New Media Obsession

So, Professor Coyne contacted me a week before our reality TV show lecture and asked me if I would get into a "fight" with her during class to illustrate a point. I agreed (as you know), and then decided that if I was going to argue effectively, I had to watch a reality show or two. So I watched some Top Model, some Extreme Makeover; then I watched an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and I REALLY liked it. So I watched another episode. And another. And.... another.

Woops.

Kind of took over my life. I'm trying to stop, because my homework definitely suffers. The last time I got sucked into something like this, it was to The Nanny Show from the '90s. It was bad. The show wasn't even that good!

Anyway. Media. It can take over your life!

Beethoven's Fifth

I just wanted to give a shout-out to Beethoven. I'm taking Music 101 and we're studying Beethoven at the moment. He's pretty awesome.

Have a listen! Here's his 5th Symphony. It's on my bucket list to hear this played live, because I'm pretty sure it will be one of the most transcendal experiences of my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOk8Tm815lE

Anti-love rant

So this week I watched a YouTube clip of all of the princesses in real life (as in, they weren't animated) singing about love n' stuff. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Jasmine, Belle and Elsa were there (Tho I must say, Elsa was a little random).

 So, in the clip, all the girls are hanging out in some house, and Ariel starts it off by saying, "Look at my flowers girls! Eric got it for me (giggle giggle)," and all the other girls giggle along with her except Elsa, who stalks off into another room to sing about how she doesn't need to hide behind a man or true love. By the end of the song, she has stalked around the entire house and has convinced all of the other princesses that they don't need men either and therefore are strong female characters.

Cute, in principle. Not accurate, however.

I don't mind when a woman saves herself in a movie. I might even applaud it. But I take exception to 2 messages this little YouTube ditty sends.

1) Love is silly and makes you dependent on a man for all of your rescuing.
False. Love is not silly; in fact, love between a guy and a girl is quite lovely, particularly when it's a healthy relationship (though that's an entirely different conversation). Love is about helping each other and being willing to do things for this person we normally wouldn't do. If that means rescuing you from a crazy octopus lady or helping you escape your palace walls, aight! Bottom line is; Love is not bad, and it's not crippling to you or your life. Loving a good man is a wonderful experience. It can be frustrating, yes, but loving doesn't mean that you have to wait for him to help you with everything. Heck, you might even help him.


2) If you have a man, you're a bimbo and a "Weak" female character.
Oh please. Didn't Ariel rescue Eric? Didn't Jasmine escape her castle all by Herself? Didn't Cinderella have the guts to disobey her stepmother and find true love anyway? Doesn't Belle read books? What bimbo reads books? Hm?

I understand wanting women to be strong and have their own identity and strength. I get that, and I support it, strongly.  But there's nothing wrong with loving or being with a guy as a part of that identity and strength. I do not believe one precludes the other, which is what a lot of media teaches. Women are fundamentally loving creatures; this love can (and does) include family, friends, children and yes, a man. Why downplay such a beautiful ability and power for good?

A good definition to know, whether married or not

So, I don't know how many of you have already seen this. This guy talks about why sex should be more sacred and less common than it is, and why. It's a succinct, short clip, but I really love the point he makes and I think he's onto something. This is good to watch whether you're married or not; I think it will give you food for thought. It's not awkward at all, either. Please watch it, if you've got 3 minutes!

http://www.faithit.com/john-mark-comer-biblical-talk-sex-purity-beauty-love/

Messy house friends

This blog post really jived  with me. I think that most people think that they have to present a clean house to people so that those people will like them. It's been my experience, though, that most people, when not entertaining or trying to impress, have a messy house. Why can't we all acknowledge that and be friends anyway? Social connection/connecting would be a lot less stressful, and maybe that would help people be more willing to try and make friends! I think many people are stopped by the fact that cleaning a house in-depth is tiring, and people just aren't worth the energy it will take. I've been guilty of this. Though I do think Americans are losing the idea that friends and a community are important, and I think that's a mistake. We need friends. We need human interaction. So. Don't sweat the small stuff. :)

http://dugansincahoots.com/2014/01/23/we-cant-be-friends/

More better advertising

Yay for nations who are changing their models n' stuff! Come on America, let's hop on that wagon.

http://www.upworthy.com/a-catalog-that-believes-reality-can-sell-clothes-better-than-photoshop?c=ufb3

Frozen: As cool as it seems?

Heyo! So again, I was cruising down my FB wall, and found this lovely post from one of my sort-of friends. She apparently hated Frozen, and because most people I know LOVED it, I was intrigued and clicked upon it. I read it. It's a bit longer than a traditional blog post, but she has some really interesting points, and she pointed out some things I noticed while I was watching the movie, but at the time I didn't really notice that I was noticing them. If that makes sense. Anywho.

If you're interested, here's the link. My opinion of the movie Frozen is pretty neutral; I liked some things and then thought some other things were pretty silly (as in, stupid silly). I liked Tangled better. :)

https://medium.com/disney-and-animation/7c0bbc7252ef

Advertising

So after our advertising class, I have found myself being much more aware of the advertisements around me and what their motives might be etc. It's kind of eye opening. IT'S EVERYWHERE. I feel myself becoming a much more critical consumer. It's kinda cool. :)


Really, it's quite amazing what a little bit of education can do for you.

Homebirth: Birth At Home: Au Natural

So I don't know how many of you know that it's possible to give birth at home, but it is. Because it's done at home, very rarely are any drugs/administered (they can be, though, by request and depending on your attendant). This scares people. It shouldn't.

I personally am of the opinion that a healthy woman with her head in the right place can have a beautiful, natural birth wherever she wants. I know this is true, because my mother and several of my aunts have had babies at home. I had my baby at home. It was an amazing experience.

That being said, I don't wish to discount the birth experiences of women who have/need medical interventions; birth, no matter what course it takes, is hard work and any woman who goes through it should be congratulated. I do strongly feel, though, that there is not enough proper education about home (and just natural) birth and its pros and cons. There are many pros; I did not make my decision to have a home birth lightly. Bottom line, home birth is not as dangerous or weird or scary as many people think it is.

Here's an article that talks about home birth. Please, read it if you're interested, and if you have any questions for me, please let me know! :)

http://www.mana.org/blog/home-birth-safety-outcomes