Miss Representation

The focus of the documentary was primarily that the media perpetuates a strongly influential and holistically negative influence on women. It begins by showing montages of sexualized, idealized women in movies and other mediums. Young girls in high school reflect on this, and one girl recalls, in tears, how her younger sister has resorted to self-mutilation because her classmates tease her about her body.

The documentary presents the irony that women like Angelina Jolie are held in high regards as above being objectified, yet they pose nude and often portray only temptresses in movies. It is then presented that women in politics, CEO’s of major companies, and other highly influential women are given little to no recognition in the media. In fact, shows portraying such intelligent women, Like “Commander in Chief” usually have little success or focus on knocking the women down a peg, like “The Devil Wears Prada”.

The point Miss Representation that is trying to make is that girls see these examples of objectification and feel that they must obtain such unreachable standards, and ultimately base their self-worth on how men perceive them. This suggests strong media influence, reminiscent of Meaning Theory or even a less extreme version of the Hypodermic needle.

                The documentary proposes that media perpetuates these ideals, and society’s acceptance of it allows the cycle to continue.

The Soundtrack of my Life

Personally, I believe all music is up for interpretation by the listener and can therefore relate to almost anyone. However, some songs, in either lyric or sound, can hold special meaning to us and reflect us more precisely. Some songs remind us of events of our lives, others capture our feelings, and some make us think the artist looked into our minds for inspiration. In the story of my life, 5 songs could play appropriately in the background:

1.       “The Prayer”  by Kid Cudi.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grPfVlj7Go4 . Cudi sings about how being deep makes him feel  out of place, but he believes it’s for a greater purpose. As a child I always felt I couldn’t relate to people my own age, but growing older helped me understand being different has a unique purpose.

2.       “All Hail the Heartbreaker” by the Spill Canvas.  This one can be about one of my old relationships. Lyrics about obsessing over someone who hurt you and romanticizing your relationship may as well been written about one of my old romances.

3.       “Here’s to the Night” by Eve 6. Generally, I mark my life by summers and this song is the anthem to the many crazy, unplanned summer nights growing up in a small town. In fact, this song was playing on the best night of my life, a summer night before the first day of high school.

4.       “Cheryl Tweedy”  by Lily Allen. The feisty, quirky singer sings about wanting to be a different person because of the problems she mostly causes herself. I can relate to the desire to be a better version of myself but not being proactive.

5.       “Scar Tissue” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I always felt this song was about looking at the world through a different, and wider perspective. Thus, it always resonated with any loneliness.  

Epilogue: All Shook Up

In the epilogue of All Shook Up the author reflects the changing meaning of Rock and Roll to American culture. Some things I found noteworthy include the fact that for all the hype and negative press associated with Woodstock the author notes that no murders, rapes, or robberys happened its first year. Further, iconic singers like Janice Joplin used it as a platform for introducing their new work.
Also interestingly, Bruce Springstein, (given special emphasis is ASU) not only promoted hippie values through his music, but did many concerts for Vietnam Veterans and antinuclear protests.
The epilogue also incorporates Rock and Roll's future, discussing how it's had influence on a variety of different music: "In the half century since Rock 'n' Roll got its name,the music has taken many forms, R&B, romantic rock, heavy metal, punk rock grunge rock". Thus, rock and roll is not dead, and is an active force on society.

Gay Rights: Forward or Backward?

It might seem like America has made strides in Civil Rights, including the gay movement, but looking at repeated instances of homophobia in the media undermines attempts to move forward.

The Gay Rights’ movement was sent into high tail forward with Obama’s announcement he opposed the ban on same-sex marriages in 2008. Within the last year, same sex marriages became legal in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York.

Despite these huge progressions, public anxiety over this openness leaves the movement in a gray area. Controversy emerged over Chaz Bono, transgendered child of Sonny and Cher, being a participant of popular show “Dancing with the Stars”. Critics claimed it would confuse children, while supporters stated it opened grounds for discussion and understanding. Bono was allowed to continue on the show.

The end of “don’t ask don’t tell” in the military by President Obama removed the cloak from closeted service members, promoting further equal rights.

However, homophobia in recent years has not been put to rest by strides in gay rights. In recent years, infamous remarks by actor Mel Gibson provoked him to publically apologize, and actor Isaiah Washington was forced to reprise his role in “Grey’s Anatomy”. Even more recently, Oscars’ producer Brett Ratner resigned from his position after using an f-bomb at a media event. Huge media coverage was given to the Westboro Baptist Church after members’ appearances at funerals of soldiers holding signs that stated “God Hates Fags”. The public mostly reacted with disgust to such extremists, but the church’s beliefs express some backward opinions still held in America.

While anti-gay sentiment in America presents a resistance, the rights of gays and lesbians are still on the rise. It can be hard to predict the future of Gay Rights, but ultimatley the country is moving towards greater rights.