Mindlessness

AE #5

 Mindless Entertainment

We are discussing in English the rhetoric that media uses to influence the masses.  Not only in the mass media of television but in everything has that affected our lives.  From the printed newspaper, to the music we listen to, and to the pictures on the billboards, we are exposed to so much of this advising that we seem not to notice it any more.  But they are there to persuade, influence, and ultimately get us to spend our money.  Now like most of Americans, I come home from work and after dinner I sit in front of the television and if I am not doing my homework, I mindlessly watching something on the boob tube.  

            Let’s evaluate what is on now days; we have reality TV, which is staged.  Documentaries that are designed to teach but are very one sided.   Then we have the news that is only supposed to report the news but what are they doing, chasing down little kids to get interviews after a disaster or shooting. 

 

 I would never have thought about these things except English class brought it to the surface.  So as I look at the news reporters fight each other and showing fake emotions talking with victims, for the sole purpose to get ratings which equal money.  Then to add insult to injury, they put their own little spin on it to drum up emotions so they can go after a political hot potato, for ratings.   Like the shooting that happened in Connecticut, everyone jumped on the band wagon to get rid of guns but when the kid killed 14 people with a knife, one day in the news and nobody is trying to rid hunting knifes.

 

Guess the ratings weren’t there, so it does not matter.   

 

Capitalism

AE 4

 Vote or Shut Up

After watching Michael Moore take on capitalism you would think he is either promoting socialism or revolution.  Michael Moore is known as a very vocal racial and as you watch his movie you can tell he does his research.  But he bends it to his will to get an emotional attack on an industry. He uses his rhetoric and swayed facts to get his point across.  The pathos he uses attacks the hearts strings of the working middle class that have seen the worst of the banking industry. Understand one thing, the banking industry is out to make money and they are sneaky little bastards but you have to realize that and use common sense and make informed decision. There nothing in this world that can make you sign your name and if you don’t do your homework then stop blaming someone else.  There is an old saying that says “if it looks too good to be true, then it is too good to be true”.  Yes, some of the points he made are correct and I strongly believed that the banking is destroying this country.  When Mr. Moore said “that the people have the power and we need to get there and vote”, hell yea I agree.  If you don’t vote, stop complaining, stay in dark and get screwed.

     

We, the People need to take responsibility for our actions and either get out and vote and remove the criminals or shut the “f” up.

 

Daddy's little princess

Self write 5

Daddy’s Girl

                I had two boys and I told my wife I would love to have a little girl and five years ago my wife gave birth to my little girl.  Of course my little princes get spoiled rotten but within reason.  Now at a ripe old age of five she is enjoying television more and more.  Unfortunately what is shown on TV is not necessarily what I want her to watch and imitate, mostly the commercials.  For an example of such a commercial is the Skecher’s “Daddy’s Girl”, which I attached the url for the youtube of the video. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=51ZardFmCPI

      

          This video is portraying that it is ok to act  like, for the lack of a better term, gold digger to get what you want even if it’s from you father.  They are using pre-teens in seductive poses that show the audience that you can get anything you want if you pose just this way or ask that way. It is telling them that you don’t need money, do this and someone will buy it for you. 

 

 What kind of morals is this teaching the little girls of today for the ladies of tomorrow?  What happens when your little princess doesn’t get them?  Well I know what I told my little one, when you get a job and earn money you can buy yourself anything you want but for now, no.  I want to teach my kids to think for them self and earn their way and just because you see on TV don’t make it good or right. Hopefully they will appreciate the things they have more if the earn it instead of expecting it.

Flag Football

self write #4

Flag football

A few weeks back my boy walks up to me and asks if he could play football.  My first response was sure go outside and play.  His response to me was he wants to play tackle football so he could hit people.  Of course after my surprise, I laughed and told him that football wasn’t about hitting people but about the team and learning to play together. Hitting was part of the game not the reason to play.  Of course he is growing up in a house of football fanatics that yell at the television to hit the player on the other team.   Guess little ones do learn by watching.

Knowing that football is a very demanding sport and that he had tried soccer and baseball and decided that at the end of the season that he didn’t want to play again, I was skeptical that he would stick with it.  So I offered him flag football for one season and if he wanted to play tackle then I would let him.

It didn’t take me long to realized that he was serious about playing.  At practices he doesn’t seem too enthusiastic, but at game time, that changes.  He becomes focused on his assigned tasks and never stops until the whistle blows.  At the first game of the season he ran in the ball for a touchdown and as you see in the picture the intensity in his eyes is proof that I will be shelling out a lot of money for football gear.  But what really made me realized that he will continue is that he called both of his grandfathers and told them all about the game.