Blog #10 Class Reflection

I really enjoyed this class because it opened my eyes to how relevant even non-fiction books can be to our world. The books and articles that we read meshed well together, painting a picture of a not too distant society. That really made me consider all the things we do to go down that path; between us destroying literature with our advancing technology and fast paced days/nights, and allowing our freedoms to be taken away because of our ignorance of the effects it may have on us in the future. I contribute to this myself. I immerse myself in video games (I do still read a lot outside of the class books). I always want things to happen NOW. I'm stressed on a daily basis and at this point I can't focus or function without that stress. I watch multiple reality shows and my favorite genre of movies is horror and gore because frankly it doesn't really affect me anymore. I give up rights of privacy every day (thanks to the internet). I'm attached to technology. And the list goes on. But since this class, I have really tried to make an effort to pull myself away from my normal crazy schedule and appreciate the world around me.
I have also begun watching CNN and looking up news articles again. If you don't know what's going on in the world and claim that it doesn't affect you; then you're ignorant. As we have seen in the texts, everything affects everyone, especially when it comes to freedom. We read about the book burnings in Fahrenheit 451. The people allowed this to happen because they decided TV and equality was more important. If everyone had the same opinion, I swear I'd go crazy. I don't believe the world could function without varying ideas. Who would be there to decide whether a plan for this country is bad or not when they agree to do what they are told. Do we really want to end up like the mindless drones in 1984, buzzing around in a society that clearly has been brainwashed to think that what they have is happiness? But these people don't understand true happiness. I think that we are beginning to lose that feeling too. Some of us seem to hate our lives so much that we would rather watch the lives of others for the "excitement". Have a problem? Feeling down? Pop this pill and this pill; we have the blues ones, and the yellow ones, and even purple. Get high, get happy.
Why do you think so many people are drowning themselves in liquor and illicit drugs (or in the recent cases in our modern world, prescription pills)? Because they are never happy with what they have thanks to our need to buy newer and better things, the images that the media displays, so on and so forth. We think that these societies that we read about could never happen to us. We're Americans; home of the free. Live the American dream. But how are we free if gays can't marry because the church says it is wrong and pushes this belief on the government? And what is the American dream anymore? Have a couple of kids, smoke some pot for the anxiety, work a job you hate because having money is more important, etc. I have tried to pay more attention to the area closest to me and it seems that every one is somewhat miserable and we really shouldn't be.
I think that overall I'm trying to say that we need to stop the madness around us and ensure that we can continue living in a world of different viewpoints. We built this country and use to take pride in our freedoms, but now we just seem to be tossing that away. Hopefully we can begin to realize this is wrong and stop from going towards those dystopian societies.

May the Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

"Taking the kids from out districts, forcing them to kill one another while we watch--- this is the Capitol's way of reminding us how totally we are at their mercy." pg 18, Kastniss describing the Hunger Games

After reading this book, I feel like the Games started off as punishment and turned into sheer entertainment. The people of the districts have become so accustomed to this event that most of them look forward to it and even train their children to fight for their district. Katniss is a rare mind that slowly starts to challenge the Games and their sick and twisted ways. This brings into question whether we will ever get to that point. Reality TV use to be somewhat calm, just us curiously peering into the lives of others. But as the years went on, I feel like people became bored with the slow pace of things and demanded there be more action. The producers of these shows knew that they needed to keep the drama up to bring in viewers and so they put the characters into unreal situations to get a reaction that induced excitement in the audience. We sit there and watch people on The Challenge fight because they are so stressed over winning the games they have to go through in order to win money. Or like Jersey Shore where they pick out people with personalities that they know will clash so we can get to see them argue and throw a few punches or act like complete sluts. We eat this up because we find their lives more entertaining than our own.

Even I admit that I crave the drama and violence. My favorite genre of movies is horror because it keeps me on my toes and I find the stories fascinating. The world in general is becoming more violent and sexually explicit because of the audience. We want producers to show us more and keep us guessing or we become bored with what we are watching. Like Gabler said in his article about voyeurism and how we enjoy to peer into the lives of others. It's completely true. It's sad to think that we find our lives so mundane that we need the entertainment of TV just to keep it entertaining.

I really hope that we never get to the point where we watch actual people kill each other, but we are getting there. Soon writers will run out of stories, then how will we keep ourselves from boredom. They say that history repeats itself and we have done this type of show before with the gladiators that we sent into the arena to die. Maybe one day we'll bring back that madness.

Life On Film

I think as viewers, we just enforce the raunchy and violent behavior seen on reality TV now. Producers want to make a show that will get tons of viewers and good ratings so they can continue it, therefore, they make sure that they cut scenes and add what is the most exciting to the viewer. In this article (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30092600/ns/today-entertainment/t/just-how-real-are-reality-tv-shows/#.Trck6kOImU8 ), reality TV is examined. They say that the reason reality TV is able to contain and produce so much drama is because it has real people put in unreal situations. For example, on the Challenge on MTV, they are real people competing, but it is obvious that tension will run high in a game where its every man for himself. They spend long hours in the sun doing physically exhausting activities in order to keep themselves on the show. That much pressure could cause anyone to blow. Thus the many fights seen on the show. And we as viewers eat this up. So in turn they put more and more physically and mentally exhausting challenges on there for the contestants to do to see how far they can push them.  In this clip, Wes and CT have been fighting for hours on end and I personally found this hilarious. That’s what the producers want from you; enjoyment from other’s misery. I think we ourselves enjoy this too. Even though this sounds horrible, I like to watch other people in peril because it makes me feel better about my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXYPKLq6qyg

This is what they do in The Hunger Games. They start the players off at the Cornucopia where all the supplies are so there will be instant bloodshed when they fight for them. If a few days go by and the audience grows bored, the Gamemakers add in some fun as seen here:

“The game has taken a twist. The fire was just to get us moving, not the audience will get to see some real fun.” Pg 175

They wanted the audience to see some bloodshed and excitement, so they set a trap of fire balls to get Katniss up and moving, hopefully closer to the other tributes so they could see a battle.

Whether we realize it or not, we greatly influence how reality shows are produced. I admit that I enjoy reality shows, especially Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, and True Life. At least True Life is educational but again it shows people in extreme situations. I find the lives of others so fascinating to watch because it gives me insight on how others work. It’s simply just a fun escape from my own life. 

GIVE ME BACK MY TECHNOLOGY!

Friday at midnight was my last day of the Thoreau challenge. I have to say I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN! While at some points it was nice to just get away from facebook and all the time it consumed from me, not being able to use my phone was a hassle. I had so many texts and missed voicemails when I turned it back on. I also made the mistake of forgetting to tell my mother that I wouldn't have my phone. Let's just say she was pretty angry and thought that I had been completely ignoring her. I was glad that it was over for Saturday because me and my friends went to the Renaissance Fair so when I got lost and broke up with the group, having my phone to track them down in the mounds of people really helped. The first thing I did when the challenge was over besides turn on my phone was log onto facebook. It amazes me how much my notifications can build up when I don't check them.
I thought I would have more time to do homework if I wasn't constantly checking my phone or on the internet but instead I spent more time writing or talking with my friends. I'm just thankful that this wasn't a full on challenge where we had to completely get away from civilization, people, technology, etc. I would NOT of been able to handle that. Sure after a while I wouldn't mind not having a phone and internet, but being by myself would be the worst.
I did learn that technology can sometimes consume us. Even though I don't use it everyday for down time, I still use it enough that it can distract me from what I should be doing. I don't believe that I'll ever be trying this again, but at least I know that I can live without it and I'd eventually get use to the inconvenience. For those of you who haven't tried it yet, good luck, it's beyond annoying.

Big Brother? Like the TV show?

I think that Big Brother is just like Hitler; strong worded man with inspiring things to say, but used for all the wrong reasons. He’s basically on a power trip. Big Brother has a found a way to control people: fear, hate, anger, etc. This is done partially through the Two Minutes of Hate. To read about the people acting like vicious animals while watching violent images is disturbing. Even Winston seems to be ashamed of himself for joining in. But it’s odd to watch how his rage turns from Big Brother, to the girl with the brown hair and so on. Most of us wonder how these people can be so worked up, but it’s the simple fact that their lives are basically meaningless and with many limits. I feel like violence is the only way they can get pent up emotions out. This also seems to be the one time that they can even show emotion without the thought police in mind (that is if of course you show an emotion Big Brother and the Party wants you feel.) I’m pretty sure I would act out too if I had to keep a straight but cheery face all day, every second. As humans, we need to not only feel emotions but show them. It’s natural. In this world they are being severely suppressed.

I’ve heard a few people over the years say that we, too, have lost our privacy. They claim that through security cameras, GPS, credit card tracking, IP addresses, and so on, that they government can watch everything that we are doing. The biggest controversy about “invasion of privacy” is the debate over airline security after 9/11. You go through hours of checking, rechecking, security dogs, metal detectors and bag checks just to board a plane. I know that they have very good reason for it because they have probably stopped many terrorists from trying to take down planes or even drug dealers from smuggling things across borders. The question is whether they should be allowed to root through every inch of your belongings and strip search you just because they think you may have something. We need to find a middle ground with that. I understand that this makes people feel safer in a way, but there is still a growing fear that is being created. We are passing on this fear to our children that don’t quite understand that just because a person is Islamic doesn’t mean they are a terrorist. This relates to how the children in 1984 are taught through fear and ignorance in order to get them to watch others for the government.

Back on track though, I think even with things like this we still have way more privacy than Winston and everyone in his world. We can sit in a room with our thoughts and not have to worry about someone watching us at that moment or trying to cover up our expressions so we don’t “disappear”. I feel safe in my own head because I know that maybe a few people can tell what I’m thinking based on my expressions but even if they do I don’t have to worry about being killed over it. 

Thoreau Challenge Blog #2

I'm am highly disappointed in myself. If you noticed, my challenge started last Thursday, meaning that tomorrow should of been my last day, but I broke down a listened to a brand new CD from my favortie band that came out on Wednesday. As punishment, I am extending my challenge time till midnight tonight. I guess I didn't directly use technology because I got my room mate to play it for me on her computer so I could listen. But other than that, I haven't really been getting on the computer exceot for this class and work. The first two days were difficult because I just wanted to check facebook in my down time. I thought that maybe I would of gotten more work done because I wasn't constantly on the computer, but instead I've been writing...and not things that involve work. I really missed writing and I forgot how much better it made me feel to get things out on paper. I'm already a constantly list/task note taker that actually putting how I feel about all the crazy stuff in my life on paper feels great. Again, today will be my last day on this challenge, and why I'm ready to be done with it, I'm not completely anxious. I think the only thing I really want to do right now is listen to my cd and order some books off of amazon already. 11 hours, 15 minutes and counting. BRING IT ON!

"How Yew B Livin?!"

"Why should we live with such hurry and waste of life? We are determined to be starved before we are hungry."-Thoreau

When you wake up in the morning, what's usually the first thing you do? Mine would be checking my phone or Facebook before I actually go get ready for the day. In between classes, at meals, hanging out with friends, before you go to bed at night; all the while texting or getting on the internet or playing a video game. We have been surrounded by modern technology for so long that we don't quite know how to function without it. I'm currently finding this out as I do the Thoreau challenge. Even before this though, whenever I would run out of minutes on my phone or not have internet connection, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I compared this to how Titus and his friends felt when their feeds were disconnected. But I think there's was as a greater level. Can you imagine seeing and hearing advertisements, shows, conversations right there in your brain everyday then just suddenly having it turned off? You find that you don't know what to do with yourself without it. It's hard to find enjoyment in other things that don't involve technology when you scarcely remember what it was like before. I have been working hard to try to find new things to do. We were asked the question "Would you be able to live like Thoreau did?" and I can honestly say no. Not souly because of the lack of technology, but more because of the lack of human interaction. I would probably start talking to myself after a while and find that I may not be the best company. Something like this though would show us what luxuary we live in with transportation, TV, cellphones, etc.

But when it comes to the stated quote above, I think about people who rely on new technological advances in order to think they are worth anything. In Feed, Titus and his friends are constantly buying new things and changing the way they look just to keep up with everyone else. I think we kind of do the same thing in our society, just at a slower pace. Even those that say that they don't give into consumerism do. It's hard not to. For example, in Feed, Violet's father can't get a job because he didn't have the feed. This is the same as our society today. Most likely you won't be able to get a job if you cannot be contacted on a phone or by email and if you can't work a computer. The same goes for what you wear. I lived in a small town where I graduated with a class of maybe 100. If you didn't dress like everyone else, you were immediantly outcasted. It's hard to be the odd man out, so most people just try to look the part that society desires them to be just so they can pretend that they are like everyone else. When I think of people that try to be "different" my mind immediantly goes to "hipsters". They claim to be different, innovative, and non conformists, but at the same time they look just like the next "hipster". Isn't that a form of conformity?
I honestly wonder what it would be like to live away from modern society and just embrace my thoughts without interruption, but then I admit to myself that I frankly would be bored. I think I might try it someday, just go somewhere quiet and lose myself in my own mind. Maybe I'll discover more about myself. Maybe I'll just go crazy. It's hard to tell, but I think that even if I never do that I can make an impact in this world because I think I know myself pretty well. Everyone will make an impact in the world no matter how small and even if it does involve technology.