Talking Point Four (Argument) Hine

In the reading this week I think Hine is arguing the importance of being a teenager in not only our society but just being a teenager in general.  I know it's the very beginning of the article but after reading and going through the whole thing I felt that Hine made a really crucial point bringing up his 'misery of youth' yearbook story.  He used a quote he had written for his own yearbook story: 

"Maybe I'm something special, and maybe I'm not.  

Maybe I'm here for a reasonand I might be going somewhere after this, 

but then gain I might not.  I wonder where I fit in?"

I thought this was absolutely genius for describing the struggle youths face through their teenage years.  Hine is arguing that teens are struggling---their struggling to figure where exactly they belong and fit in.  He explains that every person has been a teenager and because of this we should be such experts on the way teenagers think/act but we're not.  We become "adults" and we all of a sudden forget what it was like to be a teenager.  Hine argues that this concept is really quite simple it is because "we don't remember ourselves as teenagers....we remember ourselves as ourselves." (2)  

I thought about this for a while.  Was Hine's argument right?  Of course it is.  I remember myself

as a teenager as clear as day but I don't remember being any different than I am now which is what I think Hine is talking about.

Hine is also arguing that the way teenagers grow up is influenced by the media and the people they are surrounded.  The media often portrays teenagers to be less capable of doing things and less competent than they really are.  Hine argues that because teenagers are portrayed as less capable we see the rise ans fall of the American Dream...in several different ways.  One way we see it is by dropping out of school, becoming pregnant and joining gangs  Another way is by simply growing up, cutting their hair off, removing their tattoos, giving up their youth and just going with the flow into adulthood.

The removing tattoos part made me laugh.  I have tattoos and I love my tattoos, they're more than

 just ink on my body to me but that it neither here not there.  I had an argument (or strongly worded discussion if you will) with my grandmother(who is very open-minded I should add) about what mine and 

my cousins & my dad's tattoos are going to look like when we're older.  She told me that  maybe we should

look into tattoo removal when we became old adults  (like her age) because our tattoos wont be as good looking so I showed her this picture:

this is all I could think of while reading Hine's explanation of how the American Dream was falling.

Hine also argued that teenagers need the option and the freedom to become themselves.  Scary thought right?  Hine argues "we love the idea of youth but are prone to panic about the young." (11)  As adults we find the youth and youth qualities exciting and fresh and "new" again but at the same time they are also very unattractive.  They are unstable and lack substance and direction--no substance & no direction? Now what kind of future would that bring us?  As adults it wouldn't bring us much of a future at all but for a teenager, that's the exciting part having no direction to be able to find your direction; being able to make mistakes along the way to learn from them, to be able to choose the path that is going to be right for you and help you become the person you want to be.

Comments/Thoughts:

The transition from "teenage-hood" to "adulthood" isn't so clear cut and simple.  It's not like passing Go in Monopoly and knowing you've made it; there's really no defining moment...I think it's personal.  My moment of what made me feel/know I was an adult may not be the same as someone else's.  And who is to say you'll fully transition to an adult?  'Cause I know at 20 I sure as hell don't feel like I could conquer the adult world. Is it age?  Is it thought process?  I'm interested to hear what the rest of the class thinks on Tuesday!

P.S. I spend tons of time on Pinterest, that's where my pictures are from. 

 Just figured I should give them some credit <3

Talking Point Two (Reflection) Christensen

While reading this piece I couldn't help but relate it back to a piece I had read with Dr. Bogad last semester (Cinderella Ate My Daughter by Peggy Orenstein).  The two pieces were so similar and raised similar points; it was interesting to see a few of the same concepts come up again in Christensen's piece.

Christensen's section on Cinderella and the variations of it is what really made me stop and say to myself MIND BLOWN.  Cinderella is my favorite Disney movie, fairy tale, story etc. Why? Up until about seven years ago it was because it was the story of a girl who was thrown into an unfortunate situation--forced to live with an evil stepmother and wicked stepsisters.  This poor girl cooked for them, cleaned for them and had nothing for herself but yet never once felt sorry--that was what I loved about Cinderella.  Now Cinderella is exactly what Christensen and her students said it is: a story that implies happiness means you must first transform yourself (your clothes and your physical appearance) and get the man.  Cinderella couldn't even go to the ball without changing her clothes first...she had to get a beautiful gown first.

Cinderella & the Cindy Ellie version sends the message to young females that in order to "win" and get the man you must be beautiful.  This message/concept now puts young females in competition with their peers which leads me to Christensen's other point of sexual stereotyping and adoration of beauty in children's cartoons and movies.

Christensen and her students point out that these seemingly innocent stories teach us to look for our faults

So these seemingly innocent stories are turning this:

"as Tinkerbell inspects her tiny body in a mirror only to find that her miniature hips are simply too huge, she shows us how to turn the mirror into an enemy and this is scenario is repeated in girls locker rooms all over the world" 

INTO THIS:

AND THIS 

Body Image is a huge deal to me.  These seemingly innocent stories are not as innocent as they seem; they have a much bigger impact than people realize.  Young girls are striving to be what they see represented in the media and let's face it---it's not so easily attainable.  Speaking from personal experience, I've seen how the media can warp a young girl's mind; for seven years I've watched my sister dislike her body and hate herself everyday for it.  Is the media completely to blame?  Oh god of course not!  It's just another added component that drives and feeds into what's already there. 

"Because we can never look like Cinderella we begin to hate ourselves.  The Barbie Syndrome starts as we begin a lifelong search for the perfect body."  

What I think people sometimes tend to forget is that young women are not the only ones suffering from this Barbie Syndrome.  Young males are starting to have an unattainable standard set by the media as well.  Young men and women are growing up in a society where they are trying not to give in but sometimes don't even realize that they are.

Comments:

I realize my opinions may differ from everyone else's on this topic and that's okay.  The issue of body image and adoration of beauty in our society is so near and dear to me that whenever it comes up it just like...ignites this flame in me and I just like BOOM and go; I live it everyday.  I'm interested to see in class on Tuesday what this article represented to other people! 

Talking Point One (Quotes) Media & Ideology-Croteau

I would just like to point out that even though I've already read this piece, it still wasn't an easy piece to read....especially now that I had to look at it through a new set of eyes and a different mindset! This piece was still pretty dense and although it is full of many important points I pulled out some quotes that I felt were the best representations of the article and the ones that I kept referring back to.

1. "Media sell both products and ideas, both personalities and worldviews; the notion that mass media products and cultural values are fundamentally intertwined has gained broad public acceptance." page 161
>When I read this section of the article I thought to myself "how completely true." The media is basically selling us who we want to be in every aspect, no matter which way you look at it. By promoting products the media is encouraging you to be a certain way and by having certain people endorse those products the media is basically saying when you use/have this product you're like the person endorsing it.

2. "In essence, the media accumulation of media images suggests what is "normal" and what is "deviant." This articulation is accomplished, in large part, by the fact that popular media, particularly television and mass advertising, have a tendency to display a remarkably narrow range of behaviors and lifestyles, marginalizing or neglecting people who are "different" from the mass-mediated norm." page 163
>So this section really stuck out to me. I think the media's idea of normal can go F it's self (: The media portrays this lifestyle that is pretty much unattainable. For instance, women are supposed to be skinny & beautiful & the reality is not every woman out there is a size 0, women are beautiful in their own way but no that's too "different" and unacceptable. The media portrays men as having to be muscular and toned and cocky when most men are just sweet, sensitive guys but NOPE sorry that's too "different" as well. The media portrays such a narrow view.

3. "Media representations are intertwined with questions of power and ideology because the process of giving meaning to events suggests that, potentially, there are multiple definitions of reality." page 168

About Me! (cliche title I know)

Hi Everyone!
My name is Celine, I'm 20 and a junior here at RIC double majoring in Psychology & Gender Studies (after taking Dr. Bogad & Chris's class last semester haha)  Their class was by far my favorite class of the semester and the place I always felt most comfortable at school so I thought what the hell I'll come back for more this semester (:

I'm a really ambitious person, I have big plans for myself.  I hope to someday work with teens with eating disorders--the issue of Eating Disorders is very important to me (if you're interested you can read my blog from last semester although I have no doubt it will come up again this semester)  WHICH REMINDS ME! here's a link to my blog from last semester in case anyone's interested:  

Celine's Blogging Experience Part 1

When I'm not in class I work....a lot.  I'm an assistant toddler teacher at an early learning center (I love my kids!) and I work at the ice rink in downtown Providence.  When I'm not in class or working, you can find me catching up on homework or sleeping (I'm almost always behind on one of the two.)  This is the first semester in three years that I have class everyday so I'm interested to see how this goes..
Other than working and school I do have a life! I like to read and watch movies and spend time with friends and family.

My class with Dr. Bogad & Chris last semester was amazing and I have no doubt this semester will be the same, not only did I learn so much and gain a new perspective but I also met some pretty awesome people that I still continue to talk and I'm looking forward to meeting and getting to know all of you as well!