An ongoing forum for the rigorous, critical study of American Popular Culture.
Monday, September 19, 2016
Posts for Week Five!
Okay folks, please post here for week five (Monday 9/19-Monday 9/26). Remember to get them in by 4 p.m. on Monday. Also remember to comment on another person's post. Keep it up!
I will collaborate on the article I just read concerning race. The article highlights the uproar from minorities, after hearing racist comments from presidential candidate that we've all heard of, Donald Trump. His existence and words attack minorities and try to make "American great again" by pushing illegal immigrants out and creating new facilitation to handle racism in the US. This causes the black live matters movement to rise on their feet or order to take their stand. What's surprising is that America is so fast to forget that Obama, a black president, is still at terms. For almost 8 years now, America is pushing towards equality and making endless efforts to eliminate any possible degree of racism. Almost everyone, as a whole, is trying to make this change and is progressing greatly. Obama would not have made it if it weren't for the majority votes (including the whites, who consist most of the population). That is showing a legend and a system of teamwork coming from all people. However, Donald Trump is an individual. He does not represent the voice of America. He is even behind Hillary right now because so many people, including whites, are in disfavor of him. However, racial tensions break out again because of the racist things Trump mentioned and argue against America as a whole once again. He has not yet won presidency. Therefore, people should not be too quick to react. Most of everyone is making an effort to hold him back because of his conflicting policies. However, we can't blame America because of one representation and disregard all of its efforts. I feel that the concept of racism and discrimination will never go away because there are more than one groups. Therefore, one will feel subordinated to another race just because it's a distorted reality.(Cina)
I agree with you, I think if Trump is elected it would reverse a lot of good that's been done by Obama. I don't think we should say he only represents himself though, because tons of people do agree with him. Unfortunately he's not far enough behind Hillary to disregard.
I agree with the both of you, but I think the country is just so upset and bitter it wouldn't matter who won. America always need someone to blame for America's problems, instead of actually voting for LAWMAKERS, not just law enforcers.
We greatly overestimate direct presidential power when most of it lies in influence. Donald Trump as president would NOT change a thing, except for some citizens and foreigners viewpoints on the rules of the political game in these Great States. Regardless of who wins the popular vote in 45 days time, we all have already lost in my humble opinion (IMHO). The two excuses for candidates rarely shed light on issues of most importance to our homeland (e.g. technological unemployment, job security, the college bubble) so we remain clueless. Informing the public should be the chief executive's primary goal considering his (or her ofc) massive audience and the fact that they do not actually "execute" much of anything. At least Bernie Sanders kept practical matters at the forefront of his campaign before tucking into the bosom of Hilary Clinton. Donald Trump will NOT build a wall, Donald Trump will NOT deport anyone and Donald Trump will NOT make America great again, simply because he has not the power to do so.
I agree with you. Bernie Sander usually gets a room. People have been saying for years. America isn't run through democracy. If it was, we would have picked better leaders. We are led to believe these people are the best we would come up with when really, it's an oligarchy.
Courtney Stodden made headlines a few years ago at 16 when she married actor Doug Hutchison, who was 51 at the time. She has a “dumb blonde” persona and a very curvy body that many speculate is plastic surgery although x rays have proven otherwise. Too fully understand why people are so fascinated with her you really just have to look at her, so here's a picture: http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/FFN_Stodden_Courtney_ANM_092713_51219714.jpg She has been in numerous reality TV shows and has developed a fan following. She is in the headlines again, now at age 22, after suffering from her first miscarriage. After the miscarriage she shaved her head, stating she needed a “fresh start”. Courtney later said in an interview that she is having marriage problems with Doug, but they are trying to work it out. She is now more famous than he is, so if she was just using him for the money and fame she would probably leave him but I think her trying to work things out might show she does care for him. The age difference is kinda disgusting but I think Courtney was too young to know what she was doing and her parents shouldn't have allowed it. Courtney said in the same recent interview that she would never let her daughter marry at 16. She gets criticized for "sounding dumb", having bleach blonde hair, and wearing slightly outrageous outfits, but I think if anyone should be criticized it should be her older husband or parents who let her marry him.
I also agree with you on the fact that people shouldn't be criticizing her because it is her life and she is trying her best by showing that she wants a fresh start through shaving her hair. But I don't think her parents should take the blame because I think the parents just wanted their daughter to be happy even though they should have been more involved, and her husband probably tried his best to help her too.
I actually think age difference is a neutral hing and don't find anything wrong with that at all. It is very normal in Asian countries to have a huge age gap, that's why I never find it odd. I agree with you that her parents should just let her be. Instead, they can show their support and comfort instead of giving her a hard time about her appearance. It can be upsetting like you said about how people can be so obsessed with improving the way they look... and it's sad to see they're fixing their whole face and creating an image that is not them. But if it makes her happy, then she can do whatever she pleases.
I think that the whole huge age gap is a normal thing in the twenty-first century, and even before this. Like Haidang stated, in Asia, many people marry super young or marry to much older fella. People have the right to do whatever they want, because whatever consequences lies ahead, is on them. It’s her life. Stop criticizing people, no one going to make the right decisions all the time. Also, if she was really money-hungry, she would have left Doug by now. She is a lot more famous then him. Plus, she is still young.
I agree with Haidang to where I think age is just a number and if it works and makes you happy then so be it. Although I am a little hypocritical because 16 is a little young to get married and maybe to someone that old, but who am I to judge. I do agree with your point though about not leaving Doug, if she was all in for the fame then I feel like she would have been gone a long time ago. Also your post made me curious to see the why the mom consented she could get married in the first place and in the article and it said the mom was more of friend then mom (which we can all see). But it was interesting to see what she said.
Heres the link if you want to read her reasoning. http://jezebel.com/5960929/courtney-stoddens-mom-explains-how-her-daughter-became-a-married-teen-in-stripper-heels
Just a few states North, another shooting took place. I'm not here to start a huge debacle, but to state the facts and initiate a constructive conversation. Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina 43 year old man Keith Scott was fatally shot. The story has been that police were looking for a wanted man when they happened to see Keith Scott exit a car with a handgun. It was reported that he was asked to drop his gun, but got in car and got back out with the gun still in his hand. Keith Scott’s family highly disagreed with the story that was being told. They insisted that he was just carrying out his daily routine: sitting in the car, reading a book, waiting on his children to get off the school bus. His family also stated that he was disabled. Someone went live on Facebook during all of this chaos, and his daughter Lyric could be heard yelling hysterically at the investigators. His daughter was telling the investigators not to plant a gun in her dad’s car because that’s the type of stuff they do. What’s interesting about the shooting is that the presidential nominees both took to the press and made statements. We’re only a few month shy of election time, so of course they were very carefully structured. Clinton “sent her condolences” by calling the shooting very upsetting and urging policing reforms so officers and communities can become safer in the future. She clarified that all of the facts of the two latest shootings were still unknown, but what was certain that two more names were added to a long list of African Americans killed by the police. Trump told reporters that he was troubled by the shootings. These things happen so frequently, it’s not even surprising anymore. I just wanted to post about it because my brother goes to college in Charlotte, and he lives very close to where this took place. What’s really sad is imagining that one day because my brother is a 245 pound linebacker, he may be victim to some act of police brutality. Sometimes it’s hard to digest. What’s almost as bad as the shootings is the looting and disruptive protests that went along with it. The cause and its effects are getting to be to more than people should have to bear.
The NFL draws parallels to another far more brutal institution from our Great nation's past. Today the team owners (masters) buy and sell their players (slaves) while training (working) them at the compound (plantation). Buuuut y'all niggas do get paid tho!
I always end up feeling frustrated whenever I hear another story come to light about how popular figures are getting to fly under the radar with heinous acts such as abuse simply because of how vital their continued popularity is to the status quo. It's frustrating mostly because of how commonplace it's become; the number of actors who have continued to have fruitful, popular careers decades after their spouses have outed them as violent abusers is depressingly staggering. It becomes all the more bleak and fatiguing when you consider the power dynamic inherent between the players (predominantly people of color) and the managers (predominantly old white guys with more money than they know how to do with). Reasons like this are why I tend to avoid large swaths of pop culture, to be entirely honest. Knowing the number of flaws that exist in the system that are blatantly ignored for the sake of capitalism tends to turn your stomach after too long.
I think it is so sad that money and greed has such an influence over people. I try to imagine myself as part of such an institution and I'm not sure I'd be able to accept money gained from so many people suffering. Stories like this are becoming the new norm unfortunately though.
Brangelina aka Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, had been together since I was a preteen. His demonically handsome, chameleon-like features paired with her angelically delicate strength, beauty and lips (lips and more lips mmmm), Brangelina remained as Hollywood’s premier high-profile couple for well over a decade. On Tuesday, in a headline that rippled the very fabric of pop culture, she announced their split. Brangelina first began in 2005 while filming “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”. The two quickly grew fond of each other, falling in love on the set. Although, not to marry until 2014, they (a)dopted three children and (b)ore three more for a total of six [3(a) +3(b) = 6] during the years prior. They remained successful, almost invincible in their professional and personal lives, or so it seemed until that fateful Monday morning on September 19, 2016. I remember like it was yesterday, not even 4 days ago... Eating breakfast at Roly Poly when a classmate stepped in behind me and inquired, “did you hear the news?” - “About what?” - “Brangelina” - “Oh god...” I immediately assumed they had died, but I could have never in 100 years predicted the tragedy that would soon graze my auditory canal... Brangelina... I still cannot grasp the concept of this creature as two separate parts. Comparable to my difficulty in conceiving of the number -1 to have a square root in “i”. Even those not inclined to seek out celebrity gossip were taken aback by the news. This relationship served as a pillar of stability in an industry where romance is as fleeting as the titles in its box office and tunes on its pop charts. We are now left to place a radical symbol over the heart-wrenching term that is.... I can’t! :’(
I definitely was entertained and intrigued while reading your post ha. After overhearing my sister talk about it the other day, I was pretty shocked too. At first I thought it was a rumor, and it just shows how pop culture and the media can falsely portray a celebrity couple. There is no telling what the actual reason is for their separation.
I like how you mentioned that the relationship was a "pillar of stability" in the entertainment industry. It seems very rare that a marriage of two high-profile people ever lasts for the long run these days. There are far too many examples of celebrities dating/marrying each other one day, and separating/divorcing each other a week later. *cough cough* I'm looking at you Taylor Swift.
I’ve been following the pre-release hype building up around the remake of the Rocky Horror Picture Show that’s coming out soon with a strange sort of hesitant optimism. Rocky Horror has always been a part of my life; my mom was enough of a fan, even, where my name comes from the actress who played the character Magenta (Patricia Quinn). I have been well immersed in the cult following revolving around the film since I was ten, when I joined my first shadow cast (and shortly thereafter became their youngest spotlight runner to be on cast for a year or so). I ended up working on two separate Rocky Horror casts on and off until I was about twenty one, ending up totalling about seven years either as an actor or as a stagehand for some sort of weekly production of the film. With all that being said, you’d think that I’d be mouth-foamingly excited about the movie, right? Uuuuuunfortunately, the person behind the original stage play (and the film, and the sequel…), Richard O’Brien, has said some things that have made me have all kinds of strange, conflicted feelings about the man who created one of the most formative pieces of media from my childhood. In an interview, when discussing trans folk and the “new wave” of gender identities that have begun to gain more traction and popularity recently, ended up disregarding the entire concept by saying something along the lines that no matter how many chemical or physical changes someone decides to take in order to “prove” their transness, they would always at their core be the gender identity they were assigned at birth. Which is a difficult thing to swallow, considering how many fledgling weirdoes his movies helped nurture essentially had their entire identities poo-poohed as silly frivolity no matter what lengths they may take. So, for me, it’s a little hard to throw my full support behind it without at least acknowledging the shitty thing that’s fairly closely attached to it. At least, in this instance, they’ve got a trans woman playing a trans character on screen, which is nice (And just… Laverne Cox! Guuuh! What an idol!).
Oh my gosh!! I did not know that Rocky Horror was being remade!! And Laverne Cox is in it!! I'm so glad I read your post. I would have never known because well I live under a rock. I definitely feel where your hesitation is coming from because that is totally a shitty thing to say like How can you create something like Rocky Horror and not be supportive of the LGBTQ+ community which includes the Trans and Queer communities which is probably more then half of the audience. It's contradictory and also very disappointing that he could be so closed minded.
This week I decided to write about K-pop, because I feel that this culture has been getting larger. K-pop is also known as Korean pop music and it consists of all kinds of music like R&B, hip-hop, electropop, and ballads. Most of the singers are in groups, ranging from 4-12 members. In this blog I would like to write about why K-pop has become popular in our culture today. The K-pop culture started to develop and expand in the 21st century. It first entered the Japanese market and was popular among the young adults and teens. Throughout the years it has spread to Latin America, India, North Africa, Middle East, and North America. There are many reasons why this culture has spread throughout the world. The main reason why it has become popular is due to technology. Through websites like YouTube, music can be listened to all over the world. For instance, “Gangnam Style,” a Korean pop music, has been the number one most viewed music video on YouTube. Another reason why it has become popular is because the government give them support. Unlike most countries, the Korean government give the support to this culture by providing for the K-Pop World Festival and inviting fans to concerts and to South Korea. There are many other reasons why K-pop has become popular – such as making TV shows, using English phrases in music, and holding auditions all over the world, – but I believe that government support and technology has had a bigger influence in supporting this culture.
Adele Is Music's Past, Present And Future. (Cover Story)," The Times Newspaper. Adele is described as a voice of all generations. She is even recognized by most of her fans as a national treasure, highlighting how she is iconic. The article describes why she does not associate with product endorsement deals. She does not want to be viewed as a condescending artiste. She feels that most artists lose authenticity when they grow. Her character is put to light as a funny, frank and peering her speech with profanity and self-depreciating asides. Her inspiration comes from artistes such as Lauryn Hill and Alicia Key s, alongside legends like Etta James . The article goes an extra mile to state her school of art development. She attended an elite school, known as the Brit school, where Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis were alumnae. Rolling in deep was her debut single to stardom which topped charts all around the world. Her tracks were extensively universal with an easy symphony. Her works of art are executive and proficient .
“Clinton and Trump happen to be the most famous people in the country – if not the world – and their triumphs and disasters over the past quarter century have reverberated far wider than the political bubble, embedding them in the fabric of American life”. Tonight is the night for the first of three presidential debates and it is emerging as the most hotly anticipated moment in modern US political history, with around 100 million Americans tuning in to watch according to CNN. With the suspense that has been building in anticipation for this debate and such a close race, Americans will be watching to see how each presidential candidate presents their points. The debate will be a big turning point for both parties and their tactics. Hilary Clinton and her team are trying to make Trump address issues actually using facts and not just responding with vague answers. Many viewers are interested in seeing how Trump will do in a one on one debate. I am excited and nervous to watch the debate. I am really hoping that it turns out to be informative and both Trump and Clinton get their facts across in a professional level. I am nervous though, because they do tend to nag at each other A LOT to the point I believe it is unprofessional and annoying. I just hope the debate doesn’t disappoint the viewers since there is so much anticipation for it.
If you want to watch the debate it starts at 9pm EST. It will run for a commercial free 90 minutes and there a lot of online streaming options if you cannot watch it at home!
Recently (almost everyone knows about this) Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitts. The news came out of nowhere, so the internet been blowing up with speculations of the reason behind their breakup (Pitts cheated on Angelina with Selena Gomez and Marion Cotillard). I find this to unbelievable. I understand that celebrities play a huge role in pop culture; however, there are other things we can worry and talk about beside the fact that Brangelina is over. For instant, the recent incident where a suspected 21-year-old man was behind the death of an 84-year-old man. Keith Vasquez was suspected at picking a fight with two men who was painting the church building. Apparently they decided to leave and call the police. According to the witnesses, that’s when Vasquez ran into the elderly man, and approach him aggressively. The elder was running away from Vasquez, and when the police arrive, the bleeding victim was on the ground. He died at later at the hospital. No motive was found, and there wasn’t a connection between the victim and the attacker. Things like this should spark our interests. It should make us more aware of our surroundings and the strangers we interact with. Brangelina divorce is quite sad, but it doesn’t do anything for us, beside give the internet something to gossip about. I’m not sure where I am going with this, but I just feel as though we are too caught up into celebrities’ dramas. Maybe it’s a way to make us feel like we are part of it? Or we’re just nosy.
I completely agree! I seen this had the headliner for CNN website amongst the Terrence Crutcher incident! It seems that with society drama in celebrity lives are way more important that what is going on around us.
A few days ago I began a new Netflix Series called Supergirl. I am choosing to talk about this in this blog post because true show addresses a lot of the same things that I've been analyzing in my essay. The is about Supergirl, who accidentally reveals that she is also from the House of El and is in fact Supermans cousin, breaking the barriers in her society. At first the public questioned her motives but only when she revealed that she was related to Superman did they accept her as a hero. Once she was accepted the public began to scrutinize her by first comparing her powers to Superman's. This comparison to Superman makes her feel inferior and causes her to want to prove that a woman hero can be just as affective as a male hero. Further along in the show the public begins to scrutinize things such as her hair and her outfit which is something that Superman never had to go through because of his male privilege. Later on in the show she fights a robot and let's her anger get the best of her and loses control, but she doesn't hurt anyone other then the robot. When this happens the public went from accepting her to fearing her and they began to question her character and whether or not they were safe with her being there. Supergirl points out that it is unfair that because she is a woman she is put under a microscope. Like Superman she also has a day job. She is the assistant to a powerful woman and one day she yells at her for being mean and this woman gives her some advice. She tells her that a woman can never get mad in the workplace. She says as soon as she loses her cool her career will come to a halt and she will be deemed as unprofessional. This show highlights the struggles of women in a professional setting as well as in social settings. I hope that in future episodes Supergirl is able to break down these issues and change society for the better.
A lot has happened in the news lately. Between arguably our worst political canidates ever and fatal police shootings, I wanted to talk about something a little lighter. Hollywood's biggest power couple has split up. Honestly, I don't normally concern myself with celebrity gossip, but celebrity divorce has something deeper to say about our culture today. Relationship drama, and more specifically divorce, never fails to find its way to the tabloids. Two more celebrities putting an end to a three year long marriage seems pretty commonplace today. Beyond giving us something to gossip about, it is a testament to a change in american culture. According to the national vital statistics system, Divorce rates are steadily climbing in america and have been for years. As a whole we place so much value on being young and beautiful, relationships are strained as they try to uphold the ideal relationship. No one exhibits this trend more clearly than actors in hollywood. Are they reflecting america's trend, or is america reflecting hollywood's?
I wouldn't say I'm a fanatic about it, but I do like to keep up to date on golfers and the PGA tour. I happened to land on ESPN yesterday afternoon and they were broadcasting the 2016 PGA Tour Championship. Although it's not one of the "big four" majors in the golf world, this is still one of the more high-profile golf games in the PGA tour. It also decides who wins the Fedex Cup, which basically defines who is the #1 player in the world through a point calculation added up all season. The #1 player going into the game, Dustin Johnson, wasn't even in the top 5 going into Sunday's final round. I caught the action about three quarters into the final round on Sunday, where Ireland's Rory McIlroy was beginning to make a charge. He had been around the middle of the pack for the other rounds, but his round yesterday was nothing short of spectacular. After rising up the leader board all day, McIlroy ended up tying for first place during regular play. He secured his victory during the following playoff with an amazing 15-foot birdie putt. The win put McIlroy at the top of the Fedex cup standings, so he ended up winning an insane amount of money as well as the championship. Needless to say, it was one of the most exciting golf games I've ever watched. McIlroy, along with newcomer Jordan Spieth, have both been heralded by the media as the "new Tiger Woods" in recent years because of the amount of PGA games they have won in a short amount of time. McIlroy has been on the golfing scene since 2011, and Spieth has only been around since last year when he won two consecutive majors. Spieth hasn't been doing as well this year, while Rory has been a solid winner ever since he started on the PGA Tour. Because these two have done so well so far into their early careers, the media has focused heavily on them (probably in hopes to attract viewers the same way Tiger Woods was able to before he took a break from the tour). It is still hard to tell if either of these players will be able to reach the lofty heights and celebrity status set by Tiger Woods. But from what I've witnessed so far, my bet is on Rory McIlroy to take up the mantle.
For today's blog post I'm going to talk.... about the Social unrest and injustice in the African American Communities that are going on right now.Terrence Crutcher another UNARMED Black man was shot and killed at the hands of a police officer. I read this article and seen the videos and I could not believe that the police force has failed us again! All that repeats in my head is the helecopter situation that shows how black men are stigmatized! "He looks like a bad dude" how does a bad dude look? And if so does that provide justification for killing someone who is being teased? My personal opinion from that statement alone he was dead from the jump! He was already black and big and already stereotyped as a bad guy and they were threatened. What throws me for a loop when I read these stories is the fact that to take light off of the officer they will dig up the past of the victim to show them in a negative light. The media will literally pull up the criminal record of a victim if there is one present and try to bring that to the forefront like that will be able to justify their life being taken at the hands of a tarnished cop. The shooting of a North Carolina man (black) also highlights the fear that police officers face when approaching African American, or is it really fear? And if so does being fearful make it ok to take a life? Well you be the judge... Until next time
Unfortunately, we still live in time where people look and judge people by the color of their skin before actually getting to know the individual. You would think from the previous shooting that people would be more aware during the situation. I don't know if the police are trigger happy and just ready to shoot or if the individual that is being pulled over just doesn't really know what to do. Either or it is still a sad occasion and continued brought back to a negative place. I agree with you we will all be judge at some point in our life and hope that we can look back and say I made the right decision.
I mentioned the exact same thing. We need to self educate ourselves first. Spread awareness and speak knowledge. Will we ever see eye to eye? No, not completely but I am keeping a positive mind that things will change.
So much has happened over the weekend, I'm not sure where to start. Let's see, well our beloved Arnold Palmer has passed. I'm not completed shocked because to living to see 87 these days is an accomplishment so RIGHT ON! When I get old, you won't catch me going to doctor visits and getting test run all the time. I will be laid up on the beach in Hawaii with a young stud drinking Pina Coladas.
Baseball star Jose Fernandez killed in a boat accident along with 2 other victims, he was only 24 and expecting his first child. Such a tragedy.
And then there's this whole thing with China. What is going on there?? It's believed that China's slowdown is global economy's biggest threat. If anyone has read up on this topic and would like to tell me more, feel free. I read some of it, but I couldn't follow.
Now, this past weekend we had a successful protest downtown. It was calm, didn't end in riot so that was great. Unfortunately many people do not understand the reason behind them. I walked my first protest 2 months ago and it was the best experience. Although I wish we never had to do that, I'm happy to have been a part of a group of diverse people trying to spread awareness about the many situations that are going on today with police brutality. Since then I have learned that protesting will not solve anything overnight yet, it does show support and make people aware of the tragedies that are happening today (if done right). Back to this weekend, there was another protest and this time, I didn't attend. Of course I show support but I feel now it starts with self education. And I will leave it at that.
Keith Scott, another hashtag in Charlotte, NC. Police footage was released Saturday and I'm sure everyone has a different opinion. The officers that surrounded Scott (whose hands were by his sides before he was killed)said it wasn't clear if he had anything in his hands meanwhile you see officers pointing their guns at him. Chief Putney claims Scott was in possession of a hand gun and marijuana which caused them to act, but what ever happened to Tasers? Especially if he didn't have a weapon aimed at anyone, the man was walking backwards away from his car.
On the video you can clearly hear his wife telling her husband to get out of the car so police won't break the windows. She told the police he was disabled and has a traumatic brain injury, but that didn't seem to get anyone's attention. She urged the cops not to shoot him, but she lost her husband anyway that day.
There have been several protest in Charlotte and 2 were violent. Although it ended with a peaceful protest, when will things change? Not everyone at the protests are wanting peach but will that get better? Will we ever be heard?
I was on Instagram and I saw an article about these clowns that were going around attacking people. I thought it was just a fake article that someone made up until I researched it myself. Kentucky police stated that they have dealt with these clown type attacks for years but it died down. Recently there has been an up rise of them in North Carolina. Which started a boomerang effect all over the world. Alabama reportedly arrested 9 people identifying themselves as clowns. There has also been reports in Pennsylvania, Washington, South Carolina, Georgia, and now back again in Kentucky. It reminded me of the Purge movies. When the purge came out there were mini purges in areas like Chicago. Which leads me to think that this has been inspired by the movie that is soon to be released on FRIDAY!! 0ctober 13, 2016! This article stood out to me because I have coulrophobia. Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns. I will die of shock just by seeing one of those clowns in front of me. Many people are on social media talking about how they will shoot the clown on sight and etcetera. Another thought came to my head when reading this. I remember in Batman when the Joker took people from the mental hospital and dressed them up as doctors, police officers, and all different type of professionals. What if these clowns are just mentally ill people that we are just about to gun down on sight? When studying these clowns and the way they interacted with the victims they seem a little of in the head. They don’t even have weapons on them when they attack they just stare or chase you. Even though it’s a little difference in interactions with adults and kids. The try to lure the children in the woods and they just whisper to them. I don’t really know what they have going on exactly but I hope these copycat clowns go away!
This is hilarious and yet so horrifying at the same time. It's scary because the next thing you know, folks will be dressed as Jason, Chuckie, and Freddie Kruger and lurking around corners trying to scare people. Oh boy, just wait till this Halloween to see how many clowns are out and about. LOL!
Oh the pleasure of anonymity. To be able to make mistakes in your life without the whole world knowing about it. As most of you know, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, and it actually made the news on CNN. The shame of it all. There are a few who are truly sympathetic and are truly sad about the breakup of another family and the horrible effects it will have on the kids. But it seems as if most others are celebrating the news as a victory for Jennifer - Brad's wife that he divorced in order to get with Angelina. Some celebrated with parties and drinks, reveling in the payback that Brad is now receiving. And they have no compassion for Angelina or Brad, as they feel that they are getting what they deserve: a busted up family. I don't know if I could ever handle being famous with everyone wanting to know every detail about my life. I already get enough of that with my Father being the biggest family gossip on the planet. But I do feel sad knowing that the pain of anyone is causing such joy from glee for so many of us. Where do you stand? Are you happy about this news or saddened?
I will collaborate on the article I just read concerning race. The article highlights the uproar from minorities, after hearing racist comments from presidential candidate that we've all heard of, Donald Trump. His existence and words attack minorities and try to make "American great again" by pushing illegal immigrants out and creating new facilitation to handle racism in the US. This causes the black live matters movement to rise on their feet or order to take their stand. What's surprising is that America is so fast to forget that Obama, a black president, is still at terms. For almost 8 years now, America is pushing towards equality and making endless efforts to eliminate any possible degree of racism. Almost everyone, as a whole, is trying to make this change and is progressing greatly. Obama would not have made it if it weren't for the majority votes (including the whites, who consist most of the population). That is showing a legend and a system of teamwork coming from all people. However, Donald Trump is an individual. He does not represent the voice of America. He is even behind Hillary right now because so many people, including whites, are in disfavor of him. However, racial tensions break out again because of the racist things Trump mentioned and argue against America as a whole once again. He has not yet won presidency. Therefore, people should not be too quick to react. Most of everyone is making an effort to hold him back because of his conflicting policies. However, we can't blame America because of one representation and disregard all of its efforts. I feel that the concept of racism and discrimination will never go away because there are more than one groups. Therefore, one will feel subordinated to another race just because it's a distorted reality.(Cina)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I think if Trump is elected it would reverse a lot of good that's been done by Obama. I don't think we should say he only represents himself though, because tons of people do agree with him. Unfortunately he's not far enough behind Hillary to disregard.
DeleteI agree with the both of you, but I think the country is just so upset and bitter it wouldn't matter who won. America always need someone to blame for America's problems, instead of actually voting for LAWMAKERS, not just law enforcers.
DeleteWe greatly overestimate direct presidential power when most of it lies in influence. Donald Trump as president would NOT change a thing, except for some citizens and foreigners viewpoints on the rules of the political game in these Great States. Regardless of who wins the popular vote in 45 days time, we all have already lost in my humble opinion (IMHO). The two excuses for candidates rarely shed light on issues of most importance to our homeland (e.g. technological unemployment, job security, the college bubble) so we remain clueless. Informing the public should be the chief executive's primary goal considering his (or her ofc) massive audience and the fact that they do not actually "execute" much of anything. At least Bernie Sanders kept practical matters at the forefront of his campaign before tucking into the bosom of Hilary Clinton. Donald Trump will NOT build a wall, Donald Trump will NOT deport anyone and Donald Trump will NOT make America great again, simply because he has not the power to do so.
DeleteI agree with you. Bernie Sander usually gets a room. People have been saying for years. America isn't run through democracy. If it was, we would have picked better leaders. We are led to believe these people are the best we would come up with when really, it's an oligarchy.
DeleteCourtney Stodden made headlines a few years ago at 16 when she married actor Doug Hutchison, who was 51 at the time. She has a “dumb blonde” persona and a very curvy body that many speculate is plastic surgery although x rays have proven otherwise. Too fully understand why people are so fascinated with her you really just have to look at her, so here's a picture: http://www.celebitchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/FFN_Stodden_Courtney_ANM_092713_51219714.jpg She has been in numerous reality TV shows and has developed a fan following. She is in the headlines again, now at age 22, after suffering from her first miscarriage. After the miscarriage she shaved her head, stating she needed a “fresh start”. Courtney later said in an interview that she is having marriage problems with Doug, but they are trying to work it out. She is now more famous than he is, so if she was just using him for the money and fame she would probably leave him but I think her trying to work things out might show she does care for him. The age difference is kinda disgusting but I think Courtney was too young to know what she was doing and her parents shouldn't have allowed it. Courtney said in the same recent interview that she would never let her daughter marry at 16. She gets criticized for "sounding dumb", having bleach blonde hair, and wearing slightly outrageous outfits, but I think if anyone should be criticized it should be her older husband or parents who let her marry him.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you on the fact that people shouldn't be criticizing her because it is her life and she is trying her best by showing that she wants a fresh start through shaving her hair. But I don't think her parents should take the blame because I think the parents just wanted their daughter to be happy even though they should have been more involved, and her husband probably tried his best to help her too.
DeleteI actually think age difference is a neutral hing and don't find anything wrong with that at all. It is very normal in Asian countries to have a huge age gap, that's why I never find it odd. I agree with you that her parents should just let her be. Instead, they can show their support and comfort instead of giving her a hard time about her appearance. It can be upsetting like you said about how people can be so obsessed with improving the way they look... and it's sad to see they're fixing their whole face and creating an image that is not them. But if it makes her happy, then she can do whatever she pleases.
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DeleteI think that the whole huge age gap is a normal thing in the twenty-first century, and even before this. Like Haidang stated, in Asia, many people marry super young or marry to much older fella. People have the right to do whatever they want, because whatever consequences lies ahead, is on them. It’s her life. Stop criticizing people, no one going to make the right decisions all the time. Also, if she was really money-hungry, she would have left Doug by now. She is a lot more famous then him. Plus, she is still young.
DeleteI agree with Haidang to where I think age is just a number and if it works and makes you happy then so be it. Although I am a little hypocritical because 16 is a little young to get married and maybe to someone that old, but who am I to judge. I do agree with your point though about not leaving Doug, if she was all in for the fame then I feel like she would have been gone a long time ago. Also your post made me curious to see the why the mom consented she could get married in the first place and in the article and it said the mom was more of friend then mom (which we can all see). But it was interesting to see what she said.
DeleteHeres the link if you want to read her reasoning.
http://jezebel.com/5960929/courtney-stoddens-mom-explains-how-her-daughter-became-a-married-teen-in-stripper-heels
Just a few states North, another shooting took place. I'm not here to start a huge debacle, but to state the facts and initiate a constructive conversation. Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina 43 year old man Keith Scott was fatally shot. The story has been that police were looking for a wanted man when they happened to see Keith Scott exit a car with a handgun. It was reported that he was asked to drop his gun, but got in car and got back out with the gun still in his hand. Keith Scott’s family highly disagreed with the story that was being told. They insisted that he was just carrying out his daily routine: sitting in the car, reading a book, waiting on his children to get off the school bus. His family also stated that he was disabled. Someone went live on Facebook during all of this chaos, and his daughter Lyric could be heard yelling hysterically at the investigators. His daughter was telling the investigators not to plant a gun in her dad’s car because that’s the type of stuff they do. What’s interesting about the shooting is that the presidential nominees both took to the press and made statements. We’re only a few month shy of election time, so of course they were very carefully structured. Clinton “sent her condolences” by calling the shooting very upsetting and urging policing reforms so officers and communities can become safer in the future. She clarified that all of the facts of the two latest shootings were still unknown, but what was certain that two more names were added to a long list of African Americans killed by the police. Trump told reporters that he was troubled by the shootings. These things happen so frequently, it’s not even surprising anymore. I just wanted to post about it because my brother goes to college in Charlotte, and he lives very close to where this took place. What’s really sad is imagining that one day because my brother is a 245 pound linebacker, he may be victim to some act of police brutality. Sometimes it’s hard to digest. What’s almost as bad as the shootings is the looting and disruptive protests that went along with it. The cause and its effects are getting to be to more than people should have to bear.
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ReplyDeleteThe NFL draws parallels to another far more brutal institution from our Great nation's past. Today the team owners (masters) buy and sell their players (slaves) while training (working) them at the compound (plantation). Buuuut y'all niggas do get paid tho!
DeleteVery insightful post, Ms. Ware.
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DeleteI always end up feeling frustrated whenever I hear another story come to light about how popular figures are getting to fly under the radar with heinous acts such as abuse simply because of how vital their continued popularity is to the status quo. It's frustrating mostly because of how commonplace it's become; the number of actors who have continued to have fruitful, popular careers decades after their spouses have outed them as violent abusers is depressingly staggering. It becomes all the more bleak and fatiguing when you consider the power dynamic inherent between the players (predominantly people of color) and the managers (predominantly old white guys with more money than they know how to do with). Reasons like this are why I tend to avoid large swaths of pop culture, to be entirely honest. Knowing the number of flaws that exist in the system that are blatantly ignored for the sake of capitalism tends to turn your stomach after too long.
DeleteI think it is so sad that money and greed has such an influence over people. I try to imagine myself as part of such an institution and I'm not sure I'd be able to accept money gained from so many people suffering. Stories like this are becoming the new norm unfortunately though.
Delete"The Square root of Brangelina"
ReplyDeleteBrangelina aka Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, had been together since I was a preteen. His demonically handsome, chameleon-like features paired with her angelically delicate strength, beauty and lips (lips and more lips mmmm), Brangelina remained as Hollywood’s premier high-profile couple for well over a decade. On Tuesday, in a headline that rippled the very fabric of pop culture, she announced their split.
Brangelina first began in 2005 while filming “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”. The two quickly grew fond of each other, falling in love on the set. Although, not to marry until 2014, they (a)dopted three children and (b)ore three more for a total of six [3(a) +3(b) = 6] during the years prior. They remained successful, almost invincible in their professional and personal lives, or so it seemed until that fateful Monday morning on September 19, 2016. I remember like it was yesterday, not even 4 days ago... Eating breakfast at Roly Poly when a classmate stepped in behind me and inquired, “did you hear the news?” - “About what?” - “Brangelina” - “Oh god...” I immediately assumed they had died, but I could have never in 100 years predicted the tragedy that would soon graze my auditory canal...
Brangelina... I still cannot grasp the concept of this creature as two separate parts. Comparable to my difficulty in conceiving of the number -1 to have a square root in “i”. Even those not inclined to seek out celebrity gossip were taken aback by the news. This relationship served as a pillar of stability in an industry where romance is as fleeting as the titles in its box office and tunes on its pop charts. We are now left to place a radical symbol over the heart-wrenching term that is.... I can’t! :’(
I definitely was entertained and intrigued while reading your post ha. After overhearing my sister talk about it the other day, I was pretty shocked too. At first I thought it was a rumor, and it just shows how pop culture and the media can falsely portray a celebrity couple. There is no telling what the actual reason is for their separation.
DeleteI like how you mentioned that the relationship was a "pillar of stability" in the entertainment industry. It seems very rare that a marriage of two high-profile people ever lasts for the long run these days. There are far too many examples of celebrities dating/marrying each other one day, and separating/divorcing each other a week later. *cough cough* I'm looking at you Taylor Swift.
DeleteIts going gto be so sad to see Brangelina go!! They were truly an inspirational couple.
DeleteThis is a clever, very well-written post! It's great to see how you play with language here.
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ReplyDeleteThanks, suga. Wyd? Lol.
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DeleteI’ve been following the pre-release hype building up around the remake of the Rocky Horror Picture Show that’s coming out soon with a strange sort of hesitant optimism. Rocky Horror has always been a part of my life; my mom was enough of a fan, even, where my name comes from the actress who played the character Magenta (Patricia Quinn). I have been well immersed in the cult following revolving around the film since I was ten, when I joined my first shadow cast (and shortly thereafter became their youngest spotlight runner to be on cast for a year or so). I ended up working on two separate Rocky Horror casts on and off until I was about twenty one, ending up totalling about seven years either as an actor or as a stagehand for some sort of weekly production of the film. With all that being said, you’d think that I’d be mouth-foamingly excited about the movie, right? Uuuuuunfortunately, the person behind the original stage play (and the film, and the sequel…), Richard O’Brien, has said some things that have made me have all kinds of strange, conflicted feelings about the man who created one of the most formative pieces of media from my childhood. In an interview, when discussing trans folk and the “new wave” of gender identities that have begun to gain more traction and popularity recently, ended up disregarding the entire concept by saying something along the lines that no matter how many chemical or physical changes someone decides to take in order to “prove” their transness, they would always at their core be the gender identity they were assigned at birth. Which is a difficult thing to swallow, considering how many fledgling weirdoes his movies helped nurture essentially had their entire identities poo-poohed as silly frivolity no matter what lengths they may take. So, for me, it’s a little hard to throw my full support behind it without at least acknowledging the shitty thing that’s fairly closely attached to it. At least, in this instance, they’ve got a trans woman playing a trans character on screen, which is nice (And just… Laverne Cox! Guuuh! What an idol!).
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh!! I did not know that Rocky Horror was being remade!! And Laverne Cox is in it!! I'm so glad I read your post. I would have never known because well I live under a rock. I definitely feel where your hesitation is coming from because that is totally a shitty thing to say like How can you create something like Rocky Horror and not be supportive of the LGBTQ+ community which includes the Trans and Queer communities which is probably more then half of the audience. It's contradictory and also very disappointing that he could be so closed minded.
DeleteThis week I decided to write about K-pop, because I feel that this culture has been getting larger. K-pop is also known as Korean pop music and it consists of all kinds of music like R&B, hip-hop, electropop, and ballads. Most of the singers are in groups, ranging from 4-12 members. In this blog I would like to write about why K-pop has become popular in our culture today.
ReplyDeleteThe K-pop culture started to develop and expand in the 21st century. It first entered the Japanese market and was popular among the young adults and teens. Throughout the years it has spread to Latin America, India, North Africa, Middle East, and North America. There are many reasons why this culture has spread throughout the world. The main reason why it has become popular is due to technology. Through websites like YouTube, music can be listened to all over the world. For instance, “Gangnam Style,” a Korean pop music, has been the number one most viewed music video on YouTube. Another reason why it has become popular is because the government give them support. Unlike most countries, the Korean government give the support to this culture by providing for the K-Pop World Festival and inviting fans to concerts and to South Korea. There are many other reasons why K-pop has become popular – such as making TV shows, using English phrases in music, and holding auditions all over the world, – but I believe that government support and technology has had a bigger influence in supporting this culture.
I read a news article online today that stated that an 82-year old Uber driver was killed when he was hit by a Lamborghini Murciélago. The owner was a 60-year old multimillionaire health club owner that was out drinking with his girlfriend. It is always tough to hear or read tragic events like this. I think I remember our class talk about Uber and how popular it has become. It gave 82-year old retiree J. Gerald Smith the chance to have freelance work, but unfortunately put him in harm’s way. The driver of the Lamborghini survived and told authorities that he had been drinking that afternoon with his girlfriend, who was driving her Porsche behind him. She apparently fled the scene after witnessing the crash. Driving expensive sport cars fast and drinking do not mix. I have heard various pros and cons about the Uber app, and enjoy the app myself. Many drivers have been getting physically hurt by the app users, and the taxi companies are losing business. The app is pretty convenient at times, but also creates unusual circumstances. Technology advancements in general are getting pretty intense, and the idea of artificial intelligence is getting more realistic every day. It is fascinating to see how our phones can do so much, but it is also taking over our society. People rely on them and are getting overly distracted. Besides the millionaire drinking and driving, there is no telling what other distractions caused him to wreck into the Uber driver.
ReplyDeleteAdele Is Music's Past, Present And Future. (Cover Story)," The Times Newspaper.
ReplyDeleteAdele is described as a voice of all generations. She is even recognized by most of her fans as a national treasure, highlighting how she is iconic. The article describes why she does not associate with product endorsement deals. She does not want to be viewed as a condescending artiste. She feels that most artists lose authenticity when they grow. Her character is put to light as a funny, frank and peering her speech with profanity and self-depreciating asides. Her inspiration comes from artistes such as Lauryn Hill and Alicia Key s, alongside legends like Etta James .
The article goes an extra mile to state her school of art development. She attended an elite school, known as the Brit school, where Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis were alumnae. Rolling in deep was her debut single to stardom which topped charts all around the world. Her tracks were extensively universal with an easy symphony. Her works of art are executive and proficient .
ReplyDelete“Clinton and Trump happen to be the most famous people in the country – if not the world – and their triumphs and disasters over the past quarter century have reverberated far wider than the political bubble, embedding them in the fabric of American life”.
Tonight is the night for the first of three presidential debates and it is emerging as the most hotly anticipated moment in modern US political history, with around 100 million Americans tuning in to watch according to CNN. With the suspense that has been building in anticipation for this debate and such a close race, Americans will be watching to see how each presidential candidate presents their points.
The debate will be a big turning point for both parties and their tactics. Hilary Clinton and her team are trying to make Trump address issues actually using facts and not just responding with vague answers. Many viewers are interested in seeing how Trump will do in a one on one debate.
I am excited and nervous to watch the debate. I am really hoping that it turns out to be informative and both Trump and Clinton get their facts across in a professional level. I am nervous though, because they do tend to nag at each other A LOT to the point I believe it is unprofessional and annoying. I just hope the debate doesn’t disappoint the viewers since there is so much anticipation for it.
If you want to watch the debate it starts at 9pm EST. It will run for a commercial free 90 minutes and there a lot of online streaming options if you cannot watch it at home!
Recently (almost everyone knows about this) Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitts. The news came out of nowhere, so the internet been blowing up with speculations of the reason behind their breakup (Pitts cheated on Angelina with Selena Gomez and Marion Cotillard). I find this to unbelievable. I understand that celebrities play a huge role in pop culture; however, there are other things we can worry and talk about beside the fact that Brangelina is over. For instant, the recent incident where a suspected 21-year-old man was behind the death of an 84-year-old man. Keith Vasquez was suspected at picking a fight with two men who was painting the church building. Apparently they decided to leave and call the police. According to the witnesses, that’s when Vasquez ran into the elderly man, and approach him aggressively. The elder was running away from Vasquez, and when the police arrive, the bleeding victim was on the ground. He died at later at the hospital. No motive was found, and there wasn’t a connection between the victim and the attacker. Things like this should spark our interests. It should make us more aware of our surroundings and the strangers we interact with. Brangelina divorce is quite sad, but it doesn’t do anything for us, beside give the internet something to gossip about. I’m not sure where I am going with this, but I just feel as though we are too caught up into celebrities’ dramas. Maybe it’s a way to make us feel like we are part of it? Or we’re just nosy.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I seen this had the headliner for CNN website amongst the Terrence Crutcher incident! It seems that with society drama in celebrity lives are way more important that what is going on around us.
DeleteA few days ago I began a new Netflix Series called Supergirl. I am choosing to talk about this in this blog post because true show addresses a lot of the same things that I've been analyzing in my essay. The is about Supergirl, who accidentally reveals that she is also from the House of El and is in fact Supermans cousin, breaking the barriers in her society. At first the public questioned her motives but only when she revealed that she was related to Superman did they accept her as a hero. Once she was accepted the public began to scrutinize her by first comparing her powers to Superman's. This comparison to Superman makes her feel inferior and causes her to want to prove that a woman hero can be just as affective as a male hero. Further along in the show the public begins to scrutinize things such as her hair and her outfit which is something that Superman never had to go through because of his male privilege. Later on in the show she fights a robot and let's her anger get the best of her and loses control, but she doesn't hurt anyone other then the robot. When this happens the public went from accepting her to fearing her and they began to question her character and whether or not they were safe with her being there. Supergirl points out that it is unfair that because she is a woman she is put under a microscope. Like Superman she also has a day job. She is the assistant to a powerful woman and one day she yells at her for being mean and this woman gives her some advice. She tells her that a woman can never get mad in the workplace. She says as soon as she loses her cool her career will come to a halt and she will be deemed as unprofessional. This show highlights the struggles of women in a professional setting as well as in social settings. I hope that in future episodes Supergirl is able to break down these issues and change society for the better.
ReplyDeleteA lot has happened in the news lately. Between arguably our worst political canidates ever and fatal police shootings, I wanted to talk about something a little lighter. Hollywood's biggest power couple has split up. Honestly, I don't normally concern myself with celebrity gossip, but celebrity divorce has something deeper to say about our culture today. Relationship drama, and more specifically divorce, never fails to find its way to the tabloids. Two more celebrities putting an end to a three year long marriage seems pretty commonplace today. Beyond giving us something to gossip about, it is a testament to a change in american culture. According to the national vital statistics system, Divorce rates are steadily climbing in america and have been for years. As a whole we place so much value on being young and beautiful, relationships are strained as they try to uphold the ideal relationship. No one exhibits this trend more clearly than actors in hollywood. Are they reflecting america's trend, or is america reflecting hollywood's?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say I'm a fanatic about it, but I do like to keep up to date on golfers and the PGA tour. I happened to land on ESPN yesterday afternoon and they were broadcasting the 2016 PGA Tour Championship. Although it's not one of the "big four" majors in the golf world, this is still one of the more high-profile golf games in the PGA tour. It also decides who wins the Fedex Cup, which basically defines who is the #1 player in the world through a point calculation added up all season. The #1 player going into the game, Dustin Johnson, wasn't even in the top 5 going into Sunday's final round. I caught the action about three quarters into the final round on Sunday, where Ireland's Rory McIlroy was beginning to make a charge. He had been around the middle of the pack for the other rounds, but his round yesterday was nothing short of spectacular. After rising up the leader board all day, McIlroy ended up tying for first place during regular play. He secured his victory during the following playoff with an amazing 15-foot birdie putt. The win put McIlroy at the top of the Fedex cup standings, so he ended up winning an insane amount of money as well as the championship. Needless to say, it was one of the most exciting golf games I've ever watched. McIlroy, along with newcomer Jordan Spieth, have both been heralded by the media as the "new Tiger Woods" in recent years because of the amount of PGA games they have won in a short amount of time. McIlroy has been on the golfing scene since 2011, and Spieth has only been around since last year when he won two consecutive majors. Spieth hasn't been doing as well this year, while Rory has been a solid winner ever since he started on the PGA Tour. Because these two have done so well so far into their early careers, the media has focused heavily on them (probably in hopes to attract viewers the same way Tiger Woods was able to before he took a break from the tour). It is still hard to tell if either of these players will be able to reach the lofty heights and celebrity status set by Tiger Woods. But from what I've witnessed so far, my bet is on Rory McIlroy to take up the mantle.
ReplyDeleteFor today's blog post I'm going to talk.... about the Social unrest and injustice in the African American Communities that are going on right now.Terrence Crutcher another UNARMED Black man was shot and killed at the hands of a police officer. I read this article and seen the videos and I could not believe that the police force has failed us again! All that repeats in my head is the helecopter situation that shows how black men are stigmatized! "He looks like a bad dude" how does a bad dude look? And if so does that provide justification for killing someone who is being teased? My personal opinion from that statement alone he was dead from the jump! He was already black and big and already stereotyped as a bad guy and they were threatened. What throws me for a loop when I read these stories is the fact that to take light off of the officer they will dig up the past of the victim to show them in a negative light. The media will literally pull up the criminal record of a victim if there is one present and try to bring that to the forefront like that will be able to justify their life being taken at the hands of a tarnished cop. The shooting of a North Carolina man (black) also highlights the fear that police officers face when approaching African American, or is it really fear? And if so does being fearful make it ok to take a life? Well you be the judge... Until next time
ReplyDeleteRE:
DeleteUnfortunately, we still live in time where people look and judge people by the color of their skin before actually getting to know the individual. You would think from the previous shooting that people would be more aware during the situation. I don't know if the police are trigger happy and just ready to shoot or if the individual that is being pulled over just doesn't really know what to do. Either or it is still a sad occasion and continued brought back to a negative place. I agree with you we will all be judge at some point in our life and hope that we can look back and say I made the right decision.
RE:
ReplyDeleteOver the weekend we had a lot of events and situations going on throughout our country. We had two star athletes pass away. A golf legend and star pitcher of the Marlins. Arnold Palmer was a golf legend and a one of the greatest golfers of all time. Also, we had Marlins Stellar Pitcher José Fernandez die from a boat accident. In Charlotte, North Carolina we had protestors marching for the shooting of Keith Scott. Another African American shot and killed because an officer thought he was a threat. Looking at the video though we see that his hands were up and there was no reason possibly to shoot and kill the gentleman. The country has been in uproar and social media has gone crazy with shooting. It seems like when we try to take 1 step forward. An event occurs for us to be knocked back 10 steps. We have to start seeing each other as individuals/equals and stop separating each other by the color of our skin.
I mentioned the exact same thing. We need to self educate ourselves first. Spread awareness and speak knowledge. Will we ever see eye to eye? No, not completely but I am keeping a positive mind that things will change.
DeleteSo much has happened over the weekend, I'm not sure where to start.
ReplyDeleteLet's see, well our beloved Arnold Palmer has passed. I'm not completed shocked because to living to see 87 these days is an accomplishment so RIGHT ON! When I get old, you won't catch me going to doctor visits and getting test run all the time. I will be laid up on the beach in Hawaii with a young stud drinking Pina Coladas.
Baseball star Jose Fernandez killed in a boat accident along with 2 other victims, he was only 24 and expecting his first child. Such a tragedy.
And then there's this whole thing with China. What is going on there?? It's believed that China's slowdown is global economy's biggest threat. If anyone has read up on this topic and would like to tell me more, feel free. I read some of it, but I couldn't follow.
Now, this past weekend we had a successful protest downtown. It was calm, didn't end in riot so that was great. Unfortunately many people do not understand the reason behind them. I walked my first protest 2 months ago and it was the best experience. Although I wish we never had to do that, I'm happy to have been a part of a group of diverse people trying to spread awareness about the many situations that are going on today with police brutality. Since then I have learned that protesting will not solve anything overnight yet, it does show support and make people aware of the tragedies that are happening today (if done right). Back to this weekend, there was another protest and this time, I didn't attend. Of course I show support but I feel now it starts with self education. And I will leave it at that.
Keith Scott, another hashtag in Charlotte, NC. Police footage was released Saturday and I'm sure everyone has a different opinion. The officers that surrounded Scott (whose hands were by his sides before he was killed)said it wasn't clear if he had anything in his hands meanwhile you see officers pointing their guns at him. Chief Putney claims Scott was in possession of a hand gun and marijuana which caused them to act, but what ever happened to Tasers? Especially if he didn't have a weapon aimed at anyone, the man was walking backwards away from his car.
On the video you can clearly hear his wife telling her husband to get out of the car so police won't break the windows. She told the police he was disabled and has a traumatic brain injury, but that didn't seem to get anyone's attention. She urged the cops not to shoot him, but she lost her husband anyway that day.
There have been several protest in Charlotte and 2 were violent. Although it ended with a peaceful protest, when will things change? Not everyone at the protests are wanting peach but will that get better? Will we ever be heard?
I was on Instagram and I saw an article about these clowns that were going around attacking people. I thought it was just a fake article that someone made up until I researched it myself. Kentucky police stated that they have dealt with these clown type attacks for years but it died down. Recently there has been an up rise of them in North Carolina. Which started a boomerang effect all over the world. Alabama reportedly arrested 9 people identifying themselves as clowns. There has also been reports in Pennsylvania, Washington, South Carolina, Georgia, and now back again in Kentucky. It reminded me of the Purge movies. When the purge came out there were mini purges in areas like Chicago. Which leads me to think that this has been inspired by the movie that is soon to be released on FRIDAY!! 0ctober 13, 2016! This article stood out to me because I have coulrophobia. Coulrophobia is the fear of clowns. I will die of shock just by seeing one of those clowns in front of me. Many people are on social media talking about how they will shoot the clown on sight and etcetera. Another thought came to my head when reading this. I remember in Batman when the Joker took people from the mental hospital and dressed them up as doctors, police officers, and all different type of professionals. What if these clowns are just mentally ill people that we are just about to gun down on sight? When studying these clowns and the way they interacted with the victims they seem a little of in the head. They don’t even have weapons on them when they attack they just stare or chase you. Even though it’s a little difference in interactions with adults and kids. The try to lure the children in the woods and they just whisper to them. I don’t really know what they have going on exactly but I hope these copycat clowns go away!
ReplyDeleteThis is hilarious and yet so horrifying at the same time. It's scary because the next thing you know, folks will be dressed as Jason, Chuckie, and Freddie Kruger and lurking around corners trying to scare people. Oh boy, just wait till this Halloween to see how many clowns are out and about. LOL!
DeleteBreaking News! Celebrity Divorce!
ReplyDeleteOh the pleasure of anonymity. To be able to make mistakes in your life without the whole world knowing about it. As most of you know, Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, and it actually made the news on CNN. The shame of it all. There are a few who are truly sympathetic and are truly sad about the breakup of another family and the horrible effects it will have on the kids. But it seems as if most others are celebrating the news as a victory for Jennifer - Brad's wife that he divorced in order to get with Angelina. Some celebrated with parties and drinks, reveling in the payback that Brad is now receiving. And they have no compassion for Angelina or Brad, as they feel that they are getting what they deserve: a busted up family. I don't know if I could ever handle being famous with everyone wanting to know every detail about my life. I already get enough of that with my Father being the biggest family gossip on the planet. But I do feel sad knowing that the pain of anyone is causing such joy from glee for so many of us. Where do you stand? Are you happy about this news or saddened?