Friday, October 29, 2010

Don't Say That!

It's funny to think that people used to say "Gee Willerkers!" or "Oh Poodlestick" as a curse when in today's society we just say "Ah shit." Sorry for my cursing, I have just used it for so long that its become part of my vocabulary. I really don't know what taboo language is. In real life, you hear all these crazy things being spoken like "that stupid cracker" or "that ho." So I really suck at saying what is taboo. The only word I would say is Taboo for me is cunt. I will not call another woman that or allow anyone to call me that. Those are fighting words for me. I guess taboo language is racist language on television. If people aren't comedians or very popular Television personalities, they can't get away with saying things like that. Its all a double standard really. Only some people can say certain things and other can't.

I can be very liberal in certain things, like speech, so I wouldn't have a problem with taboo language. Maybe it comes from being called a dumbass from doing stupid things or because I had very "potty-mouth" parents but I use bad language liberally. I remember when I wa sriding Deja Vu for the first time at Six Flags; you would have thought I was a sailor from the amount of bad words coming out of me. I digress. It is because of my upbringing that I believe that we should be allowed to say things uncensored. Most people are use some taboo words all the time. Watch the movie GRAN TORINO; some people speak like tha all the time. I know I have said this a thousand times but I can't express how important this concept is to me. I cannot be calm when my choices are threatened. I have never been given much room to make my own choices before. It wasn't until I was in my late teens that I finally was able to express my choices. My life has been controlled, to an extent, by mother. I love her but being stuck in that situation made me realize how important choices are to me and other people. That's why I can't bear the thought of my choice to hear uncensored media being restricted.

I think that taboo language represents the main population but not all. There are some that take it too far (F#$k is said every other word) or some who are too pious (the Good Golly people). Having taboo language uncensored doesn't mean that every other word is going to be a bad one. It's like trying to say that being able to smoke means that everyone is going to do it, which is untrue. That is just irrational fear. Having uncensored taboo words means that we have he choice to use them but we don't have too. It would be nice to have the option though.

The problem with having taboo words out, though is that many parent's wouldn't explain to their children what certain things meant. The only real way to have taboo words in the media is if the parents were willing to sit down with their kids and explain these concepts to them. Many parents don't and that's why there is no real tabbo words in the media.

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Media... That bastard

When I was in high school, some boys in my class called me a cunt. I didn't know what it meant but I knew it was insulting by the way they said. I slapped them but it really hurt me when I found out what it meant. I can't really describe how I felt because that words brings up some bad and confusing feelings.  I really hate that word. I guess that  is what a person feels like when they are called a nigger, cracker, wetback or a guc. I don't know why they called me that; I wasn't being mean at all. But I won't make myself the victim here because I have also been the antagonizer. When I was younger, my parents and other extended family members were racist when I think about it. I didn't know and I had a fight with my male black friend. He got me really mad I called him a mayate because I remember my mom using that word. I knew it was insult but I really did not know what it was.  He actually knew what it meant and our friendship suffered because of that. I vowed I wouldn't ever do that again because of the pain it caused and because of the shame I felt and still feel to this day. That is one reason I see everybody as equals, no matter what race or ethnicity they are. We all hurt the same.

I have seen some television shows adding more bi-racial couples to their shows and I think that is a major step forward. But other media, like music videos and certain movies, that promote stupid ideas of race and sexuality. Music Videos really put women down because it makes us seem like objects instead of people. Also in movies, there is always the token "black" man or other ethnic person in a movie amongst a whole bunch of "white" people. The minorities usually play a group of thugs who speak a lot of slang which promotes the idea that minorities are trouble makers. Take the  40 YEAR-OLD VIRGIN. There is only one black guy who acts according to the black man stereotype. He cheats on his girlfriend with alot of "hos" and talks in slang. It is very stereotypical and promotes certain prejudices. I love that movie though.

TV shows like SOUTH PARK or FAMILY GUY can be seen as shows that reinforce stereotypes because of all the dumb things they say. However, some see it in a good light because they both spare no one. All ethnicites and cultures are made fun of equally and that is refreshing in a way.

I don't think books promote the stereotype without an idea behind it. Usually when a prejudice or stereotype is used in a book, its usually meant to make a certain ideal more poignant.

We all need to take resposibilties for own actions and learn to think for ourselves. We can't blame media for our crappy choices all th time.

Friday, October 15, 2010

The Pursuit of Happiness

It is an odd conundrum. Which is more important, happiness or self-respect? I personally oscillate between the two.

 First of all, most of what we do is in the pursuit of happiness. It is even stated in our Declaration of Independence, " [We have] unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness ." As Jefferson pointed out, it is our unalienable right to search for it. Happiness is one of the biggest motivations in American society. We all want it; we divorce our husbands/wives because they cause us unhappiness, we quits jobs because we don't feel happy doing it and the list goes on. It is important to us. I believe that capitalism is based on a twisted notion of happiness: greed. That's a whole other discussion. But we all want it. Not many people like to feel depressed or sad. They become sluggish and uninspiring. The problem with happiness is that it is such a fickle emotion. I read Voltaire's "Candide" and the characters were  happy at one point in the novel and then seeped in sorrow the next. It was a whole cycle of happiness and contentment combined with sadness and depression. One of the big points of the novel was that one will never be happy always and it is better to lose yourself in work. That way, you do not feel and are unattached to your emotions. There is way more to this novel but this is a point I deduced from it. What we got to understand that happiness is never constant.

Self-respect on the other hand, is different. As Nafisi said in her analysis of Catherine's character and the novel is that self-respect does not require happiness. The thing about self-respect is that it is one of the first things to go. I have known women who get pregnant just to "snare" a man. They basically whore themselves out to accomplish a selfish deed. That's when I ask, "Where has your self-respect gone?" I really can't comprehend how a person can do such a thing as shed their self-respect for such lowly things. It really is one of the first things to go in people. More people should have self-respect because it creates a stronger character. The people of this society should take note of Washington Square. Just as Catherine wouldn't bend to her father's and suitor's wishes in the end, we too should stand up for our principles. That is part of what having self-respect is. Our principles and beliefs are what define us. When we lose site of our ideals and beliefs,  we lose ourselves and our self-respect in the process. We become lost in this busy world. That is why I believe there are so many lost souls in the world. They have no firm ideals or beliefs and when they don't have that, they have no basis for their self-respect.

I can't say for sure which is more important. One soothes our longing for companionship, to feel happy. The other gives us a reason to be proud. Self-respect gives us something to stand for, while happiness gives us something to work for. Either way, one has to ask themselves what they value more and then they will know which is more imporatant to them.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Capital Punishment and our Existence

There is always a person that one person that gets you to think critically. I had two. My sister is the first one and she is usually the one that turns my ideals on my head. The first time this happened was our conversation on capital punishment. I was just in high school and I had to write a paper on the subject. I was so certain of my stance that I bragged about it to her. My view back then was that taking a life for a life accomplishes nothing: an eye for an eye leaves the world blind. I truly believed this.I also thought it is better that we forgive and move on with our lives. I wasn't really religious; I just believed that forgiveness was the way we could stop the chain of violence. I had seen what hate has done to my grandmother. My grandfather left her for someone else and she has never forgave him. I have seen her become bitter and alone; that's why I say it is better to just let it go. If you don't let it go, it becomes part of you. A poison to the soul. But my sister pointed out to me that she would want to see my death avenged if she were ever put in that position. "How would you feel if someone killed me? Would you feel forgiveness? No you would feel anger and you would want to see justice done." She got me to understand that forgiveness is not an easy thing to achieve. Its not as easy as 1,2,3. She got me to understand this. By her statement, it got me to see that displaying forgiveness is a greater display of inner strength than righteous anger. I let myself listen and I learned something new. I would not change this conversation at all. Sometimes going back and trying to change things is more detrimental than helpful. Its better to shape the future tan try and change the past.

The other conversation was recent. My classmate was writing a philosophy paper and she began to speak about it. Her big question was "Why do we exist?" I responded arrogantly, that we are here to reproduce and survive. She kind of through me for a loop when she said, "Yeah, well do you know why?" I paused because I really didn't know. I am not as fast on my feet as other people but I really started thinking, "why?" When I finally came up with an answer, the class was over. I had been getting cocky because of a knowledge high I was currently in. I was proud of how much I have grown as a student but her simple question helped me realize that I still had a lot to learn. I am going to thank her next class because she humbled me and I believe that is essential in the pursuit of knowledge. I would not change our conversation.

I did come up with an answer for the existence question. My answer is this: everything strives for life and sometimes there is no sense to the world. Is there any reason we need arm hairs? Is there any reason that there is evil in the world? Is there a point to anything we do? I know it is a bit nihilistic but is there a reason for anything? However, I honestly think that everything strives for life because anything is better than solitude. I believe we aim to survive and reproduce so that we are not alone in the universe. Lonelinss has power.