Response to Dan's Post: "The End"

This is a response to Dan's post, "The End" : http://dgcroatia305.blogspot.ca/2012/04/end.html

            Often death brings forward the need for repentance and action. I believe humans take their life for granted and/or ignore the fact that they are immortal just to forget their fear of death and the unknown. In many movies, those who are either faced with an outrageous catastrophe like the end of the world, or are simply aging or ill, are forced to think of death and are usually the characters to reflect on their past and “mend broken bridges”. I believe this is a normal reaction to immortality. It is very unfortunate that we often wait until our last days to make peace with those we have betrayed and forgive those who have hurt us. I know it is a bit cliché, in any case, I believe if we lived like each day was our last our world would be a better place.

            Your post also reminded me of the Nickleback song “If Today Was Your Last Day” which calls us to reflect on our past and the choices we would make if we knew today was our last day. One verse in particular highlights the need to live everyday to the fullest without regrets:

“So do whatever it takes,

‘Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life.

Let nothing stand in your way,

‘Cause the hands of time are never on your side.”

Nickleback, "If Today Was Your Last Day" - Song & Lyrics

            Another song that came to mind was Pearl Jam’s “Last Kiss”. Instead of a person having to face death because of a sickness or aging, this song address the need for reflection when someone you love passes. After his girlfriend has passed, he sings, “She’s gone to heaven so I’ve got to be good; so I could see my Baby when I leave this world.” He realizes now that he has to live a certain way in the hopes that he can see her again.

Pearl Jam, "Last Kiss" - Song & Lyrics

            There are many mediums in popular culture that ask us to take a step back and reflect on our lives, the regrets we have, and the decisions we can make to better our future and sometimes even our entire world. They often force us to think about death and even a possibly afterlife. After all, if we believe the rapture is dawning, I am sure we would all make changes in our everyday lives. 

We're Gonna Party Like It's 2012!

The apocalyptic genre has taken over music in our popular culture. Jay Sean and Nicki Minaj’s song “2012 (It Ain’t the End),” asks that we all “party like it’s the end of the world”. This song address the fear that 2012 will be the year of the apocalypse and attempts to reassure everyone that it will not be the end.

“It ain’t the end of the world. No, I’m not going to follow anything they say anymore. It’s never too late to start living so lets start it with here, right now… You know it doesn’t matter, as long as we got each other.”

            In the above quotation from the song, Jay Sean tries to put everyone at ease by suggesting the idea of the world ending in 2012 is some fabrication that “they” created, and encourages everyone to live life to the fullest without fearing the unknown.  In my opinion, Jay Sean is taking the biblical approach of the end of days coming “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). It will be completely unexpected, so we should “start living” and make the most of our time here since it could happen at any time, even tomorrow. He encourages everyone to go out and celebrate like it is our last night instead of being fearful of the end. However, I did find it funny that Jay Sean himself is a bit fearful: “You know it doesn’t matter, as long as we got each other” implying he is even unsure of his fate, and just incase “they” are right, he will at least be surrounded by those he loves.

            Another song in the apocalyptic genre but touches the Christian apocalypse in particular, is Coldplay’s “’Til Kingdom Come”. The song was originally written for a special event and was to be performed by Coldplay and Johnny Cash, but Cash had unfortunately passed away before the event was finalized. The song is a hidden track on Coldplay’s album, X&Y and in Rolling Stones magazine Chris Martin of Coldplay explained that he got the idea of this song from the Lord’s Prayer. The song is definitely a Christian one, and some even believe the song is about one’s relationship with Christ. I believe it is simply a song about eternal love. What do you think?

“Only 4% of Women Worldwide Consider Themselves Beautiful”

This post is in response to: "Credibility, Gender and the Media" - http://christianityandpopularculture.blogspot.ca/2012/03/credibility-gender-and-media.html

The issue of gender and women’s credibility is one that needs serious consideration. As you have mentioned, young girls are being bombarded with negative stereotypes. Women are lacking in “credible” positions like news castors or politicians, and when they are in the media, women are often stereotyped as dumb, superficial, annoying, and dependent. Furthermore, the media places great importance on their appearance and the “perfect body”. Essentially, the media tells girls they will simply never be good enough. The only chance people will ever take them seriously is if they are beautiful, but how many girls actually consider themselves beautiful?

In a new global survey by Dove, they found that by age fourteen, 55% of girls are critical about their appearance: “By the time they are 29, this number increases to 96%. After the age of 14 girls increasingly become their own worst beauty critic. While only 10% of girls 10-14 put pressure on themselves to be beautiful, this number climbs to 59% of women 18-64.”   (http://www.dove.ca/en/Article/Surprising-Self-Esteem-Statistics.aspx)

As a result of the media’s portrayal of women, girls are having self-esteem issues. These self-esteem issues are creating a negative impact on their overall health. Many girls and women alike suffer from eating disorders. These diseases would be the extreme result of low self-esteem, however it is extremely hard to come across even one girl who is not self-conscious about some part of their body. This is an issue that speaks to a large majority of the world.

However, I have seen some effort by clothing companies like Levi’s, in promoting natural figures. Levi’s has put forward a new wave of women’s jeans called Curve ID, that fit more than just the ‘size-zero’ body. The Levi’s Curve ID slogans include: “Jeans for Us,” “All Asses Were Not Created Equal,” and “Hotness Comes in All Shapes and Sizes.” The issue still remains that Levi’s’ main advertisements feature thin models, but the door has become somewhat open to fuller-figured girls.

Sex Education

As a member of UofT’s Concurrent Teacher Education Program, this week’s lecture prompted reflection on my role as a future teacher…

            Sex education is a very heated topic in secondary schools. Although there seems to be an overwhelming belief that sex education is a necessity, many are divided on what should be taught. The division is even among educators themselves as some argue abstinence should be the only option discussed in sex education classes, while others promote content full sex education, including human development, gender roles, relationships, and intimacy. I would agree that comprehensive sexual education is most beneficial and stressing abstinence alone is irrelevant and ignores the reality that teens are having sex unsafely and sometimes in unhealthy relationships.

 Educators must be aware of the impact of the media. Teens are bombarded with images of sex everywhere. Whether its lyrics of songs they hear on the radio, advertisements they see all around them, shows they enjoy on television, or sex based magazines like Cosmopolitan and Men’s Health, they are all exposed to sex. Even fiction written for teens like the popular Twilight series deals with sexuality and describes abstinence as only desirable for an ancient vampire; completely ‘old fashion’. 

The media does not only promote sex, but it often neglects healthy relationships. The Internet alone, providing links to pornography, famous celebrity sex tapes, and the like, further promotes teens to have sex. The Internet, however, also provides positive websites, one being AVERT. AVERT, a site dedicated to HIV & AIDS, also presents positive information about sex education. It contains a section on sex and relationships, which I believe is especially beneficially for teens. It also provides games and quizzes where one can test their sex education knowledge, and has a blog section where teens can share sex related experiences or thoughts.

            To argue that students and educators should ignore and hide from sex is baffling. Schools need to come to terms with the reality of the day and use this media to guide and empower today’s youth. 

Response to: "Violence in sports: Necessary?"

I agree, hockey would be just as exciting without the “mini-boxing matches”. There is no necessity for full-fledged fistfights in hockey. However, taking out checking in hockey would change the sport completely. Hockey is a contact sport, and even though many “clean” hits result in serious injuries, I can’t throw blame on the NHL for “preserving hitting”.

Comparing hockey to football, football is much more physical and hard-hitting, but should a player throw one punch against someone on the opposing team, they are immediately ejected from the game. Using the NFL as an example, I believe hockey would be just as successful with a ban on fighting. As you could see, fighting does not sell, as the NFL is a more profitable league than the NHL. So then, if the most physical sport does not condone fighting yet rake in more profit than the NHL, violence in the form of fighting is not necessary from a business perspective.

Also, I do not agree with your comment about the extent of violence in the NHL. You cannot compare Armstrong’s broken nose, from a fight that he chose to engage in, to Steve Moore’s career ending injury from a sucker-punch from behind (not a fight he mutually agreed to). These examples of violence are polar opposites. In no way did Tod Bertuzzi lay such a cheap shot to “advance his career”. The Bertuzzi-Moore hit is a clear example of the impossibility of complete violence being taken out of hockey. Fist fighting can be easily banned, but hits both legal and illegal are simply part of the game. The games fast pace and natural contact will lead to legal and illegal hits whether they are purposeful or not. 

Here is the link to the blog I am responding to: http://faithisourmedium.blogspot.com/2012/03/violence-in-sports-necessary.html

McCoy: Lion or Lamb?

            This past season of the NFL was marked by a nasty controversy over Cleveland Brown’s quarterback Colt McCoy. In a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Steeler’s linebacker James Harrison launched himself at McCoy. Having watched the game live, my initial reaction to the hit was the unquestionable feeling that McCoy was concussed and would be removed from the game. After the hit McCoy lay still on the field, and needed assistance to get to the sideline. McCoy was replaced for two plays by the back-up quarterback, but was then found healthy to play and put back into the game only to throw an interception. After the game, McCoy was diagnosed with “concussion like symptoms”, however, after further medial examination, he was found to have a mild concussion.

McCoy’s father, infuriated at the Brown’s medical staff for allowing his son to get back on the field was quoted the day after the hit saying:

"I talked to Colt this morning and he said, 'Dad, I don't know what happened, but I know I lost the game. I know I let the team down. What happened?' …He was basically out (cold) after the hit. You could tell by the rigidity of his body as he was laying there. There were a lot of easy symptoms that should've told them he had a concussion. He was nauseated and he didn't know who he was. From what I could see, they didn't test him for a concussion on the sidelines. They looked at his hand."

Pat Shurmur, Brown’s head coach, defended his medical team, saying medical precautions were taken and McCoy told the staff he was perfectly fine to play.

The Colt McCoy concussion controversy raises several issues. First off, the fact that the trained professional medical staff cleared him to get back in the game questions the extent to which health is more important than a win. Secondly, if McCoy’s father’s account is accurate, stating that Colt felt “he let the team down”, highlights the belief in sports of playing through injury as heroic, rather than threatening. Lastly, the concussion raises issues of injury prevention. Harrison, who laid the hard hit on McCoy, was suspended for 1 game without pay, losing $73,529. Many believed the hit to be in the ‘gray area’ of what defines an illegal hit.

After watching the hit in the above link, you will be shocked at the thought that the staff allowed him to get back in the game. What do you think of the medical staff’s decision? Also, what do you think of the Harrison suspension?

Response to Valdy's Post: Christian Apps… “There’s an App for That”

I have to admit, after reading your post I really thought “There’s an app for that?!”  I guess I really shouldn’t be shocked that there are Christian/Catholic apps, but the price is certainly surprising!

To respond to your question, I’m very skeptic of Surgework’s authenticity and sincerity. It’s very hard to be empathetic towards a company that has their apps at 20x the price of others! But, as you’ve pointed out, we are in a “commercial consumer culture structured around capitalism” so could you really lay any blame of authenticity? 

Your post also reminded me of Unilever, who has been under some scrutiny for their ‘hypocritical’ advertising. Unilever is a corporation that oversees a variety of food, home, and personal care brands such as Lipton, Knorr, Dove, Axe, and Sunlight. Their hypocritical image began with the two extreme advertising campaigns of Dove and Axe. Dove, a brand targeted at women, advocates for inner or “real” beauty, and self-esteem for young girls. Axe, on the other hand, is targeted for men, with a branding slogan of “The Axe Effect” or my interpretation: the ‘chick’ magnet. The television commercials really highlight the hypocrisy of each brand’s identity:

Dove commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6JvK0W60I

Axe commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9tWZB7OUSU

- Axe Models -

Are they really promoting self-esteem when the Axe commercials feature model-type women in bikinis? It seems that they are using the “whatever sells” principle. Even though all signs point to a false sincerity, I can’t really place any blame. They are part of a capitalist consumer culture, and have to appeal to their targeted consumers, after all, it is all part of ‘the business’. Also, the Dove self-esteem campaign for young girls has actually tried to make a real difference! They have gone to many schools in the GTA advocating for “real” beauty, and I have only heard positive reviews. 

I wonder if we are being a bit too hard on companies? Maybe they really do mean well, and it is simple necessity to use different marketing strategies? On the other hand, maybe I’m just another casualty of Unilever’s master advertising plan? 

I think suspicion of a company’s sincerity is inevitable when there’s a profit to be made from their good will.