Boys Have Feelings Too

I never really thought about how masculinity makes boys feel more respected. I've learned that it's only for their own comfort. In class we are watching the movie, "Tough Guise." It has been informing us about how boys of all ages have been the reason for shootings in their own schools. Not only are they killing boys, but also girls and teachers. These boys have been interviewed on reasons why they did it. Many of their answers where about how they have been bullied for not being strong enough or not masculine. I feel that this situation can go many different ways. One in particular I have noticed is that, boys have been treating other boys different beacuse of how they may look, act, and even in what they do. This is mainly because they are not tough, or maybe even a jock. These boys are being mistreated and therefore are using guns and other weapons as a replacment for their strength. With this they fight back and kill, or injure the boys who have mistreated them. If kids and teenagers stopped judging others, it would help decrease these fights and murders. Everyone is different in some way, and not everyone is normal. If you think about it noone really is normal. Everyone has some kind of weird or different thing about them. Boys don't need to be masculine to impress others, or to even feel comfortable. Boys should be who they want to be, and be themselves without worrying about what others think of them. People shouldn't judge others.

Ramble on.

the more and more we talk about college in this class the more i look forward to it, yet dread it at the same time. I think it is going to be an amazing and of course i will love it. However, it is scary to think in less than a year i will be in college, away from home, doing what i want when i want. I want nothing more then to get out of my parents house and live on my own. But i can'y help but think, i am going to not be seeing the people i see everyday now. My best friends are going to be moving far away, and i wont see them unless we run into each other in the market on holiday break. A part of me doesnt even want to go to college, and just gho abroad for soccer. but even that will make me incredibly lonely. And being out of the country will cut communication from many people im sure. Thank goodness for facebook. the essays, the applications, everythink is beginning to be overwhelming, and is making me not want to go. I dont know what to think, and ive got a while to do it. it seems as if i have rambled through a blog, and that is exactly where my mind is at about this whole thing. So this jumbled blog, is an example of how i am thinking right now, its ironicly appropriate

Gender Roles

We have been talking recently in class about gender roles. I know why this is the general schema, however I don’t agree with it at all. In the past women were seen as the ones who stayed and looked after the house, they rarely had jobs and they counted on the man to support them. This for some reason has stuck around. I don’t understand why we can’t move on from that. There are plenty of successful women who got that way 100% on their own. When I get married – and this may change when that day comes closer- if I have a career and a paycheck that can support my family well enough that there is no need for another income, then I don’t think that I’ll care if my wife works. I also think that it should go both ways. I do understand why men get intimidated by women who have high paying jobs, and are incredibly successful, especially when the man doesn’t have those things. I don’t know what it is, and maybe it’s not right, but I am the same way. However, I’m opinion I don’t think that it is a bad thing by any means, I see it just as intimidating, and if anything, a good thing. I don’t like when girls grow up with the notion that they will just marry rich, and get through life strictly on their good looks. Sure, that works for some people, but I don’t think it is a good thing to strive for. I like seeing strong females; I think they should be role models for young girls more than people like Hannah Montana and Paris Hilton. Maybe I’m weird, but I would much rather date a smart, determined woman than one that is just going to use me for my money.

Stereotypes and Images the Media has Created

This week in class we have been talking about how the media has created this image of how men and women should look and act. The acticle "Men Just Want Mommy" by Maureen Dowd talked about how men would rather marry a women who isn't as sucessful and smart as they are so they can feel dominate in the relationship. In my opinion i think that is obscene and it shouldn't matter how sucessful a women is. Men should support women and be proud that we have been able to come this far. When my Step-Dad was bringing in less money than my Mom he became very jelous of her and told her to take time off. My mom was insulted and couldn't believe that he was telling her to take time off so he could bring in more money. Now my Step-Dad is currently umemployed, and my Mom is bringing in more money than she ever has before and is the head Financial Director at her work.
Image is the first thing someone notices when meeting a person and i can see how people care about what they look like. The media has simply taken it too far becasue they emphasize eveything and talk about how we all need to look like action figures and movie stars. Men have begun taking steroids and women have stopped eating. I wish that the media would step back and just let people be and look and act the way that they want to.

Societal Pressure

The video we watched in class today, Tough Guise, was focused on how the media and society stresses the importance of "being a man". Men and boys are taught to think that they have to be muscular, intimidating, insensitive, and tough. The social pressure and the peer pressure to fit this particular stereotype leads boys or men to commit over 90 percent of the total violent crimes committed, including school shootings. I can see how the media does create this "tough" image boys are supposed to conform to, but girls are feeling the same pressure to be thin or pretty or stylish. Maybe this pressure is not as severe as the pressure on the boys because it has not lead any girl to shoot her classmates but girls also feel the consequences. More girls are anorexic than boys, and 20 percent of girls with long term anorexia starve themselves to death, trying to fit society's unrealistic image for them. They kill themselves from the inside out, instead of killing classmates. The number of girls that die from anorexia or bulimia yearly is probably higher than the number of kids that die in school shootings. Any girl or boy can fall victim to the pressures of society, but the right parenting and education can instill confidence in kids so they are not affected so much by the pressures. If a boy or girl believes that he or she is strong, independent and capable, they are not going to be looking for approval from society as much as someone with low self esteem, which means they are not going to feel they have to be who society wants them to be. Parents have to teach their kids confidence and the ability to understand the messages society is sending them are unrealistic and irrelevant. poopie.

Breathe

Thinking that senior year would be easy is backfiring on me. I took all my hard courses last year, and tried to keep my shedule for this year simple. Even though I have a pretty relexed schedule in school, at least for right now, I have so much going on outside of school. As of now, I have one to two days free out of the week, and that depends on how much homework I have. The only day I can stay home and relax, or go out with friends and chill out, is saturday. My schedule just keeps getting more hectic. Soccer practices monday and wednesday nights, work thursday and friday nights, powder puff practices on sundays 2-5 and then rushing to my soccer games that start at five after that, not to mention studying for school, ACT, applying to colleges, and working on scholarship projects due this winter. Everything is driving me crazy. My schedule is so long that the last sentence I wrote is probably a run-on sentence. I guess I just didn't realize how crazy senior year would be. I know eventually after sending in all my applications and what not it will settle down. But I still have a few months before that will kick in. I just need a week full of nothing. I guess the only thing i'm trying to say here is that, I need a chance to breathe.

Bush vs. Moore

September 11th is a day that will always be in our hearts. But the election in 2004 will always keep us thinking. In the movie Fahrenheit 9/11, Michael Moore shows clips and different sorts of evidence of where George Bush went wrong in his presidency. Watching this movie makes me wonder how Bush even won a second election. Didn't America realize what mistakes he made? Not only was Moore bashing on him for the entire video, but he exaggerated the role Bush made during his second term of presidency. It is a documentary head on head, George vs. Michael. This movie makes it seem like Bush doesnʼt know what heʼs doing, but still thinks he is doing the right thing, if that makes sense. Moore's collage of clips throughout the years of Bush are put together to make him seem like a horrible president. But in turn, Bush hasn't really done many things right as it is. So when will our country get it together?

COLLEGE!!

I cant wait to go to college. I have been very stressed latley with being at home with my parents telling me what to do right when i walk in the dorr from school until i leave in the morning for school. I find the weekends becoming my getaways from them. For the past week My step-mom and Dad have been in Europe on a cruise and i can't complain. It has been one of the best weeks of my life, I can't complain. I can oly imagine what it is going to be like when i leave for college. I will finally be on my own and no one will be able to bother me about my homework, and doing household chores. I know that school will get harder, but i feel like i will be able to handle it better because i wont have someone nagging me and telling me everything that i need to do before I go to bed for the night. I am so excited to go to college, and i am almost done with all of my applications. It is very stressful because i want to know where i will get admitted to. Being at college will allow me to juggle things in a better way because someone won't always be yelling in my ear to finish everything.

Fahrenheit 9/11

After watching Michael Moore's film, Fahrenheit 9/11, I have decided that Michael Moore's opinions and views on George W. Bush are very extreme and sometimes exaggerated. I agree with Moore in the fact that I do not like President Bush but Moore's approach in expressing his views is not the best. Moore definitely assumes information or guesses at Bush's motives when he does not know the whole truth. This tactic makes me take his opinions less seriously and wonder if what he says is factual or just his spin. The film may please far left liberals but it will definitely anger republicans further and maybe turn independents away from leaning toward the democratic side. Also, Moore's personal attacks on Bush diminish his moral integrity in the eye's of his viewers and they do not respect him they may not respect his political views. Moore should have presented his audience with the facts and what really happened with Bush's administration and the days surrounding 9/11 and let people make their own decisions. After seeing the film, I was just annoyed with Moore's constant personal attacks and assumptions.

Stressed!

For the past two weeks, I have felt so overwhelmed and stressed! It seems like I have to a million things to do each day and there is just not enough time.   I just went to a meeting and signed up for community service on a sunday afternoon, but when I got home and checked my schedule, a softball game and a work shift were already scheduled during that same time.  I wanted to scream! I can only be in one place at once and how do I decide which activity to choose because no matter what I do I'm letting someone down.  This weekend, I am going to Jackson for a cross country overnight on Friday and when I get back on saturday, I have an hour before my shift starts at work.  On Sunday, I have a softball doubleheader, so when will I do that six hour psychology assignment? Or finish my college essays for U of M? So far, this year has been extremely stressful and I hope that once all of my college applications are in everything will slow down.  For now, I am just trying my hardest to keep myself organized and keep up with all of my school work.  I like being busy but I need a little downtime and I have not been able to shake this feeling of being overwhelmed.

September 11th

Recently in class, we have been focusing on the events of September 11, 2001. We watched a movie, On Native Soil, and we have learned about the details and circumstances surrounding the plane crash. Every year, we take a moment of silence and remember all the people who suffered on that tragic day. The video reminded us that people who had families in those towers are reminded everyday when their husband is not sitting next to them at the breakfast table or they have to listen to a 7 year old voicemail just to hear their son's voice. In one split second, the lives of those people were changed forever by terrorists who sacrificed their lives to kill Americans. The video explored how much the government knew about the attacks before they ocurred and what could have been done to prevent those attacks. In my opinion, there were many errors the government made before the tragedy, for example, allowing the hijackers into the country with an incomplete and incorrect visa and having an inadequate security system at the airport.