The purpose of the “Born This Way” article is to persuade the audience that nature and nurture plays a role in the development of women and men. The author argues that nature and nurture influence children. The audience of this article is for feminists or students. The goal is to inform others about gender adaption. The evidence is from studies done by professionals from an array of areas. The author is persuasive through the varying studies. Although there are slight differences in the female brain vs. the male brain, our nature isn’t the only factor of our behavior, attitude, and personality. Nurture plays a role in influencing certain characteristics. The environment around us changes our perspective. Testing abilities from both males and females are recorded and discussed. Men are more likely to be in science or math careers while women are not because they aren’t as interested. Women are more likely to be organized, controlling, and emotional. Men are more likely to be aggressive. These stereotypes are encouraged by the environment and nature. Social factors are a big influence in the differences of men and women. Society portrays a certain ideal look for both genders that in reflected onto men and women to believe that’s what they should be like. However, there’s the argument that some people don’t identify with a particular gender or are confused and this creates controversy about gender roles. The author has bias as a feminist, but there is still a lot of factual data that supports the stance. The nature vs. nurture argument is common and I have heard that humans are influenced by both equally before. This article further supports this idea. This article supports my own feminist stance that nature isn’t the sole cause of human’s personality and behavior. Society also has an effect on men and women’s behavior and attitude.
I learned that men feel that their masculinity is being taken away because of the feminist movement. Women are demanding equality so now men feel that what was once their own is now more feminine because women are involved. Women are getting more involved with “manly” things such as sports, politics, and business. So now men think that there isn’t anything left for just them because the feminists have taken over. I find this is be strange because women are simply wanting equality and now men feel that they’re being targeted. Men can still be masculine even if women do the same things as them.
Colbie Caillat’s music video for Try portrays how society influences women to try to be beautiful. The video simply shows a variety of women singing along to the song wearing a white shirt with a white background. In the beginning all the women are wearing makeup and have their hair done. Over the course of the music video, the women begin taking off the makeup, including Colbie Caillat. The lyrics say “You don’t have to try so hard, you don’t have to give it all away,” which reflects how women try so hard to be perfect when the inside it actually what counts. The song challenges the societal norm that women have to wear makeup and have their hair done and wear pretty clothes on order to be beautiful. Colbie Caillat suggests that women are naturally beautiful, which is portrayed when all the women in the music video begin to show their true skin. The women even appear happier as they strip themselves of the products. Towards the end as this is happening the lyrics are, “Wait a second, why should you care what they think of you, when you’re all alone by yourself, do you like you?” These lyrics are the most powerful of the song and music video because the women are happier when they are all natural, not trying to impress anyone. Some of the women even cry as they are, in a sense, being liberated from society’s pressure to be beautiful be putting on a face instead of feeling beautiful the way they are. The simplicity of the music video really gets the message of the song across to the audience.
The website I evaluated is www.peta.org. PETA is a nonprofit organization that stands for people for the ethical treatment of animals (PETA is the acronym). PETA is the publisher of the page and it corresponds with the information on the site. There are many authors, supporters, and activists on the website. There is also a president of the organization.
PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world that focuses on ending animal suffering in factory farms, the clothing trade, laboratories, and in the entertainment industry. PETA’s supports and activists work through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns. The website is updated often with blog posts from results of any of the previous events. However, there is bias throughout the website. All the blogs are written with similar perspectives on animal abuse, which is why PETA publishes the articles. Each blog uses pictures as evidence or screenshots from social media to give each article more credibility. The writers of the articles are all associated with the organization and have careers in English, journalism, or associated fields so that the articles are more professional. However, links are unavailable on the articles to other resources. Videos are often used for getting information out, some which contain graphic content. Videos are generally more credible because they visibly show situations and scenes. Most of the videos and articles can be correlated which grants more credibility to each group of documentation. PETA’s website is ranked at 5,811 in the United States and 14,397 globally. Females go on the website more than the average and males visit less than the average. PETA has high reviews, which shows how helpful and informational it is. There is lots of information and evidence to persuade people to go vegan or support animal rights in any way. There are stories on the horrors of the cruelty towards animals in factory farms, zoos, aquariums, experiments, etc. The tone of the website is persuasive and maybe a little exaggerated to people who don’t care about animals highly. However, the website portrays lots of helpful information and resources on how to help animals and become more animal friendly for everyday life. If you want information of companies who test on animals versus those who don’t, PETA is the perfect place to go; PETA is highly credible in this regard. Recently Sea World has decided to answer the pleas from animal activists, mainly PETA advocates. PETA has suggested time and time again that Sea World treat their animals in captivity better. PETA believes that the animals at Sea World are imprisoned, left to die prematurely because of their incapability to act as the wild animals they are. Sea World has also been known to split apart families are made within captivity, even though they say the families are kept together. So, Sea World has decided to keep the whale families together and build larger tanks for these families to roam as they would in the wild. Sea World is going to keep less animals in a tank so that it isn't as cramped and confined. This also will prevent incompatible animals from being forced to interact in the same space causing injuries and stress. Also, Sea World declared that more marine specialists and veterinarians would be on site at all times to give the animals a better life before being released into the wild. This is a win for PETA and animal activists everywhere as Sea World had stepped up in their responsibilities. Finally after so much heartbreak for the animals kept at Sea World, future animals will live happier, healthier lives before being released into the wild.
I don't fall for normal internet hoaxes; I can always tell when an article or email is fake. However, one time I believed that the government had locked our family computer. It turned out to be a virus that pretends to act as the federal government. I had no idea because I'm not an expert on viruses, but eventually my dad figured out if was fake because there wasn't a number listed from the pop up. The pop up said we had to pay to get access onto the computer, which should have been a red flag but I was too freaked out to notice I had never got a virus like that before so I wasn't use to dealing with that kind of situation. But now I know better.
In Chevrolet’s 2014 commercial called A Boy and His Dog, the technique used is warm and fuzzy. The little boy losses his dog and his dad drives him around to put up flyers. While searching for the lost dog, the little boy experiences flashbacks (which all incorporate the Chevrolet truck) to the good times with his dog. At the end, the dog finds his family and everything is happy. This commercial portrays a warm and fuzzy feel because the main focus was the boy and his dog, which shows innocence, friendship, and love. Children and animals are used to show happiness. The viewers are left feeling that a Chevrolet truck is associated with happy memories.
In the Victoria Secret commercial from this year’s Super Bowl, the beautiful people technique is used. Throughout the commercial, the Victoria Secret models are wearing the products. Text is shown in between shots of the models, but towards the end it says; “There is magic in this bag” and then a model with the iconic Victoria Secret bag is shown. The commercial presents the idea that if you shop at Victoria Secret you will look like the models from the commercial. The commercial also portrays a Valentine’s Day theme by the music and some of the outfit selections. So, Victoria Secret is also trying to sell more for the upcoming holiday. At the band concert before our contest I had to perform in a trio and then with a solo in a group song. My nerves have never been so stressed. I had never performed by myself like that for a group of people. I’ve been in trios before, but I played with other clarinets like me; this time it was a flute, oboe, and me, the only clarinet. I knew I would my sound would stick out so I had to play my best. This was my senior year and I was the first chair clarinet, so a lot of pressure was on me to perform to my best ability. But that wasn’t the only thing worrying me that night, I also had a solo in one of the ensembles pieces. I had only ever had a solo once before but it wasn’t as difficult, or noticeable. I had to perform in my trio first, actually the first group to start the concert, so I was frantically worrying. But once we got out there, I felt better. I played through the nerves and didn’t mess up too much, I didn’t get one of my notes out because my mouth was so dry, but nonetheless; I moved on. Once it was over and I went back to the rest of the band, everyone congratulated me and said I did well. This made me feel better about the songs to come later. More, smaller groups performed, all doing really well, and I congratulated them as well. But finally it was time for the real deal. All of the band went out to perform. My heart was racing, my palms sweaty, and my mouth was dry, which isn’t good. We played through our first piece, which didn’t worry me too much, it was a march so it was easy. But then came our second piece, the one with my solo. The pieces was broken into three parts, the first part was upbeat and fun. The second part had my solo, and it was slow and ballad like. It began with the flute solo and then to me. We went back and forth between the song with the solos. I had to play loud, which I tried. I at least got all my rhythms correct. I was so scared of messing up but I didn’t. My mouth wasn’t dry anymore because of all the playing beforehand. My fingers just knew what to do. After that, my nerves calmed. I had done it and I did it well. The rest of the concert went smoothly. But it was after the concert that I felt most at ease. An old band director from another school had come to help us that week and he was present at the concert. He also happened to be my mom’s band director from high school. He praised about me to my family. He said that I should never stop playing; this made me feel on top of the world. I always knew I wasn’t awful but I didn’t think I was that good either. I truly felt good about myself and my abilities.
One day, ten years from now, I see myself with a husband and two children. My husband will have to be loyal and compassionate. Loyalty is very important to me and compassion is necessary as well. We will live in the suburbs, so it's close enough to work. Our two daughters will be four and two, so I will be a stay at home mom until they both start school. We will also have one dog and two cats, because I love animals and I want to rescue as many as I can.
On an average day, the family will all get up around six in the morning to start our day. The dog will be barking and the cats meowing for their food, while the kids are also begging for breakfast. I'll feed the children while my husband takes care of our pets. My husband will get ready for work while I get the children dressed. The sun shines through the window as I help them and they hug me and tell me they love me. Before my husband leaves for work, I get myself ready for the day because I won't have a moment to myself once he's gone. I go downstairs to give my husband a goodbye kiss as he leaves for work. Then the girls hug and kiss him too. As he's getting in the car, the girls stand by the window waving to him. I put on cartoons for the girls to watch while I go to clean up the kitchen. Before I had children, I would have went to work as well, but I decided I wanted to be a stay at home mom while my kids are young and growing. I would have worked in social work, but now I want to write in my spare time while at home. After the girls get restless from watching cartoons, we decide to go to the park and have a picnic. Once at the park, the girls swing on the swing set and I sit on a bench reading but also closely watching them. They laugh and play on this wonderfully nice day. We lay out a blanket so we can eat our lunch. The girls play with the grass instead of eating most of the time. After awhile of playing and exploring the playground, trees, and grass, we go home so they can take a nap. They fuss and fuss but I put on a boring, soothing movie and they fall asleep on the couch. This is when I take the time to write. I enjoy creative writing so I take this time to get into something I never have the time to do otherwise. Eventually I would like to publish a novel, but I know how much work that entails. The afternoon ends and the girls start getting into messes again. They play with their favorite dolls, stuffed animals, and play dough. While they're laughing and carrying on, I clean up whatever messes they have left behind. But I don't mind; I enjoy watching them have fun. My husband comes home and the girls drop everything to attack him with hugs and kisses. He cooks our dinner as a way of splitting up household chores. As he prepares dinner, I play with the girls. Usually I let them play alone but I take this time to relax and enjoy time with them. The smells of garlic, cream, and cheese, fill the room and I know dinner is almost ready. So I make the girls go wash their hands to get ready for dinner. We have fettuccine alfredo, mine and the girls favorite. My husband shares his day with us and the girls gush about their day to him. This always puts a smile on my face. After dinner and the cleanup, we all watch a movie together. We sit on the couch together all snuggled up under one blanket that doesn't cover all of us. The cats come and cuddle with us too. With the lights dimmed and the family all together, it's a great end to the day. |
AuthorEmily Parsons is a student at Wittenberg University with an interest in Sociology, English, and Psychology. Archives
April 2015
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