Jackie's Page

2006-07-25T13:24:00.000-07:00

SONG MIX

1. Man in the Mirror – Michael Jackson
2. How Did You Get Here – Deborah Cox
3. White Man’s World – Tupac Shakur
4. Hey There Lonely Girl – Eddie Holman
5. Through the Fire- Chaka Khan
6. God Bless the USA – Lee Greenwood
7. You Don’t Know Me – T.I.
8. Bag Lady – Erika Badu

I chose this collection of songs because they say more about the way I live my life than I could describe myself. Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror and Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA shows how I am compassionate about the world around me. White Man’s World by Tupac shows just how hard it is for me as an African American female in today’s society; I have got two points against me: being black, as well as, being female. Tupac’s song actually coincides with T.I.’s You Don’t Know Me, which is how I feel when people try to judge me before they get to know me. The song, How Did You Get Here, by Deborah Cox reminds me of my relationship with my husband. I had been hurt so many times before he came along; I never thought true love was possible. The remaining songs describe how I feel at different times, especially with what is going on in our society today, sometimes sad, lonely, or happy.

2006-07-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

David Steritt, Face of An Angel
Samuel L. Jackson, In Character

Both of these passages really hit home for me, although both were a little surprising. Hollywood’s portrayal of African Americans in movies recently had certainly been much better than it was before. However, I believe that they still have a long way to go. I agree with David Stetitt and Samuel L. Jackson when they say, “Hollywood’s portrayals of African Americans continue to be stereotyping, patronizing, and even racist (424). I remember watching television when I was a little girl. Back then, it seem that in order to even get a good role as a black actor, the actor would have to make fools of themselves. I remember watching Wesley Snipes dress up in drag in order to land a decent role in films. I also remember, a while back, recently, when a black man played Jesus in a play. I remember people being so upset by it and I really thought it was unnecessary. Why cannot anybody, rather black, Asian, white, or Jewish play “Jesus” in any movie or play? Hollywood is certainly making an effort to cast black actors as equal to their white counterparts, however; I believe that this may never actually be done. At least, it will not be done anytime recently. Our society is still focused on things like “white” Jesus and a “black” devil and this is how it has been portrayed in most movies and this is how it will be portrayed for some time in the future.

2006-07-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears: The Pop Tart In Winter
Adam Sternbergh

After reading the article entitled, Britney Spears: The Pop Tart in Winter, written by Adam Sternbergh, I was surprised (371-375). I have never been a Britney Spears fan; however, I cannot blame her nor can I blame her producers for the image that she is portraying. In fact, most Hollywood musicians and actors alike all flaunt themselves in one way or another. For instance, when you see Beyonce perform on stage, she is wearing a short dress or some other outfit that enhances her sex appeal. When actors, like Eva Longoria are accepting awards for an outstanding performance or just going to an award show, they are usually dress in an outfit that flaunts their figures as well. Unfortunately, this is what sells records, as well as, movies. Our society today is focused more on a person’s body image than it is on a person’s talent. Sex is portrayed even on television and in children’s films. Kids learn at a very young age, about what is sexy and what is not. For instance, in the film “Aladdin”, Princess Jasmine wears a rather skimpy outfit. Yes, this is a movie geared toward young people. And yes, this is what our children see and I am sure it is what they will continue to see in their adult lives. Having a sexy body image is what our society expects from celebrities and I do not think it will ever change.

2006-07-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

IN CLASS WRITING
In English, over the last couple of weeks, we have been talking about romance. We discussed romance between heterosexual and homosexual couples. We have even discussed romance as it relates to people and their pets. However, there is one area of romance that is really disturbing that we did not discuss. It is a problem that is plaguing our society everyday and is, in my opinion, downright disgusting. What is this problem? The problem is people’s desire to have relationships with underage children.
There have been several articles recently that address this particular problem. In California, an 11-year old girl was apparently raped by a group of college students (“Fresno Police Say More Arrests…”, 2006). In Minneapolis, a teacher pleaded guilty to sleeping with two of his students who were only twelve and fourteen years old (“Alexander Pleads Guilty…”, 2006). In addition, let’s not forget, the teacher who gave birth to her thirteen year old student’s love child a few years ago (Faulkner, 1998.)
What explanation can a person give for wanting a relationship with a minor? Is there an explanation? Could it be a sickness? Or is it just a naturally occurring phenomenon? Many people that I know claim that a lot of underage children, especially girls, are very enticing, especially by the way that they are dress. So a person thinks, “why should I not be allowed to have sex with her?” I agree that children do dress very provocatively these days; however, this fact alone does not justify the act. I believe that having sex with any child is an immoral and unforgivable action. Since we are a moral society; we should not condone having sex with underage children regardless of the circumstances. A person who has a relationship with a child, rather it was consensual or not, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. If the punishment was extreme, twenty-five years to life in prison, for instance, I think that people would more carefully examine just what they are doing before they have sex or any other kind of relationship with anyone who is not of legal age.

2006-07-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

Petophilia #1
Jon Katz

Jon Katz makes an interesting point in his essay, “Petophilia.” He states that some people treat their pets as much more than a companion (327). According to Katz, “these people use their pets as a substitute for the children they do not have or the spouse that they do not like. (327)” I am an avid pet lover and can relate to loving my pets unconditionally. However, I believe that there is a limit to the amount of affection that you can give a pet.
For example, you cannot love a person in the same manner that you would love a pet. People can say that they love their pets by providing them with gifts and showering them an enormous amount of affection. However, what people fail to realize is that pets are not human. Although pets are loyal in some ways, pets do not make an exact substitute for human companionship. For instance, a pet cannot ask you how your day was. A pet also cannot take you to the hospital when you are sick. I believe that people who claim that their pets are more loyal to them than other humans have been hurt by others. These people are just using the pets as an excuse to not trust another person. However, I can agree that animals can be loyal companions. Nevertheless, I do not believe that a pet cannot show the same type of affection that a human being can.

2006-06-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

The End of the Affair #1
David Sedaris

According to David Sedaris, the lovers in the movie The End of the Affair symbolize romantic love by implying that love is perfect until one of the characters of the movie gets killed (273). I agree with him to a certain extent. Most of the romantic comedies that I have seen have ended with something tragic happening to one of the main characters. However, I have also seen some romantic comedies that have not ended in this way. For example, the movie 13 Going of 30 has a happy ending. However, the interesting thing was that the conflict involved her not getting the guy she wanted. He was going to marry someone else. Nevertheless, in the end, the main character actually gets the guy that she wanted. Therefore, it did not end tragically like Mr. Sedaris claims that all romantic comedies do.
However, I did not agree with Mr. Sedaris, when he said that couples who have been together for a long period of time tend to follow the same routine (273). I have been married for over four years, and my husband and I are still unpredictable. There are certain things that he does that I am not accustomed to and I am sure that there are things that I do which he is not familiar. There are even things that we do as a couple that are not part of our normal routine. I believe that this is what makes a marriage strong, not being able to predict one another’s behavior.

2006-06-20T16:37:00.000-07:00

IN CLASS WRITING

My first thought at the beginning of the film, "Tarnation" was "Here's another one of those true story movies. It's going to be all about someone who had an tramatizing life and overcame it in some way." However, this movie turned out very different from what I expected. It was very heartbreaking, scary and most of all, weird.

The first part of the movie was very heartbreaking. I found the beginning of the film outrageous. It was appalling that doctors would tell a child's parents to give him or her shock therapy just because he or she fell off of a roof. It was very tragic how they could turn a beautiful young girl into a psychofrenic adult. I believe that this is why her son, Jonathan was so emotionally distressed. This was probably why he was sudicial every week. I could not imagine growing up in a home where my mom was in and out of a mental hospital all my life. Although Jonathan blamed his grandparents for his mother's condition, I believe that they were naive to the situation. They listened to what the doctor's told them. However, instead of using more sound judgment and seeking the opinion of other doctors, they were careless and chose what the doctor ordered, shock therapy. Shock therapy? To treat paralysis? Even if her parents believed that Renee was faking her paralysis, they should have sent her to a shrink first, not do something as extreme as administer shock therapy. It just didn't make sense to me.

Toward the middle of the film, I thought that Jonathan had somehow inherited his mother's condition when I saw his performance as the two women. I thought that somehow he had went crazy, as well. But after watching the film some more, I realized that this was part of his desire to become an actor. He was just acting as the women and was not psychofrenic, like his mother. However, he did a very good impersonation of a woman.

The scary part about the movie were the images. I had never seen a movie with images as raw and as detailed as these. There were scenes of nudity, although they were very brief. However, I did not think that they had much to do with the movie. I think that the movie should have had one centralized focus, on Jonathan's life and hhow his mother's condition had influenced it.

Overall, I thought that the movie was very interesting. However, I could not see the point of the film. I did not understand what the conflict of the film was, nor did I understand what the movie was trying to say. It just seemed to be all over the place. One moment he was talking about how his mother's condition affected him as a child, then he talked about how he was in underground films, and even his sexual prefences. The whole time I was sitting there thinking, "What on earth is he trying to say? What does all this have to do with what happened to his mother? What is his point?"

I can say one thing, though. This film was very different from any movie that I have ever seen. I did like the fact that Jonathan chose to show different aspects of his life within the movie. In addition, he did in such as unique way. I also like the fact that he used film that was recorded as it happened. That was a big plus for me. There is nothing like a movie where the actors are the actual people to which this tragedy has happened. It makes the story make more sense, since there are no Hollywood actors to overact and exagerate as to what really happened.

The end of the film was pretty interesting and ended a lot better than I thought it would. I was glad that Jonathan finally took his mom from Texas and let her live with him. I thought this was good for both of them. She could be with her son, instead of being in a mental institution for the rest of her life. Jonathan could be with his mother, instead of having to worry about her had she stayed in Texas.

2006-06-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Ayana D. Byrd and Lori L. Tharps
The Rituals of Black Hair Culture

I felt that I could really relate to the passage, “The Rituals of Black Hair Culture”, written by Ayana D. Byrd and Loris L. Tharps. As an African American female, I could understand exactly what they were saying about the use of hot combs and relaxer. In fact, I remember when my mom first used a hot comb to my hair. It was the most terrible ordeal of my life. I was burned several times. As a result, to this day, I still do not like having my hair pressed. Getting relaxers applied to my hair have not been any easier for me; the relaxers tend to burn my hair. Yet, I continue get them because as the authors said, “it is the norm for black women in America to have straight hair.” Several times, I have tried to keep my hair natural, but it has been very difficult to manage. I have also been teased when wearing my hair natural. Surprisingly, the teasing has not come from people of other races, but from other African Americans. If your hair is not straight, you are considered an outcast, especially by other black people and the teasing can really hurt. Therefore, after wearing my hair natural for about a year, I finally gave in and went back to getting a relaxer, although I still hate getting one to this day.

2006-06-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

IN CLASS WRITING #2

Webster.com defines a community as “an interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location.” If this is a valid definition for community, then a virtual community can be considered a real community. In many online communities, people share the same ideas and interests as others within that same online community. In many Internet chat rooms, there are usually many people talking about one or more interests that they have in common. There are those looking for romance, which is a common interest. There are also those that talk about the latest sports event, which is also another common interest. These chats or talks are usually in one common location, a specific Internet chat room that is centered around on topic or common interest. Thus, it is a community because there various people all chatting in one common location who share similar interests.
Virtual communities are real communities; however, they are entirely different from face-to-face communities. For instance, in a face-to-face communities, you are aware with whom you are speaking. Since you are able to see a person within a face-to-face community, you can tell if the person is interested in what you are saying or if the person does not seem to care about what you are saying. You can also tell if you and the person have other things in common, such as speaking the same language, or growing up in the same region, or eating the same types of food. It is much easier to form a relationship with a person who shares your common interest. However, in a virtual community, the rules are entirely different. A person can type a response to what you said or he or she can, but you have no way of knowing if that person is sincere about the topic because you cannot see him or her. In addition, the person can lie and say that they share the same interest as you or that they like the same type of food that you do. How can you be sure of the person’s name?
Some virtual communities can be destructive, however, there are also those they can be supportive. I have come across a number of virtual communities who were supportive and have helped me many times in my life. This is why I think that virtual communities are an essential part of life for many people. I feel this way because I believe that without being able to get the support I needed virtually I would not have overcome the problem that I had as good as I did. It was easier since I did not need to reveal my identity.

2006-06-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

Reclaiming Our Home Place #1

After reading the piece “Reclaiming Our Home Place” written by Maya Angelou, I felt moved. I am originally from the South, and I could definitely relate to the problems with the North to which she was speaking. According to Maya Angleou, the South was a representation of oppression and hatred during times of slavery. As said by Angelou, “People thought if they could get away north, get away from the cotton, the worn-out South, get away from all the hatred, from the mean sharecropping days, they would find milk and honey in the streets of the northern cities.” However, one hundred years later, she maintains that due to the fact that African American did not find what they were looking for in the northern cities, “many of them sent their children back to the South to be looked after.” Angelou also states, “ that Black Americans came back South due to congressional representatives that were coming form the South to plan a better world.” She also suggests in the passage “the South represents the roots of African American people. It is where the ancestors of African American poured their blood, sweat, and tears into bringing about the fruitful land of the South. Therefore, many African American people feel that they belong there.” Angelou states “the South is the home place for Black Americans and that they should consider returning to it.” I totally agree with her.

2006-05-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

John A. Hostetler
The Amish Charter #3

The Ordnung’s purpose is to set the rules for the Amish society. It tells them what they should and should not do as Christians. According to Hostetler, “the Amish care a lot about little things like the color of a stove, how long a dress is, or how wide the brim of their hats are.” They do this because they are trying to avoid any contact with “outsiders” or people from the outside world, who are not Amish. They believe that the traditional way of life is how they should live. The Ordnung helps to provide stability by insuring that each person follows and lives by a code of conduct. This helps them to distinguish outsiders from traditional Amish people, as well. This is similar to the way other groups, such as Jehovah’s Witness believe in their religion. For example, Jehovah Witness’’ do not believe in the celebration of certain holidays nor do they believe in sex before marriage. By associating with other people who believe as they do, they avoid conflict and confusion among other groups. This is exactly the same way that the Amish are. By following the Ordnung, the Amish ensure that their society or community stays stable and that no other outsiders can come and disband it.

2006-05-23T17:33:00.000-07:00

IN CLASS WRITING #1
I believe that in this quote, Fredrich Nietzsche is saying that identity is more of a learned behavior than one which we acquire on our own. He seems to imply that human beings tend to get their identity and sense of self merely by listening to others, than by analyzing the information on their own. This is very true. All of us are followers rather than leaders and are influenced by others. In fact, other people have all helped to shape our individual identities. I do not think that any one person in the entire world can say that their identity is their own; either it was learned or inherited somehow. When we are born, we are without identity. However, it is soon shaped for us. Rather it be by our parents, our teachers, our churches, or our friends, our identity is in one way or another influenced by others. Therefore, it is not practical for one to say, I am my own individual person I have created my own identity. We learn our religious values from our family, friends, and churches. We inherit culture from the environment in which we were raised. We wear our hair a certain way because that is what we have seen on another person. We eat certain kinds of food and avoid other kinds because that is what we see others do. Many of us are followers, rather than leaders. In fact, most leaders are followers in one way or another. I believe that it can safely be said that we are all followers, regardless of rather we consider ourselves leaders or not. What we learn influences our identity; therefore, our identities are learned, not created by any one person, although each identity is unique in its own way.

2006-05-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Firoozeh Dumas
The “F Word”

Firoozeh Dumas makes a very good argument within her essay, especially how she compares her life in America to that of a spice cabinet. I believe that the spice cabinet symbolizes the way that Americans believe in their way of life. As Americans, we tend to focus on what we consider the “norm” for our society. For instance, a typical American spice cabinet may contain salt, pepper, and seasoned salt. These are all spices that most Americans are accustomed to having and using everyday. However, if an unidentified spice were added to the collection, such as Adobo Seasoning, many of us would not know what to do with it unless we had a recipe or dish that called for that spice already. That is also how Americans tend to treat other nationalities. If you are in America and have a name that we are not familiar with, we tend to shy away from learning to enunciate your name correctly. It is not because we do not wish to do so; it is just that most foreign names are difficult for most Americans to speak. Since we are not familiar with the mnemonics of other languages other than our own American English, we find it more difficult to learn unless we have already learned that name and bought it to our American society. For example, many cultures in America do not use traditional names like Sally, Sue, or Robert. Furthermore, some American names are derived from other nationalities, such as Maria, Jose, and Juan. Although these are not normal and typical of other names in America, most Americans have learned to accept them because we have become accustomed to using them in our everyday lives. However, names with which we are not familiar, such as an Iranian name or a Korean name are much more difficult for us to utter. Moreover, just like the spices, if an American citizen does not know how to pronounce a person’s name, he or she tends to give it their best pronunciation even if it means pronouncing the person’s name incorrectly. Unfortunately, many foreign people take it as an insult, just as Firoozeh Dumas did.

2006-05-16T10:51:00.000-07:00

EMILY WHITE, High School's Secret Life

Emily White uses words like “tribes” to describe the nature of the social scene among teenagers at Calhoun High. I believe that she uses these comparisons because socializing in high school is similar to socializing in your community and in other groups. From the moment, children enter their school-age years; they tend to pick friends based on their likes and interest. It is somewhat easier during this time because a child is less likely to pre-judge someone or to be concerned about a friend’s weight or physical appearance. In addition, most kids are usually able to hold on to these cliques through their elementary and middle school years. However, in high school, the rules are totally different. If you are caught socializing with someone who others treat as an outcast, you are treated as an outcast, as well.
White uses several examples to illustrate her point, but one particular one makes her argument very strong. She states that “popular kids always cluster around the same geographical area of the cafeteria: in the front, and near the windows.” This can be compared to a tribe because the students tend to stick together, no one can sit in that area unless they are popular. Just as, no one can become part of a group or tribe unless he or she is welcomed by the other members of that group or tribe.