Thanks for a great semester!!

Thanks, everyone, for contributing to this class blog and making it useful for our class discussions--I hope you learned something by reading and responding to your peers in this digital space. Thanks again for a good semester and best of luck on your finals!

--ejfleitz

there are two opposing views regarding powerpoints, one positive and one negative. Tufte beleives that powerpoints are useless boring ways that everyone uses, where there is no creativity or ways to get a simple point acrosss. Byrne on the other hand beleives they are useful where yo can display numerous slides of helpful information on a certain topc to help get a point a cross, or for something educational.

PowerPoint-Tim Fisher

Each writer describes how PowerPoint effects the audience who is listening. Tufte feels that watching a powerpoint presentation is one of the most boring experiences in life, while Byrne feels just the opposite. These writers just completely disagree with the entire topic.

Powerpoint

Both Byrne and Tufte are using the specific criteria of content. On one side, Byrne thinks that the content is a positive thing because it is entertaining. He said in the essay that the large amount of slides you can have is a good thing. But Tufte does not think so. He says that since so many people use power point from such a young age and for everything, that it is boring and you cant put useful information on the small, useless slides. The same exact criteria is argued positively and negatively.

Gangsta-Tim Fisher

Througout this essay, all Dyson really discusses is the long, colorful history of rap music. While he does spend quite a bit of time describing the meaning that the lyrics carry, and what kind of history they do have, I just don't see any evalutation in this. What I do think it is, is his description of the brand of music he loves.

I don't think Dysons point of his essay is to evauluate rap music on artistic principles. It seems his point is to look back at where this style of music came from and what exactly started it. He talks about how its music has history and some form of meaning behind it. Rappers use emotion and sometimes poor language in their music, which Dyson says lets people stereotype about rappers.

Gangsta Rap

Dyson's real purpose for writing this essay seems to be in order to describe how rappers are representatives of the black community. The lyrics in rap songs tend to focus on the conditions of life in the ghettos and of the black community. This essay seems to be more of an evaluation of the rappers themselves rather than the actual rap music. The evaluation tells more how the rappers themselves are personal representatives of the black community, but they sometimes exaggerate the conditions of life of the black community.

Dyson: Gangsta Rap

Looking at the entirity of this essay, i noticed that Dyson is not necessarily evaluating Rap but giving the backround information on the history and ideas of he rap community. In some cases their are forms of artisitc principles but mainly the idea of backing up the ideals that come from rap musicians and their music. I dont necessarily agree with the idea that male and female bodies are a commodity, because the people who put themselves in these situations are making more money then we can believe.

In the situations list in this essay, Dyson does a good job of explaining raps problems with morals and the medias opinion on the damages and problems arising with the industry. Overall i think Dyson did a wonderful job of evaluationg many different standpoints, but i think that jumping from topic to topic, and not really staying with one idea. None the less i really enjoyed this essay

Gangsta Rap & American Culture

Dyson's real purpose in writing this essay is not to evaluate rap music on artistic principles, but it is something more. Dyson evaluates the will, the images, and the culture of the black society. He talks about the need for hip-hop to come about. Gangsta rap gave hip-hoppers the chance to reveal their tragic and difficult lives. They could "represent" themselves. Then Dyson talks about the image that gangsta rap reveals. Rap describes black men as sexual outlaws and women as ho's. This is the stereotype of the black sexual identity. Then there is the culture, for many practices of the black society women are not treated equally, this is also the way it is in black church. Basically, all the critics before have criticized the sexism and misogyny of gangsta rap, but it has been evaluated by Dyson that gangsta rap is merely the truth of the black community in lyrics.

Gangsta Rap

I do not think Dyson's real purpose is to evaluate te music on artistic principles. I think Dyson is evaluating where the music came from and how the music originated. He mentions how for some people rap music is hard to listen to because of all of the name calling. Rap music also sets up for people to stereotype due to the words the music uses and the images. He also mentions that some rap songs have history behind the song. Some artists show their feelings and explain their life and let out their anger in a song.

Gangasta Rap

The point of Dyson's essay is not to evaluate or criticize Rap music on a artistic level, but to look at the underlying causes for Rap music and it's origins. The aspects that Dyson focused on were the forces that help Rap emerge, negative and positive black images, and harmful truths and beliefs that are practiced in society and in the black community.

Dyson first looks that the time period in which Rap was born. He claims that the conditions of the 70's and late 60's were the forces that help Rap to become what it was. It emerged as a voice for black people who were suffering during that period. Dyson also goes on to say that Rap was a way of "representing" where you came from.

Secondly Dyson talks about the images associated with Rap music. He believes that the sterotypes of black men as "sexual outlaws" and black women as "ho's" is burried in narritives and ancent sterotypes of black sexual identity. In ancient times black male and female bodies were viewed as commondies and object, and that is how they are now reflected in Gangsta Rap.

The third point that Dyson makes is that while Rap may be a bad representaion of the black community, the white community failes to address the underlying issues if these songs. Dyson's views Rap music as a cry for help and saids that communities should try and help fix the problem instead of being transfixed by the vulgor language.

These three points help to strength Dyson's point that Rap originated in real issues and truth.

Gangsta rap

Dyson's real purpose is not to evaluate rap music on artistic principles. Instead, he is evaluating it based on moral principles and values, and he focuses on its role in popular culture. The reasons that he gives against rap music have a basis in moral values, which is understandable considering his profession as a Baptist minister. However, I think that the deeper purpose in writing this essay is to examine the background of gangsta rap and to look at how it is related to historical and modern portrayals of black men and women. He is criticizing those who are against rap music only on grounds of its content and the actions of its performers. He encourages readers to take a closer look at the context of rap music and to consider its good qualities.

Rap

Dyson's real purpose in writing this evaluation is to evaluate the origin of the music. He discusses where the music came from and how the roots of the artists are what makes rap what it is. However, he also discusses the negative aspects of rap in such that it stereotypes and often puts people down. If people hear names such as bitches and hoes in the music, they are going to think it is okay to call people those names. Dyson is showing the crude material that is throughout rap music, but that is not all he is doing; he is also showing the positives of the music and how it tells some true stories and allows the writers to express where they are coming from and express themselves through music in a healthy way. This evaluation explores every side of the issue.

Gangsta Rap

Dysons real purpose in this essay is not to evaluate the music itself, but to evaluate the origin of the content of the music. It goes into depth of where it started, and how it possibly evolved into what it is today, not excluding the fact that the music does contain crude material. Dyson does not put down rap music entirely, but he doesnt defend it completely either. It is a great evaluation in the sense that it hits all of the bases. The positives, negatives, and everything in between.

Response for Friday: Dyson and Gangsta Rap

3. What is Dyson's real purpose in writing this essay? The kinds of criteria he uses should give you some sense of this. Is it an evaluation of rap music on artistic principles, or something more?

--ejfleitz

Fast Food

I'll be the first one to admit, I like my fast food. I eat it probably 2 times a week and I usually go all out and eat a large sized meal. None of the new, healthier options that Crane mentions are something that I would try. As much as I eat fast food, I never seem t gain any weight, so t doesn't bother me too much. I say eat what you want and if you eat a lot of fatter foods, just do some exercise and burn some of the calories off

Fast Food

None of the "healthy" fast food items that are being produced interest me. I still eat whatever I feel like, and I always plan on eating whatever I feel like. But unlike the fat 2/3 of America, I refuse to let that food takeover and give me rolls. If you are constantly eating the wrong foods and watching your calories rack up, exercise. I'm not talking about going for a hard, power walk. I mean real exercise where you plan on sweating. If you can run 4 miles at an easy 7 minute mile pace, you'll burn nearly 600 calories. 600 CALORIES! That's a complete meal that you just eliminated. So instead of just whining about how fatty fast foods are, just accept that that's what they are always going to be like, to do something to burn them off.

Mcnasty

I think that the most convincing part of Crane's argument is that he speaks from personal experience. Crane personally tested healthy food from popular fast food restaurant and then defended his claims with some study results. Crane doesn't base his argument on purely on other people's arguments, he uses practical information (taste, looks, etc.) that anyone could deduce. I personally think that this information makes his argument stronger and makes his article more convincing. If he only used test results to make his argument, then his paper would be boring and wouldn't be extremely reliable (or at least not to me) because some test results can easily be refuted.

Mcnasty

Of all the things in the article that stand out to me, the main point comes from the burger statistic about healthy food. How can a company say they want something to be "made to order" and also be healthy. As americans the food we order off the menu, is usually beautiful made, and put together flawlessly. When we recieve the food, it is a mess of sloppy burgers and burnt fries. Anyway you look at it, healthy food should look as good as its supposed to be for your body. Overall i think that if people are going to go to a fast food resturante in hopes to eat a healthy meal, they should turn around and walk away. You cant expect to eat healthy food at a place that sells cheeseburgers for a dollar.

McNasty

I was surprised to see how fattening the "healthy foods" at fast food places were. It wasn't too hard to believe though. I think it is a little obserd that fast food places even need to pretend to be healthy. People blame fast food for their gaining weight, but in reality, they choose to eat there. I know people are busy, but I think it is a bit ridiculas to blame fast food. Instead of getting bent out of shape about how unhealthy fast food's "healthy" foods are, they need to realize that they are still choosing to eat it. On the flip side, I do think it is sort of dishonest for fast food places to trick people into thinking they have healthy food when they don't. Then again, what can you expect in a market economy?

McNasty

Crane shows lots of evidence, he shows the "healthy" choices that arent very healthy at all. The fact that America is overweight has started a trend to try to eat better when in reality its not really healthier it just looks that way. The fact that the salads at McD's almost have as many calories as their regular greasy foods shows that fast food isnt taking the right steps to get healthier, the healthier choice would to just say dont come to our restaurant and eat a real meal. Some people probably take this message more personal than others because they may feel Crane is attacking them. Its not really an attack towards anyone, more of an eye opener which more people need to realize and see.

McNasty

The thing that stood out to me was that fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Taco Bell all have a "healthful" menu, but in reality they are disgusting to eat. This holds very true. When those "healthy" foods are good, then it is probably because the croutons and dressing are actually more fattening, like McDonald's Crispy California Cobb. If there is more grams of fat and only a little less calories than a Quarter Pounder, then why not eat what you really want? Crane broke up every individual ingredient to show that after putting it all together it is not much healthier, although, that is how they advertise it. Another thing is the old processed chicken nuggets of white and dark meat were replaced with real white meat, and they are not only healthier but also delicious and better than the ones before. If fast food chains could only do this to all their meals they would greatly benefit, as well as, the obesity in society would go down. I think there is really one side to this evaluation, by this I mean that most people would agree to this, because it isn't like someone wants to be less healthy and thinks that fast food is a very reliable source of food. Most people either don't care if the food is fating or they do care but eat it anyways. They get a lean chicken wrap with french fries, and people believe that this is healthy.

McNasty

The piece that stood out most to me was the Californian Cobb salad. I was surprised at how many grams of fat and calories were in the salad. You could eat a Quarter Pounder with cheese and fries for a few more calories and less grams of fat. I guess people think they are eating healthy by choosing a salad but in the end with croutons and dressing, its not so healthy. The restaurant says they are giving you a healthier choice but when you break everything down it is not better for you. I think people that read this will realize fast food is not healthy for you.

Television Violence

If it is true that Domestic violence effects children more than Television violence than the there should be laws and policies put into place to regulate domestic abuse on television. There should be guild lines that production companies have to follow regarding domestic violence on television. Thus the argument changes from there being too much violence in TV, to the type of violence portrayed on television.

McNasty

I believe that the most convincing part of this article was when Dan Crane broke down the ingredients and the nutritional value of one f the salads at McDonald's. I think it is unbelievable that a salad, after all the other additives, could have more calorie and fat than a quarter pounder. I believe that some people will think that Crane is stretching the truth after reading this assessment, and not take what he is saying as fact. I also believe that others will take heed and think twice before they go through that McDonald's line and order something "healthy."

McNasty

The one thing that really stood out to me in this article was the happy meal for adults. The "Go Active" meals were very popular at one McDonalds at the town next to me back home. I actually got one of those meals, and still in fact have one of those pedometers that come in the meal. Just like he said, it was used just like a toy in the Happy Meal. I played with it while I was eating, wore it home, then maybe used it once or twice after that, and then forgot about it. It has been collecting dust ever since, which was about two years ago. It was a good idea, but it didn't quite stick. All of what Crane says in this article is very true, and there is atleast one thing that absolutely everyone can relate to, probably even two or three things.

McNasty Article

The most convincing piece for me was the information about the McDonald's Crispy California Cobb Salad. The fact that with all the additives and the crutons and the dressing, the salad has almost as many calories as a quarter pounder and fries. The sad part is that it has more grams of fat then the quarter pounder and fries. The sad truth is that the so called healthy options are not really healthy at all, in fact some of the "healthy" options actually have more calories and grams of fat then the not so healthy options. If people are trying to lose weight and manage their diet, fast food places are not the options. The healthy parts of the menu are still high in fats and calories and I think if people read this piece they would realize what fast food is actually doing to their bodies and try and find real healthy food that are low in calories and fats that don't come from a fast food restaurant.

McNasty article

The evidence that was the most convincing for me was the fact that one of McDonald's salads had almost as many calories as a Quarter Pounder, and actually had more grams of fat. This made me realize that even though some foods are advertised as being more healthy, we as consumers must take a closer look ourselves. We cannot necessarily trust advertisements or "healthy" labels on food. I think that Crane's article would have opposite effects on different groups of people. Some people who are attempting to be health-conscious would probably take a closer look at the nutrition facts of what they eat, especially at fast-food restaurants. However, I think that those who are already overweight or do not take as much thought in what they eat would just be discouraged by Crane's article. They may get the impression that healthy options are not worth it, and they might as well go for the traditional fatty options.

McNasty Article

Out of the criteria that Crane provided, I was most affected by when he was talking about the sandwich from Burger King. It's so true that fast food places will promote their "healthy options" and then when you order it, it comes out looking absolutely disgusting and basically uneatable. Another thing that seems to happen a lot is when you actually take the time the compare the calories between a salad from McDonalds or a Big Mac, there really is not that much of a difference. The truth is, anything you are going to get from a fast food place, is not going to be that healthy for you. If people are really worrying about losing weight and eating healthier, they just need to stay away from the fast food places all together, and go somewhere where they know they can get something that is actually good for you body.

Response for Wednesday, 11/14: "McNasty" article

3. Of the criteria and evidence Crane provides, which do you feel would be most likely to influence you decisions about food choice? How do you think different audiences would react to Crane's assessment?

--ejfleitz

Television-Tim Fisher

The laws should be changed in concurrence with the influx of new information regarding television violence. If it has been discovered that violent behavior is the result of domestic violence and not television, then some safeguards on the t.v. used to prevent children from seeing some shows can be removed. Also, the government really is going to need to work on how to crack down on domestic violence if they want this new trend to stop.

Transitions

While America remains a more violent country than Canada, and nothing can change that, there are some valid reasons remaining as to why America has such a vastly higher crime rate. One of those reasons would be the population. The United States population absolutely dwarfs that of Canada. The United States population stands at the moment at 301,139,947 and it is growing everyday. If you compare that with the Canadian population which stands at 33,390,141 and you can see why the crime rates differ so much. With that vast of population difference, it stands to reason that crime in the larger country would be much higher.

tv violence

Tv has nothing to do with how violent someone will be, I could've told you that years ago. The media tries to protect from too violent on tv, but people will see violence else where, and it isnt goin to make them a criminal if they see it on tv. But yes they number 1 cause is domestic violence, because that all the person sees and knows so it makes sense. Tv has nothing to do with people becoming violent, so all the censors, and ratings for shows should go away because they make no sense.

paragraph

Sitting around and concentrating on one thing at a time if you suffer from ADD. ADD is also known as Attention-Deficit Disorder, and currently affects 5% of the world's population. The disorder is mainly considered to be a developmental disorder, presenting itself in childhood. ADD usually comes with certain traits such as lacking impulse control; one with ADD would have trouble with simple tasks because they are easily distracted by anything and everything. History of ADD dates all the way back to 493 BC when scientist Hippocrates talked about a condition of patients who had "quickened responses to sensory experience, but also less tenaciousness because the soul moves on quickly to the next impression". ADD has almost become an epidemic one could say, but only in America because no other place in the world has as many ADD cases as the USA. There isn’t one cause for this strange fact, but there are some speculations on why this trend is happening in America and no where else.

I learned a lot about transitions they help focus the point. And lead into new things. Without them papers would just be randoms thoughts one after another.

Using Transitions

Many teenagers that use drugs do so because of peer pressure by friends. Peer pressure may occur when a friend influences you to do something you usually would not do, or stopped you from doing something you would like to do (Peer Pressure). Teenagers are closer to their friends than they are their parents and also share more information with their friends. Teenagers know the risks of doing marijuana but getting accepted by their friends is more important to them. During the teenage years it is hard to resist peer pressure. When they know everyone else is doing marijuana, consequently they feel as if they need to, too. As a result, teens would join their friends since they would not want to feel that as if they are being left out. Not only are teenagers influenced by their peers to do drugs but their parents also influence them.

Transitions Paragraph

In America, violence is everywhere. We see violence in the media, movies, television, and video games. Certainly, the biggest one is in the media, which makes it hard to get away from violence. In return the media makes Americans feel paranoid. Similarly, everyone is afraid of everyone else, like neighbors, classmates, coworkers, etc. So therefore, when we feel too afraid we resolve the problem with violence, normally with firearms. Although as Americans we believe that we are the best, and this is an attitude that has served us well throughout our existence. For example, if there is something wrong, whether or not it happens in our territory, we send ‘American troops’, ‘the best troops’, to resolve the problem. However, while we have this attitude of being the best, most do not realize that our neighbors up north, Canadians, are doing a better job with the crime rate. Canada’s crime rate is significantly lower than the U.S., because Canada has stricter firearm regulations than the U.S. Since these regulations exist, Canada does not have as much violence. Also, Canada does not have violence in their media. In return, Canadian’s are less afraid of each other, unlike Americans. In summary, the less violence there is in the media, then the less afraid people will be of one another.

Revised Paragraph

Today studies have proven that marijuana use among teenagers has steadily increased throughout the past couple of decades. Studies showed that “Between 1991 and 2001, the percentage of eighth graders who used marijuana doubled from one in ten to one in five” (“Marijuana Use Among Teens”). What phenomenon has caused this increasing trend in statistics? There are many possible aspects of modern culture that could have contributed to the rising numbers. Perhaps it is because the availability of the drug has increased among today’s youth. Peer pressure also has a big effect on teens’ decisions. Marijuana today may also contain stronger, more powerful drugs that make it more addictive. In addition, several key celebrities have seemed to encourage drug use through the highly public examples of their own lifestyles. But more strongly evidenced is the theory that parents’ influence on their children has led to the increase in teenage marijuana use.

Revised Transition Paragraph

Pop ups began as a way to present random types of information from a webpage without you controlling it. The idea of pop ups used in a normal fashion stated in an article written on Ivertech, “There are "innocent" pop-ups with the sole intention of getting you to a website to sell a product” (Bigham 1). They first may seem like a good idea, but encrypted inside each of these tiny boxes could be thousands of viruses or even spyware waiting to attack your computer. With each website visited, thousands of pops ups can show up on an unprotected or even a mildly protected computer is under complete attack at all times. Although these attacks may not be visible to the naked eye, the damage they can cause is indescribable to non experienced computer users. The main remark that can be made against pop ups comes straight from the hidden dangers that strike when unsuspecting users visit various sites. As an avid user of the internet I believe that we need to take a stand against these types of things, and not allow it to control our electronic lives.

Paragraph

Underage drinking is a very serious problem in our culture that is affecting our world. In fact, there have been numerous deaths associated with underage drinking, which include driving under the influence, binge drinking, rapes, hazing, and simply poor judgment. Alcohol is a serious drug that impairs vision, motor skills, slows reaction time, and disables a person's ability to think clearly. Thus, it forces people to react in ways they would not normally and take risks that people usually regret the next day. Alcohol turns people into something they are not, something they do not aspire to be, yet those who start drinking underage usually do it to fit in with the "cool" crowd. Peer pressure has major influences in teenager's lives and why they turn to alcohol. There are many other influences other than peer pressure that influence underage drinking and those include stress, addictions in the family, the media, and freedom from not being under parental constraints.

paragraph

So the question still stands; why is Attention Deficit Disorder most common in the United States than anywhere else in the world? The biggest reason is that our nation's eating habits are completely different from other countries. Our nation's diet contains massive amounts of sugar and caffeine. For example, the nation's children consume all of this sugar and caffeine in massive amounts and are then expected to sit down and do their homework or pay attention in class. Sure, there is sugar and caffeine in other countries, but they are not consumed in such large amounts as they are in the United States.

TV violence

If domestic violence really is the main cause for aggression in kids, then the rules for what can be shown on tv have no merit. The ratings, the bleeping of cuss words, etc. would be completely pointless and should be removed. However, if tv violence would no longer be an issue, they would have to remove the bleeping on the radio aswell. Although I agree that all the bleeping they do these days, and all of the ratings for tv is midly silly, I still think that it plays some part in aggressive behavior in children. Yes, it is silly to bleep the word "drugs." Yes it is silly to bleep out the word "suicide." But the other vulgar words should continue to be cut out from tv and radio, to encourage children to not use these words. The same goes for TV violence. Although it may not be the main cause of aggression in kids, it still plays a part.

revised paragraph

One possible trend that may be causing the increasing tendencies of drug use among youth is that marijuana is more readily available to teens than it has been in the past. According to an article in the Washington Post, "availability is the mother of use" (Califano). As a result of the increase in availability, teenage use will also increase. To demonstrate, a CASA survey found that forty percent of twelve to seventeen-year-olds reported that they could purchase marijuana within one day. Increasingly, twenty-one percent of teens reported that they could have access within one hour (Califano). However, while these rates seem surprisingly high, they are not necessarily a large enough increase to cause the sudden jump in teenage drug use.

Response for Wednesday: Transition Paragraph

For Wednesday, do the following:

Choose one paragraph from your group's essay #4. Identify any places where transitions could be included, and revise to include them. Post the revised paragraph here. (More info on transitions is in your Simon and Schuster Handbook, p. 94-95.) No replies are necessary.

TV Violence

If Curtis' research and conclusion is correct, then the debate about television violence is totally discredited and doesn't even have a basis anymore. Laws and policies would have to be changed to be less restrictive about what kids can watch, and ratings would be less harsh regarding violence. While I do agree with Curtis that domestic violence probably has a bigger effect on whether or not kids grow up to be violent, I think that what kids see on tv does impact the way they think. Parents have the responsibility to know what their kids are watching and control the level of violence that they are allowed to watch.

Barbie

I do believe the causal analysis still does hold true, but not to the same extent it did in 1996. American Culture does change over time, but Barbie is still quite an icon. I believe that in todays society, the media has the most effect of girls with their body image. They see pictures of celebrites and are suppposedly supposed to look like that.

Barbie-Tim Fisher

This is one theory that I have never put much stock in, and never will. The thought of women ruining their lives through eating disorders just so that they can look like a doll is laughable. Any women who really believes that men are comparing her appearence to that of a Barbie doll are nuts. Most men have just grown to accept the fact that celebrities have better lives and better bodies than any woman they are ever going to find. We men merely are just looking for a girl who makes us happy, not who resembles our little sister's dolls.

American culture hasnt changed but has stayed true to Angelea Cains theory, becausse the society still portrays the curvacious anorexic body of Barbie. It is displayed all over the media in music videos where the only women in them are skinny curvacious women that the men are all over, or displayed in magazines and billboards. This body size of barbie is idealized by our society for every women to have, and to achieve that scores of women unfortunatley take the anorexic or bulimic route.

The Barbie doll has remained the ideal model for women to look for years. Even to this day, women are obsessed with how they look. And although Barbie may not be the culprit of this physical shallowness, that mentality still exists. Women today are still obsessed about their appearance and strive to get that perfect body. Barbie may have been replaced by celebrities and models, but what she represents still exists in today's society and will for a long time.

Barbie

Cain's article is still very true today. Although things seem to be improving with models having to have a weight limit, and plus size ad campaigns, the issue is still there. There is still a craze to obtain the perfect body. Everyday when you turn on the television there is am add for a dieting pill, or a new new make-up, or a fitness commercial. All these things are feeding into the thought that young girls could be better looking. In today's day and age, no one is ever happy with where they are at, and the same was true in 1996 when this article was written. I believe that the only thinking that has changed between now and then is that people are more aware of this problem and are doing more things to help try and fix it.

Barbie's Body

Sadly enough, Cain's claims still hold true today. Its not even just girls either, there are a number of guys who aim for better bodies, but probably wont say it out loud. The way the media shows people, it makes the viewer seem like they're the only one who isnt perfect. Everyday you hear about a celebrity who had a baby and two weeks later they've lost 20 pounds, and that makes average people strive for that. They'll never get those results because 9 tims out of 10 those average people will have average resources to getting thin, or looking borderline sick. Overall there is still this image that everyone tries to find for themselves, and say that they are somewhat proud of their body. The way the media puts the pressure I dont think anyone will think they're absolutely perfect for awhile.

Barbie's Body

Cain's article was published in 1996, and some of her analysis has changed but not by a lot. The only thing that actually changed is the fact that model agencies are putting more "plus size" models on runways and magazines. Although, the "plus size" models are still a lot thinner than what the average American woman is. Also, Barbie had a breast reduction; to portray a more realistic figure. Other than that, I believe that Cain's analysis is still very true. Children do look at toys for body image. Now, there are the BratZ dolls, which are very thin, big lips, big eyes, and long, silky hair. I have younger sisters who want to be "just like them". As for adults they do still look at models. There are so many new shows about models too; America's Next Top Model, Americas Most Smartest Model, and so on. There are times when the judges feel that the models are getting fat. So, when America sees this they feel horrified if they are fat then I must be a whale! The increase of fast food has made the latest generations very unhealthy. There are more obese children now then there ever was. So, the parents are trying to control this problem in the wrong ways. Self-image still plays a big role in American society today.

Is Barbie Perfect?

I feel that that it still hold true today. Even though her article was published eleven years ago, girls still think they need to be super thin. They look in a magazine and see supermodels or actresses and wish they were thin. Although the person on a magazine cover may not be that thin due to airbrushing, the magazine does not mention that fact. Girls need to become confortable with their body and not care what other people think.

Is Barbie's body really perfect?

I think that girls today have more problems with wanting their body to look perfect, than girls did in the past. Not only do girls have Barbie to look at and wish their bodies look like hers, but now the media forces perfect looking models on us all the time. Girls see the Victoria's Secret commercials on tv and automatically think that this is what they should look like. Unfortunately, the outcome of this is a lot of girls trying to get to that point by being unhealthy, there are so many more eating disorders than there used to be, all because somehow we got in our head that the only way to be beautiful so if you have the abnormal body of Barbie.

Is Barbie perfect?

I think that people today still think of barbie as the perfect figure. Girls everywhere harm themselves through starvation and other means in an attept to look like a barbie. Models portray this barbie image as they tend to have similar figures as barbie. I don't believe that girls should have to feel the need to make sure they look like barbie, but I'm not going to lie and say there wouldn't be perks. The fact of the matter is, if you look like barbie, more guys will like you. Now, a girl may attract boys for the wrong reasons and she may find it hard to find someone who takes her seriously, but she will attract men. These are the simple basics of attraction. Perhaps they are wrong, but I think it is foolish to think we can change them.

Is Barbie really perfect?

If you were to walk into a mall, or even down a street in a city, you would see many different kinds of people. After reading Cains essay about barbie, i agree that since it was published in 1996 things may have changed a litte bit. In the artice written it says that it is impossible to have the "perfect" body, but in my eyes i believe that modern technology can do anything you want it to. I have seen four hundred pound men, have the right surgery and come down to 180 lbs. Overall i believe that in the past 10 years, things have changed so much that it is not only barbie who causes the ill feelings of body types in our society.

The signature "hourglass figure," is not truly what american teenagers look for in todays society. If given the choice i would say most teenagers in todays world look more towards the "americans top model" type of body type. The idea of skinny, blonde, beautiful model still holds true today, but does not necessarily make the basis of what our society concludes as "perfect." That word may never truly be used in any situation because in my opinion it does not exsit

Barbie

I think that the causal analysis still holds true today. Everywhere you look you see skinny models who have perfect bodies and perfect hair. No one is perfect and no one likes everything about their body, but the media doesn't portray that. Instead every magazine has models who are airbrushed, thin, and flawless. Barbie dolls are the same way. No girl should aspire to be skinny and perfect, because no one is. Those who make themselves skinny end up getting sick and doing more damage to their bodies than they realize all because they want to look thin and like a model. Our culture needs to stop advertising the perfect body and accept people as they are. People come in all shapes, colors, and sizes and we should not be forced to feel bad if we do not exemplify the look of the airbrushed models.

Barbie

Cain's reasoning still does hold true to this day. The barbie/supermodel image is still the same. Models still havent gotten less skinny, and barbie still has those perfect curves. I think that many people still think about being the ideal weight, but more and more people are becoming comfortable with their weight, and not doing drastic things because of weight.

Barbie

Although Cain's article was published over ten years ago, I feel that what she discusses still holds true in today's society. Women are encouraged by societal elements, such as Barbie and supermodels, to be extremely skinny. They learn to feel bad about themselves or be ashamed if they do not have the perfect figure. I know that as a child I always wished that I could grow up to look exactly like Barbie. This view of the ideal woman is not something that is going to change drastically overnight, but I do feel that we have progressed a little since then. Plus-size models are struggling to be accepted, and are slowly changing the mainstream views. I think that it is a great thing that women are learning to accept the way they look without feeling like they need to change their appearance in order to fit in.

Response for Monday: Barbie

4. Cain's article was published in 1996. Do you find the causal analysis still holds true or has American culture changed to the extent that her claims seem out of date?

--ejfleitz