friends house. She is then captured by V. She remains a strong women threw it and never tells were V is and is willing to face death for him. She gets her head shaved and now looks more man like so she is not fully just looking like a women. She is a smart character of the movie she is given the duty to pull the lever into the future which she does and by doing that sets everyone fear from there oppresses
While watching the cavs get dominated, I realized that I wanted to analyze Lebron James. Looking at Lebron through a Marxist lens, one would think of the power he holds since he is the reigning two time MVP of the NBA. This places him on the top of the food chain in the National Basketball Association. His skill and determination have made him an icon in the world of sports. Along with his success on the hard court, he became a very successful business man as well. His jersey has become the most famous in the league as it is the number one seller. He is sponsored by Nike and he has a wide range of shorts and shoes. He also has his own commercial for Vitamin Water, which makes young athletes feel they need to drink this concoction in order to make the baskets and money he does. Many young, as well as old Americans feel the need to buy this Lebron merchandise in order to feel the sense of pride and self honor. Next season, Lebron is a free agent and a lot of teams will be chasing the prize that is King James. The leading team in the hunt for greatness is the New York Knicks. The market in New York is perhaps the biggest in the world. Lebron's sales are large already but with the help of the juggernaut known as NYC, the possibilities are endless. A Feminist critic would not be a fan of Lebron James because of the way he runs his love life. He has two kids with a women who he isn't married to. Although he had kids with his high school sweetheart, a Feminist critic would be very angry at the fact that he is probably never around to support his kids and his "sweetheart". Since they are not married, a Feminist critic would be very worried yet critical that since they are not married, his fame would leave room for him to have multiple affairs with a lot of fame hungry women. A Feminist critic would also be weary of the chances of what happened to Kobe Bryant to reoccur to "King" James. Pro athletes tend to forget all about all the hard work they put in to get to where they are just for a quick one night stand. Women are on the prowl for the rich and famous and are willing to do anything to get into their pockets.
Lindsay Dohrman
The exhibit i chose to write about is Prom. Prom is a very big deal for most high schoolers. Starting a few months before prom, you see advertisements everywhere; including at tanning places, prom dress stores, the mall, and even magazines. This is because they want you to spend as much money as you can, or could it be they want you to look the best and have the time or your lives when you purchase something from them?
Through a marxist lens:
Money is definitely a factor at prom. The dress, tux, flowers, meal,props, DJ, guarder, and even maybe a limo, this all really adds up.
In my opinion, for girls, the dress is a huge deal. It's like a competition : who can have the best, most expensive dress.
Are there social tensions? Are the ruling classes happy? Are the lower classes miserable? Or, are the lower classes actually happier because they are not as oppressed by their upper/ruling class rigid rule system? - Yes there are always social tensions. Someone might have the same dress as you. And yes, the girl with the most expensive dress may be happy b/c they know they're sticking out, and no i don't think the girl with he cheapest looking dress won't be happy until they have to stand next to the girl with the most expensive looking dress at prom. I personally think that prom is all about having the best of the best, but i don't think it should be this way, it should be all about having fun!
Feminist Lens:
The male look on prom is way different then the female look on prom. Most males do not really care what they look like, and it takes them maybe an hour or less to get all fancied up. But from a female's point of view, it could take all day to get ready. It is a HUGE day for us women to look beautiful. - but for some reason it matters more to us females than males. I also think the social expectations are very different between males and females. The females normally go around chatting and they take as many pictures as possible ( because it is a day we want to remember), when the males could absolutely care less.
Freudian Lens:
Through a Freudian lens the sex drive of the students go way up. There is always grinding and dirty dancing at prom and just being next to the opposite sex all night (possibly sweating). Your libido could also be affected when you have a handsome/sexy date.
MEGAN BLY- PERIOD 7
The exhibit that I chose to analyze with my Marxist, Feminist and Freudian lenses is the movie “The Notebook”. The Notebook is a romantic drama film based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams as Noah and Allie, a young couple who fall in love during the early 1940’s. Their story is narrated from the present day by an elderly man played by James Garner, telling the tale to a fellow patient, played by Gena Rowlands. I will use all three of my critical lenses, which add insights into our lives and into the film that we are experiencing.
First, I will use my Marxist critical lens. Two questions that Marxist critics ask are; how does money matter/function in this exhibit? And how does a power system matter/function in this exhibit? Allie, a wealthy young girl, falls in love with Noah, a less fortunate, but happy, young boy. Money is a big factor throughout the movie! Allie and Noah do not care about their wealth difference, but Allies parents are opposed to Allie dating a less fortunate boy. Because Noah is not rich and successful, Allie’s parents think he is inadequate. When Allie and Noah are split apart due to a move, Allie meets another man while serving as a nurse in the war. This man is rich, successful and confident, all the things that Allie’s parents are looking for in a man for their daughter. One question that Marxist critics ask is; how do social classes interact with each other? In this movie, Allie’s family is very wealthy and stuck up. They do not accept anyone who is not like them, but Noah’s father, a less fortunate man, accepts Allie right away, and takes her in as family immediately. The rich people in this movie look down on the poor, and have no respect for them, while the less fortunate are happy for everything they have, and accept everyone for who they are on the inside, not for what they have.
Next, I will use my feminist critical lens. Two questions that feminist critics ask are; how does gender matter/function in this exhibit? And how are women portrayed/ depicted in this exhibit? I believe that women, in this film, are more dominate. Allie’s mother is more strict and harsh on Allie than her father. When Allie comes home late from spending time with Noah, her father is waiting on the front porch, and seems to act concerned, but viewers get the feeling that he is only criticizing her because that’s what he is supposed to do. Another thing I noticed is how Allie seems to be more dominate in their relationship. Although Noah took a big step in asking her out, by jumping on a moving Ferris wheel, Allie is the one who says she wants a white house with blue shudders, and a wrap around deck. Allie seems to know exactly what she wants and even on the cover of the movie, Allie is in a more dominate position above Noah.
Finally, I will use my Freudian critical lens. This lens helps us examine how inner workings of the brain influence every aspect of an exhibit. One question that Freudian critics ask is; how does psychoanalysis matter in this exhibit? One thing that I noticed while watching this movie is the bird theme. At one point in the movie, Allie and Noah go swimming in the ocean and Allie runs in the water with her arms spread and she wants Noah to tell her she is a bird, and he replies that she is a bird and that if she is a bird, he’s a bird too. At another point in the movie, they go on a row boat through a swarm of birds, and Allie wants to know why they are still there, and Noah tells her that they will leave and that they always go back to where they came from. I think that the repetition of the bird scenes tells us that we are also like birds. Allie and Noah were first lovers, and Allie goes back to him just like the birds to back. Even though her second love is who she is “supposed” to be with, she goes back to Noah.
Blog by Justin Gabbert
I decided to anyalyze the beautiful game of soccer. Starting with a critical lens money is key to soccer teams, cuz the team with the more money gets the better coaching and the better team. The stonger the form a government for a country then the odds are better for that country to be more successful in soccer itself. Most soccer players come from either a middle or upper class. Soccer is tough just like any sport to become a proffessional in. If you can't pay for the training then you don't get the talent. When you do finally become a soccer player you become a socially economic god. European players for example are the most famous people not only in their nation but the world. Money works both ways however. If you come from a poor country its hard to focus more on your training than supporting yourself. Soccer players are oppressed at times however because everyone gets old and in soccer there is always a young player to take your place. It seems that in most nations though the lower class of a system are the fans. Being a soccer fan however is a great honor. You connect to a team and feel like your the one fighting for your nation. Some soccer players may feel suffocated by their role because if they get hurt not only does their paycheck go down but so does their pride and honor to fight for their country.
Using a feminist lens soccer slightly becomes frowned upon. Men play the role as gods while women are cast aside as just normal athletes trying to make their mark on the world. Men being more naturally agressive in nature have always gotten more attention when it comes to sports, because its more interesting to watch. Society puts the limits on the roles of female soccer players, but it also has the power to grant it greater things. Women have always been portrayed as less than human when compared to men. Only time and by proving themselves will women provail. A women has less natural ability than a man at soccer, while a man has more natural ability. I believe that women should be given more credit for their accomplishments in the game of soccer but i don't know how long it will take society to recognize them. Womens soccer has little to know expectations. No one really cares that the womens soccer team has won the world cup other than women. Women are ignored in the world of soccer while men are given full attention. Men are valued for their strength and loyalty while women are valued for their soft and caring nature.
A Freudian lens is key to soccer. Soccer is a sport where people become animals. Soccer is a battlefield of ids and super-egos. Soccer can even be considered a sexual act of display has both men and women strut their stuff to show their potential. Like birds dancing for a mate. The id is in almost complete control of the soccer player. It is however in total control of the fans. When walking into a soccer stadium there is only one word that comes to mind... Chaos. No other fans in the world are as dedicated to a cause like a soccer game. The id is the fans. The ego is the players. The superego is the referrees. Captains of a team represent more than just a title. The entire nation looks at them when the team either wins or loses. Some sexual symbols are the players themselve. Soccer players are in the best shape a human being could possibly be in. The become sex symbols and give off a irrotic sense of power to the opposite sex. Our minds subconciously think about a suitable mate. Power and pride are the thoughts that cross a soccer players mind. If they can represent an entire nation then they are the key to life itself.
I chose to analyze what it is like to walk down the hallways in Brandon Valley High School. If you walk down the hallways at BVHS you can look at everything with a critical lense. I dont think you can really look at BVHS in a Marxist lense. If anything you could look at it with the question who has the power? Then I would say the jocks and plastics do because everyone wants to be them. Everyone wants to be known and have some attention on them.
If you look at BVHS in a feminist lense female fill the "natural" role that men cannot in education. Women it seems are better eduacated at a young age because they can actually focus in the classroom while men seem less able to focus in the classroom. This is because men are focused on things outside of school like hunting and disc golfing. Women have nothing else to do so this is probably why they are actually able to focus in school.
Finally if you look at BVHS in a Freudian lense there is so many things you can notice or groups to talk about. Their is PDA in BVHS and I guess you can look at that with a freudian lense. People in the school I guess have to make out with their girl/boyfriend because they can't wait until after school. I find that pretty ridiculous. If you look at a group of people who have Freudian lenses it would be the partiers and stoners. These people only talk about drinking on weekends in class or how much they smoked the night before. I find these kids to be idiotic because they talk so loud the teachers can here everything they're saying and now they have a bad reputation.
I chose to analyze what it is like to walk down the hallways in Brandon Valley High School. If you walk down the hallways at BVHS you can look at everything with a critical lense. I dont think you can really look at BVHS in a Marxist lense. If anything you could look at it with the question who has the power? Then I would say the jocks and plastics do because everyone wants to be them. Everyone wants to be known and have some attention on them.
If you look at BVHS in a feminist lense female fill the "natural" role that men cannot in education. Women it seems are better eduacated at a young age because they can actually focus in the classroom while men seem less able to focus in the classroom. This is because men are focused on things outside of school like hunting and disc golfing. Women have nothing else to do so this is probably why they are actually able to focus in school.
Finally if you look at BVHS in a Freudian lense there is so many things you can notice or groups to talk about. Their is PDA in BVHS and I guess you can look at that with a freudian lense. People in the school I guess have to make out with their girl/boyfriend because they can't wait until after school. I find that pretty ridiculous. If you look at a group of people who have Freudian lenses it would be the partiers and stoners. These people only talk about drinking on weekends in class or how much they smoked the night before. I find these kids to be idiotic because they talk so loud the teachers can here everything they're saying and now they have a bad reputation.
A.J. Plummer pd.3
I chose to annalyze the movie "Rat Race". This movie is about six ordinary people in Las Vegas looking to win the jackpot and make money so that they can "be a somebody" in the world. While these people are gambling and wasting their money away they soon come upon these gold coins that they win in the slot machines. These gold coins automatically entered these people into a contest for a chance to win two million dollars hosted by the Casino owner. All they have to do is race down to New Mexico and find the locker that the two million is in, and it's theirs. The catch is that they will be racing against the other 6 contestants. What the contestants don't know is that the main character Donald Sinclair (casino owner) and his billionaire friends are following their every move and placing bets on the contestants on to who will get to the locker and the money first. To the amazement of the billionaires the contestants actually make the "show" a good one.
This movie was very easy to annalyze using the Marxist Lens because it is all about 6 contestants racing for money so they can have power and happiness. These contestants are all in the lower class, they don't have very much money and have resorted to try their luck in Las Vegas. These characters dont interact with each other very will throughout the movie, they will do anything to each other just so they will win the cash. In the end all of the characters remain in the lower class because none of them actually end up winning the money. The lower class contestants are so miserable they will do anything to get this money while the upperclass (millionaires betting on the contestants) are very happy and having a good time just sitting back and relaxing, watching others killing themselves trying to get what they already have. The lower class characters are given less freedom because they are not able to make the rules in this "race". Though there are no rules to this race, because they are the ones in the contest they have to follow everything that they would be told, because they are willing to do everything for money, power, and happienss.
For this blog task, I decided to analyze a song from one of my favorite bands, The Good Life by Three Days Grace.
This whole song is talking about the lead singer (Adam) wanting to have the good life instead of the life that he is living. There is a line that says "too many people stepping over me" can be taken as the fact that he is a celebrity and people are expecting him to be this "god" and to have the same kind of beat they always carried. But once he wants to try a new thing they step over him telling that this is not what the fans want and must do it like they have always done to keep the fans happy and to keep the record company making the money that they "deserve". It goes on the say that "I don't really know who I am, It's time for me to take a stand". That can be seen as him getting sick of being told who he needs to be and that's all he has heard so he doesn't remember exactly who the "real" Adam is in this song. He has mentioned in this song a couple times death and how he wants the "good life" before he goes, a life he can control and not having someone telling him what and what not to do. One thing in this song that really intersted me while looking up these lyrics is kind of the little fit he has with is ID and SuperEgo: Hold on, hold on, I always wanted it this way
(I never wanted it this way)
Hold on, hold on, I always wanted it this way
(We didn't ask for it this way)
I always wanted it this way:
It shows that he is battling with what he knows is right and could potiently give him the life he is wanting, only to contradict himself into "caving" into that others think the good life is for Adam.
Excellent song, if you get the chance, check out some more songs by them. I suggest The Good Life, Break, and Life starts now... all on the album Life Starts Now.
Kortney Fisher
pd.3
Tschetter_6th
For my exhibit I chose Band. I had a band concert tonight and it was my last one. Band can be viewed in many different views by all three lenses. Anyone that has musical talent can be in it. You get a taste of all kinds of music, and you can meet a lot of people.
Marxist: How does music function in band? Well, all around the world different countries get together through music. Everybody becomes one. Music has feeling, taste, and motion. With feeling you can be happy, joyful, sad ,mad. Sometimes music helps your feelings when you are down. With taste, people like to have a variety, such as country, Christian, folklore. Taste can also be said in the boldness or lightness of the piece, soprano, melodic, harmony, bass, tenor. Most people often do not think about motion when they listen to it, they just go along with it. But when your playing it, in a way you are it, and you can move around with it.
Feminist: How does gender matter in music? In music gender does not really have a side. Though in band there are more women it could be because we like music, or because the men have a lot of hot air and we do not need as many. But sometimes depending on the country or the type of band you have it can matter. In our school you see that most of our directors are male. But women can direct too, just like men can take charge so we kind of just leave it to them.
Freudian: Sometimes people take band the wrong way. Were called geeks, band geeks, bandos. Most of the time its fun because we have a group of our own that is like a fourth to a third of the school. A lot of people meet and make friends during band. Of course you have the people who think band is fun because you get to go off to camp with people that you do not know and people of the opposite sex. Like the show on tv Secret Life of the American Teenager. She is in band and goes off to camp. She meets this guy while playing and they have sex and she gets pregnant. Well even though our band camp is different at my old school you had to actually leave your home for a week or two and learn how to march and stuff.
My Exhibit I decided to do the holiday Halloween. With the critical lenses I will make people see this holiday a different way than they have before, instead of the fun, candy, social time.
Marxist:
Halloween is a money based holiday. People will go out and buy a ton of candy to hand out to all the kids who will come door to door saying trick or treat. And it’s not really a trick, because people will go out and buy candy for them, and the kids don’t have to do anything. People also spend a lot of money on costumes. Parents will buy their children costumes, and spend a lot of money on them, just to show them off. Halloween is a contest of who has the most, or best costumes. People will spend a ton of money just so they can look the best or be the best.
Feminist:
In the past not too long ago you would of saw mothers taking their children out to go trick-or-treating. Some extreme non feminist would say it was an excuse to get out of the kitchen. Some social norms for men and women for Halloween would be that for parties some couples would do matching outfits. The men would mostly be manlier, if you can define manly, and women would be very girly.
Freud:
This is a holiday for people to dress like anything, and not get made fun of for it. Women and girls of the younger age is now starting to dress ridiculously slutty, or skanky. This gives women an excuse to be anything. But, women normally dress as slutty nurses, witches, and Barbie’s. This goes back of when little girls play with Barbie’s when they were small children. Subconsciously they want to look and be just like a Barbie. So why would they have a costume of a Barbie? Because women want to be just like them, perfect. Men, men like and women subconsciously know that men want and would like women to be just like Barbie’s. So there for, many women would go out and get the best or the most slutty outfit they can just to impress men and get their attention. When people put on their costumes their ID overthrows their ego, because being someone else is exciting and do whatever you want and wouldn’t get judged for it.
Halloween is not what people think, its deeper than what it appears.
Swenson_7
I chose to analyze the telivison show "Married With Children". Anyone who has ever seen this show knows that though it is funny it is extremly offensive to the "average person" and their social status.if you look at it with a marxist lense the system is clear, the Bundys' want a comfortable wealthy lifestyle and everyday Peggy reminds Al of that. She nags about never having enough money for the things she want or Al becomes obssesed with some get rich quick scheme. Peggy seems to mention the lack of physical intimacy with her and Al quite often and on the overt level you may think of it as o just a couple who has been married a while, just less afffectionate than they were 20 years ago but if you think of it with a Marxist lense at the covert meaning of it, it makes you wonder if it is because of the social level of their family. Do they not like being intimate becasue they are unhappy not only with their home life but work and income also? Is that whats really affecting their relationship or is it just years of togetherness? With
Married With Children it is also clear through a Marxist lense that the charecters are given less freedom due to their social and financial status. Episodes are made about wealth, fame, or some thought that the grass is greener on the other side so to say. Their lives are constantly driven around money and wealth and climbing the social/financial ladder. It really portrays "money = power, influence, freedom, happiness, opportnity" (CL p3)
If one were to look at this tv show through a feminist lense it would be pretty appaling, there is definitely a portayl of the "natural" roles of men and women. Peggy Bundy is shown as a superficial house wife that wastes away Als money, isnt productive at all, just sits aroun the house all day and does nothing but nag Al. She is attractive yet never noticed and has the typical gender role, the mom at home that sits and does "nothing" while Al goes out to work and bring home the moeny, also the typical male gender role. Their daughter, Kelly Bundy, is an attractive blonde bomb shell that has no brain, she is shown as a sterotypical " dumb blonde" she is to ignorant to notice when someone is insulting her. There is no social expectation of her except the thought that she always has male attention, thats probably one of the main reasons she is on the show and portrayed as the dumb blonde because it expanded the male audience. Al, and even their son Bud are the ones who constantly grant privlages and "allow" Peggya and Kelly to do certain things. The show is very gender role oriented and focused on the man of the house, his family and his role. The male gender claerly "grants privlages to a gender" (CL P3)
By examining this popular TV sitcom with just 2 lenses you can really dig dip into the meaning and covert meanings of the show.
Charlie Sellers_6
The exhibit that I am going to analyze is going to be football.
When looking at football through a Marxist lens, money functions a lot in this exhibit because players get paid a lot if they are professional, but you do not necessarily need money to get into football. You can be dirt poor and become a professional football player and end up getting in the millions. If you are a football player, and are good at it, people look up to you like you are the most powerful thing ever. I think that there is plenty of greed when the football social class interacts with a non football social class. Most football players think that they are better than everybody. Players can climb the social/economic ladder if they work hard and get really good at the sport and try incredibly hard.
Looking at football through a Feminist lens is an awful thing to look at. Some feminist people get really upset because women are not even considered to have a chance at playing football professionally. I personally believe that they can have their own league but should not compete with the men because they would simply get demolished. I have a feeling that, just like the WNBA, that in the future, there could be a WNFL. Women in football, are portrayed like they are probably going to get hurt to badly if they start letting girls into football. Only men have a "natural" role in football as women do not. The nation puts limitations on women playing football because they think that it would be boring to watch women play football instead of men. The leagues of football grands privileges to a gender in this case. I think that we should not scrap our created gender roles and stereotypes in football because the entertainment value is at a low. The social expectations of men and women in this exhibit is that the men play football, and the women cheer for the football players. Society values men like they should be rough and tough people while the women should be basically the complete opposite.
A Freudian lens shows a lot in football. Freud's Conception of the Human Psyche is a great way to show how a Freudian Lens can be used. In football, football players barely have a superego. They are not going to just stand around making sure that they do not get hurt or anything. Most of the time they listen to their ego and do what they are supposed to do, either on the offensive or defensive side. Unfortunately, there are some football players who listen to their id. Players will purposely tackle the quarterback, way after he thew the ball, just so the quarterback will not be in the game anymore, if they hit him hard enough. Some players even show off to much. They get a touchdown and do the stupidest stuff, so they get fined for this stupidity. The id occasionally will get a win in a player or anybody for that matter. There is not one position in football that is specifically the id, the superego, or the ego. It really just depends on the game and the environment and how they are feeling to act these three ways. Some of the players are sexual symbols to women. These symbols definitely imply power because the players know that they can get any girl that they want.
the exhibit i want to analyze for the second to last blog task is football practice. This could probably be applied to any type of sports practice but since my experience is in football that is the one i will discuss. High school football is a classic example of producing for the system and having the system in return look out for you. If you make the system look good it will do everything in its power to make sure you are there to make the system look good and help you in all ways it can. We as highschoolers see this everyday in our lives, people who do well in extra curricular activites through the school get treated more favorably by the school. A thorough investigation with the three critical thinking lenses will help to examine the roll of the system and the beneficiary.
The two questions from the marxist lense i will answer are: 1. How does money matter/function in this exhibit and 2. how does a power system matter/function in this exhibit. For the first question money plays a big role in the advancement of a football player in football practice if you have money you a greater oppurtunity to get high quality equipment and better training during the offseason because of this you will stand in football practice because the choaches will notice the effort your putting into it. Also if you have money most likely you can use it to help sponsor your football team which will help your advancement at football practice. The function of the power system correlates back to what i said in my introduction paragraph the system is like a richard parker it will not bite the hand that feeds it but as soon as your not providing any food you become food. I believe this to be one hundred percent true if you do not provide for your system the system will make you feel like an outcast until you either quit on the system or buck up and produce for it.
Through my feminist lens i will ask how does gender matter/function this exhibit and how are women portrayed/depicted in this exhibit. Gender matters a great deal in this exhibit because if you arent a male then you have no place actually playing football ( in societies mind) and if you are a girl it is next to impossible to become a coach because mostly all coaches are ex players. In my exhibit women are portrayed as mens servants! On the football field you will not find women suiting up and playing instead you will find them as student managers filling up the players waters and holding their extra equipment. The other group of girls you will see on the field are cheerleaders who sole purpose is to help the crowd cheer on the superior male football players. The cheerleaders and branded to be sexy so they wear school colors in mini skirts.
Within the freudian questions i wanted to look at how psychoanalysis matters in my exhibit. I believe this plays an interesting role. Football is a team sport and to be the most succesful player you need to be a well rounded team player. But if you dont control your id and totally play for yourself you can still be a great player but most likely you wont be a great "team" player and therefor you wont help your team to the maximum level that you can, but you will still help yourself just as much.
Through all this examination I myself can better understand why football is a power system within a maximum power system in highschool. I was fortunate enough to prospure from this system because i put in my time and effort and helped the system out. Although i do not believe this is completely fair, at the same time it isnt unwarranted. People should be rewarded for the efforts the contribute to the bettermeant of their community.
Roeder_5
I analyzed the song Fancy by Reba Mcentire. The song is about going from rags to riches and a mother making sacrifices for her daughter. She grows up in a shack with her mother and her mothers baby. They have no money for rent or food yet her mother finds a way to save money so that Fancy can have a better life. Her father left them and her mother was sick it was the only chance. Her name is very key because her mother would have given her the name and her mother did everything she could to give her a “fancy” life. Money makes the lyrics of this song. Her mother and family are a low class family in the beginning of her life. They are faced with extreme oppression. Her mother uses all the money she has to buy Fancy a dress even though they do not have money for food or rent. Her mother does this so that Fancy can go out and make it big in which she does. She becomes high class and her mother is sick and dies in a run down shack. Reba the artist of the song is rich like Fancy becomes. They both are rich because of music. The classes interact in the lyrics because she goes from low class straight up to high class. She climbs the ladder by having that new dress and following her dreams like her mother wanted. The lower class, her mother, was miserable because she was sick but she was also happy because she was helping her daughter have a good life and follow her dreams . Her mother and the baby are suffocated by the class rules because they have no chance in making it big. The baby is taken away and her mother suffers and dies poor. Money does not always mean happiness according to this song because she had to make the sacrifice of leaving her mother and the baby to suffer and she thinks about them all the time. Fancy starts in the proletariat class and works up to the bourgeoisie with the help of her mother. She lived her dream for her and her mother because her mother never had the opportunity. Her mother did everything for the greater good of her daughter becaue she knew living in the lower class would not make Fancy happy. It is all about showing you that it is possible to climb the social ladder and leave the oppressive proletariat class.
For my exhibit I chose the movie “Fun with Dick and Jane”. This comedy shows the life of a young and upcoming business man, Dick, living the stereotypical “American dream.” Unfortunately the company falls to a pyramid scam and Jack, the boss, dissolves the company and runs away with millions. This unspeakable act leaves hundreds of men and women jobless and puts them in an entire new collar of America, criminal. As you watch the movie looking through a Marxist Lens you see the power is controlled by the companies CEO’s and the lower level white collar Americans working below them. The scene where Dick first becomes part of the upper management depicts this very well. He rides the elevator with other co-workers doing their everyday jobs like drones. As Dick goes up to the floor where his fellow workers get off, he stays behind and get to ride this train all the way to the top of the mountain. His former co-workers know instantly that Dick got the promotion that everyone had been hearing about and he was leaving the proletariats and joining the bourgeoisie. This higher job status equaled higher social status as he never is shown associating with his former friend again throughout the movie. As the plot movies on Dick loses his job and is forced to find some way to carry out his comfortable American dream life; he decides the leaving the mellow, honest, and ordinary lifestyle behind and goes on a Boyne and Clyde style crime spree. They uphold there social high ranking status in white suburb American with the occupation of low life criminals stealing from the riches of others to meet there needs. Next in the movie is something that could explain the question “Are human’s animals?” Well after CEO Jack lays of his tame and pleasant employees mass ethical echoes breaks out. They lose their morals and not only Dick turns to wild criminals as other employees are arrested for cultivating marijuana, robbing banks, and probably most animalistic of all, starting up illegal cock fighting. Though all these events are suppose to comical in the movie, in actuality its shows how many of these disgruntled employees lost their wits about themselves. One of the questions asked in the yellow critical lens paper is,”How do social classes interact with each other?” Well Jack, the obvious antagonist in this movie, is the bourgeoisie looking down on Dick and as he became part of the lower proletariat Jack tells Dick how much he is worth to him. He writes him a check for $100 dollars even with Dick having a gun up to him. This portrays how upper society looks at the sometimes unfortunate lower class America and even though Jack could write millions of dollars on that check he decides to selfishly keep it to himself. This movie (answering #2) shows the rising and falling of power of Dick Harper. In the beginning he is young man with high hopes and intelligence to lead him, as time goes on he reaches though goals and claims his stake on top of the social mountain. Not long after is kicked off the peak landing him lower then where he started his trek. With so many ups and downs of social classes this movie works perfectly for the Marxist Lens analysis.
For my exhibit I’m going to be analyzing the show “Teen Mom” and “ 16 and Pregnant.” I’m going to be using all three lenses. The first lens I am going to use is the Freudian lens. Teens that are on this show end up having sex because they listen to their superego. As children we were never really taught how to have sex. We learned how to have sex through what we have learned and seen from experience. To have sex it takes two people. Teens aren’t ready to have sex at such a young age because they aren’t really sure what they are doing. Also on the show they talk about contraception. The next lens I will use is the Marxist lens. In most of the stories on this show the teens aren’t fully loaded with money. Some of them grow up in a bad family, some are adopted, and some don’t have both of their parents to support them through their pregnancy. Being pregnant is a rough thing sometimes even when you don’t have enough money to support yourself and the baby. It cost a lot of money to have a child and I don’t think teens realize how much money they have to have in order to have a child. When the teens don’t have a lot of money their parents including themselves have to work very hard in order to support the baby. The main thing on 16 and Pregnant is that they all have one thing in common; they struggle with their lives during and after their pregnancy. Some of the babies’ dads deny that they aren’t having a kid or they think hanging with their friends is more important than caring for their child. Most of these teens drop out of school because its to much for them to handle while having a child. Some even lose friends and their life because they don’t have the same life style as they did before they got pregnant. To them being a mom is their number one job instead of going out while still being a teen. These teens are given less freedom since they’re a mom. While on the show the girls social classes interaction seem to be well. They are all going through the same thing of having a child. Some even give each other advise on things. The next lens I’ll use is the feminist lens. These girls on the show I would have to say are the strong ones because they have to stay strong and be positive during the whole deal. The babies fathers aren’t even looked at as men. These fathers run away from their problems that they have with the mother. Some treat the girls like dirt and just don’t care. Some on the other hand stay with the mother and have a happy life. A few couples think that since they were having a baby they would stay together forever, in some cases that didn’t end that way. Most of the girls are single parents or have their moms and dads help them because they can’t raise the baby by themselves. There are a few girls who put the limitations on the babies’ father because they constantly go out and the moms are trying to make them act more like a dad instead of a party animal. I think the women fill the “natural” roles because they are constantly their for the kids and the men run off partying or hanging out with other girls. When in reality they should be with the girl they had a kid with.
The exhibit I chose to analyze is the TV show South Park. To answer the question of how do social classes interact with each other, you have to look at the many diverse people in the town of South Park. There are the rich, like the Token’s family (who happen to be black) and there are the poor, like the McCormick’s (basically white trash). To answer the question of are the lower/working classes exploited, yes and no would be my answer. They are poked fun at, in the sense that the lower class type (in the show) is jobless and are drunks. The working class is basically everyone else in the town, except for the rich family. To answer the question are any of the characters “suffocated” by their class rules and codes, no would be my response. Whenever the four main characters (Stan, Kyle, Eric, and Kenny) what to do something, they all seem to have enough money to do said activities, even though Kenny is a lower class. Through a feminist lens, we see some of the common roles of women are given to the men and vice versa, in the sense that there are male teachers (no offense Mr. C) and there is a woman that is the sole source of income to individual households, in which there is no father in said household. There is also a woman in power at their elementary school, since there is a woman principal and all the men answer to her, so there are some limitations to the genders, due to the fact that they can’t overstep certain bounds since they are controlled by a woman, which gives woman more privileges than men, answering the question who grants privileges to a gender. There are also many unusual concepts, including a male teacher getting a sex change, twice, which makes it difficult to decide how much power the individual should receive, since he started out as a male, then female, then male again. Should he get more privileges after his sex change? The question is the ID winning any character is a very valid question for this controversial show. This show is basically based on how people do whatever they want and don’t really have to suffer any consequences, since it’s a show. For example, Eric literally kills a character, named Scott Tenerman, parents and feeds his dead parents to him in some chili, over approximately 15 dollars. That’s how much of his ID controls him, total brutality just for a trivial amount of money, which is the root of all evil of course. His ID was definitely in control of him during the whole episode. After contemplating his for a moment, I just realized, Eric’s ID is showing 99.999% of the time. He is a spoiled little brat who gets what he wants, whenever he wants, and will do whatever it takes to get it, including killing people and manipulating everyone around him into doing his bidding. Eric’s character is the definition of an ID, does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, without thinking about the reproductions, total primal instincts at their finest. This is just a short overview of a few points that give this show such depth and popularity.
The exhibit I choose to analyze for this blog task is the song “Whistlin’ Dixie” by Randy Houser. This song is about the life of a country boy in the South. It is easy to analyze this song with a Marxist and Feminist lens. As for the Marxist lens, there are some connections between class and power/happiness. For him, he likes hanging out with the older generation and learning from them, while most people in the rest of the United States are only interested in development and speeding up life, forgetting about where they came from. Really, everything he is saying is going against what the Marxist lens says. He’s from a poor part of the country and yet they still have power, influence, freedom, happiness, and opportunity. They have power with weapons, as stated with the line “Well I ain’t scared of a shotgun, folk round here we all got one.” There is influence with friends, both new and old. They get freedom with their everyday life, from cooking catfish on the shoreline to playing in a bar band. Freedom is what you make of it. Finally, they have opportunities in life that many other people in the United States do not think of as an opportunity. In fact, most of what they do is not a likely choice for most of America, but for them, it is second nature, how it has always been done in their families and homes. Next, through the feminist lens, we see how Randy Houser portrays women in this song. In this song, the term double standard comes to mind fairly quickly. Women in this song are portrayed as sluts or whores, especially in the music video. He talks about how he likes his girls in this line, “I like a girl from a downhome, even better th’out a thang on.” He is clearly portraying women as things, something that is just there to please him and do what he wants them too. Through it all, he puts women down and says that for society to continue without flaw, men have to control the government, while women are there to make it easier for the men to succeed. Finally, we look at this song through a Freudian lens. If you were just listening to this song for the first time and have no background about what country music is primarily about, then you would probably believe that Randy Houser has a psychological issue or something of the sort. He talks about random things, from guns to women, rednecks and hippies, and getting a whipping and cooking fish on the creek bank. For the most part, this song is his id and superego going at it in an entertaining battle of good and bad, right and wrong.
The exhibit I have chosen to analyze is the commonly known movie, Avatar. I have chosen to examine this film partly because I have noticed many different aspects of the movie through different lenses and partly because I just recently re-watched it so it is fresh in my mind. However, shortly after deciding to begin the blog task I came to realize that I have “misplaced” my critical lens handout 101. However I found the handout on the class wiki. To start off I will apply the Marxist lens, revealing many different insights on the movie. Using a Marxist lens, a big thing to look for is how does money matter/function in the exhibit? This is PERFECT for Avatar, the whole dispute between the Humans and the Na’vi is fueled by the greed of money and selfishness. Money is the only thing that the humans are focused on; it is what has brought them to this alien planet in the first place. However the greed for money is extremely strong in the leaders and it blurs their vision between what is right and what is wrong. So a question a Marxist critic would ask would be how do these social classes interact with each other? Is there greed? First off, YES there is greed. Because of the element of greed this makes the human class clash with the Na’vi class. The humans have zero respect for the Na’vi people, religion, and home. Another question a Marxist critic asks would be if any characters climb the social/economic ladder? The movie begins with an instant climb of this ladder. Jake, a handicap man, is first seen as a useless member to the system. However, through technology, he is transformed to a useful tool to the upper class and now is favored. Throughout this movie you see how there is social tension throughout the different classes. The upper class in the system feels no remorse or regrets while pursuing greed and wealth while killing anything in its path. The people in the lower classes see the wrong in what they are doing; however continue to do what they are told by the upper class. Another thing you can uncover through a Marxist lens is the context of the movie and how it relates to a dispute in our history. Avatar, while looking at just the theme and lesson of the movie is extremely similar to the point in history where the white man unfairly (or fairly, whatever you believe) took over the Native American land. If you just change the features of the people and change the landscape you have Pocahontas. Right?
If we whip out our feminist critical Lenses now you can see a whole other view of Avatar. Using this lens you see how gender plays a huge factor in this exhibit. First off, the humans (bad guys in a sense) are nearly all men and ran by men. This can be an attempt to show how men are just horrible at running things and only focus on greed and violence. However, Avatar takes the stereotypical gender roles between a female and a male and flips it upside down. The Na’vi, in my opinion, is ran by women. Neytiri, another main character of avatar, continuously beats the men at hunting, fighting, riding, etc. She is dominant in the relationship between her and Jake because she is continuously helping, teaching, and dominating over him. However, eventually in the end, Jake manages to tame a greater dragon than her. Not to have the men totally beat by the women.
For this exhibit I chose to analyze the great Mary Cassatt's, "The Child's Bath", an oil painting on canvas (1893). This famous painting depicts the relationship between a daughter and her mother in the eighteen nineties. American painter and print maker Mary Cassat was an was born into a wealthy family and grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her work was inspired by Renaissance art and later moved in on Impressionism from a woman's perspective, mostly as a figure painter. At this time women were often restricted when it came to leaving the house and going places unattended where men could go. Mary Cassatt's focus of attention featured these restrictions. Mary's themes within her art included women conversing, taking care of their children, drinking tea, and, as seen in this exhibit, bathing an infant. Looking at this with a Feminist lens, one can see that these are all behaviors expected of a woman in the eighteen hundreds.
Gender definitely is functioning in this exhibit. You would never see a the father of a wealthy family caught bathing his children. That was considered 'woman's work'. The mother is seen as the caregiver while the father is off doing 'more important things' like bringing home the bacon. Is this because women aren't able to hold a job in the business world at this time? Are they not intelligent enough? Of course not. In the eighteen hundreds women were socially constructed as different. Society is what puts these limitations on women, leaving them at home to watch over the children and keep a clean house. These are social norms of the eighteen hundreds and it's these norms that women are valued for.
Mary Cassat's gender is what affects every one of her exhibits. She takes the expectations of women in the eighteen hundreds and paints it onto a canvas. Her artwork reflects the ideas and expectations of raising a family in the 1800's-1900's.
-Hilary Peterson Pd. 7
The exhibit I chose to analyze was our very own school.
Marxist- Through a marxist lens we look at the money and the power thoughout the school. In school you can definitely tell which of the students come from weathy families and which come from not so weathy families. Also with money comes power. The students who are "rich" or whose parents are actually rich are usually the more popular. And sometimes but definitely not all the time the weathy students tend to be stuck up and think they are better than every one else. Not just the students show power though. The teachers are above the students, Thorson is above the teachers, Talcott is above Thorson, Papone is above Talcott. Also when I moved to Brandon every one from Sioux Falls automatically assumed I was rich. People from Sioux Falls believe all Brandon kids are stuck up, rich, brats who have everything they could ever want when really we are just the same as any Sioux Falls school.
Feminist-Through a feminist lens we look at gender and how they each function in the exhibit and how women are portrayed. Alot of guys lately have been calling the girls fake or plastic. Well I just wanted to say good luck getting a girl with that stuff coming out of your mouth. Also guys think that girls cause all the drama when really if there were no guys there would be way less drama. Mostly all girl drama is over a guy. Yeah there is other drama too but guys is the most. And guys can't even say they don't have drama. Guys talk behind eachothers backs all the time just like girls. Maybe not as harsh but it's still stabbing them in the back just like girls. Also when we look at dress people think that there is so many girls that dress like sluts and show to much skin but looking around our hallways there are way more girls in sweat pants and sweat shirts or jeans and a nice shirt. The girls at our school are pretty good about the dress code and what's appropriate. Yes every once in a while you will get that girl that just has to go all out and show off some skin but just let it go. It's usually the not so clean one's anyways. The guys just think they are all powerful and mighty and they all just dress how they want. There is no problem with the way guys dress besides all the white kids who think they are gangster and wear there pants so low you can see there ass hanging out. Not attractive to girls what so ever so I don't know what they are thinking. Also THE PDA NEEDS TO STOP NOW! It's out of control. We need to have PDA police in the halls, seriously.
Freudian-In high school everyone has there boyfriends and girl friends, it's whatever. It's when you start making out and holding hands and googly eyeing each other that starts to make people mad. When you have to hug and kiss before you go in to class like your never going to see them again, thats rediculous. Class is FIFTY MINUTES LONG people. You will see them in less than an hour! Can't the lovey dovey stuff happen at home? I mean really no one cares to see you guys making out. DO IT AT HOME!
Ashley Mork
I am going to analyze the movie Zoolander for this blog task. The movie is about a male supermodel who has everything he wants in his life. He had won the best male supermodel for three years in a row and was going for a fourth which had never been done before. However, there is a new supermodel who brought a new vibe to the modeling industry that Derek Zoolander did not have. He was much more old school but he would soon have to learn how to become a little bit more "new school". If you look at this movie through a marxist lense you see the lack of interaction between the classes. Derek came from a blue collar family that worked coal mines and didnt have much flare for the dramatic. Derek had moved the furthest away from them he could and wa living with 3 other supermodel friends who are entirly obsessed with their image which you would have to be in order to be a super model. The only time that the social classes really interact is at the end of the movie when Derek and Hansel, the other supermodel, start an organization from under privaliged kids and help out the needy and their children. As for how does money matter in this situation, it has everything to do with his situation. He had all the girls he wanted before when he was winning all the awards and was hired for every single photo shoot for every company in the world. He did not have to worry about anything because everyone thought the highest of him. Once he lost his money people started doubting his abilities which led him to go back home and visit his family. This middle class family was not very happy with him for leaving the coal industry to go and be a fancy supermodel. He tried to work in the coal mines and then when back to supermodeling after his father saw one of his commercials in which he was dressed as a merman. The power system in this movie is incredible. There is one man who is the ruler of all the industry and gets whatever he wants except Derek. When Derek took his dive he realized his chance to get him and use him for what he wanted which was to kill the prime minister of malasia. Mr. Mugato, the ruler of the industry, was exploiting cheep labor of children to make all of his clothing and this was threatening his power. So he takes Derek and brain washes him into a killing machine when a certain triger is activiated, in this case a song. Derek snaps out of it and saves the prime minister when Mr. Mugato tries to kill the prime minister himself and reclaims his fame with the help of hansel. These two go on to be great friends and open up the foundation mentioned earlier.
the Exhibit that I am going to analyze is the BVHS lunch room/commons area. There is a great deal of imformation that we can learn about the BVHS lunch room/commons area. When we first start using a marxist lens we noticed that the lunch room is split up by grade and gender and activities and socail life. The different classes for say don't really intermingle with each other much. We are like animals we all have our area (table) in the commons and everyone knows that and respects it. We don't try to make conflict with each other but at the same time we don't try to talk to each other. It is sad that we all can help to learn and offer support to each other but we are to afraid of being rediculed or in an animal sense being mauled by another group. In the commons i do think we exploit the lower class people. We force them to the tables not so desired and we make them sit alone. I think there is social tension in the commons. The seniors don't like to have to deal with the in mature freshman and the same with sophmores and juniors. We all have the common ground of respect in the commons but if something upsets that the commons can turn into a zoo with people running all over the place trying to establish their dominance. With a feminist lens we can see that to an extent women are treated some what better than the males. They are the ones that get to go eat first before the males. I know that is the polite thing but it is sort of saying women have dominace here and the males don't. As freshman and sophmores I would say we sat more gender seperated but as juniors and seniors we started to sit together and we share a common sense of dominance in the commons. We can also point out with a feminist lens that Dr. Talcott runs the commons and he is the head male and way back in history the male always ran the house hold just like Dr. Talcott runs the lunch room. Are school might be a little sexist? no female administrator? With a freudian lens we can see some people act with their id and others don't. Their are some people in the commons that like to cause problems and be the aggresive animal for say. The lunch room is a very intersting place to look at with the three lens and it can show us a lot of things that we didn't know about ourself and our school.
Olson Bran, Period 5
I want to use a critical lens on High school in general. Is it not funny to see richer or more wealthy kids seem to have a higher status then other kids at school. Because they got the money (their parent's money) they always have the latest/newes clothes. They also seem to have no problem with socializing with anyone else around them maybe because they are so full of themselves and they know because they got the money that he or she should be looked upon. Kids with less wealth seem to be found with worthless clothes and the worry of being picked on for not having or wearing what the richer kids have. These kids are usually the ones who have to have a job and are unlikely to particitate in other activities which could be the reason why they lack socalizing where as wealthier kids might have to worry about a thing. They do not have to worry about a job and responsibility or weather or not they have enough money or not so they have less stress in their lives. Thats why see not only wealthier as in money but wealthier in family produces kids that have stress free lives and are able to concentrate on schoolwork more or can accelarate in sports and achieve more. Is it true the poor stays poor and the rich just get richer. Well in high school social class can really deterime where you fit in and who you hang out with and the things you do. If your a good-looking guy or girl your not goin to sit with people who are less fortunate in the beauti-contest. Simply thats what high School is, is a beauti-contest to girls and males as if they are animals fighting for their mates. I look at males in school and i think of a lions pride. So guys sleep around with all those females at one point in time in high school and it relates to the alpha male of lions. If any other dude lower than him tries to get with that girl sometimes that male/guy will be protective. You could also relate to seniors being a higher in the social class because we are the leaders in the school and we have more power over underclassman. Its as if school kind of encourages rank or class. I mean you could relate it to reall life. just as freshman are to the poor and seniors are to the rich and between the two classes they do not talk to each other much and are not like being seen talking to another. Hince why there is a freshman hall and a senior hall for our lockers. Social class examples are alll around us and in our everyday lives no matter where you go you will see that class verys as people do and that we are not all created equal and in a way i like having class because we will not be the same and we all have different goals in life as we live in a solializing system instead of a fascist one like in 1984 or Russia in the early days. So social is not all bad and can be viewed in good ways.
For my second blog task, I will look at the shirt that I have on right now. I am wearing a long sleeve, black Under Armour shirt. I like wearing them because they help keep me warm on those cold or wet days. I do not own a lot of Under Armour clothes because of how expensive some of their clothes can be, but yet their clothes look pretty sweet. But some people tend to take wearing Under Armour to the extreme. At my old school back in Rochester, I knew a guy that would wear nothing but Under Armour and everyday, he would wear something different. I think he wore it all the time because it gave him a feeling of uniqueness, and power. The name Under Armour seems to speak for it self. Just the name makes their clothing seem tough, and it will make you tough by wearing it. It wants to make you feel like you are unstoppable while wearing Under Armour, or that you are invincible. Armor is strong and tough and is the stuff you want to be wearing when going into battle. Or in this case competition. And the “under” of Under Armour, since you normally wear it underneath another piece of clothing (sometimes), seems to portray that the hidden power, or extra boost that you need to win or be successful, is in the Under Armour. And this is shown in some of their commercials. They show that if you have Under Armour, you will overthrow your opponent, and come away with the victory. But couldn’t you really do that just by simply wearing a normal shirt? Which helps me answer the question from the Critical lenses 101 packet, “How does a power system matter/function in this exhibit? I think that Under Armour targets athletes of all ages, and wants to make them think that Under Armour will give you the power/strength that you do not have/will be needed. And all the people that endorse Under Armour are professional athletes, the role models of many people, and people want to be like them so the only they can get close enough to being like them, is to wear what is being advertised by that athlete. And people always want to be on top, and be the best at what they do, so if you advertise a product that will (not) help people achieve in what they want.
The second exhibit I am going to analyze is the Broadway itself. I have experienced this particular part of the world man times. I think its cool they way the 'social classes' sit in the same room but not in the same sections. Obviously the theaters are split up by ticket price being the most expensive in the front and the less expensive in the back. Why is that people with more money get the better seat, shouldn't it be first come first serve. White males=front row. Broadway can be oppressive to gay people; most stereotypes believe that men in the theater are gay, so just if you’re talented you have to fit the gay 'mold'. I think that working classes (like really blue collar jobs) aren't allowed to experience that beauty and wonders of a 'high class' situation. I don’t think a lot of people that are construction workers and such can or would spend money on a musical or play. I believe women in the theater get to be shown as a strong and powerful people. They get to play different characters as well as be the damsel in distress. Like I stated earlier men are forced to fit the mold, and just because they are talented then they are gay. Straight men-not talented. I think that people go to Broadway to experience things that they can't in real life, it’s a touch of their fake fantasy life most of us hope to obtain, and it’s almost like a fantasy. I think it’s cool that men can be women and vies versa. People can dress up and forget who they are for a few moments in time; they can stop worrying about their true problems but rather the problems of their characters. From a Freudian lens I think that almost all the ids are winning when it comes to Broadway. The actors and actresses get to fill the roles of people that they either wish they were or are glad they are not. The whole point of Broadway is the same as a movie theater it is a complete escape from reality. I think that to make it on Broadway would be a dream of most peoples, to be able to escape reality and be able to do what you want. Even though Broadway is a very generic topic people can really read into it what they like. I think that Broadway is something that all people should experience because it opens their eyes to other cultures and places in the world. Rather than pretty simple white male South Dakota.
Lexi Fontana Pd. 6
I am analyzing the song “Stone” by Ingrid Michaelson. In a Marxist lens the song is comparing a “stone” as to poor people, or someone who is un-accomplished. The very first lyrics sung are, “let’s take a better look, beyond a story book,” meaning we (the singer and her brother) are not children anymore; they are growing old, can’t believe in fairytales anymore- need to be realistic, and need to be responsible yet need to keep their soul pure because that is all they own. The singer does not want her brother or herself to conform into society’s system. They need to stay individuals and not conform. The item, “stones,” is what is compared to conformity. I believed Ingrid Michaelson used stones as her object of choice because they do not move once built and when they are being built they are molded into whatever position their creator puts them (the stones) in. Also, the musicality in the song is very poetic and soft, using orchestra instruments, such as the violin or cello. Playing a string instruments, such as these, are normally played by those whom have the money to put into long hours of private lessons, like the wealthy.
In a Freudian Psychoanalytic Critical lens the entire song is fore telling the future. The stone in this case are the brother and sister’s id, saying, “If you wait for someone else’s hand, you’ll fall.” The superego is Ingrid Michaelson herself, singing the lyrics, of protect her and her brother from conforming to society’s evil ways, back to Marxist lens. Also, this song is Michaelson’s dream, of what she wants of her and her brother’s lives to come. Guilt is a major factor if they turn to “stone.”
In a Feminist Critical Lens, the song is sung by a woman, the sister, telling her brother what to do. She has to protect her brother from not succeeding, like a mother or grandmother to do their kids or grandkids. Males protect anyone, especially their children, from any physical or immediate danger, while females protect anyone, like their children, from any danger towards the future such as being responsible and independent verses protecting you from the “big bad wolf.” The musicality of the song would most likely attract women verses men because it is such a strong statement for women, saying we too can be strong and protect those beneath or above us.
Lexi Fontana Pd. 6
I am analyzing the song “Stone” by Ingrid Michaelson. In a Marxist lens the song is comparing a “stone” as to poor people, or someone who is un-accomplished. The very first lyrics sung are, “let’s take a better look, beyond a story book,” meaning we (the singer and her brother) are not children anymore; they are growing old, can’t believe in fairytales anymore- need to be realistic, and need to be responsible yet need to keep their soul pure because that is all they own. The singer does not want her brother or herself to conform into society’s system. They need to stay individuals and not conform. The item, “stones,” is what is compared to conformity. I believed Ingrid Michaelson used stones as her object of choice because they do not move once built and when they are being built they are molded into whatever position their creator puts them (the stones) in. Also, the musicality in the song is very poetic and soft, using orchestra instruments, such as the violin or cello. Playing a string instruments, such as these, are normally played by those whom have the money to put into long hours of private lessons, like the wealthy.
In a Freudian Psychoanalytic Critical lens the entire song is fore telling the future. The stone in this case are the brother and sister’s id, saying, “If you wait for someone else’s hand, you’ll fall.” The superego is Ingrid Michaelson herself, singing the lyrics, of protect her and her brother from conforming to society’s evil ways, back to Marxist lens. Also, this song is Michaelson’s dream, of what she wants of her and her brother’s lives to come. Guilt is a major factor if they turn to “stone.”
In a Feminist Critical Lens, the song is sung by a woman, the sister, telling her brother what to do. She has to protect her brother from not succeeding, like a mother or grandmother to do their kids or grandkids. Males protect anyone, especially their children, from any physical or immediate danger, while females protect anyone, like their children, from any danger towards the future such as being responsible and independent verses protecting you from the “big bad wolf.” The musicality of the song would most likely attract women verses men because it is such a strong statement for women, saying we too can be strong and protect those beneath or above us.
I chose Walmart, the cultural center of Sioux Falls, as my exhibit. There are so many different types of people who shop at this store, which is why I referred to it as the cultural center of Sioux Falls. So many people go to Walmart in any given day- people of different ethnic groups, social classes, religions, and ages; this is the reason why so many of the Marxist questions can be applied when analyzing Walmart. Money is a major function in this exhibit; people need money in order to buy products from the store, which gains money for the store, so they can pay the workers. The power system of Walmart looks like this (from who has the most power to who has the least): the customers, the owners, the managers, and then the customers again. The customers are the group with the most power because they control whether the store makes money; and they have the most power because “the customer is always right.” Depending on whether or not the store makes money, the owner will decide if the store will stay open or be shut down. When the store stays open the storeowners hire and/or fire the managers and workers; the owner has the most say in how the store will be run. The managers come after the owners because managers usually have the ability to hire and/or fire workers. Managers are in control of how productive the workers are while the owner is not present. Next are the workers because they know how the store works and are able to make it what they want, by this I mean that the workers in Walmart can climb the “economic ladder” fairly easily. If a worker does their job diligently and is always on time and is good at taking (and giving) direction, then they can climb the ladder to become manager and maybe eventually be an owner or part owner of the store. The customers are also the last on the list because they cannot decide what the prices of the products will be. I was also able to use the feminist lens while analyzing Walmart. When you walk into the store, the groceries -and the floral arrangements- are strategically placed by the women’s clothing. This is because it is usually thought that women are the “grocery getters” of a household, so the owners have women’s clothing and jewelry by the groceries in order to distract women from getting groceries and get some new clothes too –which gets the store more money. In my past experiences going to Walmart, never have I seen a man working in the jewelry or clothing department, and never have I seen a woman working over in the car parts area of the store. This is somewhat stereotypical of the idea that women only care about clothes and jewelry and do not know anything about cars. There are also a few things to analyze with the Freudian lens. The security guards who watch the cameras are the superego. The guards are there to make sure everyone is honest and pays for the stuff they get and that nothing chaotic happens. People who steal from the stores are the id. They do not really care what they do and are fine with doing something that will have bad consequences for other people. A lot can be learned by analyzing Walmart.
I’m analyzing the movie “I love you, Man” with a feminist lens. In this movie men and women fill their “natural” role. Men are the usually dick or completely absurd person and women gossip and don’t really understand men and their habits. Guys do things like talk about sex and rock out to Rush and go to concerts and “slap the bass”. And Peter’s (Peter is the main character) wife is like “What the hell?” So there is the typical woman not understanding men situation here. In this movie the women put more limitations on the men than the other way around. Peter is constantly trying to find a best friend to make his wife happier and to help himself. At the same time the men put a lot of limitations on each other. When Pete starts to try and find a best friend he goes to his brother and he lays out a bunch of rules and guidelines of going on “man dates” to make a new best friend. And later on when he finds Sydney, his best friend, Sydney lays down all these other rules and Peter gets annoyed with them. The women in this movie really seem to be the one granting privileges. The women are the ones allowing their men to do things they want. Pete’s wife grants him the privilege to go find a friend. Another one of the couples allow the guys to do what they want as long as they do something in return. The main woman in the movie, Zooey, is beautiful, smart, great, funny, caring, and amazing. Peter, the man, is a woman’s man, shy, dorky, uncool, funny, awkward, not quick witted, self conscious, in need of confidence. Should we scrap our created gender roles and stereotypes? I say that some of them yes but others just work. In this movie Men and women abandon their stereotypes yet jump right into others. In one example Zooey seems to have more control in the relationship and is more the one who says what is up. Yet in another example Pete, Zooey, Sydney and one of Zooey’s friends are golfing and the women are pretty much terrible at the sport. For men and women the social norms are way different. In this movie women are expected to be good looking, which they all are, and to be caring and compassionate. Men are supposed to be strong, self confident, and self reliant yet at the same time have guy friends to hang out with.
I am doing College Bound English Class through a marxist lens for my exhibit.
1.) How do social classes interact with each other?
3.)Is a system oppressive to its members?
Assuming that the social class are Students and Teacher then one can come to the conclusion that there is a seperation between the Students who feel oppressed and Students who just go with the flow. Those who feel oppressed are able to comprehend the material that is being tought but fail to see the logic behind its usefullness in our society. This is the group who doesn't agree with the system. Who are able to see things in another light. Those in this group aren't less smart than those in the other groups, they just think differently.
I use the word opressed in its loosest sense possible.
2.) Do any characters climb the "social/economical ladder"?
Yes, one way to climb the ladder is to make yourself outspoken, but the negative side to that is that it really doesn't matter what you say. The same idea can be stated four times over but each and every one "climb". The other way to "climb" is to agree with all things said. We have been told that "You may not believe it, but it's true" But since when were we going to be told How to think? "You are not thinking in the directed way", should not the goal of thinking anylitically be to think in ways other than those thought by others? Why should the students be tought to think in a singular way? This idea brings forth the novel 1984, where they wanted the people in it to think in a directed way.
7.) Are any of the character "suffocated" by their class rules and codes?
No. This is one thing that I approve of in this class. No favorites are chosen, at least not visibly, nobody is given favors that others are not. I have no dissenting opinion on this question. This class is fair.
The exhibit that i've chose is the book life of pi.
ITs a really good book if it doesn't get ruined by ppl in our class. I liked it before ppl started going a head in the book and during our form quiz's the kids would go past what we are on and spoil some of the book its so annoying. but the Femisest lense is that orange juice is pi's mom in many ways she take's care of her young like a mother would and even try's to stand up and protect others in need. she is the only female in this whole novel so she play's a big part. The Marxext lense is that pi is and young poor boy just going through life doing everything right, praising his god's and just being a good person but then all of a sudden everythig changes and way would god do this to some one that has been good to him all his life. God could be mad at him for prasing more then one god or god made him take this journey for some reason that pi just had to do. But i guess god has a plan for everyone and makes them go through bad times for a reason but know one will every know i believe in a god but i just dont get way he would make someone go through a bad time just becasue i've always thought way do bad things have to happen to ppl that do good things and yes not everyone is perfect but WHY.
The exhibit that im dong is our school.
Our school is good in all but its really unfair for sure. All of our teachers pick favorites and there is no way they can deny it every teacher does it especial the principals there the worse in doing so but I guess we can't do anything about it just have to DEAL with it. All my four years he at BVHS we ok I guess until this year, this year has been the worst out of them all. I got my first Saturday School this year the first time I have to applied is this year and I know its just cause of my name cause I haven’t missed one day all year and its bs just cause im not the favorite in the eyes of the principals I don’t get favored. But it’s all fine I don’t care just cant wait to get out of here. the Female side in this school is slim we have a lot actually but there roles in our school aren't the highest, yes we have more females then males in our school but I think the men that we have our way smarter then the women for sure. Except our principals. If I was some goody kid that had no socially life and just went home and did my homework and went to bed yes im sure I would be except right now but since im not i have to take all my semester test's so basically our school district is one big joke and in has many many flaws to it.
Chelsea Mattson pd. 7
I am examining my sweatshirt through a feminist lens.
1.) are there "natural" roles men and women fill?
A: This sweatshirt is actually a boy's sweatshirt. It it says brandon valley lynx wrestling on the front of it and the guy's last name across the back in big block letters. The sweatshirt its self is black, and only has red and white on it(brandon valley colors) This does show that there are natural roles men fufill since wrestling is typically viewed as a mens sport. Sports such as Basketball and Soccer are sports that are equally played by men and women. The gender role is shared in them. Wrestling on the other hand is typically viewed as something males do. It is completely domimance over the other male. Very animalistic like in some ways. Wrestling is somewhat natural i suppose. The stonger, better, more skilled man typically wins the match.
3.) who puts limitations on gender?
A: I think people themselves have always limited gender. In the very beginning men decided that women weren't equal so they didn't recieve as much pay for equal services. I don't think that there really was one person that said men are better than women or vice versa. Some people think men and women should work together as a team and others think that men are dominant and that women should serve them.
Chelsea Mattson pd. 7 (cont.)
Society itself places limitations on gender. What is thought to be "socially acceptable" is the way people act. Why don't most people make out in public? becuase it's not normally socially acceptable. I wonder if the bible placed some sort of limitations on gender. Not that by any means i am questioning God's word, however in the bible with the Adam and Eve story, God was said to Create Adam first, and then Eve out of his lung(not sure if that organ is right, but at least out of him). That would mean man was created first, male more important? Also Eve was the one who was conned into picking the apple from the tree of forbidden fruit by the snake. Female not as strong or capable of success as males? I am not saying that God doesn't think of men and women as equal by any means, just stating that people can possibly have placed gender roles according to the bible. Also, looking at this sweatshirt it seems society places color limitations on genders. Males are thought of as blue, purple, black, green and females of the warmer colors like pink, yellow, red, and lavender. Is bolder better? This sweatshirt is mainly black and it was designed for a male. When someone has a baby boy typically the shower is blue, and a baby girl, it is typically pink/yellow. Gender is sometimes very much defined/limited by color.
6.) Should we Scrap our created gender roles and Stereotypes?
This is a really hard question to answer. I think in a way society needs the gender expectations since they have always been a part of our past and present. They in a way define a man or a women, not necessarily in a good or bad way. They are just what people are used to and somewhat needed to keep order. Not saying there are things that men can do better than women, however men are typically stronger, and thought of as being the protectant one. Women usually the caretaker. I wonder if these "role expectations" will ever be eliminated and if they are what will define gender? will it be left up to the individual couple? and will marriages ever be a success without typical roles defined ? This sweatshirt does suggest male dominance, the man's last name is on the sweatshirt, and the women typically takes the man's last name in marriage which is also a gender sterotype or expectation.
Dan Nelson Period Numero 6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 <-(classic one)
The exhibit that I am choosing for my blog is school sports. The reason that I am using school sports is obvious and we have discussed it many times in class, but is such a great example that i must use it again, because it comes up all the time. School uses every lens in the "Critical Lenses 101" handout. It uses the Marxist lens because, in school sports, if the player is good for the system than the system becomes good for it. For example, Austin Sumner. (sorry austin :/, dont mean to bring you up again) BUT! Sumner is a great football player and basketball player and because of this, he is well known around the school and even other schools. He gets scholarships because he is good for our system we have here at our school and other schools want him to be good for their schools so they give him insentives to go to that school. If a player is not as good to the system (as Austin in this case), they will be more oppressed and not as likely to be known, therefore causing them to lose the insentives that Austin would be getting. And it is almost like using class in sports too. Austin is higher class than some of the other players. He would have a much easier time getting somewhere with sport scholarships and whatnot because the other players are not getting the same chances as Austin is. One question you could ask about this situation is- (And i'm switching it up a bit to fit the situation more using the marxist lens) Does any of the other players have to try harder to climb the "social ladder" to get to where they want to be? What i mean by that is- do they have to try harder to meet people that will get their names known? Or is their name already getting "put out there" because they are good at sports?
Sports can also easily use a feminist lens. This one is very simple to explain if you just spend a week in Brandon Valley during a sports season like the fall, or even go to a boys basketball game then go to a girls basketball game. People definitely favour the boys teams. It is incredibly interesting to analyze sporting events for this reason. I think the question- What are the social expectations of men and women in this exibit?- is the best question for my exibit, because it asks a great question that will answer why more people go to boys games than girls.
And I had some problems thinking of how to use the Freudian lens, but i realized, people use their superego, trying to get people to come to the sporting events and whatnot, BUT during the sporting event, the ID seems to be used more, like in football. Destroying/Spearing another human for a ball seems like a big ID reaction to me. and a question for sporting events using the freudian lens would be - Is the ID winning DURING sporting events?
i hope i've inlightened you-
((I)D)an Nelson
With the aid of the "Critical lenses 101" I am going to analyze Brandon Valley High School. Using a Marxist lens; money basically affects a lot in a education system. Students with parents that have a lot of money are definitely treated way different than other students by both faculty and their peers. They usually do not get in as trouble as others because either they were raised to higher standards or they are favored by the principals because without their taxes/donations the school wouldn't get as much funding. For the main parts all of the social classes mesh together in a school setting, but some people are looked at differently because of their social status. Another way to analyze the school using a Marxist lens would be to analyze the power structure. One could call our education system communistic and very interpellation according to Louis Althusser. Up top we have the school board and the superintendant that basically make up one group of dictators. When they make a rule it sticks and you can not buck the system. The next in line is Talcott and Thorson. They are basically the middle men of power and do not have a say in much. They distribute the rules of the "dictators" to the faculty and students. To me girls are treated different than guys in our school. Like in the real world men are held up to the standard where they have to treat women nicer than anyone else. I am not disagreeing with this standard but I am getting women complaining about the whole gender stereotypes and feminism stuff because guys get it just as bad if not worse then women. If a guy hits a girl in school more than likely they will be kicked out for good. If it was the other way around they would probably say the guy deserved it. Now I am not saying the guy did not deserve it but in the case where the girl got hit she probably deserved it too. One way that men and women are supposed to be equal in is sports. There is that big law out there that mandates that there has to be equal girls to boys in sports. On the overt this rule is fair but covertly women sports are way less popular than guys sports. There are far less fans at a girl’s basketball game than a boy’s basketball game. Women also get to have more luxuries than guys do in our school. On a day where they go by grade in the lunchroom girls ALWAYS get to go eat before the guys. And during football games and basketball games where the guys were out sometimes 4 hours before the gates opened Marso and Talcott gave the good seats to the girls. Not only does this make us mad but they also do not realize how they are hurting the school/teams also. With girls in front no one cheers and gets riled up for the game. One good example would be boy’s basketball playoffs. First playoff game Marso let in the girls first so they could get front row. No one got really pumped up for the game and so they lost. In the next game the guys got front row and we won.
The exhibit that I decided to analyze was the film “Robots.” The Marxist lens allows me to examine more of the social tensions among the robots. In the film “Robots” they continue and discontinue making parts for certain brands of robots. If you happen to have no more parts for you brand of robot you are forced to upgrade or be sent to the dump. The lower graded robots are considered the “lower class” in this film. How do social classes interact with each other? Well, the lower class talks to the lower class and the upper class talks to the upper class. Which in this case the non-upgraded robots and the upgraded robots do not talk to each other they talk among their certain “class”/grade. Do any characters climb the “social/economic ladder”? Yes, Rodney takes to the climb of the “social/economic ladder” because he forces his way into the upgraded system. He has the smarts and the courage to continue fighting for the lower class. He finds Bigweld which was for the lower class as well but had left the picture. Bigweld helps Rodney climb up the ladder to success as he gets help from friends to defeat Ratchet/the upper class. Are there social tensions? Yes, there are social tensions. The ruling classes are happy because they know they won’t be sent to the dump and the lower classes are miserable because they are constantly hiding from the chopper so they do not get sent to the dump. Are the lower/working classes exploited? No and yes. In ways the lower class is being used to by upper class things so they can survive and live and therefore is sending money up to the big guy. In other ways no because all they really do is work to provide for their families just like we do now. The lower class isn’t really being slaved in this film. Are characters given more/less freedom by their class? I believe this answer is yes, because as I said earlier the lower class is confined to their homes and searching through garbage for parts for their specific robot need. The upper class is free to do whatever they want because they are not threatened by the dump. Are any of the characters “suffocated” by their class rules and codes? Yes, I believe Fender is one of those characters that seems to be “suffocated” by the works of the upper class. He is a downgraded robot that has to avoid the chopper or his parts will be burned which is killing him. He needs parts badly but they don’t make his parts anymore and he can not afford the upgrade. So he is “stuck.”
for my exhibit i am going to analyze the show the office, i have done this exhibit before yes but now this time i will look at a different POV.
In the offices "food chain" if you will it is for the most part male dominated. At the scranton branch michael scott is the pampas happy go lucky arrogant regional manager, his receptionist is a woman named pam, pam being the receptionist knows she has little chance to go anywhere or advance in the company, The guys who are the warehouse workers are except for 1 i think are all black. It is definitely racial profiling especially because the way that the warehouse workers act, cocky, talk in an urban themed jargan that michael scott is fascinated with to the point that michael harasses the workers, the other black men that come through scranton: gerald, gerald comes when the other branch closes down in the famous merger episode and when gerald comes michael scott slips in the line "no let me show you where the slaves work!" michael scott is immediatley embaressed because he instantly realizeds oh god gerald is black i just said a racist comment, but gerald doesnt mind he knows it was an accident but in the latter time of the episode it is revealed gerald is an ex-convict convicted for embezzlement, that is just racial profiling. Stanley hudson is one of the other black men at the scranton branch and michael scott continuallly time after time harasses stanley about various things and stanley is very annoyed of michael and their personalities do not mix well, michael always says he needs stanley he is the offices black guy, and in season one of the office they play a basketball game and michael is shocked that stanley isnt good at basketball because he is black, once again more racial profiling.
Now through a feminist lens again, at one point in the office jan levanson ghoul is the head of corporate and she is michael scotts boss but through the chronicles of the office michael scott becomes sexually involved with jan and she is fired after she becomes neglegent and after she is fired she openly begins a relationship with michael where she gets breast augmentation (feminist lens) and she over time becomes more egotistical and psychotic. In the show the office its key humor is that it takes everyday situations and finds humor in them but its moneymaker is how it exploits people, exploiting stereotypes to the point that the show can be just bluntly sexist or down right racist.
Through a marxist lens you could look at it is michael scott the leader of the office is so obsessed with himself and he has no friends so he is not in the pursuit of money so much as befriending office employees which he sucks at so michael scott is the best and worst boss at the same time.
Kashi Halma
For my second exhibit I am going to analyze a bouquet of flowers on my kitchen table. We got the flowers on Sunday from my grandparents for Mother's Day. They are in a small vase with a few different kinds of tulips in it and there are also some bleeding hearts in the vase too.
Critical:
How does money matter/function in this exhibit?
Most of the time when a person gets flowers they are store bought flowers and people pay good money for just one flower. I know one rose can be up to three dollars. Depending on the type of flower you buy the more or less you have to pay for them. The flowers we got on Mother's Day were free because they were picked from my grandparents garden. Of course they had to buy the seed at one point but they are the kind of flowers that keep growing year after year so you only have to spend the money once, and I know my grandparents have had their garden for as long as I can remember.
Feminist:
How does gender matter/function in this exhibit?
Well gender does kind of matter in this exhibit because they were given to my mother a female and most of the time women receive flowers or plants. But also gender does not matter in this exhibit because my grandfather was the one who went out to the garden and picked the flowers and gave them to my mother. I do not know if I have seen a male receive flowers or plants but it would not be that odd. If a man was in the hospital people would send him flowers or if the man just like gardening he might receive plants for his garden. So flowers are not really just a woman thing but men can get or receive flowers or plants too. Gender roles can be switched around and it is not always a bad thing.
Freudian:
Do any characters represent the id, the superego, or the ego?
My grandfather would be the superego because he consciously decided to get flowers for my mother. My mother would be the ego because preconscious she did not know what she was going to get something but knew she would probably receive something from my grandparents. My mother would also be the id because unconsciously she did not know what she was going to get so it was a surprise.
I choose to analyze work places.
How are women portrayed/depicted in this exhibit?
and
How does gender matter/function in this exhibit?
First off i would like to talk about uniforms. At businesses that require a full dress code you can look at the uniforms they require the employees to wear through a feminist lense. Through this lenses you can see that many businesses choose uniforms that are more male friendly than female friendly. with baggy unfitted shirts and loose unflattering pants the work world is trying to turn women into the superior male species. At my job at dairy queen everyone wears the same baggy unfitted MALE work shirt and black slacks, that are never flattering to the woman shape. They also require us to wear hats and demote the women to wearing visors while the men receive full ball caps.
Second i would like to discuss gender selection when choosing employees. at most job sites you will find that men get hired more for jobs that require any sort of lifting even if it is 10 pounds. more often men receive jobs that women could fulfill just as well. at our store we have more men than women and our manager hires one girl for every 2 or 3 boys he hires. i don't think our manager purposefully does this but i believe he feels that men work harder and slack off less than females while it is the exact opposite. the male employees seem to be the ones doing less cleaning and restocking of items while the girls are nonstop busy and receive no credit accept when their accomplishments are brought to view by our female manager.
Third i would like to talk about working ability and attitude. As i have said women in the work place are seen as a lesser powered employee. being limited in what they can do and how well they can perform. But that is completely wrong. women can and do perform just as well as men almost everyday. they perform the exact same tasks and sometimes they perform them better yet get no recognition. Women are also scrutinized for their attitudes. women are seen as emotional and moody and called rude names because of it. BUT if a guy acts the same way NO ONE SAYS ANYTHING!!! it is a sad fact but women are scrutinized so much harder than men and given less praise for a job well done especially if a man did the same job and completed it at the same or maybe even a little worse level of mastery.
Katie Lindner Pd.7
The Exhibit I am choosing is my boyfriend's family. It is always interesting to analyze anything in-depth, especially something as personal as family. His father is a pastor which in itself is a position of power. His mother is a upper executive in the Sanford hospital which also demands a certain amount of respect and responsibility. Regarding social classes, his family would be considered part of the bourgeoisie class. Being a pastor, his father is in constant contact with the social ladder. Simply because of his authoritarian position, he is treated higher than the other members of his church and therefore he experiences social tension between the families in the church. Because his father is in a white collar position but isn't a opressor of the members of his congregation, the "lower" class, or those who aren't a part of the church democracy system (if you could call it that) the regular attendees are never exploited or pressured by or for tithing.
His mother is a highly driven woman who has beat her competition (male or female) all her life to reach the position she currently holds. She herself has been challanged, simply because she is a woman, to obtain managerial positions. When his father works and so does his mother, an essential base relationship is hard to maintain. His mother, even though she is constantly pressured to back down from her much deserved position, does not. She looks at her own mother, my boyfriend's grandmother, and remembers how she never worked. That is what was normal; that the man worked and the woman took care of the children and of the house. The reason why my boyfriend's mother has worked so hard amidst pressure is to ultimately provide a better life for her children. Through this, she fills the natural role of the caretaker. She has broken through the limitations and the gender expectations set on her gender throughout history and stayed driven.
His sister is absolutely crazy. Freud himself would have an incredibly hard time analyzing her. Unfortunately for my boyfriend, because of her age (12), her libido is beginning to form. Boys are slowly becoming more interesting and the cooties are slowly dying. She, like all other young girls, are consciously influenced by the media, with girls shaking their behinds and wearing revealing clothing. Also unfortunately for my boyfriend, his sister does the same things she sees on TV. There is also an oedipal complex with her in the sense that the boys that she is interested in look like, and act like, her father.
My boyfriend's family has been viewed through a Marxist, Feminist, and Freudian lens.
For my exibit, I chose my job at Bostons.
1) Marxist Critical Lens
In every job you obviously are there to make a profit yourself and help the company make a profit. I host - therefore i don't have a huge role in the profit making, but i do what i can :) Boston's is an awesome restaurant with awesome food, but the Sioux Falls chain is really only standing due to the fact that all the other bostons in Minneapolis and such make sooo much money they keep us running. This makes the employees and employers uneasy - but that is how business works.
2) Feminist Critical Lens
Bostons has about equal female and male employees. We do however have a female General Manager and regular manager and only one male kitchen manager. It is typical that the kitchen manager would be male in my opinion, because more of the cooks are male and that is how most restaurants work i would assume. I love and hate the fact that we have a female General Manager. Who by the way is pregnant along with our other female manager, so thats awesome. The mood swings, the drama, the gossip - you think it's just high school, wrong. Being an employee for almost four years now and having 2 male GM's and now my first female. In my opinion - male is always better. Using a feminist lens though, it shows that females can have power and are respected in the work place. My managers have a good head on their shoulders and are looked up too for the most part.
3) Fruedian Critical Lens
I am going to try to keep this as (PG) as i can. You always have the different work relationships that go on. Recently the male in the relationship got made manager therefore that girl could not come back to work for Bostons. It's policy - unfortunately. There have been so many crazy insidences that i'm sure happen all over at different work places, but that you only think happen in the movies or you read about in cosmo. We've had customers get kicked out because they were caught fornicating in our bathroom. We've had employees fornicate in the office - ya there's cameras .. not so smart. We've had many different varieties of things happen in the 4 years i've been there. Keeps things interesting i suppose. What i'm getting at is Boston's can't be the only place these things happen. The work place can be dirty. Using a fruedian lens we see and recognize this.
jayden.
The exhibit I chose to write about is Victorias Secret. There are many different views and opinions on lingerie. Why can't it be enough just to hold up the girls but not we have to add lace and diamonds. I'm not saying I don't go for the cute looking things but it sucks paying 50 dollars for a good bra.
How are women portrayed in this exhibit?- Women are used as objects and trophies in a way. Many women including myself are envious of the super model body type. Men walk by the store and stare. Flashing to fantasies of their girls wearing something so scandelous. How does gender matter/function in this exhibit?- Gender plays a huge role in these products because women want to feel sexy and men want their women to look sexy.
Through the marxist lens we look at how power and money effect our ways of thinking. Women feel they have to spend more money for the brand of the bra in order to feel more sexy and wanted. Every year Victoria's Secret comes out with a bra and underwear set made of completely diamonds. Just the bra itself can get up to 6.5 million dollars. Rich women go CRAZY for these bras and they definitely get a ton of offers. The diamond bra can't be supportive or comfortable so why do women want it so bad. It's because the feeling wearing the bra that gets the hype so high. Women feel desired, expensive, and diva-like.
Through a freudian lens, we look at the sexuality of the characters involved. If you walk by the store in the mall you there are huge pictures of a model in a matching bra and underwear with her legs crossed and her arms make a V infront of her. We can assume the V is made on purpose and is definitely there for a reason. We relate sex subconsciously to our every day lives. We can't help it because it is in our nature to want to be affectionate toward one another.
Through the feminist lens we look at how women are portrayed and how we view them. Again the models are the envy of all other women. It isn't realistic to look like one of them but yet we all want to. They have personal trainers and dietitions and yet we make ourselves feel bad about our eating habits and our lack of exercise. The women are put up on a pedistle and are glorified by every single person that sees them.
Women need to be wanted, loved, and pampered. What's wrong with that? We need to hear that we are sexy. We boost ourself esteem by wearing seductive clothes and bras.
-Madison
The exibit i have chosen is the Sanford Clinic in Brandon. I was at the doctors office last night and thought this would be the perfect exhibit because of the money involved in this specific profession (medical field). I will be using a marxist lense throughout this task. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear about a doctors office or a doctor is, wealthy. Really it takes a lot of schooling, which cost can reach to near $300,000, and this money has to be paid off. In the long run though, most people in the health field with end up making good money, but hopefully its because of the fact that they want to help others not just make good money. With the medical profession, whoever is making the most money, usually has all the power. In town at the Sanford Clinic, Dr. Van Es (think thats his name) does all the treating and basically runs the show. Thus he'll make the most money, thats just the way it goes. Being a doctor, the right purpose, must make you happy. I'm sure if you asked them anytime that help someone out/make someone feel better, so they can enjoy normal life again, one would think they would be very happy. The greedy bastards that are just in it for the money probably wouldn't care either way, as long as they are getting paid. An interesting question on the handout is, are the lower classes actually happier because they are not as opressed byt ther upper/ruling class rigid rule system? I think this can be answered. I think their are many peole in our country who would rather flip burgers than be a doctor because you have to go to school to be a doctor. I think that a secretary would rather set up appointments then preform surgery on someone because the their isn't as much responsibility involved. This sure isn't true for everyone but in some cases i guaruntee that this goes through peoples minds.
Members of the medical field are given a lot of respect because of the hard work they put in, in their many, many years of college. Also for the risk's they take dealing with the health of a total stranger but still caring for them as if they were part of their family.
Austin Sumner
p.6
The exibit i have chosen is the Sanford Clinic in Brandon. I was at the doctors office last night and thought this would be the perfect exhibit because of the money involved in this specific profession (medical field). I will be using a marxist lense throughout this task. The first thing that comes to mind when you hear about a doctors office or a doctor is, wealthy. Really it takes a lot of schooling, which cost can reach to near $300,000, and this money has to be paid off. In the long run though, most people in the health field with end up making good money, but hopefully its because of the fact that they want to help others not just make good money. With the medical profession, whoever is making the most money, usually has all the power. In town at the Sanford Clinic, Dr. Van Es (think thats his name) does all the treating and basically runs the show. Thus he'll make the most money, thats just the way it goes. Being a doctor, the right purpose, must make you happy. I'm sure if you asked them anytime that help someone out/make someone feel better, so they can enjoy normal life again, one would think they would be very happy. The greedy bastards that are just in it for the money probably wouldn't care either way, as long as they are getting paid. An interesting question on the handout is, are the lower classes actually happier because they are not as opressed byt ther upper/ruling class rigid rule system? I think this can be answered. I think their are many peole in our country who would rather flip burgers than be a doctor because you have to go to school to be a doctor. I think that a secretary would rather set up appointments then preform surgery on someone because the their isn't as much responsibility involved. This sure isn't true for everyone but in some cases i guaruntee that this goes through peoples minds.
Members of the medical field are given a lot of respect because of the hard work they put in, in their many, many years of college. Also for the risk's they take dealing with the health of a total stranger but still caring for them as if they were part of their family.
Austin Sumner
p.6
Chris Kujawa
Period 7
I have chosen to analyze Boondock Saints 1 and 2 for this blog because i find it truly phenominal that they made the two movies so far apart from each other and still managed to get the same actors/actresses to play their parts. Now in the first movie there really arent any women that are memorable exepts when the trio are in the apartment and the two women walk in but even then the two women that walk in are drugged out whores basically. Now in the second movie the main detective that is trying to solve the cases is a strong minded beautiful woman, i think that this shows that maybe even now women are gaining even more rights and respect from 1999 through 2010. In a marxist lense you can look at how this movie is set up because the saints/ the two brothers were not raised in a rich family or anything so they are just nothings in the mind of all the people with the power and money. The people with the money and power in this movie are usually bad people who kill and deal drugs and get away with it because they are so dam rich. So the saints decide to try and equal out the playing field by killing the rich and powerful people to create a balance. Also in a freudian lense you can see how power and money can get you women, the saints in the movie dont really get any women in the two movies but the people they kill sure do, one of them in the first movie is killed in basically a peep show because he has the money to pay and watch.
for my topic i chose gucci mane music. he is a very sexist and marxist person, everything he raps about is women and getting with them and being truly stupid paid. he does it in very vulgar ways. he just recently go out of prison for violating his probation. he immediately recorded five songs upon his release. this shows that no matter what he is always there to make money and buy whatever he wants to whenever he wants to. he talks about women a lot in vulgar ways and in his music videos shows them with little clothing on and doing raunchy dance moves. his songs and way of life are very sexist and marxist, but that's what it takes to make it big in this country
My exhibit is going to be the song, “The Last Night” by the Christian band, Skillet. I am going to answer the six questions on page six of the Critical Lenses 101 handout. The song is a true story about a girl who comes to lead singer John Cooper and reveals to him that she is a cutter and that she doesn’t want to feel this way anymore and she plans on committing suicide. The song contains a powerful message of hope, love, and what those two things can accomplish. The first question asks if the Id is winning in any character. I think that without a doubt her id is obviously winning. She has a problem with her cutting which is her id. She needs help. Her id has taken over and is threatening to end her life. That definitely relates to the message of the song. Don’t let you depressing Id stop you from being happy. Question two is if any characters represent the id, superego, or ego. I think I look at her cutting addiction and thoughts of killing herself as the id, an incredibly negative id, and I look at Cooper’s wanting her to be safe and happy as the superego. I think she is not only the ego, but also a representation of the choice between the option of the superego; all the people in the world who care about and are close to cutters or people with depression, and the id; succumbing to her depression and cutting again or worse. Question three asks if any of the characters are repression any urges or goals. I think the girl needs to repress the urges she is facing at the hands of her id. I also know from experience that at times when working with cutters there is a strong urge on Cooper’s characters part to feel like their life is in your hands. That is apparent in the lines, “Look me in the eyes so I know you know I'm everywhere you want me to be.” Feelings like this can lead to repressing goals in your own life. The fourth question asks if there are any sexual symbols. The repeated thought of being with the girl throughout the night could lead someone to think it might be sexual, but I completely disagree. In my opinion trying to fit a sexual line into a song about depression by a Christian band wouldn’t make any sense at all. There are no sexual symbols in this song. The next question asks how the characters are seeking narcissistic bliss. I guess cutting might be a way of temporarily becoming blissful to the world, for a second or two, but otherwise I don’t see many signs of that in the song. Question six could take me days to answer and I still wouldn’t be correct. It asks what is going on in the mind of the characters. I know first hand what is in Cooper’s mind. Wanting to save a life or make a difference is a powerful feeling. Cooper’s desperation to help this girl is a feeling I share with him. Cutting and depression are difficult problems to handle and if someone can make a difference, even just for one other person, in my opinion that is doing something amazing. On the other hand, I really wish what was going on in the girl’s mind. I have been a cutter for a long time, I have worked to help cutters stop for a long time, and I still don’t know why I or they or anyone does it. It doesn’t help for longer than ten seconds. If I knew what the thought process behind it was then maybe other people could learn to, and we could eliminate this devastating problem. Until then I will keep listening to emotionally passionate songs about stopping a really horrible issue in our middle-class to upper class, white society. We are supposedly more accepted than other ethnicities but for some reason this scar remains, both physically, emotionally, and socially.
I choose to look at the Disney Channel original movie "Read It and Weep". This movie follows Jamie, a undiscovered middle school writer. She expresses her feelings about the ups and downs of her life in a fictional world where the main heroin is Isabella, Is for short. Is is Jamie's id; she describes how Is would react to the same situation in life in a different and seemingly better way. When Jamie's private journal gets published and becomes a best selling book, her id begins to take control of her entirely. Soon Jamie is arguing with her family, hanging with the popular but snotty kids, and ignoring her real friends. Jamie finally realizes what Is is doing to her life and gains control of her ego once again. Freudian/Psychoanalytic critics ask: Does the id win in any character? At times, Is (id) takes complete control of Jamie (ego) and she decides to do what she alone wants to do, not what she promised her friends or parents or anyone else relaying on her. Eventually everyone come to hate Jamie because of how she acts under the influence of Is, her id. We all lose sight of what is right, and let our ids take over every now and again. It's only when we continue to give into our id that we get into trouble. Jamie almost lost her family, her friends, everything because she like the way it felt to satify her id. But once she gained control of her ego again, she realized how dangerous Is, her id, could become.
Looking under a feminist lens you see that the females in this movie are shown to be power hungry; whether they are naturally popular or they lose themselves in the persute of popularity. Sawyer is the mean girl of the school. She's pretty, popular, mean, snotty and she's dating the hottest guy. However, as soon as Jamie becomes a celebrity they all of a sudden she wants to be BFF (best friends forever). Jamie, on the other hand, is the average Jane at the start of the movie, but give her a taste of popularity and suddenly she's addicted. She would rather have the finer things in life than the things that really matter. Women are also shown to be opinionated. Jamie's friends Harmony and Lindsey are passionate about anything they do; especially if it includes saving the world in some way. The are outspoken when it come to saving the whales, stopping animal experimentation, and telling Jamie that she is being a lousy friend. They dont forgive her right away and they tell her why, but they also listen to what she has to say and forgives her eventually.
Looking through a marxist lense you can clearly see the effect of power and popularity. Jamie become obsessed with looks, money and image and completely forgets why she went along with this crazy scheme in the first place: to try and save her days pizza parlor. Jamie becomes more and more like her id, Is and ditches her real friends. She never keeps her promises and then uses excuses to try and slime her way out of it. It seems to be a pattern; once youve reached a certain peak, its aall down hill from there.
Laryssa Osheim
[this is the one that didn't post for me]
For this blog I will be looking at the movie The Notebook. This movie is one of the all-time best romance movies of this time. It portrays many aspects of all three of the lenses.
I see this movie mainly through the Marxist lens. Money matters greatly throughout this movie. Allie, who is a young, rich teenage girl, falls in love with Noah, a poor teenage boy. At first they didn’t think it would work due to their social status. Noah always thought it would, but he had nothing to lose. Allie’s parents are both very wealthy and want her to grow up to meet someone wealthy and have a happy, carefree life. But does money really bring you all that happiness? Noah shows Allie that you don’t need money to be happy in life. Allie is the most happy with Noah even though he doesn’t make a lot. It’s the feeling of love and happiness that overpowers money. After Noah goes off to war, Allie writes letters everyday, but her mother took the letters that Noah wrote back making him seem not reliable. So, she finds a new, rich man. Her parents approve greatly since he has money and can be just like them. But in the end Allie realizes that when Noah comes back that’s who she wants to be with. She conquers the need of money, and sacrifices that for happiness and love.
Through a feminist lens, the women in the movies are portrayed just as most women acted in the 30’s, housewives. They just played “sidekick” to the husbands. They don’t get to think for themselves. Allie’s mother was in the same situation as Allie when she was a teen as well. She was in love with a man that made her happy but had little money and her parents forced her to leave him and not talk to him anymore. She had no say in it. So she ended up marrying Allie’s dad, and never got what she wanted. Women should fight for what they want and not let others boss them around. Allie’s parents feel that she doesn’t know any better and that she doesn’t know she’s making a big mistake. She does, however, get to go to college, which most women didn’t get to back in those times. Overall, women are not portrayed strongly like they really are/should be.
Through a Freudian lens, Allie has a huge id. She knows on a conscious level that she’s going against her parents and dating someone they don’t like, yet, her id controls her and brings her to what’s right in her mind. She knows deep down that her and Noah were meant to be together.
Since I'm feeling a little morbid, I will throw Grand Theft Auto under some critical lenses. As we all know, the Grand Theft Auto game series revolves around money, violence, power, and objectifying women. To clarify right off, I like this game series and I am not just exploiting the "bad" aspects within it. The true way to progressing in GTA is with money. Some people on this earth choose messy ways to get their money. Tons of murder, robberies, and carjackings take place in order for the game's protagonist to get his. Power is the only way not to get killed. When a man is respected from characters in the game, he will likely stay on top for at least a little while. People kill to become higher on the totem pole, then they themselves are soon killed off for someone else's same interest. In this game, women play quite a big role. They normally don't play exactly the same one as the men, though. This game actually shows some strength in women. There are instances where women will do killing, just like the men. In the beginning of Grand Theft Auto 3, the main character is actually shot down by a woman! She returns in a proceeding game with exactly the same violent tendencies. On the other hand, women can be objectified to an extreme level. Prostitution is prevalent every night, and players can pick them up and have fun with any of them, as long as the dude's car is nice enough. In GTA 4, it is always an option to "go inside for coffee" with a woman after a date. Psychoanalysis matters in GTA because it makes players able to understand why in-game characters behave the ways they do. Looking at what Vlad has in the fourth numbered game will reveal why he's such a (cuss word). It is a good thing that cutscenes are so nice in these games because it gives players time to really get to know these characters and also be capable of figuring them out. All the aspects of this series that are able to be analyzed by the lenses fit together perfectly. They go hand in hand throughout each game. One wants money. One will go to extreme measures to obtain this money. All the killing, stealing, and vulgarity begins.
Post a Comment