Religion In America - Mormons

The Church Of Jesus Christ Of The Latter-Day Saints is regarded as part of the Christian movement and is a wing of the Mormon religion. It was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith. Jr. who was told by an angel that a tablet of gold hidden in the earth would tell of God's dealings with pre colonised America. The top ranks of the movement are considered great teachers and followers are discouraged from questioning them over matters of theology. There sacred texts include the Old and New Testament, as well as the Book Of Mormon which is considered on the same level as the previous two.

For me, is shows America in one of its fundermental lights, as the church has at one time or another both refused entry of black men into the church and Polygamy. It tells of how, in 1820, Smith was visited by both 'God the Father' and Jesus Christ, and that he was taught that through the gradual acquisition of knowledge, those who were sealed to there exaltation could eventually become co-equal with God. It takes the religions of many to the extreme, has a wealth of contradictions and half truths, for example Joseph said that God had commanded him to tell the people He would return in 56 years. Smith said this in 1835, so that would be 1891. Christ did not return in 1891, because it is believed that when Jesus returns, every eye will see Him. (Rev 1:7)

In another revelation by Smith, he proclaimed a temple would be built within a generation in the west of Missouri. A generation to the western world is often recognized as 40 years. However, the Mormon definition of a generation is 110. This was recorded in 1832, 166 years have passed and there is no temple in the western Missouri. According to God's word, it only takes 'one false prophesy to make a false prophet'. In just one period of time Smith gave 64 prophesies and 58 never came true and most are dated so the Mormon can not simple say it has not happened yet!

Scientology

Who hasn't heard of scientology before ? A couple Hollywood stars (Tom Cruise, for example) are part of this strange religion. The website is very "snazzy", with videos on every page and a very professional looking layout. You can learn about the founder, what it is like inside a church, the beliefs and practices and you can even meet a scientologist !
The first thing I thought when arriving on the website was : wow, okay, they had money invested in their website ! You can buy the Scientology book, you can find information about the humanitarian programs they sponsor and you can also find the website of your country (however, I stayed on the American one). Talking of the humanitarian programs, that's something that strikes out at first. They want to help others and encourage you to help the world ... by becoming a scientologist ! Scientology helps the rest of the world, but it also helps individuals get happier. It's a nice message and I guess that's where the appeal resides (at least, that's what I would say, I don't really see an appeal here).
It really talks about coming together to make the world a better place but to also be happy. It says it's "a religion in its highest meaning, as it helps bring man to total freedom and truth". Scientology is today's fastest growing religion, in today's economic climate, wanting to be happy is probably high on the list of priority for people. The phrase "The pursuit of happiness" came to my mind as soon as I started to read a bit of the website.

http://www.scientology.org/

The Native American Church

My chosen religious denomination focuses on the Native American church of Strawberry Plains Tennessee. http://www.nativeamericanchurch.com/
The sentence that highlights the front page of this website emphasises the very beliefs relevent in Native American communities: 'Truth, like the air we breathe, comes to us compliments of the creator, may it always be so'. The church practises what is called a 'peyote' practise, 'the road back to a true self'. It focuses around spiritual healing and the sacred relationship with your soul. Although their religion may seem individualistic, they do believe in a one supreme God, the creator and do preach the love of their neighbours, though may this love may be limited to their own community, which explains the somewhat hostile history associated with Native Americans amongst the various tribes. Peyotism primarily acts as a reflection of oneself on humanity. Man forms an 'image' of himself. If this 'image' conducts bad behavioural practises, linked with Christian sins, the image is lost, and this 'loss of image' is the main fear of peyote practise. The object for Native Americans practising this religion is to seek a perfect being of 'intent' and 'direction', the path to creating a 'true self' and gain 'spiritual legacy'.

Seventh Day Adventist Church

http://www.adventist.org/beliefs/fundamental/index.html

The Seventh Day Adventist Church is a Christian group with a strong belief based on the Scriptures and the idea that Jesus Christ will return to Earth. This is a very large organisation with members all over the world. They are the largest church in the states of Utah and Idaho.
I was interested to see that whilst their views are very traditional, they seem prepared to accept that it helps to not be judgmental and to offer help and support wherever possible. They offer guidelines on various things – one being abortion. Whilst it is clear that they disagree with the principle, they accept that there are circumstances when it is necessary, such as in the event of rape, congenital defects and risk to health. They don’t however condone homosexuality or same sex marriage.
They clearly value family life and help within the community and I can see that this would be very comforting to many people. Whilst their beliefs may seem old fashioned, they have considered many aspects of modern life and offer their members advice on how to provide support to others. There is also a dating website offering Seventh Day Adventist singles the opportunity to meet other like-minded people.

Review of Crash

It is fascinating to read the mixed reviews of Crash. It is certainly a controversial film, but I wouldn't apply as a result of beating Brokeback Mountain at the Oscers. I would apply it to the issues it brings up, most notably racism. Though after watching and enjoying it, I must praise the film for what it is. I believe that the film was effective in creating tension in its audience, the editing and camerawork is superb e.g. the close-up of the gun held by the Persian as he seeks retribution through murder. I think that the film is highly effective, in interweaving the plots, to create the climax. It is though somewhat sad that the director, kills off the black guy and I'm not surprised by the amount of negative reactions to that. I though felt thoroughly manipulated, as I was indeed one of the people sitting on the edge of their seat, as the Persian shot at the little girl and pleasantly surprised that she wasn't hurt. I believe that the theme of racism is well explored, he underlines issues of racism in all race and classes and not just the white bourgeois. I can identify Ebert's quote to the film that 'people's assumptions prevent them from seeing the actual person'. The film teaches us a lesson that we should somehow find a way around our racial judgements and not judge the person by their colour. I do indeed think that 'Crash is a film about progress', the main thing is that we learn something from a film and I feel we get that with Crash.
Though I must add that although I'm a fan of the Stereophonics, I can see little to why Maybe Tomorrow would have something to do with the film.

Crash - THE MOVIE

This Film was about as disappointing as Barack Obama's health care bill. For me, it lacked any sense of realism and good acting skill, even thought it caried a heavywieght of actors as the cast. Everything just felt staged, stale and used before. we all know that there is racism in this world, and America has its fair share, but the film lacked any imagination. The racism was not well thought out, and in the end predictable. Its a topic that could have been done better, and yes is somthing a little different to watch, but at times just had me yearning for a pillow. The focus seemed always to be on the white characters and there racism, the other ethnic groups there to simple make the film itself non-racist. If I could give this a rating, it would be a 2 out of 5, good topic but could try harder!!

Crash

I would just like to point out the fact that I was not able to read one of the reviews as the page was not found (it was Foundas's review).

Now, my sentiments about crash are quite mixed. On one side, how refreshing to see something different on screens. Something contemporary which deals with real life issues in a way we can all relate to (well, at least I can). I thought that both reviewers had a fair point, although, after watching it again and thinking about it, I would actually lean towards Foundas's point of view. Not that it was a bad film, at all, but that it simply uses pre-made stereotypes and that the characters don't very three dimensional. Yes, some have a history and you can sense it, you sense that they are not just an empty shell. But others do not have the same depth. And this lack in depth really got to me the second time around.

Also, something that did shock me completely was the Iranian and the Korean characters. All other characters experience a change in their views through something concrete that happened to them. The Iranian character, however, is portrayed as paranoid and then only experiences a change of character because he thinks God has appeared to him. I felt that was a little flimsy. Also, all characters appear from a stereotypical point of view and then change in the eye of the viewer, but not the Asians. The stereotype lives on, there is no turning point. Yes, the man is in the hospital, but that doesn't mean he isn't going to stop his little traffic going on and his wife is still as aggressive as at the beginning of the film. Nearly made me question Haggis's view on Asian Americans. Or maybe he simply didn't have any ideas ... kinda sad if that is the case. Either way you look at it, the Asian Americans don't have the good role.

Also, I was solely disappointed by the ending, it felt ... incomplete and too easy. I am sorry, but, what are the odds for a woman like Sandra Bullock's character to fall down the stairs at that very moment and the only person that would help her is the housekeeper ? Even if it were to happen in real life, what are the odds for that woman to then hug the said housekeeper and feel remorse ?! I am not sure that many people who have the mentality she had in the beginning would just change her mind after falling down the stairs. I feel that reality doesn't work like this. People with prejudice are unlikely to change their view so easily. So, yes, I agree with Foundas when he says it doesn't feel very real. And he has actually experienced Los Angeles, so I'll take his word for it.

Review of Crash

I hadn’t seen this movie before – possibly the title didn’t make me want to rush to the cinema, but I was gripped by the different stories and at times horrified by the assumptions made about the characters just based solely on their race. Whilst I think that Scott Foundas is overly harsh in his criticism of the film, I do feel that the film does use stereotypes to give the illusion that LA is a very difficult place to live and that you are constantly in fear of your life. The film has picked out these extreme ends of the spectrum for dramatic effect, in particular, the Persian shopkeeper who seemed to get angry as soon as anyone tried to explain anything to him.
I agree with Ebert’s view that this is a film where the characters are not held back by political correctness – they say what they really think. I enjoyed the way that the individual stories began to mingle together, often with shocking consequences like the shooting of the little girl. The opening sequence of the film where Don Cheadle’s character says that you have to crash into someone in order to have any sort of physical contact could be true of many big cities. People do live in their own little world, often only reacting to others when circumstances force them to.

The Abenaki and Seminole tribes

Okay, So my first choice of tribes today was the Seminole Tribe of Florida, because their name was completely unfamiliar to me and was not already taken by someone else on this blog, haha.

http://www.seminoletribe.com/

The Seminole tribe was based in Florida. And on their website, included in the first few things you can find, is a little text saying that they are a Federally Recognized Indian Tribe and that they are the only tribe that never signed a peace treaty. And that is something, considering where it is placed, that they are very proud of.

The website showcases a series of categories, varying from the History of the tribe to their culture, the tourism and business aspects and their very own newspaper, The Seminole Tribune. They do have a number of services such as a museum you can visit, a village, a swamp safari and even a motocross ! And let's just note than on top of the page of the website is a little logo which has the colours of the tribe and that says : Seminole Tribe of Florida - In God We Trust. It's nearly an embrace to the American culture there ! How many times have we not associated that quote to the USA ?!

If you look at the history of their tribe, there is a part devoted on the sole fact that they never surrendered, and they are very proud of that fact. It seems like the tribe, today, has found ways of making money (through selling tobacco essentially) and are considered one of the most successful tribes. They have made money through gambling but also other business enterprises and seem to be able to take good care of their community.

Now, second website (and therefor second tribe) is this one : http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/ The ELNU Abenaki tribe. Compared to the previous website, the layout is much simpler (just wanted to point it out) and the colours less aggressive; here we have a dominance of white and green, on the other one, powerful, aggressive colours such as red, yellow and black gave a different atmosphere.

The Tribe of the Abenaki is based in Southern Vermont. They say they want to maintain their culture in modern society. They say they are not like the average modern tribes, they try to focus mainly on the historical aspect of their culture. They study and teach their history and have many traditional artisans.

Every now and again, they live the way their ancestors lived to be closer to the culture and to be sure this culture will be passed onto future generations. They do this when they have the time, to reconnect fully with their ancestors. They really are focused on their traditions and their history, therefor every year they have a conference that is open to other natives but also non-natives. Their aim is to provide a non-biased history of their tribe.

Native American Tribes

http://www.greatdreams.com/apache/apache-tribe.htm

The Apache tribe consisting of six regional groups, that occupied a lot a Southwest America, including Arizona, New Mexico and indeed Mexico itself. The apache are considered to be one of the first native american groups to inhabit the Southwest.

The image depicting the Apache war leader Jeronimo, represents a lot of what the Apache tribe epitamised. The values of aggressiveness and courage in the face of difficulty. The very picture suggests as he holds up a gun, that they will not give in, or give up their land without a fight. These qualities aroused fear amongst white settlers in Arizona and New Mexico. He was eventually captured in 1909, yet his legacy seems to have stood, on through time as a prominent native American figure. Indeed his name has come to be famous in popular culture and in many Westerns.

http://www.comancheindian.com/

The comanche tribe occupied much of the Southern Great plains, including parts of Oklahoma and Texas. Like the Apache's the Comanche were known for many of their conflicts with white settlers and indeed with other tribes such as the 'Crow', 'Cherokee 'Choctaw' and 'Apache' tribes. The website notes that they were the first tribe to use horses, yet they also supplied Americans with horses to reach the gold rush of California 1849. The website is not quite as in depth as the first and leaves a rather sad message at the end saying 'what we know of them is through often biased 3rd party account'.

Native American tribes

http://www.delawaretribe.org/

The first tribe is the Lenape or Delaware tribe who now live in Oklahoma. Their website says that they were one of the first tribes to come into contact with European settlers and they make the point that they showed kindness to the new arrivals but were then forced to give up their homelands and move across America, eventually forced into Indian Country – Oklahoma. There is mention of them being warriors – ready to fight but also that they were considered as peacemakers in disputes between tribes. In May 2009, they were granted Federal Recognition as an Indian Tribe.
http://www.quileutenation.org/

This is the website of the Quileute tribe. This caught my eye as this tribe is featured in the Twilight novels. Having read the books I had assumed that this was a fictional tribe so I was surprised to find it. The tribe seem to have suffered less than some others as although they live on a reservation; it is the land they have always lived in, in a remote area of Washington state. They have built a successful tourist trade based on fishing, whale watching and hiking.

Hispanic immigration to the USA

Facts versus Fallacies

This first website is a website about a book written by two university professors and an alumnus. It is, thus, a brief encounter of what the book says about hispanic immigration. And it is all about the misconceptions people have and how, economically, these immigrants are very beneficial for the United States. Indeed, they accept the first jobs they can find, most of the time, jobs other people do not want to do, at least not for such low wages. They want to work hard and go up the ladder towards their American Dream.

The Hispanic Challenge

This second website is basically a long article completely against latino immigration and telling the USA they should be on their guards concerning such an immigration. Indeed, the author sees these immigrants as dangerous for the social and cultural aspects of the United States. He says that this group does not want to assimilate and have created a community excluded from the rest of the population. They speak their own language, have their own politics and, more importantly, their own culture which they do not want to share.

The author starts the article by talking about what the United States are and the history around them. Indeed, there was immigration at that time and all different immigrants came together to form what is now America. If it hadn't been for all these immigrants, the United States wouldn't be what they are but just another country such as Canada or Mexico. But, the point is, everyone worked together. The problem with the latino immigrants is that they do not wish to work with the rest of the population to be included and enrich the country. No, they want to stay together and be a threat to the wonderful american (white and protestant, by the way) culture.

Pro and Anti Latino Immigration

http://news.feetintwoworlds.org/2009/11/09/pro-immigrant-demonstrators-and-hispanic-media-confront-sheriff-arpaio-on-visit-to-southern-california/
My first website focusing on a pro-Latino immigration view 'telling the stories of todays immigrants' looks at a situation in which pro-immigrant protestors confront this 'Sherriff Arpaio' over his 'aggressive tactics' towards what the website calls 'undocumented immigrants'. It is interesting from the start how the website refuses to use the word 'illegal' in identifying the immigrants. The video clip on the website shows the protests and looks in on the poster's branding sherriff Arpaio as one of the 'KKK', yet the protests seem almost celebratory as there seems to be music playing in Latino style. The posters seem to suggest anger, yet anger is not really what comes through in the people. The ageing white Sherriff, seems to be the one getting frustrated by the protests, yet he maintains his view that the 'people like what (he's) doing'.

http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/02/08/immigration-activists-concerned-about-anti-latino-/
My second website is from the Southern California Public radio. It sits on the fence over the matter, and draws in many comments from the American public, on its comment board.
It looks at the issues of the 'growing Latino sentiment in the Tea Party crowd'. It is interesting to look at the various comments on the board, most being anti-immigration. One comment from a Mexican-American interestingly supports the idea of closing the border, emphasising the fact that they are 'overstretched' due to this growing number of immigration. Another comment brands illegal immigrants 'aliens'. There is very much a growing fear amongst what is for now the white majority.

Latino immigration

http://www.fairus.org/site/PageNavigator/about/
This organisation is the Federation of Immigration Reform. They are a group set up by ‘concerned citizens’ who want to bring immigration to what they feel is a more reasonable level and to have strong immigration laws in order to remove illegal aliens altogether. There is an article commenting on Obama’s State of the Union speech where they feel that in order to get Americans back to work it is necessary to remove all illegal aliens to free up jobs. There is a strong feeling of wanting to keep America for the Americans but no discussion of the effects to the economy or the diversity of the nation.
http://www.hoover.org/publications/digest/3507096.html
This is an article on a Stanford University website which comments on the importance of the Latino population in the US. It makes an interesting point that a lot of Americans know little or nothing about the history of these people but that they make up such a large proportion of the population. The article mentions that generally Latinos are hard working and don’t find it difficult to find work which is different to the view given in the Huntington article we discussed in the seminar.

Anti-Latino Immigration

This is a link to a blog by Kellene Bishop which paints a very bleak picture of the future of the United States. She takes the view that there is no want or need for the mass immigration of Mexican nationals into the United States, and lists the ways in which, in her eyes, they would ruin the country further.

"Think of the impression that such parents may have on their children. They begin their relationship with our nation by defying our laws and are financially rewarded for it. Hmmmm. I wonder what message this sends to their children?"

For me the blog is good, as it takes a strong view, though possibly goes to far into what is her own opinion and true facts. The problem of illegal immigration will always be a problem for the United States, as with any country, and its now and not later that the government needs to act to control the stem coming into and dealing with the illegal immigrants already in the boarders.

Hurricane Katrina

This article, though length, gives a good analysis of the reaction and suffering for some of the African-Americans who were effected by Hurricane Katrina. It tries to look at the situation from all angles, and come to a conclusion about why certain measures where not in place, and if they were then why they were not enacted. The hurricane devastated much of New Orleans, leaving many of the population, for which is heavily black, with no were to go to escape the carnage.

The report finds in its conclusion that showed 'that a combination of poverty and perceptions of racism and inequities influenced African Americans to not evacuate, even after reaching the stage of high threat perception.' If the government and local officials had reacted quicker to the threat, and later when getting people to safety, it seems to me that many lives could have been saved. I do not believe that race had a dominant factor in reactions by officials, it may have been underlying in a minority, but the speed and extent of the damage meant that by the time everything was in place, it was to late for most.

Katrina and Fox

Fox News is pretty infamous for its support to the Republican party. And this article, in my opinion, depicts it clearly. Finding a website devoted entirely on Katrina was extremely hard to find and it seemed like the only interesting links I could find had both already been taken. So, the Fox News article was the next best thing. Why ? Because it is an article that talks about the Hurricane and the situation after the facts with a strong republican voice.
The author of the article exposes the fact that African Americans remember having been, in history at some point, neglected, inferior. A feeling that was reinforced after the Hurricane. After the Hurricane, there had been a lot of talking about Bush and the help provided. Many African Americans felt that the help provided would have come quicker and would have been more effective if the majority of people touched by the disaster hadn't been of colour. 77 percent of white americans disagree with these accusations. The article also mentions the fact that black people saw this natural disaster as a proof of racial inequalities in America. 56% of white americans didn't see it as an important lesson.

Yet, what is said (that is a little more positive this time) is that the black community really came together to help the victims of the Hurricane. A lot of money was raised. Even Rap and hip hop stars provided help. [Funnily enough, the said rappers said to not give money to the Red Cross as no one would know where the money would go to ...]
The author also points out that the situation of african americans has really changed through the years. Now, you get millionaire black talk-show presenters (like Oprah Winfrey), over-paid black basketball players, something a couple of decades ago wouldn't have even been possible to think of ! This social change has permitted other blacks to help out more effectively.

Hurricane Katrina's Devastating effect on African American Higher education

My chosen website focuses on the hurricane's effects on schooling for African Americans in New Orleans. http://www.jbhe.com/features/49_hurrican_katrina.html
It raises the issue of 'race relations' and the underlying tensions still remaining between the white community and the black. It is clear that the black community were initially worse off, in terms of their neighbourhood, once the hurricane robbed them of this neighbourhood, in contrast to the rich white community who could cope, many African Americans had 'no cars, no money and no friends out of town to whom they could turn'. It was adament the whites were refusing to help the blacks despite their desperate situation, old ideas of racism and discrimination were cropping up.

The website highlights the 'diaspora of African American college students' from New Orleans as a result of the hurricane, seeking education at various universities situated across different parts of the nation. The damage done by the hurricane to the colleges leaving many black students without schools to study in, the cost of the damage range being 'as high as $350 million'. After the hurricane, it is clear that New Orleans is becoming the 'city to avoid', due to the destoyed educational facilities and in particularly for blacks; the attitudes of 'white blue-collar community' intent on clearing the black population out of the city.

Hurricane Katrina

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090105/thompson
This is an article from December 2008 featured on The Nation website. The reporter investigated the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the cases of the shootings of several black men. It is alleged that the white inhabitants of Algiers Point, a very affluent neighbourhood of New Orleans that was largely unaffected by Katrina, were so concerned about the numbers of people heading for safety in their area that they blockaded the surrounding streets and shot at least eleven people – all black men.
There has been no formal investigation into the events and no charges brought against those that did the shooting. It seems that the rich white people thought that they were under threat from blacks – assuming that they were going to be attacked and therefore justify their actions as self defence.
It is hard to believe that at a time of crisis, when people had suffered already, that these residents chose to act like this rather than offer help and support. It seems clear that in certain areas, racial hatred seems to be so strong.

Chinese Immigration

This website focuses on Chinese Immigration to the United States.
http://nhs.needham.k12.ma.us/cur/kane98/kane_p3_immig/china/china.html
The website stresses the importance of the chinese immigration in the development of America. I praise this website for the depth of knowledge it provides, as a student based website. It mentions the traditional issue of American assimilation, used in order to civilise the so-called 'uncivilised' i.e Native Americans. It mentions here that it was not possible to undertake this process due to their different language and customs, yet this later became possible due to pursuit of 'Americanization' for the immigrants. It mentions about the 'chinatowns' (Chinese Ghettos) used to segregate the Chinese in 'major cities' and 'isolated areas' It also refers to the various contributions the Chinese made in developing America as a country including the 15,000 assigned with the task of building the 'transcontinental railroad 1869'. The immigration Act of 1964, opening the doors of opportunity for Chinese immigrants.
The website rather identifies the 'Chinese Americans' as a representation of Asian Americans. It somewhat overlooks the contributions of Japanese and Korean Americans to the country, it is also quite long-winded for students, yet there are pictures and a bibliography for reference.

The Irish-American Experience

This website gives an overview to the experience of Irish citizens coming over to America from 1700 to 1930. Further down the page there set pieces of work for students to complete, making sure the information set out is being retained. Some of this work is done in groups, allowing a more free flowing of ideas, or questions that might not be asked when work is done alone. It seems a good way to teach the children about a people's that used to comprise the largest influx group, and even today many Americans still relate to that heritage, falsely or otherwise.

There is a lot of information to be found, and lots of colour and links to pictures makes the topic far less daunting for a younger audience.

"Students will understand the collective experience of the Irish in early America and make connections between the reasons for leaving homelands and the treatment of Irish immigrants then and recent immigrants now."

Immigration

http://www.smfc.k12.ca.us/stage/lalosh/index.html

This website is a 5th Grade project (10-11 years old). Their introduction mentions the ‘melting pot’ of America and emphasises the fact that everyone in the US has an immigrant background from some point in history. They have focused on several countries, giving a little bit of the history and background of why people left for America. There is also some information about the hardship of the journey and the arrival at Ellis Island. The reason I chose this site was the contact that this school has with the Bridge program – the children meet with other children of recent immigrants and talk to them about their experiences of arriving in a new country and also help them with their English.
Whilst the project is a very watered down version of immigration history, it does give the children a basic idea that it wasn’t easy for those arriving in America. Their contact with the immigrant children would help their understanding of the problems faced by those arriving today – a lot of these not dissimilar to those experienced throughout history.

women through the ages

image 1

My first image is Glenn Close playing the role of Teddy Barnes in the 1985 film Jagged Edge. Glenn Close in the film plays a lawyer who is hired by a man to prove his innocence in the murder of his wife. Her character, Teddy Barnes, seems to depict exactly the "power woman" image that women had in the 80s. However, Barnes is not a woman who both has the career AND the family, indeed she is divorced (and ends up have a relation with her client). She is not seen as a dangerous, psychotic woman, unlike Close's part in Fatal Attraction. Her only flaw is probably to have slept with her client.
So, even though she is not a family and career typical 80s power woman, she still has a good career as a lawyer.

image2

My second image comes from the american tv show Gilmore Girls. The picture shows Lorelai Gilmore (played by Lauren Graham) and her daughter Rory (portrayed by Alexis Bledel). Lorelai Gilmore is a single mother (she got pregnant at 16, left her house, found a job as a maid) who is a good example of a woman who has both, a career and a family. Indeed, from her job as a maid, she worked her way to the top and owns her own inn. She is happy with both and the only thing probably missing from her life is a steady relationship (throughout the 7 series, we do see different men coming and going). Compared to the power women from the 80s, it feels like Lorelai is nearly softer in her character. In the 80s, you had Sarah Connor (Terminator) as your single mother, a very different image in 2000. Also, it would seem that Lorelai doesn't have a "typical" power job. You do not see many Inn owners in films and series, and I do not recall a film from the 80s that pictures such a character. In the 80s, it's nearly as if they are trying to accent the power of the woman through her job : lawyer, editor, novelist and what not. Yet, she is still her own boss and completely independent.

http://www.ellecanada.com/home/fashion/lights-camera-fashion/a/28965/4

The first picture is a scene from the film, Working Girl from 1988 showing Melanie Griffith in her power suit. This image is a good representation of the woman trying to make her way to the boardroom – the padded shoulders and the masculine cut of the suit which gives the feeling that women have to have a slightly less feminine look in order to be taken seriously. The film is all about breaking out of the stereotypical view of the woman as the secretary rather than the boss.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/jodie-allen/2010/01/07/working-women-ascendant--but-ambivalent
The second piece is an article on the US News website which has the results of a poll on people’s attitude to working women. What I found interesting was that 62% of the women polled would prefer to work part time. It seems that despite fighting for the right to ‘have it all’, many women don’t really want it all. The survey also shows that by a ratio of two to one, Americans think that men have a better life than women and women support this view, according to the survey.

Representations of Women

http://sbccfilmreviews.org/?p=6569
My first website depicts the representation of women in 1980s American film. It addresses the movement in feminism and how it brought 'action' to the screen.
It lists examples of films, that depict the female character as the strong character. Genres such as action and science fiction films: Aliens (1986) depicting the character of Ellen Ripley (played by Sigourney Weaver), who as from her previous films, proves to be the dominent character. In 80's cinema, the independant woman is the lead character, a female audience 'no longer wants to see the traditional female protagonist who is passive and hysterical in the face of attack'. The independant female character in the 80s is 'the worker', 'the decision maker'.
http://dominantroles.blogspot.com/
My second website is an essay that looks at portrayal and representation of women in action films, particularly referring to Laura Mulvey's theory of male objectification and voyeurism of women. The question is: does this still apply today? The author looks at years of female objectification in films throughout early parts of this century such as 'Rear Window' (1954). Yet in present day, the author concludes that female characters have become stronger; films such as Kill Bill vol 2 (2004) depict a female character hunting down her (ex-boss) male character. Women in present day have become 'less apparent as the subject of the male gaze'.

American Masculinity

I have chosen Esquire Magazine, as I think it shows well the way in which masculinity has been forced into a few select niches. This could be explained by the increase, all be it right, of women into what was customly male dominated areas. These include the workplace, but now expands into sports, such as American Football. The magazine includes sections named 'Women We Love Gallery' and 'The Best Bars in America'. These could easily be classed as typical masculine areas and the magazine is heavily based around it. There is a link titled 'Women', which for a moment I believed to be a women's section, but found it to be a page in which the male reader is told various ways to woe and charm current and prospective women.

It is this notion that a man must be told where to go and what to do which is also changing the field. For me, what is seen as a women’s magazine transposed into a man orientated read fails to grab my attention. What masculinity means is changing, and ultimately the crossover of women moving into male roles, as well as biological advancements such as stem cell research, could lead to the male role, and even the form, lost completely.

American Masculinity

The website I have chosen is Men Can Stop Rape www.mencanstoprape.org
This is an organisation working to get men to use their strength to create a culture free from violence – particularly men’s violence against women. They say they are trying to redefine masculinity – to encourage men to use their strength in more positive ways. The program is aimed at younger men (particularly college students).
This organisation seem to be challenging the very traditional views of masculinity and asking men to rethink their relationships with women but there is limited information to see how they are doing this. If the work they do can reduce the amount of violence against women then that can only be a good thing but it will be a difficult thing to change the long held view of many men that it is not ‘manly’ to discuss feelings – especially with other men.

American Masculinity and The World's Strongest Man

http://www.theworldsstrongestman.com/mariusz_pudzianowski.php
My chosen site in representing American masculinity is an interview with previous World Strongest man champion Mariusz Pudzianowski. As the interview suggests; the sense of masculinity comes from the idea of being the best at your profession, particularly in being strong and muscular. Mariusz Pudzienowski identifies himself as the 'real man'; the idea of success, power and work. He is asked of the advice he would give to someone who wants to become a strongman in which he answers: 'train hard, eat and train', reinforcing the notions of work ethic and eating (like a man). Mariusz is naturally competitive and possesses a certain arrogance associated with masculinity as he doesn't seem to admire any other strongmen apart from 'himself'. He has an interest in expensive and fast cars as he drives a 'hummer' and 'mercedes'. Fundamentally bodybuilding represents the essence of masculinity, this idea is proven in the interview; he is Americanized in that sense, despite his Polish heritage, he is taking part in a sport that has been popularized in America as the peak of manliness.

Small Groups

Hi

Just to let you know our group will meet on Fridays 10-11 in SEB2 (ground level of St Edburga). Looking forward to seeing you there.

Denise

This blog is now for Denise Hanrahan-Wells ' AM1212 group

The iPhone

One of the great things about the iPhone is that there's an application for practically everything. From reading restaurant reviews, to reading books. Yep, there's an app for that.



The aim of this advert is to convince the customers that there's an application downloadable onto the iPhone allowing you to do practically anything. 'Why would you want to read an MRI on your phone?' I hear you ask. Well, y'know, just in case... And now, with the phone that can do everything, you don't need to have anything else with you. Ever. This device, once just a means of communication, has now become a place to play games, read books, browse the web, listen to music, take photos. Anything and everything you might want.

Well, that's the theory anyway. By adding more and more applications to the iPhone, Apple are increasingly succeeding in making it the new 'must-have' gadget. It is no longer about the phone itself for a lot of people, but the modern lifestyle which owning it implies. It's cool to own one of these, because they're shiny and have a touchscreen.

Budweiser

The video I chose is an advert for Budweiser. The youtube video gives the top 10 of 2008's Super Bowl, the actual advert I am talking about is number 8.

Now I chose this particular one because, although it does not feature a human figure as the centre of attention, it is a clear mention (to me) of the American Dream and can nearly be drawn back to the "Alger Complex" that I talked about in my presentation on Gabriel.

It clearly shows that people are still stuck on this idea of an American Dream, that working hard will get you somewhere and that success is possible. The advert is basically a horse that can't take part in whatever the other horses are doing, so a dog decides to train the horse. And one year later, the horse is included in the team that rejected it the previous year.

To add to the appeal of the advert, it includes some "funny" elements like the horse and the dog, theme music from Rocky, etc ... so that the public can be amused. But behind this is the image of an America that can work towards its goals. And probably there is also the message that by drinking Budweiser, your dreams can be reached more easily. So, yes, I really do think that this advert just reaches out to the heart of every american by promoting this image of success and achievements through labour and by saying that it is possible. It also promotes this nice image of America outside the country itself, maybe to some close neighbors.

the lincoln mkz 2009

This advert for the Lincoln MKZ 2010 puts forward an image of car of the future. It gives the impression that the car can do almost anything. It can go into space and so it can fly, whilst never saying that it can. The overal impression is one of near instructability and ferocious speed because of the streamline design of the car. It can survive what looks to be WARP speed, and still look like it has just stepped out of the dealership. A car of comfort as it has leather seats and polished wood interiors, with its own form of intelligence. It really seems to be a car that is made for luxury and speed, with a body and fittings that will transport it into the future of american cars and possible further.
The music is also as suggestive as the visual of the advert as it says to you that the car can take off into space, throwing out all concerns that the command post may have because it is such a magnificent piece of machinery that nothing can possibly go wrong.
However, the first thing that popped into my mind when I saw this advert was "space the final frontier." I was actually expecting either William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy to step out of the car, or atleast their modern counter-parts.
The music is very futuristix with its slight techno bass soundings. The voice is that of what is usually in a cartoon about space when the hero goes into an extremely fun series of stunts and plays around.
To me the music seems to make fun of the car a little. As I immediately linked it to a cartoon I felt that the idea and impression that was being pushed across was hard to believe. Cartoons are near impossibilities, so how can the car be what the advert is selling. Although I know that the advert doesnt directly say that this is what you would get if you spent $40,000 on this car. That would be illegal, especially if it wasnt delivered. No matter I still believe what they are trying to put across is not true. Although the car was very pretty and sleek with a computer inside. So are many cars nowadays that dat back to 2004, what makes this slightly shiny and expensive one so good? I suppose that is what the advert is for, to make it special. It just wasnt believable. It just screams expense.
Who wants the next new toy?
Not Me!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8YUMgVtYiU

The item I have chosen is the mobile phone – the advert is from HTC.com advertising their touch screen phones. The phones themselves are not shown until the final few seconds of the advert. The shots are taken from the phone looking at the people using them. The voiceover says that your phone is the one thing you have with you all the time and has the catchy line “ You don’t need to get a phone, you need a phone that gets you”.


For something that is just a simple means of communication, the mobile has become a status symbol, with ever more technological advances such as internet access making it an essential item. The emphasis here is on the individualistic qualities of the phone – you can make it work just for you, although of course, millions of other people have the same phone! It seems a little like a comfort blanket, the thought that you can’t really be complete without your phone within easy reach. An up to date mobile phone is an important symbol today, its value goes beyond its monetary costs- another way for some people to make judgements about others.

Coca-Cola for the Consumer

My chosen commercial for consumer culture is a Coca-Cola ad broadcasted in April 1965.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUblFVVxzZg
We may look at this ad and laugh at how dated and ludicrous it is, but like many adverts today its main objective is to get the consumer to buy the product. The ad is given youthful value, as most of the people it shows carrying and drinking the coke are young, with the kind youthful energy associated with 60s liberalism. The advert draws coke away from the idea that its a 'soft drink' adding to that idea of youthfulness. After drinking the coke, the guy does a backflip, emphasizing the youthful vigour coke can apply to the individual: 'Coke lifts you're spirits, boosts your energy!' The message at the end of the ad: 'Take more than one coke' targeted at making profit, a shrewd marketing strategy.
The underlying value applied to coke even from early on is the general idea that coke is refreshing as shown with this vintage 1930s ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uK7wMMjYos The idea that coke will quench your thirst, during a hard day at work, a key cultural aspect of a developing America.
To this day; coke has become an item of symbolic value in its influence on American culture. Today, the coke ad is associated with the image of Santa Claus, as we approach Christmas. Coca-Cola has become an international commodity; since being invented by John Pemberton in 1885 it has gone on to become the world's leading soft drink.

The Obama Healthcare Reforms

Obama Backs Healthcare Reform

This website is supportive of Obama's healthcare reforms, and suggests that all American people having access to some form of healthcare is a good thing. It helps to put some figures and facts forward, arguing that the healthcare reforms would be beneficial to the American public and lower the average person's cost of healthcare. It also discusses some of the other factors involved, for example, Obama's plan for business emplyers to offer all their staff health cover as standard. It also praises Obama's appointment of Tom Daschle as the leader of the White House Office of Health Reform.


This article from the Washington Post suggests that while healthcare reform in general isn't a bad thing, the way that Obama has planned to do it is not the right way forward. The author of this article argues that the aims of the plan are not realistic, and it will not succeed. He believes that increased taxing on the high-income band of people would significantly change the behaviour of these individuals so that their taxable income would shrink, thus resulting in a decrease of revenue for the Government. This means that the increased cost would then pass to the middle-class.

He also argues that if the proposed plan goes forward, then research into medical science will be discouraged because it would mean a higher cost for the Government, and while everybody may want healthcare to be cheaper, I'm sure everybody also wants healthcare to carry on becoming more and more technologically advanced.

Health Care

Article that explains the benefits of healthcare.

This article comes from the Opinion section of the New York Times online. Reading this only makes me wonder even more why people in the US are so scared of having a socialized form of health care. As the author is saying, having a national health care will not only be beneficial to the people who don't have insurance, but it will also be beneficial to people that have it. The Obama health care plan not only wants to provide people that don't have insurance with health care, but it also wants to prevent the abuses of the big insurance companies, thus offering better security and stability for the people who are covered and pay. Obama aims to stabilize the health cost and try to lower down the amounts that private insurance companies make their customers pay. And by using the money more efficiently, like the bill plans to, money will be saved, something quite positive in these days of recession. Insurance companies will finally be exposed and won't be able to scam people anymore !! Unfortunately, it seems that only a few americans have read the proposal (I'm sure they just like to moan and protest but haven't exactly read what they are fighting against ...).

Reading this article made me happy and angry at the same time. Happy because it proves that some people know what is going about and by writing about the facts (the facts of the bill, after that we never know what will happen, we can only assume) other people can read about that and be informed correctly. This made me angry, because even though some people are sensible enough to understand the immense benefits that this health care reform would bring to America, a lot of people still think that the government is working against them and will make them pay and take away their liberty by imposing which practician you will have to see (which is untrue, but again a lot of people just listen to Glenn Beck and others and take their word as the truth). Well ... now we are off to the second website.

Arguments against the Obama Plan.

This article from the Washington Post interviewing Megan McArdle (Megan is a blogger for the Atlantic Monthly blog, there is a little intro about her and what she writes about and used to write about). Now, Megan McArdle is not against health care per se, but she does not agree with Obama's health care plan and says that it isn't going to change much on the situation. She agrees that the current health care system is flawed, but argues that it is not as flawed as some might believe. She argues that not that many people are uninsured and that anyway, most uninsured are illegal immigrants and that the Obama reform won't take care of them, so that situation won't change.

And when confronted to the question of fairness (is it fair that not everyone has access to health care and is it fair that some people will have to pay so that other people that are not taking proper care of themselves so that they can have medical attention), she just argued that the system is never fair.

She is against Obama's health care plan as she sees it as bad for the economy and using money that could be injected elsewhere in society. But she does admit that health care in America is very expensive and that they do spend more money on it than other countries, but her explanation of that spending is that America is richer than other countries, thus it can spend more money on health care.

This woman seems very intelligent and cultivated, yet sometimes her arguments were a bit ... unsatisfying ? And her argument about the expenses in comparison to other countries is just sad and ridiculous. Because frankly, it doesn't mean anything !! Her arguments definitely did not convince me into thinking that the health care reform was a bad thing, but at least she seemed to be using coherent arguments (most of the time, not for all the questions) to back up her position and her position is not in favor of the current health care (though she's not completely against it), she just doesn't think that what Obama is proposing is the solution America needs. The journalist interviewing her made me smile, as it was definitely someone that had a very poor opinion of the current health care system. I was loosing faith in Americans when it came to questioning the health care system, but now I have faith again. People out there write about it, have a real opinion about it and can deliver actual, real arguments.

Week 9 Tutorial.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8160058.stm

This is a useful web page for reviewing the general summary of the health care reform package and associated issues.
It contains facts, comment and some relevant blogs on the debate. Worth reading through the details.
On Wednesday, one task for us to consider is the presentations for Week 10 - who does what etc. Give it some thought before we meet.
Good wishes,
John.

Healthcare reforms

http://www.healhealthcarenow.org/
This first website supports the healthcare reforms. It is made by healhealthcarenow.org which supports 450,000 doctors. The message from the video is that the reforms will focus much more on preventative medicine – keeping Americans healthy instead of waiting until they are sick and then trying to make them better. The doctors who speak are clear that this is an important issue, along with ensuring that it is easier to get health insurance for everybody.
http://www.cprights.org/
The second website is Conservatives for Patients Rights. The man behind this is Rick Scott, a former hospital CEO who lost his job following a major scandal involving fraud against Medicare and Medicaid. This website has interviews with English and Canadian patients who don’t like their government run health systems. It is hardly surprising to find this view from an organisation so deeply involved with the current healthcare system. These are the people who have the most to lose from the healthcare reforms.
It is difficult to be impartial in this issue - the NHS isnt perfect! Despite that, the first website with its sensible, logical arguments was more convincing. It is clear that preventative treatment would go a long way to improving the general health of Americans and the reforms may remove some of the stranglehold of the insurance companies.

Anti and Pro Obama Health Care plan

My first article 'Obama's health-care plan: What it means for you' addresses the issues of Obama's new health care plan.
http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/health-care/obamas-health-care-plan-what-it-means-for-you/
The article predominantly addresses the financial reasons for opposing Obama's plan and how it will be the 'consumers who end up paying the price' for treatment. The focus is very much from the perspespectives of the doctors and health-care providers and how lower pay towards hospitals as a result of Obama's plan will eventually lead to very few hospitals being able to provide treatment for patients. As a result those patients will have to travel further to find the next available hospital.
Although the article is persuasive in the way it addresses the reader directly hence the use of 'you'; it is rather limited in its perspective and doesn't admit the problems in the health-care system prior to the plans and neither does it suggest a better alternative.

My next article is pro Obama health care plan.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122152292213639569.html
It emphasizes on why 'Obama's Health plan is better'. It lists 5 ways in which Obama's plan will lead to a 'more efficient medical system'. 1. Learning. For better quality treatment. 2. Rewarding. For doctors based on the help they give to patients. 3. Pooling. 4. Preventing. Freer access to preventive services maintaining health and saving money. 5. Covering. Lowering health care costs making insurance affordable.
Although the article is predominantly democratic in continually attacking John McCain being a 'prior to the election' article. It is convincing in highlighting the potential for health care improvement.

anti obama pro obama - the healthcare issue

http://www.antiobama.net/health_care/

wow the person who is in charge of this website is very anti-Obama. The site sells socialist stickers with Obamas face as the joker. The argument is extremely one sided, obviously, however, it doesnt seem to recognise the failures of their system. Within the article the author states that maybe they should just move to Canada, but o wait that has a universal healthcare program thats a mess. one of the main arguments against the healthcare bill is the increase in taxes on those who earn more than $200,000 per annum. for a country that was created out of the debate over taxes, the increase in taxes would push many over the limit. as it seems to be doing here. however, what the site does not seem to comprehend is the figures of those not treated properly because of the privatisation of health insurance. insurance is for profit.

on the pro obama healthcare side is http://www.healthinsurancerates.com/6-why-barack-obamas-health-care-plan-will-work.html
it seems to be a website that shows more of the facts behind the politics in a way that is easier for the common people to understand.
It explains that private coverage is still allowed, but there is a coverage that allows all to be treated beyond emergency treatment. children especially.

He's Barack Obama

I found a video on youtube and sent it to Alasdair and he told me it would be a good idea to post it on the blog. On Monday, we watched a couple of videos that reflected the way Americans viewed Obama (including Glenn Beck's view of Obama ...). This video is a satire of the way some people see Obama and his role as a president, depicting
him as some kind of superhero who could save the world when, in fact, he is only a man and a president with restricted power.

Glenn Beck on Healthcare

Glenn Beck is of the opinion that the new healthcare reforms are a very bad idea, and that the best thing for America is to continue with the private healthcare system it's had in the past.



In this video clip he talks about the healthcare system in Norway, and how he believes it doesn't work. He puts the blame on this healthcare system for the high prices of petrol, alcohol and new cars in Norway, and asks his listeners whether they would rather pay for each one-off trip to the doctors, or pay $20,000 more for a new car.


However, in this next video we get an insight into the mind of Glenn Beck when he is pressured on his views from a listener.



After listening to this, I find it hard to understand how he has become one of the country's leading political pundits on todays important topics, and how so many people like him.

For more of Glenn Beck's views on todays important political topics, and links to some of his interviews etc, his website is The Glenn Beck Program

Glenn Beck and extremism

Glenn Beck, has, unfortunately, a youtube channel (meaning more people can have access to his ideas). This is however useful when seeking to find his point of view on certain matters. I was browsing through his channel and found a short video called "When is an extremist not an extremist ?" and I watched it and decided to do my post on this. I know that the subject of the blog post was supposed to be about a current political affair, but tea-baggers (they need a new name !) and extremism was still interesting, I hope I don't go too far away from the political scene.

Tea-baggers, as they call themselves, are very much against Obama and feel that he is robbing them from their freedom. Their name is quite evocative of their ideas, in my opinion. Even though they are not a political issue per se, they are still on the political scene for the moment. And the video is not so much about them but about who is called extremist in the Country. Indeed, Glenn Beck jumps at Obama's throat accusing him to call simple protestors extremists whilst not labeling Hasan, murderer of 13 people, with such a term.

Glenn Beck, I am sure of it, would jump on any occasion to criticize Obama and this was just another excuse ! He also manages to mention the gun situation in his 4 minutes of talk. Now, it may be my way of seeing things, but in his mention of guns, I could clearly hear him just pointing out the fact that Obama wants more gun control and that it is a bad thing for which we must be against him.

Link to the video

Jon Stewart on healthcare

Stewart is the host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central. He interviewed Bill Kristol, a conservative pundit on the subject of healthcare. Kristol was quite clearly against government involvement in healthcare but went on to say that the military healthcare system, which is government-run, was a great system but too good for the American public. Stewart quite easily backs Kristol into a corner and it was funny watching Kristol try to turn things back around – unfortunately by this point it is too late and he comes across as confused and unsure of what he really thinks.
Stewart uses comedy to bring important issues to the American public in an accessible way, poking fun of politicians and the media. Whilst his show is for entertainment, Stewart and the Daily Show have been nominated for news and journalism awards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa69puS7J0Q

CNN's Immigration problem - Is Dobbs the exception or the rule?

I chose this article as it identifies older american white male view on immigration.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2867
Lou Dobbs is a radio host and former television presenter for American news programme CNN.
This article raises the issue of Dobbs' ignorance of immigrant rights, as he takes a stance against the mass flow of immigration. The article comments on Dobbs' reference to Mexican immigrants as 'illegal alien smugglers'; identifing the slant in Dobbs' views.
Yet it not only identifies Dobbs as an 'attacker of immigrant rights'; Jack Cafferty (a CNN commentator) is also identified as dismissing immigrant rights; it quotes Jack Cafferty as evidence of his racist viewpoint. From this article I identified the contrasting views of generations; both Lou Dobbs and Jack Cafferty are white Americans in their 60's, this stems the outcome of their negative views on the consistent flow of immigration, both legal and illegal. It also follows the view that America is consistently changing. There is also a satirical view from Jon Stewart. http://tunnelingin.blogspot.com/2006/04/jon-stewart-on-immigration.html

obama derangement syndrome according to rachel maddow

Rachel Maddow is a 'liberal' host of the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC. She is not an Obama supporter, which is blatantly obvious when listening to her talk about him.

When Obama won the Nobel prize in October, it was world news. In Maddows show there are clips of what some in the Political world of reporting think of the Obama Nobel Prize. Not only that but she goes on to state that the Nobel Prize is not always awarded to those who succeed. Many of those who received the prize did not, such as President Wilson who came up with the idea for the League of Nations and the Treaty of Versailles. Both of which did not do the job that was intended of them, especially considering the fact that the United States refused to be a member of the League of Nations. Maddow then goes on to rename the Obama supporting act as Obama Derangement Syndrome, after the Bush Derangement Syndrome that was his predecessor.

The Nobel Peace prize became a political issue when it was given to a President who had not been in office that long at all before he was voted to win. There is huge controversy over the issue, non of which can really be resolved. But now much of the World stares down on Obama to a greater degree, because it doesn't seem that he deserves the prize. Those who believe that Obama deserved the Nobel prize have been labeled as having Obama Derangement Syndrome. They cant possibly be right in the head. Or so it has been put across by Rachel Maddow.

Week 7... more thoughts on guns.......

http://current.com/1k79m4c

A map which confirms the complexity of gun control and gun use in the US - check the website which explains the definitions of the map's key. In virtually every state there is a different  legal context for the use of "arms". A problem for the individual, each State and the Fed. Government.
For still another view on the American scene check this website and look through some of the cartoons -
http://redstatepatriot.com/gun_control/ - pretty extreme.
Yet another over-dramatised and emotional defence of one of the "great freedoms" of America! I find this one of the most difficult and unwelcome aspects of America - the stats. provided by Alasadair in his Monday lecture (on the LEN) illustrate the consequences of the "right to bear arms" - perhaps the wording of a document from the 18th. century needs bringing up to date?
Just a thought! Have a good week and thanks again for your prompt and varied posts and discussion.
John.