For Danielle and Others Wondering about 'PWND'

A few classes back, TJ and I were talking about internet language. If you recall, we were talking about the word "pwnd." Danielle wrote a comment on one of my blogs:

nick, i've been meaning to post this since last class, i'm a bit of a procrastinator [wow, did i spell that right? seems awfully long?]anyway, when you and TJ were talking about "pwned" in class my inner nerd wanted to jump in the conversation, but i kept it quiet. i think i may be the ultra nerd

Let it out Danielle! I urge everyone to express their inner nerd!

This is one of a million internet examples of pwn - some can be quite shocking and provocative.

New Poll!

The other poll wasn't doing it for me. This one is up my alley.

Vote Smart. Vote Democrat!

On Hip Hop

I must admit, before Monday's lecture I was skeptical of anything that presented "rap" in a positive light. While I have always respected it as an art form, I have always associated it with violent and misogynistic messages that served no purpose other than to promote and perpetuate interracial violence.

I was surprised to learn that I was correct, but it is not the fault of the artists. The culture and business of hip hop, like so many other industries, has fallen victim to corporate America's hegemony on nearly all aspects of society. In short, these companies demanded that rappers distort what hip hop was originally, and forge the new cultural identity we see today.

I certainly hope the opposition is able to tear down this false representation of the culture, but in the same token, I wonder it it is too late. It is difficult to strip down cultural constructs after they have stood for so long.

Anyway, a big kudos to Marco on a fabulous presentation. It was fun!

Rose and "A Style and Nobody Can Deal With: Politics, Style, and the Postindustrial City in Hip Hop"

If you can't tell by my last post, this article was tough to digest. I found myself reading, then re-reading passages over and over again. Not going to lie, the article left me in left field many times. It's Ok though, I got through it!

Rose discusses the history of hip hop culture in postindustrial America, focusing greatly on New York City. Many people think of hip hop as specifically rap, but Rose argues that rap is only a small part of a larger cultural phenomenon. She explains that the importance of the hip hop properties of flow, layering, and rupture reflect and contest the social roles accessible to inner city youth. (402)

The concept of identity was also an important topic in her discussion. Compounded with the economic and social problems facing lower income and minority areas, many young people turned to a new community dynamic - the formation of gangs as a means of support in a very complex and unyielding environment (407) Hip hop became synonymous with gangs, and was used as an expression the societal norm.

While I struggled with the wording, I really liked how she dismantled hip hop and urban life in a academic way. This would be the first time I have ever seen an analysis of urban culture. I found it quite interesting. I really like how she says that because people in urban areas struggled to fit in the greater cultural mold because of deindustrialization they, in essence, created their own culture. I think people outside that culture, me included, sometimes do not understand the positive messages that hip hop gives young people. We automatically assume that "rap is bad," when much of it does indeed give messages of hope to kids living in pretty dire circumstances.

Rose and the Hip Hop... Whaaa?

Ok... ok... I read Rose and am in awe at the flowery language! Problem is, I think I need to read it again. It didn't quite sink in... so busy translating it into the vernacular! I didn't expect this! More to come! For now, this article gets a...

"Well, honey, doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream..." Teen Pregnancy, Socioeconomic Class, and Juno.

Growing up as a teenager in the United States is both a challenging and chaotic experience. Teens, on a daily basis, are exposed to a bevy of mixed messages by the media that compound this already turbulent time. These messages influence teenagers by promoting certain behaviors that provoke parental confrontation. On the other hand, other media outlets contemporaneously condemn those same teenage rituals as childish or hazardous. This barrage of contradictory material, however, does not affect all teenagers in the same way. There are several factors that guide how a teen, or anyone for that matter, interprets and reacts to any form of artistic expression. Race, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class are all different lenses through which teenagers view media – not all teens have the same perspectives on what they see and hear. In the motion picture Juno the protagonist, in a universal sense, is in deep trouble. She, at the age of sixteen, is pregnant. The movie is a dramatic and chronological representation of her life during that phase. Despite its lighthearted and almost comedic overtones, it is possible that the overarching thematic intent could have been processed by teenagers in the audience in far more dangerous way. Young men and women, especially those sitting on the lower rung of the socioeconomic stratum, could interpret teen pregnancy in a much more casual fashion after viewing this film.

To better understand what group this film targets, it is important to examine how the protagonist, her family, and friends interact with socioeconomic class. After some consideration, it can be deduced that Juno’s family is working class. While they own a home, the occupations that her parents hold are blue collar – her stepmother does nails, and her father is a heating repairman. Although the neighborhood they live in appears to be affluent, certain characteristics such as furniture, vehicle, and clothing all indicate a heavy lean toward the working class. Perhaps Juno’s socioeconomic class is also evident in the way that she carries herself. Brash and overly opinionated, Juno seems to clash with her child’s perspective parents. This is indeed a clash of class. Another instance of this sort of clash is in the ultrasound scene where the stepmother belittles the technician to get a real job, when it was likely that the technician is highly educated and affluent.

Why does Juno’s class matter? Who cares what class she belongs to? I argue that the class of the protagonist is the target audience of the film. This means that young adults, children of working class parents specifically, view Juno and say “Well, she got pregnant and she was able to live her life normally. So if it happens to me, no big deal.” Juno’s parents reacted to her pregnancy in an atypical fashion. Since Juno’s father was himself a single parent, he knows the difficulties that raising a child alone can bring. Additionally, the story was written in a way that Juno appeared to show very little emotion regarding her predicament – she was almost dismissive of this very serious topic. Her comfort rested in the fact that a wealthy family was going to take this burden off of her shoulders. She would be able to continue her life as though nothing had ever happened. Perhaps if she were rich, she would have kept the child. Regardless, the movie sends a message to young women and men, especially those from working class families, that someone will be there to step in and save you if you get pregnant. That is a dangerous message for the youth of our country.

The dominant discourse in this country in regards teenage pregnancy carries a very powerful stereotype toward the poor and Hispanic populations. While Juno does not perpetuate that model, it does send implicit messages that being a pregnant teenager is not a problem regardless of whom you are and where you live. Juno flies in the face of the prevailing ideology that dictates that people should wait until marriage to become pregnant. Yet, the movie was constructed in a way that makes the controversy invisible or, at least, easier to swallow.

I Saw Juno!

I went to see Juno last night. I am going to be superficial and say that I really liked it... at least for now. I will write my analysis later. For now, I found this lovely graphic while surfing "teh internets!" Enjoy!

McCain and "The Woman"

If you haven't heard by now, John McCain is caught up in a possible sex scandal. In all of the coverage, especially the cable news networks, they always refer to Vicki Iseman (the person he supposedly had the relationship with) as "the woman." They hardly ever use her name. While super unfair, it seems to me they making McCain look like the victim here. Even with the worst case senerio, he loses his presidential bid but maintains his seemingly perpetual Senate seat. Has anyone stopped and thought about what this has done to Iseman? They both deny anything happened, but I'm sure she is the one that will have to suffer long term consequences.

The New York Times in their article shows a picture of Iseman. Of course, it's not flattering. Instead of depicting her as a professional, they chose to show her at a party, wearing an evening gown. What is the message here? Am I crazy?

Happy President's Day!

Hurray for the all white male club! I love how Bush is set apart from the rest. He doesn't deserve to be on the same graphic with president's like FDR and John F. Kennedy. So sad.

Fabulous Jen on Prensky!

This is from Jen on Prensky:

"Let's be real -- not everyone grew up with a computer in their house and not everyone grew up in this country learning the digital language (in addition to English, in some cases)."

Right on Jen! When I saw the title of the article, I thought maybe it would address the digital divide between socioeconomic and ethnic classes in the United States. I didn't even come close. Instead, he assumes that everyone is on equal footing - both in technology and language. I think he really dropped the ball by not addressing those issues.

Jen is just so damn profound... or is it soprofound?

The Past vs. The Future "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" by Marc Prensky

Just reading the title of the article, I thought it was about something completely different. Needless to say, I was way off!

In Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Marc Prensky argues that there is a fundamental disconnect between teachers and students in contemporary society. He maintains that teachers from previous generations think and learn differently than people born in this generation because of the abundance and accessibility of technology. Prensky hypothesizes that the prominence of digital devices, computers, and the internet has physiologically changed how young people learn. Such an interesting theory! He categorizes young people as “Digital Natives” because they were born in this fast paced world of technology, while older generations are “Digital Immigrants” because they retain “accents” or characteristics of a world with less technological advancement.

I feel that his argument is quite sound for several reasons. In my experiences, professors fear technology and avoid it whenever they can. While I can also say that Rhode Island College, as an institution, fails to promote the widespread use of technology in the classroom (or anywhere on campus for that matter), there are few instructors that use more than the overhead projector. Even that is a stretch sometimes! I think students are really bored with the way information is taught. In a world where everything is literally at your fingertips in the internet, students don’t want to go to a library and trudge through microfilm for some tidbit of information! I’m sorry, but it’s true. I personally don’t feel that way (for reasons I will discuss later), but I can certainly sympathize with those who do!

Well, sounds easy to fix right? Just put together some workshops and everything will be all set! Teachers will manipulate information into games so that students of future will be able to learn old information in more appealing ways! Right? No, not that simple. Prensky does not pretend that it will be an easy transition from the old methods of pedagogy to the new exciting ways he proposes.

But, in my opinion, his prescriptions are not at all viable. He thinks that everything can be turned into a game. I consider myself between his “Digital Natives” and “Digital Immigrants,” so I can appreciate both – which puts me in a good position to judge. While I feel that technology isn’t being used enough and students are indeed learning differently, to say that we can transform all disciplines and topics into some sort of first person shooter game is pretty ridiculous. I mean, what’s next? Are we going to make traditional research more like a game of Halo?

I think that making use of technology in more liberal and exciting ways is an important first step. Lets not get all crazy here…. Doom anyone? And for God’s sake, embrace teh internets!

Oh No! It's Ursula the Octopus! Linda Christensen and "Unlearning the Myths That Bind Us"

“I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” –Voltaire

This article was so great! I have always thought that Disney was a terrible influence on children!

Linda Christensen argues, and I say rightfully so, that cartoons, movies, and literature establish a conceptual framework for stereotyping in young people’s minds. She argues that these hidden messages serve as a “secret education” that validates certain behaviors and perspectives as the social norm, while contemporaneously fostering certain degree of social inequality.

Now, I have a hard time believing that after reading this, anyone can say that it isn't true! Let’s take Disney for example. The clear majority of villains in Disney’s animated movies are women. And if they aren’t, they are like Aladdin’s Jafar who, while male, has been clearly created in feminine way. Is this deliberate? Oh, you bet! Why was Aladdin Caucasian? Why didn't he have an accent? Why was the villain in The Little Mermaid, Ursula, old, fat, evil, and dark female? I could go on and on. If you feel that Disney was completely inncocent of these hidden message, I urge you to take another look. If you still don't believe it, I agree to disagree.

I really like some of the assignments that Christensen gave her class. Chief among them was the grading cartoons after their eyes had been opened to what was really going on.

I thought she was a bit over the top when she concluded with this:

“But more importantly, students saw themselves as actors in the world. They were fueled by the opportunity to convince some parents of the long-lasting effects cartoons impose on their children, or to enlighten their peers about the roots of some of their insecurities. Instead of leaving students full of bile, standing around with their hands on their hips, shaking their heads about how bad the world is, I provided them the opportunity to make a difference.”

I think it’s really great that she exposed this problem to her students, but don’t make it sound like you saved the world. There is still much to be done!

Solidarity Forever!
NAU

Blogger.com Needs More Cowbell

Ok, they need to fix the spell checker or I am going to start feeling really bad about myself! I know it is a known issue because I looked it up but... just for my sanity... is anyone else having this issue?

Well, for now I'll cut and paste into Word. =\

Hine's "The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager"

Again, the spell check is a current known issue, so be gentle!

My last post on Hine kind of went off into left field, so I decided to make this post to ground me a bit. I don't know, I still liked what I wrote, it was my reaction at the time I suppose. I tend to go off into rants about social injustice, ask Jen!

In his The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager, Thomas Hine laments the sociocultural status of teenagers in the United States. He argues that teenagers are wrongly lumped into some artificially constructed group that is incapable of making rational decisions on its own. Hine maintains that teens are actually able people, but because this label is placed on them it becomes "an impediment that has kept them from becoming the people they were ready to be."

If we look at Hine's ideas and stories, then we look at the in-class project with the Life magizine cover and the actress (whose name escapes me at the moment) you can see just what he is trying to say. The magazine's cover basically glorifies the fact that the actress had acended out of the abyss of teenagerdom, to emerge some new and better being. We know this to be false. A person's teenage years holds great sway over their future.

In the end, Hine states the teenagers and parents alike need to bridge the generational divide. Communication and parental involvment, in a constructive way, can be the "most powerful factor that determines the well being of young people." He concludes by saying that the "teenage mystique" is in fact, the culmination of constant change young people experience - both physically, emotionally, and culturally.

I'd like to see what Hine suggests for specific prescriptions to the problems we, as a culture, face in regards to teenagers.

That's all for now. See you Monday PM!

In Solidarity,
NAU

Perspectives on the "Dominant Discourse"

After a rocky start, I finally have my semester on track! I was sick the entire second week of the semester so I have a lot of catching up to do... like... this blog!

Anyway, I had a great time in our class last night. Who would have thought that feminine products or even medical textbooks are subject to the "dominant discourse" of our culture? While I feel that patriarchy is an imporant sociocultural construct that deserves to be torn down, let us not lose sight of the fact that there are other groups that are also frowned upon by the high media. More specifically, I am referring to the way the media depicts the working class.

I made a connection to social class when we were discussing this quote by Hine:

"Teenagers spend much of their time dealing with people who do not know them as individuals, and under the control of institutions that strive to deal with people uniformly. Once they leave the house, they are at the mercy of a battery of bureaucracies."

While Hine discusses how society mandates teenagers attend school, essencially save them from themselves, I am reminded of an article by Jean Anyon called Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work. Here she argues that schools are desigened to recreate social class. Schools in working class neighborhoods teach childern to be followers, where schools of the capitalist class teach childern how to be thinkers and leaders utilizing increased social construcivist activity. I urge everyone to take a look. I may be crazy, but I think that the two authors have two arguments that complement each other quite well.

Well that's all for now, I will write more later. Nice to meet you all and happy Super Tuesday!


PS: I apologize for any spelling errors, for whatever reason the spellchecker isn't working! :O