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Friday, June 6, 2008
Table of Contents
Intro to paper rewrite choice
For my rewrite option, I choose paper #2 on community. I could have chosen any one of the paper, since they all need huge amounts of work. I choose this one because it seemed like I could express more of my thoughts without totally deleting the first paper and starting over.
Rewrite of paper #2
Professor Harrington/Huntington
English 101 O/L
9 May 2008
Community
When you hear the word community, many people would immediately think of the town or part of the city in which they live. The term community can have a different meaning altogether. A community can refer to a segment of people who live together and share a way of life, like a farming commune. Another type of community can be on the INTERNET, like Myspace. In his essay, You Are Who You Know, Andrew Leonard writes "Particularly in the developed world, our atomized, alienated, transient lifestyles have resulted in our seeking community from those who share the same interests, or workplace, or some other kind of tribal loyalty." (155) Whether they realize it or not, people identify themselves through others they surround themselves with.
The workplace is a popular place to form a community. An example of this is a police department. The officers on the force refer to each other as brothers. They support each other, cover each others' backs, listen to their problems, socialize together, and console and take care of the family members of a fallen officers' family. The police community is a "closed" community. A person cannot just walk in off the street and become part of the community. To get into this community, a person must become an officer, train with a seasoned officer to learn the ways of the community, and then they are a member for live.
Communities formed on the internet are a completely different type of thing. There really is no personal face to face interaction. Myspace, for example, is a collection of pictures and stories about millions of different people. The more "friends" you have on Myspace, the more you can brag to others. Leonard referenced internet friends as not really true friends. He says "When so many people are your friends, can those "friendships" be worth much?"(150) A true friend is someone who is there when you need them to provide support, comfort, and companionship. An internet community of friends cannot provide this over a DSL connection. This type of community isn't really stable. People come and go, just with a click. One day you can have a friend, the next day they delete you from their life. Chances are you have never met them in person, or have any personal contact information except a email address. You may never know what happened to the friendship, or what happened to them. These type of friends cannot provide a support system because they may not be there when you need them.
Sadly, in our society, there are many people who feel they cannot fit into society. They feel uncomfortable around real physical people. By associating with people only on the internet, they can be who or whatever they want, and there really isn't the fear of rejection. Since there is no face to face meeting, they cannot be judged by their appearance or who they are. This is where the good side of an internet community can be seen. On the internet, they can have friends and interact with others in a healthy way. It gives them a chance to be who ever they want to be. It can make a shy person a social butterfly, giving them the courage to speak to others through their screen, perhaps giving them a much happier life. Jennifer Bishop Fulwiler writes about Friendster.com "It's the best website, any, the best service ever to be created in the history of mankind."(156) It's a 24/7 friend, with all that person's friends becoming your friend with just a click. Friendster.com allows members to search out friends that have similar interests and likes and allows you to become friends with them.
Communities can be found everywhere. They can be found in every workplace. A neighborhood bar where the "regulars" gather everyday. A police station, fire department, even a hospital. People can belong to several different communities also. In the morning, stopping everyday at Starbuck's and socializing with the people in that community and then at work and being in that community. Going home and getting on line and becoming part of that community. The common thread is all these different communities hold things that interest us. The people who belong to these communities also hold the same interests and likes we do, therefore it is easy for us to feel a sense of belonging and feel that the community is supportive of us. They understand our views and opinions and will usually agree with them. These communities help us to form who we really are. Community gives us our identity, gives us a sense of belonging and of being wanted. Without that, a person really doesn't have an identity.
Latterelll, Catherine G. Remix reading + composing culture Bedford ST Martins 2006
English 101 O/L
9 May 2008
Community
When you hear the word community, many people would immediately think of the town or part of the city in which they live. The term community can have a different meaning altogether. A community can refer to a segment of people who live together and share a way of life, like a farming commune. Another type of community can be on the INTERNET, like Myspace. In his essay, You Are Who You Know, Andrew Leonard writes "Particularly in the developed world, our atomized, alienated, transient lifestyles have resulted in our seeking community from those who share the same interests, or workplace, or some other kind of tribal loyalty." (155) Whether they realize it or not, people identify themselves through others they surround themselves with.
The workplace is a popular place to form a community. An example of this is a police department. The officers on the force refer to each other as brothers. They support each other, cover each others' backs, listen to their problems, socialize together, and console and take care of the family members of a fallen officers' family. The police community is a "closed" community. A person cannot just walk in off the street and become part of the community. To get into this community, a person must become an officer, train with a seasoned officer to learn the ways of the community, and then they are a member for live.
Communities formed on the internet are a completely different type of thing. There really is no personal face to face interaction. Myspace, for example, is a collection of pictures and stories about millions of different people. The more "friends" you have on Myspace, the more you can brag to others. Leonard referenced internet friends as not really true friends. He says "When so many people are your friends, can those "friendships" be worth much?"(150) A true friend is someone who is there when you need them to provide support, comfort, and companionship. An internet community of friends cannot provide this over a DSL connection. This type of community isn't really stable. People come and go, just with a click. One day you can have a friend, the next day they delete you from their life. Chances are you have never met them in person, or have any personal contact information except a email address. You may never know what happened to the friendship, or what happened to them. These type of friends cannot provide a support system because they may not be there when you need them.
Sadly, in our society, there are many people who feel they cannot fit into society. They feel uncomfortable around real physical people. By associating with people only on the internet, they can be who or whatever they want, and there really isn't the fear of rejection. Since there is no face to face meeting, they cannot be judged by their appearance or who they are. This is where the good side of an internet community can be seen. On the internet, they can have friends and interact with others in a healthy way. It gives them a chance to be who ever they want to be. It can make a shy person a social butterfly, giving them the courage to speak to others through their screen, perhaps giving them a much happier life. Jennifer Bishop Fulwiler writes about Friendster.com "It's the best website, any, the best service ever to be created in the history of mankind."(156) It's a 24/7 friend, with all that person's friends becoming your friend with just a click. Friendster.com allows members to search out friends that have similar interests and likes and allows you to become friends with them.
Communities can be found everywhere. They can be found in every workplace. A neighborhood bar where the "regulars" gather everyday. A police station, fire department, even a hospital. People can belong to several different communities also. In the morning, stopping everyday at Starbuck's and socializing with the people in that community and then at work and being in that community. Going home and getting on line and becoming part of that community. The common thread is all these different communities hold things that interest us. The people who belong to these communities also hold the same interests and likes we do, therefore it is easy for us to feel a sense of belonging and feel that the community is supportive of us. They understand our views and opinions and will usually agree with them. These communities help us to form who we really are. Community gives us our identity, gives us a sense of belonging and of being wanted. Without that, a person really doesn't have an identity.
Latterelll, Catherine G. Remix reading + composing culture Bedford ST Martins 2006
original selection for re-write selection paper 2
Professor Harrington/Huntington good MLA awesome
English 101 O/L
9 May 2008
Community
When you hear the word community, many people would immediately think of the town or part of the city in which they live. The term community can have a different meaning altogether. A community can refer to a segment of people who live together and share a way of life, like a farming commune. Another type of community can be on the INTERNET, like Myspace. In his essay, “You Are Who You Know,” (in MLA the essay is in quotes)Andrew Leonard writes, "Particularly in the developed world, our atomized, alienated, transient lifestyles have resulted in our seeking community from those who share the same interests, or workplace, or some other kind of tribal loyalty." (155) Whether they realize it or not, people identify themselves through others they surround themselves with. These people tend to think alike and support each other through friendship. This is really a statement of fact, not a thesis—remember you are setting up your argument.
The workplace is a popular place to form a community. An example of this is a police department. The officers on the force refer to each other as brothers. They support each other, cover each others' backs, listen to their problems, socialize together, and console and take care of the family members of a fallen officers' family. The police community is a "closed" community. A person cannot just walk in off the street and become part of the community. To get into this community, a person must become an officer, train with a seasoned officer to learn the ways of the community, and then they are a member for live. You’ve defined this community for me and it’s an interesting one—but what about the prompt?
Communities formed on the INTERNET(no need to capitalize it) are a completely different type of thing. There really is no personal face to face interaction. Myspace, for example, is a collection of pictures and stories about millions of different people. The more "friends" you have on Myspace, the more you can brag to others. Leonard referenced INTERNET friends as not really true friends. He says "When so many people are your friends, can those "friendships" be worth much?"(150) A true friend is someone who is there when you need them to provide support, comfort, and companionship. An INTERNET community of friends cannot provide this over a DSL connection. This type of community isn't really stable. People come and go, just with a click. One day you can have a friend, the next day they delete you from their life. Chances are you have never met them in person, or have any personal contact information except a email address. You may never know what happened to the friendship, or what happened to them. These type of friends cannot provide a support system because they may not be there when you need them. Ok, now I see you trying to answer the prompt.
Sadly, in our society, there are many people who feel they cannot fit into society. They feel uncomfortable around real physical people. ??I’m not sure what you mean by this? This is where the good side of an INTERNET community can be seen. On the INTERNET, they can have friends and interact with others in a healthy way. It gives them a chance to be who ever they want to be. It can make a shy person a social butterfly, giving them the courage to speak to others through their screen, perhaps giving them a much happier life. Jennifer Bishop Fulwiler writes about Friendster.com "It's the best website, any, the best service ever to be created in the history of mankind."(156) It's a 24/7 friend, with all that person's friends becoming your friend with just a click. Friendster.com allows members to search out friends that have similar interests and likes and allows you to become friends with them. Ok, good, you’ve provided an anti-thesis.
Communities can be found everywhere. They can be found in every workplace. A neighborhood bar where the "regulars" gather everyday. A police station, fire department, even a hospital. People can belong to several different communities also. In the morning, stopping everyday at Starbuck's and socializing with the people in that community and then at work and being in that community. Going home and getting on line and becoming part of that community. The common thread is all these different communities hold things that interest us. The people who belong to these communities also hold the same interests and likes we do, therefore it is easy for us to feel a sense of belonging and feel that the community is supportive of us. They understand our views and opinions and will usually agree with them. These communities help us to form who we really are.
Hi Jennifer,
What hinders this is the lack of a strong controlling idea. I see your attempt to bring in support from the reading and you picked two interesting essays. What’s missing is more of your own analysis. What does what you say about each essay all add up to? I look for the conclusions you are drawing, the “so what” about what the authors are saying and the “so what” about how you are connecting them. Your essay gets stronger as you go so I also wonder if another draft would have helped. In your next essay really concentrate on following the prompt and getting a good controlling idea of thesis up front. Did you get help in the Writing Studio? You might try that for your next paper. Let me know if you have any questions. –Ann Grade: 78
Latterelll, Catherine G. Remix reading + composing culture Bedford ST Martins 2006
English 101 O/L
9 May 2008
Community
When you hear the word community, many people would immediately think of the town or part of the city in which they live. The term community can have a different meaning altogether. A community can refer to a segment of people who live together and share a way of life, like a farming commune. Another type of community can be on the INTERNET, like Myspace. In his essay, “You Are Who You Know,” (in MLA the essay is in quotes)Andrew Leonard writes, "Particularly in the developed world, our atomized, alienated, transient lifestyles have resulted in our seeking community from those who share the same interests, or workplace, or some other kind of tribal loyalty." (155) Whether they realize it or not, people identify themselves through others they surround themselves with. These people tend to think alike and support each other through friendship. This is really a statement of fact, not a thesis—remember you are setting up your argument.
The workplace is a popular place to form a community. An example of this is a police department. The officers on the force refer to each other as brothers. They support each other, cover each others' backs, listen to their problems, socialize together, and console and take care of the family members of a fallen officers' family. The police community is a "closed" community. A person cannot just walk in off the street and become part of the community. To get into this community, a person must become an officer, train with a seasoned officer to learn the ways of the community, and then they are a member for live. You’ve defined this community for me and it’s an interesting one—but what about the prompt?
Communities formed on the INTERNET(no need to capitalize it) are a completely different type of thing. There really is no personal face to face interaction. Myspace, for example, is a collection of pictures and stories about millions of different people. The more "friends" you have on Myspace, the more you can brag to others. Leonard referenced INTERNET friends as not really true friends. He says "When so many people are your friends, can those "friendships" be worth much?"(150) A true friend is someone who is there when you need them to provide support, comfort, and companionship. An INTERNET community of friends cannot provide this over a DSL connection. This type of community isn't really stable. People come and go, just with a click. One day you can have a friend, the next day they delete you from their life. Chances are you have never met them in person, or have any personal contact information except a email address. You may never know what happened to the friendship, or what happened to them. These type of friends cannot provide a support system because they may not be there when you need them. Ok, now I see you trying to answer the prompt.
Sadly, in our society, there are many people who feel they cannot fit into society. They feel uncomfortable around real physical people. ??I’m not sure what you mean by this? This is where the good side of an INTERNET community can be seen. On the INTERNET, they can have friends and interact with others in a healthy way. It gives them a chance to be who ever they want to be. It can make a shy person a social butterfly, giving them the courage to speak to others through their screen, perhaps giving them a much happier life. Jennifer Bishop Fulwiler writes about Friendster.com "It's the best website, any, the best service ever to be created in the history of mankind."(156) It's a 24/7 friend, with all that person's friends becoming your friend with just a click. Friendster.com allows members to search out friends that have similar interests and likes and allows you to become friends with them. Ok, good, you’ve provided an anti-thesis.
Communities can be found everywhere. They can be found in every workplace. A neighborhood bar where the "regulars" gather everyday. A police station, fire department, even a hospital. People can belong to several different communities also. In the morning, stopping everyday at Starbuck's and socializing with the people in that community and then at work and being in that community. Going home and getting on line and becoming part of that community. The common thread is all these different communities hold things that interest us. The people who belong to these communities also hold the same interests and likes we do, therefore it is easy for us to feel a sense of belonging and feel that the community is supportive of us. They understand our views and opinions and will usually agree with them. These communities help us to form who we really are.
Hi Jennifer,
What hinders this is the lack of a strong controlling idea. I see your attempt to bring in support from the reading and you picked two interesting essays. What’s missing is more of your own analysis. What does what you say about each essay all add up to? I look for the conclusions you are drawing, the “so what” about what the authors are saying and the “so what” about how you are connecting them. Your essay gets stronger as you go so I also wonder if another draft would have helped. In your next essay really concentrate on following the prompt and getting a good controlling idea of thesis up front. Did you get help in the Writing Studio? You might try that for your next paper. Let me know if you have any questions. –Ann Grade: 78
Latterelll, Catherine G. Remix reading + composing culture Bedford ST Martins 2006
Intro to Critical Thinking piece
For my critical thinking piece, I chose my timed writing #2 about the movie "Lone Star". I really enjoyed the movie and found the story to be very interesting. It was a "thinking" type of movie, making the watcher have to think to follow the plot. The movie and the writing prompts caused thought on the subject matter of the movie, a covered up murder, brother-sister relationship, affairs, and sorted other details.
Critical Thinking-timed writing #2
Jennifer Lewis Timed writing 2
Everyone has their own personal perceptions of what non-conformity and conformity are. What might be an acceptable way of life for someone might make another person angry or uncomfortable. The movie Lone Star is about a small town on the Texas Mexico border completely controlled by the sheriff. In the movie, it seems that most of the town was living a life of non-conformity.
Some people strive to live a life that is non-conforming. They try to be different from the society they live and want everyone to notice it. In the movie, there is a scene where two people are sitting in a booth, talking about marriage. No so out of place, except the man is white and the woman is black and this is southern Texas. From the conservation that is being carried on at the bar, this is not a common thing in their small town. The bartender commented to the sheriff how the previous sheriff would have warned them about how this type of thing may not be good. My perception of inter racial marriage is that people should marry who they love, no matter what the color. These two people choose to live a type of life that did not conform with the community they lived in, and they didn't try to hide it.
Hiding non-conformity seemed to be more common in the film. Sra Cruz was from Mexico. She tried to hide that by saying she was Spanish and always spoke English and wanted everyone who worked for her to speak English only. She called the Border Patrol on other Mexicans she would see crossing the border illegally, while she hired them to work for her. Sam and Pilar choose to be together, knowing they were half brother and sister. No one else knew except Sra Cruz, who was Pilar's mother. They had been hiding their relationship from her, thinking she wouldn't approve, but for the wrong reason. She knew that by them being together, it would be very non-conforming and a taboo in society. In the end, they choose to be together anyway, hiding their non-conformity. In time, what is a non-conformity may become acceptable to society.
Is it ok to kill someone to save another? The dead sheriff in the film, Sheriff Wade, was a horrible man who killed anyone he didn't like or who questioned his ways. He was killed by his deputy, Hollis, who by doing so, saved the life of a black man named Payne. I don't believe it is ok to kill anyone, but maybe in this instance it is. The discussion group seemed to have mixed feelings on this also. Some thought it was ok, others didn't. Everyone had their own opinions and their own personal reasons for their beliefs
Everyone has their own personal perceptions of what non-conformity and conformity are. What might be an acceptable way of life for someone might make another person angry or uncomfortable. The movie Lone Star is about a small town on the Texas Mexico border completely controlled by the sheriff. In the movie, it seems that most of the town was living a life of non-conformity.
Some people strive to live a life that is non-conforming. They try to be different from the society they live and want everyone to notice it. In the movie, there is a scene where two people are sitting in a booth, talking about marriage. No so out of place, except the man is white and the woman is black and this is southern Texas. From the conservation that is being carried on at the bar, this is not a common thing in their small town. The bartender commented to the sheriff how the previous sheriff would have warned them about how this type of thing may not be good. My perception of inter racial marriage is that people should marry who they love, no matter what the color. These two people choose to live a type of life that did not conform with the community they lived in, and they didn't try to hide it.
Hiding non-conformity seemed to be more common in the film. Sra Cruz was from Mexico. She tried to hide that by saying she was Spanish and always spoke English and wanted everyone who worked for her to speak English only. She called the Border Patrol on other Mexicans she would see crossing the border illegally, while she hired them to work for her. Sam and Pilar choose to be together, knowing they were half brother and sister. No one else knew except Sra Cruz, who was Pilar's mother. They had been hiding their relationship from her, thinking she wouldn't approve, but for the wrong reason. She knew that by them being together, it would be very non-conforming and a taboo in society. In the end, they choose to be together anyway, hiding their non-conformity. In time, what is a non-conformity may become acceptable to society.
Is it ok to kill someone to save another? The dead sheriff in the film, Sheriff Wade, was a horrible man who killed anyone he didn't like or who questioned his ways. He was killed by his deputy, Hollis, who by doing so, saved the life of a black man named Payne. I don't believe it is ok to kill anyone, but maybe in this instance it is. The discussion group seemed to have mixed feelings on this also. Some thought it was ok, others didn't. Everyone had their own opinions and their own personal reasons for their beliefs
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Intro to voice and audience piece
For this piece, I choose the blog entry on Tradition. I liked how it told the story of how our tradition vanished from my family. I think that when a person becomes a adult and they have a new family, the traditions from their childhood seem to become pushed to the past.
Voice and Audience Piece
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Tradition
Christmas Eve dinner was the big tradition in our family. Every year my mom would spend a couple of weeks baking cookies and making candies. She would make a huge dinner, two or three different meats, potatoes, salads, veggies, bread, etc. All my dad's side of the family would come on Christmas Eve for the dinner and presents. This happened every year for as far back as I can remember. Eventually, my grandmother died, then my two uncles died. Now it was down to my aunt and uncle, my siblings, and my parents. About 15 years ago, my mom decided she was tired of cooking and when we showed up for Christmas, she had bought a Subway party sub and about 10 liters of Coke. What a shock! She had said she was going to do this, but we all thought she was kidding. So, that is how our tradition ended. I moved to Seattle in 1995 and haven't made it back for a Christmas since than. My sister has taken over and she tries to cook, from what I hear. Here in Everett, I have become the one who cooks. We have Christmas and Thanksgiving at our house every year. I don't have any family here, so my husband's family all come over (no one in his family can cook). It's kind of fun, but I now have a new appreciation for the time and effort, and the money, my mom put into the meal.
Tradition
Christmas Eve dinner was the big tradition in our family. Every year my mom would spend a couple of weeks baking cookies and making candies. She would make a huge dinner, two or three different meats, potatoes, salads, veggies, bread, etc. All my dad's side of the family would come on Christmas Eve for the dinner and presents. This happened every year for as far back as I can remember. Eventually, my grandmother died, then my two uncles died. Now it was down to my aunt and uncle, my siblings, and my parents. About 15 years ago, my mom decided she was tired of cooking and when we showed up for Christmas, she had bought a Subway party sub and about 10 liters of Coke. What a shock! She had said she was going to do this, but we all thought she was kidding. So, that is how our tradition ended. I moved to Seattle in 1995 and haven't made it back for a Christmas since than. My sister has taken over and she tries to cook, from what I hear. Here in Everett, I have become the one who cooks. We have Christmas and Thanksgiving at our house every year. I don't have any family here, so my husband's family all come over (no one in his family can cook). It's kind of fun, but I now have a new appreciation for the time and effort, and the money, my mom put into the meal.
Intro to Writer' Choice
I picked my paper #3 for my writer's choice. I liked it and I didn't like it. This paper seemed to be the one where we had the most choice on what to write about, but that made it a harder paper to write. There were so many choices when it came to the subject of pop culture, after several starts, I finally picked the topic of UTube.
Writer's Choice Pick
Jennifer L. Lewis Lewis 1
Professor Harrington/Huntington
English 101 O/L paper 3
27 May 2008
How Does Pop Culture Rock the Mainstream
Pop culture is what is hip today. It can be a new video game, a box office blockbuster movie, or a new type clothing that the everyone just has to have. Popular culture dominates the headlines, influences decisions, and can change the way we live of lives. Pop culture can change from one day to the next. What is the big thing today, can go out of style tomorrow.
Popular culture is a big deal in the news. Silly celebrities and trends are reported nightly. There are news shows, entertainment shows, and shows on VH1 about pop culture of past decades. These shows are edited to show us the good things about pop culture. There are things that happen in the world that just aren't fit for the public to see according to the government. One place to find it all is on
the internet, more specifically, Utube. Anything that interests a person, can be found on Utube. Utube has invaded pop culture in a big way. It is everywhere. Most everyone knows of it, and it is referenced on TV shows, the news, magazines, newspapers and even in blogs.
What exactly is Utube. Utube is a website where anyone can upload video of anything. It is uncensored, anyone can post anything. There are movies of people falling off motorcycles, babies eating cake, and clips from TV shows. A TV personality had a meltdown on TV recently, and by the next day, he had over 1.5 million hits on Utube.
Utube has changed culture by creating this medium for people to do stupid things and have a place to show their stupidity. A person trying to jump a motorcycle over a fence, then hitting the fence, may seem funny to some, but others may not see any humor. Watching a person hurt themselves all for the purpose of 15 minutes of fame turns my stomach. Not everything on Utube is suitable for everyone. There are videos of actual murders taking place around the world. These videos serve a purpose,
allowing people to see what really goes on in the real world, but they really shouldn't be seen by children.
There are problems with posting on Utube. People post clips from their favorite shows and favorite videos on Utube. Many TV and movies are upset that their original content is ending up on Utube without their permission. We live in a bootleg culture. Pete Rojas writes in his essay “Bootleg culture” that “Bootleg culture is part of the natural evolution of all things digital”(385). Clips of movies, people dancing to music, even creating their own music videos to how they interpret a
song, are illegal activities. Before the internet and Utube, these people would have been prosecuted, but in today's culture, there are just too many people doing it. Some music studios have been stating lawsuits, but they are against a few people who they know have downloaded thousands of dollars worth of their products. The creators of the content simply cannot go after everyone who steals their original
content. Instead of being upset about it, they should embrace it. It seems like free advertising. If I saw a song video on Utube that I liked, I may go and purchase the CD and thereby supporting their product or artist. A clip of a movie could lead someone to go and pay to see the movie in the theater.
Utube has changed our culture. Last year, Utube sponsored a debate among political candidates, allowing watchers to log in and cast their votes on how the candidates did. This is something that has never been done before. Most information about politicians in the past has been gotten from the news shows and from the newspapers. Now, if a candidate does something or says something stupid, see it on Utube. President Bush is all over the place on Utube. The internet and the sites on it are replacing conventional means of gathering information. Newspapers and TV shows are being overshadowed by it.
Pop culture is changing. Utube has been around for a while, and will probably be a fad that stays around in the future. Our lives revolve around pop culture. Everyday we are affected by it. It's on TV, in the news, and on the internet. You cannot fight it, so embrace and enjoy it, because tomorrow it may be a different world.
Rojas, Pete Bootleg Culture pg 383-9 Remix reading + composing culture
Professor Harrington/Huntington
English 101 O/L paper 3
27 May 2008
How Does Pop Culture Rock the Mainstream
Pop culture is what is hip today. It can be a new video game, a box office blockbuster movie, or a new type clothing that the everyone just has to have. Popular culture dominates the headlines, influences decisions, and can change the way we live of lives. Pop culture can change from one day to the next. What is the big thing today, can go out of style tomorrow.
Popular culture is a big deal in the news. Silly celebrities and trends are reported nightly. There are news shows, entertainment shows, and shows on VH1 about pop culture of past decades. These shows are edited to show us the good things about pop culture. There are things that happen in the world that just aren't fit for the public to see according to the government. One place to find it all is on
the internet, more specifically, Utube. Anything that interests a person, can be found on Utube. Utube has invaded pop culture in a big way. It is everywhere. Most everyone knows of it, and it is referenced on TV shows, the news, magazines, newspapers and even in blogs.
What exactly is Utube. Utube is a website where anyone can upload video of anything. It is uncensored, anyone can post anything. There are movies of people falling off motorcycles, babies eating cake, and clips from TV shows. A TV personality had a meltdown on TV recently, and by the next day, he had over 1.5 million hits on Utube.
Utube has changed culture by creating this medium for people to do stupid things and have a place to show their stupidity. A person trying to jump a motorcycle over a fence, then hitting the fence, may seem funny to some, but others may not see any humor. Watching a person hurt themselves all for the purpose of 15 minutes of fame turns my stomach. Not everything on Utube is suitable for everyone. There are videos of actual murders taking place around the world. These videos serve a purpose,
allowing people to see what really goes on in the real world, but they really shouldn't be seen by children.
There are problems with posting on Utube. People post clips from their favorite shows and favorite videos on Utube. Many TV and movies are upset that their original content is ending up on Utube without their permission. We live in a bootleg culture. Pete Rojas writes in his essay “Bootleg culture” that “Bootleg culture is part of the natural evolution of all things digital”(385). Clips of movies, people dancing to music, even creating their own music videos to how they interpret a
song, are illegal activities. Before the internet and Utube, these people would have been prosecuted, but in today's culture, there are just too many people doing it. Some music studios have been stating lawsuits, but they are against a few people who they know have downloaded thousands of dollars worth of their products. The creators of the content simply cannot go after everyone who steals their original
content. Instead of being upset about it, they should embrace it. It seems like free advertising. If I saw a song video on Utube that I liked, I may go and purchase the CD and thereby supporting their product or artist. A clip of a movie could lead someone to go and pay to see the movie in the theater.
Utube has changed our culture. Last year, Utube sponsored a debate among political candidates, allowing watchers to log in and cast their votes on how the candidates did. This is something that has never been done before. Most information about politicians in the past has been gotten from the news shows and from the newspapers. Now, if a candidate does something or says something stupid, see it on Utube. President Bush is all over the place on Utube. The internet and the sites on it are replacing conventional means of gathering information. Newspapers and TV shows are being overshadowed by it.
Pop culture is changing. Utube has been around for a while, and will probably be a fad that stays around in the future. Our lives revolve around pop culture. Everyday we are affected by it. It's on TV, in the news, and on the internet. You cannot fight it, so embrace and enjoy it, because tomorrow it may be a different world.
Rojas, Pete Bootleg Culture pg 383-9 Remix reading + composing culture
Reflection
My name is Jenny Lewis. Currently, I am employed by the US Postal Service. I have worked there since 1996. It seems like a lifetime. I am married and have a 11 year old son and a 25 year old daughter. For now, we live in Everett, but we have just bought a house in Marysville, so we will be moving during the week break between spring and summer quarters. My husband is graduating for EVCC this quarter and he will be starting at the UW in summer quarter. This is my second quarter at EVCC and I hope to graduate someday too!
There are a couple reasons why I took this class. Mainly, it is a requirement for graduation. It has been a long time since I have been in school, I graduated high school in 1983. When I signed up for this class, I was a little nervous. In my opinion, I cannot write. It doesn't seem to make sense to me and I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words. I feel that I have learned a lot in this class. When the class started, I really didn't even know what a thesis statement was. It seems that my writing is getting better, my grades have been going up, not as high as I would like, but they are improving. The part of the class I like the most was movie weeks. The second movie I watched, Outlaws, was a great movie and I will be using the timed writing as one of my pieces. The part I liked the least was obviously the papers, but I did make it through the quarter!
Ultimately, I am working toward a four year degree in mathematics, maybe even 6 year if I decide to loose my mind. In January 2009, I am planning on opening a Kumon Math and Reading Learning Center in Lake Stevens. Seems like a long way off, but there is a million tiny things to do when buying a franchise license and opening the business. My main reason for wanting to do this is I like math. I wasn't really taught how to do it in school, and this program gives kids the opportunity to learn math in a new way. Secondly, I have working for the government, and I cannot wait to retire from there.
There are a couple reasons why I took this class. Mainly, it is a requirement for graduation. It has been a long time since I have been in school, I graduated high school in 1983. When I signed up for this class, I was a little nervous. In my opinion, I cannot write. It doesn't seem to make sense to me and I have a hard time putting my thoughts into words. I feel that I have learned a lot in this class. When the class started, I really didn't even know what a thesis statement was. It seems that my writing is getting better, my grades have been going up, not as high as I would like, but they are improving. The part of the class I like the most was movie weeks. The second movie I watched, Outlaws, was a great movie and I will be using the timed writing as one of my pieces. The part I liked the least was obviously the papers, but I did make it through the quarter!
Ultimately, I am working toward a four year degree in mathematics, maybe even 6 year if I decide to loose my mind. In January 2009, I am planning on opening a Kumon Math and Reading Learning Center in Lake Stevens. Seems like a long way off, but there is a million tiny things to do when buying a franchise license and opening the business. My main reason for wanting to do this is I like math. I wasn't really taught how to do it in school, and this program gives kids the opportunity to learn math in a new way. Secondly, I have working for the government, and I cannot wait to retire from there.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
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