Popularity and Bullying Online:
I’ll admit it: I read Julia Allison’s “Life Cast” (http://julia.nonsociety.com/).
Why is it that I’m a little ashamed? Maybe because I have also seen the multiple hate sites (i.e. http://gawker.com/#!julia-allison) and extremely mean comments directed to her and her followers.
It makes me wonder, has bullying or its targets changed now that cyber bullying is occurring? I often see very “popular” individuals (celebrities, well known bloggers, etc) as the target of extremely mean, derogatory, and consistent attacks/comments online. It would be interesting to see if there has been a change by asking: Are bullies now targeting different kinds of people in an online setting? What type of comments are made when cyber bullying occurs? How do the targets respond (Julia’s response) to the often anonymous bullies?
And the Oscar goes to…
While many wondered today if Natalie Portman would win best actress, others wondered if she’d “accentuate her growing baby bump in a skintight Herve Leger bandage dress.” (Oscars yahoo.com) With the best and worst of Oscar fashion flooding the TV and Internet today, I wonder what themes might emerge from an examination of this fashion commentary.
In these fashion broadcasts/articles, women are consistently chastised for not “dressing their age,” for being “dowdy,” or looking “frumpy.” Men, on the other hand, are often called “messy” or “too casual” when they violate seemingly similar fashion norms. Perhaps further analysis into this commentary could shed light into what it is that makes a celebrity (or their fashion) worthy of a glam cam head-to-toe scan (Red Carpet Eonline) or brings fashion critics to state that an actress “deserved to be locked up for her ridiculous look.” (Spirit Awards allvoices.com)
To believe or not to believe…that is not the question. Instead, this Sunday I found myself considering the sermons that generations prior heard while attending church and whether/how the core message of the sermons has changed.
For example, would an analysis of sermon transcripts reveal that churches now are so concerned with the decline in attendance or even wrapped up in the commodification of religion that they are changing the rhetoric that they have used in the past? Are they revising their approach to ensure that they aren’t getting too ‘Jesus-y’ in hopes to win more people over? (I have actually heard pastors state this concern and approach in these exact words.)
While certainly the context surrounding the sermons throughout the years has changed, the Bible verses have not. Is the message so closely tied to the historical context that the rhetoric used in the sermons is in constant revision?
The website http://www.soulpancake.com/ urges participants to use this space to “chew on life’s biggest questions” and to “engage in art, creativity, truth, and beauty.” I am extremely interested in how flaming (Wikipedia - flaming) is used on this site (and similar sites) where the philosophy clearly states that by hearing a diversity of perspectives, we will hopefully have a fuller experience and a better handle on this journey that is called life.
Do the majority of individuals who use the site do so because they actually want to have an open discussion to learn about a diversity of perspectives and flesh out life questions? Or, do they join because they want to have a place where they can anonymously give their own perspectives without necessarily being open to others? Is this flaming, which is definitely occurring on the site, deliberate or just a result of emotional discussion?
Being a Steelers fan from as far back as I can remember, I watched Sunday’s Super Bowl with excitement. However, I found myself consistently questioning the rhetoric of the sportscasters’ coverage of Ben Roethlisberger’s sexual assault charges and his four game suspension at the start of this season.
Did they really just say that winning the Super Bowl would redeem him? (SeattleTimes) Did they really just say that his leadership this season was proof of him learning from his mistakes? (SportsIllustrated) Were they really spending more time talking about his beard growth than what this suspension and allegations of sexual assault should mean to the football (and world-wide) community?
With a captive audience of 111 million (Forbes), this could have been a perfect venue for sexual assault education. Still, what can we learn from how this issue was covered during the most-watched event in TV history?
So often I find myself answering the question “How have you been?” with the reply “Busy!” Is it because I don’t feel like providing a more detailed explanation? Is it because this answer is expected? Or am I really that busy?
A recent article by Hamber (http://www.polity.org.za/article/lessons-for-combating-stress-2011-01-28) discusses this further by focusing on how we’re too ‘busy being busy.’ This article really struck a chord with me, making me think about the rhetoric of busyness and how it is such an overwhelming topic in our everyday conversation.
It would be interesting to investigate this in some type of rhetorical conversation analysis. I wonder when this ‘busy’ answer is most provided in conversation (in business/acquaintance/intimate relationships), what kind of information about one’s life follows this statement (do people elaborate, complain, etc.), and whether it occurs in attempts to emphasize some type of class or power structure in society.
I didn’t think my trip to Vegas would particularly influence my thoughts on future research. However, I find myself now considering a study using either content or discourse analysis due to my experience on the trip.
Susan Douglas’ writings on Enlightened Sexism (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d.html/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/188-0958452-8748029?a=080508326X) along with the mass amount of ads for prostitution, showgirl productions, and the like had me thinking about how we should research and explain this particular type of entertainment, as Douglas focuses primarily on pop culture references.
For example, does advertising for prostitution or showgirl productions include the assumption of “enlightenment” of these women, showing a strong woman who is comfortable with her sexuality and asserting her own power through these acts? Are these women shown in ads to be acceptable entertainment because people think we have progressed past objectifying women, or “enlightened sexism” as discussed by Douglas.
While analyzing pop culture is certainly necessary, using this theoretical lens to analyze documents and ads that are more overt sexual entertainment may continue to help in our efforts to explain and eradicate sexism.
WEBSITE: How to use a semicolon
Example sentences used to teach semicolon use: “My aunt also had hairy knuckes; she loved to wash and comb them.”
Check it out!!
Click on the link above for Brian’s…I mean only in the mornings’…new website. He’s a DJ (on this site at least) and has awesome taste (always)! You should listen and give him props.
I’ve obviously been busy with my camera recently and, lucky for Brian, this has produced a good number of pictures for his band only in the mornings. While there are many more in my picasa website, here are few of my faves:
I realize that many people would absolutely love to live in a city like Chicago. Don’t get me wrong, it can be a gorgeous city with tons of things to see and experience. However, once I get into the car and start driving out of the city, I am reminded of how beautiful the country (and just the nature that you can’t always witness in the city) really is.
The trip to Ohio, as it always does, made me miss being surrounded by trees and quietness.
Sunrise in Maumee, OH
Playing in the snow in Ada, OH
Stacks of wood for the fireplace in Ada, OH
Nutter enjoying the view in Ada, OH
Sunrise and Snow in Ada, OH
Reflection of sunrise in Ada, OH
Magnum enjoying the view in Ada, OH
As I post these, I am not too sure why I was up at sunrise so often. It was probably due to actually having a full night’s rest due to the complete darkness while you sleep. Ah, the things people take for granted when you don’t live in a city. :-)
What a wonderful break it was. However, here I am back in the swing of Spring semester. This post is dedicated to the lovely family and friends we were able to see during the week and half spent in Ohio. :-)
Bri, Me, Mom, and Dad…..missing Colleen and Brett - Christmas Eve
Grandma and Grandpa Taylor - Christmas Eve
Bri, Dad, and Grandpa Berry - Christmas Day
Jenn, Vanessa, Heather, and Bri - Siblings on the Ward Christmas Day
Me, Bryce, Megs, and Lori - January 2nd friends meeting in Columbus (thanks to Bri for taking the pic)
Overall, it was an excellent trip that made us (me and Bri) miss not only the surroundings of Ohio, but also the loving family and friends that we saw there!
We had the first snowfall here in Chicago today. I got excited and took a bunch of pictures. Here are just a few.
Out the window
Telephoto lens into neighbor’s apartment…hope they weren’t too creeped out. It made a cool pic though!
Decided to step out onto the fire escape for some photos
It really started to come down!
OK, now I’ve had my fill of winter. Ready for spring. :-)
I believe that we have the cutest and most photogenic cat ever. Prepare yourself for Magnum.
We went to Ann Sather, typically a breakfast restaurant, for Thanksgiving dinner this year. It was a ridiculous amount of awesome food. Nom Nom.
Their “assorted bread” included one of their famous cinnamon rolls. Dessert first, thank you!
I’ve never seen such a big pile of turkey.
Neither has Bri.
Although we missed being with family, it was a wonderful 3rd Thanksgiving together in Chicago!
